India On Heightened Security Alert: Dhaka's Islamist EventOrganised by "Al Markazul Islami” Draws Radical Islamists from Hamas, Pak
New Age Islam News Bureau
10 October 2024
Border Security Force personnel keep vigil along the India-Bangladesh border. (File | PTI)
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· India On Heightened Security Alert: Dhaka's Islamist EventOrganised by "Al Markazul Islami” Draws Radical Islamists from Hamas, Pak
· FBI's Arrest of Afghan Underscores Growing Threat Posed by Islamic State-Khorasan Extremist Group to The West
· Bangladesh Protests Border Killing, Urges India to Stop Recurrenceof Such Heinous Acts
· How Israel’s War On Hezbollah Risks Creating a Lost Generation In Lebanon
· European Muslim NGOs Condemn State Repression of Palestine Activism
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India
· Tomorrow, If Not Today, NC-Congress Government Will Talk 370: Omar Abdullah
· Hindu outfit claims abandoned house being used as mosque in Uttarakhand, probe ordered
· Congress creating fear psychosis in minds of Muslims: PM Modi
· Congress an irresponsible party and factory to spread hatred: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
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South Asia
· Afghanistan’s UN Voting Rights Suspended for Another Year
· Islamic Emirate: 'No Threats to Other Countries from Afghanistan'
· Canadian Subcommittee acknowledges Historical Hazara Massacre in Afghanistan
· New Agreement Introduces GPS-Enabled Smart Locks and Modern Postal Code System in Afghanistan
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Mideast
· Muslim World Divided into 3 Groups Over Palestinian Issue, Says Head of IUMS
· Israeli Defence Minister Warns Their Retaliation On Iran Would Be ‘Lethal’ And ‘Surprising’
· Occupier Closes Ibrahimi Mosque for 4 Days to Celebrate Jewish Festivals
· Russia says Hezbollah is still organized despite Israeli attacks
· Islamic resistance in Iraq strikes vital target in northern occupied Palestine
· Lebanon facing ‘catastrophic’ situation as 600,000 displaced: UN
· At least four Palestinians killed in Israeli raid on West Bank
· Hezbollah repels Israeli incursions as deadly clashes continue
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Europe
· ICESCO adds Azerbaijan's Shusha, Aghdam monuments to its Islamic World Heritage pre-list
· Council for Mosques organises tour round Bradford mosques
· Finns Party Aiming to Reduce Quota Refugees from Muslim-Majority CountriesWhile Increasingfrom Christian-Majority Nations
· Spain looks to immigrants to drive economy
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North America
· ‘Depraved Ideology’: Convicted Terrorist, Aran Sherani, Smiles After Being Jailed Over Islamic State Pledge
· ACT Greens Leader Says Candidate's Post Comparing Osama Bin Laden To Jesus Christ Is 'Not A Reflection Of Our Party As A Whole'
· Referee told officials Christchurch Mosque gunman was 'good outstanding young man'
· 'It's non-stop': Swing state voters bombarded with ads - will they make a difference?
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Pakistan
· Karachi Terror Attack: AEMEND Terms Pemra's Notices to TV Channels 'Illegal'
· Two terrorists killed in Mir Ali intelligence-based operation: ISPR
· Islamabad High Court Orders De-Sealing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in The Capital
· COAS expresses gratitude over Saudi Arabia’s 'unflinching' support for Pakistan
· Security forces kill two terrorists in Mir Ali IBO
· Govt botched constitutional package issue, says Bilawal
· Balochistan tribunal nullifies PPP lawmaker’s victory
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Africa
· Libya's Representative UN Stresses the Need to End the Transitional Stages and Stop Negative Interference In National Decisions
· ‘Thirteen Repentant Boko Haram Fighters Escape with Govt Rifles, Motorcycles’
· Sokoto govt disburses N95.4m for mosques’ upkeep
· Islamic University College, Ghana to establish Advanced Clinical Training Centre
· ‘Things Were Bad Before Tinubu Took Office’ – Minister Begs Nigerians for Patience
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Arab World
· Saudi Arabia Launches Insurance Policy to Protect Expatriate Workers
· Nordic Week Brings Scandinavian Culture to Riyadh
· Saudi crown prince meets with Iranian foreign minister in Riyadh
· Saudi deputy minister receives UN official in Riyadh
· Ibex Reserve becomes first Saudi Green List protected area
· Saudi Arabia’s King Salman completes medical tests successfully
· Italian ambassador visits archaeological mission at Dumat Al-Jandal
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Southeast Asia
· Selangor Sultan Calls for Immediate Rehabilitation Efforts for 600 Rescued GISBH Children
· Economic recovery linked to political stability, PM Anwar stresses importance of reforms
· Nabawi Grand Imam's Visit Strengthens Indonesia-Saudi Ties: Minister
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/india-dhaka-islamist-radical-hamas-pak/d/133408
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India On Heightened Security Alert: Dhaka's Islamist EventOrganised by "Al Markazul Islami” Draws Radical Islamists from Hamas, Pak
Border Security Force personnel keep vigil along the India-Bangladesh border. (File | PTI)
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Oct 9, 2024
By: Sahil Sinha
A high-profile religious event in Bangladesh's Dhaka has drawn several radical Islamist leaders from militant group Hamas, the Taliban, and Pakistan, triggering heightened security concerns, particularly in neighbouring India.
