Gujarat HC dismisses PIL seeking ban on loudspeakers at mosques, asks if Hindu bhajans do not create noise pollution
New Age Islam News Bureau
30 November 2023
·
To Tackle
Hate against Jews and Muslims, EU Governments Need Better Statistics
· Nadim: We Are Not Ready to Accept Orders Against Islamic Laws
· Gujarat HC dismisses PIL seeking ban on loudspeakers at mosques
· Sabah Assembly passes amendments to widen Shariah court powers on Islamic inheritance, strengthen fatwa procedures
· Minister for Religious Affairs urges youth to embrace Quranic principles
· US asks Israel to narrow zone of combat in any southern Gaza attack
· Pakistan seeks international tribunal to probe Israel’s war crimes
· Islamic Ministerial Committee urges UN chief to reject Israeli blatant settlement activities
------
India
· Protests erupt at NIT Srinagar over social media post ‘Insulting Prophet Mohammad’, Classwork suspended
· Hindus, Muslims together saved 41 workers in tunnel, says chief of firm that pulled off Uttarakhand rescue
· Ex Muslim MP meets with Maharashtra governor to discuss key Muslim community issues
· Farooq Abdullah laments ‘legitimisation of discrimination’ against Muslims
· Indian trade unions stand with Palestine, reject sending workers to Israel
· Amid Criticism, J&K Police Defends UAPA Charge Against Students Held for 'Pro-Pak' Slogans
· Gyanvapi mosque: Court asks ASI to explain reason for seeking more to file survey report
· India welcomes release of Israeli hostages by Hamas, calls for immediate, unconditional release of those remaining
------
Europe
· Germany warns of ‘real’ Islamist terror threat in wake of Israel-Hamas war
· Muslims in Europe feel vulnerable to rising hostility
· EU provides 142 million Euros to support forced Afghan migrants
· Spanish cities protest in support of Palestine, major union calls for cease-fire
· London pro-Palestine protest target subsidiary of Israeli weapons company Elbit Systems
· Father of British student killed by Israel urges Tel Aviv to change ‘inhuman’ military tactics
· Police arrest man over Islamophbic attacks on mosques and businesses in Acton and West London
-----
South Asia
· Afghans Call for Islamic Countries to Support Palestinians
· Iranian forces arrest armed drug smugglers from Afghanistan
· UN Report on Afghanistan assessed in closed Security Council Session
· Hamid Karzai calls for immediate ‘Intra-Afghan’ Talks
· Our Envoy Not Summoned by Pakistan Foreign Ministry: Mujahid
· Stanikzai: Afghan Embassy in India to Reopen in Coming Days
· Kabul Calls for Release of Last Afghan From Guantanamo Bay
· From DU to Gaza: Students take stance in solidarity with Palestinians
------
Southeast Asia
· Humanitarian pause must be the beginning for a lasting peace process in Gaza
· Lorry attendant charged with attempted murder of policeman
· Thai foreign minister weeps, welcomes Hamas release of Thai workers
· Global Muslim food consumption spending to reach US$1.3t by 2024, says DPM Fadillah
· Singapore deploys RSAF aircraft to deliver urgent humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza (VIDEO)
· Here's why Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are fleeing to Indonesia
----
Pakistan
· Afghans involved in most of terror attacks: Bugti
· PM Kakar arrives in Dubai to attend COP28 summit
· Cabinet gives nod to jail trial of Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi in cipher case
· Cabinet okays trial of Imran’s graft cases in jail
· Rally condemns Israeli atrocities
------
·
North
America
· US Muslim group urges Biden to condemn Israeli killings of 2 Palestinian children in West Bank
· US Congress members visit hunger strike calling for permanent cease-fire in Gaza
· US claims it foiled alleged Indian plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader
-----
Mideast
· Iran appreciates international support for Gaza
· Israel-Hamas truce to continue for another day
· Eight-year-old, teen shot dead in West Bank: Palestinian health ministry
· COP28 president denies using climate talks to push oil deals
· Turkish military plane with 8 tons of medical aid for Gazans lands in Egypt
· UN chief urges world not to look away and ignore ‘epic humanitarian catastrophe’ in Gaza
· Jordan says it will host conference to coordinate aid to Gaza
· Israeli military says 10 Israelis, four Thai nationals, have been released by Hamas
· Israel says investigating Hamas report of baby hostage death
· Hamas releases 14 more captives in sixth phase of swap deal with Israel
-----
Arab World
· Saudi envoy urges Gaza ceasefire during chemical weapons convention
· Saudi Arabia to spearhead green development vision with forum during COP28
· Saudi FM calls for international recognition of Palestine at Security Council session
· Islamic Ministerial Committee, China FM meet in New York and discuss developments in Gaza
-----
Africa
· Death toll from floods in Somalia rises to 101
· Climate crisis drives more than 27 million children into hunger: Report
· JUST IN: Bandits storm Kaduna community, abduct Imam, couple, 10-month-old baby
· Federal Government Reveals Plans to Solve Food Problems in Nigeria
· FRC to Reintroduce Corporate Governance Code for Churches, Mosques, Others
· South Africa: Hundreds of people join pro-Palestinian march in Johannesburg
· Libya sends nearly 250 migrants back to Niger, Chad
· Ghana: dam flooding displaces hundreds
· Niger: ECOWAS set to rule on complaint over Mohamed Bazoum's detention
· British-Nigerian hacker pleads guilty to $6m fraud in US court
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
--------------
Gujarat
HC dismisses PIL seeking ban on loudspeakers at mosques, asks if Hindu bhajans
do not create noise pollution
29/NOV/2023
Ahmedabad
: The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation
(PIL) seeking a ban on the use of loudspeakers for azaan or the Islamic call to
prayer at mosques, terming the plea as “wholly misconceived.”
A
division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha P Mayee
also asked, during the hearing, if it was the petitioner’s case that the noise
of bells and gongs during `aarti’ at a temple is not heard outside.
The
petition, filed by Bajrang Dal leader ShaktisinhZala, claimed that “noise
pollution” caused by azaan when played through loudspeakers affects people’s,
especially children’s health and causes inconvenience otherwise.
However,
the high court noted that the claims in the petition had no scientific
foundation. Azaan is conducted for a maximum of ten minutes at a time at
different hours of the day, the court pointed out.
“We fail
to understand how the human voice making azaan through loudspeakers in the
morning could achieve the decibel (level) to the extent of creating noise
pollution, causing health hazards for the public at large,” it further said.
“We are
not entertaining this kind of PIL. It is a faith and practice going for years,
and it is for 5-10 minutes. In your temple, the morning aarti with drums and
music also starts early at 3 am. So it does not cause any kind of noise to
anyone? Can you say the noise of ghanta (bell) and ghadiyal (gong) remains in
temple premises only, does not percolate outside the temple?” the court asked
the petitioner’s lawyer.
There is
a scientific method for measuring noise pollution, but the petition does not
provide any data to show that a ten-minute azan causes noise pollution, the
court noted. ( With PTI inputs )
Source: muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/gujarat-hc-dismisses-pil-seeking-ban-on-loudspeakers-at-mosques/
------
To
Tackle Hate against Jews and Muslims, EU Governments Need Better Statistics
29
November 2023
A poster
reading "Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, Racism, Not in Our Name" during
a gathering decrying anti-semitism at Place de la Republique in Paris, February
18, 2019. © 2023 Francois Mori/AP Photo
-------------
A Muslim
lawmaker in Berlin has received hate-filled flyers mixed with glass and feces.
A Jewish woman was stabbed in Lyon, France. Other such incidents have been
reported across Europe.
Rising
antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred in Europe amid the recent hostilities in
Israel-Palestine has prompted deep concern. Yet the response by EU governments
has been partial and ineffective, in part because they lack adequate
anti-discrimination data and protection strategies that address the daily lived
experiences of discrimination faced by Jewish and Muslim people.
Leading
EU member states such as France and Germany, in view of their size, history,
and the large Muslim and Jewish populations they host, collect police-provided
data on hate crimes, including antisemitic and anti-Muslim offences. However,
such data relies on victims having the confidence or knowledge on where and how
to report them. Consequently, many hate crimes go unreported. Additionally,
authorities have to recognize and record such acts as antisemitic or
anti-Muslim.
Good
data on hate crimes helps inform governments of the need to protect victims
faced with discrimination. Preventing hate crimes, however, requires a larger
focus on the context in which these crimes are committed, as antisemitic and
anti-Muslim offences don’t happen in a vacuum. Governments should put in place
policies that prevent such heinous crimes and provide for better access to
justice to protect Muslims and Jews.
Both the
EU Anti-Racism Action Plan 2020-2025, designed to structurally tackle racism in
the European Union, and the EU Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering
Jewish Life call on EU states to collect disaggregated equality data based on
race, national or ethnic origin, sex, gender, age, migration status, and other
factors necessary to visualize lived experiences of victims of racism,
including Muslims, and antisemitism. The data would help governments develop
evidence-based equality and nondiscrimination policies and monitor their
implementation.
Yet
France and Germany do not collect equality data beyond data related to
individuals’ migration backgrounds. While comprehensive surveys, monitoring,
and reporting conducted by national institutes and regional rights bodies are
much needed, they cannot substitute for the failure of governments to adopt
robust strategies to tackle the harms experienced by Muslims and Jews,
including the collection of equality data.
Source: hrw.org
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https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/29/tackle-hate-against-jews-and-muslims-eu-governments-need-better-statistics
-----
Nadim:
We Are Not Ready to Accept Orders Against Islamic Laws
November
29, 2023
The
acting minister of higher education, Neda Mohammad Nadim, said that the world
wants to put illegal demands on the Islamic Emirate over the current
government's recognition.
Speaking
at the graduation ceremony of Kabul Medical University students, Nadim added
that the Islamic Emirate will never accept the demands of the world that are
against Islamic laws.
"They
want to impose their orders on us, but we're not prepared to follow orders from
anybody in any case. Those demands of the religion and the traditions of this
Muslim class, will be implemented in Afghanistan,” Nadim noted.
This
official of the Islamic Emirate accused the international community and
organizations that support human rights of double standards, saying that now
all countries and humanitarian organizations are silent about the crimes that
are being committed in the Gaza Strip.
"Where
are these humanitarians? What is going on in the world today? What is going on
in terms of migration? What is going on with the Muslims in terms of
occupation?" Where is this justice?" the acting higher education
minister asked.
Some
political analysts have various views on the international community's behavior
with the current Afghan government.
"Currently,
the Islamic Emirate is not ready to accept the demands of the world, nor are
the people of the world ready to accept the demands and values of the Islamic
Emirate,” said AminullahEhsas, a political analyst.
However,
the international community and the countries of the world have always valled
for the reopening of universities and schools and for respect of the rights of
women in the country.
Source: tolonews.com
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the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186262
------
Sabah
Assembly passes amendments to widen Shariah court powers on Islamic
inheritance, strengthen fatwa procedures
By Julia
Chan
30 Nov
2023
The
Sabah Legislative Assembly today passed two Bills to boost the Shariah courts’
jurisdiction over Muslim inheritance matters and the state fatwa council. —
Picture by Firdaus Latif
-----------
KOTA
KINABALU, Nov 30 — The Sabah Legislative Assembly today passed two Bills to
boost the Shariah courts’ jurisdiction over Muslim inheritance matters and the
state fatwa council.
Sabah
Islamic Religious Affairs Council chairman Datuk Mohd Arifin MohdArif said that
the amendments were in relation to the position of the mufti and deputy mufti,
and to increase the number of people in the state fatwa council among others.
“It is
aimed at improving provision to vacate the position of mufti and deputy mufti
and also several inclusions that affect the power of the mufti to issue
fatwas,” he said.
According
to the Bill, the positions of the mufti and deputy mufti can be declared vacant
if either of them do not attend the state fatwa council meetings for three
consecutive times without approval from the Yang di-Pertua Negeri.
Other
conditions for the position to be declared vacant is if the office-bearer is
not in Malaysia for more than three months without approval; if his conduct
tarnishes the position; or if he acts against the interest of the state.
Another
amendment seeks to allow the deputy mufti to conduct meetings in the absence of
the mufti while another seeks to ratify the procedure in making a fatwa.
The
amendment also replaces the words “National Fatwa Committee” with “Muzakarah
committee”.
In the
Shariah amendment Bill, the Sabah government sought to empower the Islamic
courts to hear and decide on matters relating to the succession of estate for
Muslims.
The Bill
also seeks to increase the jurisdiction of the Shariah Subordinate Court to hear
matters concerning amounts that had been capped at RM100,000 to a new ceiling
of RM300,000.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/11/30/sabah-assembly-passes-amendments-to-widen-shariah-court-powers-on-islamic-inheritance-strengthen-fatwa-procedures/105049
------
Minister
for Religious Affairs urges youth to embrace Quranic principles
November
29, 2023
Minister
for Religious Affairs Aneeq Ahmed has passionately called upon the youth to
shoulder the responsibility of propagating the message of Islam.
-----------
Minister
for Religious Affairs Aneeq Ahmed has passionately called upon the youth to
shoulder the responsibility of propagating the message of Islam.
Speaking
at the Capital Youth Expo, themed "Qura'an and Aaj Ka Jawan," in
Islamabad today, he emphasized the significance of reading, following, and
practicing the teachings of the Quran.
The
Minister underscored the collective obligation to establish Allah's system on
His land, asserting that it is a shared responsibility.
He
highlighted the pivotal role of the youth in shaping the future of the country,
emphasizing their importance as key contributors to the nation's progress and
the realization of Islamic principles.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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https://www.radio.gov.pk/29-11-2023/minister-for-religious-affairs-urges-youth-to-embrace-uranic-principles
------
US asks
Israel to narrow zone of combat in any southern Gaza attack
November
30, 2023
WASHINGTON:
The United States is urging Israel to narrow the zone of combat and clarify
where Palestinian civilians can seek safety during any Israeli operation in
southern Gaza, US officials said on Wednesday, to prevent a repeat of the
massive death toll from Israel’s northern Gaza attacks.
US
officials from President Joe Biden on down, including in the State Department
and Pentagon, are pleading with Israel to take a more cautious approach if and
when the Israeli military extends its offensive to southern Gaza.
Two-thirds
of the enclave’s population of 2.3 million have fled south to avoid the war
zone in the north.
Israel’s
operation in the north drew strong international criticism and Biden has taken
fire at home for his sweeping support for Israel.
Washington
understands Israel’s desire to root out Hamas militants in southern Gaza but
believes greater caution is needed in the heavily populated area, said two US
officials who provided some details of the advice being given.
Many of
the lead architects of the Hamas attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, in which
1,200 people were killed, are in the south, one official noted.
“But
given that hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled to the south, at
Israel’s request, we believe Israel should only move forward after operational
planning has accounted for the presence of many more innocents,” the official
said.
Planning
should include drawing lessons from the operations conducted in the north to
enhance protections for innocent civilians, “including things like narrowing
the zone of combat and clarifying areas where civilians can seek refuge,” the
official said.
The
second official said that when Israel was planning its offensive in northern
Gaza, US officials advised the Israelis to use a smaller force than planned,
and be careful in terms of tactics, movements, unit size and rules of
engagement.
“They
are still in the planning phase for the south. We are urging them to factor
this into their planning,” the official said.
Both
officials said the US would like the Israelis to make sure they know where
civilians are situated, focus on high-value precision targets and make sure
they are going after specific locations rather than indiscriminate strikes.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2417671/world
------
Pakistan
seeks international tribunal to probe Israel’s war crimes
November
30, 2023
UNITED
NATIONS: On the International Day of Solidarity with Palestine, Pakistan has
urged the United Nations to establish a special tribunal and accountability
mechanism to investigate alleged war crimes by Israel.
Pakistani
envoy, Ambassador Usman Iqbal Jadoon also called for the deployment of an international
protection force to safeguard Palestinian civilians, particularly women and
children in Gaza and the West Bank. This plea underscores the gravity of the
situation and the dire need for international intervention in the
Israeli-Palestinian issue.
UN
Secretary General Antonio Guterres highlighted the imperative of advancing
towards “a two-state solution” in a “determined, irreversible way,” emphasising
the global community’s collective responsibility to address longstanding
tensions in the region.
Dennis
Francis, President of the General Assembly, echoed these sentiments, cautioning
that sustained security and stability in the Middle East would remain elusive
without achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace.
Guterres
tells UNSC efforts are underway for an extension of the truce
The
acknowledgment of the interconnectedness of peace and stability in the region
emphasises the intricate diplomatic challenges that must be addressed for a
more harmonious future.
As the
international community rallies around the cause of Palestine, these
impassioned calls at the UN reflect a pressing need for concerted efforts to
address the root causes of the unrest, hold accountable those responsible for
alleged war crimes, and work towards a lasting solution ensuring the rights and
safety of all affected parties.
A
delegation of Arab and Muslim states is currently visiting capitals of the five
permanent members of the UN Security Council to encourage them to persuade
Israel to stop its aggression.
On Oct
27, the General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for a humanitarian truce,
cessation of hostilities, unimpeded supplies of relief goods, and an end to
forced displacements.
“We
regret that the General Assembly’s call was not heeded by Israel, which continued
its indiscriminate and criminal attacks against the Palestinian people,” the
Pakistani envoy said.
He noted
that Israel also ignored the Security Council’s call to protect civilian lives
and allow the continuation of basic humanitarian assistance to the people of
Gaza.
Security
Council debate
Like the
General Assembly, the UN Security Council also held an intensive debate on
Wednesday in New York on the Middle East crisis.
This is
the first open meeting since the 15-member body passed a resolution in mid-November,
and the first where foreign ministers are weighing in.
Briefing
top diplomats, the UN chief said the world must not look away from the
suffering of civilians in Gaza.
Mr
Guterres said the UN was working to maximise the positive potential of the current
pause in fighting on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
China’s
Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told the UN Security Council that a resumption of
fighting in Gaza threatens to “devour the region”.
“Resumed
fighting will most likely turn into a calamity that devours the whole region,”
he said, expressing hope that the pause will be the beginning of a negotiated
ceasefire.
Like the
UN chief, the Chinese foreign minister also said that “only the implementation
of the two-State solution can restore peace” in the Middle East.
Riyad
Al-Maliki, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the observer State of
Palestine, said a truce must become a ceasefire.
“This is
not a war,” he said. “This is a carnage that no one can justify. It must be
brought to an end.” People must be allowed to go back to their homes, Al-Maliki
added.
VassilyNebenzia,
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Russia accused the West of West
showing ‘blatant double standards’ over Gaza.
He
pointed out that for over two months now, a conflict of biblical proportions
has gripped the Middle East. “It is no exaggeration to say that it has become
one of the most lethal regional conflicts in recent decades,” he said, noting
the devastating impact on civilians, in particular children.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1793754/pakistan-seeks-international-tribunal-to-probe-israels-war-crimes
------
Islamic
Ministerial Committee urges UN chief to reject Israeli blatant settlement
activities
November
29, 2023
NEW YORK
— The Ministerial Committee assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary
Summit, chaired by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan, convened
with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the UN headquarters in New York
on Wednesday.
Participants
included dignitaries such as Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Affairs Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan Ayman Al-Safadi, Egyptian Foreign
Minister Sameh Shoukry, Palestinian Foreign Minister RiadMalki, Turkish Foreign
Minister HakanFidan, Indonesian Foreign Minister RetnoMarsudi, as well as the
Secretary-General of Arab League Ahmed AboulGheit.
The
meeting also saw the presence of Malaysia's Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Zambry
Abd Kadir and UAE Minister of State Khalifa ShaheenAlmarar, the representative
of the Arab Group in the Security Council.
Discussions
centered on the Gaza Strip's situation, highlighting achievements of the
humanitarian truce in releasing prisoners. The committee emphasized the need
for an immediate ceasefire, international responsibility in protecting
civilians, and adherence to international law.
