Dubai Ends 30 Percent Tax On Alcohol Sales, Fee For Liquor Licenses In The Sheikhdom Boost Tourism To The Emirate
New Age Islam News Bureau
02 January 2023
Representative Image.
Credit: iStock Photo
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• Islamic Authorities In Melaka,
Malaysia, Warn Against Tourists Wearing Bikinis On Island
• NYPD Stabbing Suspect With Alleged Extremist Ties
Wrote Manifesto Asking Family To Repent To Allah: Report
• Dozens Of British Muslims Named In King Charles’
First New Year Honours List
• New Israel Government Says Will Develop Tourism In
Occupied West Bank
Arab World
• ‘Diriyah Nights’ Music Festival Kicks Off In Riyadh
• ISIS Says It Carried Deadly Attack In Egypt Suez
Canal City Of Ismailia
• Lebanese naval forces rescue about 200 migrants
after boat sinks
• Grand Mosque welcomes young visitors for educational
tours
• Kuwait authorities intercept $14.5 million worth of
illegal drugs
--------
Southeast Asia
• Do More To Pressure Afghan Govt To Uphold The Basic
Rights Of Its Women And Girls, Suhakam Tells Putrajaya
• Forget politicians, let academics helm education
ministries, says Maszlee
• Federal Territories Islamic council allocates RM6m
to assist flood victims
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North America
• US to keep close ties with India, Pakistan
• Turkish foreign minister meets counterparts from
Gabon, Brazil, Guatemala
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Europe
• France’s Moderate Imam Sees Israel as a Dream,
Europe as in Peril
• Croatian writer’s novel “On the Roads of Persia”
launched at Sisak Islamic centre
• New Danish coalition eyes border relaxation with
changes in asylum rules
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Mideast
• Netanyahu says Israel not bound by ‘despicable’ UN
vote
• Iran's Air Defence Systems Tested Successfully in Military
Exercises
• Israel’s military kills two Palestinians, including
teen, in West Bank
• Iran police detain top-tier football players in raid
at party
• Yemeni leader vows to defeat Houthis and repair
broken country
• Islamic Jihad: Palestinians not afraid of new
Israeli cabinet
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South Asia
• 10 Killed, 8 Hurt In An Explosion That Rocked The
Kabul Military Airport Blast
• UN Representative Meets Dy. PM Over Women’s Rights
In Afghanistan
• China Interested to Invest in Afghanistan’s Energy
Sector
• Taliban seeks economic self-sufficiency and foreign
investment for Afghanistan -minister
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India
• Afraid Of Losing Muslim Votes, CPM Adopts
Faith-Friendly Image In Kerala
• Muslim Man Donates Blood To Save Life Of Ailing
Hindu Baby In In Madhya Pradesh 1st January 2023
• Mathura dispute: Mosque panel likely to file plea
against survey order today
• Cops Working With Muslims To Rationalise Madrasa
Education: Himanta Sarma
• J&K: Child dead as blasts hit Rajouri village,
day after terrorist attack
• India asks Pakistan to release Indian prisoners in
its custody
• India, Pakistan exchange list of nuclear
installations
• NIA chargesheets 11 PFI activists over Nizamabad
'terror' camps
• Religious radicalism suicidal path for Christians,
Muslims: VHP
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Pakistan
• Aaghaz-e-Dosti Delegation At Kartarpur Pray For
Spiritual Connect And Peace In New Year
• Unexplained Incarcerations Complicate Matters For
Afghan Refugees In Pakistan: Report
• Politicians felicitate nation, pledge Pakistan’s
prosperity in 2023
• Pakistan: 22 injured in celebratory gunfire on new
year's eve
• Former army chief’s ‘set-up’ still active, alleges
Imran
• PML-N rushes to bridge growing MQM-PPP fissures
• JUI convenes APC on law, order situation in KP today
• Terror Attack Kills a Police Constable in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa
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Africa
• Mass Grave With 18 Bodies Found In Ex-Daesh
Stronghold In Libya
• Bodies of 13 Moroccans recovered after boat sinks
while attempting to reach Spain
• 10 people killed in Uganda stampede during New Year
celebrations
• Sudan faces ‘complex political process’: UN mission
• Several killed, injured in anti-government protests
in Somaliland
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/dubai-alcohol-tax-sheikhdom-liquor/d/128779
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Dubai Ends 30 Percent Tax On Alcohol Sales, Fee For
Liquor Licenses In The Sheikhdom Boost Tourism To The Emirate
Representative Image.
Credit: iStock Photo
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01 January ,2023
Dubai ended its 30 percent tax on alcohol sales in the
sheikhdom Sunday and made its required liquor licenses free to obtain, ending a
long-standing source of revenue for its ruling family to apparently further
boost tourism to the emirate.
The sudden New Year’s Day announcement, made by
Dubai’s two state-linked alcohol retailers, came apparently from a government
decree from its ruling Al Maktoum family.
However, government officials did not immediately
acknowledge the decision and did not respond to questions from The Associated
Press.
But it follows years of loosening regulations over
liquor in the sheikhdom, which now sells alcohol during daylight hours in
Ramadan and began providing home delivery during the lockdowns at the start of
the coronavirus pandemic. .
Alcohol sales have long served as a major barometer of
the economy of Dubai, a top travel destination in the UAE, home to the
long-haul carrier Emirates.
During the recent World Cup in nearby Qatar, Dubai’s
many bars drew commuting soccer fans.
However, a pint of beer easily can cost over $10 at a
bar, with other drinks running even higher. It wasn’t immediately clear if this
would cause a price drop at alcohol-serving establishments or if it only would
affect those buying it from retailers.
Alcohol distributor Maritime and Mercantile
International, which is part of the wider Emirates Group, made the announcement
in a statement.
“Since we began our operations in Dubai over 100 years
ago, the emirate’s approach has remained dynamic, sensitive and inclusive for
all,” said Tyrone Reid of MMI. “These recently updated regulations are
instrumental to continue ensuring the safe and responsible purchase and
consumption of alcoholic beverages in Dubai and the UAE.”
MMI did not respond to a question over whether the
decision was permanent. However, an ad put up by MMI urged customers to buy
from its stores, saying “you no longer need to drive out to the other
emirates.”
Dubai residents long have driven into Umm al-Quwain
and other emirates for bulk, tax-free alcohol purchases.
African & Eastern, the second alcohol retailer
believed to be at least partially held by the state or affiliated firms, also
announced the end of the municipality tax and license fees.
Under Dubai law, non-Muslims must be 21 or older to
consume alcohol. Drinkers are supposed to carry plastic cards issued by the
Dubai police that permit them to purchase, transport and consume beer, wine,
and liquor. Otherwise, they can face fines and arrest — even though the
sheikhdom’s vast network of bars, nightclubs and lounges almost never ask to
see the permit.
Still, relatively liberal Dubai is an outlier among
others in the region. Sharjah, an emirate that borders Dubai to the north,
outlaws alcohol, as do the nearby nations of Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Abu Dhabi, the capital of the oil-rich UAE, ended its
alcohol license system in September 2020.
The announcement Sunday also came as the UAE prepares
to introduce a 9 percent corporate tax in June atop of other fees and charges
it levies while avoiding personal income taxes.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Islamic Authorities In Melaka,
Malaysia, Warn Against Tourists Wearing Bikinis On Island
MCA
warned Terengganu’s Islamic enforcers against taking advantage of bikini-clad
tourists on the pretext of monitoring them Photo Credit: JosuOzkaritz/Getty
Images
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January 1, 2023
PETALING JAYA: The Islamic authorities in Melaka are
upset that tourists in bikinis have sullied the image of Pulau Besar and wants
action to be taken against those who were in their opinion dressed indecently.
This followed a three-minute video of beachgoers in
bikinis at a beach on the island making its rounds on social media since Dec
25.
Melaka Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAIM)
chief Che Sukri Che Mat said it now plans to put up signboards reminding
tourists to dress modestly and not partake in activities that are considered
sensitive to Muslims.
“Wearing such attire (such as bikinis) is only
suitable for the bedroom, not to be shown off to the community in Pulau Besar.
They shouldn’t take this lightly,” he was quoted by Harian Metro as saying.
“This is the first and last (warning). Don’t repeat
this; we will not compromise,” he said.
Sukri said a meeting will be held with the police,
local government and state development authorities over the matter.
He said they would discuss possible action to be taken
against tourists who sullied the sanctity of Pulau Besar, whose history dates
back to the Islamic civilisation.
Besides beach resorts and minor outlying islands,
Pulau Besar is well known for its ancient graves, tombs and mausoleums of
notable Islamic preachers.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
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original story:
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NYPD Stabbing Suspect With Alleged Extremist Ties
Wrote Manifesto Asking Family To Repent To Allah: Report
The weapon an unnamed
attacker allegedly used to stab two NYC police officers. (NYPD Crime stoppers)
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January 1, 2023
The suspect arrested in the New Year’s Eve stabbing of
two New York City police officers is believed to have penned a manifesto in
which he urged his family to "repent to Allah and accept Islam,"
according to a Sunday report.
The report from The New York Post comes after
investigators were looking into whether the attacker – 19-year-old Trevor
Bickford of Maine – harbored radical Islamic views due to his recent online
activity.
The suspect arrested in the New Year’s Eve stabbing of
two New York City police officers is believed to have penned a manifesto in
which he urged his family to "repent to Allah and accept Islam,"
according to a Sunday report.
The report from The New York Post comes after
investigators were looking into whether the attacker – 19-year-old Trevor
Bickford of Maine – harbored radical Islamic views due to his recent online
activity.
Bickford reportedly tells his brother Travis: "Of
anyone I’ve known who I have felt is closest to faith – it’s you."
"Of anyone I’ve ever wanted to accept Islam with
me – it’s you. Please repent to Allah and accept Islam. I fear for you,"
Bickford allegedly wrote.
Bickford writes to his brother, Devon, who is in the
Marines: "there was a time when we were close, but that time has
passed."
"You have joined the ranks of my enemy. And for
that I can give you no kind words – return to Allah."
The FBI and officers from the Wells Police Department
were investigating Bickford’s home, according to local media reports.
The FBI told Fox News Digital it is "currently conducting
court authorized activity in connection with an ongoing federal
investigation" without elaborating.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the NYPD and the
Wells Police Department for additional comment.
The Portland Press Herald reports that Bickford
competed in football and wrestling while in high school and was a member of the
2020 Wells High School state championship wrestling team.
His father, Tom, died in 2018, according to an
obituary. He was said to have had a "very active" role in the lives
of his three sons.
Bickford is accused of slashing two officers at a
security checkpoint near Times Square on New Year’s Eve. The motive remains
under investigation.
A high-level police source also tells Fox News Digital
that Bickford was being watched by the FBI's counterterrorism task force in the
weeks leading up to Saturday's attack. The source also said Bickford recently
converted to Islam and a tipster claimed he had expressed interest in going to
Afghanistan.
A rookie officer, on his first night of policing, was
slashed in the head, prompting another nearby officer to shoot Bickford. That
officer was also struck, but he was not seriously injured. The rookie officer,
identified by authorities only as Paul, is expected to recover.
Source: Fox News
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original story:
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Dozens Of British Muslims Named In King Charles’ First
New Year Honours List
Mouhssin Ismail, a former
lawyer who gave up his legal career to champion social mobility through
education, was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. (Supplied)
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Zaynab Khojji
January 01, 2023
LONDON: About 40 British Muslims were named in King
Charles’ first New Year Honors List, the Muslim Council of Britain reported.
The awards system recognizes those who have made an
outstanding achievement in public life or committed themselves to serving and
helping Britain.
The MCB congratulated all 1,107 recipients of the
honors.
“It is great to see such excellent contributions to
our society recognized, a real testament to the vital work faith communities
continue to play in shaping our diverse Britain,” MCB Secretary-General Zara
Mohammed said.
Mouhssin Ismail, a former lawyer who gave up his legal
career to champion social mobility through education, was made an Officer of
the Order of the British Empire.
OBEs are awarded to those who have played a
distinguished role in any field.
Fueled by the “realization that even though the vast
majority of the population go to state schools, top professions are still
occupied by people that have gone to fee-paying schools and grammar schools,”
Ismail decided to pursue a career in teaching in 2007.
“I recognized that state school education wasn’t as
rigorous and robust enough,” he said.