Organised by "Al Markazul Islami", the gathering saw key figures from various extremist groups delivering sermons. The organisation's founder, Mufti Shahidul Islam, who died in 2023, had direct ties to al-Qaeda, and his long-standing involvement in terrorism has added to the anxiety surrounding the motivations behind this event.
Mufti Shahidul Islam, a notorious figure in the Islamist militancy scene in Bangladesh, was previously arrested in 1999 for orchestrating a deadly bomb attack on an Ahmadiya mosque in Khulna, which claimed eight lives.
Following his release, Islam travelled to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and several African countries, where he received explosives training directly from al-Qaeda. Even after his death, his influence remains strong, with extremist organisations like the Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) continuing to regard him as a key figure in their operations.
The Dhaka event, held on October 7, was attended by senior Hamas leaders, including Sheikh Khaled Quddumi, a spokesperson and senior leader, and Sheikh Khaled Mishal, Chairman of Hamas' Political Bureau.
Also present at the event were prominent Islamist figures from Pakistan, such as Shaikhul Islam Mufti Taqi Usmani and Maulana Fazlur Rahman, both influential within the country's radical circles.
The gathering occurred at a particularly precarious time for Bangladesh and its neighbours, especially India. Intelligence sources told India Today TV that terrorist groups may be attempting to exploit the evolving political situation in Bangladesh, following the ousting of Sheikh Hasina-led government.
As power dynamics in Dhaka shift, there is growing concern that radical elements may be emboldened to plot attacks or attempt infiltrations into India through the porous India-Bangladesh border. In response, Indian security agencies have been placed on high alert, with expectations of possible intrusions by terrorists aiming to destabilise the region, sources added.
The sermon itself reportedly promoted radical Islamist ideologies, sparking concerns that the event could serve as a rallying point for terrorist organisations with broader regional ambitions.
The congregation of these extremist leaders has raised the spectre of escalating violence and increased terror activities, posing a significant threat to the stability and security of not just India, but the entire South Asian region.
Source:indiatoday.in
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https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/radical-leaders-al-markazul-islami-meeting-hamas-pakistan-taliban-meet-in-dhaka-al-qaeda-event-2614023-2024-10-09
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FBI's Arrest of Afghan Underscores Growing Threat Posed by Islamic State-KhorasanExtremist Group to The West
Former Islamic State-Khorasan leader Hafez Saeed (center) speaks in a video at an undisclosed location on the Pakistani-Afghan border.
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October 10, 2024
By Frud Bezhan and Zhakfar Ahmadi
The FBI's arrest of an Afghan man who allegedly planned a U.S. Election Day attack has underscored the growing threat posed by the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) extremist group to the West.
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, an Afghan citizen living in the United States, plotted an attack on November 5 in the name of IS-K, the U.S. Justice Department said.
Based in Afghanistan, IS-K has carried out a series of devastating, high-profile attacks in Russia, Iran, and Tajikistan in recent years.
"IS-K poses a dangerous threat to both the region and the West," said Abdul Sayed, a Sweden-based researcher who tracks militancy in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.
"IS-K is not confined to Afghanistan alone,” Sayed added. “It operates with a global agenda and has a network functioning both regionally and internationally."
Resilient Force
IS-K is considered the most active and potent of all the regional affiliates of Islamic State (IS), the extremist group that overran large swaths of Iraq and Syria in 2014. IS was largely defeated by a U.S.-led coalition.
IS-K was founded in Afghanistan in late 2014 and captured small pockets of territory in the country as part of IS’s broader aim of expansion throughout South and Central Asia.
But it soon came under fire from Afghan and international forces as well as the Taliban, a rival militant group.
The threat posed by IS-K has increased since the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan government in 2021, analysts say.
