'Malicious Calls, Death Threats from International Numbers’: Gyanvapi Judge Complains
New Age Islam News Bureau
25 April 2024
Gyanvapi
Mosque (File Image)
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·
'Malicious Calls, Death Threats from International
Numbers’: Gyanvapi Judge Complains
·
Iraq Hangs 11, From Daesh Group, Convicted Of
‘Terrorism’: Security, Health Sources
·
Wave Of Pro-Palestinian Protests: US Campus Protests
Over Gaza Intensify Amid Pushback by Universities and Police
·
Boko Haram and ISWAP Rivalry Escalates as Clashes
Claim Over 100 Fighters
·
UK Suspends Legal Assessments of Israeli Violations In
Gaza
----
India
·
BJP Morcha leader Usman Ghani criticises Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's remarks, expelled from party
·
Israel-Exodus Storm in Darjeeling Teacup: Poor Wages
Force Hill Youths to Explore Lucrative Options
·
Kerala: SIO stages protest against PM Modi’s
anti-Muslim remarks
·
Ajmal to move SC against closure of govt madrassas in Assam
·
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah defends Muslim quota, hits
out at Modi
----
Mideast
·
Mass graves found in southern Gaza city of Khan Younis
unearth heart-breaking images
·
Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque on 2nd day of
Passover
·
Operation True Promise source of confidence for Muslim
world: senior commander
·
Hamas releases video showing well-known
Israeli-American hostage
·
Israeli army kills 79 more Palestinians in Gaza,
bringing death toll to 34,262
·
Hamas: Zionist enemy's closure of Ibrahimi Mosque is
further Judaization
·
IDF hits 40 Hezbollah sites; Gallant says group’s
south Lebanon command decimated
----
North
America
·
Students Protest at US Universities to Urge End in
Financial Ties To Israel
·
US troopers crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests at
University of Texas
·
Another former US State Department official alleges
Israeli military gets ‘special treatment’ on abuses
·
US calls on Israel to 'do more to prevent civilian
casualties immediately' in Gaza
·
U.S. says Washington is not in direct talks with Iran
on JCPOA
·
White House demands ‘answers’ from Israel after Gaza
hospital mass grave claims
----
Africa
·
Mali: Dozens Of Passengers Abducted by Suspected
Jihadists Near Bandiagara Freed
·
Stop cursing your own children - Eastern Regional
Chief Imam urges parents, guardians
·
Rwanda’s Hope Hostel once housed young genocide
survivors. Now it’s ready for migrants from Britain
·
Burkina Faso's Army massacred over 200 civilians in a
village raid, Human Rights Watch says
----
Europe
·
Greek military ship intercepts two Houthi drones in
the Red Sea
·
Israel's security hinges on 2-state solution: German
president
·
Jewish peace activist slams Germany for silencing
criticism of Israel
·
Russia vetoes resolution on weapons of mass
destruction in outer space at UN Security Council
·
Germany to restore funding for UN Palestinian aid
agency, disappointing Israel
·
Russia vetoes a UN resolution calling for the
prevention of a dangerous nuclear arms race in space
·
Gardaí Appeal For Witnesses To Attack On Senior Muslim
Cleric In February
-----
Pakistan
·
Pakistan Calls for Global Action to Address Growing
Inequality
·
Kashmir Issue Should Be Resolved Through ‘Peaceful
Means’: Pak-Iran
·
IHC irked by investigation officer’s absence at
Imran’s bail hearing
·
SC refuses to allow use of Hindu Gymkhana as wedding
hall, restaurant
·
Fate of detained May 9 PTI activists still uncertain
---
South
Asia
·
Pakistan, Iran: Afghanistan-Based Terror Groups
Threaten Regional and Global Security
·
Settle Disputes Through Dialogue, say 'No' To Wars,
Says Bangladesh PM at UNESCAP Meet
·
Afghanistan Now A ‘Nexus For Diplomatic Endeavours’,
Says IEA
·
Deputy PM of IEA Calls for Kabul's Participation in
Moscow Format
·
Over 2,000 Afghan migrants deported from Iran
·
Commission: So Far, 839 Former Govt Members Returned
to Afghanistan
·
Malaysia Pledged to Help Kabul Strengthen Ties with
World: Arg
·
HC asks for list of Rohingyas illegally included in
the voter list in Cox's Bazar
----
Southeast
Asia
·
Pro-Israel American Academic Cries Of 'Islamo-Fascist
Mob', Claims Malaysia 'Unsafe' For Travellers
·
Sabah does not object to citizenship for migrants with
govt-issued documents
·
VP expresses deep concern over US blocking Palestine
UN membership
·
Commotion outside Penang Mosque: Car driver
accidentally honks horn - Police
----
Arab
World
·
Experts Discuss Saudi Arabia’s Latest Anti-Trafficking
Measure
·
Saudi Arabia welcomes panel’s report on UNRWA’s
performance
·
Muslim World League Discusses Islamic Unity, Gaza and
Sudan Wars, Islamophobia
·
Yemeni Forces Strike Us, Israeli Vessels In Fresh
Pro-Palestinian OPERATIONS
·
EU Embassy, Arab News honour makers of Saudi ‘Horizon’
documentary
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/gyanvapi-judge-death-international/d/132202
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'Malicious Calls, Death Threats from International
Numbers’: Gyanvapi Judge Complains
Gyanvapi
Mosque (File Image)
-------
25 Apr 2024
Gyanvapi case judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who is
currently stationed as additional sessions judge, informed the Uttar Pradesh
police that he has been receiving "malicious calls and death threats from
international numbers".
In 2022, the judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar heard the
Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi case in Varanasi and had ordered for a videography
survey of Gyanvapi complex. He recently raised a complaint with UP police
requesting for a probe into the threats.
The additional sessions judge addressed a letter to
Bareilly SSP Sushil Chandrabhan Ghule this week that stated he was receiving
threatening calls from international numbers “which is deeply concerning",
TOI reported.
After the Gyanvapi judgment, Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar
had received a hand-written threat letter, after which nine police personnel
were deployed. The Allahabad High Court had sanctioned Y-category security for
the judge and his family after he raised similar concerns, which was later
downgraded to X-category.
Considering the additional sessions judge's present
security arrangement, two security personnel have been deployed to oversee the
safety of his family. One of the aides noted that this security arrangement is
inadequate citing lack of weapons in possession of the security personnel.
Meanwhile, terrorists are armed with automatic guns and modern weaponry, TOI
report stated.
Last year, a Popular Front of India (PFI) agent was
arrested from the vicinity of Ravi Kumar Diwakar's residence in Lucknow.
Following the incidence, a gunner was stationed by Shahjahanpur SSP Ashok Kumar
Meena at the residence of Justice Diwakar's brother, Dinesh Kumar Diwakar, who
is also an additional district judge. The security cover was later pulled out
in the wake if Lok Sabha elections.
The Gyanvapi judge was recently transferred to
Bareilly, had summoned senior cleric Tauqeer Raza to face trial for being the
alleged mastermind in the Bareilly riots case of 2018. He had initiated suo
motu cognizance in the case.
Source:
livemint.com
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https://www.livemint.com/news/india/lok-sabha-polls-2024-in-rajasthan-under-clouds-imd-predicts-isolated-rainfall-tomorrow-will-phase-2-be-affected-11714024051966.html
----
Iraq Hangs 11, From Daesh Group, Convicted Of
‘Terrorism’: Security, Health Sources
IS remnants in Iraq continue
to carry out deadly hit-and-run attacks and ambushes [Getty]
------
April 24, 2024
NASIRIYAH, Iraq: Iraqi authorities have executed at
least 11 people convicted of “terrorism” this week, security and health sources
said Wednesday, with rights group Amnesty International condemning an “alarming
lack of transparency.”
Under Iraqi law, terrorism and murder offenses are
punishable by death, and execution decrees must be signed by the president.
A security source in Iraq’s southern DhiQar province
told AFP that 11 “terrorists from the Daesh group” were executed by hanging at
a prison in the city of Nasiriyah, “under the supervision of a justice ministry
team.”
A local medical source confirmed that the health
department had received the bodies of 11 executed people.
They were hanged on Monday “under Article 4 of the
anti-terrorism law,” the source added, requesting anonymity due to the
sensitivity of the issue.
All 11 were from Salahaddin province and the bodies of
seven had been returned to their families, the medical official said.
Iraqi courts have handed down hundreds of death and
life sentences in recent years for people convicted of membership in “a
terrorist group,” an offense that carries capital punishment regardless of
whether the defendant had been an active fighter.
Iraq has been criticized for trials denounced by
rights groups as hasty, with confessions sometimes obtained under torture.
Amnesty in a statement on Wednesday condemned the
latest hangings for “overly broad and vague terrorism charges.”
It said a total of 13 men were executed on Monday,
including 11 who had been “convicted on the basis of their affiliation to the
so-called Daesh armed group.”
The two others, arrested in 2008, “were convicted of
terrorism-related offenses under the Penal Code after a grossly unfair trial,”
Amnesty said citing their lawyer.
Source:
arabnews.com
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click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2498756/middle-east
---
Wave Of Pro-Palestinian Protests: US Campus Protests
Over Gaza Intensify Amid Pushback by Universities and Police
Texas state troopers with
protesters at the University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday. Credit...Jay
Janner/USA Today Network, via Reuters
------
J. David Goodman, David Montgomery, Jonathan Wolfe,
Jenna Russell
25.04.24
A wave of pro-Palestinian protests spread and
intensified Wednesday as students gathered on campuses around the country, in
some cases facing off with police, in a widening showdown over campus speech
and the war in the Gaza Strip.
University administrators from Texas to California
moved to clear protesters and prevent encampments from taking hold on their own
campuses as they have at Columbia University, deploying police in tense new
confrontations that have already led to dozens of arrests.
At the same time, new protests continued erupting in
places such as Pittsburgh and San Antonio. Students expressed solidarity with
their fellow students at Columbia, and with a pro-Palestinian movement that
appeared to be galvanized by the pushback on other campuses and the looming end
of the academic year.
Protesters on several campuses said their demands
included divestment by their universities from companies connected to the
Israeli military campaign in Gaza, disclosure of those and other investments,
and a recognition of the continuing right to protest without punishment.
The demonstrations spread overseas as well, with
students on campuses in Cairo, Paris and Sydney, gathering to voice support for
Palestinians and opposition to the war.
As new protests were emerging, the speaker of the
House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, visited the Columbia campus in New
York, where university officials were seeking to negotiate with protest leaders
to end the encampment of around 80 tents still pitched on a central campus
lawn.
Johnson said the school’s president, Nemat Shafik,
should resign if she could not immediately get the situation under control,
calling her an “inept leader” who had failed to guarantee the safety of Jewish
students.
The speaker said that there could be an appropriate
time for the National Guard to be called in, and that Congress should consider
revoking federal funding if universities could not keep the protests under
control.
Republican lawmakers have accused university
administrators for months of not doing enough to protect Jewish students on
college campuses, seizing on an issue that has sharply divided Democrats.
Some of the campus demonstrations that have taken
place since the war began last year have included hate speech and expressions
of support for Hamas, the armed group based in Gaza that led the deadly attacks
on Israel on Oct. 7, sparking the war that has left more than 34,000 people
dead in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
One of the biggest new protests Wednesday was in
Texas, where dozens of police officers, many of them in riot gear and some of
them on horseback, blocked the path of protesters at the state’s premier public
university, the University of Texas at Austin. At least 34 people were arrested
after refusing to disperse, according to a state police spokesperson.
Gov. Greg Abbott said that arrests there would
continue until the protesters dispersed. “These protesters belong in jail,” he
wrote on the social media platform X. “Students joining in hate-filled,
antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be
expelled.”
Hours earlier, at the Dallas campus of the University
of Texas, a large group of student protesters briefly staged a sit-in near the
office of the university president, demanding divestments. The students left
after the president agreed to meet with them.
At the University of Southern California in Los
Angeles, police moved in just before lunchtime to break up an encampment of
about 100 pro-Palestinian protesters at the center of campus. As demonstrators
chanted, “Shame,” officers tackled at least one protester and put that person
into a campus police car, but the protester was later released.
Claudia Galliani, 26, a master’s student in public
policy at USC, said she was protesting “to stand in solidarity with the
students of Columbia and other campuses across the states who are receiving
brutality due to their advocacy for Palestine.” She said that the protesters
had been ostracized and accused of antisemitism.
Many USC students were angered at the cancellation of
a commencement address by valedictorian Asna Tabassum, who is Muslim, after
complaints from groups on campus that cited her support on social media for
Palestinians.
“I think universities don’t want what’s happening on
the East Coast to spread to the West Coast,” said Maga Miranda, a doctoral
student in ethnic studies at the University of California, Los Angeles who
joined the protest at USC.
Protesters returned later in the day, but the
university prevented, for the moment at least, a permanent encampment from
being established, as the tents that had been forcibly removed in the morning
were not reerected.
Just before 6 p.m., Los Angeles Police Department
officers ordered them to disperse and threatened them with arrest and expulsion
from school. Many protesters moved outside of a police perimeter, but more than
two dozen locked arms in the middle of the campus quad, some holding
Palestinian flags.
Officers later arrested between 25 and 30 protesters,
according to Sgt. Scott W. Wilhelm of the LAPD.
At Brown University in Rhode Island, scores of
students pitched tents on the campus’ Main Green on Wednesday. Organizers said
their minds were on the children and students in Gaza, not on the
administration’s warning that the new encampment violated university policy.
They promised to stay until they were forced off.
Administrators at Harvard University sought to head
off a similar scene by shuttering Harvard Yard, a central gathering place on
campus. But students flooded the yard’s grassy patches anyway on Wednesday,
rapidly erecting tents as part of an “emergency rally” against the suspension
of a pro-Palestinian campus group.
At Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata, California,
administrators said they were shutting down the campus through the weekend,
concerned that protesters occupying two buildings could spread to others.
Late Tuesday, two students were arrested at Ohio State
University, school officials said, during an on-campus protest that had since
dispersed.
The protests at the University of Texas at Austin were
among the first to take place in a Republican-led state in the South, occurring
within walking distance of the governor’s mansion. Like other Republican
political leaders, Abbott has been outspoken in his support for Israel, and
last month, he vowed to fight any antisemitism on campus.
University leaders Tuesday said they had revoked
permission for a protest and warned those who might seek to gather anyway.
“The University of Texas at Austin will not allow this
campus to be ‘taken,’” two administrators from the Office of the Dean of
Students wrote in a letter to the Palestine Solidarity Committee.
State police were deployed to the campus Wednesday at
the request of the university and at Abbott’s direction, said the state police
spokesperson, Ericka Miller, “in order to prevent any unlawful assembly.”
When protesters began to congregate despite the
warnings, the response was swift. Scores of officers formed crowd-control
lines, some clutching batons. After having ordered the protesters to disperse,
some officers surged into the crowd and hauled several people away, then
returned for others.
“Let them go!” some people shouted as the crowd grew.
At one point, hundreds of students and their
supporters were gathered on the south mall of the campus, including some who
gathered in a large circle and chanted, “Pigs go home!” Soon, the police moved
in again, pushing through the crowds and making further arrests.
Miller said the majority of those arrested were
charged with criminal trespassing.
In a statement, the university’s Division of Student
Affairs said that the university would not tolerate disruptions “like we have
seen at other campuses” and would take action to allow students to finish their
classes and final exams “without interruption.”
The New York Times News Service
Source:
telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/united-states-campus-protests-over-gaza-intensify-amid-pushback-by-universities-and-police/cid/2015669
------
Boko Haram and ISWAP Rivalry Escalates as Clashes
Claim Over 100 Fighters
Photo: NewsNet Global
------
Jerry
Wright-Ukwu
April 24, 2024
Fierce rivalry clashes between Boko Haram and the
Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) terror groups escalated in the
Lake Chad Basin over the last week have claimed over 100 of the fighters of
both groups.
Zagazola reports that from April 18 to April 24, the
clashes between Boko Haram factions and ISWAP flared up across the riverine
islands of the Tumbums, with the ISWAP gaining more footholds and dislodging
the Boko Haram rival factions.
Shortly after ISWAP received a fresh consignment of
weapons from Mali, through Niger to Dogon Chukwu Kangarwa, it declared a
renewed war, issuing a stern directive to its fighters to completely
exterminate the members of the JAS Buduma Boko Haram factions on April 18.
Before the clashes, Boko Haram JAS had moved several
fighters from the upper parts of the riverine Niger to take defensive positions
in Kukawa in Borno, while another set of armed fighters were moved to the
Nigeria- Cameroon borders, occupying Dawashi, DabarWanzam, Kiri Bulla in Kukawa
as well as Lokobili and Kandahar in Cameroon.
On its parts, ISWAP mounted on 20 water vessels,
conveying 130 fighters to Doron Kirta Wulgo near Nigeria- Cameroon. More ISWAP
fighters arrived from Kwalaram, while others trooped in from Ngala and Marte in
preparation for the major encounter.
The clash, which erupted on April 19 at Garin Mallam
Ya’u and Mallam Karamti when ISWAP, led by Commander Akilu, led to the killing
of several Boko Haram fighters.
The ISWAP elements later seized six of JAS Boko
Haram’s motorcycles and destroyed them in the process.
In another encounter, JAS elements swiftly cordoned
and captured about 15 ISWAP members at Tumbum Abuja. The clash, however, did
not last long and subsided immediately after the capture of the rival
counterpart.
On the same day, ISWAP fighters stormed Tumbum Allura
in Kukawa LGA and killed several Boko Haram fighters. ISWAP, however, lost a
few of its fighters while forcing the surviving JAS fighters to flee.
The ISWAP fighters chased the fleeing Boko Haram
fighters to the axis of Kariya and Koleram in Kukawa, which led to another gun
battle.
Again, the ISWAP fighters overpowered the rival group
and killed scores of the Boko Haram fighters, including a top Commander,
KhaidAllayi Gana.
Seventy armed
JAS Boko Haram men later returned to Garin Mallam Ya’u to bury its neutralized
Mujahedeens, while counting its losses and licking its wounds.