He added that the education received by his former
colleagues in the legal profession who had attended grammar or fee-paying
schools, “was far more vast and comprehensive than I experienced in a state
school in inner city London.”
“So my aim was to try and change that and improve the
rigor in state schools, as I genuinely believe that young people in deprived
areas do not lack ambition. I just think it was the schools themselves not
being sufficiently ambitious for the children,” he said.
Ismail went on to become the founding principal of
Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Center where he worked for eight years to
establish a center of excellence whose aim was to raise the aspirations and
opportunities of young people in the community.
He is currently the regional director and executive
principal at Star Academies where he oversees six schools in the northwest of
England.
The 44-year-old Briton of Moroccan and Indian heritage
told Arab News he was thrilled to have been awarded an OBE for his services to
education.
“Obviously, it was a shock and a surprise. No one goes
into teaching or this profession for accolades or awards. So it was definitely
an honor and a privilege to receive it,” Ismail said.
“Even though I received the award, it really is a team
effort and it would not have been achieved if I didn’t have fantastic
colleagues who showed strong loyalty over the years, who were dedicated and
committed to social mobility, and who were tenacious.
“If an OBE could be shared, it would be shared among
all of my colleagues at the NCS because none of it was possible without them,
and also the students as they were fantastic,” he said.
“It was an absolute joy and privilege to be able to
educate them and to be able to have a school like the NCS in Newham, which is
the second most deprived borough in London, and to get recognition for it. I
just think it’s brilliant for the whole community to have that.
“Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds need
aspirational schools with adults who believe in them and don’t lower the
standards.”
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2225256/world
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New Israel Government Says Will Develop Tourism In
Occupied West Bank
An aerial view shows the
city of Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank May 17, 2022. (File photo:
Reuters)
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02 January ,2023
The tourism minister of Israel’s new hardline
government on Sunday promised to invest in developing the West Bank, calling
the occupied area “our local Tuscany.”
Haim Katz made the comments days after Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government took office, promising in its coalition
guidelines to make West Bank settlement construction a top priority.
His coalition includes far-right settler leaders in
top posts.
Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war
and has built dozens of illegal settlements that are now home to roughly
500,000 Israelis.
The Palestinians say the entire area as part of a
future independent state and consider the settlements illegal — a position that
is widely shared by the international community.
Israel’s commitment to deepening its control of the
West Bank has threatened to put it on a collision course with some of its
closest allies.
At a ceremony Sunday, Katz said he would channel
resources to promote tourism in the West Bank.
“We will invest in areas that may not have received
sufficient support to date,” he said.
“For example, our local Tuscany in Judea and Samaria,”
he added, using the biblical term for the West Bank favored by religious and
right-wing Israelis.
The West Bank settler community has developed a small
tourism sector that includes hotels, bed and breakfasts and wineries.
Israel considers these industries to be part of the
country’s broader tourism sector, while international human rights groups have
said they deepen control of occupied territory.
Airbnb in 2018 said it would bar listings in the
Israeli settlements, but it quickly backed down under heavy Israeli pressure.
Last year, Booking.com said it was adding warnings to its listings there.
On Friday, the UN General Assembly asked the UN’s
highest judicial body to give its opinion on the legality of Israeli policies
in the occupied West Bank.
Netanyahu called the resolution “disgraceful” and said
Israel is not obligated to cooperate with the International Court of Justice.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Arab World
‘Diriyah Nights’ music festival kicks off in Riyadh
January 01, 2023
RIYADH: Diriyah is welcoming local and foreign
visitors for evenings of Arabic music, culture and food at the “Diriyah Nights”
festival.
The historical town is a prominent heritage site and a
global destination for the organization of the most famous international
tournaments, events and activities.
Diriyah Nights offers activities for all ages
including artistic performances, live music and delicious food prepared by
high-quality restaurants and cafes. There will also be trucks serving food and
local beverages.
Stars of Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab world will be
brought together at the festival for evenings of authentic Arabic music.
The events are part of the second year of “Diriyah
Season,” which began in October with several sporting and cultural events that
have been enjoyed by thousands of local and international visitors.
Diriyah Season is running until the start of the
Spanish Super Cup football tournament, which will be held from Jan. 11 to 15,
and involve Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Real Betis.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2225296/saudi-arabia
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ISIS says it carried deadly attack in Egypt Suez Canal
city of Ismailia
01 January ,2023
ISIS said Saturday that it carried out a deadly attack
on an Egyptian police checkpoint in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia the
previous day.
“A cell of soldiers of the caliphate managed to attack
an Egyptian police roadblock... with a machine gun,” the terrorist group’s Amaq
news agency said.
Three Egyptian policemen were killed in the attack,
the first of its kind in nearly three years in mainland Egypt, which has
largely been spared the deadly insurgency in the nearby Sinai peninsula.
In the past few years, attacks against Egyptian
security forces have been concentrated in the Sinai, where terrorists
affiliated with ISIS operate.
Eleven soldiers were killed on May 7 in an attack in
western Sinai.
Days later, another five soldiers and seven terrorists
died when the army was attacked in the peninsula.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Lebanese naval forces rescue about 200 migrants after
boat sinks
31 December ,2022
Lebanese naval forces carried out rescue operations on
Saturday after the sinking of a boat transporting about 200 would-be migrants,
the army said on Twitter.
Separately, state TV tweeted that initial information
was that the boat had been carrying people from Lebanon, Syria and Palestinian
territories.
The army said the boat had carried people who had
tried to illegally cross Lebanese territorial waters, adding that three naval
vessels escorted by a UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) vessel
arrived at the site of the sinking, off the coast of Selaata, north of Beirut,
and proceeded to rescue about 200 people.
It gave no further details.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Grand Mosque welcomes young visitors for educational
tours
TAREQ AL-THAQAFI
January 01, 2023
MAKKAH: Groups of children took part in a tour around
the Grand Mosque on Saturday organized by the General Presidency for the
Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.
The youngsters, from the Al-Fikr and Al-Mawaheb Center
and Al-Abna Al-Nujabaa School Center, were shown the Kaaba and performed Tawaf.
According to Noof Housawi, from the presidency’s media
affairs agency, the tour was designed to be an educational experience for the
children.
“The sessions include etiquette for entering the Grand
Mosque, stories about the prophets and interactive activities to enrich the
children’s knowledge and advance the educational system for females.”
The female reciter of the Book and Sunnah led sessions
on the recitation of Surat Al-Fatihah, while mentioning its virtues and
importance, as well as listening to the recitation of the Surah by the
students.
“The General Department of Women’s Public Relations is
contacting external entities to achieve community partnership, strengthen
relationship bonds and build communication bridges … as well as introduce
children to the features of the Grand Mosque,” Housawi told Arab News.
“Children are being taught simplified lessons on the
etiquette of entering all mosques in general and the Grand Mosque in
particular, the stories of the prophets, how to take the sermon notes and the
lesson behind each story,” she added.
“They are also provided with information on Islamic
ethics and how they were glorified by the Prophet and his companions. The
students are also encouraged to take part in interactive activities designed to
develop their skills.”
Ibrahim Obeidan, professor of student activities in
Makkah education, said the community partnerships were a great way for young
people to learn.
“The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two
Holy Mosques provides valuable models in teaching male and female students
diverse supreme Islamic morals and values,” he said.
While schools conduct field trips to mosques, museums
and historical sites, Makkah students have the chance to participate in
activities related to the service of pilgrims and Umrah performers, he added.
Source: Arab News
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of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2225176/saudi-arabia
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Kuwait authorities intercept $14.5 million worth of
illegal drugs
January 02, 2023
DUBAI: Kuwaiti authorities have foiled attempts to
smuggle drugs into the country, state news agency KUNA reported.
The prohibited substances were 1.2 million Captagon
pills, 250kg of hashish and 104kg of crystal meth which, based on the 2019
price report of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, had a street value of at
least $14.5 million.
Source: Arab News
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of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2225436/middle-east
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Southeast Asia
Do More To Pressure Afghan Govt To Uphold The Basic
Rights Of Its Women And Girls, Suhakam Tells Putrajaya
December 29, 2022
PETALING JAYA: Suhakam has called on the government to
leverage its position as a United Nations Human Rights Council member to urge
Afghanistan to uphold the basic rights of its women and girls.
Suhakam chairman Rahmat Mohamad said Putrajaya can
also leverage Malaysia’s position as a member state of the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to encourage the Afghan administration to govern in
an inclusive and respectful manner.
On Tuesday, Afghanistan’s Taliban-run higher education
ministry suspended access to universities for female students until further
notice, prompting global outrage and protests in some Afghan cities.
Rahmat said excluding women from acquiring education
was a form of systematic discrimination and a clear violation of the Convention
on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw), of
which Afghanistan is a member.
“Such a move also violates Article 9 of the Cairo
Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI), which guarantees equal access to
education to everyone, including women.
“The CDHRI is adopted by the OIC countries and is
constructed based on the teaching of Islam,” he said in a statement today.
Rahmat said Suhakam also supported higher education
minister Khaled Nordin’s call for his Afghan counterpart to reconsider Kabul’s
move to ban women from its institutions of higher learning.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
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Forget politicians, let academics helm education
ministries, says Maszlee
Mohamad Fadli
December 30, 2022
BANGI: Former education minister Maszlee Malik said
politicians should not be appointed to fill the posts of education and higher
education ministers after the next general election.
He said these positions should be filled by academics
instead, adding that they would be in a better position to determine the
direction of the ministries.
“If possible, let academics fill those two roles. It
would be better not to have politicians lead those ministries, just like how
it’s done in Indonesia.
“Appoint academics into those roles as they are more
knowledgeable (in the field). Not those who are after positions just for the
sake of it,” he said during a public policy seminar in Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia (UKM).
Currently, the higher education ministry is helmed by
Umno vice-president Khaled Nordin and the education ministry by Wanita PKR
chief Fadhlina Sidek.
The former Simpang Renggam MP was education minister
under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, from May 2018 to January 2020. He
was also a former lecturer with the International Islamic University Malaysia
(IIUM).
He failed to retain the seat in the recent general
election (GE15).
Maszlee also said that academia should not be
“hijacked” by politicians and urged academics not to become the “mouthpiece” of
political parties.
“As intellectuals, academics should be the guiding
light for society. They should not be controlled by those in power,” he said.
Mazlee added that he hoped the unity government would
give autonomy to institutions of higher learning to contribute ideas and
provide real solutions to issues affecting the nation.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
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Federal Territories Islamic council allocates RM6m to
assist flood victims
28 Dec 2022
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — The Federal Territories Islamic
Religious Council (MAIWP) has allocated RM6 million to help flood victims,
especially in the east coast states.
MAIWP chairman, Tan Sri Mohd Daud Bakar, said of the
total allocation, RM1 million will be channelled to the state Islamic Religious
Councils in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.
He said that another RM2 million has been allocated
for the flood relief mission and to provide items such as electric water jugs,
mats, batik and pelikat sarongs, as well as cleaning tools.
Meanwhile, RM1 million was channelled in the form of
food baskets and prayer kits, via the Musa'adah Squad, an agency under the
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Senator Datuk
Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar.
“The allocation of RM6 million is zakat (tithe) money
collected from zakat payers, and we are grateful to all of them,” he told
reporters after the presentation of MAIWP INSANI Squad vests at Darul Kifayah
MAIWP, Batu Caves here, today.
At the same time, MAIWP has also mobilised its INSANI
Squad to Kelantan and Terengganu, starting today until Friday (Dec 30).
Mohd Daud said a total of 108 MAIWP officers, as well
as from MAIWP subsidiaries and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), were
involved in distributing aid to the recipients, which included 1,500 flood
victims in each affected state.
“At the initial stage, there may be a lot of support,
but post-flood, it requires energy and manpower for those affected, especially
to clean the house and try to restore it to its original state.
Source: Malay Mail
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North America
US to keep close ties with India, Pakistan
Anwar Iqbal
January 2, 2023
WASHINGTON: The US budget for 2023 has two small but
significant provisions for Pakistan, including $15 million for improving
security along the Afghan border and an unspecified amount of funds to promote
gender equality in the country.
The first pledge underlines Washington’s desire to
help Islamabad curb terrorist attacks from Afghanistan that have become a major
threat for Pakistan.
The second, an unspecified amount from a $200m fund
set aside to promote gender equality, indicates the possibility of further US
engagement in social developments.