The Taliban, which then seized power, has waged a brutal war against IS-K, killing or capturing its key commanders and hundreds of its fighters. But IS-K has embarked on a strategy of urban warfare and remains a resilient force.
The group's ranks have been boosted by foreign fighters, particularly those from the former Soviet republics of Central Asia.
That has allowed IS-K -- which seeks to establish a caliphate, or Islamic state, in Khorasan, a historical region that includes parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asia -- to continue its attacks in Afghanistan and conduct complex assaults in the region.
In March, IS-K militants stormed the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow, killing around 140 people, underlining the threat it poses in the region.
Exploiting Grievances
Experts say extremist groups like IS-K have tried to exploit the grievances among Muslims since Israel launched its devastating war in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian enclave.
That came after Hamas, a U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group, carried out an attack on Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people.
Israel has recently expanded its war by launching a deadly aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, the armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.
Lucas Webber, co-founder of Militant Wire and research fellow at the Soufan Center, says IS-K has been vocal in calling for attacks against the West in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East.
"[IS-K] has a robust, multilingual propaganda apparatus," Webber told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi. "They can reach a diverse range of diaspora communities to build support and mobilize supporters to violence."
Webber says IS-K and its recruiters have targeted Europe. Now, he said, "we're starting to see an increase of activity in North America and the United States, specifically."
Source:rferl.org
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https://www.rferl.org/a/islamic-state-khorasan-afghanistan-west/33152673.html
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Bangladesh Protests Border Killing, Urges India To Stop Recurrence Of Such Heinous Acts
Oct 9, 2024
Protesting the latest border killing, the government of Bangladesh today called upon the Indian government to put an end to the recurrence of such heinous acts.
Bangladesh also urged India to probe all the border killings, identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally protested the killing of a Bangladeshi national, Md Kamal Hossain, who hailed from Sadar South upazila in Cumilla district. He was shot dead by India's Border Security Force (BSF) on October 7, 2024.
In the protest note sent to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka today, Bangladesh expressed serious concern that, despite repeated commitments from the relevant authorities in India to bring down border killings to 'zero level', such incidents by the BSF continue to occur.
The government of Bangladesh stressed that such incidents of border killings are undesirable and unwarranted; and such actions are in violation of the provisions of the Joint Indo-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities, 1975.
The BSF killed 31 Bangladeshis in 2023, with 28 of these fatalities resulting from gunfire, according to Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), a human rights organisation.
It says the total number of Bangladeshis killed by the BSF from 2009 to 2022 stands at 563.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/bangladesh-protests-border-killing-urges-india-stop-recurrence-3724026
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How Israel’s War On Hezbollah Risks Creating A Lost Generation In Lebanon
The UN estimates that more than 400,000 children have been displaced by the conflict to date and there are no formal schooling available in shelters. (Reuters photo)
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RAZIA DESAI
October 09, 2024
DUBAI: Thousands of children across Lebanon, many of whom were due to start the new school year, have seen their education abruptly disrupted by the sudden escalation in hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia.
With schools closing, teachers fleeing, and students facing mounting trauma, Lebanon’s educational system is on the verge of collapse.
“This has added to existing challenges caused by the pandemic, political instability, economic downturns, including earlier teacher strikes, and continuous conflict,” Erin Wall, an education technical adviser at Save the Children Lebanon, told Arab News.
Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire along the Lebanese border since Oct. 8 last year. However, this suddenly escalated in September with an unprecedented attack on the militia’s communications network, followed by a wave of strikes on its leaders and weapons caches.
Lebanon was rocked last month when thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies carried by Hezbollah members suddenly exploded simultaneously. The devices, reportedly booby-trapped by Israel, exploded in public areas, killing scores and injuring thousands, including children.
Following the pager incident, Lebanon’s Education Minister Abbas Halabi announced the closure of schools and higher education institutions, impacting some 1.5 million young people across the country.
In the days that followed, Israel escalated its airstrikes against Hezbollah targets, with the stated aim of pushing the militia away from the Israel-Lebanon border, making it safe for the 60,000 Israelis displaced from the north to return home.
Israeli strikes, which have now extended beyond southern Lebanon to the capital Beirut and other regions, have forced some 1.2 million Lebanese from their homes — an estimated 35 percent of them children.
School buildings in the north of the country have been repurposed to provide emergency shelter to families escaping the bombardment in the south and other areas that are considered Hezbollah strongholds.
The long-term effects of the violence and disruption are likely to run deep. Children like 14-year-old Ali Al-Akbar, who returned to school not for an education but to find a place of refuge, are missing out on much-needed stability.
