‘Resist Hindutva’: Gyanvapi Imam, Abdul Batin Nomani, Attends Massive Kerala Rally

New Age Islam News Bureau

17 February 2024

 

The rally was part of a broader movement that seeks to challenge the growing influence of Hindutva in Indian politics and society and advocate for a more inclusive and pluralistic India.

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·         ‘Resist Hindutva’: Gyanvapi Imam, Abdul Batin Nomani, Attends Massive Kerala Rally

·         Saudi Theatre And Performing Arts Commission Celebrates Announcement Of 'Zarqa Al-Yamamah' Opera In London

·         Amnesty International Urges Doha Meeting On Afghanistan To End ‘Taliban’s Human Rights Abuse’

·         Al-Jawf Mass Marches Under The Slogan, "Our Squares Are Jihad... We Stand Firm With Gaza Until Victory"

·         France’s Macron Opens Door To Recognising Palestinian State

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India

·         Army Veterans Flag Delayed Justice Over Army’s Probe Into Custodial Deaths Of Three Muslim Gujjars

·         HC To Decide On Delhi Government’s Proposal To Raze Shahi MasjidAnd An Adjacent Madrasa

·         Muslims Must Not Waste Votes On Nitish, RJD: Owaisi In Bihar

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Arab world

·         Saudi Arabia signs $55m loan deal to help protect schools in Turkiye from earthquakes

·         Saudi foreign minister discusses Gaza during bilateral meetings in Munich

·         Saudi Arabia Ranks 1st in International Tourist Arrivals Growth in 2023

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South Asia

·         Russian Security Chief calls for increased border measures with Afghanistan

·         Doha to Host Meeting on Afghanistan This Sunday

·         Afghanistan Will Never Recognize Durand Line as Border: Stanikzai

·         Stop arms race, focus on climate financing, PM urges int’l community

·         Prepare for next polls instead of movement, Quader tells BNP

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Mideast

·         Israel To ‘Pay With Blood’ Price Of Killing Lebanese Civilians: Nasrallah

·         Israel was behind attacks on major gas pipelines in Iran: New York Times

·         Türkiye To Act Together With Egypt Against Forced Displacement Of Gazans: President Erdogan

·         Iranian official applauds Yemeni solidarity with Gaza amid Muslim ‘inaction’

·         Israeli war cabinet member hints for continuation of fighting in Gaza during Ramadan

·         ICJ demands implementation of Gaza measures, but no new action on Rafah

·         Hamas says Gaza hostages ‘struggling to stay alive’

·         Six members of Hezbollah, Amal killed in south Lebanon

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Europe

·         International Law Should Be Focus Of All Efforts On Gaza, Bulgarian Premier Says

·         Top UN court rejects South Africa request for more Gaza measures

·         EU foreign policy chief, UN head discuss Israeli attacks on Gaza, Ukraine war

·         Russia invites Hamas, other Palestinian factions for talks

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Pakistan

·         Pakistan Claps Back at Taliban’s Border Rejection, Stands Firm on Durand Line Legitimacy

·         Imran moves IHC against his conviction in cipher, Toshakhana cases

·         Ahead of PTI’s protest: Two threat alerts issued for Islamabad

·         Deployment of troops okayed for contest between Fazl son, PTI candidate

·         PML-N boosts efforts to woo independents for coalition govt

·         Ambassador Durrani to take part in Doha talks on Afghanistan: FO

·         Private scheme pilgrims to benefit from Road-to-Makkah project

·         Islamabad asks Kabul to address genuine security concerns

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Southeast Asia

·         RM20,000 Incentive For Mosques, Suraus In Federal Territories With Five-Star Toilet Cleanliness

·         MADANI Govt confident of achieving stronger GDP growth of 4-5 % in 2024

·         Naval ship docks in Egypt, unloads aid for Palestinians

·         Jailed Thai ex-premier Thaksin to be freed Sunday: Thai PM

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Africa

·         Islamic State Group Poses Rising Threat In Africa Despite Progress, UN Experts Say

·         Sahel Alliance: ministers confirm ECOWAS withdrawal at meeting

·         ’Starving’: Sudan aid workers sound the alarm over spiralling crisis

·         Suspected Boko Haram Terrorists Attack Travellers On Borno-Yobe Highway, Kill One, Kidnap Several Others

·         Hardship: “Nigerians Should Be Patient, There Is Global Economic Decline” – Islamic Group

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North America

·         CAIR Condemns Dishonest, Defamatory Anti-Muslim Attack Ad on Judicial Nominee Adeel Mangi

·         New York Governor Apologises After Implying Israel Is Justified To Destroy Gaza

·         US Congress Summons Khalilzad for Doha Agreement Details

·         CAIR Calls Israeli Attack on Gaza Hospital a ‘War Crime’ After Patients Die When Raid Cuts Off Oxygen Supply

·         US plans to send weapons to Israel even as Biden pushes for ceasefire: report

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URl:    https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hindutva-gyanvapi-imam-kerala/d/131745

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‘Resist Hindutva’: Gyanvapi Imam, Abdul Batin Nomani, Attends Massive Kerala Rally

 

The rally was part of a broader movement that seeks to challenge the growing influence of Hindutva in Indian politics and society and advocate for a more inclusive and pluralistic India.

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16th February 2024

“Resist Hindutva”, a rally aimed to express opposition to the ideology of Hindutva was held in Kozhikode, Kerala on Wednesday, February 14 and witnessed the participation of thousands including the Imam of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, Abdul Batin Nomani.

The mosque has been at the centre of a legal dispute with Hindus claiming was built on temple ruins.

Hindutva is a term often associated with extreme Hindu nationalism and its political manifestations.

The presence of Gyanvapi Imam at the rally in Kerala highlights the broader importance of the event. It brought together individuals from different regions and communities to voice their concerns about the rise of Hindutva ideology.

The demonstration sought to challenge the growing influence of Hindutva in Indian politics and society and to advocate for a more inclusive and pluralistic India, reported Maktoob Media.

Jamaat-e-Islami, which has a history of advocating for the rights of Muslims and other marginalized communities, has been at the forefront of this movement.

The organization has been vocal about its opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which have been criticized for their potential to disenfranchise and marginalize Muslim communities in India. The organization has also been active in providing legal aid and support to individuals affected by the CAA and NRC.

The rally in Kerala was not the first of its kind.

Jamaat-e-Islami has organized similar events in the past, including rallies and conferences that have brought together individuals from various backgrounds to discuss the challenges faced by Muslims and other marginalized communities in India.

Source: siasat.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story

https://www.siasat.com/resist-hindutva-gyanvapi-imam-attends-massive-kerala-rally-2978659/

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Saudi Theatre and Performing Arts Commission Celebrates Announcement of 'Zarqa Al-Yamamah' Opera in London

 

The Saudi Theatre and Performing Arts Commission held an official ceremony on Friday at Goldsmiths Hall in London to initiate the production operations for “Zarqa Al-Yamama,” the first Arab opera show.

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16 Feb, 2024

The Saudi Theatre and Performing Arts Commission organized an official announcement ceremony today at Goldsmiths Hall in London to launch production operations for the first and largest Arab show, "Zarqa Al-Yamama" Opera.

 The ceremony was held under the patronage of Minister of Culture Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, who is the Theater and Performing Arts Commission chairman of the board of directors.

 The event was attended by a group of interested people and Saudi and international creatives participating in the opera production.

 The Zarqa al-Yamamah Opera is set to begin in Riyadh in mid-April and extend to multiple local and international performances. The show tells the story of Zarqa Al-Yamamah, a famous character in Arab history during the pre-Islamic era. She was known for having blue eyes and a unique ability to see from long distances. The opera combines Arabic and Western musical elements in a way that has never been explored before in the world of opera. It is expected to be a valuable addition to the global cultural stock.

Source: alriyadhdaily.com

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http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/f9c6fa0bbdf94ce780855915f3534b6c

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Amnesty International urges Doha Meeting on Afghanistan to end ‘Taliban’s Human Rights Abuse’

 

Photo by Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

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Fidel Rahmati

February 17, 2024

Deprose Muchena, Senior Director at Amnesty International, emphasized the crucial opportunity presented by the upcoming UN-convened meeting in Doha, Qatar, on February 18-19 to address the culture of impunity and the human rights abuses of the Taliban.

He stresses the need for unified action to safeguard the rights of all Afghan citizens, particularly women and girls, and to address the culture of impunity enabling the Taliban’s human rights abuses.

Amnesty International, alongside nine other organizations, wrote to the UN Secretary-General on February 7, 2024. They urged ensuring Afghan civil society, including women human rights defenders, participate fully in the Doha meeting, prioritizing women’s rights in discussions.

“The upcoming Doha meeting is a significant opportunity for a unified and concerted action to protect the rights of all Afghan people, particularly the rights of women and girls. The culture of impunity that enables the Taliban’s ongoing grave human rights violations needs to be addressed urgently,” Muchena said.

He said that the Taliban in Afghanistan disregard international law, severely limit freedoms, and intensify discrimination against women and girls.

He also added, “The Taliban as the de facto authorities in Afghanistan have shown a complete disregard of the country’s obligations under international law having severely restricted the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and access to justice in the country. The Taliban’s discriminatory restrictions on the rights of women and girls, with the apparent aim of completely erasing them from public arenas, has also intensified in recent months.”

meanwhile, he urged the International community to demand Taliban reverse restrictions on women’s rights and release arbitrarily detained individuals.

“The international community cannot continue to take a ‘business as usual’ approach vis-a-vis the human rights situation in Afghanistan. In Doha, the UN Secretary-General, senior UN officials, and all Special Envoys attending the meeting from the region and beyond should insist that the Taliban immediately reverse all restrictions curtailing the rights of women and girls and release all those arbitrarily arrested and unlawfully detained,” he urged.

On February 18 and 19, 2024, the UN-convened meeting of Special Envoys and Representatives on Afghanistan will gather in Doha, Qatar. It aims to discuss the path forward on Afghanistan’s independent assessment mandated by Resolution 2679.

The Taliban’s strict dress code enforcement has intensified, further oppressing women and girls. Their discriminatory measures escalate, targeting dissenters with torture, imprisonment, and disappearance, potentially constituting crimes against humanity.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/amnesty-international-urges-doha-meeting-on-afghanistan-to-end-talibans-human-rights-abuse/

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Al-Jawf Mass Marches Under The Slogan, "Our Squares Are Jihad... We Stand Firm With Gaza Until Victory"

 

Mass marches in Dhamar in support of Palestinian people

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[17/February/2024]

AL-JAWF February 17. 2024 (Saba) - Al-Jawf province witnessed on Friday mass marches under the slogan “Our squares are jihad... we stand firm with Gaza until victory” in solidarity with Gaza and denouncing the brutal massacres committed by the Zionist occupation in Palestine.

Participants in the marches in the districts of Al-Hazm, Al-Matoun, Al-Maslub, Al-Ghail, Al-Zahir, Al-Matma, Al-Marashi, Al-Anan, Khab Wa AShaaf, Al-Humaidat and Rajuza raised Palestinian flags and slogans emphasizing the continued support and support of the Palestinian people and their valiant resistance in the face of Zionist aggression.

They reiterated their readiness, preparedness, and public mobilization to fight the battle to liberate the Palestinian holy sites and lands.

Statements issued by the marches confirmed the continuation of mass marches and solidarity stops with Gaza, as well as preventing the passage of Israeli ships or those heading to the occupied Palestinian territories until the Zionist aggression stops.

It blessed the qualitative operations carried out by the resistance in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq despite the American targeting of them, and the operations of the Yemeni armed forces against the enemy in the Red and Arab Seas.

The statements emphasized the high readiness and comprehensive mobilization to confront the American, Israeli and British escalation... calling on the Arab and Islamic peoples and all the free people of the world to take action to take a firm stance and move against the Zionist enemy’s efforts to storm the city of Rafah, and to continue to boycott Israeli and American goods and companies that support the usurping entity.

