'Don't Burst Crackers, Light Diyas, No Hindu-Muslim In This': Arvind Kejriwal On Firecracker Ban
New Age Islam News Bureau
31 Oct 2024
· 'Don't Burst Crackers, Light Diyas, No Hindu-Muslim In This': Arvind Kejriwal On Firecracker Ban
· Activists worried by extremist groups’ influence in Sindh
· Locked in Middle East wars and battered by sanctions, Iran is wary over US presidential election
· Saudi Arabia calls for emergency Arab-Islamic summit amid escalating Israeli aggression
· Peter Rhodes on Keir's honeymoon, a law to protect Islam and British military kit – from Russia with risks
· Uncommitted Co-Founder Says Trump Is "Preying on the Pain of Arab and Muslim American Voters"
DHQ Speaks On Terrorists Taking Over Niger Training Camp
· Sharia economics supports sustainable economic growth: Airlangga
· Afghanistan’s soil not to be used against any country
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India
· Terrorists will keep dying until they stop infiltrating: Farooq Abdullah
· BJP accuses ally NCP candidate Nawab Malik of being linked to 'terrorist Dawood Ibrahim'
· Uttarkashi mosque protests: BJP MLA extends support, asks police to withdraw charges
· Terrorists killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Akhnoor were affiliated with JeM
· Maharashtra polls: Major parties nominate less than 10 Muslims in all across Mumbai
· Stormy scenes in House panel as Delhi Waqf administrator submits report
· Omar Abdullah announces restoration of November examination session for Kashmir students
· Suspect who issued hoax bomb threats to airlines sent emails from Delhi, say Nagpur police
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Pakistan
· Action launched against those who 'attacked' ex-CJP Isa's vehicle in London
· IHC suspends physical remand of Imaan Mazari, husband in terrorism case
· Three security men martyred in Bannu shootout
· Lahore goes for ‘green lockdown’ to tackle smog
· Pine forest fire spreads to Sherani
· Fazl says constitutional amendment strengthened parliament
· PHC puts federal, KP govts on notice over delayed NFC Award
· CM Maryam says both Pakistani and Indian Punjabs should unite against smog
· PHC puts federal, KP govts on notice over delayed NFC Award
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Mideast
· Lebanese family killed in Israeli strike on their home ahead of daughter’s wedding
· Dominant Kurdish parties maintain their sway in the election for the parliament in the Iraqi region
· Lebanon’s only burn unit treats toddlers after Israeli strikes
· A Gaza medic realizes he’s carrying his own mother’s body, killed by an Israeli airstrike
· UN mission in Lebanon targeted 30 times in October
· Iran appoints Sunni politicians as deputy president, provincial governor
· Iraq's Sunni divide: High stakes as parliament prepares for speaker election
· Lebanon PM says hopes for ceasefire with Israel in ‘coming hours or days’
· Israel wages deadly Gaza strikes as northern areas plead for help
· Lebanon security source says one dead in strike on Hezbollah van
· Security Council warns against any attempt to dismantle UN’s aid agency for Palestinians
· Houthis deploy hundreds of troops and weapons, including missiles, in Taiz province
· KDP expects no decision on Parliament Speaker amid Sunni disagreements
· Iran appoints 1st Sunni-Baloch governor for restive southeastern province
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Arab World
· UAE-based Alumni celebrate Sir Syed Day in honour of Aligarh Muslim University's founder
· 4,000-year-old town discovered hidden in Arabian oasis
· Bahrain king receives Saudi interior minister
· Feline beautiful: Saudi Arabia hosts International Cat Show
· Song and dance ring in Korean cultural celebrations in Riyadh
· Japanese envoy Iwai to conclude Saudi tenure, take on new post in Egypt
· Deal set to boost Saudi cultural entrepreneurship
· Saudi deputy minister receives Irish foreign ministry official
· Deal inked to elevate fashion sustainability in Saudi Arabia
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Europe
· US treatment of Russian journalists ‘unacceptable’ – Kremlin
· Work of Burnley churches and mosque praised at Gather Together event
· Spain flood death toll expected to rise as dozens missing
· 'Like a tsunami': Spaniards recount horror of deadly floods
· Timing of Spain flood alert under scrutiny as blame game rages
· Swedish man killed fighting for Ukraine – media
· Outrage as Southport killer’s links with radical Islam now acknowledged
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North America
· Trump Invites Muslim Man Ejected from Harris Rally to Star in Ad.
· Islamic Center Of Irving Aims To Distribute 1 Million Pounds Of Food In 2024 To Combat Local Food Insecurity
· Harris distances herself from furore over Biden 'garbage' comment
· The Pennsylvania voters who 'could make or break the election'
· Pennsylvania officials reject viral claim about illegal voters
· Ohtani-mania sweeps LA as Dodgers battle for World Series title
· US economy growing despite voter angst
· CNN requests RT contributor’s comments for hit piece just ahead of US election
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Africa
· MTBPS: Treasury to expand Islamic Bond Programme following R20bn success
· In Egypt, prospect of Trump win raises fears over school funding
· Obasanjo Advocates For Indigenous Cultural Values To Strengthen Nigeria’s Democracy
· Economic Policies: We Stand By Our Advice To Tinubu – IMF Maintains Stand Despite Backlash From Nigerians
· Residents in Botswana head to the polls, as Mokgweetsi Masisi seeks second term
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Southeast Asia
· ‘True friend is hard to find,’ Najib says as court tells him to enter defence over 1MDB corruption and money laundering charges
· No Malaysians affected by severe floods in Valencia, Spain
· Fire destroys warehouse in Sungai Buloh
· Appointment as IACA President proof of govt’s commitment to fighting corruption - Azalina
· S’wak to collaborate with federal in CCUS cross border transportation - Abang Johari
· Johor’s strategic edge: RM830m in potential investments as S. Korean firms show confidence in long-term growth, says MB
· Perlis govt files review to reinstate Muslim status of Loh's kids
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South Asia
· No one, including Mujahidin allowed to carry weapons without documents, ministry
· High-Level Islamic Emirate Delegation Probes Casualties Near Iran-Pakistan Border
· Mazar-e-Sharif Municipality Reports 218 Million Afs in Revenue, Highlights Progress on 43 Projects
· Acting Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs Advocates for Formalization of Mosques
· 9 citizens of Afghanistan released from Pakistani prisons
· 5 protesters hurt as police charge baton
· Kabul’s groundwater might run out due to urbanization and climate change
· Iranian companies seeking investment in Afghanistan’s lead, zinc mining
· Ministry of Economy highlights operational costs in foreign organizations in Afghanistan
· IEA delegation arrives in China to attend conference on mining
· Herat Police Crack Down on Kidnappers, Rescuing Abducted Boy
· NEPA Inks MoU with Raha Organization to Advance Climate Advocacy and Research
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/crackers-hindu-muslim-arvind-kejriwal-ban/d/133594
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'Don't burst crackers, light diyas, no Hindu-Muslim in this': Arvind Kejriwal on firecracker ban
Oct 30, 2024
NEW DELHI: Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal emphasized the importance of the firecracker ban on Wednesday, stating that both the Supreme Court and the Delhi high court have urged citizens to avoid bursting crackers due to pollution concerns.
He encouraged people to celebrate the festival of lights by lighting diyas instead.
Kejriwal stressed that the impact of pollution affects everyone, regardless of religion and highlighted that the health of children should be a priority for all.
Speaking to reporters Kejriwal said, "Even the Supreme Court and high court say that in view of the pollution, we should not burst crackers, we should light diyas. This is the festival of lights and not firecrackers."
"It is not as if we are doing a favour to anybody. Whatever pollution will happen, our children will suffer from it, so there is no Hindu-Muslim in this. Everyone's life is important," Kejriwal added further.
'Diya Jalao' campaign
As the national capital faces rising pollution levels during the festive season, Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai announced on Monday that the government will launch the "Diya Jalao" campaign this evening, anticipating an increase in pollution over the next 15 days.
"Due to changing weather, experts predict a possible surge in air pollution in the coming days. Our focus is on controlling firecracker usage during Diwali. To tackle pollution, we are launching the 'Diya Jalao' campaign this evening," he told news agency ANI.
He added that steps are being taken to prevent transit vehicles from entering the city unnecessarily.
"PM 2.5 levels are rising, and the impact of stubble burning is becoming more evident. We are working to ensure that vehicles traveling to Punjab and Haryana bypass Delhi. If the BJP governments at the Centre, Haryana and UP only question our efforts, then who will take action?" Rai stated.
Additionally, Rai has written to Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, urging stringent enforcement against firecracker ban violations in the capital.\
Source:indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/dont-burst-crackers-light-diyas-no-hindu-muslim-in-this-arvind-kejriwal-on-firecracker-ban/articleshow/114769786.cms
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Activists worried by extremist groups’ influence in Sindh
Waqas Ali
October 31, 2024
KARACHI: Incidents of extrajudicial killings over blasphemy charges are increasing, with extremist groups gaining more influence in the country, especially in Sindh, while both the state and provincial governments appear unprepared to address the issue and hold violators accountable.
This was highlighted by rights activists at a session titled ‘Societal Resistance Against the Surge in Extremism and Radicalisation in Sindh’, organised at Szabist University on Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Riaz Shaikh, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Szabist, expressed concern that acts of lynching and extrajudicial killings are on the rise, with extremist groups gaining control over various parts of the country, yet the state remains unresponsive to this problem.
“And the policemen who killed blasphemy suspect Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar are still free. The state is not holding accountable those who take the law into their own hands. There’s a contradiction in the state’s policy regarding this issue,” he said.
Rights activist Sadia Baloch said extremism gripped the country during the Afghan jihad and the US war on terror. As a result, many areas of the country were affected by extremist groups and now it reached Sindh.
“In the recent case of Dr Kunbhar, the state persecuted and tortured those protesting against his killing, instead of those responsible for his death,” she added.
Writer and poet Noorul Huda Shah criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in Sindh, stating that the PPP relies on pirs (spiritual leaders) and landlords with fixed local vote banks, so it remains indifferent to the concerns of its general voter base. This reliance, she argued, makes the party unwilling to take action against lawbreakers.
“But ultimately, it is the government’s responsibility to control and put an end to this issue, as it has the power to do so,” she asserted.
Lawyer Rumasa Javed suggested that the judiciary has a crucial role to play in cases of extrajudicial killings over blasphemy allegations. She also raised concerns that youth in Sindh are being radicalised.
Sindh Human Rights Commission Chairperson Iqbal Detho suggested that accountability and rule of law are fundamental to democracy, and when these are neglected, incidents like Dr Kunbhar’s killing occur.
Rights activist and politician Shahnaz Wazir Ali expressed hope that despite the multiple crises the country faces, youth will bring about positive change.
Finally, the speakers at the programme, which was moderated by Shazia Nizamani, expressed their belief that despite these challenges, the people of Sindh and civil society will resist all forms of extremism and prevent them from taking root.
Source:dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1868724/activists-worried-by-extremist-groups-influence-in-sindh
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Locked in Middle East wars and battered by sanctions, Iran is wary over US presidential election
October 31, 2024
Above, an Iranian woman walks past a satirized image of the US flag on the wall of former US embassy in Tehran on Oct. 22, 2024. Many Iranians are split on which US candidate would be better for their country – if at all.(AP)
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TEHRAN: America’s presidential election next week comes just after Iran marks the 45th anniversary of the 1979 US Embassy hostage crisis – and for many, tensions between Tehran and Washington feel just as high as they did then.
Iran remains locked in the Middle East wars roiling the region, with its allies – militant groups and fighters of its self-described “Axis of Resistance” – battered as Israel presses its war in the Gaza Strip targeting Hamas and its invasion of Lebanon amid devastating attacks against Hezbollah. At the same time, Iran still appears to be assessing damage from Israel’s strikes on the Islamic Republic last Saturday in response to two Iranian ballistic missile attacks.
Iran’s currency, the rial, hovers near record lows against the dollar, battered by international sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program of enriching uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.
In public spaces, women still openly defy Iran’s mandatory law on the headscarf, or hijab, a result of the mass demonstrations over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini that still haunts the country.
That has left a feel of fatalism among some on the streets of the capital, Tehran, as Americans cast ballots for either Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump. Many are split on which candidate would be better for their country – if at all.
“All US presidents elected after the (1979) revolution had the same views about Iran and I think that’s unlikely to change,” said Sadegh Rabbani, 65.
Harris and Trump have offered hardline views on Iran, making Iranians wary.
Both candidates have either undertaken or expressed tough stances on Iran.
In 2018, Trump unilaterally pulled America out of Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers, setting off years of attacks across the Middle East even before Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Trump has been briefed on Iranian plots to retaliate against him, as well over his decision to launch a 2020 drone strike that killed Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad.
Harris, meanwhile, vowed at the September presidential debate that she would always “give Israel the ability to defend itself, in particular as it relates to Iran and any threat that Iran and its proxies pose to Israel.”
For its part, the Biden administration did try indirect negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program that produced no tangible results, though it did reach one prisoner swap deal that saw five Americans detained for years in Iran walk free in September 2023.
In an outdoor coffeeshop in downtown Tehran, popular among the youth, 22-year-old Zahra Rezaei said she preferred a Harris win.
“We saw Trump in the past and he just ran an anti-Iran policy,” Rezaei told The Associated Press. “It is time for a woman ... I think she (Harris) will better since she is not after war.”
Ebrahim Shiri, a 28-year-old postgraduate political sciences student, agreed.
“I think Harris knows the world better,” he said. “She and (Joe) Biden convinced Israel not to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. This mean moving toward peace.”
Others believe Trump, with his promises of dealmaking, might be a better fit.
“I do not know what the American people think, but Trump is able to get a quick deal with Iran,” said Mohammad Ali Raoufi, 43, who runs a double-glazed window workshop. “The Biden administration including Harris failed to reach any (deal) with Iran over the past years when they were in power.”
Reza Ghaemi, a 31-year-old taxi driver, also suggested Trump may lessen tensions in the region since he pushed to withdraw US troops from the Middle East during his term in office.
Iran’s government wants sanctions gone and hopes for another nuclear deal
Many declined to speak to the AP on camera – Iran has only state-run television and radio stations, so people are suspicious of reporters with video cameras working openly on the street. A woman walking by immediately tightened her previously loose headscarf after seeing the camera.
Those who did speak to the AP mostly expressed worries about a direct United States-Iran war – especially if Trump wins.
While saying he wants Trump to win “for my own reasons,” 53-year-old Ahmad Moradi claimed that would make a US-Iran war “100 percent” sure to happen.
A woman who only gave her name as Mahnaz, fearing repercussions for speaking openly, suggested that Harris, as a woman, couldn’t reach any deals with Iran because “men can talk to men.”
“I think if Trump is elected, it will be much harder for our kids. Of course it doesn’t matter which one is elected, it’s already tough for us,” said Fariba Oodi.
“We the Iranian people are trapped in some political game. And our kids are paying a price for that,” she added. “But I still think if it’s Trump, it will be more difficult, especially for my son who is a student and plans to apply” to study in America.
Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, elected after a helicopter crash killed hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi in May, came to power on a promise to reach a deal to ease Western sanctions.
Iranian officials maintain that separating nuclear negotiations from Middle East wars is possible, even as the US has accused Iran of meddling in the November election, which Tehran denies.
Fatemeh MoHajjerani, a spokeswoman for Pezeshkian’s administration, said Tehran wants to see a change in US policies and a respect for the “national sovereignty of other countries.” It also wants Washington to “avoid tension-making activities as we witnessed in recent years,” she said.
Analysts, however, see a difficult road ahead for any possible US-Iran talks, no matter who wins next Tuesday.
“The talks will be a war of attrition,” Ali Soufi told the pro-reform Shargh newspaper. Saeed Nourmohammadi, another analyst, suggested such talks “are unlikely to be fruitful.”
But ultimately, any decision rests with Iran’s 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“You know, Khamenei has seen eight US presidents” come and go, said Abbas Ghasemi, a 67-year-old retired teacher “He knows how to deal with the next one.”
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2577500/middle-east
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Saudi Arabia calls for emergency Arab-Islamic summit amid escalating Israeli aggression
2024-10-30
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia called for an urgent Arab-Islamic summit next month to discuss the ongoing Israeli military operations in Palestinian and Lebanese territories.
According to Saudi newspaper Al Riyadh, "In light of Saudi Arabia’s monitoring of current developments in the region and the continuing unjust Israeli aggression on the occupied Palestinian territories, which has now expanded to include the Republic of Lebanon in an attempt to undermine its sovereignty and territorial integrity, with the grave consequences of this aggression on regional security and stability, the Kingdom reaffirms its condemnation and denouncement of the ongoing crimes and violations against the Palestinian people by the Israeli occupation authorities, and the assaults and violations against the Lebanese Republic.”
"Based on the directives of King Salman bin Abdulaziz regarding coordination with Arab and Islamic leaders, the Kingdom calls for a joint Arab-Islamic follow-up summit in the Kingdom on November 11, 2024, to address the continued Israeli aggression on Palestinian territories and the Republic of Lebanon, and to discuss the current developments in the region."
Source:shafaq.com
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https://shafaq.com/en/World/Saudi-Arabia-calls-for-emergency-Arab-Islamic-summit-amid-escalating-Israeli-aggression
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Peter Rhodes on Keir's honeymoon, a law to protect Islam and British military kit – from Russia with risks
October 31, 2024
The reality is that you're plunged instantly into a regime of nappies and formula, cuddles, comforting and midnight terrors. No break, no time to draw breath. It's the same in politics.
As soon as you win the General Election you are straight into the nasty, brutish and unpredictable world of governance where the goodwill lasts no longer than the bouquets.
Sir Keir Starmer's honeymoon seems to have lasted barely a month with his approval rating plunging by 16 points after Labour's fuel-benefits attack on pensioners and hooligans running riot in our cities.
Source:expressandstar.com
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https://www.expressandstar.com/news/voices/opinions/peter-rhodes/2024/08/08/peter-rhodes-on-keirs-honeymoon-a-law-to-protect-islam-and-british-military-kit--from-russia-with-risks/
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Uncommitted Co-Founder Says Trump Is "Preying on the Pain of Arab and Muslim American Voters"
OCTOBER 30, 2024
In an interview with CNN this week, Uncommitted national movement co-founder Abbas Alawieh described Donald Trump as a “purveyor of hate and white supremacy who’s actively preying on the pain of Arab and Muslim American voters right now.”
Alawieh said during the interview that he will vote for Harris “as a Democratic strategist and as someone who’s in a swing state,” but is “still terrified by the vacuum that she’s leaving.”
“I’m urging fellow Democratic voters to pair their vote, their support for Vice President Harris with a public commitment to pressure her to stop sending weapons should she become president,” Alawieh told CNN.
In contrast, Layla Elabed, who also co-founded the Uncommitted national movement, said in an interview on NBC about a week ago that she will not vote in the presidential race but will vote in down ballot races.
“I have decided that I will be skipping the top and focusing on candidates down ballot that align with my morals, align with my beliefs, that are champions of racial justice, climate change, an end to forever wars. So my focus will be on the down ballot candidates here in Michigan,” Elabed said.
The Uncommitted national movement announced last month that it would not be endorsing Harris, but recommended against a third-party vote and warned of a Trump presidency.
In These Times has been covering the Uncommitted national movement closely since its inception in Michigan, reporting that largely began in February with this interview between Elabed and In These Times columnist Eman Abdelhadi.
ABBAS ALAWIEH | UNCOMMITTED CO-FOUNDER: The Uncommitted Movement has made clear from the beginning that Trump is not right for our community and is not right for the anti-war movement in this country. He wants Netanyahu to, quote-unquote, “finish the job.”
It’s clear to us that he’s a purveyor of hate and white supremacy who’s actively preying on the pain of Arab and Muslim American voters right now. And it’s resonating not because he’s particularly convincing, but because he’s filling a void that’s being left by Harris’s absence on this issue — the absence of support for families like my own, who have family in Lebanon right now, or who have family in Gaza or the West Bank right now, who are on the receiving end of U.S. weapons that are being used illegally to harm and kill civilians. …
As a Democratic strategist and as someone who’s in a swing state, who’s voting for Harris against Trump, I’m still terrified by the vacuum that she’s leaving. And so I’m urging fellow Democratic voters to pair their vote, their support for Vice President Harris with a public commitment to pressure her to stop sending weapons should she become president.
JOHN BERMAN | CNN ANCHOR: So you just said something interesting there. You’re voting for Harris, but your organization is not exactly endorsing Harris. What’s the difference there?
ALAWIEH: In our view, an endorsement is a very specific thing, and we made a public offer to Vice President Harris that if she embraces a different approach — if she endorses a policy that would truly implement international law, truly implement U.S. law, and stop the flow of weapons to Netanyahu for his mass killing campaign, he’s killing babies to the tune of over 16,000 babies — then we would come out and publicly endorse her.
That would mean we would mobilize people here in the state of Michigan and elsewhere. And what we did in the Uncommitted campaign here in Michigan in February, we made 1.5 million voter contacts and drove out 101,000 voters to vote for peace and against war — Democratic voters. And so what we were saying is: empower us to run that kind of mobilization campaign here in Michigan.
I was astounded that the Harris campaign told us in no uncertain terms that they do not want the endorsement of the Uncommitted Movement. I was surprised by that, and I hope that when we look back on this moment, we don’t look back at that specific decision by the Harris campaign and think, “Wow, it’s unfortunate that they left those votes on the table.” But I think we need a reckoning in our country of why is it that Democratic leaders would rather appease the AIPAC pro-war lobby in our country instead of siding with the majority of Democratic voters who want to stop the unconditional flow of weapons to Netanyahu’s murderous campaign.
I think we need a reckoning in this country, and my hope is that President Biden, ahead of Tuesday’s election, does something — it’s not too late to save lives — does something, takes decisive action to distance this administration from Netanyahu so that we can apply real pressure to save lives.
Source:inthesetimes.com
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https://inthesetimes.com/article/michigan-cnn-uncommitted-harris-trump-alawieh
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DHQ Speaks On Terrorists Taking Over Niger Training Camp
30 October 2024
By Rachel Okporu Fadoju
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed claims that terrorists have taken over its training camp in Niger State.
Naija News reports that the clarification comes after the Niger State House of Assembly on Tuesday raised concerns, alleging that bandits had occupied the military camp in Kontagora Local Government Area and parts of Mariga Local Government Area.
The lawmaker representing Kontagora II State Constituency, Abdullahi Isah, in a motion of urgent public importance, noted that following the purported presence of terrorists in the military training camp, over 23 farming communities near the camp have been forced to relocate due to frequent attacks by gunmen.
However, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, in a statement on Wednesday, said while bandit activity is present in these areas, no part of the training camp has been conceded to them.
Buba stated that military operations in the area have constrained the terrorists’ ability to operate, adding that the military is collaborating with the state government to restore peace in the region.
He said, “The Defence Headquarters’ attention has been drawn to media reports that the Niger State House of Assembly alleged the Nigerian Army’s military training area in Kontagora LGA has been taken over by bandits. This Headquarters unequivocally states that this allegation is incorrect and does not reflect the reality on the ground.
“While troops have encountered terrorists during operations in the general area, not an inch of the training area has been ceded to them. Indeed, our clearance operations continuously counteract terrorist threats, denying them freedom of action in the area.”
“Furthermore, the armed forces clarify that our ongoing operations, particularly in Niger State, are directed against terrorists. Any other classification of these threats is erroneous.
“Overall, the armed forces are working closely with the Niger State Government to enhance security across the state. Our troops remain steadfast in ensuring the complete elimination of these terrorists wherever they may be hiding.”
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/10/30/dhq-speaks-on-terrorists-taking-over-niger-training-camp/
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Sharia economics supports sustainable economic growth: Airlangga
October 30, 2024
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Sharia economics and finance play a strategic role in driving sustainable economic growth amid increasingly complex global challenges, according to Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto.