As 2022 ends, one thing is obvious: neither the United
States nor Pakistan are seeking the revival of an all-embracing relationship
that existed during the Cold War, the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and in
the war against terror. Instead, both are looking for a stable relationship
based on “shared concerns” and interests, as the US State Department said at a
recent news briefing.
“The government of Pakistan is a partner when it comes
to these shared concerns, including the challenge of terrorist groups inside
Afghanistan… terrorist groups along the Afghan-Pakistan border… we stand ready
to assist, whether with this unfolding situation or other situations,” the
department’s spokesperson Ned Price had said.
During a visit to the US Congress earlier this month,
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari told Dawn that senior US lawmakers had
also expressed their desire to “help Pakistan enhance border security to
prevent cross-border attacks from Afghanistan”.
This underlines a growing consensus between the US and
Pakistan on discouraging terrorism, but there are areas where their interests
do not align, particularly on India and China.
At several briefings during 2022, US officials hailed
India as a “global partner” while acknowledging that Pakistan too was a key
partner in a sensitive region.
In doing so, US officials made it clear that this was
“not a zero sum” game, which would have required Washington to have a
relationship with either India or Pakistan. Instead, they insisted that
Washington would like to continue its ties with both.
The Americans, however, also realise the limitations
of their influence on India, stating that they cannot use this influence to
persuade New Delhi to do something it does not want to do. They made it obvious
that they cannot force Delhi to change its position on India-held Kashmir.
Another major issue on which the US and Pakistan
disagree with each other is that of China.
In 2022, the Biden administration issued its national
security strategy, which identified China as the “biggest geopolitical
challenge” for the US and sought global support for reversing China’s growing
influence.
In his introductory note for the US National Defence
Strategy 2022, Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin said that Washington was
seeking a major defence partnership with India to enhance its ability to deter
China’s “aggression” and ensure free and open access to the Indian Ocean
region.
Source: Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1729520/us-to-keep-close-ties-with-india-pakistan
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Turkish foreign minister meets counterparts from
Gabon, Brazil, Guatemala
Dilara Hamit
01.01.2023
The Turkish foreign minister on Saturday discussed
bilateral relations with his counterparts from Gabon, Brazil and Guatemala.
In a Twitter post, Mevlut Cavusoglu said he met with
Michael Moussa-Adamo, the foreign minister of Gabon, and discussed economic,
defense relations and cooperation between the ministries.
The Turkish foreign minister also met with his
Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira.
Mario Bucaro, Guatemala's foreign minister, and
Cavusoglu also held a meeting in Brazil, and discussed economic, defense and
cultural relations.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Europe
France’s Moderate Imam Sees Israel as a Dream, Europe
as in Peril
SARA MILLER
01/02/2023
For more than a few years, French Imam Hassen
Chalghoumi has been an outspoken critic of radical Islam, a position that has
earned him praise but also censure, hostility and even death threats –
resulting in stringent security measures for the Tunisian-born cleric in his
adoptive country.
None of that has stopped him in his determination to
be a voice for what he calls “the silent majority” of Muslims, whose opposition
to Islamist tenets is drowned out by the howls of extremists.
On his visit to Israel last week (“Not my first and
not my last”), he sat down with The Media Line in the Knesset in Jerusalem for
a wide-ranging conversation on extremism, coexistence, Europe’s future and the
dangers of unfettered social media.
The tall, broad-shouldered giant of a man wearing a
pristine white taqiyah, dark navy suit and a firmly friendly smile dwarfs
everyone else in the bustling parliamentary cafeteria as he takes his seat,
flanked by a pair of translators. Chalghoumi is hard to miss, and that is
before one is exposed to his natural charm.
The 51-year-old cleric is a self-avowed Israel
enthusiast, seeing the country as what it insists is true about itself: a
bastion of peaceful coexistence.
“Just in this small room [where the interview took
place], you hear people talking in Arabic and in Hebrew, talking of peace –
salaam, shalom – and it’s a dream,” he tells The Media Line. “In Europe it is
difficult to see such things as we can find here.”
Even the troubled, divided city outside the Knesset,
the scene of repeated violence between Jews and Arabs, is met with approbation.
“Jerusalem, that link for the three religions, from
the past to the future,” Chalghoumi marvels. “There is a magnificent mosaic of
people here.”
While this 24-hour visit may not afford any time for
travel within Israel (the interview is conducted at the Knesset to dovetail
with his schedule), Chalghoumi has already explored a great deal of the
country.
He has visited the Galilee in the north – where, the
imam says with a smile and in lowered tones, he even got to see inside a
Hizbullah tunnel on the Lebanese frontier – and down to the Gaza border in the
south. His travels in southern Israel included Kibbutz Nativ Haasara and the
city of Sderot, two frequent targets for rocket strikes out of the adjacent
Hamas-ruled coastal enclave.
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, he
says, must end in talks and treaties. “They have to negotiate in order to live
together because it’s a fact and it’s not too late,” Chalghoumi states.
He has a message for the Palestinians: “For your
stability, you need accords” with Israel. “We Muslims, we have the right to
have peace and accords with Israel… and we need peace with Israel,” he says.
“Al-Aqsa Mosque [in Jerusalem] is for all Muslims and
not only for Palestinians. I don’t need the authorization of the Palestinian
Authority to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
Chalghoumi has visited Israeli settlers in the West
Bank, often blamed for the parlous state of the peace process between Israel
and the Palestinians. There he met with Yael Shevach, a mother of six and widow
of Rabbi Raziel Shevach, who was murdered in January 2018 in a West Bank terror
attack.
The imam has nothing but disdain for Shevach’s
Palestinian killer, whom, he says, “pretended to be a good Muslim,” and high
praise for his widow.
“I admire her courage. She did not make a connection
between Islam and terrorism when she talked to me,” he says. “She was
courageous, she made the distinction, and she had no hate for me. It is not
easy.”
That ability to differentiate, Chalghoumi laments, is
far less present in France, where, he says, “a lot of people think a Muslim is
a terrorist.”
He references the far-right leaders Marine Le Pen and
Eric Zemmour as examples of this mindset. The latter was knocked out in the
first round of voting in the recent elections for French president and went on
to endorse Le Pen in her ultimately unsuccessful run-off vote against Emmanuel
Macron.
Le Pen once compared public Muslim prayers to the Nazi
occupation, while Zemmour said in 2021 that the district of Seine-Saint-Denis –
where Chalghoumi’s own home is situated – was a “foreign enclave under the
reign of Allah.”
Even so, Chalghoumi says, the far left “is more
dangerous than Marine Le Pen,” as its members “are accomplices to the
Islamists.”
“They want to import the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
to France,” the imam charges. “They are spreading the hate of Israel. They
destroyed the Muslim youth through the speech of victimization.”
Yet Chalghoumi is certain that the extremists in his
community are the minority.
“Part of my community – and I hate them – use Islam to
carry out terror attacks, like in Toulouse, in Brussels,” Chalghoumi says,
referencing two assaults on Jewish targets that claimed multiple lives.
“Unfortunately, these people are causing a lot of hate
against us. Unfortunately, the majority of Muslims don’t speak out about this.
They don’t express their true beliefs because they are afraid,” he says.
“They see the life of Chalghoumi, who has death
threats and is protected by police every day and they don’t want to have the
same life.”
Part of the fault, according to the imam, lies with
the politicians who “from left to right are not tough enough with the Islamists
in France.”
So as Chalghoumi finds himself stuck in the middle
between far-right hatred and far-left hatred, the target of death threats and
surrounded by security night and day, is it worth it? Yes, he insists.
“Sometimes when I walk around in France some people
insult me, but some people are supportive,” he says. “I am threatened with
death, but I also get letters [of support]. In the Sufi vision of Islam, two
people making peace can change the face of the world.”
Furthermore, he says, France “is a very nice country”
to live in.
“There are 2,050 mosques in France. France has given
me the freedom of speech and freedom of faith. The most important community for
Muslims in the Western world is France – and for Jews, also.”
Muslims make up around 7% of the total French
population, with a community of some 5 million. Jews comprise approximately 1%
of the population, with a community of around half a million. Real numbers are
unclear as France does not collect official data on its citizens’ race,
ethnicity or religion.
The imam is a strong proponent of the Abraham Accords,
signed in 2020 between Israel and Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
“My dream,” he says simply. He argues that “things are
changing” due to the accords, even as he admits that for some regimes, like the
one in Iran, Israel will be the perennial enemy.
“You always have day and night – you have the axis of
good and you have the axis of evil,” Chalghoumi says.
According to him, the axis of good includes Bahrain,
the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco, while the axis of evil
includes Qatar, Iran and Turkey. The latter is included because of the presence
of the Muslim Brotherhood – or as he calls it, “the brother of the devil,”
sliding from French into English for emphasis.
“If it were not for the Muslim Brotherhood, all
Muslims would be brothers,” the imam claims, adding that “the Iranian regime is
a diabolical regime that is making Islam into an instrument for political
reasons.”
With Iran and allies encouraging the radicalization of
young Muslims, Chalghoumi believes that a treaty similar to the Abraham Accords
could ameliorate the racial tensions in Europe.
“We need these accords more than the Israelis and
Arabs,” he says, citing the murder of three Kurds at a cultural center in
central Paris in December.
“There is a risk of confrontation between communities
[and] unfortunately yes we need this accord for the future… for the new
generation for education, for religion, for understanding between people – it
is very important.”
A major part of that lack of understanding, he says,
is down to social media.
“Social media is responsible for 80% of radical
Islamists,” he says. “Google, Twitter, Facebook, all of them – j’accuse!”
The social media platforms also come under his censure
for “for the demonization of Israel.” A similar point was made last week in the
annual antisemitism report by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, when its director of
global social action, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, called the free availability of
social media “a bonanza for extremists.”
“We are not active enough on social media. We have to
denounce every bad action and be present on social media,” warns Chalghoumi.
“With the economic crisis, someone has to be held
responsible and that is the minorities and so antisemitism and racism will grow
in Europe. It is not very positive in Europe but that means there is a lot of
work to do,” he says.
And despite this dire forecast, Imam Chalghoumi is
determined.
Source: The Media Line
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Croatian writer’s novel “On the Roads of Persia”
launched at Sisak Islamic center
January 1, 2023
Dar, who is also known as Yasmina Mehic, Sisak’s main
imam Alem Crnkic and a group of Croatian cultural figures attended the book
launch, the Persian service of MNA reported on Sunday.
During the meeting, Dar answered questions from the
audience and said, “Moderation in philosophy and culture is a souvenir from
Iranian history, literature and art, and accordingly, I should say that the
Orient is closer to our culture.”
Crnkic also said that such social gatherings are
organized with the aim of expanding people’s horizons and their understanding
of the beauty of life through the culture, art and literature of other nations.
For his part, host Harun Tankovic said that traveling
and learning about different people, cultures and countries help develop
people’s personalities and raise their knowledge of different issues.
He expressed his happiness as the newly-established
Islamic center dedicated its first social meeting to launching a book carrying
a story about Iran.
“On the Roads of Persia” was originally published by
the Croatian publishing house Cekape on June 15, 2022.
Dar has written the novel based on her visit to Iran
in 2018. Her visit was focused mainly on Iranian cities such as Tabriz, Isfahan
and Shiraz. Accordingly, the novel is somewhat of a travelogue of Iran.
The book was first launched at the library of the
Zagreb municipality during a special meeting attended by Dar, Iranian
Ambassador Parviz Esmaeili and dozens of Croatian literati.
Source: Tehran Times
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https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/480327/Croatian-writer-s-novel-On-the-Roads-of-Persia-launched-at
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New Danish coalition eyes border relaxation with
changes in asylum rules
Ebad Ahmed
02.01.2023
COPENHAGEN, Denmark
A new left-right coalition took charge in Denmark
after intense negotiations that lasted 43 days after the last elections that
gave a narrow majority to the Social Democratic party of Prime Minister Mette
Frederiksen.
Joining the new government with Frederiksen, who
headed a period of political smooth sailing with her one-party government in
the last term, are two center-right parties: The Liberal Party and newly formed
Moderates.
The coalition partners unveiled a working agreement
"Ansvar for Danmark (Responsibility for Denmark)" that outlined their
plans as the government.