The
meeting addressed implementing UN resolutions for the safety of Palestinians
against Israeli violations, advocating for a return to the path of peace
through two-state solutions. The committee reaffirmed support for Palestinian
rights, calling for the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem
as its capital.
The
members urged the international community to secure relief corridors for urgent
humanitarian aid to Gaza and rejected blatant settlement activities and forced
displacement of Palestinians.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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the full text of the original
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/638231/SAUDI-ARABIA/Islamic-Ministerial-Committee-urges-UN-chief-to-reject-Israeli-blatant-settlement-activities
-----
India
Protests
erupt at NIT Srinagar over social media post ‘Insulting Prophet Mohammad’,
Classwork suspened
29/NOV/2023
Classwork
came to a halt at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Srinagar on
Wednesday following intense protests triggered by a student’s controversial
social media post. Officials announced the suspension of all academic
activities, including classes, examinations, and administrative work, in
response to the unrest.
In a
notification issued by the in-charge Registrar of NIT Srinagar, Atikur Rehman,
it was confirmed that the suspension would be in effect until further notice.
The
protests erupted on Tuesday in reaction to a student’s social media post that
was allegedly made by a non-local student targeting Prophet Mohammad.
The
demonstrators, demanding stringent action against the non-local student
responsible, blocked both entrances of the institution located in the Nigeen
area of the city. Slogans were raised within the campus, reflecting the
intensity of the agitation. The accused student in was sent home on leave.
In response
to the protests, the local police registered a case and initiated an
investigation. Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, V K Birdi, said that
the controversial content was not originally created by the student but was
sourced from YouTube. However, he acknowledged that the post had caused offence
and hurt religious feelings.
“The police have received a written complaint from the NIT registrar urging legal action. We have taken legal action under relevant sections of the law. The investigation is going on,” stated IGP Birdi.
Source: muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/protests-erupt-at-nit-srinagar-over-social-media-post-insulting-prophet-mohammad/
------
Hindus,
Muslims together saved 41 workers in tunnel, says chief of firm that pulled off
Uttarakhand rescue
Avaneesh
Mishra
November
30, 2023
Rat-hole
miners after the completion of the rescue operation of 41 trapped workers in
the collapsed Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand on November 28. (Express
photo by Chitral Khambhati)Rat-hole miners after the completion of the rescue
operation of 41 trapped workers in the collapsed Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in
Uttarakhand on November 28. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati)
The head
of the company whose employees dug the last stretch of the Uttarakhand tunnel
that led to the rescue of 41 trapped workers on Tuesday has underscored the
diversity of faiths in his team, saying the job couldn’t have been done alone.
Speaking
to The Indian Express, Vaqeel Hasan, who owns Delhi-based Rockwell Enterprises,
said: “In our team, there are both Hindus and Muslims, and people from both
religions worked hard to save these 41 lives. None of them could have done this
alone, and this is the message I want to give to everyone… We should all live
in harmony and not spread the poison of hate. We all want to give our 100 per
cent for the country… Please convey my message to everyone.”
Twelve
people from his company – six from Delhi and six from Uttar Pradesh’s
Bulandshahr – were called into action when the drilling machine gave way.
Between Monday and Tuesday, they dug roughly 12 metres in cramped pipes to
reach the trapped men.
The
rescuers – Hasan, Munna Qureshi, Naseem Malik, Monu Kumar, Saurabh, Jatin
Kumar, Ankur, Nasir Khan, Devendra, Firoz Qureshi, Rashid Ansari and Irshad
Ansari – are aged between 20 and 45.
These
men are adept at maneuvering through narrow pipes and excavating soil – a skill
integral to their work with the Delhi Jal Board. Typically, workers in this
line of work are called “rat holeminers”.
On
Wednesday evening, their bags were packed and they were ready to leave
Silkyara. “We work for the Delhi Jal Board and our job is to enter pipes like
mice and dig the soil. Two of the workers would go inside the pipe so that one
could do the digging and the second could fill that in a bucket for the others
to remove. Once some space is created, the pipe is pushed further,” Hasan said.
View of
the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand, after the completion of the rescue
operation of 41 trapped workers, on Wednesday, November 29. Express photo by
Chitral Khambhati View of the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand, after the
completion of the rescue operation of 41 trapped workers, on November 29.
(Express photo by Chitral Khambhati)
Talking
about the difference in their job and the rescue operation, he said that
inSilkyara, the pressure to save lives only motivated them further.
“Lives
were at stake here. More than 140 crore people, along with the whole world,
were counting on us. It created pressure, but it also gave us the motivation
that we must do this and there is no scope for failure or getting lazy or
tired… It took us around 26-27 hours to dig through around 12-15 metres. In
normal circumstances, with the same kind of soil and work conditions, we would
normally take 10-15 days. But here we were not just working, but saving lives,”
he said.
The team
was working in four shifts of six hours each to make sure work went on
continuously.
“In our
field, a small and lean body size and great stamina is a must. In this case,
too, the pipes were just 800mm wide and the boys needed space to move their
hands. They needed to use hand-held tools, remove the muck, fill them into
buckets, and get them out of the pipes,” said Hasan.
He said
they did not take any money or salary for the work. “We did not want any money
in exchange for this work. This was not any other job for us but a mission to
save 41 lives. The company that called us, however, provided the travel fare.
We were approached by Navayuga through our senior, who said we are needed in
Uttarkashi. We immediately agreed,” he said.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/uttarakhand-tunnel-rescue-hindus-muslims-together-saved-41-trapped-workers-9047959/
----
Ex
Muslim MP meets with Maharashtra governor to discuss key Muslim community
issues
30th
November 2023
Mumbai :
Under the leadership of former MP Husain Dalwai, a delegation of the Maulana
Azad Vichar Munch presented a memorandum to the Governor of Maharashtra, Mr.
Ramesh Bais, discussing issues regarding the education, reservation, and
protection of the Muslim community. Former MP Husain Dalwai, during this
meeting, alleged discrimination against the Muslim community in granting
justice and equality, even though it has been 74 years since the Indian
Constitution was dedicated to the nation.
Dalwai
pointed out the dismal situation of the Muslim community in education and
employment sectors, emphasizing their underrepresentation in government and
private jobs and the necessity for reservations. He referred to the
recommendations of the Gopal Singh Commission, Sachar Committee, Ranganath
Mishra Commission, and Dr. Mehmoodur Rahman Committee, urging their
implementation.
The
delegation discussed several demands including effective implementation of the
15-point program, establishment of Maulana Azad Research and Training Centers
similar to BARTI-Mahajyoti for the Muslim community, provision of scholarships
in education, allocation of budget proportional to the population in the state
budget, establishment of hostels at district levels, utilization of Waqf
properties for Muslim education, separate enumeration of Muslim OBC castes in
the caste-based census, and inclusion of the Muslim community in the surveys
conducted by the State Backward Classes Commission. Additionally, they demanded
measures against mob lynching and riots targeting Muslims, rehabilitation and
financial assistance for victims, and employment opportunities for affected
families.
The
meeting was attended by Maulana Azad Vichar Munch’s Vice President Haseeb
Nadaf, Vice President Ainul Attar, President of the Muslim Reservation
Sangharsh Committee Ajiz Pathan, Divisional President Dr. Danish Lambe, Mumbai
President Faizulla Khan, members of the Muslim Reservation Front Ajmal Khan,
Muzzamil Khan, Shakil Siddiqui, General Secretary Khalil Sayyad, Mohammad Ayyub
Sheikh, Rafik Sabir, Akhtar Sheikh, and Saif Hashmi.
Source: muslimmirror.com
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Farooq
Abdullah laments ‘legitimisation of discrimination’ against Muslims
30th
November 2023
Srinagar:
National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday expressed
concern over what he called the “legitimisation of discrimination” against
Muslims across the country.
“Some
policies and actions pursued in various states across the country are providing
political patronage and cover for bigotry against Muslims, resulting in their
further marginalisation,” Abdullah said in a statement here.
Abdullah,
the MP from Srinagar, said various legislative and other actions in some
states, including banning halal-marked food items, “have legitimised
discrimination against Muslims”.
“There
is no place for bullying and oppression and sectarianism in a democracy. The
message of ‘social, economic and political justice’, ‘freedom of thought,
expression, belief, religion and worship’ and equality constitutes the very
soul of our Constitution. It has been recorded and these characteristics had
given India the distinction of being a secular and democratic country all over
the world,” he said.
He said
such “overtly targeted” actions in some states send a very clear message to
more than 200 million Muslims in the country that “they must bear every
humiliation and injustice with silence”.
“I think
it’s bad for democracy…the government action in these states is taking the
country in the wrong direction,” he added.
The
BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government recently banned the production, storage,
distribution and sale of food products with halal certification with immediate
effect while exempting products manufactured for export.
Source: siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/farooq-abdullah-laments-legitimisation-of-discrimination-against-muslims-2922932/
-----
Indian
trade unions stand with Palestine, reject sending workers to Israel
November
29, 2023
NEW
DELHI: India’s main trade unions urged the government on Wednesday to uphold
its historical support for Palestinian statehood and scrap plans to send tens
of thousands of workers to Israel.
Representing
some 100 million workers, Indian trade union organizations said earlier this
month that the government was considering manpower exports to Israel, which
would see some 90,000 Indian construction workers replace their Palestinian
counterparts.
As plans
to facilitate their replacement with Indians began to emerge, 10 prominent
trade unions issued a statement saying the Israeli occupation of Palestine had
decimated its economy, making Palestinians dependent on Israel for employment.
Facilitating it would “amount to complicity on India’s part with Israel’s
ongoing genocidal war against Palestinians,” said the statement.
The
unions repeated their call as they observed the International Day of Solidarity
with the Palestinian People on Nov. 29.
“(The)
Indian working class cannot be party to this genocidal initiative by Israel and
marching orders to Palestinian workers working on Israeli soil is a part of
that overall genocidal attack. Workers cannot be a party to the heinous
exercise,” Tapan Kumar Sen, secretary-general of the Centre of Indian Trade
Unions, told Arab News.
Members
of the CITU, as well as of the All India Trade Union Congress and other Indian
members of the World Federation of Trade Unions, wore black badges to work on
Wednesday and took part in sit-ins, marches and site protests.
“This is
an observation in support of solidarity with Palestinians and demanding that
the Indian government play (a role) instead of being soft on Israel,” Sen said.
“We
demand that Israel must vacate all the occupied territory of the Palestinian
areas identified as Palestinian homeland with Jerusalem as capital.”
In Tamil
Nadu, in India’s south, workers in more than half the state’s districts
organized rallies.
“This
protest is in response to the call given by the World Federation of Trade
Unions to observe Nov. 29 as a solidarity day,” Vahidha Nizam, a member of
AITUC in the state, told Arab News.
“About
20 districts in Tamil Nadu are holding protest marches in solidarity with the
Palestinian people.”
In
Bhubaneswar, the capital of the eastern state of Orrissa, six trade unions and
activists held a joint protest against Israeli military and settler violence
and the support it receives from the West.
“The way
the Israel-America axis attacks Palestine ... they are snatching their
homeland, they are snatching their rights,” Ramkrushna Panda, AITUC state
secretary, told Arab News.
“Trade
unions have jointly organized the protest ... Though the Indian government has
taken a stand in a different way, our foreign policy has always been in favor
of Palestine. The people of the country stand with Palestine, in solidarity
with Palestine.”
Support
for Palestine was an important part of India’s foreign policy even before
independence from British colonial rule in 1947.
Mahatma
Gandhi, the leader of India’s freedom movement and one of the fathers of the
independent country, had opposed the formation of a Jewish nation-state in
Palestine, deeming it inhumane.
“Indian
citizens and Indian workers have always stood with the rights of Palestinians
to have their own homeland,” said Amarjeet Kaur, secretary-general of the All
India Trade Union Congress.
“The
Indian government deciding to have a treaty with Israel to send Indian workers
there to replace Palestinians goes against the Indian ethos.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2417361/world
-------
Amid
Criticism, J&K Police Defends UAPA Charge Against Students Held for
'Pro-Pak' Slogans
29/NOV/2023
New
Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir Police have defended the anti-terror FIR filed
against seven Kashmiri youth who were arrested for allegedly raising
pro-Pakistan slogans at a government-run university in the aftermath of India’s
defeat at the cricket world cup final.
In a
statement, a police spokesperson termed the incident as “terrorising” and
“abnormal”, while asserting that such acts have been done in the past “mostly
on the back of separatist and terrorist networks” to project that “everyone
hates India” in Kashmir.
“The aim
is not airing personal preference of a particular sporting team. It is not
about dissent or freedom of expression. It is about terrorising others who may
be nourishing pro India feelings or anti Pakistan feelings or disagreeing,” the
statement on Tuesday, November 28, said.
“It is
also about normalising an abnormal: that everyone hates India (as different
from the government of the day and party in power) ‘openly’,” the statement
added.
According
to police, celebratory and uproarious scenes were reported inside the boys
hostel of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology
(SKUAST) in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district after India’s loss to
Australia on November 19.
As the
celebrations continued, the hostel complex suffered a power cut and
pro-Pakistan slogans were allegedly shouted by some Kashmiri students that
created a sense of fear among the non-local students, according to officials
and sources.
This had
prompted Sachin Bains, one of the students at SKUAST from Punjab, to complain
to the police.
The
police spokesperson sought to mix up “written complaints” with “evidence” of
students’ involvement, claiming that the Kashmiri students raised the slogans
to “intimidate those who disagreed and also to identify and vilify those who
choose to keep a distance”.
The
police statement interchangeably used ‘complaint’ and ‘complaints’ in its
statement, even though only one complaint has become the basis of the FIR.
In
connection with the incident, the police have filed a case under Section 13
(advocating, abetting or inciting any unlawful activity) of Unlawful Activities
Prevention Act, 1967 (UAPA) and Sections 505 (inciting communal violence) and
506 (criminal intimidation).
Defending
the use of the anti-terror law, the police spokesperson said that Section 13
was a “softer provision” of the UAPA and the FIR was “lodged on the basis of
written complaint received and relevant sections are invoked as per the contents
of the complaint”.
“Hence
as per the content of the complaints, FIR No. 317/2023 stands registered and
section 13 UAPA invoked for inciting and abetting the unlawful activities.
Section 505 and 506 IPC too has been invoked for ‘public mischief’ and ‘criminal
intimidation’ respectively.”
Meanwhile,
a special National Investigation Agency court is set to hear the bail
application of the students, three among whom are orphans, on Wednesday,
November 29. Advocate Shafeeq Bhat, one of the counsels, said that the students
have also apologised in writing to the police as well as the vice-chancellor of
SKUAST.
The
arrest of the seven students named in the FIR has triggered outrage in Kashmir
with their families and some Valley-based political leaders calling for
dropping the charges and their immediate release.
National
Conference leader and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah reportedly
criticised the police, saying that it contradicts the assurance of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi that it was time to end ‘Dillikiduri’ as well as
‘Dilkiduri’ with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“I don’t
agree with what these students did. But having said that I also do not agree
with the way police have handled this case. This will not decrease ‘dilkiduri’
as envisaged by the prime minister,” Omar said.
Senior
CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami denounced the arrest of the students under UAPA
during a protest at Maharaja Hari Singh Park in Jammu city on Tuesday against
the BJP-led Union government and J&K administration.
“Are
they terrorists? We are a democratic country. If the government has an
objection, there are other laws. But why slap UAPA. It is not a good thing to
link politics and sports. Sports should not be politicised,” Tarigami said,
according to PTI.
The
J&K Students Association said that invoking UAPA charges was “unacceptably
harsh punishment” while urging the police to “immediately withdraw” the
anti-terror charges against the seven students.
“The
association also condemns the act and behaviour of the Kashmiri students in the
harshest of words. The issue should be resolved amicably, rather than taking it
to the court and police station,” a spokesperson from the association said.
The
families of the students have also appealed the authorities to drop the charges
against them so that they can continue their education.
Source: thewire.in
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https://thewire.in/rights/amid-criticism-jk-police-defends-uapa-charge-against-students-held-for-pro-pak-slogans
-----
Gyanvapi
mosque: Court asks ASI to explain reason for seeking more to file survey report
29th
November 2023
VARANASI:
The Varanasi district court on Wednesday asked the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) to explain the reason for seeking more time for submitting a
scientific survey report of the Gyanvapi complex and posted the matter for
hearing on Thursday.
Taking
up the plea of the ASI seeking three additional weeks to submit the report,
District Judge A K Vishvesh asked a senior ASI official from Delhi to explain
the need for more time, to which the ASI counsel said that officials in
Varanasi have been handling the task and will apprise the court about it.
The
Muslim side represented by lawyer Mohammad Ikhlaq objected to the ASI
repeatedly seeking more time.
The ASI
had on Tuesday sought three more weeks from the district court for submitting
the scientific survey report of the Gyanvapi mosque complex saying it needed
more time for the assimilation of information generated by different experts.
The district
court of Varanasi had asked the ASI to submit the report on the Gyanvapi Masjid
complex by November 28.
In its
application, the ASI had stated that its experts are working on various types
of data collected by archaeologists, surveyors and other experts, etc and
assimilation of information generated by different experts and different tools
is a difficult and slow process and it will take some more time to complete the
report for final submission.
The ASI
started the survey in the barricaded area of the Gyanvapi mosque premises,
excluding its sealed section, on August 4, following court orders.
On
November 2, the ASI told the court it had "completed" the survey but
may take some more time to compile the report, along with the details of the
equipment used in the survey work.
The
court then granted additional time till November 17 for submitting the
document.
But its
counsel again sought 15 more days due to the non-availability of the technical
report and District Judge A K Vishvesh then asked it to submit its report by
November 28.
The ASI
is carrying out the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises, located next to
the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, to determine whether the 17th-century
mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/nov/29/gyanvapi-mosque-court-asks-asi-to-explain-reason-for-seeking-more-to-file-survey-report-2637277.html
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India
welcomes release of Israeli hostages by Hamas, calls for immediate,
unconditional release of those remaining
November
29, 2023
India
has welcomed the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas and called for the
immediate and unconditional release of those still held in captivity by the
militant group, asserting that there can be no justifications for terrorism and
hostage-taking.
Last
week, an agreement was reached by Israel and Hamas, with the mediation of Qatar
supported by Egypt and the United States, to release Israeli and other foreign
nationals taken as hostages by Hamas during the October 7 attacks. About 1,200
people were killed in the attack and 240 Israelis and other nationals were
taken hostage by Hamas.
So far,
over 60 Israeli and foreign nationals have been released by Hamas in five
groups and Israel has in return freed about 150 Palestinian prisoners.
“We are
gathered today at a time when the security situation in the Middle East is
deteriorating due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, with large-scale loss
of civilian lives, especially women and children and an alarming humanitarian
crisis. This is clearly unacceptable and we have indeed strongly condemned the
death of civilians,” India’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Ambassador
Ruchira Kamboj said on Nov. 28.
In her
remarks to the U.N. General Assembly plenary meeting on ‘Question of Palestine
and the Situation in the Middle East’, Ms. Kamboj said that in addressing this
humanitarian crisis, it is necessary for all parties to display utmost
responsibility.
“We are
aware that the immediate trigger was the terror attacks in Israel on October 7,
which were shocking and deserve our unequivocal condemnation. There can be no
justification for terrorism and hostage-taking,” she said.
Ms.
Kamboj said India welcomes the news of the release of the hostages, and also
calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the remaining hostages,
underlining that the country’s thoughts are with those who have been taken as
hostages.
“India
has a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism. We also believe that there is a
universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law,” she said.