With Muslims comprising 87 percent of its population, Indonesia holds immense potential for developing its sharia economics and finance.
Indonesia's sharia economy is ranked third globally after Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, based on the State of the Global Islamic Economy (SGIE) 2023 report.
hus, Bank Indonesia will again hold the Indonesia Sharia Economic Festival (ISEF), themed "Synergy of Sharia Economy and Finance in Strengthening Resilience and Sustainable Economic Growth," from October 30 to November 3, 2024, at the Jakarta Convention Center.
"The theme of ISEF is very relevant, where we are trying to accelerate the economy amid increasingly complex global challenges, and sharia economics and finance have a strategic role in driving sustainable growth," Airlangga stated at the festival's opening on Wednesday.
He further remarked that President Prabowo Subianto encouraged more sharia financial investment, halal food and beverages, fashion, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and tourism to be Muslim-friendly.
In addition, he highlighted that sharia economics contributed 48.71 percent to the GDP and also supported the empowerment of MSMEs.
In the 2025-2045 National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN), the government set the Golden Indonesia Vision, with a strong foundation for economic growth.
In realizing such a vision, Airlangga underscored the need to develop productive sectors, including sharia economics and halal products.
"The government in the current Red and White Cabinet is determined to encourage national independence, including the advancement of the sharia economy," he remarked.
In order to support the development of a broader sharia economy and finance, sharia-based People's Business Credit also continues to be improved, and more inclusive synergy and ecosystems are additionally required.
"I hope that the success of ISEF will produce innovative and productive work so that the sharia economy and finance system will continue to develop," he stated.
Source:antaranews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://en.antaranews.com/news/331905/sharia-economics-supports-sustainable-economic-growth-airlangga
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Afghanistan’s soil not to be used against any country
October 31, 2024
It has been more than three years, that with the great grace of Almighty Allah and the blessings of the Afghan great nation, a powerful Islamic system has been established in the country, which has control over all parts of the country. With the Islamic system, overall security has been ensured across the country, where people are living in a peaceful environment. The current better security situation in Afghanistan is not only for the benefit of Afghans but also for the countries of the region and the world. Afghanistan is safe, and the whole region is stable. With the improvement of the overall security situation across the country, trade and industry have developed, and construction work on major projects has started. Besides, more opportunities have been provided for the extraction of natural resources, and investment of domestic and foreign companies and investors has increased considerably in the past three years. Despite all these developments and ground realities, a number of Western and regional countries and intelligence organizations are still trying to propagate against the current security situation in Afghanistan to achieve their vicious goals and objectives through this. As part of such efforts, some organizations and individuals make some false claims from time to time, saying that the Daesh Khorasan group and some other groups are getting stronger in Afghanistan and the countries of the region are at risk. In continuation of these efforts, at the recent meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, the neighboring country has once again warned of the threat and spread of terrorism from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly rejected such claims of these countries and organizations and has insisted that the entire geography of Afghanistan is under its control and there are no arbitrary groups operating in the country. The Islamic Emirate also stands by its promise and does not allow anyone to use its territory against others, but at the same time, it is also insisting that the world and the countries of the region should do the same and stop interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. If any of the countries in the world and region have any concerns or legitimate requests, they should address the Islamic Emirate through official and diplomatic channels instead of going for the media. Afghanistan Chargé d’Affaires, Mawlavi Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, has this time reacted to Islamabad’s reservations towards Kabul on security issues, saying that Afghanistan will not allow its soil to be used by any groups against Pakistan. He was speaking at a seminar titled “Strengthening Economic Ties between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia” organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) on Tuesday. Shakeeb stressed that Afghanistan’s policy is clear that it does not support non-state elements. From the first day, the Islamic Emirate has demanded positive relations and interaction with the world and the region based on mutual respect and has chosen a balanced political and economic policy. The international community and the countries of the region should also support the current better security situation of Afghanistan, they should understand the ground realities and see the current secure situation of Afghanistan as a golden opportunity to strengthen political and economic relations with the Islamic Emirate and try to stabilize the region. Mashal Noori
Source:thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://thekabultimes.com/afghanistans-soil-not-to-be-used-against-any-country/
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India
Terrorists will keep dying until they stop infiltrating: Farooq Abdullah
30.10.24
Encounter will keep taking place as long as terrorists keep infiltrating the country, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah asserted here on Wednesday.
"Encounters will keep taking place. Terrorists will keep coming, and we will keep eliminating them," Abdullah told reporters here.
The politician was responding to a question about the killing of three terrorists in a recent encounter in Akhnoor.
Asked whether the 'Darbar move' would take place this time, Abdullah said "the darbar will definitely take place." The J-K administration moves every winter to Jammu from Srinagar, the Union Territory's summer capital.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister also urged everyone to celebrate Diwali and prayed for the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
"Everyone should celebrate Diwali well. It is a very big festival. May God and Goddess Lakshmi bless the people here with prosperity, as wealth is scarce in this area. Today, most of the shops are empty here," he said.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/terrorists-will-keep-dying-until-they-stop-infiltrating-farooq-abdullah/cid/2059465
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BJP accuses ally NCP candidate Nawab Malik of being linked to 'terrorist Dawood Ibrahim'
J.P. Yadav
31.10.24
The BJP on Wednesday accused ally NCP’s candidate Nawab Malik of being linked to “terrorist Dawood Ibrahim”, over fears that his candidature could deal a blow to its effort to sharpen the Hindutva pitch in poll-bound Maharashtra.
Malik, facing charges in a money-laundering case linked to underworld don Dawood, stunned the BJP by filing his papers as an NCP (Ajit Pawar) candidate on Tuesday. The move is being seen as an effort by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar to adopt an assertive stand against the BJP and woo Muslim voters. Malik filed his nomination from the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency where another Mahayuti partner — Shiv Sena (Ekanth Shinde) — has already fielded a candidate.
The move went against the BJP’s hardline Hindutva pitch to counter rising caste tensions in Maharashtra arising out of the protracted agitation by Marathas demanding reservation under the OBC category. It is believed to have cost the BJP dearly in the general election, with the party’s Lok Sabha seat tally dropping to nine from 23 in 2019.
“Nawab Malik should accept our wishes on his candidature from the NCP. We are firm on our view about Malik, which Devendraji (deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis) had said initially,” BJP Maharashtra president Chandrasekhar Bawankule told reporters
on Wednesday.
Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya was quoted by news agency ANI as saying: “Nawab Malik is a terrorist who tried to break India into pieces. He is Dawood’s agent and Ajit Pawar’s NCP has betrayed the country by giving a ticket to Malik.”
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/bjp-accuses-ally-ncp-candidate-nawab-malik-of-being-linked-to-terrorist-dawood-ibrahim/cid/2059513
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Uttarkashi mosque protests: BJP MLA extends support, asks police to withdraw charges
Oct 30, 2024
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Gangotri, Suresh Chauhan, on Tuesday said he supports the people who were booked by the police for the alleged violence in Uttarkashi on October 24 during their protest march demanding the demolition of a nearly five decades old mosque, which they claim to be illegal.
Chauhan said if the police do not withdraw the serious charges pressed against the protestors, the agitation would become violent.
“I condemn the lathi-charge by the police. I immediately spoke to the chief minister [when this happened]. Such a situation has never occurred in this town. Action will be taken against police officials who are found guilty. People have religious sentiments...they said they were protesting peacefully. Their anger is justified...as serious charges have been invoked in the FIR. I met the DM and SP yesterday and gave clear instructions that if the inappropriate serious charges are not withdrawn, it will become an aggressive agitation. I totally oppose this action,” the BJP MLA said while speaking to media persons on Tuesday.
He further said, “If the mosque is not legal, it will be demolished.”
The Uttarkashi police on Tuesday released photos of the protestors who purportedly pelted stones at police personnel during the march.
“The identities of the stone pelters are being ascertained. If anybody has any information regarding them, they can reach out to us,” the police said.
Superintendent of police Amit Srivastava said, “Our first priority was to maintain peace that delayed the investigation. Now, the investigation is going at the right pace, and we are trying to identify those involved in the stone pelting and violence. The roles of those named in the FIR are also being looked into.”
On the BJP MLA’s statement, the SP said, “The law will take its course.”
State Congress chief Karan Mahara reacted to Chauhan’s statements and said, “The CM and assembly speaker should take cognisance of his statement. It makes it very clear that the BJP wants to polarise the society and threaten the integrity of the country.”
The Uttarkashi police on October 24 booked over 200 people, including members of Hindu right-wing organisations, for the alleged violence.
The incident took place when the police stopped a large group of protesters from marching beyond the barricades put up by the administration. Agitators clashed with police personnel and reportedly pelted stones after being stopped, following which the police used lathi-charge to disperse the mob.
On October 26, the police arrested three men who were also named in the FIR for allegedly violating the prohibitory orders imposed in the district under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The accused, identified as Jitendra Chauhan, Sonu Negi, Suraj Dabral, had gathered at Kali Kamli Dharamshala to address the media.
Of the three, two of them – Jitendra Chauhan and Suraj Dabral – said they were from the BJP. Upon investigation, their social media accounts were found to have several pictures with state BJP leaders, including chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Uttarakhand BJP chief Mahendra Bhatt.
However, the BJP leaders said they could not confirm if they belonged to their party.
“I can’t confirm whether they are affiliated with BJP. Some BJP workers may have attended the protest rally due to their sentiments,” Uttarkashi BJP president Satyendra Singh Rana said.
On September 9, various Hindu outfits under an umbrella organisation — Sanyukt Sanatan Dharam Rakshak Sangh — had submitted a memorandum to district magistrate Meharban Singh Bisht, demanding that the mosque in the Barahat area of the hill town be “demolished”, claiming the structure was “not registered in the official revenue records”.
Bisht then constituted a committee to probe into the claims, and the panel found that the mosque was legal and the land it stood on was registered in the name of members of the Muslim community. Despite being informed about it, the Hindu outfit announced the protest march against the mosque on October 24.
Meanwhile, the Hindu organisations have called a ‘mahapanchayat’ in Uttarkashi on November 4 against the police action.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/dehradun-news/uttarkashi-mosque-protests-bjp-mla-extends-support-asks-police-to-withdraw-charges-101730282266753.html
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Terrorists killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Akhnoor were affiliated with JeM
30.10.24
Three terrorists killed in an encounter with security forces in the Akhnoor sector of the Jammu region were members of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) group and had recently infiltrated into the area from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), officials said on Wednesday.
They said the terrorists were planning a major strike, utilising the Akhnoor route traditionally used by operatives of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group.
According to intelligence reports, the terrorists entered the Akhnoor region through the Battal area, and a wireless set seized from them confirmed their association with the JeM.
Unlike the typical strategies of infiltrating terrorists, who often adopt "conservation and consolidation" tactics, these ultras were reportedly aiming for a substantial attack, the officials said.
Notwithstanding the assertions made by Major General Sameer Srivastava, General Officer Commanding of the Army's 10 Infantry division, that the area had not seen infiltration for an extended period, the officials noted that there were prior reports of terrorist movements in December and April of the previous year.
Maj. Gen. Srivastava had indicated that terrorists in the region were operating in small groups and had moved to Akhnoor for a planned offensive.
The encounter broke out on Monday morning when three local teenage boys visiting the Shiv Mandir Assan in Battal encountered the armed terrorists dressed in combat gear.
On being asked by the boys if they were military personnel, the terrorists reacted aggressively, threatening the boys with serious consequences if they talked about their presence to anyone. The terrorists followed the boys until they reached a main road.
As they saw two Army vehicles -- a Maruti Gypsy and an ambulance -- on the road, the terrorists opened fire targeting the Army convoy and retreated towards the temple.
In response, special forces and National Security Guard (NSG) commandos swiftly launched an operation, resulting in the elimination of all three terrorists.
In an unprecedented move, the Army deployed four BMP-II infantry combat vehicles to enhance surveillance and fortify the cordon around the attack site near the Assan temple in Jogwan village, situated along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Khour area.
The BMP-II, a Soviet-era infantry combat vehicle, is equipped with a 30-mm fully-stabilised automatic cannon, a 7.62-mm machine gun and a range of advanced features, including night vision and smoke-grenade launchers.
Helicopters were also deployed to assist in locating the hiding terrorists in the dense forests of the region.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/terrorists-killed-in-encounter-in-jammu-and-kashmirs-akhnoor-were-affiliated-with-jaish-e-mohammed/cid/2059484
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Maharashtra polls: Major parties nominate less than 10 Muslims in all across Mumbai
Oct 31, 2024,
MUMBAI: The Muslim population in Mumbai is roughly 20% and there are around 10 seats in the city where the community has a population going up to 25% or more. Yet, in the candidate lists of major parties, the number of Muslims range from one to four.
Among major parties, the Congress followed by NCP (Ajit Pawar) have allocated more seats this time to Muslim representatives though even their numbers are low. The Congress has nominated four-Amin Patel (Mumbadevi), Aslam Shaikh (Malad West), Asif Zakaria (Bandra West) and Naseem Khan (Chandivali).
Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded its lone candidate Harun Khan in Versova, while NCP (SP) has fielded Fahad Ahmed from Anushakti Nagar. Ahmed is pitted against Nawab Malik's daughter, Sana Malik, who is the NCP (Ajit Pawar) nominee. Malik himself has filed a nomination as an NCP (Ajit Pawar) nominee from Mankhurd-Shivajinagar against sitting MLA, Abu Asim Azmi of the Samajwadi Party, while Zeeshan Siddiqui, who quit Congress, is the NCP (Ajit Pawar) candidate in Bandra East.
Among smaller parties, Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has nominated 9 Muslims while AIMIM has fielded four.
The run-up to ticket distribution and the aftermath of candidate selection has been marked by expressions of discontentment from leading members of the minority community, who have questioned the lack of proportional representation in selection.
"The mood in the community is sullen. A sense of betrayal seems to have gripped them as the number of nominations from the community is much below what they expected," said NCP functionary and former Minorities Commission chairman Naseem Siddiqui.
The disappointment is more so because the minority vote had consolidated in large numbers in various pockets across the state in favour of the MVA in the Lok Sabha polls. The unprecedented mobilisation even prompted some Mahayuti leaders to describe it as "vote jihad".
Minority members were not expecting surprises this time from the BJP and its right-wing allies in candidate selection, especially given the incidence of hate speech and other forms of communal provocation over the last few years. But dissatisfaction is strong against the MVA. Barring familiar faces such as Aslam Shaikh or Naseem Khan, who have nursed their constituencies for several years, the opposition list is devoid of any new names.
In the Lok Sabha elections, Muslim-dominated assembly segments helped swing the outcome for MVA candidates in several seats. This eventually helped MVA (Congress, Sena UBT, and NCP of Sharad Pawar) win an impressive 31 seats out of 48 in the state. In Mumbai, four of the six Lok Sabha seats were won by MVA with the Shiv Sena (UBT) benefiting the most from the community's support.
Byculla, Dharavi, Andheri West and Sion Koliwada are cited as areas from where the MVA, especially Sena (UBT), could have helped prop up more Muslims in the assembly polls to give them greater representation and acknowledge the community's support. Many refer to Byculla as a glaring example, where Sena (UBT) instead chose to field Manoj Jamsutkar.
The Byculla assembly segment, along with Mumbadevi, helped MVA candidate Arvind Sawant win the South Mumbai Lok Sabha seat. Sawant got 86,883 votes against Mahayuti's Yamini Jadhav's 40,817 in Byculla. Mumbadevi is another Muslim-dominated segment which gave a huge lead to Sawant in the Lok Sabha-77,469 votes against Jadhav's 36,690. Congress sitting MLA Amin Patel faces Eknath Shinde Sena's Shaina NC in Mumbadevi.
This time, a chunk of Muslim votes in some constituencies may even go to smaller parties such as All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), VBA and Rashtriya Ulama Council. The reasons for the fragmentation are manifold. Apart from MVA's ambivalence about overtly wooing minorities, the issues in the assembly polls are seen to be somewhat different from those in the general elections. For one, "the threat to the Constitution" - which became a defining factor in Lok Sabha polls - is no longer relevant. Secondly, a slew of welfare schemes launched by the Eknath Shinde-led govt has benefited large sections of the Muslim community too.
Dismissing talk of any vote consolidation that would help the opposition, a Muslim Congress leader, requesting anonymity, said, "If three strong Muslim candidates fight against one BJP nominee, you can easily guess the outcome."
Source:indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/maharashtra-elections-muslim-representation-marginalized-in-mumbai-candidate-lists/articleshow/114799313.cms
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Stormy scenes in House panel as Delhi Waqf administrator submits report
October 30, 2024
Stormy scenes were once again witnessed during the meeting of the joint committee of Parliament on the Waqf Bill with Opposition members raising an issue over a report submitted by the Delhi Waqf Board administrator.
The report was submitted on Tuesday, a day after Delhi CM Atishi Singh had written to panel chairperson Jagdambika Pal stating that the officer submitted the report to the committee without getting approval from the Delhi government and that it should be treated as “null and void”.
The official gave oral evidence to the committee on Tuesday, amid dissent being shown by members of the Opposition parties.
There was an argument between ruling party MPs and Opposition MPs over the powers of the Waqf Board Administrator submitting the report.
On the first appearance at the committee meeting since breaking a bottle last Tuesday, TMC member Kalya Banerjee accused BJP’s Abhijit Gangopadhyay of provoking him which made him smash a glass bottle out of frustration.
Banerjee later told reporters: “On that day, there was a heated exchange of words between Naseer (Hussain, Congress member) and Gangopadhyay.”
“I asked Gangopadhyay why he was shouting… The Chairperson was not there. Later, the chairman was harsh on me but soft towards him (Gangopadhyay). This frustrated me,” Banerjee said.
“When I got injured, I had to let go of the bottle and it rolled towards the Chair. That day itself, I told the meeting that I had no intention to throw the bottle at the chairperson. I also expressed regret and said sorry four times,” he said.
Source:indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/stormy-scenes-in-house-panel-as-delhi-waqf-administrator-submits-report-9645314/
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Omar Abdullah announces restoration of November examination session for Kashmir students
Muzaffar Raina
31.10.24
Chief minister Omar Abdullah’s government on Wednesday announced the restoration of the November examination session for Kashmir students, a decision that is at odds with the time frame fixed by the administration led by lieutenant governor
Manoj Sinha.
This marks a significant policy shift, reversing last year’s decision by the LG’s dispensation to align the academic calendar of Kashmir with that of the rest of the country.
Omar personally announced the restoration of the November session, which requires conducting the annual examinations in November-December instead of March. Seen as the first major policy decision of the new government, it is expected to bring relief to thousands of students in Kashmir and several areas of Jammu.
The chief minister said that parents and students had been demanding the restoration of the old system. “I extend my gratitude to the school education minister that she brought a proposal to the cabinet which was approved. I hope this will give relief to students.”
Omar, accompanied by education minister Sakina Itoo, said they were reverting to the November session for students up to Class IX. He said the exams for Class X to Class XII would be held in November next year as they required more preparations this year and there was little time left.
The LG’s administration last year announced the March exam calender to bring Kashmir’s academic year on a par with Jammu and the rest of the country, rebuffing concerns against the change and defying the Valley’s unique geography.
November exams are better suited to Kashmir’s harsh winters. Kashmir and other parts of Jammu receive moderate to heavy snowfall from December to February. The exams used to be conducted before winter and it was followed by a 75-day winter break — availed by the employees to evaluate the papers and declare the results while giving ample time to students for competitive exams or vacations.
The March session is one of the many decisions that was forced by the LG’s administration on people, apparently under the garb of national interest. The authorities, however, reasoned it was in keeping with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, which envisages a uniform academic calendar for the country.
Omar’s aide and legislator Tanvir Sadiq said they were also boycotting Thursday’s event to celebrate the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Foundation Day.
“We will not go. None of us will go. This is because we do not approve of the UT foundation day. What was snatched from us in 2019 was wrong, unconstitutional and immoral. We want our statehood back as soon as possible,” Sadiq told reporters.
Mystery shrouds the event after an official spokesperson said LG Sinha had on Sunday directed the divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners and senior police and administrative officers “to put in place all arrangements for the grand celebration of Jammu and Kashmir UT Foundation Day in Jammu and Srinagar”.
Though there was no official word on the event, several people shared invitation cards on social media on Wednesday that were printed by the Kashmir divisional commissioner’s office stating that Sinha would be the chief guest at an event at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre on October 31. An official at the divisional commissioner’s office admitted that the cards had been printed but said he was not aware who the invitees were.
Last week, the Omar-led cabinet passed a resolution asking the BJP to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/omar-abdullah-announces-restoration-of-november-examination-session-for-kashmir-students/cid/2059514
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Suspect who issued hoax bomb threats to airlines sent emails from Delhi, say Nagpur police
30.10.24
Police in Maharashtra's Nagpur, who claimed to have identified the person behind a spate of hoax bomb threats at airports and other establishments across the country, on Wednesday said that as per their probe, the suspect sent the threat emails from Delhi.
Officials probing the case said the suspect, Jagdish Shriram Uikey (35), who has authored a book on terrorism and hails from Arjuni Morgaon in Gondia district of Maharashtra, has been living in the national capital since the past few years.
In the last two weeks, more than 510 domestic and international flights received bomb threats that later turned out to be hoax, causing major operational and financial distress for the airlines. Most of the threats were issued through social media.
An official of the Nagpur police earlier said the investigators found that Uikey sent emails to various government bodies, including the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Railway Minister, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy, airline offices, the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
"Uikey has been living in Delhi since the past few years, from where he sent threat emails across the country. He has been identified as the culprit based on the emails he sent. The internet protocol (IP) address of the email sent to a central minister, as shared by Google, indicated that it was sent by Uikey. The probe found that the SIM card of his mobile phone was registered in his name and mentioned his Arjuni Morgaon address," the official said.
According to the police, the email sent by Uikey to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on October 21, which was also forwarded to the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) resulted in increased security measures at railway stations.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Nagpur Commissioner of Police Ravinder Singal said efforts were underway to trace Uikey and that he will be arrested soon.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/suspect-who-issued-hoax-bomb-threats-to-airlines-sent-emails-from-delhi-say-nagpur-police/cid/2059488
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Pakistan
Action launched against those who 'attacked' ex-CJP Isa's vehicle in London
By Saeed Niazi
October 31, 2024
LONDON: Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Kingdom Mohammad Faisal has stated that measures were being taken taken against individuals who were involved in an assault on the former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa in London.
"This was an extremely unfortunate incident. We'll take it up," the ambassador told reporters in London, assuring them that further actions will be taken in line with the directives of the Pakistani government.
The disturbance occurred on Tuesday night when a group of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protesters surrounded and banged on former CJP Isa's vehicle outside London's Middle Temple where he attended a prestigious event organised by The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple.
The event was organised to mark Isa's elevation as Callee after stepping down as as the country's top judge.
The Middle Temple is one of the four historic and esteemed legal institutions known as the Inns of Court in London. These institutions provide training to law students and grant licences for entry into the legal profession.
The former chief justice became the first Pakistani judge to get elected as a bencher and be invited to the Middle Temple, a prestigious legal institution in the United Kingdom.
It may be noted that the Middle Temple is where Isa studied law. His father was also an alumnus of the institute.
The PTI's UK chapter had called for the protest — organised by Sahibzada Jahangir, Jahanzeb Khan, Zulfi Bukhari and Azhar Mashwani — outside the Middle Temple against the decision to call ex-CJP Isa to the Bench following his retirement.
Close to 80 people attended the protest but that event ended peacefully.
Around 10 activists stayed on, and later tried to stop the car, banged on it, and attempted opening the doors to get access to Isa and his wife Sarina — three hours after the main protest had ended.
As Isa's car — bearing the Pakistan High Commission diplomatic number plate — appeared from the Temple's exit door at around 10:20pm, PTI demonstrators led by Shayan Ali made their way to the car, tried to stop it and shouted slogans against the jurist.