The agreement includes measures on the future status
of foreign residents in the country, including Syrian refugees, as well as a
"re-worded" form of a controversial Rwanda asylum plan also adopted
by the UK.
Immigration amendments
Ostensibly to cater to the rising right, the previous
Danish government revoked residence permits of mostly young Syrian women
refugees on the grounds that it was now allegedly safe for them to return to
the Damascus area.
According to data released by the European Commission
in June 2022, at least 34,000 Syrian refugees were granted permits to stay in
Denmark since the war in Syria broke out in 2011.
The new agreement of the coalition members triggered a
wave of criticism from rights groups over reports that it would renew Syrian
refugees' residence permits who are "educated in areas where there is a
labour shortage."
Nikolas Feith Tan, a senior researcher at the Danish
Institute for Human Rights, argued that views on Syrian refugees had shifted,
especially about young Syrian women studying nursing.
Tan said the new Danish government was now essentially
trying to carve out exceptions to this paradigm shift on temporary protection.
Refugees that can show that they are contributing and
filling gaps in Denmark's economy now have higher chances of staying in the
country than before the new government was formed, he explained, though adding
caution to his optimism by saying: "It is not a shift entirely back to
giving full protection and rights to the Syrian refugees."
Visas for skilled foreign workers
While an exception is being carved out in the country
for Syrian refugees, at the same time, in a bid to make Denmark more attractive
for skilled foreign workers to foster "good conditions for growth and
competitiveness and to promote foreign investment," the agreement
introduces similar plans for the government to "relax access to foreign
labour for as long as unemployment is low."
"In addition to this, the government will
introduce a scheme with lower pay limits for certified companies which are
encompassed by controlled wage and working conditions," it says. There
will be an annual quota of work permits under the scheme, which is to be
reviewed every two years.
"This will, under controlled conditions, give
access to additional labour," it added.
Expanding further on the same domain, the new Danish
government plans to establish at least 500 vocational English-language masters
degree programs in targeted areas that have a high demand for labor.
A "dialogue with universities" will
"seek to increase the number of international students within defined
areas where Danish companies need highly educated labour," it says.
Rwanda asylum re-worded
Rights groups paid particular attention to the Social
Democrats' controversial Rwanda asylum plans that aim to move part of Denmark's
refugee system offshore to Rwanda, as announced in 2021.
While the new government said it preferred to
implement the plan in partnership with the EU, the plan has currently little or
no support from within the bloc.
Prime Minister Fredrikson said Denmark could
"ultimately" ink a bilateral agreement with Rwanda to open a center
resembling a facility planned by the UK in the East African country to send
people seeking asylum in Britain while their applications are being processed.
That scheme drew criticism from lawmakers, both within
and outside the ruling Conservative Party, as well as charities and even the
Church of England.
In Denmark, however, experts dismiss this ambition as
far from reality.
Eva Singer, the director of the division of asylum and
refugee rights of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has expressed her doubt
about the practicality of the scheme.
"Denmark is not going to do it on its own. It
wants to try to do it together with other EU countries. And other EU countries
cannot do it because it is contrary to EU law.
"It has just been very clear to the government
that this is not going to take place. In reality, it is too complicated if you
want to abide by international law," said Singer.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Mideast
Netanyahu says Israel not bound by ‘despicable’ UN
vote
31 December ,2022
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday
said a United Nations General Assembly vote asking the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) to provide an opinion on Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian
territories was “despicable.”
“The Jewish people are not occupiers on their own land
nor occupiers in our eternal capital Jerusalem and no UN resolution can warp
that historical truth,” he said in a video message.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Iran's Air Defence Systems Tested Successfully in
Military Exercises
2023-January-1
The massive military exercise began early on Friday
with the key motto of “self-confidence, power, sustainable security” in an area
stretching from the Eastern sector of the strategic Strait of Hormuz to the
Northern tip of the Indian Ocean.
Iran’s Army put to test its advanced missile defense
systems, which successfully intercepted and destroyed intruding aircraft on the
third day of large-scale wargames off the country’s Southern coasts.
In the early hours of Sunday, the third day of
‘Zolfaqar 140’ maneuvers, the radars of the Mersad air defense system detected
a hostile drone approaching the Iranian territory and successfully shot it down
at an altitude of 25,000 feet and 150 kilometers from the country’s airspace.
Mersad is a mobile missile shield whose range of
interception has been upgraded from 110 to 150 kilometers. It’s capable of
being deployed in 7 minutes and changing its location right after firing
missiles at enemy targets.
The Qadir radar system has also carried out a similar
mission. The system, equipped with phased array technology, cannot be traced
and destroyed by anti-radar missiles.
During the main stage of the drills, the army forces
practiced downing hostile drones with various radar systems.
The low-altitude "Majid" air defense missile
system and "Khatam" artillery fire control system were employed to
detect, intercept and hit the aerial targets over the wargames zone.
The Iranian Army has also fired the indigenous Khordad
15 air defense system during the exercise.
Iranian military officials say the country's air
defense units are at the highest level of preparedness to defend Iran against
any possible aggression by enemies.
Iranian military officials underline that the
country's deterrence power has made the enemies more cautious in their moves,
underscoring that all their interests and equipment are within range of
Tehran's weapons. They warned Iran is capable of targeting the enemy’s vital
and sensitive interests all over the place in case it has ill intentions.
Back in August, Commander of the Iranian Army Air
Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard underlined the country's
high military capabilities and deterrence power, and said that the country's
Air Defense Force is able to monitor even the slightest movements of enemies
within the range of 3,000km.
“The Air Defense Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran
has taken important measures in recent years to increase national security,”
Brigadier General Sabahifard stated.
“Today, the Air Defense Force is equipped with
detection and identification systems such as radars with a range of 3,000
kilometers, which is rare in the world," he noted.
“Now we have reached a point where we proudly announce
that all the equipment and systems used in the Air Defense Force of the Islamic
Iranian Army are made by genius Iranian youths and we do not use any foreign
equipment,” the top commander added.
He warned the enemies any violation of Iranian
airspace will be met with a ‘tough and destructive response’, adding the
enemies could never imagine our deterrence power would reach this level.
“If the enemies could hit us, they would make the
Islamic Republic of Iran’s airspace unsafe, whereas they never can, and this is
due to the deterrence power of the armed forces and the existing military
equipment,” Sabahifard stressed.
Military officials say the military power of Iran is
strong, extraordinary and deterrent despite enemy sanctions and pressures, and
hail the country's defense sector for its remarkable developments in the recent
decades. They stress the Iranian Armed Forces’ deterrent power dissuades the
United States and Israel from implementing its threats against the country.
The Islamic Republic’s military doctrine holds that
the country’s armed capability solely serves defensive purposes.
Iranian military experts and technicians have in
recent years made substantial headway in manufacturing a broad range of
indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the weaponry
sphere.
Source: Fars News Agency
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Israel’s military kills two Palestinians, including
teen, in West Bank
02 January ,2023
The Israeli military shot dead two Palestinians,
including a 17-year-old, near the occupied West Bank city of Jenin early on
Monday, Palestinian sources said.
A statement from the Israeli military confirmed
soldiers were operating in the area in order to demolish the home of assailants
Israel says were involved in the killing of an Israeli soldier last year.
The statement did not confirm the fatalities.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Iran police detain top-tier football players in raid
at party
01 January ,2023
Iranian police briefly detained several unidentified
top-tier football players in a raid on a party on New Year’s Eve where alcohol
was served in violation of a ban, Iranian media reported.
Mingling between sexes outside marriage and drinking
alcohol are banned under Iran’s Islamic laws. Social restrictions are among
issues that prompted mass unrest in recent months, following the death in
custody of a woman accused of violating the strict dress code.
The semi-official news agency Tasnim said several
current players and former members of an unidentified top Tehran soccer club
had been detained at the party east of the capital.
“Some of the players were in an abnormal state due to
alcohol consumption,” Tasnim reported, without giving further details.
The YJC news agency said the gathering was a birthday
party, and added that all those detained had been released except one person,
who is not a soccer player. Fars news agency cited a prosecutor as saying a
case had been filed against those who had been detained, and details would be
released later.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Yemeni leader vows to defeat Houthis and repair broken
country
SAEED AL-BATATI
January 01, 2023
AL-MUKALLA: Yemen’s leader has promised to liberate
his country from the Houthis, pay public wages and restore deteriorating public
services in his new year message.
“Your armed and security forces, popular resistance,
and patriotic alignment will remain our exemplar for restoring the state,
putting a stop to the coup, and defending the republican system,” said Rashad
Al-Alimi, the chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, in a message
on Twitter.
He said that the council, with the assistance of the
Arab coalition headed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, will prioritize promoting
harmony and collaboration between diverse Yemeni forces to restore peace to
Yemen.
Al-Alimi went back on a previous statement that his
government would be unable to pay government salaries due to Houthi assaults on
oil infrastructure, and reassured the public that the council would attempt to
secure regular salary payments.
“We reiterate our resolve to continue our efforts to
relieve the suffering caused by the terrorist Houthi militia supported by Iran,
including the regular payment of wages to civil and military personnel,
diplomatic missions, and state-funded students in compliance with comprehensive
government reforms.”
The eight-member presidential council came to power in
April when former President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi stepped down.
Yemenis say that previous guarantees by the Yemeni
government and the presidential council have not resulted in any changes on the
ground in the freed provinces, as they continue to complain about rising costs,
a depreciating currency, and severe and worsening power cuts.
The Yemeni riyal began the new year falling further
against the dollar, extending a week of declines against other currencies for
the first time in many months.
Traders said on Sunday that the Yemeni riyal was
trading at 1,230 per dollar, down from 1,200 last week, following an official
announcement on a full stop to oil shipments, the country’s principal source of
income.
Unlike past years during winter, Al-Mukalla, Aden, and
other government-controlled cities have experienced long periods without power.
Public workers say that their wages have not increased
since 2011 and have lost 200 percent of their worth owing to the fast
depreciation of the riyal and rising inflation.
Meanwhile, on the first day of the new year, fighting
subsided in Taiz, Hodeidah, Marib and other provinces.
The calm came almost two days after fierce fighting
between government forces and the Houthis in the southern province of Dhale
left scores of combatants dead or injured on one of the worst days since the
breakdown of the UN-brokered truce in October.
Separately, a Houthi-run court in Sanaa condemned
three teachers from the province of Mahwet to death on espionage accusations on
Saturday, the latest in a series of death sentences against hundreds of people.
Abdul Majeed Sabra, a Yemeni defense lawyer based in
Sanaa, told Arab News on Sunday that his clients who were abducted in 2015 from
their home province Mahwet for allegedly collaborating with the Yemeni
government and the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.
They were sentenced in the capital’s Specialized
Criminal Court.
Last month, a Houthi court sentenced 16 Yemenis to
death for collaborating with the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen and
the militia’s Yemeni adversaries.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2225351/middle-east
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Islamic Jihad: Palestinians not afraid of new Israeli
cabinet
01 January 2023
Islamic Jihad says it will continue resistance against
Israel until the full liberation of the occupied al-Quds, reiterating that the
Palestinians are not afraid of the occupying regime’s new far-right cabinet.
Tariq Salmi, the Islamic Jihad spokesman, made the remarks
on Sunday, after Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, the most right-wing in the
regime's history, was sworn in, according to Arabic-language al-Ahad television
network. “In the New Year, we will continue our fight in the occupied cities of
Jenin, Quds, Nablus, and the entire West Bank and we will continue until the
liberation of al-Quds.”
He said Islamic Jihad fears neither Israel’s “fascist”
cabinet nor its military’s threats.
Salmi said the “events of the past year will be
remembered and the path of all those Palestinians who were killed will remain
an incentive to continue the struggle against the Israeli regime.”
On Thursday, Netanyahu was sworn in as prime minister,
with his cabinet promising to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank and
pursue other anti-Palestinian policies. Netanyahu was ousted in June 2021 by a
motley coalition of leftists, centrists and Arab parties headed by right-winger
Naftali Bennett and former TV news anchor Yair Lapid. It didn’t take him long
to come back.
Following his November 1 election win, Netanyahu
entered into talks with ultra-Orthodox and extreme-right parties. His allies
include the Religious Zionism formation and Jewish Power Party, whose leaders
Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir oppose Palestinian statehood and both have
a history of inflammatory remarks about the Palestinians. Smotrich will now
take charge of Israeli settlement expansion policies in the West Bank, and
Ben-Gvir will be the ‘national security’ minister with powers over the police,
which have operated in the occupied territories since 1967.