The intensified rival clashes forced about 10 Boko
Haram fighters to surrender with arms to the troops of Sector 4, Multinational
Joint Task Force at Nguiguimi, Diffa region, Niger Republic.
Two other fighters surrendered to troops of Sector 3,
Multi-National Joint Task Force(MNJTF) in Monguno.
The JAS group, led by Ibrahim Bakura Doro, aka
BakauraBuduma, has remained a formidable enemy of ISWAP ever since Shekau’s
death. It has repeatedly attacked ISWAP positions around the lake.
The ISWAP, on the other hand, have upscaled efforts to
reclaim its position and taken control by the JAS group.
Both ISWAP and JAS have lost more fighters from rival
clashes with each other since 2021 than in confrontations with government
security forces.
The constant and ever-worsening clashes between ISWAP
and Boko Haram have continued to provide ampler opportunities for government
security forces to seize and craft strategies to exterminate the two rival
groups and stamp out the terror scorching the Lake Chad Basin.
Source:
politicsnigeria.com
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https://politicsnigeria.com/just-in-boko-haram-and-iswap-rivalry-escalates-as-clashes-claim-over-100-fighters/
---
UK Suspends Legal Assessments Of Israeli Violations In
Gaza
Photo: Press TV
-----
24 April 2024
Britain has blocked legal assessments over whether
Israel has breached International Humanitarian Law (IHL) during its ongoing war
on the besieged Gaza Strip, two weeks after London doubled down on exporting
arms to the occupying regime.
Earlier this month, Chair of the Foreign Affairs
Select Committee, MP Alicia Kearns, admitted that the Foreign Office had
received “official legal advice that Israel has broken international
humanitarian law, but the government has not announced it.”
However, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on April
10 said arms exports to Israel would continue as before and the flow would not
be suspended, despite the fact that the UK’s arms export guidelines maintain
that the country must not grant a license if it determines there is a clear
risk the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of
international humanitarian law.
On Tuesday, Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), a
UK-based pressure group that seeks an end to the global arms trade, cited Trade
Government lawyer James Eadie as admitting that there has been a “hiatus” in
legal assessments over whether the Tel Avi regime is breaching the IHL for
reasons he “couldn’t go into.”
He said “decisions of some importance have been
delayed for some time” and that these delayed decisions were due “imminently”
probably in mid to late May.
Back in December, Palestinian human rights
organization Al-Haq and UK-based Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) initiated
legal proceedings against the British government to halt its arms exports to
Israel over its genocidal war in the Gaza Strip since October 7.
More than 1,000 lawyers, academics, and retired
judges, including former president of the Supreme Court Baroness Hale, have
signed an open letter underscoring that the constant flow of British arms into
Israel puts the UK in clear breach of international law.
Late March, a cross-party group of 135 lawmakers wrote
to the foreign and business secretaries, stating that the case for a suspension
of arms export licenses to Israel is “overwhelming.”
Canada, Japan, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands have
already announced they no longer ship arms to Israel.
Furthermore, a majority of Britons have called on
London to stop giving arms to Israel, whose military has so far killed over
34,100 Palestinians in Gaza. They fear Israel may be using British-made weapons
in military actions that violate international law in the Palestinian
territory.
Source:
presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/04/24/724314/UK-legal-assessments-Israel-Gaza
----
India
BJP Morcha leader Usman Ghani criticises Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks, expelled from party
25.04.24
Bikaner BJP Minority Morcha district president Usman
Ghani, who expressed displeasure with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent
remarks in Rajasthan, was on Wednesday expelled from the party for
"tarnishing" its image.
Ghani, while talking to a news channel recently in New
Delhi, had said that the BJP was going to lose three-four Lok Sabha seats out
of 25 seats in Rajasthan.
He also condemned Modi's remarks regarding Muslims
during election rallies in the state.
When asked about the remarks of Modi regarding
Muslims, Ghani had said that being a Muslim, he was disappointed at what the
prime minister said.
He said that when he "goes to Muslims to seek
votes" for the BJP, the community people talk about the kind of remarks
made by the PM and "look for answers" from him.
He also said that the Jat community is angry with the
BJP in the state and they have voted against the party in Churu and other
constituencies.
Ghani had also said that he was not afraid if the
party takes any action against him for what he was saying.
After a video of Ghani surfaced on social media in
which he is talking to a news channel reporter, BJP state disciplinary
committee chairman Onkar Singh Lakhawat said that an attempt was made by Usman
Ghani to "tarnish" the image of party in the media.
"The party took cognizance of the act of Usman
Ghani to tarnish its image and expelled him from the primary membership of the
party for six years, considering it a breach of discipline," Lakhawat said
in a statement.
Bikaner Lok Sabha seat went to polls in the first
phase on April 19.
While addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Banswara, PM
Modi on Sunday had suggested that if the Congress comes to power, it would
"redistribute" wealth to Muslims. He alleged that the Congress plans
to give the people's hard-earned money and valuables to the
"infiltrators" and "those who have more children".
The remarks have triggered a backlash from several
opposition parties.
Except for the headline, this story has not been
edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated
feed.
Source:
telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/elections/lok-sabha-election-2024/bharatiya-janata-party-minority-morcha-leader-usman-ghani-criticises-prime-minister-narendra-modis-remarks-expelled-from-party/cid/2015643
---
Israel-exodus storm in Darjeeling teacup: Poor wages
force hill youths to explore lucrative options
25.04.24
Vivek Chhetri
Darjeeling: Cheers for Israel are getting louder in
the queen of the hills where the “champagne of tea” is grown.
“I used to hear from my elders that the saying ‘gold
grows on tea bushes’ drove the earlier generations to work in tea gardens.
Today, I have sold my family’s gold necklaces and am heading to Israel to earn
a decent living,” said Bikash Chhetri (name changed on request), a resident of
the Soom tea garden in Darjeeling.
Bikash is undergoing a one-month caregiving training
at a centre on Panchkuian Road in Delhi. He is also being taught basic Hebrew.
Most from the region land the job of a caregiver to the elderly in Israel.
The road to Israel, however, is not cheap.
An aspirant must be willing to shell out more than Rs
16 lakh to agents to land a job in Israel. Earlier, the amount was Rs 26 lakh
but the cost came down because of the ongoing Gaza war that has pushed up the
demand for labour.
“I sold gold, cows, sought loans from relatives and
have still managed to collect only around Rs 6 lakh. The agents have agreed to
put in the rest of the money with a 5 per cent interest that will be deducted
from my salary,” Bikash said.
Many who are now in Israel — where the salaries are
“relatively lucrative” — agree that the agents profit the most.
“We get anything between Rs 1.2-2 lakh in Israel. A
similar job in Dubai fetches you around Rs 20,000 per month,” said Pravesh
(name changed on request), a youth from Darjeeling who is currently working in
Ramla, around an hour’s drive from the capital Tel Aviv.
Pravesh, 29, will be welcomed with open arms if he
wants to join any tea garden back home.
“Absenteeism is as high as 45 to 50 per cent of the
workforce. The exodus from the Darjeeling gardens became acute after the
104-day strike in 2017,” said Sandeep Mukherjee, principal adviser, the
Darjeeling Tea Association.
The 87 tea gardens of the Darjeeling Lok Sabha
constituency that can sell their produce as “Darjeeling Tea” because of the
Geographic Indicator (GI) status it received in 2003 have 70,000 workers on its
roll and provide direct or indirect sustenance to around 3 lakh people.
Poor labour supply has been one of the biggest
problems for the industry of late. The union and workers blame low wages and point
to a general trend among youths to join the hospitality industry and other less
labour-intensive and more rewarding professions.
“The Darjeeling gardens used to complete around 26
rounds of plucking in a year. Now it has come down to 16-18 rounds on an
average,” said a tea planter. The industry, which in the 90s would produce 14.5
million kg of made tea, produced only 6.1 million kg in 2023.
Pravesh, who is a graduate, said there was no question
of returning to work in the tea gardens. “For most of the youths of my age,
going back to the tea gardens is an absolute no. Even if not Israel, most
prefer to work in the bigger cities for better salaries,” said Pravesh.
The daily wage of a tea garden worker is Rs 250.
“This is a wrong representation. The Rs 250 is only
the cash component of the wage. If one is to take other fringe benefits into
account, the wage will be Rs 422,” a planter said.
A 2022 report of the parliamentary standing committee
on commerce, which focused on Darjeeling Tea, took “cognisance of meagre wages
being paid to tea workers of Darjeeling and other areas of north Bengal which
is below the statutory threshold of minimum wages in the country”.
A 24-member minimum wage advisory committee on tea was
formed in Bengal in 2015. It has met 18 times but is yet to finalise the
minimum wage for workers.
The management, however, stresses that the Darjeeling
industry, which has an annual turnover of around Rs 400-500 crore, is in a
crisis because of high absenteeism, low production and low-price realisation in
domestic and international markets.
“Tea gardens of Darjeeling are up for sale but there
are no buyers. Why would owners want to sell gardens?” said a planter.
Union leaders said the management, too, must take
responsibility as they have not “invested back” into the garden through
replanting. The deteriorating health of the Darjeeling tea industry is expected
to fuel the exodus.
Life away from home, however, is not easy. Once in
Israel, it takes almost two-three years to pay off the debt, forcing the
workers to stay back even during periods of conflict.
Many parents are forced to leave their children in
Darjeeling with their grandparents for years.
“In 2020, I developed complications in my gall
bladder. Doctors advised me to return to Darjeeling but I refused,” said
Pravesh who visited Darjeeling only once after he left in 2018.
Pravesh recounted the instance of a woman who fell
sick and returned to Darjeeling after three months. “After another four-five
months, she went back to Israel by paying another Rs 15 lakh but unfortunately
she fell ill for the second time. She ended up losing around Rs 30 lakh,”
Pravesh said.
Bikash is hopeful of flying off to Israel before the
results of the Lok Sabha elections are out. “I am hoping that my fortunes will
change after two-three years. My wife is also in Israel. My brother-in-law,
too, is there and he has now bought land in Siliguri and is doing good
financially,” Bikash said.
Source:
telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/israel-exodus-storm-in-darjeeling-teacup-poor-wages-force-hill-youths-to-explore-lucrative-options/cid/2015570
---
Kerala: SIO stages protest against PM Modi’s
anti-Muslim remarks
24th April 2024
The Students Islamic Organisation activists (SIO) in
Kerala on Wednesday, April 24, took out a protest rally against Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s purported hate speech against Muslims during Lok Sabha election
campaign in Rajasthan recently.
The protest march was held in Kochi with students
raising slogans and demanding action against the Prime Minister.
During the protest, a group of students was seen
brandishing torches and a large banner that read “Punish the hate-monger…
Disqualify Narendra Modi’s candidacy… resist Islamophoia… resist hindutva..
etc.” Throughout the protest march, activists raised slogans against PM Modi
and RSS.
While addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara on
Sunday, Modi suggested that if the Congress came to power, it would
redistribute the wealth among Muslims.
Modi alleged that the Congress planned to give
people’s hard-earned money and valuables to “infiltrators” and “those who have
more children”, referring to Muslims.
Following the hate speech which triggered nationwide
outrage, opposition leaders also slammed PM Modi’s comments that targeted a
particular community. Some leaders also appeal to people to reach out to the
Election Commission of India.
Source:
siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/kerala-sio-stages-protest-against-pm-modis-anti-muslim-remarks-3014444/
---
Ajmal to move SC against closure of govt madrassas in
Assam
24th April 2024
Guwahati: AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal has said he will
move the Supreme Court against the Assam government’s decision to close the
state-run madrassas.
The sitting Dhubri MP expressed hope that the apex
court will order the reopening of all closed madrasas in Assam.
“UP government announced the closure of madrasas and
later, the Supreme Court condemned them. With this reference, we will go to the
Supreme Court and will get the order from there,” Ajmal told reporters on the
sidelines of an election campaign meeting on Tuesday.
In December last year, 1,281 Upper Primary Middle
English (ME) Madrassas were converted into general ME schools across Assam.
Earlier in April 2021, all the 610 state-run madrassas
under the Madrassa Board were converted into upper primary, high and higher
secondary schools with no change of status, pay, allowances and service
conditions of teaching and non-teaching staff.
In December 2020, The Assam Madrassa Education
(Provincialisation) Act, 1995 and The Assam Madrassa Education
(Provincialisation of Services of Employees and Re-Organisation of Madrassa
Educational Institutions) Act, 2018 were repealed.
This move of the first BJP-led Assam government paved
the way for all state-funded madrassas to shut down and transform them into
general schools.
Source:
siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/ajmal-to-move-sc-against-closure-of-govt-madrassas-in-assam-3014313/
---
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah defends Muslim quota, hits
out at Modi
24th April 2024
In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent
claim that the Congress party intends to transfer reservation quotas from
backward classes and Dalits to Muslims, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah
expressed strong opposition, calling it a “blatant lie” and a display of
ignorance.
The CM emphasised that such unfounded allegations not
only reflect ignorance but also signify desperation fueled by the fear of
defeat. He criticised Modi for what he perceived as demeaning the office of the
Prime Minister, stating that no leader in the history of India has stooped to
such a low level.
Challenging Modi to substantiate his claims with
evidence or issue an apology, the Chief Minister questioned the basis of Modi’s
allegations and demanded clarification on whether any official government
document or state policy supports such assertions.
Highlighting the constitutional process for amending
reservations, the Chief Minister underscored that revisions can only be made
based on social and economic surveys and require approval from both Houses of
Parliament. He criticised Modi’s apparent lack of knowledge on this fundamental
aspect of governance.
Referring to the inclusion of Muslims in the 2B
category for backward classes in Karnataka, the Chief Minister clarified that
this reservation has been in place for three decades based on recommendations
from the Backward Classes Commissions. He pointed out that neither the previous
BJP government in the state nor the Modi-led Union Government challenged this
reservation, nor did anyone contest it in court.
Further, the Chief Minister highlighted instances
where the BJP government’s claims of increasing reservations for Scheduled
Castes and Tribes in Karnataka were contradicted by statements from the
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment at the national level. He expressed
disappointment in Modi’s failure to acknowledge these discrepancies.
The Chief Minister also sought clarification from
Modi’s ally, former Prime Minister H D Devegowda, on his stance regarding
reservation policies, particularly in light of past assertions about
implementing reservations for Muslims.
Concluding his critique, the Chief Minister labeled
Modi as a failed leader, citing his lack of significant achievements despite
being in power for a decade.
Source:
siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/karnataka-cm-siddaramaiah-defends-muslim-quota-hits-out-at-modi-3014676/
---
Mideast
Mass graves found in southern Gaza city of Khan Younis
unearth heart-breaking images
Gulsen Topcu
24.04.2024
Mass graves found in Khan Younis city in the southern
Gaza Strip, from which the Israeli army withdrew after months of attacks and
occupation, highlight Palestinians' grief.
The Israeli army withdrew from Khan Younis on April 7
following a four-month ground offensive. With the withdrawal, mass graves began
to be found in the city and bodies were collected from the rubble of houses and
roadsides.
Speaking to Anadolu and stating that she lost her son
Nabil Mohammed Zedan in an Israeli attack on Jan. 22, a Palestinian mother said
she was there to find his body.
Noting that her son was a 4th-year student in the law
department at the university, she added: "I have been looking for my son
for three months. During this time, I have not slept, I have not shed a
tear."
"I applied to the Red Cross, civil defense, the
Ministry of Health, and everywhere else. I even opened the covers of the
martyrs I saw on the street to see if they were my son."
She said that when Iran strikes Israel with drones,
Arab countries are concerned about Israel's security, and asked: "What
about our children? Why aren't you worried about them? I am a mother, see and
hear my burning heart."
They drew 'smiles' on bodies to provoke Palestinians
Abdullah Abu Mustafa, another Palestinian who
accompanied the work in the area, said they buried his daughter, cousin,
cousin's wife, and cousin's daughter on Jan. 22.
Stressing that when the Israeli army entered the city
by land, it blocked the road to Khan Younis cemetery, Abu Mustafa noted that
for this reason, they buried the bodies in Nasser Hospital.
On Eid al-Fitr, people communicated among themselves
to take the bodies out of the temporary graves and bury them in a cemetery
worthy of them, he added, saying: "When we arrived, we saw that Israel had
exhumed all of the approximately 1,000 martyrs we buried. They changed their
clothes."
"We saw the Israeli star on the martyrs' clothes.
They went so far to provoke the Palestinian people that they drew smiles on the
bodies of our martyrs."
Emphasizing that they found three to four mass graves
in the area and that there were 30-40 bodies in each of them, Abu Mustafa
underlined that the people tried to identify their dead relatives by their
clothes, but 70% of the bodies could not be identified because the clothes were
removed.
Abu Mustafa said they found some of the bodies with
their heads down and their feet up and four to five bodies stacked on top of
each other.
'Working for 3 days, dug up about 150 martyrs'
Raid Raid Sakr, the civil defense official who led the
process of exhuming bodies from the mass grave opened by the Israeli army in
the garden of Nasser Hospital, said the people informed the civil defense unit
when they could not find their relatives where they were buried.
Emphasizing that civil defense teams immediately came
to the area and tried to locate the bodies with simple equipment, Sakr said:
"We saw that Israel opened a mass grave."
"According to the reports we received, there are
hundreds of martyrs in the grave. It is said that there are 300-400 martyrs. We
have been working for three days. During this time, we have unearthed about 150
martyrs. There are many unidentified bodies."
Sakr said the identified bodies were taken and buried
by their relatives, while the unidentified ones were buried by civil defense
teams.
Decomposed bodies found without head and skin
Ismail Al-Thawabteh, the head of Gaza’s government
media office, said: "Some 150 bodies have been found in two graves."
He said around 700 people are still unaccounted for
since the Israeli withdrawal from Khan Younis on April 7 following a four-month
ground offensive, adding that this is a real crime and massacre committed by
the Israeli occupation.