Minister vows strict response
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has also vowed stern action, including cancellation of Pakistani CNICs and passports, against "attackers who targeted" ex-chief justice.
The interior minister ordered the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to immediately identify the "attackers" via the incident's footage and initiate legal action against them.
"Further action will be taken after registering a first information report (FIR) in Pakistan. The government will cancel computerised national identity cards (CNICs) and passports of the attackers," Naqvi announced.
Speaking to Geo News, Shayan said the UK's Human Rights Act (HRA) gives the right to protest and assembly to the people.
He said: "I don't condone any act of violence by anyone. The HRA is clear in the rights it gives for peaceful protest and legal opposition. Right to assembly and right to protest is enshrined in the UK legal system."
"There is no law in England that can be used against us for a peaceful protest. I have seen the statement made by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. This would be transnational repression to silence the govt criticism if any action is taken," he concluded.
MPs condemn attack
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources said that the commission has decided to file a formal case against those involved.
They added that Scotland Yard will register the case against nine individuals, with the High Commission leveraging diplomatic channels to facilitate the filing.
The attack not only targeted Isa but also caused damage to a Pakistan High Commission vehicle, as confirmed by diplomatic sources.
Meanwhile, MP Afzal Khan, a British-Pakistani, told reporters that the leadership should be respected — whether they're from the judiciary or the military.
"There are principles to follow even when disagreeing," he noted.
Another MP Yasmin Qureshi said that people can disagree, resist, and even protest, but within limits. "It must be peaceful and respectful; you can't abuse others, neither can you disturb others nor their family."
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1245866-action-launched-against-those-who-attacked-isas-vehicle-in-london
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IHC suspends physical remand of Imaan Mazari, husband in terrorism case
By Awais Yousafzai
October 30, 2024
ISLAMABAD: A two-member division bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday suspended the physical remand of human rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Abdul Hadi Ali Chatta in the terrorism case.
Hearing a petition filed against an anti-terrorist court's (ATC) order to grant the couple’s three-day physical remand, the IHC bench comprising Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz suspended their physical remand. The court served a notice on the Islamabad Capital Territory police and sought their reply by tomorrow.
A day earlier, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) handed over the couple to the police in a case pertaining to alleged interference in the government’s affairs.
The duo — Mazari and her husband — were taken into custody in the federal capital after they attempted to remove the road blockades placed for the visiting England team’s traffic protocol last week.
The FIR includes Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of the offence committed in prosecution of common object) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) along with Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
Furthermore, the FIR — registered on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Tanveer Athar — also included PPC's Sections 506(ii) (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy).
It stated that a route was fixed for international teams' — which enjoy the status of a state guest so as to protect them against any terror attacks — to commute at Faisal Avenue when Imaan removed the barriers and provoked the people there.
The suspect, it adds, called for the barrier to be removed and started shouting when another lawyer — her husband Hadi, — also arrived at the scene and started hurling threats to the police officers.
Imaan's husband abused and slapped a policeman, according to the FIR.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1245633-ihc-suspends-physical-remand-of-imaan-mazari-husband-in-terrorism-case
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Three security men martyred in Bannu shootout
Ghulam Mursalin Marwat
October 31, 2024
LAKKI MARWAT/QUETTA: Three security men, including an army major, embraced martyrdom in a shootout in the Bakka Khel area of Bannu while eight militants were also killed in the exchange of fire, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Wednesday.
A statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) read that the security forces planned an intelligence-based operation (IBO) after reports about the presence of militants in the area. It said the security forces effectively engaged militants and killed eight of them. Seven militants were injured.
Major Atif Khalil, 31, of Azad Jammu Kashmir’s Sudhanoti district was leading his troops when he embraced martyrdom along with Naik Azadullah, 36-year-old resident of district Karak and 35-year-old Lance Naik Ghazanfar Abbas from Layyah, the ISPR statement added.
It said a sanitisation operation was being carried out to eliminate “any other militant” found in the area, as security forces of Pakistan were determined to wipe out the menace of militancy.
In a separate operation in Zhob, one militant was killed and another was arrested after he was injured by security forces in the Sambaza area of Zhob. The ISPR said security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation on the night of 29-30 October in the general area of Sambaza following a tip-off.
During the shootout, a militant was gunned down while another was apprehended in injured condition, it said, adding that weapons and ammunition were also recovered.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1868817/three-security-men-martyred-in-bannu-shootout
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Lahore goes for ‘green lockdown’ to tackle smog
Imran Gabol | Zulqernain Tahir
October 31, 2024
• CM Maryam calls for joint efforts with Indian Punjab to combat crisis
• 11 areas identified as smog hotspots; ‘green ring’ planned around city to curb emissions
• Restrictions imposed on barbecues, marriage halls, commercial generators
• Experts criticise provincial govt’s measures as ‘insufficient, poorly planned’
LAHORE: The Punjab government imposed a “green lockdown” in designated smog hotspots across Lahore on Wednesday, imposing restrictions on barbecue joints, motorcycle-rickshaws and marriage halls — measures described as insufficient and poorly planned by air quality experts.
The government has announced the plan in an effort to control rising pollution levels in the city, which continues to rank among the world’s most polluted cities.
On Wednesday, the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) peaked at 588 at 3am, with levels varying across different areas. The lowest AQI recorded was below 200 from 5pm to 6pm, although this still exceeded international standards for healthy air. By 8pm, the reading was 177, a marked improvement compared to the previous two days.
Punjab’s senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, speaking in the Punjab Assembly, announced that 11 areas in Lahore had been identified as smog hotspots, with Shimla Hill being the most affected. She confirmed that the “green lockdown” would take effect from Thursday (today).
Earlier, the director general of the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency, Dr Imran Hamid Sheikh, issued the green lockdown notification. Pollution hotspots include major roads such as Davis Road, Egerton Road, Durand Road, Kashmir Road, Abbott Road, starting from Shimla Hill to Gulistan Cinema, Empress Road, starting from Shimla Hill to Railway Headquarters, and Queen Mary Road, starting from Durand Road to Allama Iqbal Road.
Under the green lockdown, all construction activities within a one-kilometre radius of Shimla Hill are banned. The use of commercial generators and Qingqi motorcycle-rickshaws is restricted, while open barbecue activities are prohibited after 8pm.
Similarly, food outlets using charcoal, coal or wood without proper emission control systems are required to cease operations. Marquees and marriage halls must close by 10pm, and only wet sweeping will be done by the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) to reduce dust. Moreover, encroachments will be removed to ensure smooth traffic flow, heavy transport vehicles will also face restrictions, and half of office employees will work from home.
Ms Aurangzeb said the government plans to establish a “green ring” around the city using modern technology as part of the Lahore Green Master Plan. This initiative will create a “wall of trees” to reduce carbon emissions and increase oxygen levels.
She said every tree would be geo-tagged and afforestation in industrial areas will be intensified. Collaboration with industries will be prioritised to expand tree plantations, with educational institutions and students participating in a “Green Force” during the three-month smog season.
The government was also cracking down on environmental violations, she said, adding that two factories were sealed and fines totalling Rs 200,000 were imposed.
Besides, three brick kilns and four plastic melting plants were demolished and several food outlets in Model Town sealed due to excessive smoke emissions.
Trolleys carrying sand and soil are now required to use covers to reduce dust on the roads, while 296 vehicles were fined a total amount of Rs592,000 and 102 vehicles were impounded.
To further reduce pollution, the introduction of 30 electric buses and e-bikes in Lahore has been announced. The Punjab Safe Cities Authority is also issuing daily e-challans to vehicles emitting excessive smoke and taking action against individuals involved in waste burning.
However, the Pakistan Air Quality Experts’ Group, comprising leading air quality experts, researchers, doctors and scientists, has criticised the measures as insufficient and poorly planned, arguing they are unlikely to have a measurable impact on reducing air pollution.
Maryam calls for joint efforts with Indian Punjab
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has expressed her desire for collaboration with Indian Punjab to combat a common enemy — smog — emphasising that the issue is humanitarian rather than political.
“Smog is not a political matter but a human challenge. I have previously called for climate diplomacy with India, and I am considering writing to the chief minister of Indian Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, to seek joint efforts to combat smog,” Ms Sharif said during a Diwali event in Lahore on Wednesday.
She stressed that both countries must unite to effectively address the smog crisis, as “winds do not recognise borders”. She added: “Unless both Punjabs unite, we will not be able to effectively combat smog.”
Earlier, Maryam Nawaz called for climate diplomacy with India, citing the impact of stubble burning in Indian Punjab on Pakistani air quality due to the wind patterns.
The city administration also previously warned that polluted air from Amritsar, New Delhi and Chandigarh was moving towards Lahore at a speed of 7km per hour, contributing to the city’s worsening smog problem.
Minority Card
During the Diwali celebrations, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced the introduction of the “Minority Card” initiative to provide financial assistance to Pakistan’s minority communities. The programme, set to launch on Dec 20, will see Rs10,500 provided every three months to underprivileged minority families.
She also revealed plans for a Minority Virtual Police Station to address concerns more efficiently. “When we witness injustice or oppression against minorities, we feel deeply ashamed and distressed,” she said.
She directed police to provide immediate security where members of any minority community face the threat of mob violence. “No majority group has the right to cause undue harm or hardship to any member of a minority,” she said.
The chief minister also announced the upcoming “Himmat Card” for differently abled members of minority communities.
Source:dawn.com
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Pine forest fire spreads to Sherani
Saleem Shahid
October 31, 2024
QUETTA: A huge fire that broke out in the pine forest in the Dera Ismail Khan area of the Suleman Range on Tuesday night spread to the neighbouring Sherani district of Balochistan, on Wednesday, officials said.
The Sherani district administration immediately sent firefighters and forest department officials to the hilly area to bring the fire under control.
“Efforts are underway with the help of Frontier Corps and levies to control the fire,” a senior official of Sherani district said, adding that winds were hindering the fire-fighting operation.
The fire has engulfed a large forest area of Sherani district, with reports saying that efforts by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government so far have remained futile.
The forest fire came as a grim reminder of the 2022 blaze that destroyed hundreds of pine trees on the same mountain range, causing losses in millions of rupees.
For many days, the fire could not be controlled despite hectic efforts by forest officials, security forces along with locals. Finally, the Iranian government had sent an aerial firefighter Ilyushin-76 aircraft that brought the forest fire under control after its two sorties.
Source:dawn.com
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Fazl says constitutional amendment strengthened parliament
Our Correspondent
October 31, 2024
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday said the recent constitutional amendment had strengthened parliament and democracy in the country.
Addressing a party event at the Jamia Maarif al-Sharia seminary here, the JUI-F leader complained that people were called traitors for advocating for rights and resources.
He said the people of provinces had the constitutional right to their own resources but when they spoke about them, they’re called traitors.
“We will not allow those rights to be usurped,” he said.
Mr Fazl insisted that there was no “systematic approach” to fight terrorism and establish peace and even, the US and China were manipulated in the name of terrorism and resources were appropriated under that pretext. He said under the Constitution, Pakistan was an Islamic republic and not a secular state.
The JUI-F chief said the government in the country won’t be established against the will of the people, while democracy should align with the teachings of Quran and Sunnah.
He complained about the authorities’ failure to follow the recommendations of the Islamic Council of Ideology.
Mr Fazl, however, said the government was bound by the 26th Constitutional Amendment to lay the CCI’s recommendations before parliament and enforce them.
He complained that armed groups freely roamed in parts of KP, instilling fear among residents. The JUI-F chief said efforts were under way to sow discord among provinces to weaken the state.
He said he showed solidarity with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in national interest.
Mr Fazl complained about genocide in Palestine and urged Islamic countries to take “decisive action” to check it.
DETENTION OF POLITICAL PRISONERS: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday opposed the detention of all politicians, including Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan.
Talking to reporters here, Mr Fazl said snap elections were required to prevent the current political situation in the country from worsening.
He said that the military establishment would have to be separated from the electoral process so that its political maneuvering to form the governments of its own choice could stop.
The JUI-F leader said the original draft 26th Constitutional Amendment had 56 clauses but he got them reduced to 22.
He claimed that had he not spoken to the government about the 26th Constitutional Amendment, it would have “bought 11 votes” to get the bill passed by parliament. Mr Fazl said the PTI was happy with the way he handled the matter.
“We saved the country from a political crisis and strengthened parliament,” he said.
The JUI-F leader said the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces was poor and therefore, he was constantly raising alarm about it.
FIRE DESTROYS TREES: A large fire broke out in the chilgoza and olive forests in Koh-i-Sulaiman Range of Darazinda tehsil here, destroying many trees.
An official of Rescue 1122 said a 16-member team of firefighters from all local rescue stations, including Station-55 Darazinda, was busy extinguishing the fire with necessary equipment. Residents complained that millions of rupees worth of forests were burnt by fires every year.
Source:dawn.com
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PHC puts federal, KP govts on notice over delayed NFC Award
Bureau Report
October 31, 2024
PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments and other respondents, seeking their separate replies to a petition against the federal government’s “failure to issue the new National Finance Commission Award as required by the Constitution and meet the financial obligations” of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (now merged tribal districts).
A bench consisting of Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Syed Arshad Ali issued the order after holding a preliminary hearing into the petition of former provincial minister and PTI leader Taimur Saleem Jhagra, who wanted the non-issuance of a fresh NFC Award to be declared an illegal act in the wake of the devolution of various subjects to provinces under the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the 2017 population census.
He requested the court to order a revised NFC Award to determine Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s share to “eliminate the existing disparity.”
The PTI leader also sought the court’s orders for the government to announce the new NFC Award in line with its constitutional mandate and immediately release KP’s share for development projects.
He said the Council of Common Interests should be told to convene a meeting to ensure equitable allocation of resources through the issuance of the NFC Award and related development plans, considering an increase in the province’s population, poverty levels and illiteracy rate, war on terrorism, revenue generation, and other relevant factors following the 25th Constitutional Amendment.
The respondents in the petition included the country’s president through his principal secretary, the federal government through the secretary of the Cabinet Division, secretary of the Finance Division, the NFC, the CCI and the National Economic Council through the respective secretaries, and the KP government through its chief secretary and finance secretary.
Advocate Ali Gohar Durrani appeared for the petitioner and said that Fata was merged with KP through the 25th Constitutional Amendment in 2018.
e added that the KP government and residents assumed the task of mainstreaming ex-Fata as their national responsibility on behalf of the entire federation and its constituent governments.
The lawyer said that the task should have been accompanied by an adjustment of the 7th NFC Award, which governed distribution of resources between the federal and provincial governments, since the formula did not cater for the area and population of ex-Fata as part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“The 7th NFC Award should have been defunct and updated anyway after the publishing of the census of 2017 that changed the population shares of all four provinces. This alone should have resulted in an increase in the share of Pakhtunkhwa to the tune of 0.6 per cent of the total award,” he said.
Mr Durrani contended that in the absence of a new NFC, the financing requirements of ex-Fata, in their totality, remained a responsibility of the federal government, as the NFC share of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa pertained only to the population of settled districts in the province.
He contended that until 2021-22, the federal government did finance the entirety of the cost of ex-Fata, after engaging with the provincial government and the provincial department and ministry of finance.
The lawyer, however, said from 2022-23 onward, the federal government stopped the practice in violation of its constitutional duty and the provincial government wrote several letters to it and made several attempts to resolve the issue, but to no avail.
He added that that throughout that period, the budgetary grants by the federal government for the former Fata were made without any formal engagement with the provincial government or the provincial finance department.
Mr Durrani claimed that the federal government’s grants for tribal districts didn’t even cover the increase in pay announced by the federal government.
He added that the deficit in financing during the last three years had totaled over Rs150 billion, with all that to be borne by the province from its share in NFC Award.
Source:dawn.com
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CM Maryam says both Pakistani and Indian Punjabs should unite against smog
Dawn.com
October 30, 2024
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday reiterated her call for climate diplomacy with India to tackle the worsening issue of smog on both sides of the border.
The New Delhi region battles pollution each year as temperatures fall and cold air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions and smoke, much of which officials say travels from the neighbouring breadbasket states of Punjab and Haryana.
On Monday night, Lahore was the most polluted city in the world, touching 708 points on the Air Quality Index (AQI). Today, according to IQAir, Delhi held the top rank with 196 points, with Lahore just six points behind it.
Addressing a Diwali event in Lahore today, Maryam said: “We need to have diplomacy with India regarding the issue of smog in Lahore. I’m thinking of writing a letter to the Punjab Chief Minister [Bhagwant Mann] in India that this is not just a political issue, this is a humanitarian issue.
“And if we’re also taking steps towards this, then there should be a matching response from the Indian side,” she stressed.
“The winds don’t know there’s a border in the middle,” she lightheartedly remarked before emphasising that the people and environment on both sides of the border will benefit from this diplomacy.
“Until both Punjabs come together, we won’t be able to tackle the issue of smog,” she said.
CM Maryam’s remarks today echoed her October 10 call for “climate diplomacy” with India to mitigate the impact of smog in Punjab.
Last week, Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb called on Lahore residents of Lahore to “declare war on smog”. She noted that 30 per cent of the city’s smog hovered over from India.
According to a report earlier this month, at least 71 people have been arrested for burning stubble and trash, operating prohibited brick kilns and driving smoke-emitting vehicles in Punjab. In India’s Haryana state, at least 16 farmers have been arrested for illegally burning paddy stubble.
Minority Card to be launched on Dec 20
The chief minister also announced that a ‘Minority Card’ will be launched in Punjab on December 20 to aid those with less financial resources.
The statement was the first formal announcement of the initiative following a passing remark last month that the Punjab government was mulling the decision.
“All minority members across Punjab, especially poverty-stricken minorities who don’t have a lot of resources, will receive Rs10,500 through the Minority Card,” she said.
“We will start with 50,000 people, but God willing, in the upcoming year, not only will we increase the number of beneficiaries, cards and families, but also the amount of money being given,” she said to a round of applause from the audience.
She went on to detail her visit to Kartarpur this year, thanking the Sikh community for the immense warmth and gratitude they showed to her.
The chief minister highlighted that should any minorities ever feel unsafe, they can dial 15 (the police helpline) for assistance.
“In the recent past there have been incidents with minorities that have made my head hang in shame, and it has caused me great pain to see trivial misunderstandings become full-blown fights,” she regretted.
“Because there are few minorities, it is our responsibility to provide a safe Pakistan, a safe Punjab for them so that they can stay in their houses safely, without any fear of danger, and that they feel that this is their country and they have every right to be here,” Maryam said.
She emphasised that this was not just her constitutional responsibility as chief minister but a humanitarian one “that vulnerable sections of society feel absolutely safe”.
Maryam also announced a Rs15,000 Diwali gift being given to 1,400 families across Punjab.
“May we all live together in peace and harmony under one flag. Once again, I wish you a happy Diwali.”
Source:dawn.com
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PHC puts federal, KP govts on notice over delayed NFC Award
Bureau Report
October 31, 2024
PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments and other respondents, seeking their separate replies to a petition against the federal government’s “failure to issue the new National Finance Commission Award as required by the Constitution and meet the financial obligations” of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (now merged tribal districts).
A bench consisting of Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Syed Arshad Ali issued the order after holding a preliminary hearing into the petition of former provincial minister and PTI leader Taimur Saleem Jhagra, who wanted the non-issuance of a fresh NFC Award to be declared an illegal act in the wake of the devolution of various subjects to provinces under the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the 2017 population census.
He requested the court to order a revised NFC Award to determine Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s share to “eliminate the existing disparity.”
The PTI leader also sought the court’s orders for the government to announce the new NFC Award in line with its constitutional mandate and immediately release KP’s share for development projects.
He said the Council of Common Interests should be told to convene a meeting to ensure equitable allocation of resources through the issuance of the NFC Award and related development plans, considering an increase in the province’s population, poverty levels and illiteracy rate, war on terrorism, revenue generation, and other relevant factors following the 25th Constitutional Amendment.
The respondents in the petition included the country’s president through his principal secretary, the federal government through the secretary of the Cabinet Division, secretary of the Finance Division, the NFC, the CCI and the National Economic Council through the respective secretaries, and the KP government through its chief secretary and finance secretary.
Advocate Ali Gohar Durrani appeared for the petitioner and said that Fata was merged with KP through the 25th Constitutional Amendment in 2018.
He added that the KP government and residents assumed the task of mainstreaming ex-Fata as their national responsibility on behalf of the entire federation and its constituent governments.
The lawyer said that the task should have been accompanied by an adjustment of the 7th NFC Award, which governed distribution of resources between the federal and provincial governments, since the formula did not cater for the area and population of ex-Fata as part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“The 7th NFC Award should have been defunct and updated anyway after the publishing of the census of 2017 that changed the population shares of all four provinces. This alone should have resulted in an increase in the share of Pakhtunkhwa to the tune of 0.6 per cent of the total award,” he said.
Mr Durrani contended that in the absence of a new NFC, the financing requirements of ex-Fata, in their totality, remained a responsibility of the federal government, as the NFC share of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa pertained only to the population of settled districts in the province.
He contended that until 2021-22, the federal government did finance the entirety of the cost of ex-Fata, after engaging with the provincial government and the provincial department and ministry of finance.
The lawyer, however, said from 2022-23 onward, the federal government stopped the practice in violation of its constitutional duty and the provincial government wrote several letters to it and made several attempts to resolve the issue, but to no avail.
He added that that throughout that period, the budgetary grants by the federal government for the former Fata were made without any formal engagement with the provincial government or the provincial finance department.
Mr Durrani claimed that the federal government’s grants for tribal districts didn’t even cover the increase in pay announced by the federal government.
He added that the deficit in financing during the last three years had totaled over Rs150 billion, with all that to be borne by the province from its share in NFC Award.
Source:dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1868779/phc-puts-federal-kp-govts-on-notice-over-delayed-nfc-award
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Mideast
Lebanese family killed in Israeli strike on their home ahead of daughter’s wedding
October 31, 2024
BEIRUT:The family WhatsApp group chat buzzed with constant messages. Israel was escalating its airstrikes on villages and towns in southern Lebanon. Everyone was glued to the news.
Reda Gharib woke up uncharacteristically early that day, Sept. 23. Living a continent away in Senegal, he scrolled through videos and pictures shared by his sisters and aunts of explosions around their neighborhood in Tyre, Lebanon’s ancient coastal city.
His aunts decided to leave for Beirut. His father, mother and three sisters had no such plans.
Then his father announced to the group that he had received a call from the Israeli military to evacuate or risk their lives. After that, the chat fell silent. Ten minutes later, Gharib called his father. There was no answer.
The Gharibs’ apartment had been directly hit by an Israeli airstrike. The family had no time to get out. Gharib’s father, Ahmed, a retired Lebanese army officer, his mother, Hanan, and his three sisters were all killed.
“The whole apartment was gone. It is back to bare bones. As if there was nothing there,” said Gharib, speaking from the Senegalese capital, Dakar, where he has been living since 2020.
The Israeli military said it struck a Hezbollah site hiding rocket launchers and missiles.
Gharib said his family had no connection to Hezbollah. The direct hit gutted their apartment, while those above and below suffered only damage, suggesting a specific part of the building was targeted. Gharib said it was his family’s home.
The strike was one of more than 1,600 Israel said it carried out on Sept. 23, the first day of an intensified bombardment of Lebanon it has waged for the past month. More than 500 people were killed that day, a casualty figure not observed in Gaza on a single day until the second week, said Emily Tripp, director of London-based Airwars, a conflict monitoring group.
Israel has vowed to cripple Hezbollah to put an end to more than a year of cross-border fire by the Iranian-backed militant group that began the day after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack triggered the war in Gaza. It says its strikes are targeting Hezbollah’s members and infrastructure. But there are also hundreds of civilians among the more than 2,000 people killed in the bombardment over the past month — often entire families killed in their homes.
Since then, the street where the Gharib family lived — an area of shops, residential buildings and offices of international agencies in Tyre’s Al-Housh district — has been battered with repeated airstrikes and is now deserted.