“I miss my friends and teachers,” Al-Akbar told AFP news agency from a classroom-turned-shelter in Beirut’s southern suburbs, echoing the sentiment of thousands of displaced students across the country.
War damage and the mass displacement of students and teachers have left education in Lebanon in a state of limbo.
“Damage to some school infrastructure and resources has diminished educational quality,” Mira, an elementary teacher from Beirut, told Arab News. “Displacement forces children to adapt to new curricula and environments, adding to their stress.”
Online learning, while utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic, has proven difficult to implement in the face of daily bombings and unreliable internet access.
Furthermore, the trauma of conflict, compounded by the loss of community and routine, makes it nearly impossible for children to concentrate on their studies.
“The psychological impact on students, who lose access to safe, child-friendly spaces and routine support services, contributes to stress and anxiety,” said Wall of Save the Children.
“This scenario exacerbates the risk of social isolation and disconnection, significantly affecting their overall well-being and development.”
The disruption to education could also have lasting consequences for Lebanon’s recovery. A World Bank report last year estimated the economy could lose $3 million in the long term due to educational disruptions.
Even more concerning is the impact on students who may never return to school or will forget what they have already learned.
Jennifer Moorehead, Lebanon country director at Save the Children, told AFP: “It will be generations before Lebanon will recover from this learning loss.”
The country’s fragile economy is unlikely to withstand such an extensive setback, with an entire generation of children at risk of being left behind.
Children displaced by the conflict are also at risk of long-term trauma.
Wall emphasized how the cognitive abilities of children are being affected, with many exhibiting signs of constant anxiety and fear. “This is detrimental to their ability to focus, which negatively affects their acquisition of foundational skills such as math or reading,” she said.
Meanwhile, at schools that have been turned into makeshift shelters, little space remains for the continuation of education. In these overcrowded conditions, the chances of returning to regular schooling are slim.
“No mother wants her child to miss out on school, but this year I’d rather he stayed by my side as nowhere in Lebanon is safe anymore,” Batoul Arouni, a mother staying in a repurposed school in Beirut, told AFP.
Her sentiment is shared by many parents who fear for their children’s safety amid the violence.
In the face of these overwhelming challenges, international aid has begun to trickle in. The UN children’s fund, UNICEF, has been providing educational and psychosocial support to displaced children in shelters.
Regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan, have also pledged millions of dollars in relief.
While the aid provided thus far has primarily focused on food, shelter, and medical care, these necessities offer a glimmer of hope for Lebanon’s children.
By stabilizing the humanitarian situation, aid organizations say they are creating an environment where children can eventually return to learning and begin to heal from the trauma.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Education has also partnered with private institutions to allow displaced children to attend nearby schools. However, the success of this initiative will depend heavily on whether schools can remain open in the face of continued violence.
The current crisis has exposed the deep vulnerabilities in Lebanon’s education system, which has been plagued by instability for years.
The pandemic, teacher strikes, and economic hardship had already pushed many schools to the brink of collapse. The conflict with Israel has only exacerbated these issues.
Lebanon’s public schools are set to reopen in early November after the Ministry of Education pushed back the start of the new term. But uncertainty looms over whether they will be able to function effectively.
Indeed, according to Lebanon’s Education Minister Halabi, around 600 schools, or 40 percent of public institutions, have been repurposed as shelters.
“The education plan we have put in place needs more time for implementation,” Halabi said in a statement, adding that public schools will reopen based on their location and capacity to host students.
The UN estimates that more than 400,000 children have been displaced by the conflict to date. With no formal schooling available in shelters, children and teachers will be enrolled in nearby schools, but it is unclear how many will be able to return.
However, the loss of education is not just a temporary inconvenience — it could have catastrophic long-term consequences for a country already mired in crisis.
Without immediate and sustained international support, an entire generation of Lebanese children risks being lost to conflict, trauma, and missed opportunities.
Source:arabnews.com
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For many families, though, education is no longer a priority, as survival takes center stage.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574650/middle-east
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European Muslim NGOs Condemn State Repression Of Palestine Activism
Demonstrators wave Palestinian flags as tens of thousands of protesters march through central London in solidarity with the Palestinian people and to demand an immediate ceasefire to end the war on Gaza in London, United Kingdom on February 03, 2024 [Wiktor Szymanowicz – Anadolu Agency]
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October 9, 2024
A group of leading European Muslim NGOs have condemned the “undeniable” increase in the suppression and criminalisation of forms of resistance to Israeli atrocities in Gaza, whether it be via boycotting, protesting, direct action or showing solidarity with the legitimate struggle for Palestinian freedom.