Senior officials have already voiced concern over the
new Israeli direction.
Source: Press TV
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South Asia
10 Killed, 8 Hurt In An Explosion That Rocked The
Kabul Military Airport Blast
Jan 2, 2023
KABUL: At least 10 people were killed and eight others
seriously injured in an explosion that rocked the Kabul military airport on
Sunday. Abdul Nafee Takkur, a spokesman for the Taliban interior ministry, said
an explosion caused injuries close to the airport's main gate in Kabul. No one
has taken responsibility for the attack., even as the regional affiliate of the
Islamic State group - known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province - has
increased its attacks since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Targets have included
Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistan's Shia minority.
The military airport is around 200 metres from the civilian
airport and close to the interior ministry, itself the site of a suicide
bombing last October that killed at least four people. Interior ministry
spokesman Abdul said the blast left several people dead and wounded. He gave no
exact figures or further information about the bombing, saying details of an
investigation will be shared later. However, Khaama Press, citing the Taliban
interior ministry spokesperson, reported that at least 10 people have been
killed and eight others seriously injured.
Source: Times Of India
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UN Representative Meets Dy. PM Over Women’s Rights In
Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati
January 2, 2023
A senior United Nations official in Afghanistan met
with the deputy prime minister of the acting government in Kabul on Sunday. The
purpose of the meeting was to discuss a ban on women working for NGOs.
The Decision mandated that all the country’s
international and domestic non-governmental organizations stopped employing
women and stated that they did not follow the Islamic Hijab. This came after
banning girls’ students from attending middle and high school, then
universities, and working in most professions.
This has resulted in the Suspension of operations in
the country by major international assistance organizations. Concerns have been
made regarding the possibility that people may be deprived of food, education,
healthcare, and other essential services due to the embargo. According to UN
officials, more than half of the population in Afghanistan is in immediate need
of humanitarian assistance.
While growing international concern over the current
regime’s restrictions on women’s rights in Afghanistan, Potzel is the most
recent representative from the United Nations to meet with Taliban officials.
According to the statement made by the United Nations
mission in Afghanistan, “preventing the delivery of essential aid to Afghan
men, women, and children by prohibiting women from working in non-governmental
organizations and denying girls and women access to education and training
harms millions of people in Afghanistan.”
Meanwhile, the UN survey recently showed that
approximately one-third of the NGOs in Afghanistan are led by women and have
been forced to stop all their activities. In contrast, another third have been
forced to stop 70% of their operations due to the ban.
Source: Khaama Press
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China Interested to Invest in Afghanistan’s Energy
Sector
By Nizamuddin Rezahi
January 1, 2023
China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) is interested
to invest in the construction of water storage dams and energy production
projects in Afghanistan.
The head of CRBC and a number of technical officials
of this company met with Abdul Latif Mansoor, the Acting Minister of Energy and
Water of the Taliban administration in Tashkent. The two sides discussed the
possible investment opportunities in the construction of water dams and energy
production projects in Afghanistan.
Mr. Mansoor expressed his optimism about Chinese
investors in the country and added that they will provide investment
opportunities for foreign investors across different fields including energy,
construction, information technology, mining, and more.
Meanwhile, the minister assured CRBC of ensuring the
security of Chinese citizens and investors in the country. “Afghanistan’s
security institutions are fully committed to ensuring the security of foreign
investors and companies in all corners of the country,” Mansoor said.
This comes as security remains a major challenge for
the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan regime. Several suicide attacks and bombings
have occurred in different parts of the country over the past couple of weeks,
causing to the death and injury of scores of people.
The terror attack in a Chinese-run hotel in the
capital Kabul in December resulted in the injury of several Chinese nationals –
forcing them to leave the country immediately.
Source: Khaama Press
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Taliban seeks economic self-sufficiency and foreign
investment for Afghanistan -minister
2 January, 2023
By Mohammad Yunus Yawar
KABUL (Reuters) – The Taliban administration will
encourage self-sufficiency and wants international trade and investment, the
acting commerce minister said, as Afghanistan faces isolation and suspension of
some humanitarian operations over restrictions on women.
“We will start a national self-sufficiency programme,
we will encourage all government administrations to use domestic products, we
will also try to encourage people through mosques to support our domestic
products” Haji Nooruddin Azizi told Reuters. “We will support any item which
can help us for self-sufficiency.”
Another part of their strategy was to boost trade and
foreign investment, he said.
“Those who were importing items to Afghanistan from
abroad, they are asking us to provide opportunities for investing in
Afghanistan and they want to invest here instead of importing from abroad,” he
said.
He said that countries including Iran, Russia and
China were interested in trade and investment. He said some of the projects
under discussion were Chinese industrial parks and thermal power plants, with
involvement from Russia and Iran.
Already facing a lack of formal recognition and
sanctions hampering the country’s banking sector, investors are faced with
growing security concerns after attacks on foreign targets in Kabul, claimed by
the Islamic State.
An attack on a hotel catering to Chinese businessmen
this month, which badly hurt several foreigners, could prompt some to re-think
investing, a leading member of the Chinese business community has said.
Azizi said authorities were working to ensure
security.
“We do our best for our businessmen to not come to
harm. The attack hasn’t had any bad impact, (but) if it happened constantly,
yes it might have bad impact,” he said, referring to the investment
environment.
Azizi laid out a plan to develop industry by creating
special economic zones on land previously used for U.S. military bases. He said
his ministry was presenting the plan to the administration’s cabinet and
economic commission.
He added that foreign investors were showing interest
in Afghanistan’s mining sector, which has been valued at more than $1 trillion.
He said that an iron mine in western Herat and a lead mine in central Ghor
province had seen 40 companies take part in an auction and that the results
would be announced soon.
He said that a major contract signed with Russia in
September for the supply of gas, oil and wheat would see the delivery of the
items to Afghanistan in coming days.
The Taliban-led administration is facing increased
isolation over policies in recent days restricting women from access to public
life, including attending university.
An order barring female NGO workers has thrown the
humanitarian sector, which is providing urgent aid to millions of people, into
disarray, with some organisations suspending operations in the middle of the
harsh winter.
Azizi did not comment on the new restrictions but said
his ministry had allocated 5 acres of land for a permanent exhibition centre
and hub for women-led businesses.
“We always support women investors,” he said. (This
story has been refiled to add full name of acting minister in paragraph 2)
Source: The Print
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India
Afraid of losing Muslim votes, CPM adopts faith-friendly image in Kerala
Jan
2, 2023
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
CPM state secretary M V Govindan has said the party is not against any religion
or religious freedom and it will not interfere in the affairs of any religion.
There will not be any anti-religious or anti-faith contents in the school
curriculum, he said.
Govindan
was speaking as part of a house visit programme launched by the party ahead of
the Lok Sabha polls. "The party and the government will not take any step
against the interests of believers or any religion. The government believes in
bringing together all people from different religions. The government is a machinery
that aims at making this happen. The home visit launched by the party is also
aimed at creating a platform for this," he said.
The
CPM state secretary had begun the house visit programme in the state capital by
visiting houses in Puthanpally region of Ambalathara.
This
visit should not be considered as just a preparation for the Lok Sabha polls.
The party wants to know the people's opinion on the government and various
issues. Now, those who came to meet me at the Arabic college at Puthanpally
expressed their concern over the curriculum reforms being planned by the
government, he said.
The
government had drawn the ire of Muslim organisations following reports that it
was promoting gender-neutral reforms in classrooms. "We are collecting
opinions from people and the necessary rectification will be made both in the
government and the party. It is a confidence-building measure; the government
wants to bring together all sections of people," he said.
Govindan
said it should be remembered that the RSS has proclaimed that the country will
become a Hindu rashtra by 2025, which will be the 100th year of RSS formation.
"If the BJP is given power for one more term, the country will witness a
communal divide. Democracy and the Constitution will have no value if they come
to power again. The CPM is trying to bring together all people to prevent
this," he said.
Source:
Times Of India
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Muslim
Man Donates Blood To Save Life Of Ailing Hindu Baby In In Madhya Pradesh 1st
January 2023
Chhatarpur:
In a selfless act, a Muslim man donated blood to save the life of a 60-day-old
baby boy suffering from anaemia in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district.
When
he received a phone call about the baby on Saturday, Rafat Khan, 36, did not
hesitate even for a second and raced his motorcycle to the district hospital.
Khan
was about to leave his house to offer namaz when he received a call about Vikas
Gupta who was in desperate need A positive blood.
The
baby suffered from anaemia, a condition caused due to deficiency of healthy red
blood cells that carry adequate oxygen to body’s tissues.
“Without
a second thought, I picked up my motorcycle and rushed to the district hospital
to donate blood to the ailing child,” Khan told PTI on Sunday.
Khan
said the baby’s father Jitendra, who is a resident of Manoria village, had
contacted him after he failed to source blood and was cheated by a tout.
The
tout allegedly took Rs 750 from Jitendra on the pretext of arranging for blood,
he said.
Talking
to PTI, Jitendra said, “My son’s condition has improved now after Khan donated
blood. He came like an angel and donated blood with a smile when my child
needed it desperately.”
Source:
Siasat Daily
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Mathura
dispute: Mosque panel likely to file plea against survey order today
Jan
02, 2023
By
Hemendra Chaturvedi
Agra:
The management committee of the Shahi Eidgah mosque adjoining the Sri Krishna
Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura is expected to file an objection against a court
order for a survey of the mosque when the court resumes work after the winter
vacation on Monday.
A
civil judge on December 8 had ordered the survey by court ameen, or staff
designated by the court.
“We
will move applications before the additional civil judge senior division (court
no. 3) at Mathura on Monday,” Tanveer Ahmed, lawyer and secretary of the
management committee of the mosque, said on Sunday. “These applications will
include objections against the order dated December 8, 2022, when the court
ordered a survey of the Shahi Eidgah Mosque by court ameen and now January 20,
2023, has been fixed as the next date in the case,”
The
petitioners in the case are Vishnu Gupta, a Delhi-based president of Hindu
Sena, a right-wing organisation, , and Surjit Singh Yadav, vice-president of
the outfit and a resident of Gurugram in Haryana. Both have filed the case on
behalf of Bhagwan Bal Krishna Virajman Thakur Keshav Dev Ji Maharaj, considered
the personification of the deity Lord Krishna.
The
petitioners have sought the shifting of the mosque, claiming that it was
constructed on 13.37 acres of the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi trust through an
alleged demolition of a temple by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, the petitioners’
counsel Shailesh Dube had said on December 24.
“Such
applications moved by Hindu petitioners seeking a survey of Shahi Eidgah mosque
are pending in various other cases in different Mathura courts, but none of the
courts passed an order allowing a survey. However, the additional civil judge
senior division (court no. 3) at Mathura passed the order on the very first
date of filing a fresh petition by office bearers of the Hindu Sena on December
8,” Ahmed said.
“On
Monday, we will file our objections against the order for the survey of Shahi
Eidgah Mosque and will apprise the court that the order was attained by the
petitioner while misleading the court by stating incorrect facts and will thus
pray for setting aside the order seeking the ameen’s report. Importantly, we
were not even heard on the application moved in the fresh petition, as we are
yet to receive the summons and appear in court,” Ahmed added.
The
order for the survey of the site is on the pattern seen in the Gyanvapi mosque
case in Varanasi and came to knowledge of the counsel of the Shahi Eidgah
mosque on December 24, when winter vacation had begun.
“The
order came while disposing application no. 9C moved by Hindu petitioners, who
sought a spot survey report through court ameen, who was also asked to serve
notice and copy of order on parties to the case,” Dube had said.
On
December 8, the court ordered the ameen to conduct inspection of the site and
submit a report along with a map of the spot. The petitioners were asked to
take steps within three days of the order. The first date of hearing in the
case was December 22, but the presiding officer was on leave on that day and
now the case is to be taken up on January 20.
Like
in all the past cases, the management committee of the Shahi Eidgah Mosque at
Mathura, the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board at Lucknow, besides the Sri
Krishna Janmbhoomi Trust and Sri Krishna Janmsthan Seva Sansthan have been
impleaded as defendants.