Gharib, 27, a pilot and entrepreneur, moved to Senegal in search of a better future but always planned to return to Lebanon to start a family.
He was close to his three sisters, the keeper of their secrets and best friend, he said. Growing up, their father was often away, so he and his mother took charge of family affairs.
The last time he visited his family was in May 2023, when his sister Maya, an engineering student, got engaged. She had planned to marry on Oct. 12. But as tensions with Israel grew in September, Gharib’s plans to come home for the wedding were uncertain. She told him she would put it off until he could get there.
After the strike, her fiancé, also an army officer, found her body and those of the rest of her family in a hospital morgue in Tyre.
“She was not destined to have her wedding. We paraded her as a bride to paradise instead,” Gharib said. On the day the wedding was to have taken place he posted pictures of his sister, including her wedding dress.
His sister Racha, 24, was about to graduate as a dentist and planned to open her own clinic. “She loved life,” he said.
His youngest sister, Nour, 20, was studying to be a dietitian and prepping to be a personal trainer. Gharib called her the “laughter of the house.”
There is nothing left of his family now except for a few pictures on his phone and on social media posts.
“I am so hurt. But I know the hurt will be hardest when I come to Lebanon,” Gharib said. “Not even a picture of them remains hanging on the walls. Their clothes are not there. Their smell is no longer in the house. The house is totally gone.”
“They took my family and the memories of them.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Dominant Kurdish parties maintain their sway in the election for the parliament in the Iraqi region
October 31, 2024
IRBIL, Iraq: Election results from the vote for the regional parliament in Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region show the two dominant Kurdish parties have maintained their hold while an opposition party has made inroads, officials said Wednesday.
According to the Independent High Electoral Commission, the Kurdistan Democratic Party — with its base of support in the regional capital, Irbil, and the city of in Dohuk — made the strongest showing, securing 39 seats.
The rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan won 23 seats, continuing its influence over the city of Sulaymaniyah. In the 2018 elections, the two parties won 45 and 21 seats, respectively.
A relatively new opposition party, New Generation, won 15 seats, a significant increase from the eight seats it got in 2018, when the party was first established.
The Kurdistan Islamic Union, which came in fourth with seven seats, announced it will join the New Generation in opposition in the regional, 100-seat parliament. Other minor parties took a smattering of seats.
Despite some technical issues at the polls, voters turned out in large numbers, with 72 percent of eligible voters casting ballots.
The surge in support for the New Generation appeared to stem from growing disillusionment among younger voters, who are increasingly frustrated with the region’s ongoing economic challenges, including delays in salary payments, high unemployment, and perceived corruption within the traditional political leadership.
Economic concerns remain at the forefront — widespread dissatisfaction over delayed payments to civil servants, fluctuating oil prices, and ongoing budget disputes with the central government in Baghdad have fueled calls for reform.
Three Assyrian Christian candidates and two Turkmen candidates secured the five remaining quota seats for minorities, despite the Iraqi federal court’s controversial elimination of the reserved seats for ethnic and religious minorities earlier this year.
These seats are usually filled by candidates backed by the major political parties, leading some to say that they do not offer a genuine minority representation.
“We no longer have true representation in the parliament or the government; our voices are being silenced,” said Toma Khoshaba, an Assyrian ethnic activist.
Khoshaba argued that that these “so-called independent Assyrian representatives occupying the quota seats are largely supported by the Kurdistan Democratic Party” or by Shiite factions.
“Their loyalty lies with these dominant political groups, not with our communities,” he said.
The election outcome will also play a pivotal role in determining how Kurdish leaders handle ongoing disputes with Baghdad, particularly over oil revenue sharing and budget allocations, as well as the region’s broader economic challenges.
Source:arabnews.com
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Lebanon’s only burn unit treats toddlers after Israeli strikes
October 30, 2024
BEIRUT: Wrapped in gauze from her head to her tiny toes, toddler Ivana Skayki lies nearly motionless in a hospital bed much too big for her. For weeks, she has been treated for severe burns sustained in Israeli strikes on her hometown in southern Lebanon.
Skayki, who turns two next month, sustained burns to nearly 40 percent of her body, including half of her face, her chest and both upper limbs, according to Ziad Sleiman, plastic surgeon at the specialist burn unit in Beirut’s Geitaoui Hospital.
The unit is the only one across Lebanon equipped to deal with burns. Its hallways echo with the screams of children as anxious parents await news from doctors.
Ivana’s father Mohammad told Reuters his daughter was burned in Israeli strikes as they prepared to flee their hometown of Al-Aliyah on Sept. 23, the day that Israel dramatically ramped up its strikes on Lebanon.
More than 550 people were killed that day alone, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
“There was a hit, the house shook — everything was breaking, the windows, the roof, everything, the blast was in my house,” Skayki recalled. “I thought to myself, ‘this could be it, this could be the end.’“
Israel says it makes all possible efforts to avoid civilian casualties and accuses Hezbollah of deliberately basing its fighters in residential areas and using civilians as human shields. Hezbollah has denied the accusation.
The family managed to flee to the southern port city of Tyre, where Ivana got initial treatment. They moved again to another hospital, but with no department there for burns, Ivana only got partial treatment before they could reach Beirut.
Sleiman said Ivana had received skin-graft operations and could be released within days. She still has deep red marks on her face, where some of her skin is peeling.
The hospital has admitted eight children with third-degree burns to half their bodies. It has had to be selective compared to other patients, Sleiman said, because it is short of space.
Geitaoui Hospital’s burn unit has a typical capacity of nine beds, but has managed to increase to 25 with help from the health ministry to cope with the influx of patients, said the hospital’s medical director Naji Abi Rached.
Most patients stay for up to six weeks because of their critical condition.
“Sometimes the outcome is not positive, due to the extent of the burns,” Abi Rached said.
Source:arabnews.com
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A Gaza medic realizes he’s carrying his own mother’s body, killed by an Israeli airstrike
October 31, 2024
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza: A Palestinian ambulance worker made a horrifying discovery when the bloody sheet was lifted: The corpse on the stretcher was his own mother, killed by an Israeli airstrike Wednesday in central Gaza.
“Oh God, I swear- she’s my mother! I didn’t know it was her!” Abed Bardini sobbed as he leaned over his mother, Samira, cradling her head in his arms. Fellow Red Crescent medics tried to console him, without success.
Bardini had unknowingly sat in the ambulance beside her body, wrapped in a white sheet stained dark with blood, as the vehicle bounced across broken roads for about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) toward Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah.
Three people were killed and 10 wounded by the Israeli strike on a car in Maghazi refugee camp, according to Palestinian health officials and Associated Press journalists. Health officials at the hospital said two of the dead were men sitting in the vehicle, while the blast fatally injured 61-year-old Samira Bardini as she stood nearby.
Abed Bardini was in one of two ambulances dispatched to the scene. Back at the hospital, he unloaded the stretcher with practiced professionalism, squinting into the late afternoon sun as he wheeled the body across the hospital courtyard.
Inside, medical staff pulled back the blanket to check for signs of life, and Bardini’s strength collapsed.
Later, his tears exhausted, he sat in the morgue beside Samira’s body with his head in his hands, comforted by his Red Crescent colleagues. They held a funeral prayer over her body in the parking lot, then Bardini personally helped carry the body into an ambulance for burial.
A spokesperson for the Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike. Israel says it carries out precise strikes in Gaza targeting Palestinian militants and tries to avoid harming civilians. But the strikes often kill women and children.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted around 250 in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war. Israel’s retaliatory war in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not say how many were combatants but say more than half were women and children. Gaza’s Health Ministry said Wednesday that 102 deaths were recorded over the past 24 hours.
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UN mission in Lebanon targeted 30 times in October
October 30, 2024
UNITED NATIONS, New York: The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon recorded more than 30 incidents this month resulting in property damage or injury to peacekeepers, about 20 of them from Israeli fire or action, a spokesman said Wednesday.
The UN peacekeeping force has been deployed in Lebanon since Israel’s 1978 invasion of the country. More recently it has been thrust into the front lines of the new war between Israel and Hezbollah, with Israel repeatedly calling on peacekeepers to abandon their positions.
Of the 30 incidents this month, “about 20 of those we could attribute to IDF fire or actions, with seven being clearly deliberate,” Andrea Tenenti, a spokesman for the force, known as UNIFIL, told a news conference held by video.
“What has been very concerning are incidents where peacekeepers performing their monitoring tasks, as well as our cameras, lighting and entire watchtowers, have been deliberately targeted by the IDF,” Tenenti said, referring to the Israeli military.
On Monday a rocket that was probably fired by Hezbollah or an affiliated group hit the headquarters of the UN mission in the Lebanese city of Naqoura, he said.
For about a dozen other incidents, the origin of fire could not be determined.
“To be clear, the actions of both the IDF and Hezbollah are putting peacekeepers in danger,” the spokesman added.
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Iran appoints Sunni politicians as deputy president, provincial governor
Oct 30, 2024
Fatemeh Mohajerani made the remarks while speaking to the reporters on the sidelines of the cabinet session in Tehran on Wednesday.
Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh, a 44-year-old Sunni politician, is appointed as deputy president for the affairs of the rural development and the disadvantaged areas, Mohajerani said adding that Mansour Bijar, a Sunni Baluch politician, is approved by the cabinet members as the governor of the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
Although Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had picked Hosseinzadeh as his deputy for rural areas about two months ago; he could not be busy in his new post because he was still a member of the Iranian government.
The lawmakers approved Hosseinzadeh’s resignation on Wednesday (October 30) with 156 votes in favor, 69 votes against and five abstaining.
Source:en.irna.ir
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Iraq's Sunni divide: High stakes as parliament prepares for speaker election
2024-10-31
Shafaq News/ Despite several parliamentary sessions to elect a new parliament speaker, political factions in Iraq have yet to reach a consensus.
The Taqadum bloc, led by Mohammed al-Halbousi, insists on retaining the position as its entitlement. In contrast, Al-Siyada bloc, headed by Khamis al-Khanjar, argues that the seat should represent the entire Sunni community rather than a single party.
The Iraqi Parliament is set to convene a special session on Thursday to elect a new speaker to succeed al-Halbousi, whose term ended nearly a year ago. However, Sunni politicians believe that the internal divisions within their bloc will not be resolved with this election; instead, they may deepen due to the absence of a unifying figure.
"The Sunni bloc is currently in a fractured and marginalized state, largely attributed to the lack of a parliamentary leader," said Azzam Al-Hamadani, a member of Al-Azm Alliance, noting that many Sunni leaders are influenced by external parties, including Shiite and Kurdish groups, as well as by Iran and Turkiye.
Al-Hamadani explained that some factions rely on external support due to their inability to secure a simple majority, needing backing from Shiite and Kurdish coalitions to achieve the necessary votes.
While the majority of the Sunni political bloc supports the election of a new speaker, there may be abstentions due to differing conditions surrounding the nomination process.
Escalating Disagreements
Sunni disagreements have intensified recently due to "internal and external interventions," according to politician Mazahim al-Huwait. He emphasized that internal issues can be resolved, with a majority—including the Coordination Framework—supporting Mahmoud al-Mashhadani's nomination for the parliamentary speaker position. Al-Huwait argued that nominations should exclusively go through al-Halbousi, as he commands the largest bloc and lacks external support.
He warned that selecting a new speaker would not eliminate the divisions within the Sunni bloc. Instead, these disagreements are likely to intensify as elections approach, fueled by the absence of a unifying force among Sunni leaders, who are aligned with various countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the US, the UK, Iran, Gulf states, and even China.
Intensifying Internal Conflict
According to independent politician Mohannad al-Rawi, "The internal divisions within the Sunni bloc are more intense and complex than those in the Shiite or Kurdish blocs," noting that "past sessions to elect a parliamentary speaker have often devolved into physical altercations, indicating deep-rooted conflicts." Al-Rawi expressed that the struggle between the Taqadum bloc and its rivals has reached a critical point, leading to losses for all involved.
He also highlighted the significant role of the Shiite bloc, represented by the Coordination Framework, which holds a majority in the House of Representatives, arguing that "Taqadum allowed the Coordination Framework to impose its will, leaving the Sunni community dissatisfied with their actions."
Options for Resolving the Stalemate
On October 23, six Sunni factions led by al-Halbousi outlined two pathways to resolve the speaker election following an 11-month deadlock. They confirmed that the first option involves all competing parties withdrawing their candidates and uniting to support al-Mashhadani, who has received backing from the majority within the Sunni parliamentary factions. The second option involves legal procedures within the Parliament to nominate a new candidate from the Sunni political majority, supported by a significant parliamentary majority.
Source:shafaq.com
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Lebanon PM says hopes for ceasefire with Israel in ‘coming hours or days’
October 30, 2024
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s prime minister said US envoy Amos Hochstein had signalled during a phone call Wednesday that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war was possible before US elections are held on November 5.
“The call today with Hochstein suggested to me that perhaps we could reach a ceasefire in the coming days, before the fifth” of November, Najib Mikati said in a televised interview with Lebanese broadcaster Al-Jadeed.
Hochstein was heading to Israel on Wednesday to discuss conditions for a ceasefire with Hezbollah, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
Hezbollah’s new leader Naim Qassem on Wednesday said the group would agree to a ceasefire with Israel under acceptable terms, but added that a viable deal has yet to be presented.
“We are doing our best... to have a ceasefire within the coming hours or days,” Mikati told Al-Jadeed, adding that he was “cautiously optimistic.”
Mikati said Hezbollah is no longer linking a ceasefire in Lebanon to a truce in Gaza, however criticizing the group over the “late” reversal.
Previously, Hezbollah had repeatedly declared that it would only stop its attacks on Israel if a ceasefire was reached in Gaza.
But Qassem on Wednesday said the group would accept a ceasefire under conditions deemed “appropriate and suitable,” without any mention of the Palestinian territory.
Mikati said a ceasefire would be linked to the implementation of a United Nations resolution that ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 states that only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers should be deployed in southern Lebanon, while demanding the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.
“The Lebanese army is ready to strengthen its presence in southern Lebanon” and ensure that the only weapons and military infrastructure in the area are those controlled by the state, Mikati said.
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Israel wages deadly Gaza strikes as northern areas plead for help
October 30, 2024
CAIRO/GAZA: Israel pummeled the Gaza Strip with new bombardments that killed at least 20 people on Wednesday, Palestinian medics said, a day after one of the deadliest single strikes of the year-old war killed scores in the north of the enclave.
Eight of Wednesday’s victims were killed in a strike on the Salateen area of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza. The area is near where medics said at least 93 people were killed or missing on Tuesday in an Israeli strike Washington called “horrifying.”
The Israeli assault that has laid waste to the Gaza Strip and killed tens of thousands of people shows no signs of slowing as Israel wages a new war in Lebanon.
Northern Gaza, where Israel said in January it had dismantled militant group Hamas’ command structure, is currently the focus of the military’s assault. It sent tanks into Beit Lahiya and the neighboring towns of Beit Hanoun and Jabalia earlier this month to flush out Hamas militants who it said had regrouped in the area.
The new operation has killed hundreds of Palestinians, medical workers say, and has helped choke aid and food supplies to their lowest level since the beginning of the war.
Officials in Beit Lahiya issued a statement urging world powers and aid agencies to halt Israel’s attacks and bring in basic medical supplies, fuel and food, saying the latest military actions had left the area “without food, without water, without hospitals, without doctors.”
Dr. Eid Sabbah of Beit Lahiya’s Kamal Adwan hospital said that bodies and injured people remained trapped under rubble.
He said the destruction of hospitals and lack of medical supplies meant doctors and nurses mostly had no chance of saving people who came in with injuries from airstrikes and gunfire.
“Whoever is injured, just lies there on the ground and whoever is killed can’t be transported, except by mule-drawn cart,” he said.
Israel’s decision this week to ban the UN relief agency UNRWA from operating on its territory could have a disastrous impact on humanitarian efforts in Gaza, UN officials said.
Israel presses on with assaults on Gaza despite the killing this month of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a mastermind of the Oct. 7 attacks whose death was a key aim of the war. Several Israeli soldiers have been killed this month in northern Gaza, the military said on Tuesday.
As families fled the Beit Lahiya area last week, parents wheeled children in prams and wooden carts and dragged suitcases through the mud. Israel earlier in October told residents of northern Gaza to leave their homes or face missile strikes.
Dalia Al-Kharawat, a mother-of-five from Jabalia, begged locals in Gaza City to let her stay and now sleeps in the open-air car park of a destroyed building with her children.
“When we need to sleep, we go here in the rubble, the sand, the broken glass. There is no place at the school shelters,” she said.
Israel has bombed schools where homeless families are staying on a number of occasions, according to Palestinian hospital workers in Gaza.
Source:arabnews.com
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Lebanon security source says one dead in strike on Hezbollah van
October 30, 2024
BEIRUT: A Lebanese security official told AFP that an Israeli strike on a Hezbollah van carrying munitions near Beirut killed the driver on Wednesday.
“A van belonging to Hezbollah was targeted in an Israeli strike on the Kahhale road and its driver killed,” the official said, adding that the vehicle was carrying munitions.
The official requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
An AFP correspondent saw a vehicle on fire and said the Kahhale road, which links Beirut to Damascus, had been blocked in both directions.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) earlier reported an “enemy drone strike” on a vehicle.
An Israeli strike on a four-wheel-drive vehicle in nearby Qmatiyeh, a village in the Aley district, killed another two people, said the security official, who did not identify the casualties.
Last week, the NNA said an Israeli strike targeting a car on the same highway killed two people.
In August 2023, two people were killed in clashes between Hezbollah members and residents of the Christian town of Kahhale, after a truck carrying munitions for the group overturned on the highway.
The war has killed at least 1,754 people in Lebanon since September 23, according to an AFP tally of health ministry figures, though the real number is likely to be higher due to gaps in the data.
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Security Council warns against any attempt to dismantle UN’s aid agency for Palestinians
EPHREM KOSSAIFY
October 30, 2024
NEW YORK CITY: The UN Security Council on Wednesday expressed “grave concern” over the Israeli parliament’s decision to approve a law banning the operations of the UN’s main aid agency for Palestinians.
Council members “strongly” warned against any attempts to dismantle or diminish the operations and mandate of the agency, and said any interruption to or suspension of its work would have severe humanitarian consequences for millions of Palestinian refugees who depend on the services it provides, and could also have implications for the entire region.
The Knesset on Monday approved legislation that prevents the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees from operating in Israel or areas under its control. The ban is set to take effect in 90 days and force the agency to close its offices and other facilities in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and Gaza, effectively preventing it from fulfilling the mandate set out by the UN General Assembly in 1949.
Council members underscored the vital role of UNRWA in providing “life-saving” humanitarian assistance to refugees in occupied Palestinian territories, and those living other countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, not only through emergency aid but also the educational, health, relief and social services programs it offers.
The Security Council said the agency remains “the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza” and stressed that no other organization can replace it or its capacity to help civilians in urgent need of life-saving assistance.
It urged the Israeli government “to abide by its international obligations, respect the privileges and immunities of UNRWA, and live up to its responsibility to allow and facilitate full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance in all its forms into and throughout the entire Gaza Strip, including the provision of sorely needed basic services to the civilian population.”
The agency has faced relentless attacks, on its reputation and its workers, by Israel since the war on Gaza began. About 200 of its employees have been killed in Israeli strikes. In January, Israeli authorities alleged that 12 UNRWA workers participated in the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, resulting in several investigations including an independent review led by former French minister Catherine Colonna.
Her report in April concluded that Israel had failed to provide any evidence to back up the allegations. Yet the agency was thrown into crisis when the claims emerged, as the US, its single biggest funder, and several other major donors put funding of the organization on hold. In all, 16 UN member states suspended or paused donations and others imposed conditions on contributions, which placed the very future of the agency in doubt. Several subsequently restored their funding.
The Security Council noted that the agency had taken steps to terminate the employment of nine workers, and underscored the important need for “timely measures to address any credible allegations and to ensure accountability for any violations of the agency’s policies related to the principle of neutrality.”
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Houthis deploy hundreds of troops and weapons, including missiles, in Taiz province
SAEED AL-BATATI
October 30, 2024
AL-MUKALLA: The Houthis have deployed hundreds of fighters and military equipment in Yemen’s southern province of Taiz, the Yemeni army said on Wednesday.
It came as the country’s internationally recognized government repeated an appeal to the international community for financial assistance to stabilize the country’s declining currency.
Abdul Basit Al-Baher, a military official in Taiz, told Arab News that the Houthis deployed fighters equipped with various types of weapons, including drones, tanks, artillery and ballistic missiles, in areas under their control in the north, northeast and west of the province, primarily outside the besieged city of Taiz and areas near government-controlled towns on the Red Sea coast, such as Mocha.
He said he believes the Houthis are preparing to launch an offensive in these areas and have installed ballistic missile systems in underground facilities along the Auman and Al-Ula mountains.
“The goal of the Houthis’ mobilization of forces and weapons may not be Taiz but they will be participating in the battle of Iran, heading to Bab Al-Mandab and Mocha and possibly deploying weapons at the nearest point to the sea to threaten international navigation,” Al-Baher added.
Government troops repelled seven Houthi attacks on their positions in the past three days, he revealed.
The Houthis said they were staging military drills and training exercises, and deploying forces and military equipment in areas under their control as part of their campaign to “fight off Israel and the US.”
Yemeni government officials and critics of the militia have repeatedly accused the Houthis of exploiting the outrage in Yemen over the deaths of thousands of Palestinians as a result of Israel’s war in Gaza to recruit more fighters, deploy forces and weapons in contested areas, and divert attention from the growing public resentment over the Houthi control of parts of the country and their failure to pay salaries to public-sector workers.
Rashad Al-Alimi, chairperson of the nation’s Presidential Leadership Council, once again asked the international community to help his government stabilize Yemen’s currency after the riyal hit a new low against the dollar.
During a meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday with Abda Sharif, the British ambassador to Yemen, Al-Alimi said he is seeking international financial assistance for his government’s plan to rescue the economy and halt the slide of the currency, the official state news agency reported.
In the past two weeks, the riyal has fallen to an all-time low of 2,050 against the dollar in government-controlled areas. It was trading at about 215 to the dollar in 2014 when the war broke out and the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa.
The depreciation of the currency has increased the costs of food, fuel and transportation, sparking angry protests. Public employees have said that their salaries are paid weeks late and have lost much of their value because of the high inflation.
The Yemeni government has said it has lost $6 billion in revenue since late 2022, when the Houthis attacked oil terminals in the provinces of Hadramout and Shabwa, halting oil exports.
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KDP expects no decision on Parliament Speaker amid Sunni disagreements
2024-10-30
Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) bloc cast doubt on the likelihood of electing a new Iraqi Parliament Speaker during a special session scheduled for Thursday, citing ongoing disagreements within Sunni factions.
“There’s an intention to hold a special session tomorrow for electing the Speaker, and we’ve been notified not to travel to attend,” KDP lawmaker. Jayai Taimur Abdul Qadir told Shafaq News on Wednesday. “However, I don’t believe the session will happen due to the lack of consensus within the Sunni blocs. It’s unlikely that a single candidate has unanimous support.”
The main dispute among Sunni parties is that they have failed to reach a consensus. The Taqaddum bloc, led by former Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi, insists on retaining the position as its entitlement, while Al-Siyada bloc, led by Khamis Al-Khanjar and other Sunni groups argue that the seat should represent the entire Sunni community, not just a single party or bloc.
On October 23, six Sunni parties, led by Taqaddum Party, issued a joint statement proposing two pathways to resolve the 11-month deadlock in electing a speaker. The parties — Taqaddum, al-Jamaheer al-Wataniya, al-Hasm, the Iraqi National Project, al-Sadara, and al-Mubadara — outlined options for resolving the impasse.
The first option calls on competing factions to withdraw their nominees and back Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who has garnered support from a majority of Sunni and parliamentary blocs. The alternative option proposes proceeding with legal procedures in parliament to nominate a new candidate with broad backing from the Sunni majority, preserving their right to fill the position.