Al-Thawabteh said they believe that there are hundreds
of "martyrs" executed by Israel and buried in mass graves,
highlighting that they retained a large number of half corpses, completely
decomposed, with no skin or head.
Pointing out that what happened in Nasser Hospital
also happened in Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and before that, in Kamal Adwan
Hospital, he said: "The Israeli soldiers removed the bodies of martyrs and
buried them in mass graves in the hospital complex."
"However, government-affiliated teams are working
hard to uncover this crime and identify the bodies."
Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the
Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack by Palestinian group
Hamas in which some 1,200 people were killed.
More than 34,100 Palestinians, mostly women and
children, have since been killed in Gaza, and around 77,000 others have been
injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.
The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population
into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and
medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or
destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International
Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop
genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is
provided to civilians in Gaza.
Source:
aa.com.tr
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click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/mass-graves-found-in-southern-gaza-city-of-khan-younis-unearth-heart-breaking-images/3200808
---
Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque on 2nd day of
Passover
Apr 24, 2024
TEHRAN, Apr. 24 (MNA) – The Islamic Endowments
Department in Palestine reported on Wednesday that hundreds of Israeli settlers
stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in groups through the al-Mughrabi Gate to mark the
second day of Jewish Passover.
During the raid, the settlers, who were guarded and
escorted by Israeli occupation forces, performed "Talmudic rituals"
and roamed the Al-Aqsa courtyards while receiving presentations on the alleged
"Temple Mount", Lebanese Al Mayadeen reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces imposed severe
restrictions on Palestinian worshippers, inspecting their IDs at the gates of
al-Quds, and preventing many of them from entering the mosque.
Al-Quds has been turned into a military fortress, with
over 3,000 Israeli police officers deployed throughout the city. It is worth
noting that dozens of iron barriers have been erected on streets and roads
leading to Al-Quds.
On its part, Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas
called on Palestinians last Friday to congregate in defense of Al-Aqsa mosque.
Source:
mehrnews.com
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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/214342/Israeli-settlers-storm-Al-Aqsa-Mosque-on-2nd-day-of-Passover
----
Operation True Promise source of confidence for Muslim
world: senior commander
April 24, 2024
TEHRAN – Iran’s April 14 operation against Israeli
positions in the occupied territories made Muslims around the world more
confident in their ability to avert enemies, according to the head of the Basij
Volunteer forces.
"Strategically, the Islamic world expanded and
was honored after Operation True Promise because Muslim nations believed that
they are capable of defending their rights under the shadow of Islamic Ummah,”
Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani said during his speech at a ceremony
held in the capital Tehran.
Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles at the
occupied territories earlier this month, after the Israeli regime struck the
country’s diplomatic premises in Damascus. Iran’s projectiles were countered by
the defense systems of Israel, the U.S., UK, France and Jordan. Despite that,
aerial footage and videos recorded during the attack show Tehran managed to hit
the military bases it had targeted. Iranian authorities confirmed positions
from the occupied Golan heights to the Negev desert have been destroyed.
“After this operation, the view towards the Iranian
nation and the Islamic system improved, which is evidenced by the findings and
research of strategic studies institutions. In fact, Operation True Promise was
a nail in the coffin of Zionists, and its consequences in the future are
prideful for Muslims and harsh for Zionists,” General Soleimani added.
He also commented on recent large protests held at
American universities to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, highlighting how
everything that’s been going on in the past months has enlightened people
around the world about the true face of Zionism.
"Signs of awakening are seen in the American
people, but it is not enough because their president openly threatens major
world nations in the media,” he said, adding that the Israeli regime cannot
survive 24 hours without the American taxpayer money it uses to massacre
innocent civilians.
Source:
tehrantimes.com
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https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/497633/Operation-True-Promise-source-of-confidence-for-Muslim-world
----
Hamas releases video showing well-known
Israeli-American hostage
April 25, 2024
JERUSALEM: Hamas released a hostage video on Wednesday
showing a well-known Israeli-American man who was among scores of people
abducted by the militants in the attack that ignited the war in Gaza.
The video was the first sign of life of Hersh
Goldberg-Polin since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, and its release
ignited new protests in Jerusalem calling on the government to do more to
secure the captives’ release.
In the video, Goldberg-Polin accused Israel’s
government of abandoning the people who are being held hostage by Hamas. He
also claimed that some 70 captives have been killed in Israel’s bombing
campaign. Goldberg-Polin was clearly speaking under duress, and the claim could
not be independently verified. It was not clear when the video was made.
Goldberg-Polin, 23, was at the Tribe of Nova music
festival when Hamas launched its attack from nearby Gaza. In the video,
Goldberg-Polin is missing part of his left arm.
Witnesses said he lost it when attackers tossed
grenades into a shelter where people had taken refuge. He had tied a tourniquet
around it before being bundled into the truck by Hamas.
Goldberg-Polin is one of the most recognized captives.
Posters with his image are pinned up across Israel. His mother, Rachel
Goldberg, has met with world leaders and addressed the United Nations.
Though there was no date on the video, Goldberg-Polin
appeared to reference the weeklong Jewish holiday of Passover, which began on
Monday.
His parents said they were relieved to see him alive
but were concerned about his health and well-being, as well as that of the
other hostages.
“We are here today with a plea to all of the leaders
of the parties who have been negotiating to date,” said his father, Jon Polin,
naming Egypt, Israel, Qatar, the United States and Hamas.
“Be brave, lean in, seize this moment and get a deal
done to reunite all of us with our loved ones and end the suffering in this
region,” he said.
Hostages’ families have accused Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of not doing enough to secure the release of
their relatives.
After the Hamas video was made public, hundreds of
Israelis gathered outside Netanyahu’s official residence in central Jerusalem
on Wednesday, calling on the government to strike a deal to bring home
hostages. Many held posters of Goldberg-Polin, and some of the protesters set
cardboard boxes on fire.
“We are afraid for his life, so we went to protest and
call for the government to do whatever is possible to bring him and everybody
else back, as soon as possible,” said one of the marchers, Nimrod Madrer.
“Bring them back home,” the crowd chanted.
At the nearby Great Synagogue, a large crowd jeered
the country’s ultranationalist national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir,
chanting “shame” as he exited the building following a Passover gathering. One
protester banged on Ben-Gvir’s car and was pushed away by police as it drove
off.
Hamas and other militants abducted around 250 people
in the Oct. 7 attack and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians. They are still
believed to be holding around 100 hostages and the remains of some 30 others.
Most of the rest were freed in November in exchange for the release of 240
Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, said
Goldberg-Polin’s family had asked mediators to inquire about his fate for
humanitarian reasons.
His family was “searching the world for any sign of
him,” Al-Hayya said in an interview with Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV broadcast on
Wednesday. Hamas’ armed wing ”sent a strong message by publishing this young
man’s message directed at Netanyahu,” Al-Hayya said.
The US, Qatar and Egypt have spent months trying to
broker another ceasefire and hostage release, but the talks appear to have
stalled. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining hostages unless
Israel ends the war, which has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, according to
local officials.
Netanyahu has rejected those demands, and says Israel
remains committed to destroying Hamas and bringing all the hostages home. He
has come under mounting criticism in Israel, where some say it will be
impossible to do both.
Source:
arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2498936/middle-east
----
Israeli army kills 79 more Palestinians in Gaza,
bringing death toll to 34,262
Ahmed Asmar
24.04.2024
At least 79 more Palestinians were killed and 86
others injured over the last 24 hours as Israel continues its onslaught on the
besieged Gaza Strip, the territory's Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the
roads as rescuers are unable to reach them, the ministry said.
Israel has killed 34,262 Palestinians, mostly women
and children, and wounded 77,229 others since the Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border
incursion by Hamas that claimed 1,200 lives.
The war has pushed 85% of the territory's population
into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food and other essentials,
while much of the enclave's infrastructure has either been damaged or
destroyed.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International
Court of Justice, which in in January ordered Tel Aviv to prevent genocidal
acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to
civilians in Gaza.
According to Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UN agency
for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, famine in northern Gaza can be averted only
through “meaningful & uninterrupted supply” of aid supplies.
Source:
aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israeli-army-kills-79-more-palestinians-in-gaza-bringing-death-toll-to-34-262/3200976
----
Hamas: Zionist enemy's closure of Ibrahimi Mosque is
further Judaization
[24/April/2024]
GAZA April 24. 2024 (Saba) - The Islamic Resistance
Movement Hamas on Wednesday considered the closure of the Ibrahimi Mosque in
Hebron by the Zionist enemy as a flagrant violation of its sanctity and the
right to worship there, and further Judaization.
Hamas called on the masses of the Palestinian people
and their resistance forces to continue to confront aggressive measures against
Islamic and Christian land and holy sites.
Earlier today, the Zionist enemy forces decided to
close the Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslim worshipers, and open it to settlers,
starting today, Wednesday, for two days, under the pretext of Jewish holidays.
Source:
saba.ye
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3323655.htm
---
IDF hits 40 Hezbollah sites; Gallant says group’s
south Lebanon command decimated
EMANUEL FABIAN
24 April 2024
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday claimed
that the military had killed half of Hezbollah’s commanders in southern
Lebanon, as the Israel Defense Forces carried out a large wave of strikes
against dozens of sites belonging to the terror group.
“Half of the Hezbollah commanders in south Lebanon
have been eliminated… and the other half hide and abandon south Lebanon to IDF
operations,” Gallant said, after holding an assessment at the Northern Command
headquarters in Safed with the chief of the command, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, and
other top officers.
He said Israel’s main goal in the north was to return
tens of thousands of Israelis displaced by Hezbollah’s daily attacks to their
homes.
“We are dealing with a number of alternatives in order
to establish this matter, and the coming period will be decisive in this
regard,” Gallant said.
As the defense minister toured the Northern Command,
the IDF said some 40 Hezbollah targets in the town of Ayta ash-Shab were hit
within just several minutes by fighter jets and artillery shelling.
The wave of strikes came hours after the terror group
fired anti-tank missiles at a community in northern Israel.
The military said the targets included weapon depots
and other assets belonging to Hezbollah, and charged that Ayta ash-Shab was
used by the group for “terror” and that it places dozens of its sites in the
area.
In a statement, the IDF said the strikes were “part of
the effort to destroy the organization’s infrastructure in the border area,”
and not a response to any specific attack.
Ahead of the strikes, the military issued an unusual
statement announcing that it had begun to attack Hezbollah targets in south
Lebanon. Amid the ongoing war, the military has generally announced strikes in
Lebanon only after they have been completed. The announcement indicated that
the strikes were on a much larger scale than usual.
Hours before the wave of strikes, Hezbollah fired
several anti-tank guided missiles at the northern community of Avivim, striking
two homes and causing a fire.
The Merom HaGalil Regional Council, which has
jurisdiction over Avivim, said the missiles caused no injuries.
Hezbollah claimed the attack in a statement, saying it
“targeted a building in Avivim in which ‘enemy soldiers’ were present.”
The missile attack on Avivim came after a wave of
overnight Israeli Air Force strikes against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon,
following repeated attacks by the Iran-backed terror group on northern Israel.
The overnight strikes targeted a rocket launcher in
the town of TayrHarfa after it was used in an attack on the northern community
of Shomera on Tuesday night, the IDF said.
The IDF said additional targets included Hezbollah
infrastructure in Markaba, a building in Ayta ash-Shab and an observation post
in Marwahin.
Troops also shelled areas near Chihine and Kfarchouba
with artillery to “remove threats,” the military added.
Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked
Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis,
with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.
So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in
eight civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 11 IDF
soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria,
without any injuries.
Hezbollah has named 287 members who have been killed
by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon, but some also in
Syria. In Lebanon, another 54 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese
soldier and at least 60 civilians, three of whom were journalists, have been
killed.
Israel has threatened to go to war to force Hezbollah
away from the border if it does not retreat and continues to threaten northern
communities, from where some 70,000 people were evacuated to avoid the
fighting.
Source:
timesofisrael.com
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https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-hits-40-hezbollah-sites-gallant-says-groups-south-lebanon-command-decimated/
----
North
America
Students Protest AtUS Universities To Urge End In
Financial Ties To Israel
24 April 2024
Students at a growing number of US universities are
gathering in protest encampments with a unified demand that their schools cut financial
ties to Israel.
Demonstrations have been held at New York University,
Harvard, MIT and other universities in Michigan, Minnesota and Colombia over
the past 24 hours.
They are calling for universities to separate
themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel’s savage military
campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The students denounced companies profiting from the
war on Gaza and demanded amnesty for students and faculty members who have been
suspended for protesting. They included 26-year-old Catherine Elias, who
returned to the protest camp following her release.
"We sit in the country that not only funds but
also manufactures and creates a lot of the bombs that are dropping on
Gaza," said Elias, referring to US support for Israel throughout the
war.
"Every piece of the weaponry that allows this
genocide to continue is being funded actively by universities like Columbia
through their endowments."
US President Joe Biden has signed into law a
$95-billion aid package that includes $26-billion for Israel.
The protests against the genocide in Gaza began last
week at Columbia University.
Similar protests were held across the country, with
students being at the front.
Protesters on Wednesday also gathered near the
residence of the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, to call for the end of
Washington’s funding for Israel. Protesters stayed there for several hours
despite crackdown by police. Multiple arrests were also made, with some reports
putting the number of the detainees to over 100.
The demonstration was organized by the Jewish Voice
for Peace and was attended by several rabbis.
The recent protests in the States are inspired by the
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, a decades-old campaign against
Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians.
Source:
presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/04/24/724313/Gaza-Israel-Columbia-University
----
US troopers crack down on pro-Palestinian protests at
University of Texas
25 April 2024
Anti-riot troopers are called in to crack down on
pro-Palestinian protesters on the campus of the University of Texas as similar
rallies heat up throughout seats of learning across the United States.
Eyewitness footage recorded from the incidents on
Wednesday, showed the forces charging the students, forcing them to the ground,
and detaining them as other protesters chanted, “Let them go.”
At least 10 people were detained, The Texas Tribune
reported.
Pro-Palestinian academic activism has grown
significantly across the US since the onset of the Israeli regime’s US-backed
war of genocide against the Gaza Strip.
The United States has been providing the regime with
maximal military and intelligence support since October 7, when the latter
unleashed the war. Washington has also vetoed several United Nations Security
Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire in the brutal military onslaught
that has so far killed more than 34,100 Palestinians, most of them women and
children.
American students have been raging against their
universities’ connection to the Israeli regime and Washington’s all-out support
for the genocide.
According to Reuters, tent protests are underway on
campuses from coast to coast, “including Brown University in Providence, Rhode
Island, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in Cambridge, and California State Polytechnic in Humboldt.”
Throughout the US, academics have also been banding
together under the banner Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) in
support of the war-hit Palestinians.
Most recently, the FSJP’s Georgia chapter called on
Morehouse College in Atlanta that has invited Joe Biden as its 2024
commencement speaker to rescind its invitation as means of objecting to the
president’s role in enabling the Israeli genocide.
Source:
presstv.ir
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---
Another former US State Department official alleges
Israeli military gets ‘special treatment’ on abuses
April 25, 2024
WASHINGTON: A former senior US official who until
recently helped oversee human-rights compliance by foreign militaries receiving
American military assistance said Wednesday that he repeatedly observed Israel
receiving “special treatment” from US officials when it came to scrutiny of
allegations of Israeli military abuses of Palestinian civilians.
The allegation comes as the Biden administration faces
intense pressure over its ally’s treatment of Palestinian civilians during
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. And it matters because of who said it:
Charles O. Blaha.
Before leaving the post in August, he was a director
of a State Department security and human rights office closely involved in
helping ensure that foreign militaries receiving American military aid follow
US and international humanitarian and human rights laws.
Blaha said his departure from the State Department
after decades of service was not related to the US-Israeli security
relationship. He is the second senior State official involved in that
relationship to assert that when it comes to Israel, the US is reluctant to
enforce laws required of foreign militaries receiving American aid.
“In my experience, Israel gets special treatment that
no other country gets,” Blaha said. “And there is undue deference, in many
cases, given” to Israeli officials’ side of things when the US asks questions
about allegations of Israeli wrongdoing against Palestinians, he added.
He spoke to reporters at an event where he and other
members of an unofficial, self-formed panel of former senior US civilian and
military officials released a report pointing to civilian deaths in specific
airstrikes in Gaza. They said there was “compelling and credible” evidence that
Israeli forces had acted illegally.
Blaha’s comments echoed those of another State
Department official and panel member, Josh Paul. Paul resigned as a director
overseeing arms transfers to other countries’ militaries in October in protest
of the US rushing arms to Israel amid its war in Gaza.
Asked about the allegations from the two, a State
Department spokesman, Vedant Patel, said “there is no double standard, and
there is no special treatment.”
Israeli officials did not immediately respond to a
request for comment. Israel consistently says it follows all laws in its use of
US military aid, investigates allegations against its security forces and holds
offenders accountable.
Israel historically is the United States’ biggest
recipient of military aid, and Biden on Wednesday signed legislation for an
additional $26 billion in wartime assistance. But Biden has come under growing
pressure over that support as Palestinian deaths mount.
The latest Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, when
Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a
cross-border attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel. Israel responded with
an offensive in Gaza that has caused widespread devastation and killed more
than 34,000 people, according to local health officials.
In coming days, the administration says it will
announce its official findings from reviews it did into allegations of
especially serious human rights abuses by specific Israeli military units.
Those units would be barred from receiving US military aid if the US review
confirms those allegations.
Separately, the Biden administration also is expected
to disclose by May 8 whether it has verified assurances from Israel that the
country is not using US military aid in a way that violates international or
human rights law. Both Israel’s written assurance and the US verification were
mandated by a new presidential national security memo that Biden issued in
February.
The February agreement was negotiated between the
Biden administration and members of his own Democratic Party, who had been
pushing for the US to begin conditioning military aid to Israel on improving
treatment of Palestinian civilians.
Panel members released their report Wednesday to urge
the US to scrutinize specific attacks in Gaza that the former officials argued
should lead to a conclusion that Israel was wrong when it confirmed it was
complying with the laws. If that determination is made, the US could then
suspend military aid.