U.N.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the release of hostages and
renewed his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
During a
press conference on Nov. 28, Mr. Guterres said the truce in the conflict was a
step in the right direction and a “symbol of hope. But it doesn’t solve the key
problems we face. That is why we have been insisting on the need for a
humanitarian ceasefire, leading to the unconditional and the immediate release
of all hostages and to the possibility to have effective humanitarian aid to
all people in Gaza, wherever they live.” Ms. Kamboj said that India welcomes
all efforts by the international community that would lead to a de-escalation
and delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine.
Ms.
Kamboj further termed the humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas conflict as a
“welcome step” to ensure the timely and continuous delivery of humanitarian
aid. India has sent 70 tonnes of humanitarian goods including 16.5 tonnes of
medicines and medical supplies.
Since a
humanitarian pause in the conflict went into effect on November 24, the United
Nations has scaled up the entry of aid into Gaza and sent aid to some northern
areas that have been largely cut off for weeks. Mr. Guterres has noted that
this aid barely registers against the huge needs of 1.7 million displaced
people.
“The
humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is getting worse by the day,” a statement
issued by his spokesperson has said.
Ms.
Kamboj told the plenary meeting that since the start of the conflict, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar have been in
close contact with leaders of the region and beyond, where they have emphasised
a consistent message “that it is important to prevent escalation, ensure
continued delivery of humanitarian aid and work towards an early restoration of
peace and stability”. She said that along with restraint, the Indian leaders
have also emphasised a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and
diplomacy.
As the
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is marked on
November 29, Ms. Kamboj reaffirmed India’s long-standing relationship with the
Palestinian people, based on deep-rooted historical and people-to-people ties,
and Delhi’s consistent support to the people of Palestine in their endeavour
for statehood, peace and prosperity.
She underlined
that India urges the parties to work towards creating conditions necessary for
peace and the restarting of direct negotiations between the parties, including
through eschewing violence and de-escalation.
“India
has always supported a negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine
issue leading to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State
of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side-by-side in peace
with Israel,” she said, reaffirming India’s firm commitment to achieving a
just, peaceful and lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine issue.
“We
firmly believe that only a two-state solution, achieved through direct and
meaningful negotiations between both sides on final status issues, will deliver
an enduring peace that the people of Israel and Palestine desire and deserve,”
she said.
Ms.
Kamboj reiterated India’s continued support to the Palestinian people through
the bilateral development partnership which covers a wide range of sectors
including health, education, women’s empowerment, entrepreneurship and
information technology, and said Delhi will also continue to send humanitarian
assistance to the people of Palestine.
The U.N.
Chief has stressed that the dialogue that led to the agreement must continue,
resulting in a full humanitarian ceasefire, for the benefit of the people of
Gaza, Israel and the wider region.
He has urged all States to use their influence to end the “tragic conflict” and support “irreversible” steps towards the only sustainable future for the region: a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side, in peace and security.
Source: thehindu.com
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------
Europe
Germany
warns of ‘real’ Islamist terror threat in wake of Israel-Hamas war
29
November 2023
Germany’s
domestic intelligence chief on Wednesday warned that the risk of Islamist
attacks is “real and higher than it has been for a long time” because of the
Israel-Hamas war.
“We see
calls in jihadist spectrums for attacks and for al-Qaeda and Islamic State to
tag on to the Middle East conflict,” said Thomas Haldenwang in a statement.
A flood
of images online related to the war triggered by Hamas’s devastating October 7
onslaught on Israel, paired with fake news, could act as catalysts for
radicalization, he said.
Palestinians
or Muslims were being portrayed as “victims of the West” in some of these
social media posts, which sometimes also carry antisemitic content.
“The
situation is exacerbated by foreign state actors, which are exploiting or
seeking to boost this mood,” warned Haldenwang, the president of Germany’s
Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Haldenwang
did not cite examples of the state actors but added that the different
extremist groups’ common view of Israel as an enemy was generating “new
connections and could lead to strong cooperation in certain cases,” he warned.
German
authorities had already announced they were ramping up security for Jews and
Jewish institutions in the wake of the October 7 massacre.
Berlin
was also working to prevent any attacks at large events, said Haldenwang in the
rare statement.
Germany
issued a ban on Hamas activities and organizations linked to the group earlier
this month, after terrorists rampaged through Israeli southern communities,
murdering at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians in their homes and at a music
festival, and abducting at least 240 people to Gaza.
Israel
then launched an air and ground offensive aimed at destroying Hamas in the
coastal enclave.
The
Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has said that more than 15,000 people have
been killed since October 7, most of them civilians. The numbers cannot be
verified, and are believed to include Hamas terrorists as well as civilians
killed by misfired Palestinian rockets.
An
ongoing ceasefire has seen 61 Israeli hostages and 20 foreign nationals
released in exchange for 180 female and underage Palestinians serving time in
Israeli prisons for security offenses.
Source: timesofisrael.com
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https://www.timesofisrael.com/germany-warns-of-real-islamist-terror-threat-in-wake-of-israel-hamas-war/
-----
Muslims
in Europe feel vulnerable to rising hostility
November
30, 2023
PARIS:
Jian Omar, a Berlin lawmaker of Kurdish-Syrian background, feels unprotected by
police after suffering hate-filled flyers mixed with glass and faeces, a broken
window and a hammer-wielding assailant since Oct 7.
The
three incidents at Omar’s constituency office form part of increased hostility
to Muslims in Europe fanned at times by politicians since the Hamas raid, more
than 30 community leaders and advocates said, adding that incidents were
under-reported because of low trust in police.
“I feel
really alone and if somebody with the status of an elected official can’t be
protected then how must others feel? said Omar. He said police were
investigating but had told him they could not offer extra security at his
premises.
“Imagine
if a white German politician was attacked by a migrant or a refugee, he said,
suggesting security forces would do more in such cases. Berlin police did not
reply to a request for comment.
Hate
crime has risen dramatically in Europe, official data shows a significant,
smaller increase in anti-Muslim incidents in Britain and is patchy for the
other two countries.
It does
not fully capture the extent of attacks and hostility against individuals and
mosques, including children targeted at school, according to the people, some
of whom asked not to be named citing fear of retaliation.
Zara
Mohammed, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said government
language, such as calling pro-Palestinian protests “hate marches,” had made the
fight against anti-Semitism and for the rights of Muslims or Palestinians a
zero-sum game in many people’s minds.
European
Muslims’ sense of vulnerability was further heightened with the electoral
victory last week of Dutch far-right populist Geert Wilders, who previously
called for mosques and the Holy Quran to be banned in the Netherlands. In the
United States, there has been deadly anti-Palestinian violence since Oct 7.
At the
Ibn Ben Badis Mosque in Nanterre, Paris, elderly worshippers fear attending the
dawn prayer in the dark, two worshippers there said, after a written arson
threat against the mosque in late October apparently from a far-right
sympathiser.
Rachid
Abdouni, the mosque president, said a request for extra police protection was
not met. Local police said they were patrolling the area but were low on
resources, he said. The police did not immediately respond to a comment
request.
“Do I
want my daughter to grow up in this climate?” said Khalil Raboun, 42, a
French-Moroccan taxi driver, speaking after Friday prayers outside the mosque.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1793750/muslims-in-europe-feel-vulnerable-to-rising-hostility
------
EU
provides 142 million Euros to support forced Afghan migrants
Fidel
Rahmati
November
29, 2023
Amid
ongoing humanitarian concerns in Afghanistan, the Afghan Ministry of Refugees
and Repatriation has revealed that the European Union has pledged 142 million
euros to assist migrants.
On
Tuesday, the ministry issued a report stating that Raffaella Ludovica, the head
of the European Union’s office in Afghanistan, along with her delegation, had a
meeting and discussions at the ministry’s headquarters.
The
Ministry has added that concurrently with this meeting, the European Union has
allocated 142 million euros to newly expelled migrants from Iran and Pakistan.
Khalil
Rahman Haqqani, the head of this ministry, provided clarification on the forced
return of migrants from Pakistan, Turkey, and Iran, including their numbers. He
emphasized that host countries of migrants, especially Iran, Pakistan, and
Turkey, should refrain from any mistreatment and illegal confiscation of the
assets and properties of their migrants.
Furthermore,
on the sidelines of this meeting, the Ministry called on the European Union for
cooperation and assistance in providing shelter, tents, and food to returnees
while ensuring accountability and transparency.
Earlier,
the European Union had allocated 61 million euros to meet the needs of Afghan
refugees and other Afghans expelled from Pakistan.
Recently,
as Afghanistan witnessed the daily expulsion of thousands of Afghans from
Pakistan, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has intensified even further
with the onset of the winter season.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/eu-provides-142-million-euros-to-support-forced-afghan-migrants/
------
Spanish
cities protest in support of Palestine, major union calls for cease-fire
Alyssa
McMurtry
30.11.2023
Protestors
in cities across Spain took to the streets late Wednesday to show their support
for the Palestinian people.
At the
protest in Madrid’s central square, Spanish politician Ione Belarra called for
an end to the genocide and to bring “those responsible for this barbarity to
the International Criminal Court.”
The
protest in the capital was organized under the slogan “No to the partition of
Palestine” on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Many of the hundreds of protestors held signs calling for a just peace.
Protestors
in other cities like Barcelona, Oviedo and Valladolid took to the streets to
call for a permanent cease-fire shortly before an agreement between Israel and
the Palestinian group Hamas for a humanitarian pause is set to expire.
One of
the country’s main unions, the Workers' Commissions (CCOO), helped organize
several protests, with its members standing up in support of the Palestinians
and calling for an end to the violence.
On
Tuesday night, Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz met with the
ambassador of Palestine to share her support.
“The
Palestinian cause is the human cause,” she posted on the social media platform
X.
Doctors
in the Spanish chapter of Doctors Without Borders also issued a call for
humanity in the Gaza Strip.
“The
attacks on hospitals and the civilian population must stop now,” said one of
the organization’s doctors in a video.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/spanish-cities-protest-in-support-of-palestine-major-union-calls-for-cease-fire/3068672
------
London
pro-Palestine protest target subsidiary of Israeli weapons company Elbit
Systems
30
November 2023
Pro-Palestinian
protesters have gathered outside the office of the real estate consulting
company “Fisher German” in London, demanding the closure of the company due to
its ties with the Israeli weapons company “Elbit Systems.”
Protesters
gathered in the British capital city on Wednesday to mark the International Day
of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, calling for an immediate end to arms
supplies to Israel amid the regime's war in the Gaza Strip.
The
crowd denounced Fisher German company for leasing properties to Elbit Systems
and declared this Israeli company as the perpetrator of “committing genocide”
against the people of Gaza. They demanded to “shut down” the company.
They
were holding Palestinian flags and chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, such as
“Free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Similar
protests took place across the UK, in Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool as
part of a coordinated national action.
In
Britain, Fisher German is the landlord for Elbit Systems, Israel's largest
private arms company that supplies the Israeli military with 85 percent of the
drones used against Palestinians.
The
British government has been criticized for being “complicit in Israeli crimes”
due to its relations with this company.
Two of
Israel’s biggest weapons factories, Elbit and Rafael, both have operations in
the United Kingdom.
Pro-Palestinian
activists in the UK blockaded a factory that makes military drones for Israel
in Leicester on Monday in solidarity with Pedestrians under attack in Gaza.
Meanwhile,
pro-Palestinian activists last week blocked the entrance of UAV Tactical
Systems (U-TacS) in Meridian East Business Park in Leicester, owned by Elbit
Systems. UK pro-Palestinian activists have been targeting Elbit factories for
more than two years.
The UK,
the US, and the European Union member states have been providing Israel with
weapons and military assistance, since the regime launched its genocidal
campaign in the Gaza Strip on October 7. Since then, people from across the UK,
and other parts of the world, have held many protests to show solidarity with
Palestinian people.
A
four-day truce took effect on Friday to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid
to Gaza after seven weeks of unrelenting bombardment. The truce was extended
for two more days on Monday.
People
in the UK continue to protest after the extension of the truce, demanding a permanent
ceasefire. The protest organizers say as long as the killing continues, they
will also continue their demonstrations.
Britons
took to the streets of London calling for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza
Strip and an end to the Israeli regime
According
to the Gaza-based health ministry, over 15,000 Palestinians, including more
than 6,000 children, were killed in Israeli strikes, and 36,000 others were
injured during the 49 days of war.
An
additional 7,000 Palestinians are missing and believed to be under the rubble
in Gaza, home to more than two million people who are being subjected to a
“complete siege” by Israel.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/11/30/715542/propalestine-protest-London-target-subsidiary-israeli-weapon-company-Elbeit
------
Father
of British student killed by Israel urges Tel Aviv to change ‘inhuman’ military
tactics
29
November 2023
Father
of a British student killed by Israeli soldiers has urged the occupying regime
to change its “unethical and inhuman” military tactics, warning Tel Aviv that
it will lose support from the West by continuing such policies.
Anthony
Hurndall, whose 22-year-old son was killed by Israeli snipers in 2004,
denounced Israel’s “fundamentally unethical and inhuman attitudes,” in an
interview with The Times published on Wednesday.
Tom
Hurndall, who was a photography student, a volunteer for the International
Solidarity Movement (ISM), and an activist against the Israeli occupation of
the Palestinian territories, was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper in the
Gaza Strip in April 2003 and lost his life in January 2004 after spending some
nine months in a coma.
He was
shot when he was assisting Palestinian children caught in the crossfire in the
impoverished Palestinian enclave.
Soroka
Hospital’s medical staff initially claimed that the critical injuries to his
head were caused by a baseball bat but an investigation later revealed that the
staff had removed bullet fragments from Tom’s brain before making up the
baseball bat story.
When the
fabricated account was refuted, Tel Aviv claimed that the young photographer
was allegedly carrying a weapon and was a gunman.
“The
investigation further revealed that, as standard practice,” the Israeli
military “routinely falsely misrepresent civilians and children as militants,
or as armed, and fabricate accounts of events as a pretext for their killing,”
Hurndall, who is director of the Center for Justice, told The Times.
“These
claims appear similar to the claims that” the Israeli military is “currently
making to justify their bombing, missile and other attacks on civilian targets
and hospitals in Gaza. It was the view of those in diplomatic circles,
expressed to us at the time, that” the Israeli military “appeared to consider
themselves immune from accountability and free to misrepresent innocent
civilians as legitimate military targets and to target them, as a form of
intimidation or collective punishment,” he added.
Israel’s
Netanyahu says the regime will return to far after the end of the truce deal
with Hamas.
Hurndall
denounced the narrative portrayed by the media and the governments in the West
as “one-sided” that ignores the facts.
“If
Israel does not change fundamentally unethical and inhuman attitudes and
policies and stop committing war crimes, it will build up even greater
resistance from the Palestinian people and lose the sympathy and support of the
West,” he stressed.
Israel
launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement
Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity
in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and
devastation against Palestinians.
According
to the Gaza-based health ministry, over 15,000 Palestinians, including more
than 6,000 children, were killed in Israeli strikes, during the 49 days of war.
Many more dead are feared to be under the rubble.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/11/29/715527/Palestine-Israel-Tom-Hurndall-Gaza-
------
Police
arrest man over Islamophbic attacks on mosques and businesses in Acton and West
London
29
November, 2023
Police
have arrested a 61-year-old man in Ealing in connection with a series of
Islamophobic attacks on mosques and businesses in Acton and across West
London.
The man
was arrested on 27 November 2023 on on suspicion of racially aggravated
criminal damage after red paint was thrown or sprayed at the locations which
also included the Palestinian Mission in Hammersmith, a Syrian cafe and Acton
Mosque.
As well
as offences in Ealing, other attacks occurred in Hammersmith and Fulham on 12
separate occasions between 16 October 2023 and 18 November 2023
Detective
Superintendent Figo Forouzan who is leading the investigation said: “Hate crime
has no place in London. Its effects run far deeper than property damage, and
the impact on victims can linger beyond the removal of the paint. Officers have
been working incredibly hard to identify the individual responsible for these
offences and provide the relevant support and reassurance to those affected.”
He
added: “The victims are being supported by dedicated faith officers, and
neighbourhood teams have changed their patrol times and routes to provide
additional reassurance.”
Posting
on X (formerly Twitter), Ealing Council leader Councillor Peter Mason said:
“@EalingCouncil have been supporting both the Met and our local mosques in the
investigation, and to help secure community facilities. We hosted the
leadership of the Acton Central Mosque at the council’s CCTV control room last
week to review footage of recent incidents, and to demonstrate the coverage of
our CCTV network, amongst the largest in the country. Commit a crime and you
will be caught.”
Source: ealing.news
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://ealing.news/crime/police-arrest-man-over-islamophbic-attacks-on-mosques-and-businesses-in-acton-and-west-london/
-----
South Asia
Afghans
Call for Islamic Countries to Support Palestinians
30th
November 2023
Some
citizens of the country on 29th November, the International Day of Solidarity
with the Palestinian People asked the Islamic countries not to leave the Palestinians
alone in these days of war and insecurity.
They
said that Palestinians are currently experiencing one of the darkest chapters
in their history and that the war in the Gaza Strip needs to stop.
"Palestinians
were oppressed because Israel has oppressed them a lot. All the Muslims of the
world should support them [the Palestinian people]," said Jawid, a Kabul
resident.
"Islamic
countries must support Palestine, an agreement must be made between them so
that the Palestinian people can get rid of this war and this crisis,"
Esmat, a Kabul resident, said.
Meanwhile,
António Guterres, the UN Secretary General, has emphasized the need to solve
the Palestinian issue based on international laws.
However,
some Afghan political analysts said that the only solution to end the war
between Palestine and Israel is the formation of two independent states of
Palestine and Israel based on the 1948 agreement.
"International
agreements are necessary for permanent peace between Palestine and Israel,
especially superpower countries and Arab countries should make great efforts to
resolve the issue of Palestine and Israel through peace," said Ahmad Khan
Andar, a political analyst.
The
Islamic Emirate called Israel's war in Palestine a clear aggression on the
Palestinian land and wanted the end of this war as soon as possible.
“Israel
is a usurping force and has usurped the rights of the Palestinian people. This
oppression must end as soon as possible. The people of Afghanistan and other
Muslim nations support the Palestinian people and condemn these Israeli
crimes,” Mujahid told TOLOnews.
After
the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, the war between Hamas and Israel
entered a new chapter.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186268
-----
Iranian
forces arrest armed drug smugglers from Afghanistan
Fidel
Rahmati
November
30, 2023
Iranian
media has revealed the arrest of a group of armed drug smugglers who crossed
into Iran from Afghanistan. The arrest operation also led to the confiscation
of weapons.
The
Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Wednesday that these
individuals were apprehended as part of a military operation.
During
the operation, authorities uncovered a property used to store both drugs and
weapons near Kerman.
The
seized contraband included a significant quantity of drugs, comprising 461
kilograms of opium, 106 kilograms of cannabis, and 57 kilograms of Shesha.
Additionally,
the security forces seized a cache of weaponry, which included a 14.5mm cannon,
an RPG (Rocket-Propelled Grenade), two RPG rockets, and a total of 936 shells.
The
Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan has raised concerns about security and
regional stability in the area. Despite having diplomatic relations between
Iran and the Taliban administration, there have been border clashes and water
rights issues.
While
Iran maintains diplomatic ties with the Taliban administration, tensions have
surfaced along the border, leading to clashes with their border police and
disputes over water rights.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/iranian-forces-arrest-armed-drug-smugglers-from-afghanistan/
-------
UN
Report on Afghanistan assessed in closed Security Council Session
Fidel
Rahmati
November
30, 2023
The
United Nations Security Council held a private meeting on the independent
assessment of Afghanistan to assess the report submitted by Mr.
FaridunSinirlioglu, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Afghanistan.
The
meeting was held on Tuesday, November 28th, behind closed doors and was
attended by representatives from several United Nations Security Council member
states.
The
United Nations Office in Switzerland has stated that women and girls’ active
presence and participation in all aspects of life are essential prerequisites
for Afghanistan’s future in this session.