In contrast, Al-Siyala bloc urged political partners to “respect the choice of the Sunni majority” and avoid holding any parliamentary sessions to elect the Speaker without “authorization” from the Sunni representatives convening in Baghdad.
Source:shafaq.com
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Iran appoints 1st Sunni-Baloch governor for restive southeastern province
30.10.2024
The Iranian government on Wednesday announced the appointment of the first governor for the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan from the minority Baloch community.
Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told reporters after a Cabinet meeting that Mansour Bijar has been chosen as the new governor of this restive border province.
She noted that the new appointee is a young official from the Sunni-Baloch community.
The spokeswoman said Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh, a 44-year-old Sunni politician, was also appointed as deputy president for rural development affairs and disadvantaged areas.
Bijar has previously served as the deputy chief for urban development coordination in the provincial governor’s office and as director-general of the Technical Office, among other important executive posts.
He will be the first Sunni Baloch to hold the position of governor in this province, which shares borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The appointment comes only four days after 10 police officers were killed in an attack by armed assailants targeting two police patrol units in the province.
The incident occurred in the city of Taftan following clashes between militants and border police. The Jaish al-Adl militant group, which frequently targets Iranian security forces, claimed responsibility for the attack.
In April, five policemen were killed when militants opened fire on their vehicles on a highway near Sib and Soran County, also close to the Pakistan border.
This attack came less than a week after a separate clash in the same province between Jaish al-Adl militants and security forces, resulting in the deaths of 10 personnel and 18 militants.
There is “no difference between Arab, Ajam (non-Arab Persian speakers), Kurd, and Baloch ethnicities,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said during Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, asserting that together they represent Iran’s “national power and unity.”
“Unity and cohesion, free from ethnic and partisan conflicts, lay the foundation for national power and unity in the country,” he added.
Sistan and Baluchestan, with a population of approximately four million, is one of Iran's most impoverished provinces and is affected by the presence of several armed groups.
Source:aa.com.tr
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Arab World
UAE-based Alumni celebrate Sir Syed Day in honour of Aligarh Muslim University's founder
30.10.2024
In a significant celebration of educational and cultural ties between the UAE and India, the UAE-based alumni of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) recently gathered at the Coral Beach Resort in Sharjah to honour Sir Syed Day, marking the birth of the university's founder, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.
This year, the event witnessed record attendance, with more than 1,100 alumni and their families coming together to celebrate.
The event highlighted the deep-rooted connections between AMU and the UAE, emphasising the university's influence and the contributions of its alumni.
Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed al Nahyan, President of the UAE, has long been a supporter of good relations with India.
His father, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al Nahyan, laid the groundwork for this relationship in 1975 when he visited AMU and made a generous donation aimed at establishing petroleum studies.
Sheikh Zayed recognised India's potential as a major consumer of Abu Dhabi's oil and saw the value in leveraging its human resources for research and innovation in energy.
The legacy of Sheikh Zayed was honoured during Sheikh Mohamed’s visit to India in January 2017, when the Khalifa Foundation, alongside VPS Healthcare, gifted AMU a digital accelerator worth $2 million, enhancing cancer treatment capabilities at the university’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College.
The recent gathering of AMU alumni in the UAE was graced by the presence of AMU's vice chancellor, Dr Naima Khatoon, the first woman to hold the position.
She expressed the importance of maintaining a connection with AMU, noting that Sir Syed Ahmad Khan's vision for modern education continues to inspire countless students.
"In celebrating Sir Syed Day with our esteemed alumni here in the UAE, we honour not just the legacy of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan but also the profound connections that bind us to this remarkable nation. Together, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering knowledge and innovation, ensuring that the ideals of education and community thrive across borders," said Dr Khatoon.
Organiser Qutubur Rehman emphasised that the celebration not only honoured Sir Syed's contributions but also strengthened the alumni community's bond, showcasing AMU's enduring impact on its graduates and society at large.
“It is our way of paying tribute to Sir Syed, whose vision ensured that education thrives in India. We are also thankful to UAE for the constant support and providing us with a land of opportunities,” Rehman added.
Abrar ul Haq, from the organising committee, added, “This celebration is a testament to the spirit of AMU that transcends borders. Every year, we see our alumni come together not just to honor our history but to renew our pledge to support AMU’s future and to inspire the next generation to carry forward Sir Syed’s vision.”
The event featured cultural performances, discussions on the role of education in shaping futures, and opportunities for alumni to connect and collaborate on initiatives, reinforcing the significance of AMU’s global reach and the collective commitment to its mission of education and empowerment.
"Gathering with fellow AMU alumni today to celebrate Sir Syed Day is a powerful reminder of our shared commitment to education and empowerment. Together, we are not just a network; we are a family dedicated to making a positive impact in our communities and beyond," said Qamar Sherwani, AMU Alumnus.
Source:gulftoday.ae
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4,000-year-old town discovered hidden in Arabian oasis
October 30, 2024
Paris: The discovery of a 4,000-year-old fortified town hidden in an oasis in modern-day Saudi Arabia reveals how life at the time was slowly changing from a nomadic to an urban existence, archaeologists said on Wednesday.
The remains of the town, dubbed Al-Natah, were long concealed by the walled oasis of Khaybar, a green and fertile speck surrounded by desert in the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula.
Then an ancient 14.5 kilometer-long wall was discovered at the site, according to research led by French archaeologist Guillaume Charloux published earlier this year.
For a new study published in the journal PLOS One, a French-Saudi team of researchers have provided “proof that these ramparts are organized around a habitat,” Charloux told AFP.
The large town, which was home to up to 500 residents, was built around 2,400 BC during the early Bronze Age, the researchers said.
It was abandoned around a thousand years later. “No one knows why,” Charloux said.
When Al-Natah was built, cities were flourishing in the Levant region along the Mediterranean Sea from present-day Syria to Jordan.
Northwest Arabia at the time was thought to have been barren desert, crossed by pastoral nomads and dotted with burial sites.
That was until 15 years ago, when archaeologists discovered ramparts dating back to the Bronze Age in the oasis of Tayma, to Khaybar’s north.
This “first essential discovery” led scientists to look closer at these oases, Charloux said.
Black volcanic rocks called basalt concealed the walls of Al-Natah so well that it “protected the site from illegal excavations,” Charloux said.
But observing the site from above revealed potential paths and the foundations of houses, suggesting where the archaeologists needed to dig.
They discovered foundations “strong enough to easily support at least one- or two-story” homes, Charloux said, emphasising that there was much more work to be done to understand the site.
But their preliminary findings paint a picture of a 2.6-hectare town with around 50 houses perched on a hill, equipped with a wall of its own.
Tombs inside a necropolis there contained metal weapons like axes and daggers as well as stones such as agate, indicating a relatively advanced society for so long ago.
Pieces of pottery “suggest a relatively egalitarian society,” the study said. They are “very pretty but very simple ceramics,” added Charloux.
The size of the ramparts — which could reach around five meters (16 feet) high — suggests that Al-Natah was the seat of some kind of powerful local authority.
These discoveries reveal a process of “slow urbanism” during the transition between nomadic and more settled village life, the study said.
For example, fortified oases could have been in contact with each other in an area still largely populated by pastoral nomadic groups. Such exchanges could have even laid the foundations for the “incense route” which saw spices, frankincense and myrrh traded from southern Arabia to the Mediterranean.
Al-Natah was still small compared to cities in Mesopotamia or Egypt during the period.
But in these vast expanses of desert, it appears there was “another path toward urbanization” than such city-states, one “more modest, much slower, and quite specific to the northwest of Arabia,” Charloux said.
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Bahrain king receives Saudi interior minister
October 30, 2024
RIYADH: Bahrain’s King Hamad received Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz at the Sakhir Palace on Wednesday.
Discussions on the close relations and security cooperation between the two countries took place during the meeting, Saudi Press Agency reported.
King Hamad acknowledged the efforts of the security coordination committee which is a part of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council, and highlighted the importance of ongoing collaboration, SPA said.
Prince Abdulaziz was also received by Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa and his Bahraini counterpart General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa on Wednesday.
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Feline beautiful: Saudi Arabia hosts International Cat Show
WAAD HUSSAIN
October 30, 2024
RIYADH: Feline fanciers from across the Kingdom gathered in the capital this week for the country’s first ever International Cat Show.
Organized by the World Cat Federation, in collaboration with the Middle East Cats Association, the event was held at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center as part of the Saudi Pet and Vet Expo.
The show, which ended on Wednesday, featured more than 200 cats competing in multiple categories and provided a platform for breeders, enthusiasts and the public to share their love for their furry friends and learn about responsible pet ownership.
The judging panel was led by WCF President Anneliese Hackmann and included experts from around the world.
The competing cats, all of which were aged between three months and a year, were judged on their physical attributes, such as head structure, eye shape, profile, chin, ear placement, body proportions, tail length and coat quality.
The top three winners in each category received a certificate, trophy and a ribbon from the WCF, with the runners-up given lots of useful pet care supplies.
Competitor Sara Binsaeed told Arab News: “Life is only once, so I should try it out for once at least. It’s not important that my cat wins, but at least we tried.”
That sentiment was echoed throughout the event, with participants taking the opportunity to celebrate their pets and create lasting memories with fellow cat lovers.
The Saudi Pet and Vet Expo included a range of activities designed to entertain and educate visitors, including the My Pet in My Life competition, in which people shared stories and photos that captured the special bonds they have with their pets.
There was also an adoption booth managed by the Rahmah Association for Animal Welfare, which sought to raise awareness of the benefits of adoption and the responsibilities that come with it.
At the Mini Farm booth, visitors were able to learn about sustainable pet care practices and pick up tips on how to better understand their animals.
There were also workshops and lectures on animal health, disease prevention and advancements in veterinary care, and even a mobile grooming station.
The expo, which attracted huge crowds to its family-friendly attractions, was part of Saudi Arabia’s growing commitment to raising awareness of responsible pet ownership and improving animal welfare.
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Song and dance ring in Korean cultural celebrations in Riyadh
TAMARA ABOALSAUD
October 30, 2024
RIYADH: South Korea has showcased the richness and beauty of its culture in Riyadh as Korea Week 2024 celebrations began on Tuesday.
Prince Sultan University played host to Korean Traditional Cultural Day, which was organized by the South Korean Embassy.
It included a series of cultural dances and musical performances from the Korea National University of Arts.
Junghoon Chang, a second secretary and consul from the embassy, told Arab News that while K-pop is very popular in Saudi Arabia, he hoped that the event would bring more aspects of Korean culture to people in the region.
“These K-pops are really based on our heritage. So, I thought showing our heritage could foster understanding of Korea for Saudis,” he said.
In terms of Saudi-South Korean ties, Chang said they are “stronger than ever, and getting stronger every day,” citing South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit to Saudi Arabia in October 2023, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Seoul the year before.
Chang added that cultural shows and exchanges like this one also build a “solid foundation for our bilateral relationships.”
The contemporary and traditional dances each bore a different theme, including self-discovery, time and its gift of temporality, interpersonal connections, our connection to nature and the delicate balance of life itself.
The first dance was titled “Who Are You?” It pondered whether we should or should not ask ourselves who we are and what our purpose is. It was followed by “If There Are Two Girls,” showcasing the different perspectives that can exist in the same time and space. “Distance” was about the love and fear born out of the distance between two individuals.
“The East Sea Rhapsody” showed a more traditional angle, with shamanistic music leading the dancers to the sight of the East Sea, representing new hope. Finally, “A Reversed Dawn” was inspired by the novel “Into the Morning” by Min Gyu Park, presenting a reflection on modern societal problems.
Once the dances were complete, a display of traditional musical group performances called Samulnori took to the stage.
Samulnori uses four basic percussion instruments; “samul” meaning “four” and “nori” meaning play.
Kim Wonmin, a professor at the Korean National University of Arts, said: “In the past, people tried to alleviate the hardships of work by using the instrument as a tool.
“These percussion instruments were also used when people were celebrating the gathering of crops, sharing and also giving thanks for the crops they have made.”
Four Samulnori dances were performed. The first, “Samdo Seol Janggu” emphasizes the janggu, a double-headed drum. It combines the melodies of three Korean provinces — Central, Yeongnam and Honam — and is performed in a “call and response” format signifying the performers’ synergy.
The “Samdo Nongak Garak,” an instrumental dance involving metal and leather tools, symbolized yin and yang, the balance between opposing forces that is vital in Korean culture and is featured on the country’s flag.
“We can understand them easily as negative and positive powers. However, in our philosophy, yin and yang are not countering aspects, in fact they are complementary and interdependent,” Wonmin said.
Citing performance as an embodiment of life, Wonmin said that Korean music symbolizes natural elements.
“The four instruments you have seen on stage, they all resemble aspects of nature,” he said.
The sharp sounds produced by the kkwaenggwari represent lighting and thunder. Janggu imitates the sound of raindrops, jing, the sound of the wind, and the buk represents the clouds.
The night finished off with Pan Gut and the Lion Dance, both of which incorporated more movement. Originating from the Hwanghae-do region, the Lion Dance is a ritual where performers wear lion masks to cleanse the space of any negativity, showing off the lion’s power.
Korea Week will continue until Nov. 4, including the Korean National Day reception at the Korean Embassy on Oct. 30 with the attendance of Ambassador Byung Hyuk Choi.
The week will also include taekwondo performances by the Kukkiwon Demonstration Team at Alasala University in Dammam on Nov. 2 and at Riyadh Misk School on Nov. 4.
Chang highlighted the biggest similarity between the Korean and Saudi cultures: Kind treatment of others, which serves as a strong basis for diplomacy.
“Diplomacy is all about people, and how you treat people,” he said.
Source:arabnews.com
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Japanese envoy Iwai to conclude Saudi tenure, take on new post in Egypt
DIANA FARAH
October 30, 2024
Ambassador of Japan to Saudi Arabia Iwai Fumio, whose tenure in the Kingdom witnessed substantial achievements in diplomatic and cultural spheres since he was appointed in 2019, is now preparing to take on a new role as ambassador to Egypt.
During his time in Saudi Arabia, Iwai oversaw several key projects that aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a strategic initiative to diversify the economy and reduce the Kingdom’s reliance on oil.
Working closely with Saudi leaders, he facilitated Japanese support in sectors like technology, renewable energy and infrastructure development.
The ambassador’s efforts to foster Japanese investment in the Kingdom led to agreements that brought advanced technology and expertise, particularly in robotics, artificial intelligence and sustainable energy projects.
Iwai also oversaw former Japanese Prime Minister Kishia Fumio’s and former Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa’s visits to the Kingdom.
He was an ambassador of culture as much as diplomacy, promoting numerous events that introduced Japanese art, cuisine and traditional performances to Saudi audiences.
His focus on cultural exchange strengthened people-to-people ties and fostered mutual respect and understanding.
Iwai promoted youth engagement, encouraging scholarship programs and exchange opportunities that allowed Saudi students to study in Japan.
s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Iwai was well-known on social media for his Arabic-language video messages throughout the years, in which he would celebrate Saudi National Day, Founding Day, Ramadan, Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha.
Before he started his role in the Kingdom, Iwai was the Japanese ambassador to Iraq.
He entered the Foreign Ministry in 1984 after graduating from the faculty of law at Kyoto University in Japan. He previously served as director general of the Secretariat of the Cabinet Office’s International Peace Cooperation Headquarters.
Source:arabnews.com
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Deal set to boost Saudi cultural entrepreneurship
October 30, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture and the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority will sign an agreement to support cultural entrepreneurs in the Kingdom.
The ministry announced its role as cultural sponsor of Biban 24, an entrepreneurship forum scheduled for Nov. 5-9 in Riyadh.
This event aims to boost Saudi Arabia’s creative industries and cultural entrepreneurship, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
On the forum’s opening day, a strategic partnership will be signed to empower cultural entrepreneurs with resources to build successful ventures in Saudi Arabia’s creative sector.
High-level panels will feature discussions on Saudi Arabia’s cultural economy. Music Commission CEO Paul Pacifico will lead a session on opportunities in the music sector, and a panel on culture’s economic impact will feature Cultural Development Fund CEO Majid Al-Hogail and senior Ministry of Culture officials. Other sessions will address the role of cultural SMEs in economic development.
The ministry’s exhibition will offer visitors an immersive experience, showcasing the Kingdom’s cultural ecosystem with a focus on the 2024 Year of the Camel initiative.
The fund will also have a dedicated space, and interactive screens will highlight entrepreneurship opportunities in the cultural sector.
Live demonstrations will showcase Saudi cultural diversity, the “Literature Cloud” podcast will be broadcast live, and musical performances will highlight local heritage.
The ministry will also host 10 startups daily in the startup section to showcase cultural technology innovations.
The market section will feature spaces for cultural and artistic products supporting the creative economy.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi deputy minister receives Irish foreign ministry official
October 30, 2024
Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati received Gerard Keown, political director at the Irish Foreign Ministry, in Riyadh on Wednesday.
During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance relations and addressed various issues of common interest, the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
Al-Sati and Keown signed a memorandum of understanding on political consultations between the two foreign ministries.
Also in Riyadh on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for International Multilateral Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Rassi received Japanese Ambassador to the Kingdom Fumio Iwai, who is ending his term in office.
Source:arabnews.com
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Deal inked to elevate fashion sustainability in Saudi Arabia
October 30, 2024
RIYADH: In a significant move to advance sustainable practices in the global industry, the Saudi Fashion Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding with the French-based luxury conglomerate Kering.
The signing ceremony in Riyadh was attended by Saudi Fashion Commission CEO Burak Cakmak and Kering’s Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer Marie-Claire Daveu.
The pact marks the beginning of a strategic alliance aimed at exploring collaborative efforts in several key areas of mutual interest, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
The two organizations will seek to establish the Kering Generation Awards that will recognize and celebrate leading sustainable fashion businesses. They will set the award criteria, participant-selection processes, and recipient development.
Additionally, the collaboration features a Regional Sustainability Index, providing fashion enterprises with a roadmap to enhance sustainable practices.
The initiative includes publishing joint reports on achievements, conducting awareness sessions, and aligning with key events in Saudi Arabia’s annual fashion calendar.
Leveraging Kering’s industry expertise, the two parties will focus on customer engagement, the circular economy, and water protection. The aim is to identify pioneering approaches to sustainable materials that can serve as industry standards.
This partnership underscores the Saudi Fashion Commission’s commitment to advancing sustainability across the industry’s value chain, the SPA reported.
Cakmak said: “We are delighted to partner with Kering, whose commitment to sustainability aligns with our mission to foster a forward-thinking, eco-conscious fashion ecosystem in Saudi Arabia. Together, we aim to set new standards for sustainability and innovation in the region.”
Daveu said: “This MoU with the Saudi Fashion Commission presents a remarkable opportunity for us to support the growth of sustainable fashion practices in the Kingdom. We look forward to collaborating on initiatives that will contribute to a more sustainable future for the fashion industry.”
The agreement is effective immediately for an initial term of one year, with an option for renewal by mutual agreement.
Source:arabnews.com
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Europe
US treatment of Russian journalists ‘unacceptable’ – Kremlin
31 Oct, 2024
The detention of Russian journalists in the US violates the freedom of the press, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. He was commenting after a group of reporters from the Izvestia newspaper was detained and questioned after arriving in Washington DC earlier this week.
A team from the Russian outlet was held and searched on Monday shortly after landing in the US capital, where they had arrived to cover the upcoming presidential election. Cameraman Vladimir Borovikov was denied entry into the country and was forced to return to Russia. He said he was questioned by police for nearly ten hours.
“Such an attitude towards journalists does not paint the US authorities in a positive light,” Peskov said in a press briefing on Tuesday, adding that the reporters had the necessary documents to work in the US. “Such treatment of journalists goes against the freedom of the press. For us, this is unacceptable.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has accused Washington of employing “repressive” methods to thwart the spreading of “inconvenient information.”
Borovikov was expelled without any explanation, Izvestia director Vladimir Tyulin said. “From now on, every [reporter] traveling to the US must know that a trip is like a roulette: even if you have a visa, you can still be thrown behind bars and kicked out of the country.”
Western countries have blacklisted multiple Russian media outlets, including RT, since 2022, citing ‘disinformation’ related to the Ukraine conflict. Moscow has responded in kind, banning several Western news organizations, including state-funded broadcasters BBC and Voice of America.
In August, Russia permanently barred more than 90 American citizens from entering the country, citing “fake claims about Russia and its armed forces, and engaged in using propaganda to cover Washington’s hybrid war.” The ban affected journalists from the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal, among others.
Source:rt.com
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Work of Burnley churches and mosque praised at Gather Together event
30th October
The valuable work of mosques and churches in Burnley was highlighted at a special event attended by a number of community groups.
The Gather Together event was jointly organised by Building Bridges in Burnley, Burnley Family Hub and the Gather Movement and took place at the Faith Centre, Burnley Campus, Barden Lane.
This event aimed to showcase the services provided by the Burnley Family Hub network and identify the services Burnley churches and mosques are offering.
Rt Rev Dr. Joe Kennedy, the newly appointed Bishop of Burnley, welcomed guests and was joined by Cllr Afrasiab Anwar, leader Burnley Council, Sue Hopkinson, Burnley Family Hub, and Claire Jackson from Burnley Council.
Trustee of Building Bridges in Burnley, Mozaquir Ali, said: “The participants left with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to working together towards building a more integrated and supportive community for all residents of Burnley.
"Our appreciation goes to Sue Hopkinson and her team for undertaking much of the organisation on the ground and Mark Cowling from Gather Movement for framework of the mapping work.”
The Rt Rev. Dr Joe Kennedy, said: “I was moved by the welcome I received and was delighted to speak on social cohesion and the importance of building bridges as it is built on friendships and good relationships across the diverse community.”
Peter Lumsden, who is also a trustee of Building Bridges in Burnley, said: “ If you imagine all the activities and services across Burnley as a giant jigsaw, our aim with the event was to turn more of the pieces the right way up, and join some of them together.
“We have made more of the jigsaw. Let's see how much more we've made next year, when we plan to repeat the event.”
Mark Cawling, of the Gather Together Movement, added: “ It was brilliant to be part of the Gather Together event at Burnley Campus which catalysed the connecting of the Voluntary Community Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations and the Health and Care services.
“The mapping of faith-based organisations delivering hundreds of social action services in our communities was inspiring and the Gather Together event enables this work to be built into action networks that will help Burnley people start well, live well and age well.”
Source:lancashiretelegraph.co.uk
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Spain flood death toll expected to rise as dozens missing
October 31, 2024
Rescue efforts are continuing as Spain endures its worst flooding disaster in decades, with at least 95 people confirmed dead and dozens more missing after huge rains swept the eastern province of Valenica and beyond.
Torrential rain on Tuesday triggered flash floods which swept away bridges and buildings and forced people to climb on to roofs or cling to trees to survive.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has declared three days of national mourning as the extreme conditions continue, restricting some rescue efforts.
The death toll is feared to climb as "there are many missing people", the government says.
At least 92 deaths were recorded in Valencia, with another two in Castilla-La Mancha to Valencia's west and one in Málaga - a 71-year-old British man who died in hospital after being rescued from his home.
The flooding death toll is the country's worst since 1973, when at least 150 people were estimated to have died in the nation's worst-ever floods in the south-east.
In his national address on Wednesday, Sánchez urged citizens to remain vigilant and pledged a full recovery, telling victims: “The whole of Spain weeps with you… we won’t abandon you.”
One of the first towns affected near Valencia, Chiva, reported one year's worth of rainfall on Tuesday in just a period of eight hours, according to national weather agency Aemet.
As Spanish army and emergency crews rushed to carry out rescues on Wednesday morning - including winching people to safety from balconies and car rooftops - survivors in Valencia recounted the horror of the floods on Tuesday night.
Sudden surges turned streets and roads into rivers, catching many motorists unaware.