“The authoritarian infrastructure responsible for the criminalisation of pro-Palestinian activism we are experiencing today, is inextricably linked to over 20 years of War on Terror laws and policies,” said the NGOs CAGE International, Perspectives Musulmanes (France), INSAN (Sweden), CAGE Austria and CEDA (Denmark).
The group’s representatives attended the Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw organised by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the world’s largest regional security intergovernmental organisation with 57 participating states. The group used their presence at the conference to highlight and campaign against Islamophobia and state repression of Palestinian solidarity. They drew attention to the fact that, since 7 October last year, European states have increased their repression of pro-Palestine activism.
Such repression, they pointed out, has included:
Infringement on the freedom of assembly by banning or severely restricting protests, issuing fines, and the excessive use of violence by police officers.
Infringement on the freedom of speech through banning slogans.
Arresting and imprisoning pro-Palestine activists, as in the case of Elias d’Imzalène of France, and Marieha Hussein and six staff members of CAGE International in the United Kingdom.
Infringement on the rights to freedom of association through the dissolution and banning of organisations.
Infringement on the right to privacy and family life through house raids.
Infringement on the right to free movement and residence through house arrests or expulsions, as in the case of Imam Ismail and Imam Ridouane of France.
This surveillance and subsequent rise in allegations against activist voices expose a worrying decline in the promotion and protection of human rights, affirmed by the OSCE as the “birthright of all human beings”, said the NGOs.
“Last year, our coalition raised at the OSCE conference an endemic of state-sponsored Islamophobia across Europe,” they explained. “This year, we note that this has escalated significantly to become a broader state-sponsored repression of Muslims and pro-Palestine voices across the continent.”
Shezana Hafiz spoke about UK support for genocide and the suppression of Palestine solidarity. “The UK government has compromised civil liberties and judicial independence to support Israeli arms manufacturers,” she pointed out. “This was revealed by leaks of secret meetings between government ministers, the Attorney General’s office on behalf of the CPS and Israeli arms manufacturers Elbit Systems, aimed at suppressing pro-Palestine activists from Palestine Action.”
The repression of Palestinian activism within France, said Rayan Freschi, uses the large and effective infrastructure of the State’s official Islamophobia. “Expressions of support for Palestinians are silenced. Gatherings and protests have been outlawed for months. Political expression remains policed, and Muslim voices in particular, continue to be criminalised by the State for their support of Palestine.”
Indeed, according to Elias d’Imzalène, “France has become the spearhead of Islamophobia and discrimination in Europe. Any activist calling for a ceasefire in Gaza is being persecuted. The State seeks to silence their voice by any means necessary. By criminalising the condemnation of genocide and support for Palestine, France is demonstrating that it is not just an accomplice, but also a party to the Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian genocide.”
Austria, meanwhile, has a state-funded Documentation Centre for Political Islam, explained Nehal Abdala. “This monitors Muslims in Austria and justifies repression against Muslim activists and opposition groups.” Pro-Palestine demonstrations have been suppressed “harshly”, she added.
In Sweden, said Amanj Aziz, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson “is pitting Jews against Muslims.” Kristersson revealed last week that Sweden appears to have a hierarchy of racism when he said explicitly that, “Anti-Semitism is worse than Islamophobia.” This, added Aziz, was after one of his political allies published “racist cartoons” of Muslims.
Noting the failure of global institutions to hold Israel to account for war crimes and genocide, the NGOs said that this suggests at best an inability to do anything, at worst complicity in such awful crimes.
“The latter has been the case with most European nations,” they organisations claimed. “The OSCE must enforce mechanisms to compel governments to adhere to international law otherwise it condemns itself as an inept institution.”
Source:middleeastmonitor.com
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https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241009-european-muslim-ngos-condemn-state-repression-of-palestine-activism/
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India
Tomorrow, if not today, NC-Congress government will talk 370: Omar Abdullah
Muzaffar Raina
10.10.24
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday hesitantly swore his loyalty to the reinstatement of Article 370 and said the NC-Congress government would move a resolution seeking the restoration of statehood at its first cabinet meeting.
Omar said it would be “foolish” to expect the BJP-led government at the Centre to return what it had snatched from Jammu and Kashmir.
“Our political stand will not change. We never said we would be silent on Article 370 or that Article 370 was not an issue for now. But we are not ready to fool people,” Omar told reporters here.