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3305488.htm

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France’s Macron Opens Door To Recognising Palestinian State

 

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks while making a joint statement with King of Jordan Abdullah II at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 16 February 2024. YOAN VALAT/Pool via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights

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 February 17, 2024

The recognition of a Palestinian state is no longer a taboo for France, President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, suggesting Paris could make the decision if efforts for a two-state solution stalled because of Israeli opposition.

A unilateral French recognition would do little to change the situation on the ground without true negotiations, but would weigh symbolically and diplomatically, Reuters reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced opposition to Palestinian sovereignty, saying he will not compromise on full Israeli security control west of Jordan and that this stands contrary to a Palestinian state.

French lawmakers voted in 2014 to urge their government to recognise Palestine, a symbolic move that had little impact on France’s diplomatic stance.

Macron’s comments were the first time a French leader had made such a suggestion and highlighted further impatience among Western leaders as casualties mount in Gaza from Israeli retaliation after an attack on Oct. 7 by Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas that killed 1,200 people, and took 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

“Our partners in the region, notably Jordan, are working on it, we are working on it with them. We are ready to contribute to it, in Europe and in the Security Council. The recognition of a Palestinian state is not a taboo for France,” Macron said alongside Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Paris.

“We owe it to the Palestinians, whose aspirations have been trampled on for too long. We owe it to the Israelis who lived through the greatest anti-Semitic massacre of our century. We owe it to a region that longs to escape the promoters of chaos and the those who sow revenge,” he said.

Macron’s comments are likely aimed at adding pressure on Israel.

Israel’s massive aerial and ground offensive in small, densely populated Gaza has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians, flattened built-up areas and left most of its 2.3 million people homeless.

While most developing countries recognise Palestine as a state, most Western European countries do not, arguing that an independent Palestinian state should emerge from negotiations with Israel.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said earlier this month that part of British policy is to say there will be a time when Britain would look to recognise a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations.

Macron added that an Israeli offensive in Rafah could only lead to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and would be a turning point in the conflict.

Source: ariananews.af

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https://www.ariananews.af/frances-macron-opens-door-to-recognising-palestinian-state/

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India

Army Veterans Flag Delayed Justice Over Army’s Probe Into Custodial Deaths Of Three Muslim Gujjars

17.02.24

The army’s probe into alleged custodial killings of three Muslim Gujjars in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch remains unresolved despite a four-week deadline set by the higher-ups, with veterans expressing concern over delayed justice and accountability.

Sources in the army headquarters in Delhi on Friday said the high-level probe into the alleged torture and custody deaths of the three civilians on December 22 was

still “underway”.

“The probe into the alleged killings is likely to take some more time,” a senior army official told this newspaper.

After the incident triggered outrage and protests, the Centre immediately removed three officers, including the commander of a Rashtriya Rifles brigade, pending inquiry.

Asked about the four-week deadline set by the army brass to complete the probe, the army official declined to comment.

Another official, however, said the army was not well-equipped to play a policing role. “There are lots of issues in the case that need proper investigation and that’s the reason why it is taking time.”

Speaking to The Telegraph, a former lieutenant general said such serious cases of alleged human rights violations should have been dealt with expeditiously in a time-bound manner to ensure strict disciplinary action was taken against officers

found guilty.

“In this particular case, the army had swiftly removed three officers, including the brigadier-in-charge in Poonch district pending an inquiry. What is required is swift action to save the army’s image,” the retired lieutenant general said, adding: “The army had already identified some officers for their suspicious role in the case. The top brass had said the probe would be completed in a time-bound manner within four weeks. Why is there a delay now?”

A former brigadier said: “Such incidents give the army a bad name. In a bid to save its face, the army should have completed its probe within a time-bound manner to ensure justice. The failure to do so is likely to generate adverse publicity for the army as an organisation and also on its system of investigation and justice.”

The army allegedly tortured eight men from a Poonch village — three of whom died — to avenge a militant ambush that had killed four soldiers in the area.

As protests erupted against the alleged custody killings, defence minister Rajnath Singh had rushed to Jammu and met the bereaved families and promised them justice. He had also met soldiers, advised them to maintain “professional” standards and reminded them that they had a duty not only to defend the nation but also to win the hearts of its people.

Last month, army chief General Manoj Pande said commanders and troops had been instructed to “respect human rights” and there would be “zero tolerance” for any violation. The army had also adopted the village where the three slain men lived.

The Jammu and Kashmir police had registered a murder case against unidentified persons over the deaths.

The Rashtriya Rifles, which is in the eye of the storm, is the army’s elite counter-insurgency force in Kashmir and was raised in 1990. Its personnel are provided by the army on deputation.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/veterans-flag-delayed-justice-over-armys-probe-into-custodial-deaths-of-three-muslim-gujjars/cid/2001028

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HC To Decide On Delhi Government’s Proposal To Raze Shahi MasjidAnd An Adjacent Madrasa

16th February 2024

 Tamreen Sultana

Delhi Development Authority has proposed the demolition of Shahi Masjid and an adjacent Madrasa, causing widespread concern among the Muslim community.

According to the DDA, the Delhi government’s Religious Committee has given the go-ahead to demolish the mosque and madrasa since they are located within Central Ridge, a protected forest area where residential and commercial activity is forbidden.

Shahi Masjid is over a century old, according to the imam, the mosque committee, and members of the Muslim community. “How could it become an intrusion all of a sudden? This is our history,” 60-year-old Mohammad Younus, the mosque committee’s general secretary tells The Print.

When the 13th-century mosque Akhunji Masjid and its neighboring madrasa in Mehrauli were destroyed by bulldozers on January 30, less than a month ago, the same question was posed.

As part of an anti-encroachment campaign, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) demolished a section of a mosque in the city’s Bengali Market in April 2023. Additionally, a demolition notice has been sent to another mosque around 10 kilometers from Shahi Masjid.

Younus fears that Shahi Masjid will also be targeted by bulldozers. After the demolition notice was given the previous year, the committee made contact with the DDA.

The Delhi High Court received a plea from the committee of the Shahi Masjid, Madrasa, and qabristan (graveyard), and in November 2023. The court ordered the DDA to refrain from using coercion until January 31, 2024.

The Delhi High Court sent notice to the committee on February 14 after receiving a plea from the development authority asking for the stay to be lifted. The committee has been told by the court to submit a response to the DDA’s plea within ten days.

“On what basis do you want to take action? You make a clear and cogent case. Give me the exact dimensions. What is it that you want to remove, and why,” a judge asked the DDA’s legal counsel to explain all these things when the matter is heard again on February 29.

The petitioner’s attorney argued that the mosque’s property was encroached upon.

The court also inquired as to whether the religious group may demolish an old building that has been there for the last fifty to sixty years.

The DDA said in its application that the justifications for the status quo order are untenable and causing serious prejudice to the authorities.

“The petitioner has made false and factually incorrect averments in the writ petition on the basis of which the November 2 order came to be passed,” the civic authority said.

Source: siasat.com

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https://www.siasat.com/hc-to-decide-on-delhi-admins-proposal-to-raze-shahi-masjid-2978647/

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Muslims must not waste votes on Nitish, RJD: Owaisi in Bihar

16th February 2024

Kishanganj: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday claimed that he had predicted Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s return to the NDA well ahead of the JD(U) president actually went back to the BJP-led alliance.

Addressing a public meeting here in the state’s Kishanganj district, Owaisi also charged Kumar and his former ally RJD with having been averse to granting Muslims a share in power.

“People here would recall that when I had come here last year I had warned that Nitish Kumar is not to be trusted, that he was not likely to remain in an anti-BJP camp for long and might do another somersault,” said the Hyderabad MP.

Muslims must not waste their votes on Kumar, said Owaisi who is on a three-day tour of Seemanchal region, Bihar’s north-eastern part bordering Nepal and West Bengal which has a high concentration of Muslims.

He said, “Kumar has been accusing us (AIMIM) of being the B-team of the BJP just because we have always held that this man was not to be trusted and Muslims must not waste their votes on him.”

When the RJD weaned away four AIMIM MLAs in 2022, it pleased Nitish Kumar to no end and a few months later, the two parties joined hands, said Owaisi.

“Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav (former Deputy CM and Prasad’s son) seem to have a similar aversion to Muslims getting their share in power. Their government proved that,” alleged Owaisi.

According to a post shared by the party on X, Owaisi is accompanied by Majid Hussain, MLA and the AIMIM’s Bihar in charge, and national spokesperson Aadil Hasan.

Source: siasat.com

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https://www.siasat.com/muslims-must-not-waste-votes-on-nitish-rjd-owaisi-in-bihar-2978873/

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Arab world

 

Saudi Arabia signs $55m loan deal to help protect schools in Turkiye from earthquakes

February 17, 2024

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Friday agreed to provide $55 million in funding for a project to protect five public schools in Turkiye by mitigating the risks posed by earthquakes.

“These schools, encompassing a combined area of up to 55,000 square meters, will undergo vital upgrades to ensure their resilience against earthquakes and contribute toward the advancement of sustainable development,” the Saudi Fund for Development said. The deal will also help to enhance Turkiye’s social infrastructure, it added.

The soft-loan agreement was signed by Sultan Al-Marshad, CEO of the SFD, and Osman Celik, the Turkish deputy minister of treasury and finance, on the sidelines of the Turkiye-Saudi Arabia Investment and Business Forum in Istanbul, during which 28 agreements were signed in various fields, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb, who chairs the development fund’s board of directors, and Turkish Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Simsek were also present at the ceremony. In addition, Al-Marshad and Celik held talks on ways to enhance cooperation in future development projects.

Since 1979, the SFD has contributed to nine development projects and programs in Turkiye, providing soft loans of up to $300 million to help support growth and prosperity in the energy, education, water, transportation, and communication sectors, officials said.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2461391/saudi-arabia

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Saudi foreign minister discusses Gaza during bilateral meetings in Munich

February 16, 2024

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Friday met David Cameron, the UK’s foreign secretary, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

The parties reviewed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said.

They also discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and its surrounding areas, and the international efforts being made to end the conflict.

Prince Faisal also held similar meetings with Melanie Joly and Mariya Gabriel, respective Canadian and Bulgarian foreign ministers.

He also met NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the most prominent international developments.

Prince Faisal’s meeting with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al-Busaidi focused on relations between the two countries and ways to develop them, while reviewing opportunities for bilateral cooperation in various fields.

They also exchange views on the latest regional and international developments of common interest.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2461301/saudi-arabia

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Saudi Arabia Ranks 1st in International Tourist Arrivals Growth in 2023

16 Feb, 2024

Saudi Arabia topped the UN Tourism’s ranking for the growth of international tourist arrivals in 2023 compared to 2019 among large destinations, achieving an increase of 56%, according to the World Tourism Barometer report released last month.

 Moreover, the report indicates Saudi Arabia recording a remarkable tourism recovery rate of 156% in international tourist arrivals in 2023 compared to 2019.

 These notable achievements in the tourism sector have positioned Saudi Arabia as a leader in the Middle East region's global tourism recovery, which was the only region to surpass pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels with a 122% recovery rate in international tourist arrivals in 2023 compared to 2019.

 Various tourist destinations within the Kingdom witnessed a significant increase in both domestic and inbound visitors in 2023. Additionally, Saudi Arabia set a record in international tourist receipts, with total spending exceeding SAR 100 billion for the first three quarters of 2023, according to Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) balance of payments.

 These accomplishments reinforce Saudi Arabia's status as a distinguished global tourist destination, underscoring travelers' growing confidence in the Kingdom's appealing and diverse tourism offerings.

Source: alriyadhdaily.com

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http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/4b6449ccc36b407ea43c51476b25eb3b

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South Asia

 

Russian Security Chief calls for increased border measures with Afghanistan

Fidel Rahmati

February 17, 2024

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev on Friday, emphasized the imperative for the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to collaborate on bolstering border security measures in response to potential threats stemming from Afghanistan.

With concerns rising over the spillover of instability into neighbouring territories, heightened cooperation between these regional bodies becomes paramount in safeguarding the stability and security of the region.

Tass news agency reported Patrushev’s call for concerted efforts to address the evolving security challenges emanating from Afghanistan, underscoring the importance of proactive measures to mitigate risks and uphold peace in the surrounding nations.