Guillermo Serrano Pérez, 21, from Paiporta near Valencia, said the water had rushed down a highway “like a tsunami”, forcing him and his parents to abandon their car and climb on to a bridge to survive.
Another witness recounted a scene when motorway drivers realised a torrent of water was heading towards them and formed a human chain to escape along a raised central reservation.
“Thank goodness no one slipped because if anyone had fallen, the current would have dragged them away,” Patricia Rodriguez, 45, told El País newspaper.
One resident of La Torre told the BBC some of his friends had lost their homes, and on Tuesday night he "saw cars floating in the water" and the tides "breaking through some walls."
Meanwhile, the mayor of Horno de Alcedo, a town just outside Valencia, told BBC Newshour how the water levels rose by more than a metre in just a matter of minutes.
"The currents were so quick – and we called the emergency services who started rescuing some people who had water up to their necks", Consuelo Tarazon said.
There are widespread accusations in Spain that in many cases, disaster relief authorities were too slow to act with warnings, meaning people could not get off roads or seek higher ground.
The civil protection agency, deployed during national disasters, did not issue an alert until 20:15 on Tuesday evening local time – but by then, Chiva and several other towns had already been flooded for at least two hours.
Valencia’s regional government has also been forced to defend its decision to scrap the Valencia Emergency Unit, which had been set up by the previous government to tackle natural disasters such as flooding and wildfires.
Spain deployed more than 1,000 troops to help with rescue efforts on Wednesday, but many crews remain cut off from towns by flooded roads and downed communication and power lines.
The European Union's chief, Ursula von der Leyen, said it had activated its Copernicus satellite system to help co-ordinate Spanish rescue teams. Other European neighbours have also offered to send reinforcements.
Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles had said earlier on Wednesday the flooding across the region was "an unprecedented phenomenon".
The downpour eased in the country's central-east on Wednesday, but weather officials warned the rains were moving north-east to the Catalonia region. Weather warnings have also been issued across several other parts of the country, urging people to brace for floods and take shelter.
Many factors contribute to flooding, but a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme rainfall more likely.
Weather researchers have identified the likely main cause of the intense rainfall as a “gota fria” – a natural weather event that hits Spain in autumn and winter when cold air descends on warmer waters over the Mediterranean.
However, the increase in global temperatures had led to the clouds carrying more rain, scientists told the BBC.
“With every fraction of a degree of fossil fuel warming, the atmosphere can hold more moisture, leading to heavier bursts of rainfall,” said Dr Friederike Otto, from Imperial College London, who leads an international group of scientists who try to understand the role that warming plays in these type of events.
“No doubt about it, these explosive downpours were intensified by climate change.”
The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.
Source:bbc.com
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'Like a tsunami': Spaniards recount horror of deadly floods
Laura Gozzi
October 31, 2024
“When the water started to rise, it came as a wave,” said Guillermo Serrano Pérez. “It was like a tsunami.”
The 21-year old from Paiporta, near Valencia, is one of the thousands of people who experienced Tuesday night’s flash floods which engulfed the region and killed at least 95 people.
He was driving on the motorway with his parents on Tuesday evening when the water rushed in. They survived by climbing on a bridge and abandoning their car to the fury of the floodwater.
Although heavy rain had been battering the area for hours, many, like Guillermo Serrano Pérez and his family, were caught unawares by the force of the floods.
Yet the signs had been there.
On Tuesday morning at about 07:00 (06:00 GMT), Spain's meteorological agency Aemet warned that torrential rains were forecast for the region of Valencia.
"Be very careful! The danger is extreme! Do not travel unless absolutely necessary," it said on X, before issuing a "maximum red alert".
Throughout the day, more alerts were put out, warning local authorities to prevent people from approaching the river banks.
By 15:20, the regional emergencies co-ordination centre was already publishing images of heavily flooded streets in the La Fuente and Utiel municipalities, west of Valencia.
A few hours later, it said several rivers in the area were swelling up and urged people to move away from the banks.
But in most places, it was already too late.
Chiva - about 20km away - was among the first to experience the full fury of the flash floods.
The deep ravine which traverses the town had reportedly been filling with water since Tuesday afternoon following heavy rains.
By 18:00 the town's streets had turned into raging rivers, with the force of the water dragging away cars, street lamps and benches.
Emergency services scrambled to bring assistance across the region, but the speed at which the water filled the streets was unprecedented.
“A very strong downpour came from above very suddenly... and the water rose a metre or a metre and a half in a few minutes," said the mayor of the town of Riba-roja de Túria.
Elsewhere in the region, news that people were missing after being swept away by floodwaters began to emerge.
Yet the civil protection did not send a warning to residents of the Valencia region to warn them not to travel on the roads until more than two hours later, after 20:00.
Many have questioned the timing of that warning, which arrived more than 12 hours after the Spanish meteorological agency had issued its first red alert.
Some say that it arrived too late for people to seek refuge on the higher floors or to get off the roads, which were busy with commuters returning home after work.
Paco had been driving from Valencia to nearby Picassent when he was caught by surprise by the flash floods that swallowed up the roads.
He told El Mundo newspaper "the speed of the water was insane" as it dragged cars away: "The pressure was tremendous. I managed to get out of the car and the water pushed me against a fence that I managed to grab on to, but I couldn't move."
"It wouldn't let me. It ripped my clothes off," he said.
Patricia Rodríguez, from Sedaví, was also caught by the flooding as she drove home from work.
She told local media that water started to rise as she sat in a line of traffic near Paiporta and the cars started floating.
“We were afraid the river was going to burst its banks because we were right in the line of fire,” she said. She managed to escape on foot with the help of another driver and watched, terrified, as a young man nearby carried a new-born baby to safety.
“It was just as well that nobody slipped, because if we had, the current would have taken us away,” she said.
Social media posts help to paint a picture of the chaos that engulfed the region as night fell.
In one video shared on X, wheelchair-bound residents of a care home in Paiporta could be seen trapped in a dining room with brown floodwater coming up to their knees.
Rut Moyano, a resident of Benetússer, near Valencia, chronicled the increasingly desperate situation in her town on X. Pleading for help, she said she was sheltering with neighbours on the upper floors of her building when one of them suffered a heart attack and died.
“The Civil Guard has arrived on foot but they can't access the property because there is a car stuck in the entrance,” she wrote in the early hours of Wednesday morning. “Can anyone tell me if someone else can help?”
The morning brought its own set of challenges. Daylight revealed the full extent of the devastation, with dozens of cars piled up on top of one another, destroyed businesses and entire towns covered in mud and debris.
In Valencia, a man called Juliano Sánchez was rescued with symptoms of hypothermia after clinging on to palm trees for seven hours.
“I didn't want to die,” he told El Periódico. “I grabbed onto some palm trees and held on with all my strength so the river wouldn't sweep me away.”
But many were less fortunate.
Dozens of people are still missing across the region, while those who survived have described being helpless in the face of horrific destruction.
"We saw two cars being swept away by the current and we don't know if there were people inside," a man told Las Provincias. "We'd never seen anything like it."
Source:bbc.com
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Timing of Spain flood alert under scrutiny as blame game rages
October 31, 2024
As Spain grapples with the fallout from the flash floods which struck on Tuesday, the blame game has already begun, with disaster relief services accused of being slow to react.
Much of the country has been badly hit by heavy rain and hailstorms, triggering rapid flooding in many areas which has already claimed at least 95 lives.
But the civil protection agency, which is deployed during natural disasters, did not issue an alert until 20:15 local time on Tuesday, when the flooding had already caused a great deal of damage.
"The magnitude of the tragedy raises doubts about whether the population was warned too late: Civil Protection sent out alerts when there were already flooded towns," read a headline on the website of El Mundo newspaper.
As the paper goes on to point out, "hundreds of people were trapped throughout the night from Tuesday to Wednesday in industrial estates and on roads because the roads were already cut off and access was cut off."
Recriminations have been flying on social media as people ask why local governments and politicians were not better prepared.
“The handling of what has happened in Valencia has been negligent and irresponsible,” wrote Isabel Díaz, a lawyer. “People have died because of the incompetence of those in charge.”
Another social media user, named as Santo March, said that the national meteorological agency “can’t predict this, but they can predict the weather in 20-30 years”.
At the same time, cost-cutting is emerging as another potential culprit.
The regional president of Valencia, the conservative Carlos Mazón, has been forced to defend his decision to eliminate the Valencia Emergency Unit (UVE) on the grounds that it was inefficient.
The UVE was created by the previous, left-wing government, in order to respond to weather-related emergencies such as flooding or wildfires. On taking office last year, Mr Mazón immediately got rid of it, with his People’s Party (PP) describing the agency as “a shady outfit”.
In a statement, the trade union Intersindical attacked the decision, saying that “by prioritising short-term interests, they contribute to environmental decay and aggravate the effects of extreme weather phenomena”.
The Catalan nationalist politician Gabriel Rufián also criticised the elimination of UVE, saying that Mr Mazón had been “proud” of dismantling the agency.
The Valencia regional government has responded by saying that UVE “was just another fictitious organisation, with zero firefighters, zero materials and zero efficiency”.
However, others have pointed to the Valencia leader’s appearance before the media on Tuesday, when he said that the heavy rainfall was expected to “reduce its intensity” from around 18:00 local time.
Instead of that, it began to wreak havoc across much of the region.
Politicians in some of the towns affected have been particularly vocal. Andreu Salom, mayor of L’Alcúldia, said he felt “abandonment and absolute impotence”.
“As mayor, nobody informed me of the danger that the Magre river might break its banks,” he said. “It has filled the town with water, mud and debris.”
Mr Mazón has insisted that emergency services were on alert from Monday onwards and that the extraordinary nature of the weather event made it difficult to know exactly what to advise Valencians.
“Experts have talked about an absolutely unprecedented situation,” he said, citing the “abrupt nature of meteorology”.
Meanwhile, activists have called for swifter and more strident action to halt the climate change which they say caused the flooding.
Eva Saldaña, executive director of Greenpeace Spain, said that “the climate emergency is not an abstract concept, but a reality which affects our lives and which, in this case, takes lives”.
Jorge Olcina, a climate scientist from the University of Alicante and co-author of a recent report on climate change in Spain, told Cadena Ser radio that the recent floods were “Mediterranean evidence of climate change” which, he explained, “is changing the way it rains”.
He also said that warnings issued by the national meteorological agency should have been enough to keep people indoors and away from danger, but that “people want to lead a normal life even when there’s a red alert”.
Source:bbc.com
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Swedish man killed fighting for Ukraine – media
31 Oct, 2024
A Swedish national fighting on the side of the Ukrainian army was killed in action last week, Swedish broadcaster SVT reported on Wednesday.
According to the TV channel, the man was “an experienced soldier” who traveled to Ukraine in 2022. He reportedly served near Kiev, as well as near the Donbass city of Artyomovsk (known in Ukraine as Bakhmut) and “in Russia.”
Although SVT did not specify where the man was killed, Russian troops are currently fighting to push the Ukrainian army out of Russia’s Kursk Region, which Kiev’s forces invaded in early August.
The channel cited the Swedish Foreign Ministry as saying that eight Swedish nationals have been killed in Ukraine since February 2022, after Russia launched its military operation in the neighboring state.
Moscow has repeatedly said that foreign “mercenaries” are fighting alongside Ukraine’s regular army and participating in cross-border raids. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Monday that US, Canadian, and Polish citizens were recently killed during a failed incursion attempt in Bryansk Region.
In December 2023, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that more than 5,800 foreigners fighting for Kiev had been killed in almost two years of the conflict.
In February 2024, the military news website Task and Purpose reported that at least 50 Americans had been killed in Ukraine, most of them while fighting for Kiev’s troops.
Source:rt.com
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Outrage as Southport killer’s links with radical Islam now acknowledged
By Natasha Donn
30th October 2024
Knife attack in UK claimed lives of three girls, including Portuguese Alice da Silva Aguiar
There has been outrage and disgust in England following the admission, months on from the attack, that the ‘Southport killer’ whose knife rampage claimed the life of three little girls, including Portuguese Alice da Silva Aguiar, did in fact have links with Islamic fundamentalism.
After all the attempts to paint Axel Rudakubana as “a young man from Cardiff”; “British born” and with no apparent connection to terrorism, it has transpired that he is now being charged under the Terrorism Act (after all), for producing the biological toxin ricin and having a document titled “Military studies in the Jihad against the Tyrants – the al-Qaida training manual”.
His murder of three innocent children, however, continues ‘not to be considered a terrorist incident’. Serena Kennedy, the chief constable of Merseyside police, maintains there is no evidence pointing to a terrorist motive…
As Allison Pearson of the Telegraph stresses, in her article: “We deserve to know the full truth about the Southport massacre”, “police must surely have discovered what appeared to be ricin at Rudakubana’s home quite rapidly, and presumably informed the Home Secretary. Why was that important information not made public?”
This was an horrific incident that “felt alien and extreme and full of horrifying, blood-curdling hatred” from the outset – and over which many “sensed we weren’t being given the full picture”.
Now, the picture is opening up a little – showing that people’s initial misgivings were, in fact, well founded – and making a mockery of the form in which a number were so publicly punished by authorities, even being sent to jail.
Whatever motivated the clamp-down on people’s questions appears to be still in effect, suggests Pearson: “three months later, we still have not heard from relatives of Elsie, Bebe or Alice; their grief is private, of course, but is it possible that they have been instructed not to talk in case people get stirred up and upset again?” she questions.
It has not taken long for the new revelations to become a political football, with contenders for the Conservative Party leadership now accusing the government of deliberately concealing information from the public.
“We were told for months that this was not a terror-related incident, and yet we have learnt that this individual, the suspect, was allegedly reading al-Qaeda manuals and had access to dangerous substances like ricin,” said Robert Jenrick.
“Given the scale of public interest, I think it is an important question to be asked, why was this information not put into the public domain sooner? So I’m asking the public authorities and the prime minister, what did they know, when did they learn it, and why was the decision taken not to be more honest and transparent with the public.”
Source:portugalresident.com
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North America
Trump Invites Muslim Man Ejected from Harris Rally to Star in Ad.
OCTOBER 31, 2024
Over the weekend, the campaign of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris expelled a Muslim man from a rally in Michigan, prompting the campaign of Donald J. Trump to offer him a place in a new campaign ad. Ahmed Ghanim, a Democrat and former congressional candidate, was contacted by Donald Trump’s campaign about appearing in an advertisement shortly after being ejected from a Harris rally in Michigan without explanation.Ghanim, who had challenged a pro-Israel member of Congress earlier this year, declined the offer but has been deeply critical of the Harris campaign. He criticized Harris’s campaign for inadequate engagement with Arab and Muslim voters, noting the potential benefit for Trump.
Ghanim had been present at the rally to observe, not protest, but was escorted out by security after being directed to leave. His subsequent social media post, “No Muslims allowed at the Harris Rally in Michigan,” drew considerable attention.
Ghanim recognized the strategic timing of Trump’s outreach to him, suggesting it might influence some Muslim voters.In September, the mayor of Hamtramck, a city in Michigan with a Muslim-majority population, stated his support for Trump. Mayor Amer Ghalib called Trump a man of principles and expressed confidence in his leadership.Earlier this month, a group of Michigan Muslim leaders also backed Trump. Imam Belal Alzuhairi stated that Trump could stop bloodshed from occurring across the globe.
Source:thenationalpulse.com
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https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/10/30/trump-invites-muslim-man-ejected-from-harris-rally-to-star-in-ad/
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Islamic Center Of Irving Aims To Distribute 1 Million Pounds Of Food In 2024 To Combat Local Food Insecurity
October 30, 2024
The Islamic Center of Irving's Outreach Department, in partnership with the North Texas Food Bank, is continuing its efforts to fight food insecurity in Irving and nearby areas through mobile food pantries. Following last year’s distribution of over 620,000 pounds of food, this year’s goal is to reach 1 million pounds.
The center’s next drive-thru food distribution event is scheduled for Saturday, November 2, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The Islamic Center is located at 2555 Esters Rd in Irving between SH-183 and W. Rochelle Rd.
The event is open to all and allows residents to pick up food for other families in need, provided they have information such as the family’s name, address, household size, benefits status, and income. Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer recognized the center’s contributions in a recent social media post, highlighting its positive impact on the community.
Source:irvingweekly.com
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Harris distances herself from furore over Biden 'garbage' comment
October 31, 2024
Six days from the White House election, the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris has been trying to move past an uproar sparked by President Joe Biden appearing to refer to Trump supporters as "garbage".
The vice-president told reporters when asked about Tuesday's remark by her boss that she would "strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for".
As his comment drew backlash, Biden posted on X, formerly Twitter, that it was directed at a comic who made a controversial joke at a Donald Trump rally, not tens of millions of Americans.
Trump, the Republican candidate, seized on the furore by getting into a garbage truck as he campaigned in Wisconsin, saying: "Biden should be ashamed of himself."
During a fundraising Zoom call with a Latino voters' group on Tuesday evening, Biden was initially quoted as saying: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his [Trump's] supporters.”
The White House released a transcript saying that the president was only referring to one supporter - a stand-up comedian who called Puerto Rico "a floating island of garbage" during a routine at a Trump rally in New York City on Sunday.
Asked about Biden's remarks before flying from near Washington DC to campaign in swing states, Harris noted that Biden had already sought to "clarify his comments".
"But let me be clear," she added. "I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for."
In response to a question from the BBC, she said that if she won next Tuesday's election she would be "a president for all Americans, including those that don't vote for me".
Harris sought to turn focus back to her rival, Trump, saying that US voters were deciding whether they want to "attempt to unify and break through this era of divisiveness".
The controversy over Biden's remarks made headlines in an unwelcome distraction for the Harris campaign as she delivered her final pitch to voters in Washington DC.
At the spot from which Trump spoke shortly before a riot by his supporters at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, she urged Americans on Tuesday night to "turn the page on the drama and the conflict" in US politics.
Back at the White House aides were still trying to draw a line under the "garbage" controversy on Wednesday.
At the daily news conference, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters: "He [Biden] does not view Trump supporters or anybody who supports Trump, as garbage. That is not what he views."
Trump's backers have seized upon Biden's comments, making comparisons with a controversial remark by Hillary Clinton in 2016 during Trump's first run for office, when she said half of his supporters were "deplorables".
At his rally in North Carolina on Wednesday, Trump said Biden's words are "worse" than what Clinton said.
He told the crowd: "Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters. He called them 'garbage.' And they mean it."
Later he flew to Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he got into a bin lorry with a Trump campaign sticker on the side.
"How do you like my garbage truck?" Trump asked reporters.
Waiting in line for the rally in Green Bay was Anne Driessen, who was carrying a black bin bag in reference to Biden's comment.
She told the BBC: “We’re accustomed to this from the other side. He's [Trump has] been called Stalin, Hitler, and Mussolini - why don’t they just call him Satan?
"They lump us all together too."
Harris supporters attending her rally in Madison, Wisconsin, told the BBC they were still upset at the comedian's Puerto Rico.
“As a Latina, it’s disgusting,” said Mallory Malvitz. "It’s hateful that that’s what people think about people like me."
Ms Malvitz added that she does not consider those with opposing views “garbage”, saying some of her own family are Trump supporters.
During his campaign, Trump has himself been criticised for calling the United States a “garbage can for the world” and describing political opponents as “the enemy within".
While Trump has acknowledged that "somebody said some bad things" at his New York City rally on Sunday, he also said he did not think the comedian's gag was "a big deal".
He said the Madison Square Garden event was a "lovefest".
In Philadelphia, in the key swing state of Pennsylvania, members of the 90,000-strong Puerto Rican population told the BBC they would not forget the joke.
Residents of Puerto Rico - a US island territory in the Caribbean - are unable to vote in presidential elections, but the large diaspora in the US can.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx28mpzlz47o
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The Pennsylvania voters who 'could make or break the election'
October 31, 2024
Bill Donovan knows that every vote matters in the swing state of Pennsylvania.
That’s why the 78-year-old Democrat travelled from university to university throughout Pittsburgh to approach students in coffee shops and on sidewalks to ensure they registered to vote.
Mr Donovan plans to back Vice-President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election and volunteers with a non-profit voter registration group aimed at boosting Democratic turnout in the state.
With 19 electoral votes - the most electoral votes out of any swing state - Pennsylvania has become this election's must-win prize, shining a spotlight on everyday voters.
Mr Donovan said they have to take advantage of it.
“A lot of people are saying this is where it’s going to be decided… and I think they might be right,” he told the BBC. “That gives us just a little more incentive to keep going when we feel like going home."
How Pennsylvania votes is often seen as a predictor of who will win the country - the candidate who has won the state in 10 of the last 12 presidential elections landed in the White House.
The state has a history of close races. Former President Donald Trump carried Pennsylvania in 2016. Four years later, President Joe Biden narrowly won. And with just days to go before election day, polls show it's a dead heat between Harris and Trump.
The power that comes with casting a vote in Pennsylvania is exactly the reason Dimitri Chernozhukov, a 21-year-old university student at Lafayette College in the city of Easton, chose to attend university in the state.
“My vote matters here,” said the soon-to-be, two-time Trump voter. “When I was registering in Pennsylvania, I made sure all the forms were correct because this vote matters.”
The state has been inundated with campaign stops from both Harris and Trump, who along with their running mates, have made more than 50 appearances total in the state since mid-July.
Kari Holmes, a pastor in eastern Pennsylvania, sees the limelight on her state and feels the weight of being one of its highly coveted voters. She has been working with other faith leaders to encourage voters of colour - a highly sought after demographic - to cast a ballot.
“This is the time to feel the gravity of our vote as voters of colour in this very important commonwealth,” Ms Holmes, who plans to vote for Harris, said.
With some nine million registered voters in Pennsylvania, turnout is essential for success for either campaign come November.
Registration numbers show that political affiliation is split nearly 50-50, with around 3.9 million registered Democrats and 3.6 million registered Republicans. There are also around 1.4 million Independent or third-party registered voters, who both campaigns have courted.
Marc Pane, owner of an auto-repair business in the city of Scranton, is among those millions of registered Republicans excited to cast his ballot for Trump this November.
“It could come down to Pennsylvania,” Mr Pane said. “We could make or break the election. It’s important. Our vote is important, more so than ever and I’m really kind of happy it’s us.”
In Pennsylvania, Democrats are mostly clustered along the eastern and western borders in urban areas like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The middle of the state, which is rural, leans heavily Republican.
Two counties specifically - Erie in western Pennsylvania and Northampton in eastern Pennsylvania - are seen as bellwether counties, meaning they often trend with how the overall country votes. Both counties favoured Trump in 2016, but went for Biden in 2020.
“They have the balance of urban, rural, suburban and it’s really a place to look on election night to see what’s happening,” Christopher Borick, director of Pennsylvania’s Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, told the BBC.
Lori McFarland, chair of the Lehigh County Democrats, spends her days working to ensure Pennsylvanians in Lehigh County, which neighbours Northampton County, back Harris. She is not so sure every voter understands the gravity of their decision come 5 November.
“It’s challenging to not get overexcited, stay calm, stay focused and know what the job is,” Ms McFarland said. “There is pressure because both the campaigns [and] the world is looking at not only Lehigh and Northampton counties, they are also looking at Erie County.”
“We are the three major counties that feel like it’s falling on us, it’s overwhelming,” she told the BBC.
The focus on courting voters in the crucial swing state leads to an influx of political advertising.
Between 22 July and October 8, the Harris campaign spent $159.1m (£122.6m) on advertising in Pennsylvania, according to a recent AdImpact report. The Trump campaign spent $120.2m (£92.4m) in the same time period.
Andy Jones, who is voting for Trump in Allegheny County, said television and radio advertisements, billboards and yard signs in western Pennsylvania are “out of control”. He describes it as a battle among his neighbours to see who can “out-sign” the other in their yards.
“People are definitely charged up around here,” he said. “It’s an important state.”