Wednesday’s unofficial report points to 17 specific
strikes on apartments, refugee camps, private homes, journalists and aid
workers for which the former US officials and independent experts allege
there’s no evidence of the kind of military target present to justify the high
civilian death tolls.
They include an Oct. 31 airstrike on a Gaza apartment
building that killed 106 civilians, including 54 children. Israeli officials
offered no reason for the strike, and a Human Rights Watch probe found no
evidence of a military target there, the officials said. Israel has said in
many of the instances that it is investigating.
Source:
arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2498941/middle-east
----
US calls on Israel to 'do more to prevent civilian
casualties immediately' in Gaza
Merve Gül AydoganAglarci
25.04.2024
The US demanded that Israel "do more to prevent
civilian casualties immediately" in Gaza in a stern address Wednesday at
the UN Security Council.
"The humanitarian situation in Gaza is beyond
dire," US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Robert Wood told a
Council session on Palestine.
Wood highlighted the tragic impact of starvation,
particularly among children in the enclave’s northern region, as well as
dwindling essential supplies with millions being displaced.
Reminding that US President Joe Biden called on Israel
to take “specific, concrete and measurable steps to address the humanitarian
crisis, protect civilians and ensure the safety of aid workers," Wood
stressed that "Israel must do more to prevent civilian casualties
immediately."
He further noted that "Israel has taken some
positive steps, but not nearly enough, and not quickly enough."
Urging Israel to also "take immediate action to
open additional land crossings into northern Gaza," Wood denounced the
Israeli army’s killing of humanitarian workers since Oct. 7 last year.
He stressed the importance of functional deconfliction
procedures and called for accountability for such incidents.
Expressing US opposition to Israeli plans for a
full-scale military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Wood warned
of the catastrophic consequences for civilians.
"Israel must act in compliance with its
obligations under international law," he noted.
- Humanitarian action via Gaza cannot be achieved
without cease-fire
Algeria's envoy to the UN, Amar Bendjama, also at the
Security Council drew attention to the 200 days of "ongoing aggression
against the Palestinian people in Gaza" and criticized the Council for
"still discussing access to basic needs."
"Basic human needs such as access to food, water
and sanitation let alone access to education, housing and health, which has
become a luxury for the entire population in Gaza," Bendjama said.
Noting that safe humanitarian action across Gaza
"cannot be ensured without a cease-fire," the Algerian envoy
emphasized that "only the cessation of hostilities can help in meeting the
civilian population’s needs."
"Gaza's catastrophic situation is a betrayal for
humanity and a test for the international order," he stressed.
Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s permanent representative to
the UN, also noted the dire situation in Gaza but criticized the Council's
inability to end Israel's hostilities.
"It's simply inhumane to demand that they
(Palestinians) give their lives in airstrikes when the Security Council cannot
compel Israel to put an end to military hostilities," he said.
Source:
aa.com.tr
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----
U.S. says Washington is not in direct talks with Iran
on JCPOA
April 24, 2024
TEHRAN- Vedant Patel, deputy spokesperson for the U.S.
State Department, refrained from commenting on communication channels between
Washington and Tehran, saying, “We are not in direct negotiations with Iran on
the JCPOA.”
Patel, responding to a question about reports of
reviving talks on lifting sanctions on Iran, said, “I will not comment on our
communication channels with Iran, but I must say that we are not in direct
negotiations with Iran in New York or anywhere else on the JCPOA.”
Patel, in response to another question about the State
Department’s human rights report and the situation of journalists, said, “I do
not want to refer to any specific section of the human rights report.”
The deputy spokesperson for the State Department
continued to make anti-Iranian accusations, stating, “However, everyone knows
that the Iranian government is one of the largest exporters of terrorism in the
world. At the same time, the Iranian government completely ignores a free and
open media environment. In the past three years, you have witnessed severe
repression of media institutions, journalists, and media professionals in Iran.
We will continue to take action to hold the Iranian government accountable for
human rights violations and destructive behavior.”
He emphasized, “Negotiations on lifting sanctions with
the countries that are members of the JCPOA are being pursued by Ali Bagheri
Kani as Iran’s senior nuclear negotiator.”
Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for the Iranian
Foreign Ministry, also said in April about the status of talks on lifting
sanctions, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has always used all its diplomatic
capacities to secure the rights of the people, especially in the matter of
lifting unjust sanctions by the U.S. against the Iranian people.”
He stated, “It was not the Islamic Republic of Iran
but America that undermined diplomatic efforts. Even America’s partners in the
JCPOA were unable to fulfill their commitments and compensate for the illegal
unilateral withdrawal of the U.S. from the JCPOA.”
Kanaani continued by saying that the issue of lifting
unjust sanctions is raised on the sidelines of international meetings and in
meetings with parties that can play a role in the JCPOA and negotiations on
lifting unjust sanctions, and the viewpoints of the Islamic Republic of Iran
are presented.
The Washington Free Beacon announced in April that the
Biden administration did not extend the sanctions waivers that allowed Iran to
engage in nuclear cooperation with international parties within the framework
of the JCPOA.
The Biden administration allowed a set of sanctions
waivers that allowed Iran and Russia to engage in joint cooperation to expire,
but did not commit to implementing those sanctions.
During Donald Trump’s presidency, these waivers were
revoked due to the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, but Joe Biden announced
after entering the White House that he would issue such waivers.
Iran fulfilled all its commitments under this
agreement one year after the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA to give European
countries, which promised to compensate for the effects of Washington’s
withdrawal from the agreement, the opportunity to work towards fulfilling their
promises.
However, since European countries did not fulfill
their promises, Iran reduced its commitments under the JCPOA in several steps.
The reduction of Iran’s commitments was based on the provisions of the nuclear
agreement.
The Democratic administration of Joe Biden, after
taking office in January 2021, condemned the unilateral actions of the previous
administration to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal with the P5+1 group, but
so far has fallen short of taking any valid action to rectify past wrongdoings
and has adopted the maximum pressure policies of Trump administration.
The Biden administration, which claimed to have a
diplomatic approach towards Iran and to strive for a return to the JCPOA, has
not only failed to return to the JCPOA but has repeatedly imposed sanctions
against Iran under the pretext of Iran’s defensive programs, including
ballistic missiles, drones, nuclear activities, and human rights.
Source:
tehrantimes.com
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---
White House demands ‘answers’ from Israel after Gaza
hospital mass grave claims
25.04.2024
The White House said Wednesday it wanted “answers”
from Israeli authorities, after Hamas officials in Gaza claimed to discover a
mass grave at a hospital that was the target of a recent IDF raid.
On Tuesday, Gaza’s Hamas-run Civil Defense agency said
that health workers uncovered nearly 340 bodies of people allegedly killed and
buried by Israeli forces at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. But evidence has
suggested this is false, with the bodies having previously been buried at that
same location by Palestinians amid the fighting between Israeli forces and
terror operatives in the area.
“We want answers,” National Security Advisor Jake
Sullivan told reporters. “We want to see this thoroughly and transparently
investigated.”
A spokesperson for the US State Department also said
Washington was continuing to press Israel for more information.
The claimed discovery by Hamas officials prompted the
United Nations to demand an independent probe into the situation, backed by the
European Union.
“Misinformation is circulating regarding a mass grave
that was discovered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The grave in question was
dug — by Gazans — a few months ago,” Israeli army spokesman Major Nadav
Shoshani wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “This fact is corroborated by social
media documentation uploaded by Gazans at the time of the burial, as seen in
the video below.”
“Any attempt to blame Israel for burying civilians in
mass graves is categorically false and a mere example of a disinformation
campaign aimed at delegitimizing Israel,” Shoshani added.
The previous day, the Israel Defense Forces rejected
Hamas’s allegation as “baseless,” saying forces searching for Israeli hostages
had examined bodies previously buried by Palestinians near Nasser Hospital and
had returned the bodies to where they were buried after they were examined.
It has been documented that Palestinians buried their
dead at the hospital grounds both before and while Israeli troops operated in
the area.
The location of that burial site was geo-located by
experts to the same location where Hamas officials claimed to have discovered
the new mass grave.
Generally, the IDF does not tend to the bodies of
slain Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF, in its response, said that during its
operation in the area of Nasser Hospital in recent months, troops examined
corpses that had been buried by Palestinians on the medical center’s grounds,
“as part of an effort to locate hostages.”
The military said it operated in a “targeted manner,”
only where it had intelligence that Israeli hostages may have been buried.
“The examinations were carried out in an orderly
manner while maintaining the dignity of the deceased and in a respectful
manner,” the IDF said, adding that the bodies were “returned to their place in
an orderly and proper manner.”
No bodies of hostages were located.
In late February, the IDF carried out a raid against
Hamas in the area of Nasser Hospital, with the IDF saying that it captured some
200 terror operatives who were holed up at the medical center.
The military has operated in hospitals in several
instances during the war, offering evidence of their repeated use by Gaza
terror groups to stage operations, as well as to hold hostages.
Though hospitals are protected sites in war under
international law, they lose their protected status if used for military
purposes.
Source:
timesofisrael.com
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----
Africa
Mali: Dozens of passengers abducted by suspected
jihadists near Bandiagara freed
25 Apr 2024
Local reports claim that several hostages abducted by
suspected jihadists near Bandiagara in Central Mali have been freed.
Local groups and officials in Mali had been calling
for the release of more than 110 people kidnapped by suspected jihadists on
Tuesday April 16.
With no reliable figures obtained yet, the RFI news
agency reports that several dozens of people were released on Wednesday, mainly
villagers whose authorities had signed informal 'peace' agreements with some
jihadist groups operating in their zone.
"It is the hostages from communes that have not
signed local agreements with the jihadists who are still being held"
according to RFI.
The hostages had been traveling in at least three
buses that were stopped by armed men and driven into a forest between
Bandiagara and Bankass, in the centre of the country last week before being
intercepted.
The kidnappers according to villagers in the
communities are believed to be jihadists from the al-Qaeda-linked Jnim (Groupe
de soutien à l'Islam et aux musulmans).
Neither the group nor any other operating in the
region has claimed responsibility.
Since 2012, Central Mali has been plagued by fighting
between different factions affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group,
as well as by self-declared, self-defense forces and bandits.
The worsening security situation has been compounded
by a humanitarian and political crisis.
The violence spilled over into neighbouring Burkina
Faso and Niger, with all three countries seeing military regimes seize power in
recent years.
Source:
africanews.com
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----
Stop cursing your own children - Eastern Regional
Chief Imam urges parents, guardians
Apr - 24 - 2024
The Eastern Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Yusif Amudani
Sulemana, has asked parents and guardians in the region to desist from cursing
and maltreating their own children.
That, he said, would negatively affect them as they
grow up and would also not make them useful adults who would help to move
society forward. In an interview with the Daily Graphic at his residence in
Koforidua Zango last Saturday, Alhaji Sulemana stated that cursing and
maltreating children had the tendency to make their future bleak.
He said it was ideal for parents and guardians to love
their children and wards and at the same time give them the best care, to
enable them to realise their full potential in future.
Alhaji Sulemana said it was necessary to speak good
words to children and stop cursing them to avoid putting their lives in danger.
He explained that curses were so powerful that they
could be compared to sharp arrows piercing into one's heart and that could
ultimately affect the thinking and behaviour of a person such words had been
directed to.
Curses
The Regional Chief Imam stated that curses directed at
children were also like raw materials which could be used to either build or
destroy a destiny of the affected child. "A common trend I have realised
among parents and guardians is lack of knowledge about the power behind curses,
which take the form of abusive language on their children.”
"Some parents don't have any good words for their
children; rather all they say to their children are hateful words, insults and
curses," Alhaji Sulemana stated. He indicated that no matter any wrong a
child had committed, a parent must not utter curses on such a child because it
would have negative effects in adulthood and old age.
He noted that the effect of the curses might not be
seen immediately but would manifest as the child grew up, and begin to take its
toll on their lives.
Abusive words
"I am saying this because I grew up in a peaceful
Muslim home where my mum and dad never for one day insulted or used any abusive
words or curses on me and my siblings.”
"Parents should be mindful of their words over
their children.” "Instead of abusing or laying curses on your children,
why not pray and bless them? Instead of insulting them and calling them good
for nothing, idiot, fool, etc, call them good names of what you want your child
to become," Regional Chief Imam stated.
"Your words as a father or mother is a seed you
are sowing into the lives of your children.” "Be an example to your
children. Don't teach them something else while your words and lifestyle is
teaching another thing. Let your words speak positivity into their future and
not negativity," he indicated.
Source:
graphic.com.gh
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----
Rwanda’s Hope Hostel once housed young genocide
survivors. Now it’s ready for migrants from Britain
April 25, 2024
KIGALI, Rwanda: Rwanda says it’s ready to receive
migrants from the United Kingdom after British Parliament this week approved a
long-stalled and controversial bill seeking to stem the tide of people crossing
the English Channel in small boats by deporting some of them to the East
African country.
There is even a place ready and waiting for the
migrants — a refurbished Hope Hostel in the vibrant upscale neighborhood of
Kagugu, an area of the Rwandan capital of Kigali that is home to many expats
and several international schools.
The hostel once housed college students whose parents
died in the 1994 genocide, this African nation’s most horrific period in
history when an estimated 800,000 Tutsi were killed by extremist Hutu in
massacres that lasted over 100 days.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged the
deportation flights would begin in July but has refused to provide details or
say about how many people would be deported.
Rwanda government’s deputy spokesperson Alain
Mukuralinda told The Associated Press on Tuesday that authorities here have
been planning for the migrants’ arrival for two years.
“Even if they arrive now or tomorrow, all arrangements
are in place,” he said.
The plan was long held up in British courts and by
opposition from human rights activists who say it is illegal and inhumane. It
envisages deporting to Rwanda some of those who enter the UK illegally and
migrant advocates have vowed to continue to fight against the plan.
The measure is also meant to be a deterrent to
migrants who risk their lives in leaky, inflatable boats in hopes that they
will be able to claim asylum once they reach Britain. The UK also signed a new
treaty with Rwanda to beef up protections for migrants, and adopted new
legislation declaring Rwanda to be a safe country.
“The Rwanda critics and the UK judges who earlier said
Rwanda is not a safe country have been proven wrong,” Mukuralinda said. “Rwanda
is safe.”
The management at the four-story Hope Hostel says the
facility is ready and can accommodate 100 people at full capacity. The
government says it will serve as a transit center and that more accommodations
would be made available as needed.
Thousands of migrants arrive in Britain every year.
After they arrive from Britain, the migrants will be
shown to their rooms to rest, after which they will be offered food and given
some orientation points about Kigali and Rwanda, said hostel manager Ismael
Bakina.
Tents will be set up within the hostel’s compound for
processing their documentation and for various briefings. The site is equipped
with security cameras, visible across the compound.
Within the compound are also entertainment places, a
mini-soccer field, a basketball and a volleyball court as well as a
red-carpeted prayer room. For those who want to light up, “there is even a
smoking room,” Bakina explained.
Meals will be prepared in the hostel’s main kitchen
but provisions are also being made for those who want to prepare their own
meals, he said. The migrants will be free to walk outside the hostel and even
visit the nearby Kigali city center.
“We will have different translators, according to
(their) languages,” Bakina added, saying they include English and Arabic.
The government has said the migrants will have their
papers processed within the first three months. Those who want to remain in
Rwanda will be allowed to do so while authorities will also assist those who
wish to return to their home countries.
While in Rwanda, migrants who obtain legal status — presumably
for Britain — will also be processed, authorities have said, though it’s
unclear what that means exactly.
For those who choose to stay, Mukurilinda said
Rwanda’s government will bear full financial and other responsibilities for
five years, after which they will be considered integrated into the society.
At that point, they can start managing on their own.
Source:
arabnews.com
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---
Burkina Faso's Army massacred over 200 civilians in a
village raid, Human Rights Watch says
April 25, 2024
Military forces in Burkina Faso killed 223 civilians,
including babies and many children, in attacks on two villages accused of
cooperating with militants, Human Rights Watch said in a report published on
Thursday.
The mass killings took place on February 25 in the
country's northern villages of Nondin and Soro, and some 56 children were among
the dead, according to the report. The human rights organisation called on the
United Nations and the African Union to provide investigators and to support
local efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
“The massacres in Nondin and Soro villages are just
the latest mass killings of civilians by the Burkina Faso military in their
counterinsurgency operations,” Human Rights Watch Executive Director Tirana
Hassan said in a statement.
“International assistance is critical to support a
credible investigation into possible crimes against humanity.”
The once-peaceful nation has been ravaged by violence
that has pitted jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group against
state-backed forces. Both sides have targeted civilians caught in the middle,
displacing more than 2 million people, of which over half are children. Most
attacks go unpunished and unreported in a nation run by a repressive leadership
that silences perceived dissidents.
The HRW report provided a rare firsthand account of
the killings by survivors amid a stark increase in civilian casualties by
Burkina Faso's security forces as the junta struggles to beat back a growing
jihadi insurgency and attacks residents under the guise of counterterrorism.
Earlier in April, The Associated Press verified
accounts of a November 5 army attack on another village that killed at least 70
people. The details were similar — the army blamed the villagers for
cooperating with militants and massacred them, even babies.
Witnesses and survivors told HRW that the February 25
killings were believed to have been carried out in retaliation for an attack by
Islamist fighters on a military camp near the provincial capital Ouahigouya,
about 25 kilometers (15 miles) away.
The toll of civilian deaths was higher than first
described by local officials. A public prosecutor previously said that his
office was investigating the reported deaths of 170 people in attacks carried
out on those villages.
A Burkina Faso government spokesperson didn't respond
to requests for comment about the February 25 attack. Officials previously
denied killing civilians and said jihadi fighters often disguise themselves as
soldiers.
More than 20,000 people have been killed in Burkina
Faso since jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group first
hit the West African nation nine years ago, according to the Armed Conflict
Location and Event Data Project, a United States-based nonprofit.
Burkina Faso experienced two coups in 2022. Since
seizing power in September 2022, the junta led by Capt. Ibrahim Traoré has
promised to beat back militants but violence has only worsened, analysts say.