The unstable situation in Afghanistan is related to the activity of international terrorists supported by the West, Patrushev said at a meeting of Security Council secretaries on the Afghan problem in Bishkek.

“Considering all the mentioned threats from the Afghan direction, it is necessary to take measures in advance to counter the export of instability to our countries. This problem can be resolved comprehensively by collective efforts, primarily, within the CSTO and the SCO,” Patrushev said.

The Russian security chief stressed the importance of focusing on specific steps that need special attention, including “elaborating extra measures in the sphere of border security, exchanging information on the activity of terrorist organizations and their supporters and cooperating to expose and shut down sources and channels of terrorism financing and also drug trafficking,” Patrushev pointed out.

“I am certain that the development of Afghanistan as a peaceful, united and independent state meets the interests of regional security. Under its geographical position, that country is at the intersection of key trade routes linking European and Asian states. In this context, it is important to pay attention to developing the transit potential of Afghanistan,” according to the top security official in Russia.

Meanwhile, the Taliban has reiterated that Afghan soil will not be used against the security of neighbouring countries or beyond.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/russian-security-chief-calls-for-increased-border-measures-with-afghanistan/

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Doha to Host Meeting on Afghanistan This Sunday

February 16, 2024

In two days, Doha will be hosting a meeting with nearly 20 countries’ representatives on Afghanistan, but the Islamic Emirate has yet to confirm its participation in the meeting.

TOLOnews has seen a list showing that representatives from Russia, China, Iran, India, Japan, Tajikistan, US, France, Germany, and the EU will take part in the meeting.

The spokesperson for the UN General-Secretary has said that the UN chief is set to travel to Qatar on Sunday (February 18) to participate in the meeting.

“As we mentioned when we first announced the meeting, the objective is to discuss how to approach increasing international engagement in a more coherent, coordinated and structured manner, including through consideration of the recommendations of the independent assessment on Afghanistan,” said Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN chief.

Dujarric added that women will also participate in the meeting to raise the voices of Afghan women.

“As we said there will be a meeting between the envoys and civil society groups, which of course include Afghan women. It is very important that the voices of Afghan women be heard in these discussions,” said Stéphane Dujarric.

As the meeting is set to begin on Sunday, Uzbekistan president’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ismatullah Irgashev met with Hassan Hamza Assad Muhammad Hoshim, Qatar’s ambassador to Uzbekistan.

They talked about the importance of the Doha meeting.

“The two sides discussed the current state of cooperation between the two countries on Afghanistan and the upcoming Doha meeting,” reads part of the statement of the foreign ministry of Uzbekistan.

“The upcoming Doha meeting is important for Afghanistan and if the Taliban participate in the meeting, it will be a plus point, so that they see the world’s decisions,” said Wais Naseri, a political analyst.

Earlier, the Islamic Emirate said that they have presented conditions to the UN for their participation in the Doha meeting.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-187442

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Afghanistan Will Never Recognize Durand Line as Border: Stanikzai

February 16, 2024

The deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Islamic Emirate said that Afghanistan will never recognize the Durand Line as a border.

Speaking at a gathering in Logar on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Soviet Union's withdrawal from Afghanistan, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai said that Afghanistan’s territory is still on the other side of the line.

The deputy FM stated that the requirement of visas and passports to travel "to Afghanistan" is not acceptable to the Afghanistan people.

“We have never recognized Durand and will never recognize it, today half of Afghanistan is separated and is on the other side of the Durand Line. Durand is the line which was drawn by the English on the heart of Afghans. And today our neighboring country deports the refugees in a very cruel manner and they are being told to return to their country,” said Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the deputy foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate.

Although he did not name a specific country, Stanikzai claimed that foreigners are working to weaken the Islamic Emirate.

Stanikzai said that there is no opponent that can be trained against the Islamic Emirate.

“We clearly tell the foreigners that no one should try to weaken the Islamic Emirate or destroy the Islamic Emirate. They cannot do it, because today we are united, and we have no opponents to train them against us to destroy the Islamic Emirate,” added Stanikzai.

The deputy foreign minister criticized anti-Islamic Emirate gatherings and added that the disagreement of former Afghan government officials is in league with Westerners.

“The political opponents of the Taliban have raised the issue of sharing political power as one of their main options, an issue that the international community raises in the form of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, and they try to get the Taliban to satisfy this issue,” said Farhad Ibrar, a political analyst.

Earlier, other high-ranking officials of the Islamic Emirate have also criticized the gatherings of Islamic Emirates opponents abroad and countries that host such meetings.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-187446

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Stop arms race, focus on climate financing, PM urges int’l community

Feb 17, 2024

"Senseless arms race must be stopped and resources need to be diverted instead to mobilise the much-needed fund for fighting climate change," she said, adding, "Let's keep in mind, when the existence of humanity is at a stake, pursuing narrow interests would come to nothing."

The prime minister's impassioned call featured in a six-point suggestion she placed at the panel discussion titled "From Pocket to Planet: Scaling Up Climate Finance" at the Munich Security Conference 2024 here in Germany.

"We must find solutions to unlocking climate financing to keep us on track by delivering on the six suggestions," she said.

In her first suggestion, Sheikh Hasina said developed countries must live up to their commitment of USD 100 billion per annum in the two years up to 2025, based on a delivery plan.

"And, by the end of this year, we must all agree on a new climate financing target post-2025, preferably above USD 100 billion, based on scientific evidence," she said.

Raising the second recommendation, she said the world needs to get rid of wars and conflicts, illegal occupations, and mindless killings of unarmed civilians as we watch in Gaza and elsewhere.

The premier, in her third suggestion, said the acute imbalance in financing for mitigation and adaptation needs to be addressed by at least doubling the current level of adaptation financing. In this context, she thanked French President Macron for committing to provide €1 billion to Bangladesh to support adaptation.

Placing the fourth suggestion, she said the long-pending issue of streamlining access to existing international climate funds by developing countries must be resolved, including by investing in their capacity.

In her fifth suggestion, Hasina said the reform of the global financing architecture must show meaningful results, especially in managing the debt burden of climate-vulnerable countries by expanding their access to grants and concessional loans.

Placing her sixth and final suggestion, she said the governments need to invest in the right plans, policies and instruments to mobilise private capital flows for climate action.

In parallel, international financial institutions need to develop innovative, blended financing mechanisms to attract private capital for bankable projects.

Sheikh Hasina said she was part of a closed-door meeting of leaders to find a last-minute solution at COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009 and realised that international climate finance would be quite difficult to come by.

After going back home, she took the initiative to set up the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund to undertake home-grown adaptation projects.

"Bangladesh is now considered a living laboratory of locally-led climate adaptation," she said, adding that Bangladesh has so far implemented nearly 800 projects at a cost of USD 480 million, all from its own resources.

The prime minister said the COP28 in Dubai started on a positive note with the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund. "We are pleased that USD 792 million was committed to the Fund. We hope that additional pledges will be made to allow the fund to deliver on its mandate," she said.

Talking about Bangladesh, she said her country ranks seventh among the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, even though our contribution to global carbon emissions is negligible (less than 0.47% of global emissions).

"It is estimated that from now up to 2050, our annual GDP loss will be 2 percent because of climate change, and at this rate by 2100, the loss will be as high as 9 percent. It is also estimated that about 13.3 million people in Bangladesh could be internally displaced due to climate change impacts."

Now Bangladesh spends about 4.6 percent of its annual budget and 0.74 percent of its GDP on climate adaptation and resilience, of which 75 percent comes from domestic resources, she said.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/stop-arms-race-focus-climate-financing-pm-urges-intl-community-3545516

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Prepare for next polls instead of movement, Quader tells BNP

Feb 16, 2024

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said that BNP should take preparation for the next general election instead of thinking about its next movement.

He said this at a joint meeting of the party held at the Awami League's central office in the capital this morning.

Regarding BNP's "movement until victory", Quader said, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has become "overwhelmed with daydreams" after getting out of jail.

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu, has brought great honour to the country by participating in the Security Conference in Germany. Today, the democratic world has unhesitatingly accepted the importance of Bangladesh," Quader also said in his introductory speech at the meeting.

Quader also credited Shekh Hasina for adopting a balanced diplomacy for the country's success.

Meanwhile, Quader said, the party president instructed to resolve the internal disputes of the party.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/fakhrul-khasru-finally-out-3544886

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Mideast

 

Israel to ‘pay with blood’ price of killing Lebanese civilians: Nasrallah

16 February 2024

The secretary general of Lebanon’s Hezbollah says the Israeli regime will “pay with blood” the price for the recent killing of civilians in the country’s south, stressing that the massacre will not force the resistance movement to back down from supporting Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah made the remarks in a televised speech broadcast live from the Lebanese capital city of Beirut on Friday on the occasion of Hezbollah’s Martyred Leaders Day, which annually falls on February 16.

The speech came two days after an Israeli strike targeted a building in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh, claiming the lives of seven members of a family, including a child.

In a separate attack by the illegal entity, a woman and her two children were also killed in the village of as-Sawana in southern Lebanon.

Nasrallah condemned the Israeli strikes on Nabatiyeh and as-Sawana as "deliberate massacres," and said Tel Aviv must know that it “went too far” by its targeting of civilians.

“The enemy will pay the price for the killing of our women and children with blood. The price of this blood will be blood, not sites, spy devices, and vehicles, and I will leave the matter to the battlefield,” the Hezbollah chief said.

“The enemy is killing our leaders, fighters and families and it is destroying our homes, but this will not push us to retreat or give up on our responsibilities.”

Stressing that the Israeli regime’s goal from killing civilians is to pressure the resistance to stop, Nasrallah said, “We are in the heart of a real battle on a front that extends more than 100 kilometers, and the martyrdom of our fighters is part of the battle.”

The Hezbollah leader said the recent targeting of Kiryat Shmona settlement in the north of the occupied territories with dozens of Katyusha rockets was an “initial response” to Wednesday’s bloodshed, adding that the Lebanese resistance has enormous and accurate missile capabilities that can extend from Kiryat Shmona in the north to Eilat in the south.

Surrender means 'humiliation'

Touching on the issue of resistance and its ensuing results, Nasrallah praised the sacrifices made by the resistance front’s fighters in the region and said the cost of surrender is “hefty.”

“Some are talking about the cost of resistance and its consequences in Lebanon, and these people are calling on us to surrender. The truth is that we are before two choices — resistance or surrender — and the price of surrender is hefty, dangerous and very critical,” he said.

“Surrendering means submission, humiliation, slavery, and disdain for our elders, our children, our honor, and our wealth,” he added. “The price of surrender in Lebanon meant Israel’s political and economic hegemony over our country.”

‘The main battle is in Gaza’

“Despite everything the enemy and the Zionists are committing in the West Bank and Gaza, the Americans and Israelis must understand that in Palestine they are facing people who will not back down,” the secretary general of Hezbollah pointed out.

Nasrallah also thanked the Yemeni armed forces for launching retaliatory strikes against US and UK ships in support of Palestinians and stressed that “The main battle is in Gaza.”

The Hezbollah chief censured Washington for its unswerving support for Israel in its genocidal war in Gaza and said the US officials are “primarily responsible for every drop of blood spilled in the region.”

“Without American military support, the Israeli war on Gaza could have immediately stopped,” Nasrallah said, adding, “Despite taking in every dollar of Western aid, Israel has failed to achieve its stated goals in the Gaza war and will continue to do so.”

Resistance shattered Israeli image

Nasrallah said the Israeli regime was working “to displace the Palestinians and establish a purely Jewish state,” and that the goal of the siege of the Gaza Strip was “to bring it to death in silence and without shaking the world.”

The Hezbollah leader, however, underlined that the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine “broke the balance of Israeli deterrence, shattered its image, and created a balance of deterrence and protection.”

He added, “No matter what we say and explain, our words will be incapable of describing the legendary resistance in Gaza and the legendary steadfastness of the people of Gaza.”

Nasrallah also said the Israelis and the Americans did not expect that the resistance in Lebanon would have “the will and courage to open the front to support Gaza.”