“The
inclusion and Active participation of women and girls in all aspects of life is
an essential condition for the country’s future,” read the statement.
FaridunSinirlioglu’s
report on the situation in Afghanistan approached with a forward-looking
perspective, has been endorsed by Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of
the United Nations.
This
report, which views “Intra-Afghan talks” and efforts to integrate Afghanistan
into the international community as solutions to the current crisis in
Afghanistan, was presented to the United Nations Security Council approximately
two weeks ago.
The
United Nations Security Council has not yet provided any comments or
evaluations regarding this report.
In his
report on the situation in Afghanistan, FaridunSinirlioglu stated that the
current situation hinders Afghanistan’s integration into the United Nations and
the international community. According to him, it constitutes a violation of
human rights and includes actions that contradict international commitments.
He has
also indirectly referred to the normalization of relations with the Taliban,
emphasizing that intra-Afghan talks are essential for overcoming the current
crisis and preserving institutions, laws, and policies that ensure the rule of
law.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/un-report-on-afghanistan-assessed-in-closed-security-council-session/
-----
Hamid
Karzai calls for immediate ‘Intra-Afghan’ Talks
Fidel
Rahmati
November
29, 2023
Hamid
Karzai, former President of Afghanistan, has called for immediate Intra-Afghan
Dialogue and emphasized that the international community should not seek to
remove the caretaker government of Afghanistan through force.
Former
President Hamid Karzai, who held office from 2002 to 2014, stressed the
importance of the Taliban resuming girls’ education in a rare interview with foreign
media. He believes this step could help the Taliban gain legitimacy and
international recognition as a government.
Meanwhile,
the Taliban administration has not been recognized internationally by any
country since its takeover of the country due to specific policies, including
the ban on girls’ and women’s education and employment.
According
to reports, Hamid Karzai, in a conversation with Japan’s Kyodo News on Tuesday,
stated that the Taliban administration acknowledges the necessity of dialogue
but requires preparation and time to initiate these talks.
“We
don’t want conflict in this country anymore. Conflict will make things worse
than they are today,” Karzai said in the interview conducted at his residence
in central Kabul.
“We
don’t want a collapse of the regime or split of the regime. We have had enough
of that in Afghanistan. We want improvements in policy. We want all Afghans
getting together to build the future.”
While
insisting that women and girls be allowed to return to school “immediately,”
the former leader wants intra-Afghan talks involving all ethnic groups to
commence “as soon as possible.” He stopped short of elaborating on a specific
timeline for the negotiations.
Meanwhile,
Karzai characterized the 20-year process of reconstruction and democratization
led by the United States and its allies in Afghanistan as a period filled with
ups and downs. He cited the Doha Agreement, the mismanagement of the Afghan
government at the time, and the countries supporting it as reasons for the
collapse of democracy.
He
emphasized that the “failure of democracy in Afghanistan was not due to its
rejection by the people. They embraced democracy. It was mismanagement by the
government and the international community and its supporters at the time.”
According
to the former Afghan President, the 20 years of the U.S. and its allies’
presence in Afghanistan, which began in 2001 after the collapse of the Taliban
regime in the early 2000s and the establishment of a democratic government in
Afghanistan, was both an achievement and a period filled with challenges and
disappointment for the people and the international community.
It’s
worth noting that Hamid Karzai, along with other former presidents of the
country and officials from various countries, had previously called for
reopening girls’ schools beyond the sixth grade and establishing inclusive
governance in Afghanistan.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/hamid-karzai-calls-for-immediate-intra-afghan-talks/
-----
Our
Envoy Not Summoned by Pakistan Foreign Ministry: Mujahid
November
29, 2023
In
response to reports of some Pakistani media, the Islamic Emirate said that the
Islamic Emirate's Chargé d'Affaires in Pakistan was not summoned, but only
received a message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan.
Earlier,
the Express Tribune, a Pakistani newspaper, had reported that the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Pakistan summoned the charge d'affaires of the Islamic
Emirate in Islamabad in response to the recent attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and
asked the Islamic Emirate to arrest Hafiz Gul Bahadur, the leader of the TTP
and deliver him to Islamabad.
Zabihullah
Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said the reports about the summoning
of the charge d'affaires of the Islamic Emirate in Pakistan are baseless.
"Based
on our information, our ambassador has not been summoned, maybe our ambassador
himself has explained it. But the message has reached our embassy and has been
shared with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and it is under
investigation," Zabihullah Mujahid told TOLOnews.
"This
should be documented, pursued through legal authorities, and the United Nations
Security Council should be referred to with the document," said Sayed
Muqim Amin, a political analyst.
"The
countries that are worried about Afghanistan, their demands and concerns should
be solved diplomatically," said Mohammad MatinMohammadkhil, a political
analyst.
On the
other hand, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson of the ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Pakistan emphasized once again that Islamabad is concerned about
security threats arising from the soil of Afghanistan.
Baloch
asked the authorities of the Islamic Emirate in a news conference to ensure
that the soil of Afghanistan is not used against Pakistan.
The
Pakistani army has also claimed that the attacker targeted the convoy of the
country's security forces on Sunday of this week in the Bakakhil area of Bannu
city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in which two civilians were killed and
10 civilians and three soldiers were injured. He was a "citizen of
Afghanistan" and affiliated with Hafiz Gul Bahadur’s group, the Pamistani
military claimed.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186260
-----
Stanikzai:
Afghan Embassy in India to Reopen in Coming Days
November
29, 2023
Following
the halting of operations of the Afghan embassy in India, now Sher Mohammad
Abbas Stanikzai, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the embassy will
reopen in a few days.
In an
interview with RTA, Stanikzai pledged that the Islamic Emirate consulates are
active in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad and provide consular services to Afghan
immigrants.
"Last
night, our two consuls from Hyderabad and Mumbai went to Delhi. While in the
embassy, they are assessing what is and is not in the offices. Our embassy will
open in New Delhi after an evaluation, maybe within two or three days," he
added.
Stamkzai
said that twenty embassies of neighboring and regional countries are currently
operating in Afghanistan.
"We
still have diplomatic relations with those we had in the past, a number of 18
and 20 embassies are now active in Afghanistan,” Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai
said.
According
to some political analysts, the reopening of embassies in the region and the
world, is beneficial for the improvement of the situation of the country and
the diplomatic relations of the Islamic Emirate with the world.
"As
far as foreign embassies open in Afghanistan, this is in the interest of the
people of Afghanistan, and if the embassies of Afghanistan are opened in
foreign countries, it is also in the interest of the people of Afghanistan,”
Salim Paigir, a political analyst, told TOLOnews.
"With
the reopening of embassies, close relations will be established between us and
the world, and this is very good,” said Moeen Gul Samkanai, a political
analyst.
This
comes as, less than a week ago, the Afghan embassy in New Delhi announced the
complete suspension of its activities, saying that this embassy was closed due
to the pressure of the Indian government and the Islamic Emirate.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186263
-----
Kabul
Calls for Release of Last Afghan From Guantanamo Bay
November
29, 2023
The
Islamic Emirate’s spokesman asked the US to release Abdul Rahim, the last
Afghan prisoner in Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp.
According
to Abdul Rahim's family members, he has been in Guantanamo Bay for more than
seventeen years.
"We
have discussed the Guantanamo prison with the Americans several times. There is
an Afghan prisoner who has to be released. He was arrested without any crime
and the other thing is that he has been there for a long time and has suffered
cruelty. He should be released as soon as possible. Now, once again, we ask the
Americans to release him as soon as possible. The Islamic Emirate will also try
in this regard through legal means,” Mujahid told TOLOnews.
Abdul
Rahim's mother, who is now living in Kabul, said that her son is innocent and
no crime has been proven against him.
“I ask
the rulers of America to release my son. For what sin did they arrestvhim, what
was his sin?” said Safora Bibi, Abdul Rahim's mother.
"The
address of our house was given to them by the ICRC. They came and informed us
that your father is alive and imprisoned in Guantanamo,” said Mohammad Ismail,
Abdul Rahim's son.
The
18-year-old son of Abdul Rahim, Mohammad Daud, said that he was deprived of his
father's arms at the age of two months.
His
family members said that Abdul Rahim was arrested in 2007 in the city of
Lahore, Pakistan, and they have not heard from him after four years.
They
asked the US to release Abdul Rahim and let him return to Afghanistan.
"I
was two months old in my mother's arms. I didn't see him at all. He was
arrested and after that I grew up. At that time, I needed a father's love. I
used to ask my mother about when my father would be released,” Mohammad Daud
told TOLOnews.
The
family of Abdul Rahim added that he was the family's primary provider and sold
honey in Lahore, Pakistan. He is the father of two daughters and four sons.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186266
-----
From DU
to Gaza: Students take stance in solidarity with Palestinians
Nov 29,
2023
Over 300
Dhaka University students held a rally today holding a large Palestinian flag
to express solidarity with the country's people in front of the Raju Memorial
Sculpture.
The
programme was arranged to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the
Palestinian People, which was announced in 1977 by the United Nations General
Assembly.
They also
held placards and banners with 'Gaza will never die', 'Free Palestine, save
Aqsa', and 'No to Zionism' written on them, reports our DU correspondent.
Another
group of students, wearing jerseys designed with the Palestinian flag, were
seen chanting slogans supporting Palestine's people.
The
demonstration was arranged under the banner of general students, where a few
student organisations, including Bangladesh Students' Union, Students'
Federation, Socialist Students' Front and Democratic Students' Force, expressed
solidarity with the Palestinians.
Singer
Arup Rahee also expressed his solidarity with the students' stance.
"The
Israeli people who were persecuted and forced to emigrate during the Second
World War are now forcing Palestinian people to emigrate from their motherland.
It is unexpected," said Arup.
"We
are standing beside the Palestinians to express solidarity with them. Our
stance is against all brutality in Gaza, where a large number of children and
women were killed," he added.
The
programme began around 12:00pm and continued till 2:00pm.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/du-gaza-students-take-stance-solidarity-palestinians-3481991
-----
Southeast Asia
Humanitarian
pause must be the beginning for a lasting peace process in Gaza
November 30, 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir stated that the
humanitarian pause in Gaza should not be considered a definitive resolution to
the protracted conflict in Gaza.
Rather,
he said, the pause must mark the beginning of a lasting peace process and
permanent ceasefire.
As a
result, he claimed, Malaysia made a strong case for the UN Security Council
(UNSC) to begin implementing the required measures in order to bring about the
two-state solution in Palestine.
Zambry
affirmed that this solution garners extensive global backing and has received
endorsements through various United Nations (UN) resolutions.
"The
whole world is looking, and counting on the UN, especially the Security
Council. This body has failed the Palestinians, too many times and for far too
long. It is time to deliver and rectify these "historical
misadventures" of the great powers that caused one of the bloodiest and
unending killings of innocent lives in more than seven decades, in modern
history.
"This
is the clear message, not only from my fellow Malaysians but from all
peace-loving citizens of the world," said Zambry, when he delivered the
national statement at the UN Security Council (UNSC) High-Level Open Debate
held in New York yesterday (November 29).
He
reiterated that the only way to achieve a just and durable solution to the
Palestinian question is by granting the Palestinian people their inalienable
right to self-determination, through the establishment of a free and
independent state of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem
as its capital.
The
Qatar-mediated humanitarian pause in Gaza was reached on November 22 and
entered into force at 7am on Friday (November 24). It was later extended for
two days on Monday (November 27). Today (November 30), the Qatari Foreign
Ministry announced that the truce will be extended for another day. — BERNAMA
Source: nst.com.my
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/11/984871/humanitarian-pause-must-be-beginning-lasting-peace-process-gaza
------
Lorry
attendant charged with attempted murder of policeman
30 Nov
2023
TELUK
INTAN: A lorry attendant who is believed to be a member of a robbery gang known
as the 'GengBulat', was charged in the Sessions Court here on Thursday (Nov 30)
with attempting to murder a policeman.
Mohamad
Hafiz Naharoddin, 28, pleaded not guilty to the charge before Judge Intan Nurul
Farena Zainal Abidin.
He was
charged with attempting to kill Cpl Nik Mohd Khairul Izwan Nik Jid by driving a
PeroduaMyvi car dangerously on the road with the intention or knowledge that
the act could cause death.
The
offence was allegedly committed in front of Masjid Simpang 4 LabuKubong,
ChenderongBalai here at about 5.50pm last Oct 23.
The
charge was framed under Section 307 of the Penal Code which provides
imprisonment for up to 20 years and can be fined if convicted.
Deputy
Public Prosecutor Cheah Shuh Yuan did not offer bail.
However,
lawyer M. Saravanan from the National Legal Aid Foundation, representing
Mohamad Hafi, requested for his client to be allowed bail on the grounds that
he (Mohamad Hafiz) crashed into the police car by accident.
The
lawyer also told the court that his client, who has a child, was shot in the
shoulder by the police in the incident.
The
court allowed Mohamad Hafiz bail of RM10,000 with one surety and also ordered
him to report himself at the nearest police station every month, and set Dec 29
for mention.-Bernama
Source: thestar.com.my
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/11/30/lorry-attendant-charged-with-attempted-murder-of-policeman
------
Thai
foreign minister weeps, welcomes Hamas release of Thai workers
November 30, 2023
TEL AVIV
– Thai Foreign Minister ParnpreeBahiddha-Nukara broke down in tears when he met
fellow Thais released to Israel by Hamas after seven weeks of captivity, and
said on Nov 29 that he hoped for freedom soon for the remaining 13 hostages.
Another
two Thai workers were set free on Nov 28, bringing the total released to 19.
With their arrival at Shamir Medical Centre, the workers embraced one another.
“We survived!
We survived!” they cheered, and one was seen wiping away tears.
“We are
no one’s enemy,” MrParnpree said, in a Reuters interview later on Nov 29, after
being moved to tears when he met the workers on Nov 28.
He said
there were no conditions for their release.
MrParnpree
held talks with his counterparts in several Middle Eastern countries with Hamas
contacts. He said they remain in contact with him and send him updates about
the release of hostages even before the news breaks.
“I went
around to speak to various countries who can connect with the Hamas group to
explain that the Thai workers are innocent, they are not involved in politics,
they are not part of anyone’s conflict, and they probably don’t even know how
the situation came to be, who’s fighting with whom. They were there to earn a
living,” he said in the interview.
Thailand
says Palestinian Hamas gunmen from Gaza killed 39 Thais during an Oct 7 rampage
into Israel, where around 30,000 Thai labourers had been working in the
agriculture sector, one of Israel’s largest migrant worker groups.
The Thai
Foreign Ministry said three Thais were being treated for wounds in hospital. Of
the 32 taken hostage, 13 remain in captivity.
MrParnpree
said he had pinned his hopes on winning their release soon.
On
Monday, a Thai Muslim group that spoke directly with Hamas said its efforts
were key to ensuring that Thai hostages were among the first to be released in
Gaza during a temporary truce with Israeli forces.
“We were
the sole party that spoke to Hamas since the beginning of the war to ask for
the release of Thais,” Thai-Iran Alumni Association president Lerpong Syed told
Reuters on Monday.
Israel
says Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages to Gaza on Oct 7.
More than 15,000 people have been killed in Israel’s military campaign, say
Palestinian health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza.
Thailand’s
population of 70 million is predominantly Buddhist and has largely co-existed
peacefully with its Muslim minority, although a long-running separatist insurgency
in the south periodically flares into violence. REUTERS
Source: straitstimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/thai-foreign-minister-weeps-welcomes-hamas-release-of-thai-workers
----
Global
Muslim food consumption spending to reach US$1.3t by 2024, says DPM Fadillah
29 Nov
2023
KUCHING,
Nov 29 — Global Muslim food consumption spending is projected to reach a
staggering US$1.38 trillion (RM6.42 trillion) by 2024, said Deputy Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
He said
young people, who will form 60 per cent of the world’s two billion Muslim
population by 2030, are already influencing this surge in consumption.
“They
are driving a revolution in which halal is synonymous with health, hygiene, and
ethical stewardship,” he said when speaking at the 2nd Global Muslim Business
Forum 2023 here today.
Fadillah
said the government recognises the intrinsic value of halal certification to
ensure that consumer goods such as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics
and food meet the highest halal standards.
“This
commitment has encouraged major players in the consumer goods sector to invest
in halal production lines, thus ensuring that our products are trusted on the
global stage.
“As the
younger generation becomes increasingly eco-conscious, we see a rise in demand
for plant-based products and healthy foods and halal-certified offerings are
expanding rapidly,” he added. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Singapore
deploys RSAF aircraft to deliver urgent humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza
(VIDEO)
30 Nov
2023
SINGAPORE,
Nov 30 — The Singapore government has deployed a Republic of Singapore Air
Force (RSAF) aircraft to deliver urgent life-saving supplies for civilians in
Gaza, while humanitarian supply lines remain open.
The
aircraft, an RSAF A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, departed Changi Air Base
(East) for Egypt in the early hours of Thursday morning (November 30) with a
humanitarian assistance package comprising medicines, medical supplies,
blankets, sanitation items, water filters and food.
The
items were provided by the Ministry of Health, the Singapore Armed Forces
(SAF), as well as other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the
Singapore Red Cross, Mercy Relief and Relief Singapore.
A total
of 46 personnel from the SAF, including pilots, aircrew, engineers and security
personnel, are involved in the humanitarian mission.
An
urgent matter
After
Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on
October 7 and killed some 1,200 civilians, Israel retaliated against Hamas in
Gaza with heavy air bombardment and a ground assault. Palestinian authorities
said more than 15,000 people are confirmed killed.
Over 1.7
million people of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million are estimated to be
displaced. United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres said yesterday
that the Gaza Strip was in the midst of an “epic humanitarian catastrophe”,
urging the world not to look away.
Under
international pressure, Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day truce that began
last Friday and was then extended for another two days.
This
means Singapore’s humanitarian effort is coming at the tail end of the truce,
with talks between Israel and Hamas still ongoing on a possible extension.
Speaking
to the media at the Changi Air Base yesterday evening before the aircraft’s
departure, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan noted this timeline as
the “reason why there is an urgency” for the delivery of aid, and expressed
hope that the truce would be extended.
“We know
that the situation is dire and there’s an urgent need for assistance to be
delivered as soon as possible,” he said.
“We’re
very grateful that the RSAF has enabled us to deliver this essential medical
and humanitarian assistance quickly in this very narrow window.”
Senior
Minister of State for DefenceZaqy Mohamad was also present to send off the SAF
crew, along with the Egyptian Ambassador-designate to Singapore Ahmed Mostafa
Abdelaal Mohamed, Singapore’s Representative to the Palestinian Authority
HawaziDaipi and representatives from participating NGOs.
In order
to determine which supplies were most needed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
had worked with the Egyptian Red Crescent, a humanitarian society that provides
emergency medical services and humanitarian aid in Egypt.
The
Egyptian Red Cresent will receive the package from the SAF’s Changi Regional
Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre — established
in 2014 by the Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces to coordinate
military responses to assist disaster relief efforts — and then facilitate the
delivery of the humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza.
Singapore’s
Ambassador to Egypt Dominic Goh will witness the handover of the humanitarian
package to the Egyptian Red Crescent upon its arrival in Egypt.
The
Singapore government did not reveal the RSAF aircraft’s exact landing location
due to security reasons.
Today's
package is Singapore’s second tranche of humanitarian aid for Gaza.
The
first tranche was sent earlier this month, when Second Minister for Foreign
Affairs Maliki Osman was in Cairo to witness the handover of over S$2 million
in public donations to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East.
In a
joint statement today, MFA and the Ministry of Defence said that Singaporeans
have contributed a total of over S$7 million in cash and in-kind donations to
support relief efforts in Gaza to date.
“Singaporeans
feel deep compassion for victims of the war and have responded with heartfelt
generosity,” the statement said.