Around half of Burkina Faso's territory remains outside of government control.
Frustrated with a lack of progress over years of
Western military assistance, the junta has severed military ties with former
colonial ruler France and turned to Russian instead for security support.
Source:
thehindu.com
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----
Europe
Greek military ship intercepts two Houthi drones in
the Red Sea
April 25, 2024
ATHENS: A Greek military vessel serving in the
European Union’s naval mission in the Red Sea intercepted two drones launched
by Yemen’s Houthi militants toward a commercial ship, officials at the Greek
Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
“On Thursday morning Greek frigate Hydra, while it was
escorting a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden, fired at two drones,” an
official told Reuters.
“It destroyed one while the second moved away,” he
added. Another defense official confirmed the details of the incident.
Greece has supplied a frigate to the EU’s mission,
dubbed Aspides, that launched in February to help protect the key maritime
trade route from drone and missile attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia,
who say they are targeting commercial ships in retaliation for Israel’s war on
Gaza.
Source:
arabnews.com
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----
Israel's security hinges on 2-state solution: German
president
Esra Tekin
25.04.2024
Israel's security can only be ensured under a
two-state solution that provides a political perspective for Palestinians,
Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Wednesday.
"Without a political perspective for
Palestinians, security cannot be ensured for Israel, either. This perspective
can only be a two-state solution," Steinmeier said in a joint news
conference after talks in Türkiye's capital Ankara with his counterpart Recep
Tayyip Erdogan.
Underlining the need to prevent the escalation of
ongoing conflict in the region, he said Türkiye has an important role to play
in addressing the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Steinmeier is on the final day of a three-day visit to
Türkiye, marking 100 years of bilateral diplomatic relations.
"Together with President Erdogan, we talked about
the need for all of us to use our contacts in the region as much as we can,
especially to secure the release of the hostages," he said, referring to
more than 130 Israeli hostages taken by Palestinian group Hamas in a
cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
Hamas demands an end to Israel's ongoing offensive on
the Gaza Strip in return for any hostage-prisoner deal with Tel Aviv.
On Germany's continued arms exports to Israel as it
wages its onslaught, which has killed over 34,000 Palestinians so far, he held
that this support did not "contribute to genocide" and that Berlin
would defend this position before international courts.
About the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the situation
in Palestine, Steinmeier the two "show that we are living in dangerous
times. Despite how much these facts may affect our political life, our
relations are based on a long and rich history."
Germany-Türkiye bilateral relations
Emphasizing the long history of Germany and Türkiye
relations, the German leader said: "For me, coming to Türkiye on the 100th
anniversary of the start of our diplomatic relations was very important."
He highlighted the significance of the
people-to-people ties between the two countries, besides relations between
their respective governments.
Noting that about 3 million people of Turkish origin
have lived in Germany since a labor agreement signed between them in 1961, he
added: "Germany has no such intense friendly and familial relations with
any other country in the world (as it does with Türkiye)."
"As two countries, we are indispensable to each
other; we need each other," he added.
Steinmeier said that over a century ago,
"craftsmen fled from poverty in Germany to Türkiye, venturing to these
distant lands.
"In the 1920s, German scientists, architects, and
city planners came to contribute to the establishment of the young Turkish
Republic. In the 1930s and 1940s, families, many of whom were Jewish and
oppressed in Nazi Germany, came here."
Pointing to Germany's rapid humanitarian response
after deadly earthquakes struck southern Türkiye last year, he said German
search and rescue personnel, as well as doctors, had quickly aided in relief
efforts on the ground, while Berlin provided substantial financial support.
On about his visit to areas affected by the
earthquakes on the second day of his visit on Tuesday, Steinmeier said
reconstruction efforts were "commendable."
"Syrian refugees were also victims of this
earthquake in the same way. I spoke with them yesterday. As Germany, we will
not forget the earthquake victims and will continue to support them," he
said.
On a recent arson attack that claimed the lives of
four members of an immigrant Turkish-Bulgarian family in the German city of
Solingen, Steinmeier expressed sadness over the incident.
Steinmeier said he and Erdogan had discussed the
matter and underlined that German authorities would punish the perpetrators.
Türkiye-Germany trade volume reaches $58B
Steinmeier said he and Erdogan had also addressed
cultural, scientific, and economic relations in their discussions.
"The trade between the two countries has reached
a new record of €55 billion (over $58.8 billion). The reforms in financial
policies in Türkiye are also highly appreciated in Europe and the West,"
he said.
Stating that Russia-Ukraine war and the US' assistance
to Ukraine were also on the agenda during the meeting with Erdogan, Steinmeier
stated: "We know Türkiye also supports Ukraine. We are also trying to
provide the same support. In the future, we will continue this support
intensively, both militarily and economically."
He noted that a conference would be held on Ukraine's
reconstruction in the next few weeks in Germany and invited President Erdogan
to this conference.
Source:
aa.com.tr
Please
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israels-security-hinges-on-2-state-solution-german-president/3201642
-----
Jewish peace activist slams Germany for silencing
criticism of Israel
Anadolu staff
24.04.2024
A leading Jewish peace activist in Berlin has
criticized German authorities for suppressing the Palestine solidarity movement
in the country.
Udi Raz, a 34-year-old Israeli national, has been at
the forefront of the solidarity movement, which has been calling on the German
government to suspend weapons sales to Israel.
Anadolu met Raz at a protest march against a proposed
regulation that would see students lose their degrees and qualifications if
they participate in pro-Palestine rallies and demonstrations.
He said the government is trying to silence them.
"For months, we're witnessing how the German
government does everything it can to silence us. Not only to silence us, but
also to brutally attack and violate our civic rights, our very democratic
rights that were promised to us by the virtue of the so-called Democratic
Republic of Germany,” he said.
"Besides that, we also witnessed how universities
here in Berlin are restricting academic freedom. For example, we are now
waiting here, gathering here, in order to demonstrate against a new proposal
for a law that would allow universities to exmatriculate students, for example,
for calling for a cease-fire, for calling for the implementation of
international law also for Palestinians,” he said.
According to the Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute (SIPRI), German weapons accounted for 47% of all Israeli
weapons imports last year, closely behind the US, with 53%. Germany has been
Israel's second-largest weapons supplier for the last 20 years.
Raz belongs to a rising number of anti-Zionist Jews in
Germany who have been actively campaigning against Israel's brutality in Gaza
since Oct. 7, where it has now killed more than 34,000 Palestinians.
He is also a board member of the Jewish Voice for a
Just Peace in the Middle East, a non-governmental organization which has been
branded anti-Semitic and has had its bank accounts frozen by the German state.
The NGO, which has been calling for an immediate
cease-fire in Gaza and the suspension of German weapons sales to Israel, had
also organized a three-day conference on Palestine which was shut down and
banned by Berlin police last weekend.
The conference, which was supposed to kick off last
Friday with notable speakers such as former Greek Finance Minister Yanis
Varoufakis and leading British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta, was
canceled by Berlin police within the first two hours.
Following the cancellation, Raz was briefly arrested
by police.
In recent months, several Jewish intellectuals,
academics, artists and campaigners have faced backlash in Germany with many
losing their jobs.
Recently, a leading Jewish American philosopher, Nancy
Fraser, was disinvited from taking up a professorship at the University of
Cologne after signing a letter expressing solidarity with Palestinians and
condemning the killings in Gaza carried out by Israeli forces.
Responding to the crackdown, Raz said: "Since
months, we are witnessing how those who are in power do everything they can to
silence us for speaking up for democracy, for everyone who lives between the
river to the sea, for speaking up for human rights which should also be applied
for Palestinians, for speaking up for the implementation of international law,
also in the case of Gaza and the West Bank.”
“Whenever we speak up, those in power point at us and
accuse us of being antisemites, Islamists, extremists. To my understanding, six
months into an ongoing genocide, those who point at us and accuse us of being
Israel haters are nothing less than genocide lovers," he added.
Responding to a question on whether Germany should
differentiate between Israel and Jews, he said: "Of course, Germany must
differentiate between the state of Israel and Jews in general. Israel cannot
speak in the name of Jews. Whoever claims otherwise, to my understanding, this
is an antisemitic claim. Jews are diverse. Jews live in diverse and different
geopolitical contexts and national contexts. We Jews who live here in Germany,
of course we care about other Jews who live elsewhere, but it does not mean
that we are ambassadors of a racist state called the state of Israel."
Source:
aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/jewish-peace-activist-slams-germany-for-silencing-criticism-of-israel/3200708
----
Russia vetoes resolution on weapons of mass
destruction in outer space at UN Security Council
Merve Gül AydoganAglarci
24.04.2024
Russia vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution
Wednesday on weapons of mass destruction in outer space.
The 15-member council gathered in New York to vote on
a draft resolution, authored by Japan and the US as well as Türkiye being
co-author, recommended peaceful use of outer space and prevention of arms race
in outer space.
The resolution was blocked with 13 votes in favor, one
veto and another abstention by China.
Before the voting, Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s
permanent representative to the UN, argued that the draft resolution was
"limited and politically motivated," claiming it did not reflect the
views of all members.
Nebenzia, advocating for the prohibition of any
weapons in space, said that this was why they requested amendments.
Following the vote, US Representative to the UN Linda
Thomas-Greenfield reminded that Russia had openly stated its intention not to
place nuclear weapons in space, questioning, "So today's veto begs the
question, Why?"
"Why, if you are following the rules, … you do
not support a resolution that reaffirms them? What could you possibly be
hiding? It is baffling and it's a shame," she added.
The draft resolution called on member states to
conduct space exploration in accordance with international law and the UN
Charter, and urged them to contribute to the peaceful use of space to prevent
an arms race. It emphasized member states' obligation to comply with the Outer
Space Treaty and underscored the prohibition of placing nuclear and mass
destruction weapons in space.
Source:
aa.com.tr
Please
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/russia-vetoes-resolution-on-weapons-of-mass-destruction-in-outer-space-at-un-security-council/3201590
----
Germany to restore funding for UN Palestinian aid
agency, disappointing Israel
24 April 2024
Germany said on Wednesday it plans to resume
cooperation with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, signaling a
resumption of funding that was frozen after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff of
participating in the Hamas-led October 7 attack.
The allegations prompted 16 donor states, including
the biggest, the United States, to freeze some $450 million of funds, a blow to
UNRWA’s operations as it grapples with the humanitarian crisis unleashed by
Israel’s assault in Gaza.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry called Germany’s decision
“regrettable and disappointing.”
The move by Germany, UNRWA’s second biggest donor,
followed the publication on Monday of a review led by the former French foreign
minister Catherine Colonna into UNRWA’s procedures for ensuring adherence to
humanitarian principles of neutrality.
In a statement, the German foreign and development
ministries urged UNRWA to swiftly implement the report’s recommendations,
including strengthening its internal audit function and improving external
oversight of project management.
“In support of these reforms, the German government
will soon continue its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, as Australia, Canada,
Sweden and Japan, among others, have already done,” the statement said.
Germany said it was aiming to support “UNRWA’s vital
and currently irreplaceable role in providing for the people in Gaza.”
UNRWA and other UN agencies must be able to carry out
their jobs of distributing aid in the territory, which was “more important than
ever in light of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,” the statement
said.
“Germany will coordinate closely with its closest
international partners on the disbursement of further funds. UNRWA’s short-term
financing needs in Gaza are currently covered by existing funds,” it added.
Israel responded to the development by saying it
shared with Germany and other donor countries “detailed information about
hundreds of Hamas military operatives and many hundreds of other operatives
belonging to the terrorist organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad — all UNRA
employees.”
“These are not some rotten apples — this is a rotten
and poisoned tree,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmostein said in a
statement.
Noting that Germany considers Hamas a terror
organization, Marmorstein warned that “the transfer of German taxpayers’ money
to UNRWA…will not contribute to promoting the security and well-being of the
residents of the area, Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
He added that Israel will “continue to work closely
with the German government through all channels to channel humanitarian aid to
Gaza through other agencies.”
UNRWA employs 32,000 people in the Palestinian
territories and nearby countries, including 13,000 in the Gaza Strip, where it
is by far the biggest aid agency, running schools and social services for
refugees who make up the majority of Gazans.
UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma welcomed
Germany’s decision as both very positive and timely. “We are so grateful.
Germany has been a very committed donor to the agency,” she said.
The Colonna-led review said Israel had yet to provide
evidence to support its accusations — made on the basis of a? UNRWA staff list
given to it in March — that a significant number of UNRWA staff were members of
Gaza terrorist groups.
The review found that UNRWA had “a more developed
approach” to neutrality than other similar UN or aid groups, although
“neutrality-related issues persist” such as staff publicly expressing political
views, textbooks with problematic content being used in some UNRWA schools, and
politicized staff unions making threats against UNRWA management and disrupting
operations.
Israel rejected the findings, saying it only provided
“cosmetic fixes,” and reasserting its position that the agency was intertwined
with Hamas and could not play a future role in Gaza.
Israel has alleged that 12 UNRWA staff actively
participated in the Hamas-led October 7 onslaught in which 1,200 people were
killed and another 253 taken hostage.
The assault on southern Israel triggered Israel’s war
against the terror group in Gaza.
Israel subsequently claimed another 30 UNRWA staffers
assisted or facilitated those crimes on October 7 and as much as 12 percent of
the organization’s staff — some 450 people — were affiliated with terror
organizations.
The United Nations is investigating the accusations
against the 12 employees in a separate probe by its oversight office. After
those accusations surfaced in late January, UNRWA said it sacked 10 of the
accused, and that the other two were dead.
Accepting the recommendations of the Colonna-led
review on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all countries
to actively support UNRWA as it is “a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the
region.”
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said on Tuesday that
UNRWA currently has enough funding to pay for operations until June.
The head of the Arab League hailed the report, saying
it showed that Israel’s allegations were baseless and part of a “systematic
campaign” meant to end the mandate of the agency.
The United States has yet to restore funding to the
agency, however, with the White House saying Tuesday it would “have to see real
progress” before doing so.
Israel has long complained about the agency, founded
in 1949 to care for Palestinian refugees. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has
called for UNRWA to be shut down, saying it is infested by terror elements and
unjustly seeks to perpetrate Palestinian refugee crisis.
Numerous past reports have found that UNRWA schools
and teachers continue to teach hatred of Jews and glorify terrorism, including
a 2022 report by the IMPACT-SE organization that UNRWA textbooks continue to
contain incitement. A 2023 report by the same organization along with the UN
Watch group cited dozens of examples of social media posts by UNRWA employees
that “glorify terrorism, encourage martyrdom, demonize Israelis and incite
antisemitism.”
Source:
timesofisrael.com
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----
Russia vetoes a UN resolution calling for the
prevention of a dangerous nuclear arms race in space
April 25, 2024
UNITED NATIONS:
Russia on Wednesday vetoed a UN resolution sponsored by the United
States and Japan calling on all nations to prevent a dangerous nuclear arms
race in outer space, calling it “a dirty spectacle” that cherry picks weapons
of mass destruction from all other weapons that should also be banned.
The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 13 in
favor, Russia opposed and China abstaining.
The resolution would have called on all countries not
to develop or deploy nuclear arms or other weapons of mass destruction in
space, as banned under a 1967 international treaty that included the US and
Russia, and to agree to the need to verify compliance.
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said after the
vote that Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow has no intention of
deploying nuclear weapons in space.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda
Thomas-Greenfield addresses members of the UN Security Council during a meeting
on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons on April 24, 2024. (AP)
“Today’s veto begs the question: Why? Why, if you are
following the rules, would you not support a resolution that reaffirms them?
What could you possibly be hiding,” she asked. “It’s baffling. And it’s a
shame.”
Putin was responding to White House confirmation in
February that Russia has obtained a “troubling” anti-satellite weapon
capability, although such a weapon is not operational yet.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on
Wednesday echoed Thomas-Greenfield, reiterating that “the United States
assesses that Russia is developing a new satellite carrying a nuclear device.”
If Putin has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space, Sullivan said,
“Russia would not have vetoed this resolution.”
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia dismissed the
resolution as “absolutely absurd and politicized,” and said it didn’t go far
enough in banning all types of weapons in space.
Russia and China proposed an amendment to the US-Japan
draft that would call on all countries, especially those with major space
capabilities, “to prevent for all time the placement of weapons in outer space,
and the threat of use of force in outer spaces.”
The vote was 7 countries in favor, 7 against, and one
abstention and the amendment was defeated because it failed to get the minimum
9 “yes” votes required for adoption.
The US opposed the amendment, and after the vote
Nebenzia addressed the US ambassador saying: “We want a ban on the placement of
weapons of any kind in outer space, not just WMDs (weapons of mass
destruction). But you don’t want that. And let me ask you that very same
question. Why?”
He said much of the US and Japan’s actions become
clear “if we recall that the US and their allies announced some time ago plans
to place weapons … in outer space.”
Nebenzia accused the US of blocking a Russian-Chinese
proposal since 2008 for a treaty against putting weapons in outer space.
Thomas-Greenfield accused Russia of undermining global
treaties to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, irresponsibly invoking
“dangerous nuclear rhetoric,” walking away from several of its arms control
obligations, and refusing to engage “in substantive discussions around arms
control or risk reduction.”
She called Wednesday’s vote “a real missed opportunity
to rebuild much-needed trust in existing arms control obligations.”
Thomas-Greenfield’s announcement of the resolution on
March 18 followed White House confirmation in February that Russia has obtained
a “troubling” anti-satellite weapon capability, although such a weapon is not
operational yet.
Putin declared later that Moscow has no intention of
deploying nuclear weapons in space, claiming that the country has only
developed space capabilities similar to those of the US.
Thomas-Greenfield said before the vote that the world
is just beginning to understand “the catastrophic ramifications of a nuclear
explosion in space.”
It could destroy “thousands of satellites operated by
countries and companies around the world — and wipe out the vital
communications, scientific, meteorological, agricultural, commercial, and
national security services we all depend on,” she said.