Israel launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the territory’s resistance movements carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity.

The Israeli military has also been carrying out attacks against the Lebanese territory since then, prompting retaliatory strikes from Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah in support of Gazans.

The movement has vowed to keep up its reprisal operations as long as the Tel Aviv regime continues its onslaught on Gaza.

The aggression against Gaza has so far claimed the lives of over 28,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, leaving more than 68,000 others wounded.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/02/16/720189/Lebanon-Hezbollah-Israeli-regime-pay-with-blood-civilians

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Israel was behind attacks on major gas pipelines in Iran: New York Times

17 February 2024

Israel carried out covert attacks on two major natural gas pipelines inside Iran this week, according to a report by The New York Times.

Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji said on Wednesday that a "terrorist sabotage" attack had targeted two main gas transmission pipelines in the country’s southwestern province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari as well as the southern province of Fars, causing a massive explosion and a subsequent fire.

The attacks disrupted the flow of heat and cooking gas to provinces with millions of people.

The New York Times citing two Western officials and a military strategist reported on Friday that the attacks had been carried out by Israel.

“The enemy’s plan was to completely disrupt the flow of gas in winter to several main cities and provinces in our country,” Iran’s oil minister told Iranian media on Friday.

Owji said that the goal of the attack was to damage Iran’s energy infrastructure and stir domestic discontent.

Saeed Aqli, head of dispatching operations at the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), also said that the act of terror struck the transmission lines in Borujen County in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province.

He added that a crisis management session had been convened shortly afterwards, with the Iranian oil minister, deputy oil ministers as well as senior security officials in attendance.

Aqli further noted that firefighting brigades could extinguish the blaze within hours and the work on repairing the transmission lines was underway.

The terrorist attack on Iran’s major gas transmission lines came as anti-Iran media outlets had been suggesting assaults on the Iranian energy sector over the past few months, and some US senators had even called for the bombing of Iran’s oil and gas infrastructure.

Last year, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham suggested the US should threaten Iranian oil infrastructure if the conflict between Israel and Palestinian resistance group Hamas continued to escalate.

“If there is an escalation in this conflict, if hostages start getting killed, if Hezbollah in the north attacks Israel in strength, we should tell Iran we will destroy your oil refineries and your oil infrastructure,” Graham said.

“We will put you out of business. Without money coming from Iran and weapons coming from the Iranians, Hamas will be nothing. Hezbollah will be nothing,” Graham asserted.

Iran has asserted, on numerous occasions, that the regional resistance groups act independently and do not take orders or receive finances from the Islamic Republic.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/02/17/720202/Israel-was-behind-attacks-on-major-gas-pipelines-in-Iran--New-York-Times

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Türkiye to act together with Egypt against forced displacement of Gazans: President Erdogan

Esra Tekin 

16.02.2024

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Türkiye will act together with Egypt against the forced displacement of Gazans from their own lands.

Calling his recent visits to the UAE and Egypt “very successful,” he stressed the need to “close ranks” to stop bloodshed in Gaza.

“We discussed in detail not only trade and investments with the heads of state but also the Palestinian issue. We have decided to strengthen our cooperation with both countries,” he said.

Noting that Türkiye has been sending humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza since Oct. 7, Erdogan said that Ankara has always coordinated with Egyptian authorities for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

During Ramadan, he said, Türiye has a “brotherly responsibility” to extend more helping hands to Gaza.

“Israel is forcing the people of Gaza to surrender through hunger, our goal is to achieve an immediate cease-fire and ensure uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Gaza,” Erdogan said.

In order to make Türkiye’s Century to be the “century of peace,” there is no choice but to improve relations with “our friendly and brotherly countries,” the president added.

Erdogan said that Türkiye’s sole aim in foreign policy is to increase the number of “friends as much as possible.”

“We are obliged to unite with brother countries if we want to thwart the imperialist powers' games in our region. Instead of getting stuck in differences of opinion, we must focus on areas of cooperation. We are all aware of this truth: there is no mercy without unity,” the Turkish president said.

Source: aa.com.tr

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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/turkiye-to-act-together-with-egypt-against-forced-displacement-of-gazans-president-erdogan/3139777

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Iranian official applauds Yemeni solidarity with Gaza amid Muslim ‘inaction’

February 16, 2024

TEHRAN – An advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has praised Yemen’s courageous operations against Israel in the Red Sea while criticizing certain Arab and Muslim countries for their disregard towards the loss of human lives in Gaza.

“Unfortunately, some Islamic and Arab countries not only do not take any positive action in defense of Palestine but some supposedly Muslim governments have only resorted to issuing cautious statements to gain economic benefits and attract the support of the biggest enemy of Islam, America,” Ali Akbar Velayati told Al-Jazeera.

The former foreign minister urged other Muslim countries to speak out in support of Yemen and help the country put an end to Israel’s genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip.

The popular Ansarullah Movement in Yemen has been attacking Israeli-bound or Israeli-owned ships in the Red Sea, asking the regime to cease its onslaughts in Gaza if it doesn’t want to get hit in the strategic waterway.

In return, the U.S. and UK have been carrying out retaliatory attacks on the Arab country which has yet to reel from almost a decade of war with a Saudi-led coalition. The two Western states have also refused to pressure the regime to halt its deadly attacks.

Amidst the attacks on Yemen, startling reports have revealed that certain Arab countries have been helping Israel bypass the blockade in the Red Sea. Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have formed a land corridor that allows Israel to receive hundreds of trucks carrying goods and fresh food.

Turkey is also being condemned in the Muslim world for refusing to cut economic ties with the regime and supplying it with the fuel needed to operate Israeli fighter jets.

“The Yemenis believe and assert that to stop the massacres of Gaza civilians and until the Zionist regime continues its brutal aggressions against the people of Gaza, they will continue their deterrent actions against the ships heading to the ports of the Zionist regime. Muslims and free-minded people around the world support these humane actions of Ansarullah,” Ali Akbar Velayati stressed.

The senior advisor also commented on other resistance forces' attacks on Israeli and American positions, saying the Axis of Resistance is in full unity and cohesion to expel the global arrogance from the region.

“Every day, the resistance front is achieving more success and greater victories. From Yemen to Iraq and Lebanon, Islamic resistance, including Palestine and Syria, all these countries have faced more severe challenges and have now overcome some of these difficulties with triumph and glory. The future of the region will undoubtedly not be in favor of the U.S., UK, and Zionists,” the official noted.

Source: tehrantimes.com

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https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/494972/Iranian-official-applauds-Yemeni-solidarity-with-Gaza-amid-Muslim

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Israeli war cabinet member hints for continuation of fighting in Gaza during Ramadan

Ahmed Asmar 

16.02.2024

Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz on Friday said war on Gaza could continue during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

In a recorded statement, Gantz said the fight in Gaza would not stop until retrieving all Israeli captives held in Gaza. "The fire could continue into the month of Ramadan."

Gantz's remarks come as the month of Ramadan is observed by Muslims across the world falls in early March this year, while the Palestinians in Gaza suffer the Israeli devastating onslaught initiated since Oct. 7.

Talks on a possible cease-fire in Gaza and a prisoner swap deal between Israel and the Hamas group have not so far succeeded.

Gantz threatened that "if the hostages are not returned, we will expand the war into Rafah."

"We are preparing for this, working in collaboration with our partners including Egypt," he added.

Gantz claimed that the Israeli army would implement a plan to "evacuate the population to safe areas - and start operating."

Around 1.5 million Palestinians are living as refugees in Rafah, which straddles the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. It also serves as an entry point for humanitarian aid.

The city was bombed earlier this month by the Israeli army, which targeted 14 buildings and killed around a hundred civilians and is threatening to launch a ground operation.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The ensuing Israeli attack had killed at least 28,775, injured more than 68,552 others, and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory'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, which in 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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ICJ demands implementation of Gaza measures, but no new action on Rafah

16 Feb 2024

The top United Nations court said that it notes the “perilous” situation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, but has declined South Africa’s request for urgent measures to safeguard Palestinians being threatened by an Israeli ground assault there.

“The Court notes that the most recent developments in the Gaza Strip, and in Rafah in particular, ‘would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences’, as stated by the United Nations Secretary-General,” the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said in a statement on Friday.

It said the situation in Rafah “demands immediate and effective implementation of the provisional measures indicated by the Court in its Order of 26 January 2024”, when it ordered Israel to take all steps within its power to ensure genocidal acts are not being committed in its war on Gaza.

However, the court “does not demand the indication of additional provisional measures”, its statement added.

South Africa said on Tuesday that it had lodged an “urgent request” with the ICJ to consider whether Israel’s military operations targeting Rafah breach provisional orders the court handed down last month in a case alleging genocide.

Israel on Thursday called on the court to reject the request, saying: “South Africa’s unjustifiable claims make clear that its request is not driven by any change in circumstances, nor does it have any basis in fact or law.”

‘Serious breach’ of Genocide Convention

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians across the Strip, according to health authorities. The relentless bombardment since October 7 has also displaced most of the population.

About 1.4 million people are now sheltering in Rafah, on the border with Egypt, which Israel had initially designated a “safe zone” for civilians.

But Israel has been threatening to launch a ground invasion there, a move that the UN and international governments – including Israel’s Western allies – have warned against.

South Africa’s urgent request to the court mentioned the hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in Rafah, many of them fleeing “pursuant to Israeli military evacuation orders, from homes and areas that have largely been destroyed by Israel”. They could now be threatened directly, it said.

Israel’s unprecedented planned military offensive against Rafah would result in further large-scale killing, harm and destruction “in serious and irreparable breach” of the Genocide Convention and of the ICJ’s ruling at the end of January, the request added.

In its statement on Friday, the ICJ said that Israel “remains bound to fully comply with its obligations under the Genocide Convention and with the said Order, including by ensuring the safety and security of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip”.

Israel strongly denies committing genocide in Gaza. However, the ICJ last month ruled that it had jurisdiction to hear South Africa’s case against Israel, in which the latter is accused of breaching the Genocide Convention.

The court ordered Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in Gaza, but the panel of judges stopped short of ordering an end to the military offensive that has laid waste to the Palestinian enclave.

Source: aljazeera.com

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/16/icj-demands-implementation-of-gaza-measures-but-no-new-action-on-rafah

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Hamas says Gaza hostages ‘struggling to stay alive’

February 17, 2024

GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: Hamas’s armed wing said on Friday that hostages in Gaza were “struggling to stay alive” as conditions across the war-battered Palestinian territory deteriorate due to relentless Israeli bombardments.

“The wounded and sick enemy prisoners are going through very difficult conditions and are struggling to stay alive,” Abu Obeida, spokesman for Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades said in a televised statement.

“This is not surprising because everything that our people are suffering from, be it hunger, thirst and lack of medical help, is also what the enemy prisoners are suffering from.”

This week, mediators from the United States, Qatar and Egypt gathered in Cairo to try to broker a deal to halt the fighting and secure the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday he believed a deal was still “possible” but there has been no public announcement of any breakthrough.

Abu Obeida said it was Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip that was responsible for the situation.

“Time is running out fast,” he said.

During the October 7 attack by Hamas militants on Israel, some 250 hostages were taken to the Gaza Strip, of which roughly 130 are still being held there, according to Israeli officials.

Thirty of them are believed to be dead, while more than 100 had been freed during a one-week truce that ended on December 1.

Three hostages were mistakenly killed by Israeli soldiers in December, while some have been rescued in military operations.

Several hostages among those still captive in Gaza are suffering from various illnesses and attempts have been made to supply medicines to them.

The October 7 attack itself resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

In Israel’s relentless military offensive since then in Gaza, at least 28,775 people have been killed, most of them women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2461411/middle-east

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Six members of Hezbollah, Amal killed in south Lebanon

16 February 2024

Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance group and Amal movement have announced that six of their members were killed in Israeli strikes in the country's south.

In separate statements on Friday, Amal movement mourned four of its members, saying “They were martyred while they were fulfilling their … duty of defending Lebanon.”