The
petition has also challenged the settlement dated October 12, 1968, between the
Sri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sangh and Shahi Masjid Eidgah, which was part of
suit no. 43 of 1967, and sought cancellation of judgment and the decree based
on it. The petitioners have moved an injunction application, which is yet to be
heard.
The
petitioners have alleged the settlement had no legal validity because the Sri
Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust, having ownership and title, was not party to it, and
sought an order on transfer of the Eidgah mosque land to the deity.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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Cops
Working With Muslims To Rationalise Madrasa Education: Himanta Sarma
January
01, 2023
Guwahati:
Assam police is working with Muslims in the state to rationalise madrasa
education following the alleged involvement of Islamic clerics in 'jihadi'
activities, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday.
The
state police busted eight modules of terrorist organisations Ansarul Bangla
Team and Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent during the just concluded year in
which 51 people were arrested and direct involvement of nine Bangladeshis was
detected for operating from some private madrasas, the Chief Minister said
during an interaction with media persons here.
The
police are coordinating with Bengali Muslims who have positive attitude towards
education to create a good environment in the madrasas, he said.
In
the madrasas science and mathematics will be taught, right to education
respected and a database of teachers maintained, he said.
Besides,
all teachers who have come from outside Assam to teach in the madrasas must
also appear at regular intervals in the nearest police station.
''The
police under the directive of Director General of Police B J Mahanta are
working with the Muslim community to rationalise Madrasa education. Instead of
considering them as enemies, we are making them as stakeholders,'' he said.
Elaborating,
he said there are many areas in some districts where there are only Bengali
Muslims and they have to be the stakeholders.
Sarma,
who is also the state home minister, said that 2022 also witnessed the end of
tribal and adivasi insurgency in the state with the surrender of 7229 cadres of
different outfits following agreement with the central and state governments.
The
police seized 757 sophisticated arms, 5983 assorted ammunitions, 131 grenades.
26 improvised explosive devices (IED) and 52 kgs of explosives from NDFB, NLFT,
Karbi, Dimasa and Adivasi insurgents but voluntary submissions were more than
seizures.
Another
major achievement of the state police was the arrest of the most-wanted Maoist
leader Arun Kumar Bhattacharya alias Kanchanda, who had a reward of ₹ 3.40
crore on his head. His arrest had dealt a death blow to left wing extremism,
Sarma said.
The
Assam police also seized drugs worth ₹ 781 crore, one of the largest haul in
the country excluding by sea, as against ₹ 400 crore the previous year.
"This was possible as Assam Police worked in tandem with the central
agencies," he said.
The
union ministry of home affairs has created a grid of central and state agencies
leading to the seizure of narcotics of huge quantity from Assam, which included
111 kgs of heroin, 48,000 kgs of ganja, 62 lakh Yaba tablets, 401 kgs of
methamphetamine, 2.11 lakh bottles of cough syrup, eight kgs of morphine and
214 kgs of opium.
''It
is not that drugs of this quantity are consumed in the state. Assam serves as
the corridor for their transit to other parts of the country. We (Assam
government) are fulfilling a national obligation to save the young people by
seizing the drugs in the state and preventing it from reaching to the other
parts," Sarma added.
Source:
ND TV
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J&K:
Child dead as blasts hit Rajouri village, day after terrorist attack
Jan
2, 2023
NEW
DELHI: A child was killed as fresh explosions rocked Upper Dangri village in
Rajouri, J&K, where four people lost their lives on Sunday in what appeared
to be a targeted attack on a community.Another five people suffered injuries in
the explosions on Monday morning, not far from the site of Sunday's terrorist
attack that targeted three houses. One of the injured is said to be in critical
condition.
Another
suspected IED was spotted nearby, and is being cleared, a police official said.
Meanwhile
security forces have intensified a cordon-and-search operation by inducting
additional personnel to track down two suspected terrorists involved in
Sunday's attack. Drones and sniffer dogs have also been deployed, officials
said.
Security
has been beefed up in view of the attack in Rajouri, where there is a complete
shut down in protest against the killings.
In
Rajouri town, people gathered at Dangri chowk along with the bodies of those
killed in the attack, and blocked roads. They are demanding that Jammu and
Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha come to protest site, officials said.
Source:
Times Of India
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India
asks Pakistan to release Indian prisoners in its custody
Jan
1, 2023
NEW
DELHI: India on Sunday called on Pakistan to release and repatriate 631 Indian
fishermen and two civilian prisoners who have completed their jail-term and
whose nationality has been confirmed.
In
addition, Islamabad has also been urged to provide immediate consular access to
the remaining 30 fishermen and 22 civilian prisoners who have been in
Pakistan's custody and are believed to be Indian, the Ministry of External
Affairs (MEA) said.
India
made the request in the context of the exchange of the lists of civilian
prisoners and fishermen by both the countries as part of a practice to do so on
January 1 and July 1 of every calendar year under the framework of a 2008 pact.
The
MEA said Pakistan has been requested to ensure the "safety, security and
welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be Indian civilian prisoners and
fishermen, pending their release and repatriation to India".
The
MEA said India shared lists of 339 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 95
Pakistani fishermen currently in Indian custody. Similarly, Pakistan has shared
lists of 51 civilian prisoners and 654 fishermen in its custody, who are
Indians or are believed to be Indians, it added.
"India
and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New
Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their
custody," the MEA said in a statement.
It
said the government has called for early release and repatriation of civilian
prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel, and fishermen along with their
boats, from Pakistan's custody.
"In
this context, Pakistan was asked to expedite the release and repatriation of
631 Indian fishermen and two Indian civilian prisoners, who have completed
their sentence and whose nationality has been confirmed and conveyed to
Pakistan," the MEA said.
It
said India remains committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian
matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other's
country.
Source:
Times Of India
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India,
Pakistan exchange list of nuclear installations
Jan
1, 2023
NEW
DELHI: In continuing a 32-year practice, India and Pakistan on Sunday exchanged
a list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral pact which prohibits
the two sides from attacking each other's atomic facilities.
The
exchange of the list took place under the provisions of the agreement on the
prohibition of attack against nuclear installations and facilities, the
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
It
was done simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad.
"India
and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New
Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities, covered
under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations
and Facilities between India and Pakistan," the MEA said in a statement.
The
agreement was signed on December 31, 1988 and came into force on January 27,
1991.
The
pact mandates India and Pakistan to inform each other of the nuclear
installations and facilities covered under the agreement on the first of
January of every calendar year. "This is the 32nd consecutive exchange of
such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on
January 1, 1992," the MEA said.
Source:
Times Of India
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NIA
chargesheets 11 PFI activists over Nizamabad 'terror' camps
Dec
31, 2022
HYDERABAD:
The National Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet against 11 members of
Popular Front of India (PFI) who were allegedly involved in organising terror
camps in Nizamabad and recruiting youth for terror acts.
The
chargesheet against the accused - 10 belonging to Telangana and one to Andhra
Pradesh - was filed before the NIA special court in Hyderabad on Thursday, NIA
officials said: "Investigations have revealed that the accused persons
were radicalising gullible Muslim youth and recruiting them into PFI through
speeches filled with hatred and venom against the government of India as well
as other organisations and individuals."
Telangana
police busted the network of PFI in Nizamabad district after conducting raids
on their training camps and registered a case in VI Town police station on July
4. The NIA registered a fresh FIR on August 26 and took over the investigation.
Later, NIA conducted simultaneous raids in Telangana and AP. Investigations
have revealed that the accused persons were radicalising gullible Muslim youth.
Youth
sent to PFI camps under guise of yoga classes: NIA
The
11 accused have been identified as Abdul Khader, Abdul Ahad, Shaik Shadullah,
Syed Yahiya Sameer, Shaik Imran and Mohammad Abdul Mubeen of Nizamabad, Abdul
Saleem and Mohammad Osman of Jagtial, Mohammad Irfan of Karimnagar, Feroz Khan
of Adilabad and Shaik Iliyas Ahmed of AP's Nellore.
NIA
officials said Muslim youth were sent to training camps organised by PFI under
the guise of conducting yoga classes and physical education beginner courses
during when they were trained in the use of everyday articles like knife,
sickle and iron rods to kill a person by attacking vulnerable bodyparts such as
stomach, head and throat. "They were also trained to commit acts of
terror," the officials said.
The
accused persons were charged under IPC sections of criminal conspiracy and for
promoting enmity between different groups and various sections of the Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act.
It
was in July this year, Nizamabad police first busted an alleged sleeper cell of
PFI. Police said the sleeper cell was operating out of former member of the
banned Students' Islamic Movement of India, Abdul Khader's house in the town.
Four persons were arrested on the charges of organising classes on 'anti-Hindu'
indoctrination.
Source:
Times Of India
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Religious
radicalism suicidal path for Christians, Muslims: VHP
1st
January 2023
Indore:
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has passed a resolution against religious
radicalism, which it said was responsible for terror attacks across the world,
and demanded a stringent law to ban illegal conversions and implementation of
the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), its functionary said.
This
resolution was passed and demands were made during the three-day meeting of the
VHP’s central board of trustees and the governing council that concluded here
on Sunday.
“An
important resolution on ‘Religious Dogmatism Its Ill-effects and Solution’ was
passed in the meeting,” VHP working president advocate Alok Kumar told
reporters here.
“The
resolution made it clear that the declarations by some traditions that ‘Only my
religion is right, others have to accept and if they don’t, then I have the
divine command to eliminate them’ are unacceptable to humanity. Those who
insist on such heavenly commands to destroy have actually destroyed many
ancient civilisations of the world,” he said.
The
resolution passed during the meeting said, “Unfortunately, despite the toxic
experiences of many centuries, religious radicalism and dogmatism of the desert
traditions remain a challenge for the whole world even today. These radicals
are also responsible for the terrorist attacks happening here and there in the
world every day…”
“The
series of inhuman atrocities on non-Muslim women through ‘Love Jihad’ and also
the Jihadi activism of the “Sar tan se juda gang” (beheading gang) are the
ghastly faces of this religious radicalism….,” a VHP statement said.
Kumar
said a comprehensive policy has to be framed at the global level to deal with
the toxic effects of religious dogmatism.
“This
narrow-mindedness and exclusivism has to be neutralised at the intellectual,
social and political levels. Violence, looting, rape and murders are used as
weapons by a large section of Islam in the name of Jihad. Now this will not work,”
he added.
“We
will not allow any part of Bharat to become Dar-ul-Islam. VHP, Bajrang Dal,
Durga Vahini along with revered saints and thinkers of the society have been
fighting it steadfastly. We will speed up this work,” he said.
A
large section of Christian missionaries is engaged in the agenda of engineering
social enmity, fostering terror, and converting people through the tactics of
force, fraud and allurement. It was also urged in the resolution that religious
radicalism would prove to be a suicidal path for the Christian and the Muslim
communities instead of their development, the VHP statement said.
They
should replace their radical leadership by sensible and rational leadership who
stand for development and harmonious co-existence, it added.
VHP’s
board of trustees appealed to all sections of the society not to patronise such
anti-national tendencies, not to destroy the future for the sake of immediate
gains. It asked people to play their role in dispiriting religious dogmatist
and separatist leadership and cheering open-minded leadership that takes the
society towards harmony and development, the statement said.
It
also appealed to the central and the state governments to control the madrassas
and missionary schools that teach exclusivism, extremism and separatism and
make arrangements for development and harmony-oriented education, it said.
The
central government should enact stringent laws to prevent illegal conversions
and religious dogmatism. Along with this, a demand was also made to pass and
implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the entire country, it added.
Hindu
society has long been a victim of religious dogmatism of the desert traditions,
but it has proved formidable to those challenges, it said, adding, “VHP will
organise a mass awareness campaign in this regard to create eternal vigilance
and expose the conspiracies of the dogmatic leadership.”
“At
the meeting, as a resolution, an action plan has been made to make students
‘sanskaarvaan’ (well-cultivated) and ‘shraddhavaan’ (reverent) all over the
world through Bal Sanskar Shalas, competitions of Dharmic education, spreading
of holistic, altruistic and syncretic Hindu values,”Kumar said.
At
present, the VHP is directly working in 30 countries, out of which
representative activists from 24 countries had come for the International
Coordination Meeting in Mumbai for three days at the end of December 2022.