Source:bbc.com
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Pennsylvania officials reject viral claim about illegal voters
October 31, 2024
Merlyn Thomas
Officials in the US state of Pennsylvania have rejected claims that “illegal voters” were able to apply for ballots and vote at an election office in Allegheny County.
Officials have put out a statement after posts on X went viral, claiming to show “illegal voters” being guided past US voters who had been waiting in line.
The video shows a queue outside a satellite election office in Allegheny County - the state’s second most populous county - and a second smaller group who appear to pass by the lengthy line and speak to someone near the entrance of the election centre.
Allegheny County officials told the BBC that the group had come to apply for mail-in ballots and the officials reiterated that only US citizens can register to vote.
BBC Verify understands that some people in the group seen in the viral video are US citizens of Nepalese and Bhutanese heritage. The BBC has not been able to independently verify this.
Viral posts on X claimed that buses of “non-citizens” had been brought in to cast their vote illegally. Some also claimed that they were wearing stickers supporting the Harris-Walz campaign, which are not visible in the video.
The video has been viewed by millions on X and shared by right-wing influencers, some espousing conspiracy theories.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, the owner of X, replied to one post with the video: “Is this real?”
It is illegal for non-US citizens to vote in federal elections, and studies show that cases of this happening are extremely rare.
Others online speculated that not only had the group voted illegally, they had also skipped the line to do so. But county officials told BBC Verify that some in the group “needed the assistance of translators”.
Officials say the moments recorded in the viral video were a brief conversation between voters, their translators and a county employee, which was circulated online by right-wing influencers.
“The County employee provided instructions that elderly and disabled people were allowed to sit while they waited for their applications to process,” officials said, adding that this was the case for any elderly or disabled voter at any voting office.
Referring to the viral video, they said, “the able-bodied voters returned to the back of the line, elderly and disabled voters were permitted to sit and wait their turn, and those who needed the assistance of a translator were able to use their translator to help them through the process”.
A separate video that has been shared alongside this one shows a man who claims to have been at the voting site at the time and saw the incident unfold. We have not been able to verify this video.
Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State, Al Schmidt, said “spreading videos and other information that lack context and sharing social posts with half-truths and even outright lies is harmful to our representative democracy”.
Pennsylvania is a key swing state and has been the focus of claims by right-wing influencers questioning the integrity of the vote.
Source:bbc.com
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Ohtani-mania sweeps LA as Dodgers battle for World Series title
October 31, 2024
Regan Morris
As diehard baseball fans flock to watch the two biggest US cities battle it out for a World Series title, many are coming from across the globe to this Los Angeles neighbourhood because of one single player.
People here in the Little Tokyo suburb of LA call it the “Ohtani effect”.
Shohei Ohtani – the Los Angeles Dodgers’ star player - looms large over the historic neighbourhood, personified in a 150ft (45m) mural and his name emblazoned across jerseys worn by fans here.
Baseball may be known as “America’s pastime”, but its biggest star is from Japan. The player signed a recording-breaking contract to play this season - a whopping $700m (£540m) over 10 years - and the hype surrounding him has only grown, luring in new fans and new traditions in multicultural Los Angeles.
Business has boomed here. Tourists come from all over - including from the star’s home country.
“When Shohei comes to bat – they know if he hits the home run we start pouring sake shots,” says Don Tahara, the owner of Far Bar where dozens of TVs show Dodgers games. Home runs equal free rice wine - often to hundreds of fans.
That’s a lot of sake. Ohtani has hit 54 home runs during this regular season – although none so far in the World Series against the New York Yankees.
“It’s good for the Dodgers – maybe not so great for my pocketbook. But it’s meaningful, it warms my heart.”
Far Bar has been packed during the World Series.
Mr Tahara passed out mochi, a Japanese rice cake, decorated with the Dodgers’ logo and free margarita shots to honour Fernando Valenzuela, the Dodgers legend who recently died. The Mexico-born, left-handed pitcher is also being immortalised in a mural – across the river from Little Tokyo in Boyle Heights.
Splattered in paint, muralist Robert Vargas took a break from painting Valenzuela to watch the game at Far Bar. It’s hard to imagine Mr Vargas buying his own drink at Far Bar – in Little Tokyo he is possibly as beloved as Ohtani for immortalising the baseball star on the massive wall of the Miyako Hotel.
“I’ve been a Dodger fan my whole life,” says Mr Vargas, who says he painted Ohtani “in the spirit of representation”.
And the mural has become a popular destination for tourists from Japan who come by the busload to pose for photos with the artwork.
Takatani Kiuchi travelled from Japan to attend Game 2 of the series at Dodger Stadium in the heart of Los Angeles and he watched Game 3 from Far Bar with his friends. Dressed head-to-toe in Dodgers gear and Ohtani jerseys, Kiuchi met fans from around Los Angeles and the world.
“We are new Dodgers fans. From Tokyo. For us it’s more about the Yankees versus Dodgers – that means a lot more than the World Series.”
They were excited that the second game of the series also featured the other Japanese star on the team - Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, pitching six innings, allowing just one hit by the Yankees.
Kiuchi last came to Los Angeles as a child 50 years ago and says he will definitely return to see the Dodgers play again.
“We came here to see this,” Kiuchi cheered as the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman hit a home run during Game 3 and the bar’s crowd erupted into cheers.
The city’s tourism board is also cheering. In 2023, there were 230,000 visitors from Japan to Los Angeles, a 91.7 percent increase from 2022.
And by year-end, the city is projected to welcome 320,000 visitors, says Bill Karz, the senior vice-president of brand marketing at LA Tourism. It’s still a drop from pre-pandemic levels, but tourism officials are celebrating the rise.
“The Ohtani effect is real,” says Karz. “It impacts our entire economy.”
That, he says, results in boosted hotel occupancy, ticket sales at area theme parks like Universal Studios and tours of Dodger Stadium, which has, in turn, increased the number of Japanese language tours it runs.
Even some devoted Yankee fans have jumped on the Ohtani bandwagon.
In a sea of Dodger blue, Vince Gonzales sported a black and red “Ohtani” shirt from the Japanese national team.
“Shhh, I’m a Yankee fan,” he whispered at the bar while mingling with tourists from Japan. “But more importantly, I’m an Ohtani fan because I have a passion for Japanese baseball.”
Far Bar erupted into cheers and “I love LA” blasted from the sound system when game three ended in a Dodger victory.
Robert Vargas – the muralist – wasn’t able to sneak away. A woman from Japan ran out of the bar to beg him for photos in front of the mural. He obliged and soon, there were dozens of people posing with him for photos and chanting: “Lets Go, Dodgers!”
Source:bbc.com
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US economy growing despite voter angst
Natalie Sherman
October 30, 2024
The US economy grew solidly in the three months to September, expanding at an annual rate of 2.8%.
Despite there being a slight slowdown from the prior quarter's 3% rate, the figures released by the Commerce Department showed the US is on track for one of the strongest economic performances of any major economy this year.
Consumer spending was the biggest driver, picking up from earlier in the year.
The report arrives days before polls close in America's hotly contested presidential election, in which surveys have consistently indicated the economy is Americans' top concern.
It is not clear the latest figures will do much to assuage people's worries.
Economic sentiment, which darkened abruptly during the pandemic, has remained downbeat, as a roughly 21% jump in prices over the past four years overshadows other economic news, no matter how positive.
This month, a solid 62% of Americans viewed the economy overall as "bad", according to a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
In a country where the mantra "it's the economy, stupid" - coined by strategist James Carville in 1992 - is often deployed to explain elections, one might expect the worries to be bad news for Kamala Harris and the Democrats, as the party in the White House.
Donald Trump has tried to seize on the opportunity, making his economic record as president, which is remembered as a rosier time, a key part of his pitch to voters.
But as opinions have grown increasingly coloured by a person's political views over the last few decades, analysts said it is not clear how big a role the economy will actually play in shaping the election outcome this year.
"Even though the economy is based on numbers, a lot of people's views are partisan," said Marjorie Connelly, senior fellow at the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs. "The economy will be a factor, but ... I think partisanship will be the biggest factor."
The AP-NORC poll found that 61% of Democrats thought the economy was good, compared with just 13% of Republicans and 28% of independents.
The same poll found that voters were split, along party lines, as to whether they trusted Trump or Harris more on issues such as the cost of groceries and gas or jobs and unemployment.
Despite the economy ranking as a top election issue, other matters may prove more decisive, Ms Connelly added.
"I don't know how much people are going to vote on the economy," she said. "There are other issues."
What does the data show?
One reason the economy often emerges at the top of voter concerns in polls is simply because it's one of the few areas that large shares of both Democrats and Republicans agree is relatively important.
Meanwhile, much of the hard data has been solid or moving in the right direction.
Petrol prices are down, grocery prices are stabilising and wages, for at least the past year, have been rising faster than prices, which for many families is helping to offset the jump in living costs.
In September, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time in four years, saying it was increasingly confident that the inflation problem was easing.
A sharp rebound in jobs growth in September also quieted the worries of many economic forecasters, who have spent much of the last few years predicting a downturn that has not materialised.
On Tuesday, the Conference Board reported that its monthly index of consumer sentiment jumped in October, as confidence in job availability and optimism about future business prospects and income rose.
The share of people worried about an economic recession also fell to the lowest level since the organisation started asking the question in July 2022.
Samuel Tombs, chief US economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said he thought the improvement in sentiment was likely due to rising optimism among Republicans, as they grow more confident that Trump can win the election.
But Dana Peterson, chief economist for The Conference Board, said she thought it reflected growing realisation of the economic reality.
"The data are the data. What we're seeing is that third quarter GDP was strong, the job market is healthy and inflation is slowing," she said.
"After several years of volatility, consumers are saying we think inflation is not as intense, we're not where we were... and we're not as worried."
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd0gelezlevo
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CNN requests RT contributor’s comments for hit piece just ahead of US election
30 Oct, 2024
Pro-Democrat US media outlets are desperately trying to make last-minute attempts to influence the upcoming presidential election, RT contributor and former aide to Joe Biden, Tara Reade, has claimed. Some networks are now recycling the old “Russian interference” narrative going back to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, she told RT, while revealing a CNN attempt to get a comment from her on the topic.
CNN published a lengthy hit piece on Wednesday, claiming that the broadcaster’s journalists, together with Clemson University’s Media Forensics Hub, supposedly uncovered a sprawling disinformation network backed by Moscow and spreading narratives that are then amplified by various popular US speakers.
Dubbed “Storm-1516” according to CNN, the network reportedly targeted Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The broadcaster sought to approach Reade as one the “prominent figures” allegedly sharing the network's narratives to get her take on the issue.
In a letter to her lawyer, a CNN producer asks for Reade’s response “to reports that you have repeated and amplified Russian disinformation about Ukraine and the US election.”
According to Reade herself, what was presented to her through her lawyer was “more of a series of accusations” rather than questions. “The accusations are that I’m somehow involved, [and former president and Republican presidential nominee] Donald Trump is involved with interfering into the elections and presenting disinformation,” she told RT.
The former aide, who worked for President Biden when he was a senator, said she was not particularly concerned by the situation, adding that such actions showed only that US Democratic elites were frantically trying to tip the scales in their favor ahead of the vote.
“It really shows desperation,” Reade said. “They are clinging to Hillary 2.0 argument that Russia interfered,” the RT contributor stated, pointing to similar arguments the Democrats used back in 2016. “I do not think that Moscow has any interest in interfering, nor need.”
“The Democratic elites, the ones that are losing power right now, are getting a bit desperate,” Reade said, adding that “the only people that are interfering with the election are coming from inside the election.”
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/606761-cnn-request-rt-contributor-comment/
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Africa
MTBPS: Treasury to expand Islamic Bond Programme following R20bn success
30 October 2024
“We will give the market one or two weeks' notice of any intention to issue an Islamic bond, but we are not sure whether it will be in this fiscal year or next fiscal year,” a Treasury official stated.
On November 29, 2023, Treasury announced the successful launch of the first sovereign Rand-denominated Al-Ijarah Sukuk on the African continent. This landmark transaction raised R20.386 billion and comprised four tranches with maturities ranging from 5.3 years to 12.3 years.
The transaction saw a 1.74 times oversubscription with investor demand from a diverse base, including South African banks, large Islamic funds, and Islamic banks. Thirteen unique bidders participated in the auction.
Treasury had previously issued a $500 million (R8.9 billion) Sukuk bond in 2014, marking the first African nation to launch a sovereign Shariah-compliant bond. That issuance attracted subscriptions worth $2.2bn, and Treasury hopes for similar interest with its rand-denominated bond.
At the time, Treasury noted that the decision to issue an Islamic bond was driven by a desire to broaden the investor base and to set a benchmark for state-owned companies looking for diversified funding sources for infrastructure development. The 2014 sukuk bond attracted investors primarily from the Middle East and Asia (59%), followed by Europe (25%), the US (8%), and other regions.
Since 2020, Treasury has secured various loans from international development institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, aimed at Covid-19 relief and funding for a Just Energy Transition. Over the medium term, Treasury intends to issue $15bn in international bonds, with some of this potentially replaced by loans from institutions like the BRICS New Development Bank.
Source:iol.co.za
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https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/economy/mtbps-treasury-to-expand-islamic-bond-programme-following-r20bn-success-48ea7557-a65d-4408-931a-6aa6637cccce
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In Egypt, prospect of Trump win raises fears over school funding
October 30, 2024
CAIRO: In Egypt, education officials are watching the US election with concern, worried that if Republican Donald Trump wins he could reduce US financial support for schools catering to students who hope to help lead the energy transition.
The former president has pledged to roll back key climate policies implemented by his predecessor, Joe Biden, and 10 international applied technology schools in Egypt could be affected if funds are cut, some experts say.
The 10 secondary schools were created through a partnership between the US Agency for International Development, the Egyptian government and the private sector. Around 20,000 students apply annually for 8,000 places.
“The funding of these schools is likely to be affected (if Trump wins the election) due to his position on environmental policies, which are in contrast with those of the current administration,” Karim Ebeid, president of Al Adl Center for Economic and Strategic Studies, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“This may affect the non-renewal or expansion of such schools, which affects Egypt’s development plans,” he said, adding that if US funding dried up, Egypt could turn to other international partners, such as China, Russia or Japan.
“China, especially, for the past two decades, has been working to strengthen its investments in African countries through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation,” he said.
The schools offer free tuition to all students but require certain conditions for enrollment, such as achieving high grades in English, science, and maths. Applicants are also interviewed.
An Egyptian government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said if US funding for the schools were to stop under a second Trump administration, Egypt would have to develop alternative plans for financing, management, and partnerships.
The schools provide critical skills to thousands of young Egyptians like Zeyad Maged, a third-year student at Elsewedy International School for Applied Technology and Software in New October City in the Giza Governorate.
“Last year, I led a capstone (final year) project with my team focused on environmental sustainability, developing a website to promote recycling and foster a healthier community,” said the 17-year-old, who specializes in software development.
“The school provides full scholarships, covering the costs of laptops, uniforms, and books, he added.
“All of this comes at a very high quality.”
Teaching ‘critical topics’
Trump, who is running against Vice President Kamala Harris, has put Biden’s climate and energy agenda in the crosshairs on the campaign trail, meaning that billions in clean energy funding could hinge on who wins the Nov. 5 election.
Biden’s policies include tax breaks and incentives for electric vehicles and stricter environmental regulations for power plants and automobiles. Trump has also threatened to once again pull the United States out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
Mohamed Azzazy, head of surveys at the Natural Resources Department at the University of Sadat City, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that the curricula in the 10 applied technology schools prepare young people for environmental sustainability challenges.
“Students today must engage with critical topics like global warming, renewable energy, carbon footprints, and biodiversity to ensure a sustainable future,” Azzazy said.
“These subjects are often missing from conventional Egyptian education, particularly in practical application, but the schools are bridging that gap,” he said, adding that the schools offered hands-on activities like clean-up operations and recycling workshops.
Egypt wants to accelerate the provision of renewable energy that could ease electricity shortages and supply green power to Europe, but faces challenges in funding updates to its grid and unlocking investments for new wind and solar plants.
Between 2021 and 2022, USAID in Egypt allocated approximately $200 million in grants to various sectors, including agriculture, coastal communities, renewable energy, and education.
According to the USAID website, the schools and other education initiatives account for $70 million of funding from 2021 to 2026, with plans to expand the number of schools to cover 15 governorates, up from the current eight.
USAID did not respond to a request for comment for this article.
Amr Basila, the director of the operation and management unit for the International Applied Technology Schools, said the institutions provided internationally certified credentials, hands-on experience, and access to job markets in competitive fields including artificial intelligence, digital arts, software engineering and logistics.
“Though still emerging in Egypt, these sectors offer significant opportunities for workforce development and economic growth,” he said.
Some Egyptian observers fear that if Trump wins again, funding for such projects could be cut.
Mohamed Rabie El-Dehy, deputy head of the independent Dialogue Center for Political and Media Studies in Cairo, noted that in 2017, then-president Trump said he intended to reduce US aid to the Middle East, particularly for climate change and renewable energy programs, by around 30 percent.
“Environmental schools of this kind were not established until the Biden administration. Under Trump, no environmental schools were built; the focus was limited to teacher training programs in other schools,” El-Dehy said.
“Similarly, should Trump return to office, we are unlikely to see an expansion in the number of international applied technology schools,” El-Dehy said.
This article is published in collaboration with Egab.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2577501/middle-east
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Obasanjo Advocates For Indigenous Cultural Values To Strengthen Nigeria’s Democracy
31 October 2024
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has emphasized the importance of integrating local cultural values into Nigeria’s democratic framework, stating that such an approach could enhance the effectiveness of governance in the country.
Speaking on Wednesday during a valedictory event in Abeokuta for the outgoing Vice-Chancellor of Chrisland University, Prof. Chinedum Babalola, Obasanjo argued that adopting local cultural principles would help overcome the limitations of Western liberal democracy.
Obasanjo highlighted the communal values traditionally upheld in African societies, which emphasize collective decision-making and mutual support.
The former president voiced his skepticism about the suitability of Western democracy for Nigeria, pointing out that the system has struggled to meet the country’s unique socio-political needs.
He said, “I have always been talking about Western liberal democracy; it is not working for us; it is not even working for those who gave it to us. The British were complaining. We must rethink democracy.
“We must bring our own culture into democracy. African culture does not talk about opposition; it talks about communalism; you come together, reason together, iron it out, and then you work together.”
Obasanjo stated that there should be consequences for doing wrong, adding that there were Nigerians all over the world holding key positions.
He added, “Nobody will do it for us; we have to do it for ourselves, and we can do it. I believe there are people everywhere; you just need to look for them.
“Look at today; the two major development banks in Africa are headed by Nigerians; the number two woman in the United Nations is a Nigerian—Amina Muhammed; so we have people.
“They are Nigerian from different parts of Nigeria; we have people. These are people who can contribute to the changes the nation requires.”
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/10/31/obasanjo-advocates-for-indigenous-cultural-values-to-strengthen-nigerias-democracy/
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Economic Policies: We Stand By Our Advice To Tinubu – IMF Maintains Stand Despite Backlash From Nigerians
31 October 2024
By Justina Otio
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reiterated its support for the removal of petrol subsidy and the floating of the exchange rate by the President Bola Tinubu-led government.
Naija News reports that the Bretton Woods institutions have come under heavy backlash by Nigerians for advising President Bola Tinubu on the present economic policies, especially the removal of subsidy from PMS as well as the floating of the naira which have plunged the country into inflationary pressures.
The IMF’s African Region Director, Abebe Selassie at a briefing on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings, however, stated that the organisation did not advise the President to remove fuel subsidy, adding that it was Tinubu’s decision.
However, an IMF spokesperson who spoke to Premium Times, in response to its enquiry on Wednesday, said the institute stands by its advice to the Tinubu-led government.
“We stand by our advice, though it’s important to underscore that individual pieces of that advice cannot be viewed in isolation.
“Our advice is a comprehensive policy package where all elements are linked to each other. That package seeks to ensure macroeconomic stability and raise living standards in a sustainable fashion.
“Importantly, our advice on petrol subsidies and the exchange rate, is set in a larger, comprehensive policy mix that also includes scaling up social transfers to provide relief to Nigerians who are already suffering from a cost-of-living crisis or who are impacted by policy reforms,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Also, the spokesperson referenced the IMF’s 2024 report on Nigeria, published in May, in which the global institution’s executive directors “welcomed the bold reforms implemented by the new administration and commended the authorities’ focus on revenue mobilization, governance, social safety nets, and upgrading policy frameworks in the face of Nigeria’s significant economic and social challenges.”
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/10/31/economic-policies-we-stand-by-our-advice-to-tinubu-imf-maintains-stand-despite-backlash-from-nigerians/
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Residents in Botswana head to the polls, as Mokgweetsi Masisi seeks second term
30 October 2024
Polling stations have opened for Botswana's national election, which will determine whether the ruling Botswana Democratic Party will increase its 58 years in power.
63-year-old President Mokgweetsi Masisi is aiming for a second and final term.
His main opponent is Duma Boko of the Umbrella for Democratic Change party.
Dumelang Saleshando of the Botswana Congress Party and Mephato Reatile from the Botswana Patriotic Front are also putting themselves forward for the presidency.
Although it’s often described as one of the most stable democracies in Africa, the country is grappling with economic challenges, prompting the BDP to admit that policy should be changed.
The country's economic issues are mainly due to a fall in demand for diamonds, which Botswana’s economy is strongly reliant upon.
Unemployment is another challenge facing the country, currently standing at 27%.
Source:africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.africanews.com/2024/10/30/residents-in-botswana-head-to-the-polls-as-mokgweetsi-masisi-seeks-second-term/
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Southeast Asia
‘True friend is hard to find,’ Najib says as court tells him to enter defence over 1MDB corruption and money laundering charges
31 Oct 2024
By Malay Mail
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak last night lamented the difficulties of finding true friends who would still stand by him in tougher times.
Writing on Facebook, the former prime minister said his day in court yesterday taught him some lessons as several supporters came to back him.
“It’s hard to find a true friend. Those by your side may not necessarily be friends who are there during tough times.
“Many show up only when they want wealth. Some put on a facade,” he wrote.
Najib also thanked those who came to support him in court, saying he could “many supporters and ordinary people who remember his past contributions and miss the previous administration”.
“Now these are the true friends. For at this time, what else is there to give but appreciation and thanks?” he wrote.
Yesterday, the court decided that Najib’s trial for corruption and money laundering involving 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) RM2.27 billion funds will continue, and he was ordered to defend himself.
Trial judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah said the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case for all 25 charges in the 1MDB trial against Najib.
This means the former finance minister has to continue to face all the 25 charges.
This 1MDB trial will continue on December 2, with Najib as the first defence witness.
The outcome of this 1MDB trial does not affect Najib’s jail term and fine in his SRC International conviction. He is still a prisoner serving his jail term in the SRC case, which the Pardons Board recently reduced from 12 years to six years.
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/10/31/true-friend-is-hard-to-find-najib-says-as-court-tells-him-to-enter-defence-over-1mdb-corruption-and-money-laundering-charges/155382
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No Malaysians affected by severe floods in Valencia, Spain
BERNAMA
31-10- 2024
PUTRAJAYA: No Malaysians were affected by the severe floods caused by a rainstorm in Spain’s Valencian region since Oct 29, says the Foreign Ministry.
In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said the Malaysian Embassy in Madrid is closely monitoring the situation and urges Malaysians in Spain to stay vigilant and adhere to guidance from local authorities.
“Malaysia wishes to extend its deepest sympathies and condolences to the Government and people of Spain, especially to the victims and families affected by this natural disaster.
“We hope for the swift recovery of those injured and the smooth restoration of properties and infrastructure,” said the statement.
Those who have not registered or updated their details are encouraged to do so via https://ekonsular.kln.gov.my/.
Malaysians requiring assistance can contact the Embassy at Ave. de los Madroños 63B, 28043 Madrid, by phone at +34659894943 (24-hour line), or via email at mwmadrid@kln.gov.my.