According to the movement, the members were killed in a strike on a home in the village of Qantara in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah also announced that two of its fighters were killed in southern Lebanon.

The resistance group said the fighters "rose as martyrs on the road to Al-Quds."

Hezbollah and Israel have been trading near daily cross-border fire since the occupying regime waged a deadly war on Gaza on October 7.

On Wednesday, 10 civilians were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon. In response, Lebanon’s permanent mission to the United Nations filed a formal complaint before the UN Security Council.

Addressing the rotating President of the Security Council Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, the mission noted that the strikes against civilians amount to "war crime”.

Israel continued to strike Lebanon on Friday, carrying out artillery strikers on areas near al-Fardis, al-Habaria, and Rachaya Al Foukhar in southern Lebanon, al-Mayadeen TV network said.

Hezbollah also continued its retaliatory operations against Israel on Friday, firing rockets at Israeli soldiers who were gathering near Doviv Barracks, “achieving direct hits,” it said.

Hezbollah fighters also hit the Israeli post of Malkia with Bukran missile.

The resistance fighters also attacked a group of Israeli soldiers who were gathering in Ramya post, using “appropriate weapons”, leaving them either killed or injured.

In the occupied Lebanese Shebaa farms, Hezbollah fighters fired rockets at the Israeli posts of Zebdine and Ruwaisat al-Alam, “achieving direct hits”.

Hezbollah has said its campaign will stop only when Israel halts its war on the Gaza Strip, where at least 28,775 people have been killed, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/02/16/720193/Six-members-Hezbollah-Amal-killed-Lebanon

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Europe

 

International law should be focus of all efforts on Gaza, Bulgarian premier says

Burak Bir

16.02.2024

Expressing concern over the prevailing humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the Bulgarian prime minister said on Friday that international humanitarian law should be at the center of all efforts aimed at resolving the conflict.

“There is no easy solution,” Nikolay Denkov said in response to Anadolu’s question about the situation in the besieged enclave at the Munich Security Conference. “International humanitarian law should be in the center of all the efforts to solve the challenges and issues that we have there."

The 60th edition of the annual event started in Germany's third-largest city on Friday, bringing together political leaders and experts from around the world.

High-level debates are expected on the world’s most pressing security challenges, especially Israeli attacks in Gaza and the war in Ukraine.

Touching on the importance of long-term solution to conflicts, he said being united is crucial for it, which allows different parties to sit together and discuss “how this long-term solution can be achieved starting from day one.”

“Unfortunately, until now we don’t see this agreement,” Denkov said. “So, until we can get this target point, it would be very difficult to do anything."

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Palestinian group Hamas in October, killing more than 28,700 people, mostly women and children. About 1,200 Israelis were killed in the initial Hamas incursion.

It stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in 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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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/international-law-should-be-focus-of-all-efforts-on-gaza-bulgarian-premier-says/3139783

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Top UN court rejects South Africa request for more Gaza measures

February 17, 2024

THE HAGUE: The UN’s top court Friday rejected South Africa’s request to put more legal pressure on Israel to halt a threatened offensive against the Gaza city of Rafah, saying it was “bound to comply with existing measures.”

Pretoria has already filed a complaint against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, alleging that its assault on Gaza amounts to a breach of the Genocide Convention.

The court has yet to rule on the underlying issue, but on January 26 it ordered Israel to ensure it took action to protect Palestinian civilians from further harm and to allow in humanitarian aid.

South African officials on Tuesday filed a further request to the court, asking it to order new measures in the light of Israel’s preparation of a new operation against Rafah.

More than half of Gaza’s 2.4 million population have sought shelter there from Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip.

The ICJ’s judges acknowledged that the recent developments “’would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences’” — citing remarks by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

But although Israel needed to act immediately to ensure the safety and security of Palestinians, that did not require “the indication of additional provisional measures,” they added.

Israel remained “bound to fully comply with its obligations under the Genocide Convention and with the said Order,” the ICJ ruling said.

Hamas’s October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Militants also took about 250 people hostage, around 130 of whom are still in Gaza, including 30 who are presumed dead, according to Israeli figures.

Israel’s assault on Gaza has since killed at least 28,775 people, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Israel’s foreign minister on Friday said the country would coordinate with Egypt before launching any military offensive in the southern border city of Rafah.

“We will operate in Rafah after we coordinate with Egypt,” Israel Katz told journalists on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, where 180 dignitaries have gathered to discuss conflicts around the globe.

Fears had been growing for the hundreds of thousands of people who have fled the north of Gaza to Rafah as Israeli troops advanced into the territory to wage war on Hamas.

But Israel is now planning a major operation in the overcrowded city. With the border to Egypt closed, nearly 1.5 million Palestinians are essentially trapped there.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2461431/world

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EU foreign policy chief, UN head discuss Israeli attacks on Gaza, Ukraine war

Ahmet Gençtürk

17.02.2024

EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed the Israeli attacks on Gaza and the war in Ukraine on Friday.

During a meeting in Munich, Germany, Borrell thanked Guterres for the vital work of UNRWA and paid homage to the 153 people killed in its service.

He also highlighted the importance of continuing to fund UNRWA owing to the irreplaceable services it provides for the Palestinians in Gaza and the wider region, said a statement by the European Union External Action Service (EEAS).

“High Representative Borrell stressed the need for increased EU cooperation with the UN, in the path towards a two-state solution,” it added.

Borrell and Guterres also discussed the situation in Ukraine as Russia continues its war of aggression against the country, the statement added.

Source: aa.com.tr

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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/eu-foreign-policy-chief-un-head-discuss-israeli-attacks-on-gaza-ukraine-war/3140085

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Russia invites Hamas, other Palestinian factions for talks

February 17, 2024

MOSCOW: Russia has invited Hamas and other Palestinian factions including Fatah to Moscow for talks on the Israel-Hamas war and other issues in the Middle East, an official said Friday.

Moscow, which for years tried to court good relations with all major players in the region, has grown increasingly critical of Israel and its Western backers amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

Russia has invited around a dozen Palestinian groups to Moscow for “inter-Palestinian” talks from February 29, the state-run TASS news agency reported, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.

“We invited all Palestinian representatives — all political forces that have their positions in different countries, including Syria, Lebanon and other countries in the region,” said Bogdanov, who is President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for the Middle East.

They include Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, alongside representatives of Fatah and the broader Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

At least 28,775 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory military offensive on Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

Putin has called for a ceasefire and Moscow has repeatedly criticized Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attack.

The public statements, combined with Russia’s partnerships with Iran and Hamas, have soured Russian-Israeli relations since the conflict broke out.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2461421/middle-east

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Pakistan

 

Pakistan Claps Back at Taliban’s Border Rejection, Stands Firm on Durand Line Legitimacy

Khaama Press

February 17, 2024

In a swift and pointed reaction to the contentious remarks made by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Deputy Interim Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has vehemently countered the Taliban’s rejection of the Durand Line as the official border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. This rebuttal not only signifies a deepening of the diplomatic rift but also underscores Pakistan’s concerns over the Taliban’s narrative, which challenges the long-established demarcation line.

Pakistan’s statement directly addresses media inquiries related to Stanikzai’s comments, denouncing them as “self-serving and fanciful claims.” By invoking “geography, history, and international law,” Pakistan emphasizes the indisputable legitimacy of the Pak-Afghan border, firmly stating that political discourse cannot reshape these fundamental truths. This response reflects Islamabad’s acute frustration with the narratives propagated by the Taliban government, suggesting a pressing need for Kabul to prioritize meaningful dialogue on security and border cooperation over public denouncements of the established boundary.

Further elaborating on its stance, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry reiterated its dedication to ensuring a fully regulated movement of people and goods across the border, in line with international norms of interstate relations. This commitment highlights Pakistan’s intention to uphold order and facilitate legitimate cross-border interaction, signaling a proactive stance in addressing the complexities of border management amid ongoing challenges.

Stanikzai’s remarks, made during an event to mark the 35th anniversary of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, not only dispute the internationally recognized border but also tap into the historical and emotional disputes surrounding the Durand Line. This line, drawn in the late 19th century, has been a focal point of contention, affecting ethnic communities and stirring debates on national sovereignty.

Pakistan’s pointed response to the Taliban’s stance is a clear demonstration of its intent to assert its position on the global stage, emphasizing adherence to established norms and legal frameworks. The situation brings to light the broader regional issues, including the imperative for enhanced security cooperation, efficient border management, and the resolution of enduring territorial disagreements.

As this situation evolves, the international community watches closely, keenly aware of the potential implications for regional stability and the dynamics of Pak-Afghan relations. The ongoing dispute over the Durand Line remains a critical issue, highlighting the complex balance between national sovereignty, security imperatives, and the pursuit of regional harmony. With both nations maintaining firm positions, the quest for a path toward mutual understanding and reconciliation is laden with obstacles, underlining the intricate geopolitical landscape of South Asia.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-claps-back-at-talibans-border-rejection-stands-firm-on-durand-line-legitimacy-98745/

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Imran moves IHC against his conviction in cipher, Toshakhana cases

February 17, 2024

ISLAMABAD: PTI founder Imran Khan has resorted to Islamabad High Court (IHC) against his conviction in cipher case and Toshakhana reference.

The appeals have been filed through Sardar Latif Khosa advocate in IHC.

NAB, FIA and subordinate court have been made respondents in the appeal pleas.

The petitioner has taken the plea that the norms of justice have not been met in the cases. Transparent trial which is guaranteed by the law and constitution has been violated. In haste it was not allowed even to cross examine the witnesses. “Even we were not heard. State counsel was appointed and arguments of their own will were obtained from him. We were not allowed to present our lawyers. Therefore, these sentences be nullified and PTI founder and Bushra Bibi be released,” the petition stated. Latif Khosa told the media men on the occasion that miscellaneous petitions have been filed for suspension of the sentences and early hearing of the pleas. “We have appealed to chief justice to fix these petitions for early hearing. Appeal in Iddat case has been filed in sessions court,” he said..

It is pertinent to mention here that Official Secret Act Court awarded punishment to PTI founder on January 30 in cipher case. Accountability Court (AC) had awarded punishment to PTI founder and Bushra Bibi in Toshakhana case on January 31.

The AC awarded 14-year punishment each to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in Toshakhana reference besides disqualifying Imran Khan for 10 years.

The court constituted under secret act had awarded 10-year punishment each to Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi in cipher missing case.

Meanwhile, PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi has challenged cipher case decision in Islamabad High Court (IHC).

He has requested the court to nullify the decision of special court set up under official secret act.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi has filed the petition through Suleman Safdar and Ali Bokhari in IHC.

It is pertinent to mention here that sentence was awarded to PTI founder and Shah Mehmood Qureshi in cipher case.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1158499-imran-moves-ihc-against-his-conviction-in-cipher-toshakhana-cases

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Ahead of PTI’s protest: Two threat alerts issued for Islamabad

February 17, 2024

Muhammad Saleh Zaafir

ISLAMABAD: The federal capital has received serious threats of terrorism from specific banned groups and has issued two high alerts, which have been shared with the authorities concerned.

The political activists who have planned to stage agitation in the federal capital today (Saturday) have been warned about the alerts and against unlawful assembly in the capital city. Islamabad Police Inspector General (IG) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan has made it clear that in the absence of permission for any demonstration, nobody would be allowed to assemble or protest at any place in the federal capital at any public place today.

In a brief chat with The News Friday evening he said that it’s incorrect to say that any party has sought permission for staging any protest on Saturday. In the circumstances, the protest wouldn’t allowed by any party or group, he said.

Highly placed sources told The News that additional troops of Rangers have been called in the city and they have been placed as additional force for dealing with any eventuality. The sources warned that Police Order 2002 is in place in Islamabad and no activity or gathering would be permitted without prior information/ permission from the police officials of the area or administration.

No such information has been communicated to the police officials till Friday late evening. Such information must reach to the officials concerned before reasonable time. The sources said that assembly of five or more than five persons isn’t allowed in the federal capital under Section 144 and this also prohibits any gathering in the federal capital.

The PTI has announced to stage protest today against the recent election results.