“But we will talk about it. I am hopeful that tomorrow if not today, there will be a new government with whom we will talk about it and seek something for Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
On Tuesday night, Omar had told a TV channel that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was an honourable man who would fulfil his promise of restoring statehood but he appeared to say that his party would not talk about the restoration of Article 370.
“None of us is foolish enough, nor did we try to convince the voters that we are going to work for the 370 agenda with the current government in Delhi. We know we are not going to get it back from the government that took it away from you,” Omar told the channel.
“So set that aside for now. Our immediate priority is to work with the government in Delhi to get statehood back for Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister is an honourable man, he has promised the people of Jammu and Kashmir that statehood will be restored... promised that in every single speech while campaigning here.”
Many social media users slammed Omar’s remarks on Article 370 as a U-turn, with the Right-wing ecosystem crediting the BJP-led Centre for the change of heart.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/omar-abdullah-tomorrow-if-not-today-nc-congress-government-will-talk-370-jammu-and-kashmir-statehood/cid/2054432
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Hindu outfit claims abandoned house being used as mosque in Uttarakhand, probe ordered
By HT News Desk
Oct 09, 2024
An inquiry has been ordered following a protest by members of a Hindu outfit outside the sub-divisional magistrate's office in Berinag of Uttarakhand where they demanded the removal of an “illegal” mosque being run in a residential building.
Protesters alleged that an abandoned house in Berinag had been unlawfully converted into a mosque to offer Namaz inside.
The Hindu outfit, Rashtriya Sewa Sangathan, staged a protest outside the Berinag SDM's office on October 6, alleging that a mosque had been illegally established in an abandoned house and demanding its removal.
An inquiry has been ordered into the allegation after the organisation submitted a memorandum, according to Pithoragarh district magistrate Vinod Girish Goswami.
“We have demanded the removal of the illegal mosque. If it continues to run, we will have to resort to a nationwide agitation against it,” PTI quoted Himanshu Joshi, founder-president of the outfit as saying.
Officials said that a case under section 196/2 of BNS (promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion) has also been registered against Rashtriya Sewa Sanghathan members after they showed the mosque live on social media some time ago.
Locals claim that the old house owned by Azim, who resides in Haldwani has been used by around 100 Muslim families for Namaz for the past 25 years.
They also said that part of the house functions as a madrasa. While it appears to be a typical residential home from the outside, they said that it has been converted into a mosque inside.
On September 9, the Sanyukt Sanatan Dharam Rakshak Sangh, an umbrella group of Hindu organisations, submitted a memorandum to Uttarkashi district magistrate Meharban Singh Bisht, demanding the demolition of a mosque.
They alleged that the mosque was built on non-registered land. However, the administration clarified, citing revenue records, that the mosque was not illegal.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hindu-outfit-claims-abandoned-house-being-used-as-mosque-in-uttarakhand-probe-ordered-101728469983174.html
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Congress creating fear psychosis in minds of Muslims: PM Modi
Oct 9, 2024,
NEW DELHI: Keeping his ante against Congress a day after Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir assembly election results, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday once again targeted Congress for its defeat and accused the grand old party of deliberately creating a "fear psychosis" among Muslims.
Speaking at an event in which he laid foundation stone for several development projects worth over Rs 7,600 crore in Maharashtra via video conference, PM Modi said that Congress uses divisive tactics time and again to target Hindu community through caste-based politics but avoids any mention of caste divisions within the Muslim community.
"They keep bringing formulas to divide society. Congress never refrains from misleading the voters. The Congress's strategy is clear: keep scaring the Muslims, show them fear, and strengthen their vote bank. Not a single Congress leader has ever mentioned the different castes within our Muslim brothers. When it comes to Muslim castes, Congress leaders remain silent," he said.
Citing the recent election results in Jammu & Kashmir and highlighting BJP's re-election in Haryana for the historic third consecutive term, PM Modi called it the "the mood of the nation".
"Just yesterday, the election results for Haryana and J&K were announced. Haryana has shown the mood of the nation. Being elected for a third consecutive term after completing two terms is historic," he said, adding that the efforts by Congress and "urban Naxals" to mislead the public were thwarted.
PM Modi alleged that Congress's attempts to spread misinformation extended to other communities, including Dalits, farmers, and youth.
"They tried to spread lies among the Dalits, but the Dalit community saw through their intentions. They understood that Congress wants to snatch away their reservations and divide their vote bank," he said.
He also criticised Congress's approach towards farmers and youth in Haryana. "Congress tried to provoke the farmers, but the farmers know who gave them MSP for their crops. The farmers of Haryana are happy with BJP's farmer welfare schemes. Congress targeted the youth, but the young people, our sisters, and daughters in Haryana, trust only the BJP," he added.