The
ministries added that they would “continue to work closely” with humanitarian
partners to offer additional assistance and support to affected communities.
“We urge
all parties to allow the immediate, safe, and unhindered provision of
humanitarian aid to affected civilians throughout Gaza,” they said. — TODAY
Source: malaymail.com
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Here's
why Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are fleeing to Indonesia
30 Nov
2023
JAKARTA,
Nov 30 — An increasing number of Rohingya refugees are leaving the crowded
camps of Cox’s Bazar on the south-eastern coast of Bangladesh and are making
the 1,800-kilometer (1,120-mile) sea crossing south to Indonesia in rickety
boats.
Indonesian
police and fishermen said last week they have begun patrolling parts of Aceh
province, on the northwestern tip of Sumatra, to prevent the landing of refugee
boats. Over 1,000 Rohingya have arrived this month, the largest number since
2015.
About 1
million Rohingya Muslims are living in squalid refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. In
2017, Myanmar’s military began a brutal crackdown on Rohingya people living in
Rakhine state, destroying villages and killing thousands.
Hundreds
of thousands more fled across the border to Bangladesh. The UN later called
what happened a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”
Refugees
escape Cox’s Bazar
However,
life has remained difficult for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, as they
lack food, security, education, and work opportunities in the crowded camps.
A report
by Human Rights Watch published this year said criminal gangs and affiliates of
Islamist armed groups were causing fear at night in the refugee camps in Cox’s
Bazar.
A
19-year-old Rohingya refugee who recently arrived in Aceh province with her
family told the AFP news agency that criminals in Cox’s Bazar threatened her
and her family every day, and she paid over US$1,800 (€1,640) for the boat
journey to Indonesia.
Bangladesh
police say about 60 Rohingya people have been killed in the Cox Bazar camps
this year so far.
Nay San
Lwin, co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, an activist network, told DW
that many refugees are fleeing violence in the camps.
“Criminal
gangs control the camps at night, making it so that no one in the camps feels
safe. It poses a significant challenge for all refugees,” he told DW.
However,
Lwin also said the World Food Programme (WFP) cut refugee food rations earlier
this year, which for many Rohingya was the last straw.
“In the
camps, people depend on WFP’s ration allowance, which makes it impossible to
have sufficient food nowadays — US$8 for a person for the whole month’s
ration,” Lwin told DW.
“The
restriction of movement in the camps makes it impossible to work outside for
survival,” he said. “There is no alternative livelihood opportunity available,
and there is no hope for meaningful repatriation soon, which makes refugees
desperate to search for a better life elsewhere.”
Rohingya
refugees are not allowed to work or get a proper education in Bangladesh. They
have been barred from learning the local Bengali language as the host country’s
authorities don’t want them to integrate into mainstream society. They are also
barred from being granted formal citizenship in Myanmar.
“The
absence of livelihoods with dignity is the leading cause for the genocide
survivors fleeing the camps and taking dangerous journeys to Muslim countries
like Malaysia and Indonesia,” Rezaur Rahman Lenin, a Rohingya researcher based
in Cox’s Bazar, told DW.
He added
that there is a large Rohingya community in Indonesia and Malaysia and many
refugees believe they can earn an income in other countries.
“In
addition, gang violence, law enforcement agencies brutality, criminal acts such
as extortion, kidnapping, physical attacks and lack of psychological well-being
also add to the causes,” he added.
Germany-based
Rohingya activist Nay San Lwin said criminals who somehow access the restricted
camps take advantage of the refugees’ vulnerability and lure them to take
dangerous sea journeys.
“Faced
with a hopeless situation, the refugees tend to believe whatever they were told
by human traffickers and prepare for the risky journey,” he told DW. “Many lost
their lives at sea or suffered torture at the hands of the traffickers.”
Bangladesh
says it is fighting human trafficking
Mohammed
Mizanur Rahman, Bangladesh’s refugee relief and repatriation commissioner
(RRRC), told DW that he doesn’t think the refugees are leaving camps due to the
security situation.
“They
are stateless people, and we are not allowing them to integrate in Bangladesh.
It’s not possible for us. So, for the sake of their next generation, they are
trying to go to the countries where they think their future generation will
have a better life,” he said.
The
refugee chief added that the local law enforcement agencies have been trying to
curb human trafficking, and more measures will be implemented in the future to
tackle the situation.
“Two or
three days ago, 58 Rohingya refugees were stopped from setting sail to Malaysia
or Indonesia by police. Cases have been filed related to human trafficking in
the area in recent years, and many arrests have been made to ensure justice,”
Rahman told DW.
“However,
it’s difficult to maintain law and order in the overcrowded camps due to their
location and other factors,” he added. — DW
Source: malaymail.com
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-----
Pakistan
Afghans
involved in most of terror attacks: Bugti
November
30, 2023
Asim
Yasin
ISLAMABAD:
Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti Wednesday disclosed that Afghan
citizens were involved in most of the terrorist incidents that took place in
Pakistan and said the recent suicide bombing on a security forces convoy in
Bannu was carried out by an Afghan.
“Afghan
citizens were involved in 14 out of 26 terrorist incidents which took place in
Pakistan”, he said while briefing the Senate Committee on Interior that met
here with Senator Moshin Aziz in the chair.
Senators
Kamil Ali Agha, Saiful-lahAbro, Shahadat Awan, Fauzia Arshad, Dinesh Kumar,
Sania Nishtar, Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Ta-reen and Samina Mumtaz Zahri
participated in the meeting. Bugti told the committee that 400,000 people
living illegally in Pakistan had repatriated.
In the
first phase 300,000 people repatriated but now their number is close to
400,000, he added. He said 296,000 people repatriated on their own but an
impression was given that they were being arrested and sent back. “We want to
bring Pakistan into a system. People enter Pakistan from the Chaman border and
do what they have to do and leave. There has been a joke that whoever wants,
comes here,” Bugti said. He said a mechanism would be made within a week
concerning the ‘One Document Regime’ in the border area of Chaman and ease of
do-ing business. The committee discussed “The Rehriban Livelihood Protection
Bill, 2023” in detail pre-sented by Senator Sania Nishtar, who gave a briefing
on the objectives of the bill. Chairman CDA told the committee that the Local
Government Act 2015 was already there in this regard and if the bill was
passed, an equivalent structure would be set up. After a detailed discussion on
the bill, the committee chairman directed the CDA and all bodies concerned to
present a comparative review of both the bills in the next meeting. The
Pakistan Penal Code (amendment) Bill, 2023 (Amendment in section) was presented
by Senator Shahadat Awan. The bills presented by Senator Shahadat Awan
including “The Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2023 (Insertion of
new section 101A) and “The Islamabad Capital Territory Charities Registration,
Regulation and Facilitation (Amendment) Bill, 2023” were ap-proved. The
Parliamentary Reporters Association representatives raised the issue of murder
of jour-nalist Jan Muhammad Maher complaining that 108 days had passed but the
murderers were still at large. IG Sindh and SSP Sukkur briefed the committee on
the issue. The IG Sindh said together with the Federal Union of Journalists’
representatives, they had met the Sindh chief minister on the issue, who had
given 30 days to arrest the culprits out of which 12 days had passed. He said
according to re-ports, the killers of Jan Muhammad Maher had taken refuge in
the Kacha area and raids were being conducted to arrest them. The committee
chairman appreciated the work and courage of IG Sindh and issued instructions
to bring the case to a speedy conclusion.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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-----
PM Kakar
arrives in Dubai to attend COP28 summit
November
30, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
After completing his two-day visit to Kuwait, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul
Haq Kakar on Wednesday reached Dubai to attend COP28 summit on climate change.
According
to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), UAE Minister for Justice Abdullah Sultan
bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE, and the Pakistani
diplomatic staff welcomed the prime minister at Dubai’s Al-Maktoum Airport.
The
prime minister will head the Pakistani delegation at the 28th Conference of
Parties and will attend the World Climate Action Summit on Dec 1 and 2.
Foreign
Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar, Federal
Minister for Climate Change Ahmed Irfan Aslam and Energy Minister Muhammad Ali
will also participate in the COP28.
“Despite
its less than one per cent imprint in the global climate change factors,
Pakistan is among the countries hugely affected by the changes,” the prime
minister had said at a meeting he chaired before leaving for the UAE last week.
MrKakar
was of the view that climate change was an issue of importance for countries
like Pakistan and said the country was playing a positive role in the global
climate debate through climate diplomacy.
“One-third
of the country’s population is badly affected by the climate-induced floods,”
he had said.
Earlier
on Wednesday, MrKakar concluded his two-day visit to Kuwait where he met top
Kuwaiti leadership.
The
prime minister and First Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Talal Al Khaled
Al Ahmad Al Sabah, in a meeting, underlined the importance of historical
brotherly ties between the two countries.
During a
meeting, they reaffirmed the desire to strengthen fraternal ties by
transforming them into a mutually rewarding economic partnership.
Chief of
Army Staff (COAS) Gen Syed Asim Munir was also present during the meeting.
The
leaders also witnessed the signing of seven agreements to attract multi-billion-dollar
investment from Kuwait in various sectors of Pakistan, including food
security/agriculture, hydel power, water supplies (safe drinking water and
mining activities), establishment of mining fund to support mineral industry,
technology zones development and mangrove preservation.
In
addition, three MoUs were signed in the fields of culture and art, environment
and sustainable development.
The
leaders expressed satisfaction at the trajectory of relations and agreed to
further strengthen these relations between the two countries.
MrKakar
termed the agreements with Kuwait another milestone in the achievements which
the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) platform was bringing to the
country.
The
prime minister prayed for the good health of Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al
Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait.
Source: dawn.com
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------
Cabinet
gives nod to jail trial of Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi in cipher case
November
30, 2023
Ayaz
Akbar Yousafzai & Mohammad Anis
ISLAMABAD:
Following a court decision, the federal cabinet on Thursday green lit the
summary seeking the jail trial of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran
Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case, Geo News
reported citing sources.
Officials,
who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Ministry of Law and Justice
had moved the summary and the cabinet approved it via circulation. The decision
to move the summary was taken following special court judge
AbualHasnatZulqarnain's order to hold the trial in jail.
The
special court, earlier this week, had ruled that the trial in the cipher case
will be conducted in Adiala jail.
Judge
Zulqarnain said: "The cipher trial will take place in jail in light of the
security report by the superintendent of Adiala Jail."
The
order said that the next hearing of the case would take place at Adiala jail.
The court also stated that the proceedings can be attended by anyone who wishes
to do so including the journalists.
The
orders were issued in the first hearing of the cipher case that was held
outside the Adiala prisons after the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) decision to
nullify the August 29 notification for a jail trial.
Judge
Zulqarnain of the special court has been conducting the trial in jail citing
security concerns since Khan was indicted on the charges last month.
In
August of this year, Khan and Qureshi were booked under the Official Secrets
Act 1923 in the cipher case after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)
invoked Section 5 of the said law.
£190
million settlement case
On
Tuesday, the federal cabinet also approved conducting the jail trial of the PTI
chairman in corruption cases.
According
to a report published today, the cabinet summary, moved by the Ministry of Law
and Justice, was approved via circulation.
The
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had requested the ministry to allow the
trial to be held in Adiala jail considering the law and order situation.
The
ministry had already issued a notification on the trial of the PTI chairman in
the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA), UK, and Toshakhana case in
prison.
According
to the notification issued by the ministry on Nov 28, the accountability court
concerned would sit and conduct the trial of accused in the Central Prison,
Adiala.
“The
federal government is pleased to accord approval that the accountability court
concerned shall sit and conduct the trial of the accused (PTI chairman and
former PM) and others in Central Prison, Adiala, with reference to the case
regarding misuse of authority/ illegal sale of gifted state assets, etc. under
Section 16(b) of NAB Ordinance, 1999,” the notification said.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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------
Cabinet
okays trial of Imran’s graft cases in jail
November
30, 2023
Mohammad
Anis
ISLAMABAD:
The federal cabinet approved a summary on Wednesday for the trial of Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s corruption cases in jail.
The
cabinet approved a summary received from the Ministry of Law and Justice
through circulation. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had requested the
Ministry of Law to allow a trial of the accused in Adiala jail in view of law
and order and security situation.
The
Ministry of Law and Justice also issued a notification on the trial of PTI
chairman in £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA), UK, and Toshakhana case
in prison.
According
to the notification issued by the Ministry on Nov 28, the accountability court
concerned would sit and conduct the trial of accused in the Central Prison,
Adiala.
“The
federal government is pleased to accord approval that the accountability court
concerned shall sit and conduct the trial of the accused (PTI chairman and
former PM) and others in Central Prison, Adiala, with reference to the case
regarding misuse of authority/ illegal sale of gifted state assets, etc. under
Section 16(b) of NAB Ordinance, 1999,” the notification said.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1133850-cabinet-okays-trial-of-imran-s-graft-cases-in-jail
----
Rally
condemns Israeli atrocities
November
30, 2023
KARACHI:
The
Civil Society and Palestine Solidarity Committee on Wednesday organised a rally
in Karachi to express unwavering support for the Palestinian people and to
vehemently condemn Israeli aggression in Palestine. The rally commenced from
ShahraeQuaideen, extended to Tariq Road Chowrangi, and culminated at
Mazar-e-Quaid. The event saw the active participation of Mayor Karachi, Murtaza
Wahab, alongside leaders from various political and religious factions, as well
as a multitude of citizens representing diverse schools of thought.
Key
figures such as Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, Amir Karachi of Jamaat-e-Islami, Muhammad
Zubair and Nehal Hashmi from Muslim League-N, Shahi Syed of ANP, Nasreen Jalil
from MQM, and leaders from various religious organizations and welfare
institutions joined forces in the rally. Notably, the event drew a diverse crowd,
including children, women, and senior citizens, all brandishing the Palestinian
flag and placards denouncing Israel.
Jamaat-e-Islami
(JI) Karachi Ameer Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said that Palestine is the
land of Palestinians and Israel is an illegitimate creation, so there is no
two-state solution to the issue. Leaders of the political parties involved
asserted that the people of Karachi are standing united today, sending a
powerful message to the world. They emphasized that the citizens of Pakistan
unequivocally stand with their Palestinian brethren, vehemently condemning
Israel's ruthless actions, particularly the bombing of hospitals in Palestine.
During the rally, slogans against Israel, such as "Labbaik Al-Aqsa,"
echoed through the streets.
In their
addresses to the rally participants, representatives of the civil society also
decried the biased role played by global powers.
They
called for concrete measures to hold Israel accountable for war crimes at the
International Court of Justice, advocate for the transformation of the
temporary ceasefire into a permanent one, and urgently supply Gaza with
essential provisions, including basic necessities.
Source: tribune.com.pk
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------
North America
US
Muslim group urges Biden to condemn Israeli killings of 2 Palestinian children
in West Bank
Michael
Hernandez
30.11.2023
A Muslim
American advocacy group urged President Joe Biden to condemn Israel's killings
of two Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.
Adam
Samer al-Ghoul, 8, and Basil Suleiman Abu al-Wafa, 15, were fatally shot by
Israeli forces during an 18-hour raid in Jenin that also saw major destruction
in the city and its refugee camp.
The
Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the children's deaths and video of the
killings has spread on social media.
NihadAwad,
executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Biden
"should condemn the killing of Palestinian children in the same way that
he rightly condemns violence targeting others."
"The
killing of Palestinian children by Israel’s far-right apartheid government will
continue until the decades-long dehumanization of the Palestinian people and
the systematic denial of their rights by the Global North comes to an
end," Awad said in a statement.
"Our
nation’s leaders must finally recognize that Palestinians are human beings who
do have rights, including the right to life," he added.
The
National Security Council did not immediately return an Anadolu request for
comment on the killings.
Source: aa.com.tr
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------
US
Congress members visit hunger strike calling for permanent cease-fire in Gaza
Rabia
IclalTuran
30.11.2023
A group
of US Congress members visited activists, state legislators, and actors on
Wednesday on day three of a five-day hunger strike they launched in front of
the White House demanding a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.
Speaking
at a candlelight vigil in front of the White House, Representative Rashida
Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, said millions of
Americans are calling for an end to the violence.
“There
is nothing humanitarian, my friends, about giving innocent civilians a few days
of rest before they are bombed again,” she said.
“We are
calling for a permanent end to the violence and not a break in the violence,”
she said. “The temporary pause is not enough. We need a permanent cease-fire
now.”
Rebuffing
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre – who called “repugnant” and
“disgraceful” comments by a group of progressive Democrats, including Tlaib,
when they said Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel should be considered in light of
previous actions by Israel – Tlaib said: “Well, let me say this: the bombing of
innocent civilians and children is repugnant and disgraceful.”
“The
refusal to support a cease-fire and an end to violence and the killing is
repugnant and disgraceful,” she added.
On the
growing calls for a cease-fire both in the US and worldwide, Tlaib said: “We
will continue to demand a permanent cease-fire, demand immediate delivery of
enough humanitarian aid to Gaza, demand the release of all hostages and those
arbitrarily detained, and demand that every American, those who are left, come
home and demand that the Palestinian people live free from occupation.”
’Too
many children have died’
Jonathan
Jackson, a Democratic congressman for Illinois, thanked all the activists who
are taking part in the hunger strike for their courage and moral clarity.
“Too
many children have died. Too many innocent are suffering as we speak. We're
demanding an end to this,” he said.
“We do
not believe people are born to be enemies. We have seen too much bloodshed.”
Rep.
Cori Bush, representing Missouri, said that without a permanent cease-fire,
their grief and mourning will only grow as more lives are taken.
“There
are Palestinians who will be taking their last meal, that will be taking that
last moment of time with their family members if we don't enact a permanent
cease-fire,” she said.
Telling
how a group of progressive lawmakers in Congress introduced a resolution on
Oct. 16 calling for “an immediate de-escalation and cease-fire,” Bush said the
“resolution is clear.”
“There
are a lot of people who are trying to stigmatize the word ‘cease-fire’ as if it's
something radical,” she said, adding it is the “obvious” and “critical step”
that needs to be taken.
“Our
movement is working. They feel our energy in the White House. They hear our
demands. They see us marching in the streets,” she said. “We are moving closer
and closer to that permanent and lasting cease-fire.”
'Mass
murder'
Congressman
Jamaal Bowman, representing New York, also joined the calls for a permanent
cease-fire
“We've
all read about mass murders, and I cannot believe I'm living through one,” he
said. "And the US government is condoning it and being complicit."
Calling
for a cease-fire does not mean supporting the Palestinian group Hamas, he said.
“We're
calling for a cease-fire because we don't want anyone else to die. We don't
want Israelis to die. We don't want Jews to die. We hate antisemitism and we
condemn it. But every life is precious,” he added.
Actor
Denee Benton called on President Joe Biden to stop US support for the
destruction in Gaza and instead move those funds “towards repair.”
Actor
Cynthia Nixon read out a poem by Palestinian-American poet Zeina Azzam titled
“Write My Name,” noting how parents in Gaza are writing their children’s names
on their arms and legs so they can be identified if they are killed in
airstrikes.
Participants
in the vigil later read out the names of some of the more than 15,000
Palestinians who have been killed since the start of the Israel-Palestine war
on Oct. 7.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-congress-members-visit-hunger-strike-calling-for-permanent-cease-fire-in-gaza/3068670
-----
US
claims it foiled alleged Indian plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader
30
November 2023
The
United States has said it foiled an alleged Indian plot to assassinate an
American-Canadian citizen in New York who advocated establishing a sovereign
state for Sikhs in northern India.
The US
Justice Department said on Wednesday an Indian government official directed a
$100,000 plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual citizen of the
United States and Canada who is considered a terrorist by the Indian
government.
But the
hitman was actually a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) undercover agent, prosecutors said.