The sources advised the people not visit or come close to the places which are known gathering points of agitation. The diplomats posted in Islamabad have also been informed to take all precautions regarding their movement and interaction with the people outside. They have been advised not make movement unnecessarily.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1158500-ahead-of-pti-s-protest-two-threat-alerts-issued-for-islamabad

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Deployment of troops okayed for contest between Fazl son, PTI candidate

February 17, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has approved deployment of troops during re-polling in NA-43 (Tank-Dera Ismail Khan), where polling could not take place due to poor law and order situation, on February 19.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had ordered re-polling in six polling stations of the constituency where PTI-backed independent candidate Dawar Khan Kundi won NA-43 (Tank-Dera Ismail Khan) constituency with 63,556 votes, with a close margin of 826 votes against the son of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, ex-MNA Asad Mahmood, who secured 62,730 votes.

The cabinet decided to deploy troops under Article 220 and 245 of the Constitution for maintenance of law and order.

“As there is a close margin, the polling process will be held in a highly tense situation,” sources said.

A political observer said that though it’s a matter of six polling stations, the contest is going to be neck and neck with potential of raising tension in the area. He said the repolling is going to be held at a time when a PTI delegation has met the JUI-F chief who has expressed his willingness to take to the streets against what he alleges as massive rigging. Against this

backdrop, the observer said, he would keep his fingers crossed as to how the two parties would behave on the ground amid the re-polling.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1158325-fazl-s-somersault-sparks-debate-on-who-directed-no-trust-move

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PML-N boosts efforts to woo independents for coalition govt

February 17, 2024

Zulqernain Tahir

LAHORE: The PML-N has intensified efforts to woo independent winning candidates in the province ahead of cobbling up a coalition government both in the Centre and Punjab.

On Friday, MNA-elect Rasheed Akbar Nawani from NA-92, MPAs-elect Ahmad Nawaz Nawani PP-90 and Amir Inyat PP-92 (Bhakkar) and Rana Abdul Manan PP-272 (Muzaffarghar) called on the party leadership and announced their joining of the PML-N.

The PML-N has so far managed to take 16 independent MPAs-elect (not backed by PTI) and four MNAs-elect on board.

According to unofficial election results, the PML-N has 79 seats in National Assembly and 137 in Punjab Assembly, respectively.

With the inclusion of 16 independent winners, the PML-N number in the provincial assembly has touched 153.

16 MPAs-elect, and four MNAs-elect taken on board so far, party sources claim

Sources say that the PML-N aims to gather enough independents so that it does not need to depend much on the PPP in the future scheme of things.

On the other hand, the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) has managed to woo four MPAs-elect (three of them backed by the PTI).

After the resignation of IPP patron-in-chief Jahangir Khan Tareen, Aleem Khan is looking after the affairs of the party that was carved out of PTI in the wake of May 9 events.

He claimed that another group of 10 to 15 MPAs-elect would soon join the IPP, as they had been in contact with him.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1814852/pml-n-boosts-efforts-to-woo-independents-for-coalition-govt

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Ambassador Durrani to take part in Doha talks on Afghanistan: FO

February 17, 2024

Baqir Sajjad Syed

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Friday said Pakistan will participate in the upcoming meeting of special envoys on Afghanistan.

The meeting being held from Feb 18 to 19 in Qatar capital Doha has been convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for deliberating on the approaches to international engagement with Taliban administration.

Pakistan’s Special Representative on Afghanistan Amb Asif Durrani will lead the country’s delegation.

The FO said that Pakistan’s participation in the conference would show its commitment to actively engaging with the international community, including the United Nations, to support efforts towards achieving lasting peace and prosperity in Afghanistan.

UN wants Taliban representatives to attend meeting of special envoys, beginning tomorrow

Pakistan’s participation would further underscore Islamabad’s desire for playing a constructive role in the international discourse on Afghanistan, emphasising the importance of collaborative efforts to address the complex challenges facing the region.

The upcoming conference has garnered significant attention.

The UN has expressed its desire for Taliban representatives to attend the two-day conference that is being seen as a key step towards engaging with the current Afghan leadership.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has indicated Taliban’s willingness to participate in the meeting. He has, however, emphasised the condition of its delegates being recognised as the official representatives of Afghanistan.

The conference would offer a platform for special envoys to engage collectively with Afghan stakeholders, including representatives of the de facto authorities and Afghan civil society, notably women.

This conference marks the second UN-organised gathering on Afghanistan in less than a year, with the previous session in May 2023 not including the Taliban.

The agenda includes discussing the potential appointment of a UN envoy for Afghanistan, a proposition recommended in an independent UN assessment and supported by the United States and European allies for coordinating international engagement with the Taliban leadership in Kabul.

However, the appointment of a UN envoy faces opposition from the de facto Afghan authorities.

In a UN Security Council vote held in December 2023 concerning a resolution to empower the secretary-general to nominate a special envoy for Afghanistan, China and Russia chose not to participate, opting instead to abstain.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1814798/ambassador-durrani-to-take-part-in-doha-talks-on-afghanistan-fo

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Private scheme pilgrims to benefit from Road-to-Makkah project

February 17, 2024

ISLAMABAD:Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Saeed Al-Malki on Friday said pilgrims under the private Hajj scheme would also be included in the ‘Road-to-Makkah’ project.

Talking to caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed, the ambassador pledged full cooperation to private Hajj companies.

Additionally, he mentioned that senior Saudi officials will visit Pakistan in the final week of February to finalise the ‘Road to Makkah’ project at the Karachi airport.

The minister and the Saudi ambassador discussed finalising arrangements for the Hajj 2024 and expanding the ‘Road-to-Makkah’ project during a meeting at the Saudi embassy.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Pakistan Hajj Mission are maintaining continuous communication with Saudi authorities to ensure timely completion of Hajj arrangements.

The minister added that in accordance with Saudi directives, applicants for the private Hajj scheme have been provided with additional facilities.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has formed a total of 146 Hajj-organising companies and their particulars are available at the ministry. The booking process for private Hajj pilgrims has already started.

Source: tribune.com.pk

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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2456725/private-scheme-pilgrims-to-benefit-from-road-to-makkah-project

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Islamabad asks Kabul to address genuine security concerns

2024-02-17

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office on Friday rejected Afghan interim government senior official self-serving and fanciful claims on the legality and sanctity of the Pakistan-Afghan border and advised Kabul to address Islamabad genuine security concerns than try to divert public attention.

In response to media queries regarding remarks of Deputy Interim Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch lamented the Afghan official public pronouncements aimed at trying to divert public attention.

Any self-serving and fanciful claims regarding the legality and sanctity of the Pak-Afghan border cannot change the facts of geography, history and international law, she said.

She also that the Afghan side will be well advised to address Pakistan genuine security concerns than try to divert public attention by such unfortunate public pronouncements. Pakistan remains committed to facilitating fully regulated movement of people and goods across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border based on norms of interstate relations. We will continue to take steps to this end, she added.

Source: brecorder.com

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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40289291/islamabad-asks-kabul-to-address-genuine-security-concerns

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Southeast Asia

 

RM20,000 incentive for mosques, suraus in Federal Territories with five-star toilet cleanliness

17-02- 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) has prepared incentives of RM20,000 for each of the six mosques or suraus in the Federal Territories that achieve five-star cleanliness rating for their toilets.

Its minister, Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said the incentives would be for knowledge programmes as well as for the development and maintenance of the religious institutions that participate in the cleaniliness campaign that was launched today.

“I would like to congratulate and thank JAWI (The Federal Territories Religious Affairs Department) for this meaningful effort to ensure that Islamic institutions such as mosques and suraus continue to shine.

“The launch of the campaign today is very significant for us to continue to spread Islamic teachings to the faithful,” he posted on his official Facebook page today.

He added that mosques and suraus should be the best examples in cleanliness and that Islam should be renowned for its noble values and virtues.

“In a wider context, the programme today is part of our shared responsibility to safeguard our religion as stated in the Maqasid Syariah.” he said, adding that this noble effort would continue to motivate Muslims in taking care of the sanctity of its religious institutions.

“This is the effort of the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) in starting this programme here in the Federal Territories. May it bring goodness and benefit to all,” he added. –Bernama

Source: thesun.my

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https://thesun.my/local_news/rm20000-incentive-for-mosques-suraus-in-federal-territories-with-five-star-toilet-cleanliness-NC12108612

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MADANI Govt confident of achieving stronger GDP growth of 4-5 % in 2024

16-02- 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: The MADANI Government is confident of achieving stronger Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of between four and five per cent in 2024 on the back of strong fundamentals and reforms mapped out in the MADANI Economy and Budget 2024.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Finance Minister, said after mapping out the strategy for Malaysia’s new economic growth through the MADANI Economy framework, the government will accelerate its implementation this year to ignite new economic growth and deliver social reform and justice.

“The government is determined to further narrow the fiscal deficit to 4.3 per cent this year, in line with commitments in the Public Finances and Fiscal Responsibility Act 2023. The government has successfully reduced fiscal deficit to 5 per cent in 2023 from 5.6 per cent in 2022,” he said in a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) today.

MoF said the MADANI Economy framework underscores the importance of reforming Malaysia’s economy to not only address systemic, historical challenges but also focus on new areas of sustainable growth and resilience.

Budget 2024, on the other hand, firmly highlights the government’s commitment to responsible fiscal management and subsidy rationalisation, the ministry said, adding that savings from these will be channelled to the vulnerable communities and the rakyat based on needs, as well as improve public infrastructure and services.

Meanwhile, MoF said, strategies and measures under the National Energy Transition Roadmap, New Industrial Master Plan 2030 and Mid-Term Review of the 12th Malaysia Plan aim to propel quality investments in high-value-added industries, especially in the energy transition, digital and high-technology industries, ultimately creating more high-income job opportunities for the rakyat.

Commenting on 2023 GDP announced today, the ministry said the Malaysian economic growth normalised to 3.7 per cent in 2023, following a strong growth registered in the previous year (2022: 8.7 per cent) and was slightly lower than the Budget 2024 forecast of about four per cent.

Despite a challenging external environment, the ministry said, Malaysia’s economy grew by three per cent in the fourth quarter of 2023 (Q4 2023), supported by resilient domestic demand that rose by 5.2 per cent in the quarter (Q3 2023: 4.8 per cent).

This helped cushion the 3.2 per cent decline in Malaysia’s trade, as exports softened on the back of cooling global demand, it said.

MoF said the growth in Q4 2023 was supported by improving economic fundamentals, among others, the labour market which registered positive growth momentum in Q4 2023, with the unemployment rate in Q4 2023 decreasing to pre-pandemic level of 3.3 per cent (Q3 2023: 3.4 per cent).

“Inflation tapered to 1.6 per cent (Q3 2023: 2 per cent), lending credence that the government’s strategy to rationalise subsidies had not caused a shock to the overall economy.

“For the month of December 2023, the headline inflation rate moderated to 1.5 per cent. This is lower than other more developed and regional economies such as the Eurozone (2.9 per cent), South Korea (3.2 per cent), the United States (3.4 per cent), the Philippines (3.9 per cent), and Indonesia (2.6 per cent),” it shared.

It also noted that net foreign direct investment amounted to RM17.1 billion in Q4 2023 (Q3 2023: RM7.2 billion).

Anwar said the continued growth in domestic demand signifies that the MADANI Government’s reform agenda is starting to yield positive results.

“Aside from the ongoing fiscal restructuring, which mutually benefit the government and the rakyat, efforts to enhance governance and ease of doing business have stimulated economic activities and progressively restored investor confidence in Malaysia,” he added. – Bernama

Source: thesun.my

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story

https://thesun.my/local_news/madani-govt-confident-of-achieving-stronger-gdp-growth-of-4-5-in-2024-HC12107653

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Naval ship docks in Egypt, unloads aid for Palestinians

February 16, 2024 \

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Navy's (TNI-AL's) hospital ship KRI Dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat-992 has docked at the Port of Al Arish in Egypt with humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza Strip.

TNI-AL's Information Office, in a written statement released here on Friday, informed that the humanitarian aid from the Indonesian people was unloaded gradually after the ship's arrival at the port in the Sinai Peninsula on Tuesday (February 13, 2024).