The defeated draft resolution said “the prevention of
an arms race in outer space would avert a grave danger for international peace
and security.” It would have urged all countries carrying out activities in
exploring and using outer space to comply with international law and the UN
Charter.
The draft would have affirmed that countries that
ratified the 1967 Outer Space Treaty must comply with their obligations not to
put in orbit around the Earth “any objects” with weapons of mass destruction,
or install them “on celestial bodies, or station such weapons in outer space.”
The treaty, ratified by some 114 countries, including
the US and Russia, prohibits the deployment of “nuclear weapons or any other
kinds of weapons of mass destruction” in orbit or the stationing of “weapons in
outer space in any other manner.”
The draft resolution emphasized “the necessity of
further measures, including political commitments and legally binding
instruments, with appropriate and effective provisions for verification, to
prevent an arms race in outer space in all its aspects.”
It reiterated that the UN Conference on Disarmament,
based in Geneva, has the primary responsibility to negotiate agreements on
preventing an arms race in outer space.
The 65-nation body has achieved few results and has
largely devolved into a venue for countries to voice criticism of others’
weapons programs or defend their own. The draft resolution would have urged the
conference “to adopt and implement a balanced and comprehensive program of
work.”
At the March council meeting where the US-Japan
initiative was launched, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that
“geopolitical tensions and mistrust have escalated the risk of nuclear warfare
to its highest point in decades.”
He said the movie “Oppenheimer” about Robert
Oppenheimer, who directed the US project during World War II that developed the
atomic bomb, “brought the harsh reality of nuclear doomsday to vivid life for
millions around the world.”
“Humanity
cannot survive a sequel to Oppenheimer,” the UN chief said.
Source:
arabnews.com
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----
Gardaí appeal for witnesses to attack on senior Muslim
cleric in February
Sorcha Pollak
Apr 25 2024
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses of a suspected
hate-based attack in west Dublin in February when a senior Muslim cleric was
subjected to an assault during which he lost consciousness.
Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, chief imam of Islamic Centre
Ireland and chairman of the Irish Muslim Peace & Integration Council, was
hospitalised on February 15th after he was attacked in what he described as a
“deliberate hate crime attack”.
He sustained facial injuries and damaged teeth and
spent a number of days in hospital.
In a statement released on Thursday morning, gardaí
appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident on February 15th in Kilcarrig
Green, Tallaght, to come forward. They also called on anyone with camera
footage from the area at the time of the attack to contact gardaí.
“The assailants fled on foot after the attack.
Although the victim required medical attention, his injuries were not
life-threatening.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the
Serious Crime Unit at Tallaght Garda station at 01 6666000, the Garda
Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
Dr Al-Qadri described the incident as a “planned
attack” because he had arranged to meet two people in the area but was instead
attacked.
Earlier this month, Dr Al-Qadri announced his
candidacy in the Dublin constituency for the European Parliament elections in
June.
The cleric, who has a track record in speaking out
against extremism and terrorism, said he planned to run as an independent
candidate and would campaign on issues such as affordable living, “sensible
immigration”, helping small businesses, and peace-building in Gaza and Ukraine.
Dr Al-Qadri also said he would bring a “fresh
perspective” and a dedication to serving the best interests of Dublin’s diverse
populace.
Source:
irishtimes.com
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---
Pakistan
Pakistan calls for global action to address growing
inequality
April 25, 2024
Pakistan has underscored the urgent need for concerted
global efforts to combat the growing inequality and reverse the alarming trend
of poverty resurgence.
Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the
United Nations Ambassador Usman Jadoon made these remarks in a statement he
made today during the General Debate at the Financing for Development Forum
(FFD) held at the UN headquarters in New York.
Highlighting the stark reality of over 150 million
people falling back into poverty in recent years, Ambassador Jadoon emphasized
the critical importance of realizing the commitments outlined in the 2030
Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.
He said we do not lack solutions, but rather, we lack
the political will to implement them. The long-standing failures to fulfill the
0.7% ODA target and to mobilize $100 billion in annual climate finance are only
two such examples.
Looking ahead to the Fourth International Conference
on Financing for Development to be held in Spain next year, the Pakistan deputy
UN envoy expressed optimism about its potential to rebuild trust between the
Global North and Global South. He stressed the need to reinvigorate political
will to fulfill existing commitments and explore innovative solutions to bridge
the SDG Financing Gap.
He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to actively and
constructively participate in the preparatory process for the Fourth
International Conference on Financing for Development.
He said Pakistan aims to ensure that the conference
results in a financing for development architecture that is more equitable and
responsive to the needs of developing countries.
Source:
radio.gov.pk
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----
Kashmir issue should be resolved through ‘peaceful
means’: Pak-Iran
24th April 2024
Islamabad: Pakistan and Iran have agreed that the
Kashmir issue should be resolved through “peaceful means based on the will of
the people” of the region, said a joint statement issued by the two countries
after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s maiden visit on Wednesday.
President Raisi paid an official visit to Pakistan
from April 22-24 at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He was
accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising the Foreign Minister Amir
Abdollahian, as well as other members of the cabinet and senior officials.
Kashmir found its way into the joint statement issued
at the conclusion of President Raisi’s visit to Pakistan.
It stated that taking note of developments at regional
and global levels, both sides stressed the importance of peaceful settlement of
disputes through dialogue and diplomacy to find mutually acceptable solutions
to common challenges.
“Both sides highlighted the need to resolve the issue
of Kashmir through dialogue and peaceful means based on the will of the people
of that region, and in accordance with international law,” it stated.
India has previously rejected such statements by other
countries on the Kashmir issue.
“The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and the
Union Territory of Ladakh are and always will be integral and inalienable parts
of India. No other country has locus standi to comment on the same,” the
spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs has asserted repeatedly.
During a joint press conference after their talks on
Monday, Prime Minister Sharif raked up the Kashmir issue and thanked Iran for
its stance. However, Iranian President Raisi refrained from mentioning Kashmir
and instead talked about Iran’s support for those fighting against oppression
especially in Palestine, creating an impression that he had snubbed the desire
of the Pakistani leader to say something on the issue.
Source:
siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/kashmir-issue-should-be-resolved-through-peaceful-means-pak-iran-3014542/
----
IHC irked by investigation officer’s absence at
Imran’s bail hearing
April 25, 2024
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on
Wednesday expressed displeasure at the absence of the investigation officer
during the hearing on the petition seeking post-arrest bail for former prime
minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in a £190 million corruption
case.
The IHC division bench, comprising Chief Justice Aamer
Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, resumed hearing on the bail
petitions. Special prosecutor of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB),
Amjad Pervaiz, was also absent.
His associate informed the court that since there was
no intimation about the fixing of the case, Mr Pervaiz could not come from
Lahore. Justice Farooq responded that the bail petitions are automatically
fixed after a certain period.
The court, however, asked the counsel of Mr Khan,
Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, to advance the arguments. Mr Khosa argued that the
amount in question was transferred from the UK to Pakistan under an agreement,
which was then deposited into the Supreme Court’s account.
Justice Jahangiri inquired about how the amount landed
in the SC’s accounts. Mr Khosa replied that it was transferred under a
confidential deed signed by the then adviser on accountability, Miraz Shahzad
Akbar.
Advocate Khosa added that the Supreme Court opened an
account into which Malik Riaz was asked to deposit Rs460 billion. Justice
Jahangiri further inquired if the amount was crime proceeds and why it was
frozen in the UK.
The counsel replied that it was a suspicious
transaction, which was later cleared.
The court questioned why the adviser of the then prime
minister was a signatory of an agreement between the National Crime Agency UK
and the property tycoon Malik Riaz, and why the private agreement was presented
before the federal cabinet for approval.
The court adjourned further hearing till April 29.
Source:
dawn.com
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---
SC refuses to allow use of Hindu Gymkhana as wedding
hall, restaurant
April 25, 2024
Jamal Khurshid
KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday observed
that Hindu Gymkhana will not be allowed to be used as a marriage hall or
restaurant and directed the Sindh government, representatives of the Hindu
community and others to give suggestions with regard to utilisation of the
premises.
Hearing a petition on the construction of an
auditorium and allotment of office to the National Academy of Performing Arts
(NAPA) at the Hindu Gymkhana, which is also a heritage site, the SC’s
three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa observed that Hindu
Gymkhana was an iconic heritage site which should be preserved and protected.
The court turned down the suggestion of Hindu
community MNA Ramesh Kumar for handing over the Hindu Gymkhana property to
Sindh government and asked to name one heritage building in the city that was
properly protected by the Sindh government.
The Chief Justice observed that heritage buildings of
Chief Minister’s House and Governor’s House were protected because there was no
access of public in it. The court inquired from the MNA whether he had seen any
country in the world where the Governor’s House or Chief Minister’s House were
guarded by containers.
The Chief Justice observed that rulers should have
concern about the people instead of their own comfort.
The court observed that the court is more concerned
about the rights of Hindu community but the premises of Hindu Gymkhana will not
be allowed to be occupied as the association has nothing to do with the affairs
of Hindu Gymkhana.
MNA Ramesh Kumar said that there were names of Ram
decorated in the Hindu Gymkhana and there was also a place of worship in the
premises.
The Chief Justice remarked that due to mere writing of
religious words on walls, the building could not be declared as a religious
place, reminding the MNA not to use such arguments which have no basis.
The counsel of Hindu community association also sought
time to prepare for arguments. The court turned down the request and observed
that it was usually written on the Iranian hotels not to embarrass oneself by
asking for credit, therefore, the counsel should not embarrass the court by
asking for an adjournment.
The Hindu community’s welfare association submitted
that the Hindu Gymkhana should be allowed to be used by the Hindu community,
which had no space for performing their religious or cultural activities. He
also objected over the handing over of control of the premises to NAPA and said
that the Hindu community should be made the custodian of the premises, so that
they could perform their social, religious and cultural activities.
The court inquired from the MNA as to why he wanted to
separate the Hindu community as they were also a part of the society.
The NAPA counsel submitted that the Hindu community
was allowed to conduct their religious functions at the premises and
representatives of the Hindu community, including a prominent film director,
were also included in the NAPA’s board.
He said that Hindu Gymkhana was constructed by Seth
Ram Gopal Das in 1925 and after the Partition, the premises was used by federal
service commission, evacuee property trust and other entities and during such
time none of the Hindu associations claimed ownership or possession of the
property. He submitted that the Hindu Gymkhana was given to it on a 30-year
lease. He said that NAPA had not changed the character of the main building,
but constructed an auditorium on the vacant land without altering the heritage
site.
The court also inquired relevant parties to suggest
the name of architect who could work for protection and preservation of the
heritage building. The counsel suggested Marvi Mazhar, Yasmeen Lari, Arif Hasan
and other architects.
The Advocate General Sindh submitted that heritage
department’s committee was already constituted to preserve the heritage sites.
The court directed the relevant parties to give their suggestions to the court
and in the light of their suggestions, the final order will be passed in the
case. The court also directed the Sindh government to ensure protection of the
heritage building.
Source:
thenews.com.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1182070-sc-refuses-to-allow-use-of-hindu-gymkhana-as-wedding-hall-restaurant
---
Fate of detained May 9 PTI activists still uncertain
April 25, 2024
ISLAMABAD:Despite more than ten months passing since
their arrest, the fate of numerous PTI activists held in military custody
remains unresolved, with the Supreme Court yet to reach a decision on their
case concerning the alleged attack on military installations on May 9.
The court's inability to render a decision has sparked
speculation, with fingers pointing to internal strife within the apex court as
a primary cause for the delay.
Furthermore, the legal tactics employed by the
petitioners seem to have failed to grease the wheels of justice and expedite
the resolution of the case.
Initially, objections were raised against Justice
Sardar Tariq Masood, prompting his withdrawal from the bench. The setback threw
a spanner in the works, stalling progress for months on end. Later, the
petitioners' counsel urged the bench to refer the matter to a committee for the
constitution of a larger bench.
However, it appeared the bench also desired a similar
course of action and seized upon the opportunity presented by the petitioners'
request to refer the matter to the committee for the bench's consideration.
"We only needed to convince three judges in the
six-member larger bench, and the ultimate result could have been in our favour.
However, the majority of the petitioners failed to grasp the situation and
requested the expansion of the bench," a counsel representing a petitioner
against the trial of civilians in military courts said.
A lawyer asserts that ultimately, it is the
responsibility of the bench to expedite the decision in this case.
He suggests that it cannot be ruled out that the bench
itself might have intended to delay the matter.
Interestingly, one outcome of the Supreme Court
Practice and Procedure Act 2023 is the suspension of a landmark judgment
against the trial of civilians by a six-member larger bench.
Serious doubts linger regarding the selection of
judges tasked with hearing this case. It remains unclear why a bench composed
of the most senior judges was omitted from the larger bench overseeing the
government's ICAs.
On April 24, the larger bench once more deferred the
issue to the committee for deliberation on the formation of the bench.
Certain bench members expressed their desire to
scrutinise the decisions of military courts to ascertain whether due process
under Article 10-A is being adhered to.
Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib
Akhtar, alongside CJP Isa, form part of the committee. However, Justice Shah is
unlikely to weigh in on the bench's constitution, having previously recused
himself.
Former additional attorney general Tariq Mahmood
Khokhar noted that delay per se is a common ground for judicial review: that
the decision maker has acted unlawfully in failing in his duty to decide within
a reasonable time.
“In my opinion, the delay in military court cases is
unreasonable," he added.
"Who benefits and who suffers from such delay(s)?
After May 9, those who believe that they have a right and a duty to retaliate
are the beneficiaries; the sufferers include those against whom retaliation is
intended.”
“It gets much worse: the Supreme Court has sanctioned,
albeit as an ad interim measure, the continuation of the military courts’
proceedings. A disproportionate savagery and terror for those facing military
courts,” Khokhar said.
He also said that trying civilians in military courts
is incompatible with Pakistan’s obligations under international human rights
law; it falls outside our constitutional democratic order. Such high stakes constitute compelling
grounds for expeditious disposal of the military courts' case, he asserted.
‘Travesty’
Advocate Abdul Moiz Jaferii noted that it was a
travesty how the military court appeal has been handled. “To be stuck in
technicalities at a point where the victims of the process feel that their
incarceration is because of the Supreme Court and not at the hands of their
captors is a complete failure of process,” he pointed out.
"We are debating about how people would have been
liberated after serving their sentences by now.”
He also emphasised that the conversation should have
focused on the fact that they were initially held illegally. These twenty
individuals, who have been released, are grateful for being penalised for a
crime they cannot be tried for and punished by a department they cannot be
prosecuted by, as per a Supreme Court judgment.
Jaferii stated that “yet in appeal, we have a judge
firstly refusing to recuse, passing an order suspending the judgment and then
causing delays when he recuses a month afterwards yet the suspension remains”.
This was a prime example of how, for people who game
the system, the process becomes the punishment, he added.
Initially, the trials of civilians in military courts
presented a litmus test for the SC. Dragging out the issue is putting a dent in
the apex court's reputation, particularly that of the current CJP.
Observers note that as the head of the institution, he
should have taken the reins of the bench overseeing the government's ICAs.
Barrister Asad Rahim Khan asserts that the new bench
failed to reach any decision, serving only to undermine the original landmark
verdict, which he deemed clear and correct.
"The ridiculous practice and procedure law,
coupled with Justice Sardar Tariq Masood’s shoddily reasoned suspension of the
original order of the court, is what brought us here," he said.
The lawyer hoped the nine-member bench would uphold
the law the way the first bench did, as well as affirm the fundamental
principle that civilians cannot be tried by military courts. "Bereft of
even a constitutional amendment, which was wrong of parliament to do even in
2015, there are few verdicts that have been more clear-cut."
Background
The issue landed in the apex court in June last year.
Ex-CJP Umar Ata Bandial assembled a nine-member larger bench under his
leadership to address petitions contesting the trials of civilians in military
courts.
However, the current CJP, Qazi Faez Isa, and Justice
Sardar Tariq Masood declined to participate in the bench on June 22 until a
final decision was made on the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act 2023.
Subsequently, a seven-member bench under the
leadership of former CJP Bandial commenced hearings on the petitions
challenging the trials of civilians in military courts.
As the case neared its conclusion, the government
raised an objection against Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah's participation in
the bench due to his relationship with one of the petitioners, former CJP
Jawwad S Khawaja. Consequently, Justice Shah recused himself from the bench.
The six-member bench, led by former CJP Bandial,
resumed the hearing.
As the proceedings were nearing completion, Justice
Bandial adjourned the hearing indefinitely due to the unavailability of some
members. Despite requests from the petitioners' counsels, especially Latif
Khosa and Aitzaz Ahsan, for a few more hearings to conclude the proceedings,
the bench was not inclined to do so.
Following the endorsement of the Supreme Court
Practice and Procedure Act 2023, the case was scheduled before a five-judge
larger bench under the leadership of Justice Ijazul Ahsan on October 23 last
year.
After just one hearing, the bench pronounced that
trials of civilians in military courts are unconstitutional. The decision came
as a significant surprise not only to the government but also to various
segments of society.
Subsequently, the federal government filed intra-court
appeals against the decision made on October 23.
A three-member committee, headed by CJP Isa,
established a six-member larger bench to adjudicate the government's ICAs.
Several lawyers, including committee member Justice
Ijazul Ahsan, raised objections to the composition of the larger bench on
various grounds.
Justice Ahsan, who later resigned as an SC judge,
penned a letter to the committee outlining his objections to the formation of
the six-member larger bench.
In his letter, Justice Ahsan highlighted that it had
been agreed upon that since the judgment concerning the trial of civilians by
military courts had been delivered by a five-member bench of the court, a
seven-member bench would be constituted to hear the appeals.
“I categorically and in clear terms stated that to
dispel any impression of pick and choose, all Judges of this Court in the order
of seniority be included in the appellate Bench,” he stated.
Justice Ahsan revealed that the CJP had agreed with
his viewpoint but proposed that he would consult with the judges. If any judge
declined to participate, the next available judge would be included.