Source:
Siasat Daily
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https://www.siasat.com/religious-radicalism-suicidal-path-for-christians-muslims-vhp-2492803/
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Pakistan
Aaghaz-e-Dosti
delegation at Kartarpur pray for spiritual connect and peace in New Year
Dec
31, 2022
BATHINDA:
A 10 member delegation of Aaghaz-e-Dosti from India travelled to Kartarpur
Sahib on the eve of New Year to offer prayers for peace and to strengthen
spiritual connect between the two nations. Members of the delegation joined
from various Indian cities.
Aaghaz-e-Dosti,
in a statement, said that being a first visa free corridor, Kartarpur reflects
a corridor of peace and it is sending a message of peacebuilding and commitment
of both sides of governments that despite all disagreements, even states on
both sides look positively with hope. Aaghaz-e-Dosti said that now Kartarpur
has completed three years since opening of this route which was a long
demanding one and since then thousands of families and devotees travelled to
offer prayers at Gurdwara and it also brought an opportunity where many divided
families met.
The
delegation visiting to Kartarpur was led by Prof. Jagmohan Singh, academician
and nephew of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Ram Mohan Rai, a social activist and General
Secretary of Gandhi Global Family. Along with them, a team of persons who
belong to different backgrounds and from all walks of life participated. This
visit was coordinated jointly by Aaghaz-e-Dosti coordinators Nitin Mittoo and
Jansher Khan.
Prof.
Jagmohan Singh said that first Sikh master Guru Nanak Dev was a great
personality who connects not only Sikhs, but even all peace loving persons as
he always advocated peace and love. He said that India and Pakistan have many
such connections, but unfortunately we are still unable to fully utilise this
potential of connection. Spiritual connections like Nizamuddin Shrine, Katasraj
Temple, Hinglaj Mata Temple, Ajmer Shrine, Kartarpur Gurdwara, Golden Temple,
Sharda Peeth are many such opportunities where people from both sides want to
visit due to their faith and love. He said that similarly there are persons
like Bhagat Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai whose native places people want to visit to
look into history which we need to think upon to open for frequent visits by
people.
Ram
Mohan Rai said that Pakistan and India are meeting each other at Kartarpur and
this is a great message of oneness and of unity which Guru Nanak Dev always
preached in his life. He said that more and more such options should be opened
where people can visit and through such visits, people get a different feeling
which is truly spiritual.
Aaghaz-e-Dosti
Coordinator Jansher Khan from Pakistan said that many Pakistanis visit
Kartarpur every day and they also meet people from India and see how both are
so similar, so close and yet too far. Kartarpur corridor is providing an
opportunity to common Pakistanis and Indians to at least see each other face to
face and to understand how our history is connected and so are our future.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Unexplained
incarcerations complicate matters for Afghan refugees in Pakistan: Report
31
December, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], December 31 (ANI): The unexplained incarceration of Afghan refugees
in Pakistan amidst the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan and growing
tensions between the Taliban government and Islamabad over the border issue,
has complicated matters for the Afghan refugees, writes Noman Hossain, a
freelance journalist in a report for Khaama Press.
“The
unexplained incarceration is not a new development in Pakistan. Their
frequency, however, has increased significantly since the Taliban’s return to
power in Kabul,” Hossain writes.
Women
and children in prison face inhuman conditions, and rape threats. There is no
justice in sight.
Even
though local human rights bodies in Pakistan like the National Commission for
Human Rights (NCHR) have highlighted the issues faced by the Afghan refugees in
Pakistan, the provincial government and security forces have ignored their
pleas.
The
state security agencies regularly pick up Afghan men for interrogations. Even
Afghan women and children face incarcerations without proper judicial
explanation.
“Over
200 Afghan women and underage children have been locked up at the Karachi
Central Jail for nearly two months now. While it is reported that they were
arrested because of their alleged “illegal” stay in Pakistan, some human rights
activists revealed that these women and children were considered a security
‘threat’ by the local police,” wrote Hossain for the Khaama Press.
The
Khaama Press report also quoted Haya Zahid, a Legal Empowerment Practitioner
from Karachi. Zahid said: “Many Afghan women travelled to Pakistan for better
medical treatment. Each has around six-eight children. Despite being locked in
a barrack, every time an official visits, the children’s eyes light up.”
The
NCHR is providing legal recourse to the Afghan nationals imprisoned in Karachi.
The NCHR officials are trying to send imprisoned Afghan nationals back to
Afghanistan.
Afghan
women regularly travel to Pakistan for medical treatment whereas adult males
look for work opportunities in Pakistan. Most of them also carry their
children, who end up becoming collateral damage.
The
UN Refugee Agency, recently, raised alarm over images and reports of the arrest
and detention of Afghan refugees in Pakistan’s Sindh province.
Source: The Print
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Politicians
felicitate nation, pledge Pakistan’s prosperity in 2023
January
1, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
As the new year began on Sunday, President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif and other politicians felicitated the nation and prayed for the
development, progress and prosperity of Pakistan. In his message, the president
said the nation faced various challenges last year but “overcame difficult
situations due to the hard work, sacrifice, determination and resilience”.
“In
the new year, as a nation, we must set our priorities correctly to overcome the
challenges facing the nation,” he added. He furthered that Pakistan needs
national solidarity, unity, discipline, persistent hard work, passion and
dedication to making the country prosperous, developed, democratic and stable.
In
his message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hoped that the new year would prove
to be the year of ending hunger, war, terrorism, crime, sectarianism and class
division from the whole world, including Pakistan. The premier also said that
2022 was “a tough year for Pakistan”.
“The
worst flooding in history aggravated our economic challenges.
My
resolve for the New Year is to use my energy & time to get people out of
difficulties, rehabilitate flood victims & put Pakistan on the path to
growth & stability,” the PM added.
Meanwhile,
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb wished the nation
a “happy New Year” and prayed that “2023 proves to be a salve for the wounds of
humanity, get rid of inflation, terrorism, injustice, lies and hatred”.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in his message to the nation
said: “Year 2022: it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”.
Imran
furthered that a government “with the best economic performances was removed
through a conspiracy,” and that the “country was handed over to a bunch of
criminals”. The PTI chief lashed out at the incumbent government and said “they
ran [the] economy to the ground and gave themselves NRO2”. He furthered that he
has “faith in Almighty Allah and confidence in our people that without [a]
doubt in 2023 through elections PTI will form [a] strong government”.
Moreover,
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that in the outgoing year “people
marched, parliament triumphed over the selected, we came together to save
[Pakistan]”. “2023 will be the year hope triumphs over hate, truth over lies
& Unity triumphs over division,” he added.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Pakistan:
22 injured in celebratory gunfire on new year's eve
Jan
1, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan's new year celebrations were marred by customary gunfire by the
exuberant revellers in several big cities, injuring at least 22 people,
including children and women, in the Karachi metropolis.
As
the clock struck midnight to announce the arrival of the new year on Saturday,
the port city resonated with the sounds of heavy gunfire.
According
to Pakistan television network Geo TV, several people, including a child and
women, were injured in the aerial firing in different parts of Karachi despite
a ban on the display of firearms.
Sources
from the hospitals said eight people with injuries were admitted to the Civil
Hospital, four to Jinnah Hospital, and ten, including women and children, were
taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment.
So
far 13 people have been arrested in connection with the firing in Korangi,
three of whom have been charged with attempted murder.
The
channel further reported that Karachiites took to the streets and roads to
celebrate the new year. The Five Star Chowrangi was thronged by people in a
festive mood. Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori was also seen joining the masses to
watch fireworks at the Numaish Chowrangi.
Other
sites that were thronged by people to witness the annual bash included Clifton
Seaview, Do Darya, Bahria Town and Bagh Ibn Qasim. Separately, various clubs,
hotels and organisations also organised fireworks to welcome 2023.
Similar
reports of celebrations were also received from Lahore, Islamabad and
Rawalpindi. Incidents of injuries due to gunfire were also reported from Lahore
but it was independently confirmed.
The
new year celebrations have been controversial in Pakistan as clerics look down
on the revelries and consider it a sin to imitate western culture. However,
over the years an increase has been noticed in the number of people taking to
the streets to celebrate this annual event.
Traditionally,
club-carrying activists of right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami would disrupt the
gathering of youths and roam on the streets of big cities to scare people away.
However, they too have toned down their ‘pious' work with the passage of time.
President
Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif felicitated the nation and
international community at the beginning of the New Year and prayed for the
development, progress and prosperity of Pakistan as well as peace in the world.
In
their separate messages, they stressed the need to work together to make
Pakistan the cradle of peace, prosperity and development, according to their
official statements.
The
President in his message said the nation faced various challenges last year but
overcame difficult situations due to hard work, sacrifice, determination and
resilience.
"In
the new year, as a nation we must set our priorities correctly to overcome the
challenges facing the nation," he said.
The
Prime Minister in his message hoped that the new year would prove to be the
year of ending hunger, war, terrorism, crime, sectarianism and class division
from the whole world, including Pakistan.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Former
army chief’s ‘set-up’ still active, alleges Imran
Mansoor
Malik
January
2, 2023
LAHORE:
Former prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday lashed out at the former army chief
again, alleging that Qamar Javed Bajwa stabbed him in the back and that his
“set-up” was still active in the establishment purportedly to stop the Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) from coming back to power.
Speaking
to reporters, the PTI chairman claimed that Mr Bajwa “stabbed me in the back”
but now he was expressing sympathies for him. Mr Khan said the ex-chief was not
interested in accountability of the corrupt which led to terse relations with
him. “I felt the change of attitude in [retired] Gen Bajwa after he was given
an extension and slowly I was hammered with a message that I should give up on
the matter of accountability,” he said.
Mr
Khan alleged that the former army chief had hired ex-envoy Hussain Haqqani for
lobbying, who launched an “anti-defamation” campaign against him and promoted
Mr Bajwa in Washington.
Speaking
about details of his last meeting with Mr Bajwa, Imran Khan said the former
army chief called him a “playboy”. “In reply, I told him ‘yes, I had been a
playboy’.” He also said the campaign to prove him as “anti-American” was
launched from Pakistan, and whatever US official Donald Lu said was fed from
Pakistan.
‘MPAs
pressurised’
Mr
Khan claimed that three PTI MPAs were being “pressurised by the establishment”
to abstain from the vote of confidence to be taken by Chief Minister Parvez
Elahi. “The MPAs have shared their experience about who, where, and how the
messages are being transmitted to them,” he claimed.
Mr
Khan added that he has no contact with the establishment as he termed it a
“one-man show”. He said the establishment could play a decisive role in driving
the country out of political and economic crises. “Free, fair, and credible
elections is the only way out to lead Pakistan to political and economic
stability,” he said.
He
said the MQM’s various factions were being “gathered on one platform” in
Karachi, while the BAP was being persuaded to join the PPP. Answering a
question about returning to the assemblies, the PTI chairman said that there
was no use in going back to assemblies as all legislation were being passed
unhindered. “The PTI’s return to assemblies will, however, be tantamount to
accepting the PDM government,” he added.
The
PTI chairman said foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari knows nothing about
diplomacy, particularly Pak-Afghan relations.
Back-breaking
inflation
Warning
the nation to get ready for more difficulties than the existing back-breaking
inflation and price-hike, Imran Khan said Pakistan had no choice but to go to
the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“Going
to the IMF programme will further increase financial difficulties for the
masses but not going to the international body would crush the country’s
economy leading to the sale of its assets,” he said.
Mr
Khan, flanked by Senator Dr Sania Nishtar, was speaking through a video link
from his Zaman Park residence on Sunday. Calling the incumbent rulers “economic
hitmen”, he said they got their Rs1100 billion corruption cases closed at the
expense of the economy. Mr Khan said the country could default if the incumbent
government did not join the IMF programme at the earliest.
The
PTI chief said he had collected funds for the flood victims with complete
transparency so that affected people could be given relief and rehabilitated.
Briefing the nation about the collection of funds and its utilization, Dr
Nishtar said PTI chief Imran Khan had done three telethons and some Rs15
billion were pledged. She said the funds actually received stood at Rs4.6
billion.
Of
Rs4.6 billion, she said Rs3.4 billion were deposited in the Punjab chief
minister’s flood relief account and Rs1.2 billion in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
chief minister’s account.