The
Indian government official was only described as “CC-1” in an indictment
unsealed in Manhattan federal court that charged Nikhil Gupta, 52, an Indian
national who had lived in India, with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit
murder-for-hire.
US
Attorney Damian Williams and other federal officials announced the charges in a
press release.
"The
defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a
U.S. citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment
of a sovereign state for Sikhs," Williams, the top federal prosecutor in
Manhattan, said in the statement.
The
Indian official was described in the related indictment as a "Senior Field
Officer" with responsibilities in "Security Management" and
"Intelligence" employed by the Indian government who "directed
the plot from India."
A senior
Biden administration official last week said American authorities had thwarted
a plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader in the United States and warned New
Delhi over concerns the Indian government was involved.
Since
the 1980s, India has targeted the separatist movement that sought the creation
of an independent country for the Sikhs, called Khalistan.
A senior
US official said on Wednesday that Biden instructed CIA director Bill Burns to
travel to India to deliver a message that "we will not tolerate such
activities and that we expect those responsible to be held fully
accountable."
Biden
also raised the issue with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20
summit, where he "emphasized the seriousness of this issue and the
potential repercussions for our bilateral relationship were similar threats to
persist," the official added.
US
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Blinken also
discussed the issue with India's foreign minister.
News of
the alleged plot comes after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there
was "credible" evidence tying the Indian government to the murder of
another Sikh activist in British Columbia in June.
India
expelled a Canadian diplomat citing “growing concern” over the diplomats’
‘interference’, as the row over a killed Sikh separatist deepens between Ottawa
and New Delhi.
Canada
said it was “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking Indian government
agents to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and expelled the head of Indian
intelligence in Canada as a consequence.
India
dismissed the accusation as “absurd and motivated” and called on Canada instead
to take legal action against anti-Indian elements operating from its soil.
Trudeau
said the indictment on Wednesday underscored the need for India to take that
allegation seriously.
Source: presstv.ir
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----
Mideast
Iran
appreciates international support for Gaza
Nov 30,
2023
TEHRAN,
Nov. 30 (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister
Hossein Amirabdollahian lauded the support and the humanitarian aid that a
number of international unions and organizations have provided for Palestinians
amid the Israeli onslaught against Gaza.
The top
Iranian diplomat on Wednesday sent separate letters to Chairperson of the
African Union Commission (AUC) Moussa Faki Mahamat, Secretary General of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
TasmagambetovImangaliNurgalievich, Secretary-General of the Bolivarian Alliance
for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) Felix Plasencia, and Secretary General of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Kao Kim Hourn.
Amirabdollahian
praised those organizations and unions for assisting the Palestinian people and
condemning the Israeli regime’s brutal crimes against Gaza.
Reminding
international organizations of their responsibility to stop the Zionist
regime’s war crimes, Amirabdollahian said the muted response from a number of
international actors and the Israeli regime officials’ impunity have encouraged
the Zionists to keep committing crimes against Palestine.
More
than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli attacks in Gaza since
October 7.
A 4-day
ceasefire in Gaza came into effect last week and has been extended twice.
Source: mehrnews.com
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-----
Israel-Hamas
truce to continue for another day
30th
November 2023
Israel
and the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Thursday, November 30, agreed to
extend the humanitarian truce deal in the Gaza Strip by at least one more day,
minutes before it was set to expire.
Israeli
Defense Forces (IDF) said that the operational pause will continue “in light of
the mediators’ efforts to continue the process of releasing hostages, and
subject to the terms of the agreement.”
In a
separate statement, Hamas also confirmed the extension of the truce for a day.
Qatar
Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majid Al-Ansari, has announced that another day of
temporary truce under the same previous conditions.”
The
previous conditions agreed upon include a ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian
aid, and the exchange of prisoners.
On
Friday, November 24, the Qatari-Egyptian-American mediation succeeded in
reaching a four-day truce, which was extended for two additional days.
Under
the truce deal, the prisoners were released in batches, all of whom were women
and children from both sides.
During
the six days of the truce, 210 Palestinians, 70 Israelis, and 24 foreign
nationals have reportedly been released.
Source: siasat.com
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------
Eight-year-old,
teen shot dead in West Bank: Palestinian health ministry
29th November 2023
RAMALLAH:
An eight-year-old boy and a teenager were killed by the Israeli army on
Wednesday in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, according to the Palestinian
health ministry.
The
ministry said in a statement that "Adam al-Ghul, eight years old, and
Bassem Abu el-Wafa, 15 years old, were killed by bullets from the
occupier".
CCTV
footage circulating online and on television news shows a boy being struck by a
bullet and falling in the street, sending other children fleeing.
Other
images show a teenager also being hit by a bullet and falling, then appearing
to call for help as more shots hit the ground around him and other people run
for cover.
The
teenager can be seen struggling on the ground in apparent agony for at least
half a minute.
An
official with the Palestinian Red Crescent told AFP that the boy and the teen
had been on a side street of central Jenin's main thoroughfare, an area
theoretically off limits to the Israeli military as it is under the sole
control of the Palestinian Authority.
Asked about
the deaths by AFP, the army said it was "verifying" the information.
Since
the October 7 attack on Israel and its ensuing war against Hamas in the Gaza
Strip, violence in the West Bank has flared, with nearly 240 Palestinians
killed by either soldiers or Israeli settlers, according to the health
ministry.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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-----
COP28
president denies using climate talks to push oil deals
2023-11-30
DUBAI:
The Emirati host of the UN climate conference in Dubai denied Wednesday reports
that he used his presidency of the crucial talks on global warming to pursue
fossil fuels deals.
The
allegations against Sultan Al Jaber, who is also CEO of his country’s oil giant
ADNOC, have fanned long-running suspicions over the wisdom of a petrostate
hosting the COP28 talks.
But
Jaber, who also chairs a UAE-owned clean energy company, strongly denied
reports that he used his position as COP president to pitch new oil and gas
investments to governments.
“These
allegations are false, not true, incorrect and not accurate,” Jaber told
reporters on the eve of the talks, which will draw world leaders and tens of
thousands of delegates to Dubai over the next two weeks.
“It’s an
attempt to undermine the work of the COP28 presidency. Let me ask you a
question: do you think the UAE or myself will need the COP or the COP
presidency to go and establish business deals or commercial relationships?”
Leaked
documents obtained by the BBC and the Centre for Climate Reporting alleged that
talking points prepared for Jaber for COP meetings with foreign governments
pushed joint business opportunities in fossil fuels.
The
briefing notes, detailed in reports published on Monday, signalled ADNOC’s
willingness to work with countries including China, Germany and Egypt to
develop oil and gas projects.
“I
promise you, never ever did I see these talking points that they refer (to), or
that I ever even used such talking points in my discussions,” said Jaber.
He said
every meeting he conducted with governments or stakeholders as president of the
climate talks “has always been centred around one thing and one thing only: and
that is my COP28 agenda.”
But the
allegations fuelled persistent scepticism over the suitability of an oil
executive leading the world’s climate negotiations as governments are pushed to
commit to phasing out fossil fuels, something no COP has ever achieved.
Former
US vice president Al Gore said the allegations “have confirmed some of the
worst fears” around Jaber while former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres
said the COP28 host had been caught “red handed”.
“The
global community’s gaze is fixed upon these leaders, expecting them to embody
the very essence of integrity, untainted by bias and national or personal
gain,” said Tasneem Essop, executive director of the Climate Action Network
International.
Source: brecorder.com
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-----
Turkish
military plane with 8 tons of medical aid for Gazans lands in Egypt
Fatma
Sevinc Cetin and Zehra Nur Duz
29.11.2023
A
Turkish military plane carrying eight tons of medicines and medical supplies
for residents of the Gaza Strip landed on Wednesday in Egypt neighboring the
enclave.
A group
of nine health care professionals in the same plane also landed at the El Arish
Airport in the Sinai Peninsula.
The
plane will return to the Turkish capital of Ankara, carrying Palestinians with
cancer and orthopedic problems, including a five-month-old injured baby, as
well as their companions.
Earlier
this morning, the plane took off from Türkiye’s central Kayseri province.
The
medical team will provide treatment to injured people in cooperation with the
Egyptian Health Ministry.
Türkiye
has so far dispatched 11 planes, carrying 700 tons of humanitarian aid and
medical supplies, a ship, eight field hospitals, and 20 ambulances to El Arish
Airport for Gaza with help from Egypt.
Meanwhile,
Türkiye’s Health Minister FahrettinKoca on Wednesday said Turkish health teams
that arrived in Gaza City have completed identifying suitable locations for the
field hospital's services.
“In the
subsequent phase, we plan to provide health services to the injured and sick
Palestinian people on-site,” Koca noted.
Source: aa.com.tr
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-------
UN chief
urges world not to look away and ignore ‘epic humanitarian catastrophe’ in Gaza
November
30, 2023
NEW YORK
CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that a “far
greater” number of children have been killed by Israel in Gaza in a matter of
weeks during the current conflict than the total number of children killed “during
any year, by any party to a conflict since I became secretary-general.”
The
people of Gaza are in the midst of “an epic humanitarian catastrophe before the
eyes of the world. We must not look away,” he added.
As he
welcomed the ongoing, last-minute negotiations taking place in an attempt to
extend the truce in the war, Guterres once again stressed the need for “a true
humanitarian ceasefire.”
Speaking
during a meeting of the Security Council, he said it is imperative that the
people of the region are given “a horizon of hope” in the form of efforts to
move in a “determined and irreversible” way toward a two-state solution.
“Failure
will condemn Palestinians, Israelis, the region and the world to a never-ending
cycle of death and destruction,” he added.
The
high-level Security Council meeting, which took place on the annual
UN-organized International Day for Solidarity with the Palestinian People, was
chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi. China holds the rotating
presidency of the 15-member council this month.
“We
should work toward a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire with the greatest
urgency and as the utmost priority,” Wang said.
“What
happened between Palestine and Israel over the decades shows, time and again,
that resorting to military means is definitely not a way out.”
He added
that China hopes the pause in military operations over the past few days will
not prove simply to be a brief hiatus before a new round of violence, warning
that “resumed fighting would only, most likely, turn into a calamity that
devours the whole region.”
Saudi
Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, lamented the lack of any
international mechanism for ensuring accountability for actions during the war,
and the Security Council’s inability to take any steps to prevent Israeli
violations of the rules of war and international law.
He told
council members that the Nov. 11 summit in Riyadh adopted a resolution that
reflected the will of Arab and Islamic peoples to “stem the bloodshed, deliver
assistance, put an end to violations, overcome this unjustified suffering in
Palestine, and stand with the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate
demands to take back their occupied territory and establish an independent
state.”
Prince
Faisal called for the ongoing implementation of Security Council Resolution
2712 and for efforts to build on it to achieve “a comprehensive and immediate
ceasefire.” The resolution, adopted by the council on Nov. 15, calls “for
urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip
… to enable … full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access.”
Israel’s
representative to the UN, Gilad Erdan, accused the foreign ministers “of some
Arab countries” of coming to New York to support a “terror organization that
aims to annihilate Israel.”
He
equated calls for a ceasefire with support for Hamas and its “continued reign
of terror” in Gaza. “Don’t you see the contradiction here?” Erdan asked council
members. “Calling for both a ceasefire and peace is a paradox.” He added that
“more food, water and medical supplies will not bring us closer to a solution.”
Prince
Faisal asked the council: “What will help us reach a solution, according to
Israel? More bloodshed? More death?”
Urging
Israel to heed Arab calls for peace, he added: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
presented an Arab peace plan in 1982. We also had the Arab Peace Initiative in
Beirut in 2002. And the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) recognized the
State of Israel in 1993.
“Where
is the Israeli peace plan? Where is the Israeli recognition of the State of
Palestine? We are peace-loving nations and peace has always been our strategic
choice, but we also want it to be the choice of Israel as well.”
Prince
Faisal said the time has come for the world to recognize an independent
Palestinian state, and called for Palestine to be granted full membership of
the UN. Currently it has observer state status.
He also
called for an international peace conference to take place, under the auspices
of the UN, with the aim of developing and implementing a two-state solution.
He told
reporters at the UN headquarters in New York: “The danger is that if … this
truce expires we will return to the killing at the scale that we have seen,
which is unbearable. So we are here to make a clear statement that a truce is
not enough. What is needed is a ceasefire.”
The
prince added that a glimmer of hope can be found in the fact that public
opinion worldwide is beginning to shift as people become increasingly aware of
“the unfolding catastrophe” in Gaza, and that violence is not the answer.
Asked
whether Arab nations should help ease the current pressure on Palestinians and
their suffering by taking them in as refugees, he said they “do not want to
leave their land. We won’t encourage them or force them to leave their land and
we are not going to work with anyone who has that agenda.
“The
Palestinians have a right to their land, and they have a right to live in
safety and security and dignity on their land, and that is what we will push
for and work toward.”
Riyad
Maliki, the Palestinian foreign minister, told the Security Council that anyone
who is still not sure about whether they oppose the war in Gaza or the need for
it to end should “check their humanity.”
The
current truce must become “a permanent ceasefire,” he said, because “the
massacres cannot be allowed to resume.”
He
added: “Our people are faced with an existential threat. Make no mistake about
it. With all the talk about the destruction of Israel, it is Palestine that is
facing a plan to destroy it, implemented in broad daylight.”
The US
ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said her country has urged
Israel “to take every possible measure to prevent civilian casualties as it
exercises its right to safeguard its people from acts of terror.” The use of
civilians as human shields by Hamas “does not lessen Israel’s responsibility,”
she added.
Source: arabnews.com
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-----
Jordan
says it will host conference to coordinate aid to Gaza
November
30, 2023
AMMAN:
Jordan on Thursday will host an international conference attended by the main
UN bodies and regional and international relief agencies to coordinate
humanitarian aid to war-devastated Gaza, official media said.
UN aid
chief Martin Griffiths and key UN bodies and non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) involved in ramping up aid to Gaza will be present at the conference,
along with representatives of Western and Arab countries involved in the aid
effort, they said.
The
conference, to be held behind closed doors, will be addressed by King Abdullah
who has been lobbying Western leaders to back a UN resolution that calls for an
immediate cease-fire.
A
four-day truce that was extended two days has brought the first respite in the
bombardment of Gaza, with much of the northern part of the coastal territory of
2.3 million inhabitants having been reduced to rubble.
The
monarch has accused Israel of committing war crimes with a relentless bombing
campaign that has killed at least 15,000 people, according to Gaza health
authorities, and a siege of the enclave that prevented for weeks the entry of
medicine, food and fuel and cut electricity supplies.
The
Israeli actions were in response to an Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel by
Hamas militants, who killed some 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages
back to Gaza.
Officials
say the king will call on participants to push Israel to end its siege of the
enclave and allow unimpeded flow of goods by opening additional border
crossings.
UN
officials said they were already urging Israel to reopen the Kerem Shalom
crossing that had been used to carry more than 60 percent of truckloads going
into Gaza before the current conflict.
Currently,
most trucks carrying aid through Rafah — the only open entry point into Gaza —
has to first go through Israeli inspections at the Nitzana crossing, to ensure
that neither fuel nor dual usage goods are allowed.
The
inspection system has delayed desperately needed aid, aid workers say.
Jordan
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, in an address to the UN Security Council on
Wednesday, urged the world body to adopt a resolution to end to the war, saying
the Security Council’s “silence was giving Israel a cover for its crimes.”
“The
only path to security and peace was the end of Israel’s occupation of
Palestinian land,” he said.
Source: arabnews.com
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-----
Israeli
military says 10 Israelis, four Thai nationals, have been released by Hamas
November
30, 2023
JERUSALEM:
The Israeli military said 10 Israelis and four Thai nationals were released
late Wednesday from captivity in the Gaza Strip.
The hostages
crossed into Egypt and were to be transferred to Israel.
It was
the sixth such release under a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. Israel is
to release 30 Palestinian prisoners later Wednesday.
The
cease-fire is set to expire early Thursday. International mediators are trying
to extend the deal to facilitate the release of additional hostages held by
Hamas.
The
militant group captured some 240 people in an Oct. 7 cross-border attack that
triggered the war. Some 150 people are believed to remain in captivity.
A new
swap of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israel got underway
late Wednesday in the final hours of the current Gaza truce as international
mediators raced to extend the halt of Israel’s air and ground offensive to
allow further exchanges.
The
Israeli military said a group of 10 Israeli women and children and four Thai
nationals had been handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza and were
heading to exit the territory. Earlier, two Russian-Israeli women were freed by
Hamas in a separate release. Israel was set to free 30 Palestinian prisoners in
return.
Negotiators
were working down to the wire to hammer out details for a further extension of
the truce beyond its deadline of early Thursday. The talks appear to be growing
tougher as most of the women and children held by Hamas are freed, and the
militants are expected to seek greater releases in return for freeing men and
soldiers.
International
pressure has mounted for the cease-fire to continue as long as possible after
nearly eight weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground campaign in Gaza that
has killed thousands of Palestinians, uprooted three quarters of the population
of 2.3 million and led to a humanitarian crisis. Israel has welcomed the
release of dozens of hostages in recent days and says it will maintain the
truce if Hamas keeps freeing captives.
Still,
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored on Wednesday that Israel will
resume its campaign to eliminate Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for 16 years and
orchestrated the deadly attack on Israel that triggered the war
“After
this phase of returning our abductees is exhausted, will Israel return to
fighting? So my answer is an unequivocal yes,” he said. “There is no way we are
not going back to fighting until the end.”
He spoke
ahead of a visit to the region planned this week by US Secretary of State
Antony Blinken to press for further extensions of the truce and hostage
releases.
In the
West Bank, Israeli troops killed two Palestinian boys — an 8-year-old an a
15-year-old — during a raid on the town of Jenin, Palestinian health officials
said. Security footage showed a group of boys in the street who start to run,
except for one who falls to the ground, bleeding.
The
Israeli military said its troops fired on people who threw explosives at them
but did not specify it was referring to the boys, who are not seen throwing
anything. Separately, the military said its troops killed two Islamic Jihad
militants during the raid.
So far,
the Israeli onslaught in Gaza seems to have had little effect on Hamas’ rule,
evidenced by its ability to conduct complex negotiations, enforce the
cease-fire among other armed groups, and orchestrate the release of hostages.
Hamas leaders, including YehyaSinwar, have likely relocated to the south.
With
Israeli troops holding much of northern Gaza, a ground invasion south will
likely bring an escalating cost in Palestinian lives and destruction.
Most of
Gaza’s population is now crammed into the south. The truce has brought them
relief from bombardment, but the days of calm have been taken up in a frenzied
rush to obtain supplies to feed their families as aid enters in greater, but
still insufficient, amounts.
United
States, Israel’s main ally, has shown greater reticence over the impact of the
war in Gaza. The Biden administration has told Israel that if it launches an
offensive in the south, it must operate with far greater precision.
ISRAEL’S
HOSTAGE DILEMMA
The
plight of the captives and shock from the Oct. 7 attack have galvanized Israeli
support for the war. But Netanyahu is under pressure to bring the hostages home
and could find it difficult to resume the offensive if there’s a prospect for
more releases.
Since
the initial truce began on Friday, both sides have been releasing women and
children in their exchanges. After Friday’s releases, Gaza militants still hold
around 20 women, accordding to Israeli officials. IF the truce continues at the
current rate, they would be out in a few days.
After
that, keeping the truce going depends on tougher negotiations over the release
of around 126 men Israel says are held captive – including several dozen
soldiers.
For men
— and especially soldiers — Hamas is expected to push for comparable releases
of Palestinian men or prominent detainees, a deal Israel may resist.
An
Israeli official involved in hostage negotiations said talks on a further
extension for release of civilian males and soldiers were still preliminary,
and a deal would not be considered until all the women and children are out.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations were ongoing.