"I have complete faith that the people of Maharashtra will work to break these divisive efforts being made today," he concluded.
In the recently concluded Haryana assembly election the Bharatiya Janata Party defeated Congress and secured 48 seats out of 90 seat. however Congress managed to get only The Congress has won 37 seats, Independents won 3 and the INLD won 2 seats. Among major losers are Haryana assembly speaker and BJP's Gian Chand Gupta, Haryana Lokhit Party Gopal Kanda and BJP leader O P Dhankar. From Julana seat, Congress's Vinesh Phogat registered a victory defeating her nearest BJP rival Yogesh Kumar by a margin of 6,015 votes.
Source:indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/congress-creating-fear-psychosis-in-minds-of-muslims-pm-modi/articleshow/114075081.cms
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Congress an irresponsible party and factory to spread hatred: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
09.10.24
A day after Congress' defeat in the Haryana polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the Congress is an irresponsible party and a factory to "spread hatred" which wants to divide Hindus and pit one community against another.
The BJP has won the Haryana assembly elections and it shows the mood of the country, Modi said, adding that "in Maharashtra we have to get a bigger victory." The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) wants to weaken Maharashtra to gain power, but the ruling Mahayuti will strengthen the state, he said after virtually inaugurating various development projects of more than Rs 7,600 crore in the state.
Elections to the 22-member Maharashtra assembly are likely to be held next month.
Modi said never before has Maharashtra seen the expeditious development of projects. Under the Congress regime, the same speed and scale was witnessed in terms of corruption, the PM said.
"The Congress is an irresponsible party and a factory to spread hatred. The Congress is not concerned about development and legacy, we have paid attention to both," he said.
"Our goal is Viksit Bharat with the development of poor, farmers, youth and women," the prime minister said.
The Congress creates fear among Muslims and converts them into its vote bank, Modi said.
Further targeting the Congress, Modi said the opposition party wants to divide Hindus and pit one community against another.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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South Asia
Afghanistan’s UN voting rights suspended for another year
By Fidel Rahmati
October 10, 2024
The United Nations has rejected Afghanistan’s request to restore its voting rights. Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan’s acting UN representative, stated that the request was denied due to “political considerations” by some regional countries.
Afghanistan’s voting rights were suspended at the start of 2024, particularly in February and March, due to unpaid membership fees. According to documents, Afghanistan owes around one million dollars to the UN.
Faiq raised the issue of restoring Afghanistan’s voting rights at the 84th session of the UN’s Contributions Committee. He hoped Afghanistan would be temporarily exempt from paying its dues due to its current situation.
Faiq presented his case to the committee, expecting Afghanistan’s voting rights to be restored under Article 19 of the UN Charter. However, opposition from certain committee members led to the rejection of the request.
According to the report, the representatives from three regional countries, supporters of the Taliban, opposed restoring Afghanistan’s voting rights, though the countries were not named.
China, Russia, and Iran maintain close relations with the Taliban and support their stance in international meetings and organizations.
Faiq expressed concern and disappointment over the committee’s refusal to restore Afghanistan’s voting rights.
He emphasized that Afghanistan remains committed to the UN and its principles, warning that excluding the country at such a critical time would further isolate Afghanistan and limit its meaningful participation in UN activities.
Source:khaama.com
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Islamic Emirate: 'No Threats to Other Countries From Afghanistan'
2024-10-09
Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, in response to recent statements from the US Departments of Defense and State, said that no terrorist group is present in Afghanistan.
Fitrat said that Daesh (ISIS) has been suppressed in the country, and the Islamic Emirate will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against other countries.
The deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate told TOLOnews: "We consider all concerns in this regard baseless, and we reject such claims that there is a threat to other countries from Afghanistan. No foreign group is active in Afghanistan, and the Islamic Emirate will not allow anyone to create threats to other countries using Afghan soil."
Earlier, Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US Department of State, expressed concerns about threats originating from Afghanistan, saying that the normalization of Washington's relations with Kabul is conditional on changes in the interim government’s approach to human rights.
Miller said: “So our most critical interest when it comes to Afghanistan has been and will continue to be that the country can never again be a launching pad for terrorist attacks against the United States, and we continue to remain incredibly vigilant against any terrorist threats directed at the United States and its allies. We – so I would say for the – that when I say human rights are at the forefront of our engagement with the Taliban, that especially includes the rights of women and girls who continue to be oppressed by the Taliban. We make sure that any significant steps toward normalization of relations are contingent upon profound improvements in their treatment of women and girls, including but not limited to allowing women and girls back in school and lifting the restrictions on women’s employment.”