“The
Punjab and KP governments have so far spent Rs3.6 billion funds, while Rs1
billion was lying in accounts to be transferred to the Sindh government for the
relief of flood affectees as per announcement of the party chief,” she said and
regretted that the Sindh government was not sharing the survey data for the
dispensation of funds.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1729469/former-army-chiefs-set-up-still-active-alleges-imran
--------
PML-N
rushes to bridge growing MQM-PPP fissures
Imran
Auyb
January
2, 2023
KARACHI:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided on Sunday to send a team of
troubleshooters to Karachi for placating the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan
after the party opposed the Sindh government’s decision to hold local
government elections in the metropolis and Hyderabad under the existing
delimitation.
Minutes
after the MQM-P threatened at a presser in Karachi to approach the Election
Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against what he called “jerrymandering”, federal
Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq called MQM-P leader Aminul
Haque and informed him that he would visit his party’s office on Monday (today)
in order to address its concerns.
According
to sources, a federal government delegation would hold talks with MQM-P leaders
and is also likely to meet the Pakistan Peoples Party leadership in order to
find a way out for holding the Jan 15 polls in time.
“Sardar
Sadiq assured the MQM-P leader that the delegation, in line with the PM’s
directives, will take all stakeholders on board and do its best to address the
party’s concerns,” said a source privy to the telephonic conversation.
Khalid
rejects Jan 15 LG polls under existing delimitation; Ayaz due in Karachi today
Earlier,
a hurriedly called meeting of the Muttahida’s coordination committee discussed
the development and charted a fresh line of action in case the “situation
remains unchanged”.
The
meeting was chaired by Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the party’s convener.
Dr
Siddiqui expressed fears that local bodies elections in Karachi under the
existing delimitation would be against the city’s mandate, vowing to approach a
court and the Election Commission of Pakistan for “justice”.
He
admitted that the PPP had accepted a number of Muttahida’s demands under the
Charter of Rights the two parties had signed in April, but made it clear that
“we stand by our demand for a fresh census and delimitation before any
electoral exercise in urban Sindh”.
Later
addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Bahadurabad, the
MQM-P converner said: “We are justified to question the Election Commission
what authority the Sindh government has for delimitation.
“This
unfair delimitation has thrown up haphazard constituencies which will serve
vested interests. We look to the prime minister for resolving the matter, but
unfortunately I am not hopeful.”
The
meeting was informed that the Muttahida had already approached the Sindh
government about a verdict given by the Supreme Court on Feb 1 last year
directing it to make the LG system “empowered”.
“This
primarily demands fresh delimitation before polling.”
The
Sindh government wrote last week to the ECP seeking its opinion for “further
necessary action” on the apex court’s verdict.
AG’s
opinion
The
Sindh government attached an opinion of the advocate general that lends
credence to the MQM-P’s stance on devolution of powers and fresh delimitation.
However, Dr Siddiqui didn’t sound confident that the outcome would be in his
party’s favour before the Jan 15 polls.
“Everyone
should keep this in mind the ECP will be responsible if elections are held in
Karachi and Hyderabad with no law in sight to stop electoral mismanagement,” he
added.
“In
the census [2017] Karachi was already counted as half of its actual size and
there can be no greater injustice than this,” the Muttahida leader said.
“Look
at the disproportion between constituencies. One has 30,000 voters while a
neighbouring unit has over 100,000. Such distortion will never reflect
Karachi’s true mandate.”
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1729466/pml-n-rushes-to-bridge-growing-mqm-ppp-fissures
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JUI
convenes APC on law, order situation in KP today
January
1, 2023
PESHAWAR:
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) has convened an All Parties’ Conference
at Mufti Mehmood Center Peshawar at 11am on Sunday (today).
The
provincial spokesman for JUI-F, Jalil Jan on Saturday said that the conference
besides others would likely be attended by JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman,
Qaumi Watan Party Chief Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Advisor to Prime Minister and
Provincial President Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Engineer Amir Maqam,
Central leader of Awami National Party (ANP) Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, Provincial
President ANP Aimal Wali Khan, Provincial President PPP Najamuddin Khan and Faisal Karim Kundi and
Fayaz Khan of JUP and others.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/01/01/jui-convenes-apc-on-law-order-situation-in-kp-today/
--------
Terror
Attack Kills a Police Constable in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
By
Nizamuddin Rezahi
January
1, 2023
Gunmen
attacked a police checkpost earlier today in the Shahbaz Khel area of Khayber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP), causing the death of a police constable.
The
terrorists attacked a police checkpost in the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa using heavy and automatic weapons, reported Dawn. The attack was
thwarted by the timely action of the police, ending in the martyrdom of a
police officer and the death of major terrorist, Hameed, the police spokesperson
said.
The
suspect was under the watch of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Bannu
for being allegedly involved in attacks on police and security forces, Hameed
said.
After
ending its months-ceasefire with the government of Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) resumed its brutal attacks across the country. The latest
suicide attack and bombings in KP, Quetta, and Islamabad ended in the death of
scores of innocent civilians and security officials.
Moreover,
in a separate terror attack, six police officers were killed while the police
mobile patrol came under gunfire on November 16 in Lakki Marwat district KP.
The
rapid rise in terror attacks in the recent past has forced the security
institutions of the Pakistani government to develop a comprehensive strategy to
deal with the threat of terrorism and ensure the enteral security of the
general public.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/terror-attack-kills-a-police-constable-in-khyber-pakhtunkhwa/
--------
Africa
Mass
grave with 18 bodies found in ex-Daesh stronghold in Libya
January
01, 2023
CAIRO:
Libyan authorities on Sunday said they have found 18 bodies buried in a mass
grave in a former stronghold of Daesh along the conflict-stricken North African
nation’s coast.
The
Missing Persons Authority said in a statement the bodies were unearthed in the
Sabaa area of Sirte, a city in central Libya. The bodies were taken to a local
hospital, it added.
Sirte,
the birthplace of former longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi, fell under the
control of Daesh militants between 2015 and 2016. The militants, along with
Al-Qaeda, gained a foothold in oil-rich Libya amid the chaos that engulfed the
country after the 2011 uprising and a NATO intervention in the conflict.
The
militants were eventually driven out of the city in December 2016 by Libyan
forces supported by the US and allied with the UN-backed government in the
capital Tripoli. Hundreds of alleged former Daesh fighters remain incarcerated
in Libyan prisons, many of whom are awaiting trial.
Since
Ghadafi’s overthrow and killing, Libya has been split between rival
authorities. Sirte is now controlled by forces loyal to military leader Khalifa
Haftar based in the country’s east.
In
its statement, the Missing Persons Authority said they collected samples of the
dead bones in an effort to identify the bodies. Further details on the cause of
death for those found were not provided.
Several
mass graves have been uncovered across Libya recently. In October, officials
said they found 42 bodies in a mass grave in a school site in Sirte.
In
December 2018, the bodies of more than thirty men were discovered near Sirte,
believed to be the corpses of a group of Ethiopian Christians whom Islamic
State fighters executed in a video the group published years earlier.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2225161/middle-east
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Bodies
of 13 Moroccans recovered after boat sinks while attempting to reach Spain
31
December ,2022
The
bodies of 13 Moroccans were recovered after their boat sank off the country’s
southern coast while attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, Moroccan media
reported.
The
45 passengers on board were attempting to reach the islands’ main city of Las
Palmas when their boat hit a rock and sank Friday, “10 minutes after” embarking
near the town of Mirleft, according to online news service Hespress.
Twenty-four
people, including a minor, were rescued from the water and the body of one
woman was among those recovered, the Arabic-language site reported.
Eight
of the passengers remain unaccounted for.
AFP
contacted Moroccan authorities to confirm the deaths but received no immediate
comment.
Morocco’s
2M news service reported the passengers had used an inflatable boat which was
quickly “damaged and the victims found themselves in the middle of the waves.”
Passage
on the vessel had cost between 20,000 and 25,000 Moroccan dirhams ($1,900 to
$2,400), Hespress said.
Located
at Africa’s northwestern tip, Morocco is a transit country for many migrants,
particularly sub-Saharans, seeking to reach Europe from its Atlantic or
Mediterranean coasts.
According
to a recent report by the Spanish human rights group Caminando Fronteras
(Frontline Defenders), more than 11,200 migrants have died or gone missing
while trying to reach Spain since 2018, an average of six per day.
The
route between Morocco and the Canary Islands alone accounted for 7,692 of these
deaths, the group said.
Since
late 2019, the number of migrants attempting clandestine crossings along the
perilous Atlantic migration route has surged as patrols in the Mediterranean
intensified.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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10
people killed in Uganda stampede during New Year celebrations
Godfrey
Olukya
01.01.2023
KAMPALA,
Uganda
At
least 10 people were killed in a stampede in Uganda when they struggled to
enter an entertainment center for the New Year’s Eve celebrations, police said
on Sunday.
Police
deputy spokesman Luke Oweyesigyire confirmed the death toll from Saturday
night’s incident, saying they are investigating whether there was neglect at
the Freedom City Mall event in the outskirts of the capital Kampala.
He
said the incident occurred at midnight when the event's master of ceremony at a
music show encouraged attendees to go outside and watch the fireworks display.
“After
the display ended, a stampede ensued, resulting in the instant deaths of five
people and injuries to several others,” Oweyesigyire said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Sudan
faces ‘complex political process’: UN mission
Bahram
Abdel Moneim
31.12.2022
KHARTOUM,
Sudan
The
UN mission said Saturday that Sudan is going through a “very complex political
process”.
This
came in a statement issued by the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission
in Sudan (UNITAMS) on the 67th anniversary of Sudan's independence from British
colonialism (1899-1956).
“This
anniversary comes while Sudan is going through a very complex political
process, one that is filled with hope for creating a better future and the desire
to overcome the bitterness of the past. We hope this helps write a new page in
the history of Sudan,” the mission said.
On
Dec. 5, Sudan’s ruling military council and political forces signed a framework
agreement meant to resolve the country’s months-long crisis.
“The
Sudanese have shown throughout their contemporary history an amazing will to
adhere to their dreams and aspirations even in the face of many challenges,”
UNITAMS said.
“The
past four years, since the spark of the December revolution, were an example
that inspired many around the globe in manifesting the abilities of the
Sudanese people and their determination to achieve the goals represented by the
slogan of freedom, peace and justice,” it added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/sudan-faces-complex-political-process-un-mission/2777114
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Several
killed, injured in anti-government protests in Somaliland
01
January 2023
Several
people have been killed and several others injured in anti-government protests
in the southeast of the breakaway region of Somaliland, multiple independent
sources have confirmed.
The
violent confrontations entered the 5th day on Saturday as protests have been
held in the town of Las Anod, about 500 kilometers (310 miles) east of the
Somaliland capital Hargeisa, following the killing of a politician by gunmen.
Saleban
Ali Kore, communications minister of Somaliland offered “condolence” to
victims’ families and said they were killed in “violent incidents” in Las Anod,
without giving details on the number of fatalities.
Meanwhile,
the head of the main opposition Wadani party, Abdirahman Iro, told the rallying
crowd on Saturday that “more than 10 people were killed in Las Anod” adding
that about 50 others were wounded.
According
to the local residents, a large number of security forces were deployed in Las
Anod on Saturday, and most businesses remained closed.
Tensions
escalated as security forces tried to disperse the protesters and fired live
ammunition, according to witnesses.
The
protests came in the wake of the assassination of rising politician Abdifatah
Abdillah Hadrawi by masked attackers last week. The opposition accuses the
government of playing a role in the assassination, but there is no independent
investigation to support the claim.
The
regional President Muse Bihi Abdi accused the “enemy of Somaliland” of being
behind the assassination plot. Bihi sent condolences and urged the residents to
stay calm and maintain the peace, but the protesters seem to take a new
dimension with politicians standing against the government.
Somaliland
government is also under pressure from opposition leaders who are calling for
presidential polls, which had the term expiring in November but elections are
yet to be held.
The
town of Las Anod is a source of conflict between Somaliland and its neighbor,
Puntland. The city is a very old commercial and strategic crossroads that have
changed hands several times since Somaliland’s independence.
The
self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland is a breakaway from Somalia, positioned
along the Gulf of Aden and home to the deep-water strategic port of Berbera.
Somaliland has maintained self-rule since 1991 civil war but has not won
international recognition.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/01/01/695523/several-killed-antigovernment-protest-Somaliland
--------
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