With
Wednesday’s releases, a total of 73 Israelis, including dual nationals, have
been freed during the six-day truce, most of whom appear physically well but
shaken. Another 24 hostages — 23 Thais and one Filipino — have also been
released. Before the cease-fire, Hamas released four hostages, and the Israeli
army rescued one. Two others were found dead in Gaza.
So far,
most of the 180 Palestinians freed from Israeli prisons have been teenagers accused
of throwing stones and firebombs during confrontations with Israeli forces.
Several were women convicted by Israeli military courts of attempting to attack
soldiers.
Palestinians
have celebrated the release of people they see as having resisted Israel’s
decades-long military occupation of lands they want for a future state.
The war
began with Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel, in which it killed over
1,200 people, mostly civilians. The militants kidnapped some 240 people back
into Gaza, including babies, children, women, soldiers, older adults and Thai
farm laborers.
Israel’s
bombardment and ground invasion in Gaza have killed more than 13,300
Palestinians, roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the
Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which does not differentiate between
civilians and combatants.
The toll
is likely much higher, as officials have only sporadically updated the count
since Nov. 11 due to the breakdown of services in the north. The ministry says
thousands more people are missing and feared dead under the rubble.
Israel
says 77 of its soldiers have been killed in the ground offensive. It claims to
have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence.
TENSE
CALM IN GAZA
For
Palestinians in Gaza, the truce’s calm has been overwhelmed by the search for
aid and by horror as they see the extent of destruction.
In the
north, residents described entire residential blocks leveled to the ground in
Gaza City and surrounding areas. The smell of decomposing bodies trapped under
collapsed buildings fills the air, said Mohmmed Mattar, a 29-year-old resident
of Gaza City who along with other volunteers searches for the dead under rubble
or left in the streets.
They
have found and buried 46 so far during the truce, he said. Most were
unidentified. More bodies remain inside rubble but can’t be reached without
heavy equipment, or are left on streets that are unapproachable because of
Israeli troops nearby, Mattar said.
In the
south, the truce has allowed more aid to be delivered from Egypt, up to 200
trucks a day. But aid officials say it is not enough, given that most now
depend on outside aid. Overwhelmed UN-run shelters house more than 1 million
displaced people, with many sleeping outside in cold, rainy weather.
At a distribution
center in Rafah, large crowds line daily up for newly arrived bags of flour.
But supplies run out quickly before many can get their share.
“We’ve
been searching for bread for our children,” said one woman in line, Nawal Abu
Namous. “Every day, we come here … we spend money on transportation to get
here, just to go home with nothing.”
Some
markets and shops have reopened, but prices for the few items in stock have
skyrocketed. Winter clothes are unavailable. One clothes shop owner in Deir
Al-Balah told The Associated Press that he hates opening his doors in the
morning, knowing he’ll spend most of the day apologizing to customers for not
having winter items.
The head
of the World Health Organization, TedrosAdhanom Ghebreyesus, said some 111,000
people have respiratory infections and 75,000 have diarrhea, more than half of
them under 5 years old. “More people could die from disease than bombings.”
“We are
fed up,” said Omar Al-Darawi, who works at the overwhelmed Al-Aqsa Martyrs
hospital in central Gaza. “We want this war to stop.”
Source: arabnews.com
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-----
Israel
says investigating Hamas report of baby hostage death
November
29, 2023
JERUSALEM:
Israel’s army said Wednesday it was investigating a report by Hamas’s armed
wing that a 10-month-old baby hostage, his four-year-old brother and their
mother had all been killed in Gaza.
The
military was “assessing the accuracy of the information,” it said in a
statement.
“Hamas
is wholly responsible for the security of all hostages in the Gaza Strip,” it
added. “Hamas’s actions continue to endanger the hostages, which include nine
children.”
The
Bibas family are among the highest-profile hostages seized in the Hamas attacks
on southern Israel on October 7, due to the age of baby Kfir.
The
statement from the Israeli military came after the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades,
the armed wing of Hamas, announced that Kfir, his brother Ariel and their mother
Shiri had been killed in an Israeli bombing in Gaza before the current pause in
fighting went into effect.
It made
no mention of the boys’ father Yarden.
Hamas
official and former Gaza health minister Bassem Naim said later Wednesday at a
press conference in Cape Town that the three family members were dead.
“We have
confirmed two to three weeks ago that 60 Israelis have been killed under
Israeli bombardment and are still under the rubble,” Naim said.
“The
woman and her two children are among them, I can confirm that.”
So far,
there has been no verification of Hamas’s tally of Israeli hostages killed.
A
statement released on behalf of relatives by the Hostages and Missing Families
Forum said they could only wait for further information.
“Our
family has learned of Hamas’s latest claims. We are waiting for the information
to be confirmed and hopefully refuted by military officials,” they said.
Images
of the baby’s kidnapping from Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel have become one
of the symbols of the deadly assault.
The
images showed the mother, her face contorted with anguish, holding her two
little red-headed boys wrapped in a blanket against her.
Their
father was also seen in photographs with his head covered in blood being taken
by armed Hamas militants toward the Gaza Strip.
The
family were being held by a Palestinian faction other than Hamas, army
spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a briefing a few days ago.
Yarden’s
sister OfriBibas Levy told AFP at a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Tuesday the
family’s fate was “directly in the hands of Hamas.”
“Hamas
took them and Hamas is required to bring them back now,” she said.
Dana
Siton, Shiri’s sister, added that their lives were in “immediate danger... each
passing day endangers them.”
Nutritionists
interviewed in Israeli media have highlighted the risks of captivity for a baby
of 10 months, an age when children are in the process of adapting to solid
food.
In one
previous case, Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group allied with Hamas,
has announced the death of a hostage who was later released alive.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2417546/middle-east
------
Hamas
releases 14 more captives in sixth phase of swap deal with Israel
30
November 2023
The
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has released 14 more captives it had been
holding since an operation staged against the occupied territories.
The
captives, comprising 10 Israelis and four Thai nationals, were released by the
group on Wednesday.
They
were taken to Egypt before being transferred to the occupied territories.
Hamas
and its fellow Gaza Strip-based resistance movement of the Islamic Jihad
launched the operation on October 7 in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long
campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.
Around
250 people were taken captive during the operation.
The
regime responded to the operation by bringing Gaza under a genocidal war that
has so far killed more than 15,500 people.
The
regime is expected to free 30 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the 14
people, who were released by Hamas, as part of a truce deal clinched between
the two sides that has brought about a lull in the unrelenting Israeli military
campaign.
So far
under the deal, five rounds of exchanges have led to the release of more than
250 people from both sides.
Hamas
frees 12 captives in exchange for 30 Palestinians released by the Israeli
regime, as part of the fifth phase of a swap deal between the two sides.
The
truce is set to expire early Thursday.
Speaking
on Tuesday, Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the Hamas' Political Bureau, said he
hoped the deal would be extended for a longer period of time.
A senior
official of Hamas resistance movement hopes the truce in Gaza would be extended
for a longer period of time.
Israel,
however, has vowed to resume the war with "full force," claiming that
it seeks to end Hamas' rule over Gaza.
Hamas
has vowed that the Palestinian territory would only be ruled by its own people
once the war was over.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/11/29/715533/Palestine-Israel-Hamas-release-captives-Gaza-war
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Arab World
Saudi
envoy urges Gaza ceasefire during chemical weapons convention
November
29, 2023
RIYADH:
The 28th session of the Conference of the States Parties, which oversees
implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, has started in The Hague.
The
Saudi Arabia delegation at the gathering, which runs until Dec. 1, is headed by
Ziyad Al-Attiyah, ambassador to the Netherlands and the Kingdom’s permanent
representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
At the
conference, Al-Attiyah pointed out Saudi Arabia’s firm stance on enhancing
international cooperation on banning all weapons of mass destruction and
preventing their spread.
He
reiterated the call to make the Middle East a region free of such weapons and
the belief that the convention was central to this, holding a pivotal role in
strengthening international peace and security.
Al-Attiyah
also noted the Kingdom’s condemnation of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in
violation of international laws, actions he said which severely damaged the
credibility of the international community.
Imposing
an immediate ceasefire and addressing the humanitarian situation in Gaza was
essential, he added.
The
ambassador said no party should be allowed to undermine the integrity of the
Chemical Weapons Convention, and he highlighted that the aggression against
Gaza had come from one of the signatories to the agreement.
He said
this did not exempt it from responsibility for any violation, and that there
was no doubt that signing without joining for a long period of time undermined
the principle of universality of the agreement. In this context the
international community could not accept the declaration of a threat to resort
to using weapons of mass destruction, he added.
Al-Attiyah
renewed the Kingdom’s rejection of calls for the forced displacement of
Palestinians from Gaza and its condemnation of the continued targeting of
civilians.
He
pointed out the necessity of immediately opening safe corridors in response to
calls by countries and organizations to deliver humanitarian aid.
He said
the OPCW’s role in maintaining international peace and security had increased,
especially with rapid developments in the chemical field. This made it an
intergovernmental organization that was more relevant than ever, and it was a
global responsibility to support its work, he added.
Al-Attiyah
noted that the organization needed to sustain its efficacy and efficiency,
including the knowledge, skills, and scientific capabilities of its staff to
deal with challenges.
And he
urged members to explore all possible solutions and proposed creative models to
reach a clear framework, bridging the gap between employment rules and the need
of the technical secretariat.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2417506/saudi-arabia
-----
Saudi
Arabia to spearhead green development vision with forum during COP28
November
30, 2023
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia is committing itself to a sustainable and green future through a
variety of initiatives, with one of the most high-profile set to be held at the
upcoming climate conference in Dubai.
Alongside
the UN’s COP28 summit, the Kingdom will host the third edition of the Saudi
Green Initiative Forum on Dec. 4 to highlight its dedication to build a greener
future at a time of multibillion dollar giga-projects.
The
event will gather influential figures, climate experts and thought leaders to
present their insights and recommendations for tackling climate change.
It will
also offer a platform to showcase the ambitions and achievements thus far of
the SGI, launched in 2021 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Established
under the Vision 2030 initiative, SGI is an ambitious national plan focused on
combating climate change, protecting the environment for future generations and
improving the quality of life in the Kingdom.
It
unites all the efforts towards Saudi Arabia’s mission of achieving net zero
emissions by 2050 through the creation of a circular carbon economy. The
Kingdom has also pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 278 million tons
annually by 2030.
To
achieve such aims, the Kingdom has committed itself to “greening,” which
involves the development of an integrated system of conservation and
afforestation strategies for the country’s various natural landscapes.
According
to the website of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, greening
is set to “increase Saudi Arabia’s reliance on clean energy, offset carbon
emissions, and protect the environment. It aims to improve quality of life and protect
future generations.”
By 2030
Saudi Arabia plans to plant 600 million trees, restore 3.8 million hectares of
land and champion biodiversity conservation as part of its 10-billion-tree
initiative.
Additionally,
as part of this greening initiative, SGI aims to develop an integrated system
of conservation and afforestation strategies targeted at the Kingdom's diverse
natural landscapes.
The task
of overseeing the realization of the greening project has been entrusted to the
National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification.
“The
NCVC is dedicated to expanding vegetation cover, combating desertification,
conserving natural resources and biodiversity, safeguarding plant genetic
resources, and pioneering the innovative solutions that address our
environmental challenges,” Khaled bin Abdullah Al-Abdulkader, the
organization’s CEO, told Arab News.
“We
collaborate with all sectors including public, private, non-profit and the
community to deliver sustainable outcomes,” he said, adding: “The NCVC has
developed the strategic roadmap to guide the delivery of 10 billion trees for
Saudi Arabia under the SGI. We are now moving from ambition to action, and we
invite all innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists and interested parties to join
us in our efforts.”
The
Kingdom is the world’s second-largest major oil producer after the US. It has
committed to driving the Middle East Green Initiative by seeking to unify
stakeholders across the region to mitigate the impact of climate change on the
region and meet global climate targets.
There
are challenges, however, in achieving SGI’s ambitious targets due to Saudi
Arabia’s arid landscape. It lacks rivers, lakes and regular rainfall and relies
on dozens of facilities to transform water from the Gulf and Red Sea for its
residents and the environment.
Saudi
Arabia is also the largest country in the world without running surface water
and has one of the highest rates of water consumption on the planet.
It has
long been crucial and of national importance for the Kingdom to find new
sources of potable water to support its growing population, and now it has to
reach the targets set out in SGI.
“We will
not use any desalination water for plantation,” Ahmad Al-Anazi, who leads the
implementation of the National Environment Strategy and an advisor at the
Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, told Arab News. “We will
concentrate on using what they call renewable water for plantations.
The
greening initiative, states Alanazi, offers the opportunity to retrieve more
drinking water.
“We are
responsible for enhancing the vegetation capital of the country overall,” he
said, adding: “We are employing specialists to study all possible ways to plant
trees and increase vegetation.”
“It’s
not only a matter of planting trees,” Alanazi explained, adding: “It is also
about how we then sustain the trees for the long term. This is a crucial aspect
of sustainability, and we are conducting multiple studies on how to do this in
this environment.”
Alanazi
told Arab News that numerous experts are helping them achieve the Middle East
Green Initiative to plant an additional 40 billion trees across the region.
According
to SGI targets, the 10 billion trees earmarked for Saudi Arabia would help to
rehabilitate 40 million hectares of land, improve air quality, restore vital
ecological functions and reduce sandstorms.
Alanazi
said two phases are involved in achieving the goals of the masterplan, with the
first set to take place from 2024 to 2040.
“In this
phase most of our focus will be on planting in nature, or what we call a
natural based solution,” he said, adding: “This phase aims to plant 400 million
trees in 3.8 hectares. The second phase is more comprehensive and aggressive
and includes all domains and will be set forth from 2030.”
Further
wins for Saudi Arabia’s green initiative were announced in early November when
a consortium of clean energy leaders – Masdar, EDF Renewables and Nesma Company
– announced the signing of a Power Purchase Agreement with the Saudi Power
Procurement Company to develop the 1,100 megawatts Al Henakiyah solar power
plant.
When
operational, the $1 billion project is expected to power more than 190 thousand
homes per year and displace more than 1.8 million tons of carbon dioxide
annually.
“As
Nesma’s flagship renewables business, Nesma Renewable Energy is intrinsic to
our commitment to proactively support the clean energy and sustainability goals
of Saudi Vision 2030,” Faisal Al-Turki, president of Nesma Group, said in a
statement.
He
added: “The Al Henakiyah Solar Project is a resounding endorsement of our
position at the forefront of the renewables industry in Saudi Arabia.
“As an
industry, we are on an ambitious journey together, and one that will ultimately
establish Saudi Arabia as a true global leader in renewable energy generation.
This project represents a significant milestone on our way to achieving this.”
The
upcoming SGI forum during COP28 offers an opportunity to further address global
climate issues while focusing on the Kingdom’s own aims, hurdles and
achievements towards its climate goals.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2417761/business-economy
------
Saudi FM
calls for international recognition of Palestine at Security Council session
November
30, 2023
NEW YORK
— Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has emphasized the urgent
need for international recognition of the independent state of Palestine,
urging its full membership in the United Nations, through a Security Council
resolution.
Prince
Faisal made the remarks during an emergency session on the Middle East
situation, particularly focusing on the Palestinian cause on Wednesday.
Invited
by China's Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Prince Faisal addressed the UN
Security Council, highlighting the grim situation in the Gaza Strip.
He
expressed concern over the escalating crisis, with a death toll exceeding
14,000, a majority of whom were women and children. Additionally, over half a
million people were displaced due to the military escalation by Israeli
occupation forces in continuous violation of international charters and
resolutions.
Prince
Faisal underscored the lack of international accountability mechanisms and the
Security Council's inability to take deterrent measures against these
violations.
He
referenced the Joint Arab-Islamic Summit hosted by the Kingdom on Nov. 11,
2023, as a response to the dire situation, emphasizing its call for immediate
action to end the bloodshed and provide unconditional relief assistance to the
Palestinian people.
The
Saudi minister conveyed the unified message of the summit: an immediate and
lasting ceasefire to initiate a genuine and credible peace process. He called
on countries advocating for peace and justice to raise the voices for
preserving the legitimacy of the international system, which has been
compromised by its slow response to the humanitarian crisis.
Prince
Faisal welcomed the humanitarian truce in Gaza and acknowledged the efforts of
Qatar, Egypt, and the US. However, he stressed the inadequacy of the truce and
called for unobstructed and sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza,
emphasizing the importance of implementing Security Council Resolution No.
2712.
Prince
Faisal criticized Israel for using baseless pretexts of self-defense in the
face of daily humanitarian tragedies in Gaza. He warned against allowing
military escalation to resume immediately after the truce, emphasizing the
potential disgrace to the United Nations and the Security Council.
In
response to discussions during the session, Prince Faisal rejected the notion
that water, food, and medicine alone would solve the crisis, emphasizing the
crucial role of a ceasefire and Israel's commitment to peace efforts. He recalled
Saudi Arabia's longstanding commitment to peace, presenting the Arab Peace Plan
in 1982 and the Arab Peace Initiative in 2002, both supporting a two-state
solution based on international resolutions.
Prince
Faisal renewed the call for an international peace conference under the United
Nations' auspices, aiming to launch a serious and reliable peace process that
ensures the implementation of the two-state solution.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/638235/SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-FM-calls-for-international-recognition-of-Palestine-at-Security-Council-session
-----
Islamic
Ministerial Committee, China FM meet in New York and discuss developments in
Gaza
November
29, 2023
NEW YORK
— The members of the Ministerial Committee, appointed by the Joint Arab-Islamic
Extraordinary Summit, headed by Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal
Bin Farhan, held an official meeting in New York with China's Foreign Minister
Wang Yi to discuss the developments in Gaza.
The
members of the committee who were participating in the meeting, which took
place at the United Nations Headquarters, are Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign
Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani; Jordanian Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Al-Safadi; and
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.
Furthermore,
in the meeting were, Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates
RiadMalki; Turkish Foreign Minister HakanFidan; the Indonesian Foreign Minister
RetnoMarsudi; the Secretary-General of Arab League Ahmed AboulGheit; Malaysian
Foreign Minister Zambry Abdulkadir; in addition to the UAE Minister of State
Khalifa Almarar, who is also the representative of the Arab group in the
Security Council.
The
members discussed the developments in the situation in the Gaza Strip and its
surroundings, as well as what was achieved by the humanitarian truce that was
announced earlier in releasing some prisoners.
The importance
of the permanent member states of the Security Council fulfilling their
responsibility to commit to protecting civilians and ensuring the application
of the rules of international law and international humanitarian law was also
discussed.
Moreover,
the members underscored the necessity of the international community taking all
effective measures to ensure the securing of relief corridors, so that urgent
humanitarian aid can be delivered to the Gaza Strip.
The
members of the committee renewed their demand for restoring the path of just,
lasting and comprehensive peace.
Restoring
the desired path must be through implementing international resolutions related
to the two-state solution, and enabling the Palestinian people to obtain their
legitimate rights to establish an independent and sovereign Palestinian state
along the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, the
members stressed.
The
members also renewed their call on the international community to assume its
responsibility by rejecting all forms of selectivity in applying international
legal and ethical standards.
They
must also fulfill their responsibility to protect the Palestinians from the
crimes committed by the occupation forces and settler militias against the
Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including East
Jerusalem.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/638230/SAUDI-ARABIA/Islamic-Ministerial-Committee-China-FM-meet-in-New-York-and-discuss-developments-in-Gaza
----
Africa
Death
toll from floods in Somalia rises to 101
Mohamed
Dhaysane
30.11.2023
The
death toll from heavy rains and floods in Somalia has risen to 101 with 1
million people displaced and 1.5 million affected nationwide, Somali President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said late Wednesday.
In a
nationally televised speech, Mohamud said Somalia is facing a humanitarian
crisis caused by the climate change-enhanced El Nino that is devastating many
parts of the country.