Proceeding without the approval of the committee
meeting minutes from Justice Ahsan, a six-member larger bench, led by Justice
Sardar Tariq Masood, was assembled to hear the government's ICAs.
In December of last year, the larger bench, with a
majority vote of 5 to 1, suspended the decision made on October 23 and
conditionally permitted the trials of civilians in military courts. The case
was adjourned for a couple of months, despite objections raised by the
petitioners against Justice Sardar Tariq Masood's involvement.
In late January, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood withdrew
from the bench following objections raised by the petitioners.
Nearly two months later, the committee restructured
the larger bench under the leadership of Justice Aminuddin Khan to handle the
government's ICAs.
The Supreme Court requested information from the
federal government regarding individuals who had received short jail terms,
were awaiting release, or had been acquitted.
On March 27, the same bench authorized military courts
to deliver verdicts in cases resulting in short-term convictions.
Attorney General for Pakistan, Mansoor Awan, informed
the bench on April 8 that 20 individuals had been released after receiving
one-year sentences.
Source:
tribune.com.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2463883/fate-of-detained-may-9-pti-activists-still-uncertain
---
South
Asia
Pakistan, Iran: Afghanistan-Based Terror Groups
Threaten Regional And Global Security
Fidel Rahmati
April 24, 2024
With the conclusion of the Iranian President’s trip to
Pakistan, a joint 28-article statement by Ebrahim Raisi and Shehbaz Sharif has
been released.
The Iranian and Pakistani leaders in this statement
have stated that the presence of terrorist organizations in Afghanistan
threatens regional and global security.
On Wednesday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry released the
joint 28-article statement by Ebrahim Raisi, President of Iran, and Shehbaz
Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Article 17 of this statement has labeled the
“existence of terrorist organizations in Afghanistan” as a serious threat to
regional and global security.
The statement also emphasized the inclusive government
in Afghanistan and asked for the increased participation of Afghanistan’s
diverse society in “fundamental decisions” to strengthen peace and stability in
the country.
Based on this statement, Pakistan and Iran have
committed to striving for the development of Afghanistan as a stable,
independent country “free from terrorism and drug trafficking threats.”
In other sections of this statement, mutual
interaction, trade and economic relations between Iran and Pakistan, combating
terrorism, the importance of geographical location, the necessity of resolving
the Kashmir issue, the release of each other’s prisoners, and Hamas and Israel
conflicts have been addressed.
The Taliban’s resurgence has heightened insecurity,
particularly in Afghanistan’s neighboring nations. They assert no tolerance for
using Afghan soil against foreign states. Both ISIS Khorasan and
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan pose threats to Iran and Pakistan. Pakistan
consistently accuses the Taliban of sheltering and backing groups like
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, demanding action, a claim the Taliban refutes.
Source:
khaama.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-iran-afghanistan-based-terror-groups-threaten-regional-and-global-security/
---
Settle Disputes Through Dialogue, Say 'No' To Wars,
Says Bangladesh PM At UNESCAP Meet
Apr 25, 2024
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called for speaking
out against all forms of aggression and atrocities, and to say 'no' to wars.
"We must speak out against all forms of
aggression and atrocities, and say 'no' to wars," she said, adding that
Bangladesh supports the UN Secretary General's "New Agenda for
Peace".
The prime minister was addressing the 80th Session of
the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(UNESCAP) at ESCAP Hall, United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Bangkok.
She reached Bangkok yesterday on a six-day official
visit to Thailand.
The PM said the pre-condition for sustainable
development is lasting peace and security.
"We must settle regional disputes and tension
through dialogue. Our mutual respect for national sovereignty and territorial
integrity must remain paramount," she said.
Hasina called upon the Asia-Pacific region, especially
Asean, to redouble their efforts to end Rohingya crisis as all efforts at
regional connectivity, integration, and prosperity will continue to be marked
by a missing puzzle without it.
"The origin of their crisis has been in Myanmar,
and its solution also lies in Myanmar," she declared.
"As long as that solution remains out of reach,
all our efforts at regional connectivity, integration, and prosperity will
continue to be marked by a missing puzzle. Let us redouble our efforts to put
that puzzle back in place," she said.
She said that in August 2017, when thousands of
Rohingya men, women, and children from Myanmar fled to Bangladesh, Bangladesh
offered them temporary shelter.
"With an ever growing population, this has now
become one of the largest humanitarian situations in the world," she said.
Hasina said in the backdrop of ongoing armed conflicts
in Myanmar, the Rohingya repatriation process is also getting delayed.
"This is creating serious security risks within
and beyond our territories," she said.
She called upon the Asia-Pacific region, especially
Asean, to play a proactive role in resolving the volatile situation in Myanmar.
"We must ensure that the Rohingya can go back
home in safety and dignity at the earliest possible," she said.
The prime minister said that the Asia-Pacific region
must stand united against its common enemies of poverty and hunger.
She said Bangladesh has reduced poverty from 41.51
percent to 18.7 percent between 2006 and 2022.
It also reduced extreme poverty from 25.1 to 5.6
percent during the same period.
"We remain confident about eradicating extreme
poverty by 2030," she said.
She mentioned that Bangladesh has made notable
progress on food security, with focused interventions on maternal and child
nutrition.
"Our current priority is to address inequalities
through income distribution, asset ownership, and social protection," she
said.
The prime minister said that Asia-Pacific region must
put up a united front in tackling the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and
transboundary pollution.
"We need to push for ambitious climate financing
goals beyond 2025 at COP-29. We need to cooperate on cross-border water
management and air quality improvement. We must all prepare for growing extreme
weather events," she said.
In this connection, she suggested looking into
Bangladesh's experience in disaster risk reduction.
"We appreciate UN-ESCAP's support in improving
our early warning capabilities," she added.
Briefly describing various development programmes and
achievements of her govebrment, the prime minister said that much of the
development gains are affected by climate impacts.
"As a low-lying delta, Bangladesh has no option
but to invest heavily in climate resilience," she said.
She mentioned that Bangladesh is already recognised as
a global leader in climate adaptation.
"We are happy to share our traditional and
innovative solutions with other vulnerable countries," she said.
She said that Bangladesh has urged developed and
emerging economies in the region to raise their time-bound emission reduction
targets.
"For economies in transition, it is important to
have a just energy transition."
In Bangladesh, she said, "We are working on
long-term energy security with a sound mix of clean and renewable energy."
"We shall continue to do our part in pursuing a
circular and low-carbon economic growth pathway."
She underscored the need for increased and easy access
to financing and technology from both the public and private sectors.
"I invite UNESCAP to help build the capacity of
climate-vulnerable countries to mobilise adequate international climate
financing."
Hasina said that Bangladesh now provides critical
links to the Trans-Asian Highway and Railway networks.
"Our physical and digital infrastructures are
being developed to foster regional trade and connectivity."
She said Bangladesh offers access to the Bay of Bengal
for land-locked territories in its neighbourhood.
"We stand ready to work together with all
regional partners through mutual understanding and cooperation," said the
prime minister.
Source:
thedailystar.net
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/accidents-fires/news/fire-gazipur-cotton-warehouse-doused-after-three-hours-3594936
----
Afghanistan Now A ‘Nexus For Diplomatic Endeavours’,
Says IEA
April 25, 2024
In the wake of dozens of meetings between high-ranking
Islamic Emirate officials and visiting officials from foreign countries, and
other diplomatic advances, the IEA said on Thursday that in the current
geopolitical landscape, Kabul now “serves as a nexus for diplomatic endeavours
and political deliberations pertaining to global affairs”.
In a series of posts on X, the IEA’s spokesman
Zabihullah Mujahid said diplomatic missions and political delegations from
various nations, including Russia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, the
European Union, and others, “are evident in the capital, highlighting its
strategic importance in fostering Islamic cooperation”.
He said: “Recently, the honorable Minister of
Transport of the Islamic Emirate, Mr. Hamidullah Akhundzada, led a significant
delegation to Termez, Uzbekistan, for essential discussions aimed at enhancing
bilateral relations.
“These discussions encompass a wide range of topics,
from trade facilitation to security assurances, indicating a focused effort by
the Islamic Emirate to strengthen and broaden its international engagements,
thereby ensuring sustained development and stability.
“These initiatives, characterized by diligence and
effectiveness, underscore Afghanistan’s enduring commitment to diplomatic
engagement and its pivotal role in regional and global affairs,” he said.
Mujahid added that these initiatives “also emphasize
the vital connection between diplomatic efforts and economic prosperity,
promising favorable outcomes for Afghanistan’s socio-economic landscape.”
He pointed out that despite ongoing challenges,
Afghanistan “remains steadfast in its pursuit of prosperity and resilience,
defying pessimistic projections and charting a course towards political and
economic renewal.”
He said: “Continued efforts are essential to fostering
inclusive growth and impactful initiatives, thus advancing Afghanistan’s
journey towards sustainable development and increased influence on the global
stage.”
Source:
ariananews.af
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.ariananews.af/afghanistan-now-a-nexus-for-diplomatic-endeavors-says-iea/
----
Deputy PM of IEA Calls for Kabul's Participation in
Moscow Format
Nazir Shinwari
April 24, 2024
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the deputy prime minister for
political affairs, during his meeting with Zamir Kabulov, Russia's special
envoy for Afghanistan, requested formal membership of Afghanistan in the Moscow
format meeting.
According to a statement from the Arg, Zamir Kabulov
emphasized the continuation of Moscow's relations with Kabul during the meeting
and added that Moscow wants Afghanistan’s seat in the United Nations to be
assigned to the Islamic Emirate.
“The deputy prime minister for political affairs of
the Islamic Emirate emphasized Afghanistan becoming an official member of the
Moscow Formation,” said Mohammad Hassan Haqyar, the director general of Press
and Protocol of the Political Deputy of the Prime Minister.
According to Haqyar, the Russian special envoy for
Afghanistan also emphasized that Russian investors are keen on investing in
Afghanistan.
“In the meeting, which was also attended by Russia’s
ambassador to Kabul, Zamir Kabulov said that Russia wants Afghanistan’s UN seat
to be assigned to the Islamic Emirate. Positive relations between Kabul and
Moscow were also discussed in the meeting,” he said.
On the other hand, the spokesman for the Ministry of
Interior stated that the acting minister of interior, Khalifa Sirajuddin
Haqqani, met with the Russian special envoy for Afghanistan and discussed
political and regional issues.
“Such meetings
and visits benefit both sides and Afghans will reach the real discussions, and
problems will be addressed through negotiations,” said Amanullah Hotaki, a
political analyst.
“The visits of
these people from China and Russia are done for the sake of gaining
intelligence,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, another political analyst.
Zamir Kabulov, Russia's special envoy for Afghanistan,
has also previously visited Kabul several times.
Fighting terrorism, economic issues, and the nature of
relations between Kabul and Moscow are among the main issues focused on during
the envoy’s visits to Afghanistan.
Source:
tolonews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-188474
----
Over 2,000 Afghan migrants deported from Iran
Fidel Rahmati
April 24, 2024
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations states that
over 2,000 Afghan migrants have been expelled from Iran.
On Wednesday, April 24th, the ministry announced in a
statement that a total of 2,783 Afghan migrants returned to the country after
being expelled by Iran.
According to the statement, these migrants entered
Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border crossing on Monday.
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations added that
the returning migrants include both families and individuals.
On Sunday, the ministry also reported the return of
2,651 migrants who had been expelled from Iran.
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations is
reporting the return of migrants from Iran amid a recent increase in the
expulsion of Afghan migrants from Iran, especially Pakistan, in recent months.
Forced deportations from Iran and Pakistan coincide
with Afghanistan’s dire humanitarian crisis. Expelled migrants encounter
numerous challenges, including inadequate medical care, access to clean water,
housing, and employment opportunities.
Source:
khaama.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/over-2000-afghan-migrants-deported-from-iran/
---
Commission: So Far, 839 Former Govt Members Returned
to Afghanistan
April 25, 2024
The Commission for Contact with Personalities states
that since its establishment, nearly 840 members of the former government have
returned to the country.
Ahmadullah Wasiq, the spokesperson for this
commission, assures the safety of individuals wishing to return and adds that
in the past month, six former government figures have also returned to the
country.
Wasiq said: "The latest figure is that 839 people
have returned to the country through the Commission for Contact with
Personalities, including individuals who had not left the country but had
served in the previous administration and have received immunity cards."
Some of the figures who have returned to the country
welcome the commission’s handling of their challenges.
Abdul Wasay Tawhidi, a former advisor to the High
Council for National Reconciliation, said: "This commission generally
performs well; they have assured us and when some problems exist, they address
them promptly."
However, some political experts say that the interim
government should provide necessary facilities for the returned figures.
Noor Rahman Jazeb, a political analyst, said:
"When they want to come to Afghanistan, the government should provide all
the facilities necessary for a human life."
Salim Paigir, a political analyst, said: "Not
only should they provide immunity cards but also create conducive working
environments for them because the majority of military personnel who went to
Iran and Pakistan left due to starvation."
Previously, the Afghan Personalities Contact
Commission had reported that more than twenty former government members had
returned to the country in the past month.
Source:
tolonews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-188488
---
Malaysia Pledged to Help Kabul Strengthen Ties With
World: Arg
April 24, 2024
A Malaysian delegation led by the prime minister's
representative has met with officials of the Islamic Emirate in Kabul and said
that Kuala Lumpur is striving to help Afghanistan expand its interactions with
the world.
The delegation has stated that the purpose of their
visit is to expand Malaysia's relations with the Islamic Emirate.
The acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and the
Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate for political affairs, Mawlawi
Abdul Kabir, in their meetings with the delegation said that other countries
want to expand their relations with Kabul.
According to officials at the Foreign Ministry, Amir
Khan Muttaqi talked about the positive engagement of the regional countries
with the caretaker Afghan government and that these interactions are expanding
every day.
“Afghanistan relations with the world are expanding
and Kabul has built good relations with the neighboring countries and the
region. Amir Khan Muttaqi said that Afghanistan is interested in expanding good
relations with eastern Asia,” said Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, Deputy Spokesman of
the Foreign Ministry.
In its meeting with Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the
delegation pledged that they will strive to build relations between the world
and Afghanistan, reads the statement of the Arg.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic
Emirate for political affairs emphasized the achievements of the caretaker
government in political and economic sectors and stated that all countries of
the world, including regional countries, have no concerns about Afghanistan.
“Malaysia is an Islamic country where educated men and
women work in different sectors of society. It asks the reopening of girls’
schools and universities in Afghanistan,” said Tariq Farhadi, a political
analyst.
“There is no doubt that the Islamic Emirate has either
engagement or diplomatic agencies in 33 countries, but this engagement is based
on the needs of Afghan people which is on the consulate level,” said Naser
Shafiq, an expert on political matters.
The acting Minister of Industry and Commerce also
called for investment by Malaysian businessmen in Afghanistan during the
meeting with this delegation.
The Islamic Emirate spoke of expanding relations with
countries in the region and beyond, as no country has recognized the government
in Kabul yet.
Source:
tolonews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-188477
----
HC asks for list of Rohingyas illegally included in
the voter list in Cox's Bazar
Apr 24, 2024
The High Court today sought a list of Rohingyas who
have been made Bangladeshi voters illegally in Cox's Bazar.
The Chief Election Commission, LGRD secretary and
Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar have been asked to submit the voter list of
the Rohingyas by June 6.
At the same time, the court ordered them to exclude 38
Rohingyas from the voter list in Eidgah union of the district.
The HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi
Zinat Hoque passed the order following a writ petition filed by a local voter
of Cox's Bazar, Hamidur Rahman, seeking necessary directives.
In the petition, Hamidur Rahman urged the HC to order
the government to set up a high-level enquiry committee to find out how many
Rohingyas who fled Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh became voters after
obtaining Bangladesh citizenship illegally in Cox's Bazar.
At the same time, he appealed to the HC to give
instruction to the authorities concerned to exclude Rohingyas from the voter
list.
The petitioner's lawyer Mohammad Siddique Ullah Miah
told The Daily Star that 40 Rohingyas have received Bangladesh's National
Identity Card (NID) after being illegally included in the voter list of Eidgaon
union in Sadar upazila.
Source:
thedailystar.net
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/hc-asks-list-rohingyas-illegally-included-the-voter-list-coxs-bazar-3594276
---
Southeast
Asia
Pro-Israel American Academic Cries Of 'Islamo-Fascist
Mob', Claims Malaysia 'Unsafe' For Travellers
25 Apr 2024
John Bunyan
KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 — Pro-Israel academic Bruce
Gilley whose events were cancelled by the Ministry of Higher Education has now
accused Malaysia of being an “unsafe” country to travel to, despite spending
several days here.
Gilley also accused Putrajaya of stirring an
“Islamo-fascist mob” after receiving backlash for his remark claiming Malaysian
leaders of advocating a “second Holocaust” for Jews.
“I have safely departed from Malaysia, one step ahead
of the Islamo-fascist mob whipped up by the government there.
“This is not a safe country to travel to now. Updates
to follow,” he wrote on his X account.
Despite his claim, there was no such mob protesting or
physically harassing him in the country.
Gilley also said that he would not be accepting any
reimbursement of travel and lodging costs from the University of Malaya (UM)
after his events were cancelled, calling it “disgraceful behaviour” by the
university and the Malaysian government.
Despite not accepting the reimbursement, Gilley then
started a crowdfunding campaign to cover the US$2,346 (RM11,500) cost of his
trip here.
UM has since apologised for hosting Gilley, and
lambasted him for falsely claiming that Malaysia is unsafe for travellers.
Gilley, a professor of political science at Portland
State University, was invited by the Department of International and Strategic
Studies for three events, starting with a seminar on international relations on
Monday.
On Tuesday, Gilley delivered a keynote address titled
“Will Malaysia Become an Active Middle Power”. Yesterday, in an X post about
the speech, he said “a country whose political leaders advocate a second
Holocaust against the Jewish people will never be a serious player in world
affairs, and will certainly never be a friend or partner of the US”.
Gilley pointed to the remarks of former prime minister
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Agriculture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
He has since deleted the post, claiming it was for the
safety and well-being of UM staff who invited him.