Spain is enduring its worst flooding disaster in decades, with at least 95 people dead and dozens more missing, after huge rains swept the eastern province of Valencia and beyond, according to international media reports.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has declared three days of national mourning as the extreme conditions continue, restricting some rescue efforts.
Source:thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/no-malaysians-affected-by-severe-floods-in-valencia-spain-EC13225313
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Fire destroys warehouse in Sungai Buloh
BERNAMA
31-10- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: A warehouse storing tyres, batteries, and buggies in Taman Perindustrian KIP, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, was destroyed in an early morning fire, today.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) assistant director (Operations) Ahmad Mukhlis Mokhtar said that there were no casualties.
“Firefighters received an emergency call at 12.54 am, and the blaze was successfully brought under control by 2.07 am. The fire destroyed approximately 85 per cent of the warehouse,” he said in a statement, today.
Ahmad Mukhlis added that the firefighting operation involved teams from eight fire and rescue stations, supported by 13 nearby volunteer firefighters, the police, and the Civil Defence Force (APM).
The cause of the fire, and the estimated total losses, are still under investigation.
Meanwhile, Shah Alam Zone chief Senior Fire Supt 1 Ahmad Zaidi Safuan said that piles of flammable materials, such as tyres and various types of batteries, made it challenging for firefighters to fully extinguish the fire.
He noted that the team encountered additional difficulties entering the warehouse due to debris from the damaged structure blocking their path.
As a result, they employed an aerial ladder platform to fight the fire from above.
“The fire department has also requested that a company representative provide an excavator to clear the debris, enabling firefighters to fully extinguish the fire,” he said when met at the scene today.
According to Ahmad Zaidi, the warehouse, which stored tyres, batteries, and buggies, was completely destroyed, with only the front portion of the three-story office building spared.
“When firefighters arrived at 1.13 am, the fire had already reached a height of over three floors. However, it was brought under control by 2.07 am,” he added.
Source:thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/fire-destroys-warehouse-in-sungai-buloh-DC13224531
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Appointment as IACA President proof of govt’s commitment to fighting corruption - Azalina
BERNAMA
30-10- 2024
PUTRAJAYA: The appointment as the president of the Assembly of Parties (AoP) of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) is a great honour for Malaysia and demonstrates the commitment of the MADANI government in the fight against corruption at the global level, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
Azalina was appointed president of the 13th session of AoP IACA during today’s AoP assembly at the Vienna International Centre.
She said that the appointment marks the international community’s recognition and trust in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s strong commitment and firm stance on corruption, which is a globally known fact.
“This appointment not only provides Malaysia the opportunity to show the country’s commitment and leadership in the fight against corruption internationally, but also serves as a mandate to bring about more meaningful change in the global effort to combat corruption,“ she said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department (BHEUU, JPM), in the same statement, said this historic appointment marks the first time Malaysia is entrusted with the highest position in the AoP IACA, a key platform for global capacity building in anti-corruption efforts.
Azalina will lead the AoP Bureau and the IACA, consisting of 77 countries and four international organisations, in shaping policies and strategies for IACA to strengthen the academy’s role in professional anti-corruption education and training.
Since the commencement of AoP IACA’s first session in 2012, Malaysia has only been elected vice president in four sessions, specifically in 2014, 2015, 2019, and 2023.
According to the statement, IACA’s recognition of Malaysia complements the country’s various anti-corruption initiatives, including the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2024-2028, which aims to combat corruption and promote integrity, transparency, and accountability across various sectors.
“This also includes several initiatives actively carried out by BHEUU, JPM, comprising legal reforms to improve governance by drafting the Freedom of Information Bill, amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act, and updates to the Trustees Act.
“Malaysia is confident that the trust of an international body like IACA will drive the country towards becoming a corruption-free nation, ensuring the goal to rank among the top 25 countries in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index within the next 10 years becomes a reality,“ read the statement.
The statement also noted that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner, Tan Sri Azam Baki, has been reappointed as an IACA Board of Governors (BoG) member for the 2024-2027 session.
It said Azam’s role in the BoG will give Malaysia an advantage in setting the direction of IACA and ensuring a more effective anti-corruption agenda.
Indirectly, this appointment also helps strengthen the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Academy as a reputable anti-corruption training centre in the Asia-Pacific region,“ it added.
Since its establishment in 2011 in Austria, IACA has served as an international centre of excellence and research for combating corruption and a key training hub for professionals, mainly within anti-corruption agencies.
Source:thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/appointment-as-iaca-president-proof-of-govt-s-commitment-to-fighting-corruption-azalina-MB13219588
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S’wak to collaborate with federal in CCUS cross border transportation - Abang Johari
BERNAMA
31-10- 2024
KUCHING: Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state will collaborate with the federal government on cross-border transportation of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) while maintaining its own approach to managing CCUS within its jurisdiction.
He said this arrangement was made during today’s meeting with Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli, during which it was affirmed that Petros, the state-owned oil and gas company, would manage the storage of carbon offshore Sarawak as the resource manager.
Speaking at Petros’ 7th Anniversary dinner tonight, he said that he wanted the CCUS Bill to recognise Sarawak’s position, similar to Scotland’s which is a part and parcel of the United Kingdom’s carbon storage.
“We also raised precedent between the United Kingdom and their counterpart whereby the storage of carbon is within the ambit of the North Sea area which is the jurisdiction under Scotland, where Scotland is part and parcel of the whole arrangement in storing carbon between the United Kingdom and its counterpart,“ he said adding that Sarawak is the host and will call the final shot.
After meeting with Abang Johari earlier today, Rafizi told reporters that the discussions focused on ways to harmonise state and federal laws before the federal bill is tabled at the end of this year.
“The aim is to ensure that both Sarawak and Malaysia (federal government) can implement CCUS as quickly as possible according to the established plan, and that the process continues smoothly,“ he said, adding that if Malaysia can successfully implement carbon trading within the next five years, it will position Malaysia at the forefront and establish Sarawak as a key regional player.
Source:thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/s-wak-to-collaborate-with-federal-in-ccus-cross-border-transportation-abang-johari-DC13224447
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Johor’s strategic edge: RM830m in potential investments as S. Korean firms show confidence in long-term growth, says MB
31 Oct 2024
JOHOR BARU, Oct 31 — The Johor government has held meetings with several renowned South Korean companies, which can potentially bring strategic investments valued at US$190 million (RM830 million) into the state.
Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who is on a four-day working visit to Seoul starting October 28, said the state government delegation led by him has had the opportunity to meet companies such as Hanwha Solutions Corporation, a Fortune Global 500 multinational known for innovations in clean energy and chemicals.
The delegation also met with global food company SPC Group, which has famous franchise brands such as Paris Baguette, as well as CJ CheilJedang Group, producer of halal Korean food in Malaysia, he said in a Facebook post yesterday.
Onn Hafiz said these potential investments would create high-income jobs as well as economic spillover and development that would enhance the prosperity of the people in Johor.
“I believe all these companies have confidence in Johor’s potential as a strategic investment destination. Johor offers not only huge business opportunities but also a conducive ecosystem for long-term growth given its (strategic) position and continued support,” he said.
In a separate post, he said the delegation also participated in a seminar to discuss potential investment opportunities in Johor, especially in view of the development of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
The seminar titled “Unlocking regional growth: Business opportunities in JS-SEZ” saw the participation of 83 renowned Korean companies from various industries, thus becoming a strong platform to promote Johor as a top choice for investors who seek a strategic and sustainable destination.
“At this seminar, I shared various strategic initiatives that the state government is or will be implementing with the cooperation of the federal government in relation to the JS-SEZ development in order to attract high-quality investments.
“Various preparations are being carefully made that reflect Johor’s seriousness in ensuring the success of this important agenda, such as the setting up of the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor (IMFC-J) as a ‘one-facilitation centre’ and the development of the Johor Talent Development Council (JTDC),” he added.
Onn Hafiz also expressed confidence that Johor is the right springboard for investors to expand their business in the Asean region due to its strategic position as well as the attractive incentives offered by JS-SEZ, in addition to providing broad growth opportunities and direct access to the global market, which make it an ideal choice for long-term investments. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/10/31/johors-strategic-edge-rm830m-in-potential-investments-as-s-korean-firms-show-confidence-in-long-term-growth-says-mb/155381
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Perlis govt files review to reinstate Muslim status of Loh's kids
Oct 30, 2024
(Editor’s note: An earlier version of this report wrongly named Maips as a party to the review application. The error is regretted.)
The Perlis state government is seeking an apex court review to reinstate the Muslim status of Loh Siew Hong's three unilaterally converted children.
It filed the review application at the Federal Court yesterday.
Loh’s counsel Shamsher Singh Thind confirmed...
Source:malaysiakini.com
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https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/724453
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South Asia
No one, including Mujahidin allowed to carry weapons without documents, ministry
October 31, 2024
KABUL: The Ministry of Interior Affairs of the Islamic Emirate said in a statement on Wednesday that no one, including the Mujahidin of the Islamic Emir ate, is allowed to carry weapons without license in the country. “Based on the decree No 519 of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate, no one, including Mujahidin, has the right to carry weapons without permission,” said the statement, adding permits for carrying weapons are only distributed through the General Di rectorate of (DIAG) under the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation of the Ministry of Interior across the country, and any other permits, letters, inquiries, or documents issued are considered invalid. According to the statement based on decree no 1259 issued by the Supreme Leader, a procedure for the licensing of vehicles with tinted windows and curtains has also been approved. The officials of the Islamic Emirate and citizens who are seeking to use vehicles with tinted windows and curtains can obtain the necessary permits from the General Directorate of DIAG, said the statement. Previously, the personnel of the Ministry of Interior have taken measures to restrict the use of vehicles with tinted windows and those lacking license plates throughout the country. The Kabul Times\
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://thekabultimes.com/no-one-including-mujahidin-allowed-to-carry-weapons-without-documents-ministry/
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High-Level Islamic Emirate Delegation Probes Casualties Near Iran-Pakistan Border
2024-10-31
KABUL(BNA) The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has shared initial findings regarding the reported casualties of Afghan civilians along the Iran-Pakistan border.
Mullah Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokeman for the Islamic Emirate, announced that a high-level delegation led by Deputy Minister of Interior Security, Mullah Mohammad Ibrahim Sadr, including officials from the Ministries of National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Borders and Tribal Affairs, as well as the Intelligence Directorate has been deployed to investigate the incident.
Based on preliminary evidence, Spokesman Fitrat stated that explosions and gunfire impacted several Afghan nationals in the Kalkan Valley within Iranian territory. The delegation has thus far recovered the remains of two deceased individuals and repatriated 34 eyewitnesses, some of whom sustained injuries in the incident.
Additional Afghan nationals affected by the incident are still in Iran and Pakistan, with the delegation actively working to locate and facilitate their return.
Spokesman Fitrat emphasized that the investigation is ongoing, and the delegation continues its work to gather comprehensive evidence. A detailed report with final findings will be released upon the conclusion of the investigation.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/high-level-islamic-emirate-delegation-probes-casualties-near-iran-pakistan-border/
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Mazar-e-Sharif Municipality Reports 218 Million Afs in Revenue, Highlights Progress on 43 Projects
2024-10-30
KABUL(BNA): The Mazar-e-Sharif Municipality provided a public report on its achievements, revenue, and ongoing projects for the second quarter of 1403.
Mayor Mawlawi Mohammad Kazim Tariq announced that the municipality has collected 218 million Afghanis in revenue over the last three months. Among the 43 active projects, several foundational initiatives are progressing at a rapid pace.
In his address, Mayor Mawlawi Tariq urged residents and institutions to support the municipality by paying dues, settling outstanding debts, and contributing sanitation fees, as this would enable the municipality to undertake more development projects in Mazar-e-Sharif.
During the gathering, Director of Sectoral Affairs for the Municipality, Ustad Mohammad Javid Mayar, provided comprehensive information on the municipality’s efforts in green spaces and project developments. He highlighted the commitment of municipal staff to provide continuous service and called on citizens to work alongside the municipality to maintain cleanliness and contribute to the city’s progress.
Notably, all of Mazar-e-Sharif’s second-quarter projects have been entirely funded by the municipality’s internal budget, marking continued efforts toward the city’s advancement.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/mazar-e-sharif-municipality-reports-218-million-afs-in-revenue-highlights-progress-on-43-projects/
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Acting Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs Advocates for Formalization of Mosques
2024-10-30
KABUL(BNA): In a recent meeting with scholars from various provinces, Sheikh Noor Mohammad Saqib, the Acting Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs, underscored the critical need to formalize mosques and unofficial places of worship.
The meeting brought together esteemed representatives from both Shia and Sunni communities, including professors from the Jihad School in Kapisa and notable scholars from the Provincial Council and Bamyan province.
During the discussions, Dr. Saqib highlighted the vital role that scholars play as symbols of knowledge and reform within society. He emphasized their importance in promoting unity and cohesion among community members. “Scholars guide and educate people based on religious principles, fostering a deeper understanding of faith,” he stated.
The Acting Minister also revealed that the Ministry is actively engaged in repairing and constructing mosques, husainiyas, and khanqahs. He reiterated the commitment to formalizing places of worship that remain unofficial, stressing the need for designated positions for speakers, imams, muezzins, and caretakers. This initiative aims to bolster religious and moral values across the community.
Scholars from Kapisa and Bamyan expressed their appreciation for the Ministry’s initiatives, acknowledging that the construction and repair of mosques, along with the increase in academic positions, are pivotal in enhancing religious services.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/acting-minister-of-hajj-and-religious-affairs-advocates-for-formalization-of-mosques/
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9 citizens of Afghanistan released from Pakistani prisons
By Fidel Rahmati
October 30, 2024
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation of Afghanistan has announced that nine Afghan citizens were released from Pakistani prisons by Interpol police and have returned to Afghanistan.
The ministry issued a statement saying that these individuals entered the country on Tuesday, October 29 through the Torkham border crossing.
The statement cited the reason for their arrest as “lack of legal residency documents.”
According to the ministry, these Afghan migrants were imprisoned for periods ranging from six months to one year.
Previously, the Taliban consulate in Karachi reported the release of 15 Afghan citizens, including children, from the city’s prisons.
According to the ministry’s statistics, more than 900 Afghan citizens are currently detained in various prisons in Sindh province, Pakistan.
The recent surge in arrests and deportations of Afghan migrants from Pakistan due to a lack of legal documentation has heightened concerns about the treatment of Afghan refugees.
Many detained migrants face prolonged detention and uncertain futures amid strained diplomatic relations.
The increasing crackdown on undocumented Afghan refugees reflects the ongoing challenges these individuals face in securing legal residency.
The situation calls for greater international cooperation and humanitarian intervention to safeguard the rights and dignity of displaced Afghan citizens.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/9-citizens-of-afghanistan-released-from-pakistani-prisons/
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5 protesters hurt as police charge baton
Oct 31, 2024
At least five protesters were injured when police charged batons to disperse job seekers yesterday, who attempted to enter the secretariat area in the capital, demanding that the minimum age for entry into government jobs be raised to 35 years.
Initially, police used water cannons before resorting to baton charges when around 200 job seekers attempted to access the Secretariat area.
Earlier, around noon, the job seekers gathered at the Shahbagh intersection before marching towards Shikkha Bhaban to press for their demand.
Mentionable, the interim government has already raised the age limit to 32 years.
Yesterday, during a rally held at Shahbagh Public Library, protesters criticised the interim government, alleging that decisions are being made with undue priority given to two figures -- Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, and Sarjis Alam, general secretary of the July Martyr Memorial Foundation.
"Is Sarjis and Hasnat all-in-all in this country?" questioned Ahmed Tanjid, an organiser of the protest. "It seems whatever they desire, the interim government implements. If that's true, there's no need to follow the constitution," he said.
Saifur Rahman, a former Dhaka University student, said, "A committee was formed to find whether our demands have logical ground. The committee recommended increasing the age limit to 35 years."
"The civil society and almost all political parties have a positive stance to our logical demand. However, the interim government decided to listen to Hasnat and Sarjis and increase the limit by two years only. We urge the government to take action to increase the age limit to 35," he added.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/5-protesters-hurt-police-charge-baton-3740816
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Kabul’s groundwater might run out due to urbanization and climate change
October 31, 2024
World Cities Day is commemorated on 31 October to help contribute to sustainable urban development worldwide and to promote both urbanization and cooperation between countries. At present, according to UN data, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban environments, a figure that is expected to grow to 70% by 2050. The growth in these geographic areas is due to the fact that 85% of the world’s youth population lives in developing countries. This year’s World Cities Day 2024 will be held under the theme ‘Youth leading local and climate action for cities’ and will focus on how to capture ambitious youth ideas and goals and turn them into achievements. World Cities Day brings Urban October to an end on 31 October each year and was first celebrated in 2014. The day dedicated to cities, which is commemorated just one week after the UN’s own day on 24 October, stresses that urbanization enables new forms of social inclusion such as access to services and new opportunities, as well as the commitment and mobilization reflected in diversity. As the climate crisis tightens its grip, water scarcity is an increasingly troubling issue in big cities, Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. This water crisis is making the situation for the city’s population much harder. With the climate crisis, the water shortage crisis has changed to an increasingly troubling issue in the city, which should be timely addressed. Concerns over the water crisis in Afghanistan’s big cities, particularly Kabul, rise time by time. International and national organizations have repeatedly raised their concerns over the water crisis in the country. This time on the occasion of World Cities Day, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concerns about the water shortage crisis in Kabul city. The organization has warned that Kabul’s groundwater could be depleted if no action is taken. In a message on ‘X’, UNICEF has raised the issue of the water crisis, stating that Kabul’s groundwater might run out by 2030 due to rapid urbanization and climate change. UNICEF has not proposed a specific solution to prevent this crisis but mentioned that Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Special Representative in Afghanistan, and Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, visited water-scarce areas in Kabul. The purpose of these UN officials’ visits to the water-crisis-affected regions was reported to be finding an effective solution to the ongoing crisis. “Water is life. Due to rapid urbanization and climate change, there could be no groundwater in Kabul by 2030, if we do not act now. We can stop this,” UNICEF said. The organization emphasized that if “we take action,” this crisis can be prevented. Previously, the European Union’s delegation to Afghanistan had published a statement expressing concern about the spread of the water shortage crisis in Afghanistan and said that drought, water pollution and excessive use of water have threatened Afghanistan’s water resources. The worsening water crisis in Kabul is further intensified by climate change, leading to prolonged droughts and shrinking water sources. Rapid urbanization without sustainable planning has also strained the city’s limited water resources. With the Islamic Emirate (IEA) takeover, efforts have been made to manage the country’s groundwater. The country’s Ministry of Water and Energy says efforts to manage groundwater in the country continue. The ministry also says that they are working to create dams in hundreds of places to manage the drought in many provinces, including Kabul, the capital. Some programs have been already launched by the ministry to manage the water crisis as some dams have been created to store water.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://thekabultimes.com/kabuls-groundwater-might-run-out-due-to-urbanization-and-climate-change/
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Iranian companies seeking investment in Afghanistan’s lead, zinc mining
October 31, 2024
KABUL: A number of Iranian investors, in a meeting with Mawlavi Hedayatullah Badri, the acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, said that they are ready to invest in lead and zinc mines in Afghanistan, according to a statement from the ministry Wednesday. Expressing appreciation for the provision of a suitable investment environment by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Iranian investors said that will also establish a standard factory for processing lead and zinc inside the country, according to the statement. Meanwhile, Mawlavi Badri praised their interest and assured them that they would be provided with any kind of cooperation and facility in this regard. The Kabul Times
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://thekabultimes.com/iranian-companies-seeking-investment-in-afghanistans-lead-zinc-mining/
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Ministry of Economy highlights operational costs in foreign organizations in Afghanistan
By Khaama Press
October 31, 2024
The Acting Minister of Economy, in a recent consultative meeting with heads and officials from United Nations offices, highlighted that high salaries and diverse administrative costs in foreign organizations reduce the economic efficiency and impact of their projects.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Economy, the Acting Minister called for transparency in the implementation of UN-led development and humanitarian projects, emphasizing the need for balanced and effective project execution across the country.
Mr. Din Mohammad added that projects funded by foreign organizations should be shared with relevant sectoral departments before they are formally financed to ensure alignment and coordination.
He also stressed that these organizations are required to submit timely and regular reports on their activities. The ministry requested that all non-Emirati organizations and NGOs share their reports with the Ministry of Economy without delay.
Additionally, a statement by the ministry stated that the country’s development and economic priorities had been discussed with UN agencies in previous meetings, and he expressed the expectation that these priorities would be considered in the upcoming year (2025).
The ministry also addressed the facilitation provided for the effective operation of non-Emirati organizations, such as the issuance of activity permits, school operations, visas and work permits for foreign nationals, opening of bank accounts, office establishment support, and other essential services.
He emphasized that the Ministry is prepared, with all its capabilities, to ensure an optimal environment for the effective implementation of humanitarian and developmental projects by UN offices.
The Acting Minister reiterated the call for transparent project execution with a balanced approach to development throughout the country, highlighting the importance of streamlined processes and coordination in achieving meaningful results.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/ministry-of-economy-highlights-operational-costs-in-foreign-organizations-in-afghanistan/
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IEA delegation arrives in China to attend conference on mining
October 31, 2024
KABUL: A delegation of the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan left for China at the official invitation of that country to attend the conference on enhancing mining collaboration, the ministry said in a statement the other day. According to the statement, the conference will involve the participation of leaders from regulatory bodies, mining investment and trade entities from Hunan, geological exploration experts, Chinese mining laboratories, and mining financial institutions. Both parties will discuss resource policies and technical interests of mutual concern between the two nations. It is to be noted that a delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Mawlavi Sadr Azam Osmani left for China on Tuesday to participate in a global summit focused on agricultural development and poverty alleviation. The Kabul Times
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://thekabultimes.com/iea-delegation-arrives-in-china-to-attend-conference-on-mining/
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Herat Police Crack Down on Kidnappers, Rescuing Abducted Boy
2024-10-31
HERAT(BNA): The Ministry of Interior has reported the successful rescue of a boy named Abdullah, who had been kidnapped by human traffickers more than a year ago.
In a press briefing, ministry spokeman Mufti Abdul Matin Qani stated that personnel from the Herat provincial police carried out a series of investigative operations that led to the boy’s recovery. Abdullah had been abducted from the 10th district of Kandahar City and was reunited with his family by the Herat Police Command’s security forces.
Further investigations revealed that the child was initially taken from Herat and subsequently transported to Pakistan, where he was located and rescued by the security forces. Qani confirmed that the individuals responsible for the abduction have been arrested while attempting to transfer the boy back to Herat.
The father of the nine-year-old victim recounted that his son was kidnapped during the early days of last year’s earthquake while he was at work. He expressed profound gratitude to the police for the safe return of his child and urged the public to collaborate with security forces to prevent such incidents.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/herat-police-crack-down-on-kidnappers-rescuing-abducted-boy/
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NEPA Inks MoU with Raha Organization to Advance Climate Advocacy and Research
2024-10-30
KABUL(BNA): The National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) and the Raha organization for Environmental Empowerment and Humanitarian Assistance have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at advancing sustainable development initiatives in Afghanistan.
According to NEPA’s press office, the agreement was signed by Dr. Zain-ul-Abideen Abid, Deputy for Technical and Policy at NEPA, and Mohammad Yousuf Hamidian, Director of the Raha organization. The partnership, valued at $114,400 USD, focuses on supporting advocacy, research, and capacity-building activities aligned with Afghanistan’s national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Under the agreement, Raha Institute will assist in environmental advocacy, public awareness, capacity-building, and research related to the SDGs. This includes evaluating climate policies, developing five climate reports, organizing five advocacy programs, and mobilizing and training 30 young people to address climate change and environmental degradation.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/nepa-inks-mou-with-raha-organization-to-advance-climate-advocacy-and-research-2/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/crackers-hindu-muslim-arvind-kejriwal-ban/d/133594