The unloading of the 242 tonnes humanitarian aid at the port was completed on Friday, according to the office.

While the unloading process was on, a symbolic handover ceremony was held to the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC), represented by Ahmed Buhaeri Ali on Wednesday (February 14).

The Navy informed that after the assistance was unloaded, it was rearranged based on its type and repackaged for distribution to the Gaza Strip by the ERC. The aid will be distributed through Rafah, the closest entry point to Gaza.

The ERC is the humanitarian organization authorized by the Egyptian authority to receive and supply humanitarian assistance from foreign countries, including Indonesia, for Palestinians in Gaza.

KRI Dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat-992 sailed out from Jakarta on January 18, 2024, carrying 80 truck loads of humanitarian aid, including diapers, clothes for children and adults, jackets, various types of foods and medicines, and blankets.

Its send-off ceremony was presided over by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto.

This was the ship's first voyage outside Indonesian waters since its launch in August 2022. The ship set sail with 214 crew members, including 40 special officers of the Navy.

Source: antaranews.com

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https://en.antaranews.com/news/306204/naval-ship-docks-in-egypt-unloads-aid-for-palestinians

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Jailed Thai ex-premier Thaksin to be freed Sunday: Thai PM

February 17, 2024

BANGKOK: Jailed former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra will be freed on Sunday, the kingdom's prime minister has said, just six months after returning from 15 years of self-imposed exile.

The controversial billionaire, twice elected premier and ousted in a 2006 military coup, was jailed for eight years on graft and abuse-of-power charges upon his return to Thailand in August, but within days had his sentence cut to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday before boarding a flight, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said Thaksin's release would be "on the 18th" and handled "according to the rule of law."

It comes after Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong said earlier this week that Thaksin, 74, would be among 930 prisoners granted early release.

"He is in the group where they are in a critical condition or aged over 70. He will be released after six months automatically," the minister said.

Thai media have reported he could be released very early in the morning, but Srettha said he did not know any details.

Thaksin's homecoming coincided with his Pheu Thai party returning to government in alliance with pro-military parties, leading many to conclude that an agreement had been struck to cut his jail time.

The rumours grew stronger when he was transferred to a police hospital within hours of being sentenced because of his poor health, and it is not clear that he has spent any time in a prison cell.

Local media reported Thaksin had been suffering from chest tightness and high blood pressure when he was admitted to hospital, and his family has said he underwent two operations in the following months.

The exact details of Thaksin's release are not clear, but he may be subject to monitoring – possibly with an ankle tag – and restrictions on his right to travel.

His daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the current head of Pheu Thai, welcomed the news earlier this week, saying it was "time for him to live the rest of his life happily."

The former telecoms tycoon is one of the most influential but divisive figures in modern Thai history.

Loved by millions of rural Thais for his populist policies in the early 2000s, Thaksin is reviled by the country's royalist and pro-military establishment.

Much of Thai politics over the past two decades has been coloured by the tussle for power between the establishment and Thaksin and his allies.

When he landed home in Bangkok, his supporters gave him a hero's welcome, and his first public act was to prostrate himself in homage before a portrait of the king at the airport.

Police laid lese-majeste charges against him last week over comments he made in South Korea almost a decade ago, though it is not clear whether prosecutors will take the case to court.

Thaksin denies the charge and has written to the attorney general asking for fair treatment. – AFP

Source: nst.com.my

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story

https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2024/02/1014351/jailed-thai-ex-premier-thaksin-be-freed-sunday-thai-pm

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Africa

 

Islamic State group poses rising threat in Africa despite progress, UN experts say

 Feb 16, 2024

The Islamic State extremist group poses a rising threat amid political instability in West Africa and the Sahel and remains intent on carrying out attacks abroad, the U.N. counter-terrorism chief said Thursday.

Vladimir Voronkov reiterated U.N. findings that IS continues to pose a significant threat to international peace and security, especially in conflict zones, despite significant progress by U.N. member nations in countering the threat. The group has also increased operations in its former strongholds in Iraq and Syria as well as Southeast Asia, Voronkov said.

Voronkov told the U.N. Security Council that in West Africa and the Sahel, a broad region cutting across the continent, the situation has deteriorated "and is becoming more complex," as local ethnic and regional disputes cross with the agenda and operations of the extremist group, which is also known by its Arabic name Daesh, and its affiliates.

"Daesh affiliates continued to operate with increasingly more autonomy from the Daesh core," he said, warning that if this trend persists there is a risk "that a vast area of instability may emerge from Mali to the borders of Nigeria."

Natalia Gherman, executive director of the U.N. Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, said: "They are exploiting the political instability and expanding their radius of influence, their operations and territorial control in the Sahel, with growing concerns for coastal West Africa."

"The African continent now accounts for almost half of terrorist acts worldwide, with central Sahel accounting for about 25% of such attacks," she told the council.

Voronkov, who heads the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism, said countering the threat of terrorism in Africa remains a priority for his office.

Gherman said that "enduring challenges persist in the Middle East and Southeast and Central Asia, with indications that Daesh is attempting to resurge in those sub-regions as well."

The Islamic State group broke away from al-Qaida over a decade ago and attracted supporters from around the world. Despite its defeat in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later, U.N. experts said last month that there are still between 3,000 and 5,000 fighters. In Iraq, they are carrying out "a low-intensity insurgency with covert terrorist cells" while in Syria attacks have intensified since November, the experts said.

In positive developments, he pointed to the group's prolonged delay in naming a new leader after the previous leader was killed, saying this "is assessed to reflect internal challenges and difficulties in ensuring the new leader's security." In countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, and Mozambique, he said, terrorist activity by Islamic State affiliates "has been reduced by effective counter-terrorism efforts by member states."

Government efforts to tackle IS financing are also continuing to produce results, Voronkov said. "Daesh's financial reserves are currently estimated between $10 million and $25 million, down from hundreds of millions a few years ago," the U.N. undersecretary-general said.

In Afghanistan, Voronkov said, efforts by the country's Taliban rulers "have reportedly had an impact on the ability of the Daesh affiliate to conduct attacks inside the country." But U.N. experts have described ongoing ties between the Taliban and al-Qaida.

Gherman said a priority for her committee is working with the 193 U.N. member states to address the use of new technology for terrorist purposes, pointing as an example to IS's increasing use of drones for intelligence gathering and attacks.

Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock said the international police organization is working closely with U.N. counter-terrorism officials on a project to help law enforcement "identify and prevent the exploitation for terrorist purposes of enablers such as encryption services, video distribution tools, and new propaganda platforms."

He said Interpol also has a project to collect data on links between organized crime and terrorists, citing as an example the trafficking of cocaine through North and West Africa mostly by sea and along the Sahel route. "Our findings show interactions between terrorist groups and criminal organizations, where their interests and areas of operation converge to benefit both sides," he said.

In combating terrorism, Stock said, Interpol is focusing on biometrics, border security, and battlefield information.

Source: africanews.com

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https://www.africanews.com/2024/02/16/islamic-state-group-poses-rising-threat-in-africa-despite-progress-un-experts-say/

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Sahel Alliance: ministers confirm ECOWAS withdrawal at meeting

 Feb 16, 2024

The defence and foreign affairs ministers from Mali and Niger arrived in Burkina Faso's capital on Thursday for a meeting between the three countries.

It comes just weeks after their withdrawal from regional bloc ECOWAS. The three members of the Alliance of Sahel States are now laying the steps to create a tri-state confederation.

Spokesman for the Alliance, Abdoulaye Maïga, said the three members had confirmed their joint commitment to withdraw from ECOWAS without delay and continue cooperation under the Alliance, which was formed last September.

Maïga also said that the ministers were meeting to prepare for the creation of the proposed confederation.

"As you know, we are here in Ouagadougou as part of the preparations for the summit of Heads of State of the Sahel Alliance, which is due to take place soon," said Maïga. "Before our meeting, our experts from the three countries had time to exchange views on a number of documents, so it was only natural to come and report to his Excellency Captain Traoré, and then to benefit from his wise advice and recommendations to help realise the common vision of the three Heads of State, that is, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger".

The ministers also confirmed their joint commitment to withdraw from ECOWAS without delay and continue cooperation under the Alliance, formed last September.

The decision at the end of January to leave the body was a heavy blow to the Western African bloc.

The three states said they were exiting with immediate effect due to "illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible" sanctions imposed on them by ECOWAS.

The bloc had imposed sanctions on the Sahelian countries following coups there.

Source: africanews.com

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https://www.africanews.com/2024/02/16/sahel-alliance-ministers-confirm-ecowas-withdrawal-at-meeting/

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’Starving’: Sudan aid workers sound the alarm over spiralling crisis

February 17, 2024

PARIS: Sudanese aid worker Shakir Elhassan and his family were among millions forced to flee their homes and former lives after war broke out last year in Sudan.

Some 10 months later, he is one of many voices in the sector warning of a devastating humanitarian crisis that could soon spiral into famine.

“The needs are unprecedented,” the communications manager at Care International said, deploring a lack of global attention.

“There is a huge gap in medicines, food,” he said, speaking to AFP from the east of the country after what he described as 10 days without Internet.

Conflict broke out in April last year between Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, his former deputy and commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Elhassan fled the capital Khartoum in July, joining his wife and three children who had already sought refuge 180 kilometers (110 miles) further south in the town of Wad Madani.

But in December the RSF attacked the town in Jazirah state, which had become a “humanitarian hub” for the region.

“It was horrific, I moved out from Jazirah just with the clothes” on my back, he said.

“On the road, there was thousands of people moving on foot, in a state of panic. Most of them were women and children.”

He and his family found shelter some 400 km east of there, in the provincial capital of Kassala state near the Eritrean border, where they still live and he says he sees a constant trickle of new arrivals.

“People arrive in Kassala exhausted, some of them sick, starving. Many of them told me they are bankrupt,” he said.

“I have seen thousands of people here sheltering in very poor conditions,” he added.

The war in Sudan has killed thousands, including 10,000 to 15,000 people in the single town of El Geneina in the western region of Darfur, according to UN figures.

It has displaced more than six million people inside the country, while more than a million have fled abroad, mostly to neighboring Chad and Egypt.

The United Nations says outbreaks of diseases pose a growing threat, particularly in overcrowded shelter sites, with the country already facing outbreaks of cholera and dengue fever.

Inside the country, some 25 million people — more than half the population — need humanitarian aid.

Of those, 18 million face crisis or worse levels of hunger.

Ten months on from the start of the conflict, many are struggling to find food to eat.

William Carter, country director for Norwegian Refugee Council, visited Darfur in recent weeks.

“Aside from the trauma and the physical loss, what struck me is the level of hunger,” he said.

“People have sold everything. Bakeries are not producing even the half of what they do usually because they have no flour nor wheat.”

France-based non-governmental organization Solidarites International warned that Sudan — already one of the poorest countries on the planet — would be “going straight into a famine” if nothing was done.

“It will be the largest humanitarian crisis Sudan has ever known,” said its regional director Justine Muzik Piquemal.

“If food cannot be brought in through the humanitarian route, people will have nothing because there is nothing on markets,” she added.

“People will die of hunger.”

In early February, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned that one child was dying every two hours in the Zamzam camp for displaced people in North Darfur.

That amounted to around 13 child fatalities a day, it said, with many other malnourished children at risk.

Clementine Nkweta-Salami, UN humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, in November warned that human rights violations in Darfur were “verging on pure evil,” describing children “caught in crossfire” and girls raped in front of their mothers.

Deepmala Mahla, the humanitarian head for Care International, said the country was “at risk of losing a whole generation.”

“A lot of children are this close to dying because of starvation,” she said.

France is to host a humanitarian conference to provide aid to Sudan in April.

The United Nations this month launched an appeal for more than $4 billion to help people in Sudan and neighboring countries.

But last year it only received half of the funds it had requested from donors.

Alice Verrier, from French charity Premiere Urgence Internationale, said that so far there had been far less humanitarian aid sent the African country than to Ukraine after Russia invaded in 2022.