Prior to his UM events, he had spent several days in
Malaysia, even visiting the National Museum.
On his X account, Gilley had mocked an exhibit of the
British colonial and the Malayan resistance in the museum.
Gilley is known to be a supporter of Israel,
displaying the state's flag on his X account.
He is also a controversial figure among the Western
academia for praising Western colonialism and saying it should be “reclaimed”,
considered “legitimate”, and even “resurrected”.
In 2017, his article The Case for Colonialism was
published in the Third World Quarterly journal and provoked massive controversy
resulting in two petitions signed by thousands of academics calling for the
editor responsible to be sacked, while 15 of the journal's 34-member editorial
board resigned in protest.
Source:
malaymail.com
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----
Sabah does not object to citizenship for migrants with
govt-issued documents
25 Apr 2024
SABAH is not opposed to Malaysian citizenship for
migrants holding government-issued documents if they fulfil the legal criteria,
assistant minister to the chief minister, Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan said
today.
Nizam said the digital registration of foreigners in
Sabah encompasses all migrants, including those possessing government-issued
documents such as IMM13, Surat Burung-Burung and Census Certificate from the
past.
“Document holders who do not qualify to become
Malaysian citizens will be registered in the (digital registration) process and
Smart Sabah Corporation SdnBhd will ensure they are registered,” said Nizam.
He was responding to a question from Sabah opposition
leader Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (Senallang-Warisan) at the Sabah assembly
sitting in Kota Kinabalu today.
Nizam said the government recognises all the
programmes carried out by the previous administrations aimed at resolving
migrant issues.
Shafie was seeking to disprove allegations that he had
allowed an influx of migrants into Sabah when he was chief minister.
He also threatened legal action against parties
defaming him.
Nizam said digital registration of the migrants in
Sabah began on September 12, 2022, with focus on the construction and
plantation sectors of Sabah.
To date, 39,276 migrants in the state have registered,
including 21,994 workers and 17,282 dependents in sites owned by Sawit Kinabalu
Group, Sabah Softwood Bhd, Benta Wawasan, MGV Plantation, and CepatWawasan
Group Bhd.
Nizam said illegal immigrants discovered during
registration would be repatriated to their countries of origin.
The digital registration process involves data
collection, facial recognition, and biometric data through the Sabah Workers
Integrated Management System, conducted in accordance with the Immigration Act
1959/1963 and Immigration Regulations 1963.
“There is no overlap in authority between federal and
state in this effort as this outreach programme is supported by the federal
government,” said Nizam.
Over the years, the government has issued 136,055
Surat Burung-Burung, IMM13 and Census Certificates to migrants.
Experts suggested that while some holders might have
died, their families could have quadrupled over the years. – April 25, 2024
Source:
thevibes.com
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---
VP expresses deep concern over US blocking Palestine
UN membership
April 24, 2024
Bandung, W Java (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin
on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the United States' recent vote against
a proposed United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution backing full UN
membership for Palestine.
The US veto of Palestine's full membership of the UN
disappointed many countries as the majority of UNSC members supported the
proposed resolution, he said.
The United States, which is one of the UNSC's
permanent members, again voted against full UN membership for Palestine, he
noted while speaking to local journalists after attending a disaster mitigation
meeting in Bandung city, West Java.
Amin also highlighted the rising tensions in the
Middle East following the exchange of strikes between Iran and Israel, saying
that Indonesia has made the utmost efforts to de-escalate the conflict.
"We have attempted to de-escalate the conflict.
We hope that what has happened regarding Iran's attack on Israel will hopefully
be the last. It is enough," he said.
To de-escalate the Iran-Israel conflict, Indonesia's
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi lobbied her counterparts from several countries,
Amin added.
Speaking on the Iran-Israel conflict, Foreign Minister
Retno Marsudi stated earlier that Indonesia and China share the same stance in
responding to it.
She made the statement after accompanying President
Joko Widodo to receive Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Presidential
Palace, Jakarta, on April 18, 2024.
"During the discussion, (it became clear that)
China's and Indonesia's position is the same in (responding to) this issue, and
the President also expressed optimism that China will use its influence to
prevent an escalation," she added.
Iran launched a massive drone and missile attack on
Israel on April 13 in retaliation to Tel Aviv's airstrike on its consulate in
Damascus, Syria, in early April.
The Israeli airstrike reportedly killed 16 people,
including several senior Iranian commanders.
The commanders included Brigadier General Mohammad
Reza Zahedi from the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
(IRGC) and his deputy, General Mohammad Hadi Hajriahimi, Al Jazeera reported.
In response, Israel attacked an Iranian airbase in
Isfahan province on April 19, according to media reports.
Source:
antaranews.com
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---
Commotion outside Penang mosque: Car driver
accidentally honks horn - Police
25-04- 2024
GEORGE TOWN: Police have confirmed receiving a report
from a car driver involved in a viral incident where a commotion broke out
outside Masjid Jamek Sungai Nibong last night during the burial of Commander
Muhammad Firdaus Ramli, the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) Squadron 503
commanding officer, who died in the crash involving two helicopters on Tuesday.
Timur Laut district police chief ACP Razlam Ab Hamid
(pix) said the 46-year-old man claimed that a motorcycle hit the right side of
his car while he was driving along the road in front of the mosque at around
7.45 pm.
“Panicked by the situation, the man honked his car
horn, causing a crowd to surround his car, which suffered minor damage.
“However, the situation was brought under control by
police officers and Navy personnel on duty,” he said in a statement today.
Razlam said that the complainant admitted to being
unaware of the event at the mosque and clarified that he did not intentionally
honk the horn.
As such, he advised the public against making
speculations that could interfere with police investigations and disrupt public
order.
The case is being investigated under Section 427 of
the Penal Code.
Muhammad Firdaus, 44, was among 10 Navy personnel who
died when two helicopters collided and crashed at the RMN Base in Lumut, Perak,
at 9.32 am on Tuesday.
He was laid to rest at the Masjid Jamek Sungai Nibong
Besar Muslim Cemetery last night.
Source:
thesun.my
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---
Arab
World
Experts discuss Saudi Arabia’s latest anti-trafficking
measure
April 24, 2024
RIYADH: Experts discussed Saudi Arabia’s latest
efforts to combat human trafficking at an event in Riyadh on Wednesday.
The symposium, titled “Enhancing Cooperation in
Combating Trafficking in Persons,” drew attendees from a variety of fields to
review anti-human trafficking policies.
It also raised awareness of common patterns and recent
developments in human trafficking, along with effective means of protection and
prevention.
“At the Saudi National Committee to Combat Human
Trafficking, we aim to exchange experiences and foster coordination to combat
human trafficking, prevent its occurrence, reduce its impact on victims and
protect them,” said Hala Al-Tuwaijri, president of the Human Rights Commission.
During a panel discussion titled “Normative and
International Framework to Combat Trafficking in Persons,” Al-Tuwaijri warned
that crises and conflicts around the world create a fertile environment for
traffickers to exploit the vulnerable.
Human trafficking encompasses sex trafficking, forced
labor and domestic servitude, often involving women and children.
Al-Tuwaijri said that human trafficking transcends
borders. By working together across countries and regions, the international
community can protect the vulnerable and uphold human rights, he added.
Per Saudi law, those found guilty of human trafficking
in the Kingdom face up to 15 years’ imprisonment, fines of up to SR1 million
($266,000), or both.
Al-Tuwaijri highlighted the importance of bolstering
international efforts to combat human trafficking through comprehensive
legislation and enhanced case detection.
In 2023, anti-human trafficking organizations in the
Kingdom conducted 41 training programs, aiming to raise awareness of
vulnerabilities to trafficking within migrant communities. The training covered
victim identification, best practices in screening vulnerable populations in
detention centers, trauma-informed and victim-centered interviewing and
assistance techniques, search procedures, evidence collection and criminal
investigative processes during trafficking trials.
Abdullah Abu Thunin, vice minister of human resources
and social development, said that significant efforts are being made in the
Saudi labor market to combat human trafficking.
The ministry is activating a national plan to combat
human trafficking, he added. The strategy is based on four main pillars:
Prevention, protection and assistance, prosecution, and national, regional and
international cooperation.
Abu Thunin said that the ministry has launched several
programs to target human trafficking, including one scheme to improve
contractual relationships.
“Through the authenticated contracts program and the
wage protection program, more than 7 million contracts were signed by
employees, obligating employers to pay workers’ wages,” he added.
The Friendly Settlement for Labor Disputes program
also achieved a 77 percent reconciliation rate in labor disputes.
Abu Thunin said that compliance rates have increased
in the Kingdom since the programs were launched.
Many government agencies, including the Ministry of
Interior, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Public
Prosecution, the Human Rights Commission and the National Committee to Combat
Trafficking, took part in the Riyadh symposium.
Numerous international organizations also attended,
including the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund, the UN Office on
Drugs and Crime and the UN Resident Coordinator Office.
Source:
arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2498706/saudi-arabia
----
Saudi Arabia welcomes panel’s report on UNRWA’s
performance
April 24, 2024
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia welcomed the results of an
independent committee’s report on the performance of the United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement
that the results of the report confirm the agency’s main role in supporting the
relief, humanitarian and development efforts of the Palestinian people.
It reiterated the Kingdom’s emphasis on the importance
of the commitment of donor countries to UNRWA to ensure the sustainability and
effectiveness of all forms of support for the Palestinian refugees. This shall
be in a way that reduces the volume of suffering they are facing, especially in
light of the Israeli occupation’s continued violations of international law and
international humanitarian law, the ministry said in a statement carried by the
Saudi Press Agency.
Source:
saudigazette.com.sa
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---
Muslim World League Discusses Islamic Unity, Gaza and
Sudan Wars, Islamophobia
25 April 2024
The 46th session of the Supreme Council of the Muslim
World League (MWL) is examining seven urgent issues on its agenda, including
the unity of the Islamic nation, Palestine, the Gaza war, the disruption of
navigation in the Red Sea, in addition to the situation in Sudan, Islamophobia,
and desecration of religious symbols.
The session, which began on Wednesday, is chaired by
Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of Council of Senior Scholars Sheikh
Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh.
“The Kingdom has shouldered a great responsibility
towards Muslims, being at the forefront of caring for their issues, tending to
their affairs, seeking to address their problems, extending a helping hand and
providing relief to them,” the Grand Mufti said.
“It has become our duty to stand with them, Muslim
people, in their crises and sufferings and to defend them in regional and
international forums,” he added.
The Grand Mufti highlighted Saudi Arabia’s efforts to
mend rifts and resolve disputes among Muslims, while striving to bridge their
differences and urging them to come together and achieve consensus and harmony.
“The Kingdom has established several bodies, councils,
and institutions concerned with Muslim affairs, supporting their causes and
resolving their crises,” he underlined.
Secretary-General of the MWL and Chairman of the
Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa praised
the commendable efforts undertaken by the Supreme Council.
Those include important decisions such as updating the
bylaws to align with the MWL’s status as an international organization.
President of Religious Affairs of the Grand Mosque and
the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, noted that the Supreme
Council meeting has reflected the aspirations of the Islamic nation for peace
and harmony to prevail throughout the world.
Al-Sudais also emphasized the need to enhance dialogue
among monotheistic religions, civilizations, and cultures to serve the noble
message of the true and tolerant Islam.
He stressed that the Kingdom has spared no effort in
advocating for the issues of the Islamic world in all international forums,
supporting awareness programs, and promoting the principles of moderation and
balance.
In turn, Egypt’s Minister of Awqaf and President of
the Egyptian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs Muhammad Mukhtar Gomaa
Mabrouk, praised the role of the MWL and its Secretary-General in their efforts
to achieve global and humanitarian peace.
President of Religious Affairs in Türkiye Ali Erbas
expressed gratitude to the Kingdom and its leadership for hosting the meeting
and for their dedication to Islam and Muslims.
The Supreme Council is the highest authority in the
MWL and is responsible for approving all the plans adopted by the League’s
General Secretariat. It consists of 65 distinguished Islamic figures
representing Muslim peoples and minorities.
Source:
english.aawsat.com
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----
Yemeni forces strike US, Israeli vessels in fresh
pro-Palestinian operations
24 April 2024
Yemen’s Armed Forces have targeted two American
vessels and an Israeli one in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,
who are enduring a United States-backed Israeli war of genocide.
The forces’ spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree
announced the operations in a statement on Wednesday.
The first operation saw the forces targeting “the
American ship (Maersk Yorktown) in the Gulf of Aden, with a number of suitable
naval missiles,” he said, noting that “the hit was accurate.”
Subsequently, the forces carried out drone strikes
against “an American destroyer” in the same maritime area and “an Israeli ship
(MSC Veracruz) in the Indian Ocean,” Saree added.
“Both operations have achieved their objectives
successfully.”
Yemen has been staging numerous such strikes since
October 7, when the Israeli regime unleashed the war in response to a
retaliatory operation by Gaza’s resistance groups.
The war has so far claimed the lives of 34,183
Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded a total of 77,143 others.
The United States has been providing the regime with
maximal military and intelligence support since the onset of the warfare.
Washington has also vetoed several UN Security Council resolutions calling for
a ceasefire in the brutal military onslaught.
According to Saree, “The Yemeni Armed Forces confirm
that they will continue to prevent Israeli navigation or any navigation heading
to the ports of occupied Palestine in the Red and Arabian Seas, as well as in
the Indian Ocean.”
The operations, he added, would last until the regime
ceased the aggression and a simultaneous siege that it has been employing
against the coastal sliver.
Source:
presstv.ir
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---
EU Embassy, Arab News honor makers of Saudi ‘Horizon’
documentary
April 24, 2024
RIYADH: The makers of a recently produced, highly
acclaimed documentary on Saudi wildlife were honored at a special screening of
the film “Horizon” at the residence of the EU ambassador in Riyadh.
The new documentary, produced by the Konoz Initiative,
is part of a collaboration between the Saudi Ministry of Media’s Center for
Government Communication and the National Center for Wildlife.
It explores the ecological treasures and unique
habitats of the Kingdom.
Princess Lamia bint Majed Saud Al-Saud,
secretary-general of Alwaleed Philanthropies, was a guest of honor. Princess
Lamia, through her work with Alwaleed Philanthropies, has recently announced an
initiative called Atlai, an innovative artificial intelligence platform to
support global efforts to combat deforestation.
The screening was followed by a presentation of an
honorary certificate to Abdullah Alahmari, CEO of Konoz initiative, and Yazeed
Albader, associate producer of “Horizon.” This was presented by EU Ambassador
to Saudi Arabia Christophe Farnaud, Princess Lamia and Arab News
Editor-in-Chief Faisal Abbas.
Farnaud said: “The ‘Horizon’ documentary captures the
breathtaking beauty of Saudi Arabia’s diverse natural landscapes and wildlife.
“For centuries, much of the Arabian Peninsula,
including Saudi Arabia, held a mysterious attraction for European explorers and
travelers.”
The ambassador spoke of the significance of protecting
the environment due to basic human needs such as food and water, and dependency
on the health of our global environment.
“The Saudi Green Initiative and the European Green
Deal have shared goals. We all depend on nature for our food, air, water,
energy and raw materials. Nature and biodiversity make life possible, provide
health, and drive our economy. Nature is also our best ally in tackling the
climate crisis,” he said.
“Climate change, economic diversification and
transitioning to renewables remain priority areas for both the EU with its
policy of European Green Deal as well as for Saudi Arabia with its Vision
2030.”
Princess Lamia gave her thoughts on Saudi Arabia’s
fascinating natural wonders that are featured in the film.
“Through ‘Horizon’ we are transported to the
breathtaking beauty and rich biodiversity of Saudi Arabia. This documentary
promises to immerse us in the heart of the Kingdom’s diverse wildlife and
scenery,” she said.
“Tonight’s screening is not only a celebration of
Saudi Arabia’s rich natural heritage but also a call to action — a reminder of
our shared responsibility to protect and conserve the precious ecosystems that
define our world.
“In a time where our forests and natural ecosystems
are disappearing at an alarming rate, Atlai, created by Alwaleed
Philanthropies, is a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration.
It’s about igniting a passion for preservation, a fervor for conservation, and
a commitment to safeguarding our planet for generations to come.”
Abbas expressed appreciation for the Saudi team behind
the “Horizon” documentary, saying: “We are delighted to have partnered with the
EU delegation to host a special screening of this remarkable documentary which
showcases Saudi Arabian wildlife in a truly captivating manner.”
He added: “As part of Arab News Green and Blue
initiative, which focuses on environment and sustainability, we are also proud
to present the Saudi team behind the ‘Horizon’ documentary with a certificate
of appreciation, and thank them for their contribution in preserving and
showcasing the wonders our beloved Kingdom has to offer.”
Arab News has recently launched its Green And Blue, an
initiative which discusses environmental subjects regarding climate change,
desertification, wildlife preservation, sustainability, and green energy, with
a close emphasis on the environment in Saudi Arabia.
The CEO of Konoz initiative expressed how thrilled he
was to attend the screening of the movie.
“This documentary sheds light on the beauty of Saudi
Arabia, its versatile terrain and highlights the wildlife we are blessed to
have in the Kingdom,” Said Alahmari.
He expressed his appreciation to the Minister of Media
Salman bin Yousef Al-Dossary for his constant support in ensuring that the
movie highlights the Kingdom and reaches a broader audience.
The associate producer of the work explained how the documentary
took more than 260 days of shooting and more than 2,000 hours of recording
because it covered all the regions.
“If you want to shoot some of the animals, you may not
get luck on the spot. So, you have to do some scouting, you have to arrive a
couple of days before, stay for weeks to spot a nice shot, or to get that
perfect skyline with the clouds, sunset or sunrise,” said Albader.
“I was honored to be here, the screening was great. It
is a pleasure to be here with the ambassadors, and to see how a lot of people
care about nature and wildlife. This is just the beginning of many events to
come.”
“Horizon” is now available on Netflix internationally.
Source:
arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2498786/saudi-arabia
----
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/gyanvapi-judge-death-international/d/132202