“Our
people everywhere in this country have been affected by the climate
change-related floods,” he said.
He said
the floods have also killed 4,000 livestock and destroyed 140,000 homes.”
Mohamud
said that for the last 16 years, the al-Shabaab terrorist group has hindered
the people’s ability to farm and harvest and has refused to allow humanitarian
organizations to help the people in the areas they control.
He added
that with the support of the international community and aid agencies,
starvation and famine were averted in 2022 which would have been disastrous for
more than 7.7 million people in the country.
At least
34 districts of Somalia have been impacted by heavy rains and floods since
October, mostly in the southern areas, the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Wednesday in a brief statement.
The
south-central state of Hirshabelle and the Southwest and Jubaland states are
the most affected areas of the country.
The
heavy rainfall in Somalia is expected to impact up to 1.5 million hectares (3.7
million acres) of farmland.
“After
suffering its worst drought in four decades, Somalia is now grappling with
once-in-a-century floods,” UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said Tuesday on X.
He said
the impacts of climate change are “unequal, with the countries least
responsible suffering the worst and getting the least climate funds.”
“This
needs to change,” he added.
As the
country is struggling to cope with the floods, the 2023 Humanitarian Response
Plan for Somalia, which seeks $2.6 billion to assist about 7.6 million people,
remains significantly underfunded at 39%, with immediate action demanded to
bridge the financial gap.
Somalia
has declared a “national humanitarian emergency” due to the floods.
Source: aa.com.tr
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------
Climate
crisis drives more than 27 million children into hunger: Report
AysuBicer
29.11.2023
Save the
Children unveiled a distressing analysis Wednesday that indicates extreme
weather events in 2022 propelled more than 27 million children into hunger and
malnutrition across countries heavily affected by the climate crisis.
"The
majority of countries where weather extremes were the main driver of hunger
last year were concentrated in the Horn of Africa, with Ethiopia and Somalia
accounting for about half of the 27 million children," it said.
Twelve
countries where weather extremes were the primary driver of hunger in 2022 were
Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Iraq, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Pakistan, Somalia,
Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia --based on data from the Integrated Food Security
Classification, or the IPC scale -- a monitoring system for assessing hunger
emergencies in 58 countries.
The
report said Somalia remains at the forefront of the climate crisis, grappling
with the aftermath of five consecutive failed rainy seasons. The nation is
teetering on the brink as extreme weather events, particularly widespread
flooding, threaten to intensify the hunger crisis this year.
In
recent weeks, heavy rains and floods have uprooted 650,000 people, with half
being children, it said.
Save the
Children urged world leaders who will attend the UN climate change conference,
COP28, in Dubai, particularly those from high-income countries and historical
emitters, to take action on the climate crisis by recognizing children as key
agents of change.
"Climate
finance must be increased, providing funding for losses and damages and climate
adaptation. Governments must work to urgently limit warming temperatures to
1.5C above pre-industrial levels," it said.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/environment/climate-crisis-drives-more-than-27-million-children-into-hunger-report/3068250
-----
JUST IN:
Bandits storm Kaduna community, abduct Imam, couple, 10-month-old baby
Goodness Adaoyiche
November
30, 2023
Bandits
have attacked Dan-Honu II community in New Millennium City of Chikun local
government area of Kaduna State, kidnapping eight persons.
Among
those abducted were a newly married couple, an Imam of the community mosque,
his wife and three children, including a 10-month-old baby.
Politics
Nigeria understands that no fewer than ten bandits wielding AK-47 rifles and
other dangerous weapons stormed the community around 8:50pm on Tuesday night to
carry out the attack.
Eyewitnesses
say the dangerously looking young men were were clad in black with one of them
masked.
A
community member, Mohammed, who escaped the abduction by the whiskers said that
the bandits started by picking the Imam and his family members, who they met
outside the community Juma’at Mosque before proceeding to a four-flat compound where
they picked the new couple.
“I was
inside my own apartment when the bandits stormed our compound. At first, when
they started banging the new couple’s door, because they went to their
apartment straight, I thought they were security people who came to arrest my
neighbour,” Mohammed said.
“They
started banging his door and shouting ‘Dan Iskaba za ka fitoba?’, meaning
‘Idiot, won’t you come outside?’ That was when I realised that they were
kidnappers. So, when they could not force the door open, they broke his window
and and broke the burglary proof.
“On
gaining entrance into the apartment, the bandits tried to open the door, they
could not open it. So, they brought the couple out through the broken window.
They injured the husband and blood was dripping from his body.
“Then,
they made an attempt to enter my own apartment too. They had broken the glass
window, but as they were busy hitting the burglary proof to break into my
apartment, one of the vigilantes in the community fired a shot into the air.
Then, on hearing that gunshot, the bandits became uncomfortable and they left
our compound,” he added.
Meanwhile,
the Imam, Malam Suleiman and his neighbour, Malam Musa, who were picked while
they were relaxing with Arabian tea outside the mosque premises, escaped while
they were being led out of the community into the bush.
Similarly,
the new bride who was said to have gone through a surgery recently was
abandoned in the bush by the kidnappers when she could not cope with the pace
of their trekking in the bush. While, Imam’s wife was also let go when her
baby’s cry almost exposed the bandits to vigilantes around Kakura area.
The
bandits eventually succeeded in going away with the new groom identified as
Ibrahim and two of the Imam’s children (15-year old Abba and his younger
brother) and they were yet to establish contact with the family as at the time
of filing this report.
Narrating
his ordeal in the hands of the bandits, Imam Suleiman said two of the seven
bandits who abducted them, were armed with AK47 rifles with chain of bullets,
while others carried axes, machetes and sticks.
He said,
“they beat by 10-month-old baby because he was crying. They even threatened to
kill him, saying that his cry was disturbing them. But I thank God that my wife
and the baby later escaped after I had escaped, but they (bandits) went away
with my two older sons.”
It was
also learnt that soldiers and policemen attached to the Millennium Strike Force
and Police Division arrived the scene minutes after the bandits had led the
captives into the bush.
Source: politicsnigeria.com
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https://politicsnigeria.com/just-in-bandits-storm-kaduna-community-abduct-imam-couple-10-month-old-baby/
------
Federal
Government Reveals Plans to Solve Food Problems in Nigeria
Daniel Daniel Follow on Twitter
November
30, 2023
The
Federal Government has announced its plan to produce 31 million metric tonnes
of grains in 2024 to address the pressing issue of food security and combat
inflation.
This
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, revealed
this plan during the opening session of the 6th edition of Seed Connect
Conference and Exhibition on Wednesday.
According
to him, the government is committed to providing over 300,000 metric tonnes of
seeds to farmers across the country.
“Nigeria’s
seed requirement for five major crops – Rice, Maize, Wheat, Soybeans, and
Sorghum – in 2024 is estimated at 312,555.69 metric tonnes,” Abdullahi stated.
“This is expected to yield almost 31 million metric tonnes of grains.”
He
added, “The Ministry has outlined a series of critical pathways to solve the
food security challenges. These pathways are streamlined into short-term,
intermediate and long-term actions.
“One
immediate priority is the certification of available planting material for some
food security crops in the dry season farming of 2023/2024 which we flagged off
in Jigawa State last Saturday, 25 November 2023.”
Source: politicsnigeria.com
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https://politicsnigeria.com/federal-government-reveals-plans-to-solve-food-problems-in-nigeria/
-----
FRC to
Reintroduce Corporate Governance Code for Churches, Mosques, Others
November
30, 2023
Executive
Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria
(FRC), Dr. RabiuOlowo, yesterday, unveiled his agenda for the council,
including a plan to re-introduce a corporate governance code for not-for-profit
organisations and the public sector.
In an
address he presented during a stakeholders’ and media roundtable in Lagos,
Olowo stressed that the codes for both the public and not-for-profit sectors
were at an advanced stage, with the target to unveil them within the first
quarter of 2024.
Not-for-profit
organisations include churches, mosques and other non-governmental
organisations (NGOs). In 2016, the FRC led by Jim Obazee, who was recently
appointed by President Bola Tinubu to investigate the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN), had ordered not-for-profit organisations, including churches and
mosques, to comply with the corporate governance code, which, among others, had
stipulated term limits for heads of the organisations. The development, which
became controversial, as it was challenged by some of the prominent church
leaders in the country, had led to the removal of Obazee.
But
speaking during the media roundtable, Olowo explained, “As controversial as it
is, it is something that must be done. If you do a risk analysis of entities in
any country, the not-for-profit sector is as risky as the profit entities. So,
it is very important that we issue codes on how these institutions are covered.
It is our responsibility to do that and we will not shy away from that.”
Olowo,
who was appointed the FRC boss last month, said the transformation agenda of
the council would be hinged on four broad areas tagged, “DOSE, which means
Digitisation, Operational Excellence, Stakeholder Engagement and Enforcement.”
He said this was in line with Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda”.
Olowo
pointed out that the “21st Century has seen a massive shift from manual
processes into a digital operationalisation of activities. Our transformation
agenda is hinged upon the use of technological tool to enhance our activities.
“FRC
will leverage on technology to streamline its operations and improve
efficiency. This includes the use of technology in the filing and analysis of
financial statements, corporate governance reports and other corporate filings,
as well as the implementation of online reporting systems to facilitate timely
and accurate submission of financial statements.
“Our
focus will be to ensure efficient and effective delivery of flawless service to
the stakeholders through digitalisation, capacity building, advocacy and
thought leadership. Our processes will be automated to ensure quick and timely
responses”.
Olowo
also stated that financial statements, corporate governance reports and all
other corporate reporting requirements expected from relevant stakeholders
would be done through the council’s planned Digital Repository Platform as
mandated by FRC Act 2011 (as amended).
According
to him, “The council commenced the development of the Public Sector Governance
Code, which is very close to completion and forms a key part of my agenda. The
public sector remains the catalyst of economic growth in not only Nigeria but
emerging markets. Institutionalisation of corporate governance in the public
sector of Nigerian economy is fundamental towards sound policies and economic
growth. This we plan to unveil in the first quarter of year 2024.
“Similarly,
the council, seeing the need for proper guidance to Not-For-Profit
Organisations, embarked on developing a Governance Code for Not-For-Profit 10
Organisations. The code is at an advanced stage with the target to unveil same
within the first quarter of 2024.”
He also
said FRC would introduce the Inspection Specialist Programme, which would
complement and strengthen its monitoring efforts focusing on a sectorial
leadership approach to review of corporate reports.
Olowo
stated, “There is need to scale up staff capacity in terms of number of
professional staff and skills. As an umbrella regulator in financial reporting
and related matters, the current number of professional staff in the Council is
grossly inadequate. Their skills are expected to be top-notch and comparable
with similar organisations globally.
“Our aim
is to raise capacity of staff both in number and skills to the highest
desirable level. A gradual increase in the number of staff will be undertaken
to progressively raise the number to about 450 staff with appropriate number of
professionals included in the next few years.
“Another
initiative of capacity building is to undertake twinning arrangements with
sister regulators globally. This will help to benchmark and fine tune the
Council’s professional resources to international levels. Talents will be
sourced both internally and externally to meet the demands of corporate
reporting which includes IFRS, IPSAS, Corporate Governance, Auditing Standards
and Sustainability Reporting. iv. Establishment of all the Statutory
Directorates Section 23 of the FRC Act 2011 (As amended) stipulated 7
directorates for the Council. Unfortunately, after 12 years of the
establishment of the Council, only five out of the seven directorates are
functional as earlier mentioned.
“However,
and in line with our transformation agenda, Council has taken it as a priority
to have the full complements of the Directorates in 2024 as stipulated in the
Act. The Council is engaging the relevant stakeholders for the establishment of
the Directorate of Valuation Standards and Directorate of Actuarial Standards.”
He said
the issuance of roadmap report for sustainability reporting in Nigeria would be
done before the end of the first quarter of 2024.
While
calling for the support and cooperation of all stakeholders, Olowo said, “We
have witnessed concerning evidence that numerous entities and government
institutions are falling short of the high standards expected under the FRC Act
2011. Our task therefore is to transform
the FRC into a new, robust, independent, and high-performing regulator
comparable globally.
“The
bedrock of the transformation agenda of the council going forward is to ensure
maximum compliance with the FRC Act 2011 (as amended), and other statutory
instruments released by the Council. FRC intends to give full credibility to
any financial statements coming out of Nigeria in a way that investors can rely
on the information in the statements.
“A new
FRC that will be firm and fair in carrying out her mandate; that will hold
corporates and individuals accountable; and that will restore confidence in
corporate reports and governance in the Nigerian economy thereby enhance the
renewed hope of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Source: thisdaylive.com
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South
Africa: Hundreds of people join pro-Palestinian march in Johannesburg
November
30, 2023
Members
of South African political parties, civil society organisations and other
supporters marched through the streets of Johannesburg on Wednesday demanding a
permanent cease-fire in Gaza as they marked the International Day of Solidarity
with the Palestinian People.
Rival
political parties including the ruling African National Congress and the
leftist opposition Economic Freedom Fighters were among the scores of
demonstrators who marched across the Nelson Mandela Bridge to protest against
Israel’s military offensive in Gaza against Hamas.
Several
other protests were planned around South Africa, where many including President
Cyril Ramaphosa have compared Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank with
South Africa’s past apartheid regime of racial segregation.
Veteran
anti-apartheid activist Ronnie Kasrils called for the boycott and isolation of
Israel over the current war. “All over the world, millions and millions are
coming out and saying no, no, no. We will boycott and isolate Israel until it
hurts them, and we stand by the Palestinian people fully, in our total
support,” Kasrils told the crowd.
Fickle
Mbalula, African National Congress Secretary-General called out the Israeli
prime minister with allegations of killing babies. “Like (Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu, who's killing children, who's bombing hospitals,
who's bombing refugee camps. Comrades, we are here today moved by the
camaraderie and the spirit of unity among us. We as the ANC (African National
Congress), we have said to our government, we have joined political parties in
parliament, calling for the closure of the Israeli embassy.”
Last
week, a majority of South African lawmakers voted in favor of a motion calling
for the closure of Israel’s embassy and the suspension of diplomatic relations.
It came
after Israel recalled its ambassador to South Africa following remarks by South
African leaders who accused Israel of committing genocide and referred Israel’s
attacks on Gaza to the International Criminal Court.
"We
are doing our intense human duty as people did with South Africa when we as
black people were oppressed, people showed solidarity with us" Mohamed
ShaahidMathee, one of the protesters said. "And this is the human
imperative duty to show solidarity and to support the cry of the oppressed
people in the world" Mathee added.
Source: africanews.com
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Libya
sends nearly 250 migrants back to Niger, Chad
29.11.2023
Libyan
authorities have deported 248 undocumented migrants to their home countries
Niger and Chad in a joint effort by rival administrations in the war-torn
country. The North African country has became a hub for tens of thousands of
migrants seeking to reach Europe by sea every year, often falling into the
hands of trafficking gangs that extort them for money.
An official
with Tripoli's government agency against clandestine migration said 120
Nigeriens had left Libya for Niamey in coordination with the UN's International
Organization for Migration (IOM).
And in
coordination with Libya's eastern-based authorities, 128 migrants would be
taken to the border with Chad, said the official.
After
the fall of MoamerKadhafi in 2011, Libya was divided between rival authorities
based in the east and the west.
The
North African country has became a hub for tens of thousands of migrants
seeking to reach Europe by sea every year, often falling into the hands of
trafficking gangs that extort them for money.
Moussa
al-Koni, vice president of the Libyan presidential council, told a news
conference: "We have all paid a big price because of these groups that try
to profit not only off nationals of Niger and Chad, but also of more distant
countries in Africa and Asia, by smuggling them into Europe."
To
tackle these "criminal networks of traffickers" in Libya, Chad and
Niger, cooperation is needed between "the countries of departure or
transit and the destination countries", Koni said.
"This
is a collective effort that would let this people stay in their countries and
live there in dignity."
According
to IOM figures, more than 700,000 migrants -- mostly from Niger and Egypt --
were present on Libyan territory between May and June of this year.
Libyan
Interior Minister ImedTrabelsi on Monday met in Tripoli with the IOM's regional
representative Othman Belbeisi in a push to establish a mechanism that would
facilitate the repatriation of irregular migrants.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/29/libya-sends-nearly-250-migrants-back-to-niger-chad/
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Ghana:
dam flooding displaces hundreds
29.11.2023
A major
spillage from an irrigation dam in Ghana on Monday displaced more than 200
households and affected hundreds of people in the area.
The
flooding occurred in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region,
with residents forced to evacuate as the waters rose. Some people remained
stranded in their houses, awaiting rescue.
The
spillage was primarily caused by recent heavy rains, with the dam designed to
automatically release water when it reaches its maximum storage level.
However,
many residents feel frustrated following what is the third instance of flooding
this year.
A Member
of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, voiced his anger over what
he saw as a failure of duty by those responsible for the dam's management.
"Yes,
there are natural causes for this but it has been exacerbated by the decisions
and inactions of people," said George. "The indiscipline in our
community, and now we have people paying the price for it. We need to have
proper investigations into this matter."
The
flood comes once month after another spillage from the Akosombo Dam displaced
over 30,000 people along the Volta basin further north.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/29/ghana-dam-flooding-displaces-hundreds/
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Niger:
ECOWAS set to rule on complaint over Mohamed Bazoum's detention
29.11.2023
The
ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) is set to issue a decision
on a complaint submitted by lawyers of former Nigerien president Mohamed Bazoum
over his ouster in a July coup. Since his toppling, Bazoum has been held at his
residence in the heart of the presidential palace in the Niamey, Niger's
capital.
The
complaint with the ECOWAS Court of Justice by Bazoom's lawyers centers on what
they called "sequestration and arbitrary detention". The court's
decision is expected on Thursday November 30.
On
November 1, the public prosecutor at the Niamey Court of Appeal confirmed that
there had been an escape attempt by President Mohamed Bazoum on October 18. But
gave no details.
The
ECOWAS Court of Justice had on November 21 examined Niger's complaint against
the regional organization, which imposed sanctions following the coup d'état.
“There
is no sector of the Nigerien society that has not been affected by these
sanctions according to YounkailaYaye, one of the government’s lawyers
The
government asked the court to relax the sanctions pending the final judgement.
But ECOWAS protested against their request.
Mohamed
Bazoum is the fifth Nigerien president to be overthrown by a putsch since the
country gained independence from France in 1960.
The
first president, HamaniDiori, overthrown in 1974, was imprisoned and then placed
under house arrest for several years before being released in 1987.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/29/niger-ecowas-set-to-rule-on-complaint-over-ousted-president-mohamed-bazoums-detention/
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British-Nigerian
hacker pleads guilty to $6m fraud in US court
29.11.2023
A
33-year-old British-Nigerian man Idris Dayo Mustapha has admitted to
orchestrating a sophisticated cyber fraud scheme spanning seven years.
Mustapha,
a key member of a hacking ring, targeted email and brokerage accounts of US
corporations from 2011 to 2018, resulting in substantial losses exceeding $6
million (£4.7 million).
US
authorities had been pursuing Mustapha for several years.
His crimes
carry a jail term of up to 20 years.
Mustapha
pleaded guilty plea at a court in Brooklyn, New York, on Tuesday to four
charges: computer intrusion, securities fraud, wire fraud, and access device
fraud, the BBC reported.
Authorities
say Mustapha and his ring hacked into the computer servers of financial
institutions in the US to access confidential user data, such as users'
personal identifying information.
They
then used the stolen information and passwords to transfer funds and securities
from the accounts of their victims to accounts under their control.
They also used the hacked accounts to conduct stock trades without the knowledge of the account holder.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/29/british-nigerian-hacker-pleads-guilty-to-6m-fraud-in-us-court/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/gujarat-hc-loudspeakers-hindu-mosques/d/131226