“When you look at the sums of money set aside for Ukraine, we’re not at all on the same scale,” she said.

“The Sudanese crisis has been completely forgotten.”

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2461441/middle-east

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Suspected Boko Haram Terrorists Attack Travellers On Borno-Yobe Highway, Kill One, Kidnap Several Others

February 16, 2024

Suspected Boko Haram terrorists on Friday attacked travellers along the Damaturu-Biu highway near Mahdiya village in the Gujba local government area of Yobe State, killed one and kidnapped a yet-to-be-confirmed number of other passengers.

It was gathered that the terrorists laid an ambush on commercial and private vehicles plying the highway on Friday morning, attacked and abducted many travelers in six vehicles after killing one of them.

One of the travellers who escaped from the attack said that the terrorists stopped vehicles around 9am, dragged passengers out and took them away into the bush, Leadership reports.

According to the passenger, the heavily armed terrorists took position on the highway at Mahdiya village in Gujba local government area, 40 kilometers from Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.

The chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Gujba Local Government Area, who addressed journalists after the incident said that some of the passengers came out of their vehicles and ran back towards Damaturu where they were coming from.

The NURTW chairman said, “Today Friday is Buni Yadi Market where thousands of people from the surrounding communities come for business, unfortunately the Boko Haram abducted them.”

Also, a credible security source who reportedly confirmed the incident said, “Information received this morning indicated that suspected Boko Haram intercepted a number of passenger vehicles coming from Maiduguri to Southern Borno through Damaturu/Buni Yadi/Biu Road.”

Source: saharareporters.com

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https://saharareporters.com/2024/02/16/suspected-boko-haram-terrorists-attack-travellers-borno-yobe-highway-kill-one-kidnap

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Hardship: “Nigerians should be patient, there is global economic decline” – Islamic group

 Jerry Wright-Ukwu

February 16, 2024

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), a faith-based non-governmental organization, has urged Nigerians to exercise patience and caution in the midst of the current economic challenges.

In a press statement issued on Friday, February 16, 2024, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the Executive Director of MURIC, emphasized that major democracies like the United Kingdom and Japan are also grappling with worse economic declines.

MURIC pointed out that Nigeria is not immune to the bandwagon effect of a distressed global economy and emphasized the need for citizens to recognize the interconnected nature of the world’s economic dynamics.

The organization also discouraged the tendency to solely blame local leaders for the challenges faced and urged Nigerians to understand the broader international economic landscape.

MURIC encouraged Nigerians to reject undemocratic attempts to change the system and cautioned against destructive actions, such as attacking public property.

It also called on workers’ unions to participate in meaningful discussions with employers, focusing on finding solutions rather than engaging in actions that may escalate tensions.

Part of the statement read:

“Something must be terribly wrong with the world’s economy if great democracies like Britain, France, Canada, and America are facing worse economic decline.

“Nigerians in diaspora have been complaining of tough times and it all began with the COVID-19 lockdown when the world’s economy was totally shut down. Things have not been the same since then.

“Nigerians have two major lessons to learn from this ugly developments. Firstly, Nigeria is merely suffering from the bandwagon effect of a distraught global economy.

“We are not an island. What is happening to the naira and the skyrocketing prices is not isolated. Neither can we blame our leaders for it. It is a natural concomitant of events in a global village. We can only blame globalisation for it.

“Secondly, although there are reports of recession in those countries, their citizens have not resorted to violence. Public properties are not being attacked. Neither are there threats by their military to stage coups because they are sensible enough to know that the military are not trained for politics or management of battered economies.

“The threat of a military coup allegedly issued by the former head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida is therefore in bad taste and it is most unfortunate. We advise Nigerians to ignore him if indeed the report is true.

The military’s past incursion into politics brought Nigeria to where it is today. Characterized by lack of probity, total absence of accountability, disrespect for the rule of law, dehumanisation of the citizenry, tyranny, totalitarian dictatorship, etc, military rule is a hydra-headed monster which Nigerians must avoid at all cost.

“The worst civilian rulers are better than the best military rulers. You can change a civilian president at the polls, but you are permanently at the mercy of a military ruler. Military rule has no timeline whereas a civilian ruler has just four years to prove his mettle or be changed at the polls.

“We therefore urge Nigerians to shun all undemocratic attempts at changing the system. We are aware of incitements to demonstrations and some have actually taken place. We admit that demonstrations are our right to express grievances but we must be wary of hijackers whose evil plans are more luciferous than that of the authors of #EndSARS.

“Nigerians must not listen to those who incite them to destroy public property. Only sadists can look at the hundreds of brand new luxurious buses of the Lagos State Government which were all burnt down and feel a sense of achievement. Those buses were about to be launched for use as public transport by the citizens. We must never allow such madness again.

“In keeping with the avowed motto of MURIC which is ‘Dialogue, No Violence’, we urge Nigerians to engage their leaders at the local, state and federal levels for ways and means of rubber-cushioning the effect of this economic downturn.

“We call on workers’ unions to jaw-jaw with employees of labour without playing to the gallery.”

MURIC urged Nigerians to approach the economic challenges with resilience, patience, and a commitment to peaceful dialogue, avoiding actions that could worsen the situation.

Source: politicsnigeria.com

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https://politicsnigeria.com/hardship-nigerians-should-be-patient-there-is-global-economic-decline-islamic-group/

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North America

 

CAIR Condemns Dishonest, Defamatory Anti-Muslim Attack Ad on Judicial Nominee Adeel Mangi

Ismail Allison

February 16, 2024

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned anti-Muslim attack ads targeting judicial nominee Adeel Mangi.

The Judicial Crisis Network, a right-wing judicial advocacy group, unveiled digital this week to pressure Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) to oppose Mangi’s confirmation. The group’s ads accuse Mangi of being a “radical” and an “antisemite,” and of advising an organization that teaches students “to hate Israel, to hate America and to support global terrorism.” The ads also use video footage of the second plane crashing into the World Trade Center on 9/11 overlaid with a headline about Mangi.

“The attack ad targeting Mr. Mangi is dishonest, disgusting and brimming with anti-Muslim bigotry,” said CAIR Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell. “Insinuating that an accomplished American Muslim attorney is a terrorist sympathizer is classic Islamophobia, despicable, and must be condemned.”

Last year, CAIR condemned Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley for their “Islamophobic and un-American” questioning of Mangi.

Source: cair.com

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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-dishonest-defamatory-anti-muslim-attack-ad-on-judicial-nominee-adeel-mangi/

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New York governor apologises after implying Israel is justified to destroy Gaza

 17 Feb 2024

WASHINGTON, Feb 16 ― New York Governor Kathy Hochul yesterday apologised for remarks she made at a Jewish philanthropy event in New York City that went viral on social media and which suggested Israel had justification to destroy Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attack.

“If Canada someday ever attacked Buffalo, I'm sorry, my friends, there would be no Canada the next day,” Hochul said in a portion of her speech on Thursday at an event for the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York.

“That is a natural reaction. You have a right to defend yourself and to make sure that it never happens again. And that is Israel's right.”

Yesterday, in a statement cited by the New York Times, she said she regretted her “inappropriate analogy” and apologised for her “poor choice of words.”

“While I have been clear in my support of Israel's right to self-defence, I have also repeatedly said and continue to believe that Palestinian civilian casualties should be avoided and that more humanitarian aid must go to the people of Gaza,” she said in the statement.

Israel launched its offensive in Hamas-governed Gaza following the Palestinian Islamist group's October 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military action and strikes have flattened much of the densely populated enclave and displaced nearly all its population.

The humanitarian crisis has left Gaza's population of more than 2 million people on the brink of starvation. Nearly 29,000 have died in Israel's offensive, according to the Gaza health ministry.

The United Nations has called for a humanitarian ceasefire, which the US has opposed, saying it would let Hamas regroup.

American society has also had to deal with the impact of the war. Rights advocates have noted a rise in antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias in the US since the start of the war. ― Reuters

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2024/02/17/new-york-governor-apologises-after-implying-israel-is-justified-to-destroy-gaza/118500

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US Congress Summons Khalilzad for Doha Agreement Details

February 16, 2024

The United States Congress summoned Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for the reconciliation of Afghanistan, to speak on Thursday about the details of the Doha agreement.

Khalilzad said to members of congress that if the Doha agreement with “the Taliban” was not reached, the US would have had to enter the war again.

Speaking the hearing of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, he said that the efforts for Afghanistan are not over yet and the last chapter of this country has not been written.

Khalilzad said: "A last-minute success in persuading the Taliban to refrain from entering Kabul and instead to hold talks with the government to reach a political deal for a transition  government - a step to which both sides had agreed - fell apart when President Ghani surprisingly fled the country, which caused the now leaderless Afghan military and police to instantly disintegrate. These developments led to the Taliban entry into Kabul. This abrupt sequence of events obliged the US to react, adapt and improvise, as none of this had been foreseen in our plans to withdraw by the end of August."

Zalmay Khalilzad, in response to a question from a member of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs about banning women's education and work, claimed that the Islamic Emirate has acted against its commitments after regaining control in Afghanistan.

Khalilzad said: “They did nothing in the agreement -- the issues dealing with the future of Afghanistan was to be negotiated among the Afghans between the two sides.”

Michael McCaul, the chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, at this hearing called the departure of Ashraf Ghani, the former president of Afghanistan, "cowardly."

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-187443

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CAIR Calls Israeli Attack on Gaza Hospital a ‘War Crime’ After Patients Die When Raid Cuts Off Oxygen Supply

Ismail Allison

February 16, 2024

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the far-right Israeli government’s latest war crime in Gaza after at least five patients died when their oxygen ran out as Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital was stormed by Israeli troops in violation of international humanitarian law.

Israel has already killed almost 30,000 people, mainly women and children, in Gaza.

In a statement, CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said:

“By systematically destroying Gaza’s health care system, and leaving patients – including infants – to die, Israel’s far-right government is once again demonstrating its genocidal intent to all who are willing to see. The Biden administration must act, and act now, to stop these ongoing war crimes and to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”

Earlier this week, CAIR called on the U.S. Department of State to investigate new allegations that forces of the far-right Israeli government are torturing Palestinian detainees and allowing Israeli civilians to witness and record video footage of the abuses on their cell phones.

Washington, D.C., based CAIR also issued an urgent call to action for every American citizen to voice their opposition to any U.S. House bill allocating unconditional military aid to Israel.

CAIR condemned the Senate’s “shameful” vote to approve $14 billion in unconditional military aid for the far-right Netanyahu government’s ongoing genocide in Gaza that has killed almost 30,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children. 

Source: cair.com

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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-calls-israeli-attack-on-gaza-hospital-a-war-crime-after-patients-die-when-raid-cuts-off-oxygen-supply/

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US plans to send weapons to Israel even as Biden pushes for ceasefire: report

 Feb 17, 2024

The Biden administration is preparing to send bombs and other weapons to Israel that would add to its military arsenal even as the US pushes for a ceasefire in Gaza, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing current and former US officials.

The proposed arms delivery includes MK-82 bombs and KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munitions that add precision guidance to bombs, and FMU-139 bomb fuses, the Journal reported, adding that the value of is estimated to be "tens of millions of dollars."

The proposed delivery is still being internally reviewed by the administration, the report added, citing a US official, who said the details of the proposal could change before the administration notifies congressional committee leaders who would need to approve the transfer.

The US State Department and Defense Department, Israel Defense Forces and Israel Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report.

As of December 2023, the Biden administration had skipped congressional review of weapons sale to Israel twice.

The Biden administration has faced criticism for continuing to supply arms to Israel as allegations pile up that American-made weapons have been used in strikes that have killed or injured civilians.

The war in Gaza began when Iran-backed Hamas sent fighters into Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's air and ground offensive has since devastated much of Gaza, killing 28,775 people, also mostly civilians according to Palestinian health authorities, and forcing nearly all of its more than 2 million inhabitants from their homes.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/world/israels-attack-on-palestine/news/us-plans-send-weapons-israel-even-biden-pushes-ceasefire-report-3545891

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