At the same time, the deputy spokesperson for the US Department of Defense also expressed concerns about al-Qaeda’s threats in the region and Afghanistan.
Sabrina Singh, the deputy Pentagon spokeswoman, said: “We certainly take it seriously. We retain incredible capability in the region, which as you mentioned include over-the-horizon capabilities.”
Meanwhile, Andrew Korybko, an expert at the Russian Institute For Strategic Studies told the Media Line website that Russia, by removing the Afghan interim government from its blacklist, is seeking to expand military and intelligence cooperation with the interim government and jointly combat Daesh.
Source:tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-191100
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Canadian Subcommittee acknowledges Historical Hazara Massacre in Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati
October 10, 2024
The Canadian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has officially recognized the massacre of Hazaras during the reign of Amir Abdul Rahman and the continued persecution of this community.
The committee’s report highlights the testimonies of researchers and experts on the genocide of Hazaras during Abdul Rahman Khan’s era, stating that the Hazaras deserve international acknowledgement for their historical suffering.
The report emphasizes that recognizing September 25th as a day to remember the Hazara massacres from 1891 to 1893 in Afghanistan would contribute to their future protection.
On April 28, 2023, the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Subcommittee on Human Rights invited experts in Afghanistan’s history and politics to testify about the situation of the Hazaras in the country.
Academics from Canadian and Australian universities urged the committee to recognize the mass killings of Hazaras during the reign of Abdul Rahman Khan, a 19th-century Afghanistan king, as genocide.
The researchers testified that Abdul Rahman declared a jihad against the Hazaras, resulting in the deaths of approximately 62% of the Hazara population between 1891 and 1893, with many being displaced or sold into slavery.
The 36-page report states that the committee listened carefully to the compelling evidence of the historical persecution of Hazaras, providing a comprehensive understanding of the long-term impact of this massacre.
The report examines the Genocide Convention’s elements and their application to the Hazaras, noting that acts beyond mass killings also meet the criteria. Chiovenda emphasized conditions aimed at the Hazaras’ physical destruction.
Hazara activists and their supporters have called on several countries to officially recognize both the historical massacres of Hazaras and the ongoing attacks by ISIS and other groups as acts of genocide.
The report from Canada’s Foreign Affairs Committee brings crucial international attention to the long-standing persecution of the Hazaras, emphasizing their vulnerability under the Taliban’s rule and ongoing threats from extremist groups.
The document concludes with a call to action, urging the international community to protect the Hazaras in Afghanistan and prevent further atrocities against them.
Source:khaama.com
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New Agreement Introduces GPS-Enabled Smart Locks and Modern Postal Code System in Afghanistan
2024-10-09
KABUL(BNA): In a significant development aimed at enhancing the efficiency and security of Afghanistan’s transport and postal sectors, a formal agreement was signed today between the Ministries of Transport and Aviation, the Ministry of Finance, and Afghan Post State Enterprise.
The signing ceremony took place at the Government Media and Information Center, marking two major initiatives: the installation of smart locks (GPS Lockers) on transit cargo trucks and the official launch of the National Postal Code and Address Expansion Program.
According to the agreement, the installation of smart locks on cargo trucks is part of the broader effort to ensure the safety of commercial goods in transit, attract investment, and provide greater operational ease for business stakeholders.
Mufti Habib-ur-Rahman Talha, Director of Procurement at the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, explained that once transit trucks enter Afghanistan’s territory, smart locks equipped with GPS tracking will be installed, which will only be removed when the trucks exit the country’s borders.
These smart locks are advanced electronic devices designed to use GPS technology for tracking the precise location of goods in transit. Talha further noted that the system will not only enhance the security of commercial goods but also reduce costs and facilitate the growth of the transit sector by preventing unauthorized route deviations and reducing the risk of theft or loss.
In his remarks, Mawlawi Ahmad Jan Bilal, Director General of Afghan Post, hailed the initiative as a critical step towards modernizing Afghanistan’s logistics and postal infrastructure. He emphasized that Afghan Post, in collaboration with the Ministries of Transport and Aviation, as well as the Ministry of Finance, will oversee the practical implementation of the project in the near future.
According to Mawlawi Bilal, the system will provide traders with real-time updates on the exact location of their shipments, ensuring prompt action in case of any route deviations.
Furthermore, Mawlawi Dost Mohammad Mukhles, Deputy Minister of Administration at the Ministry of Finance, commended the signing of this agreement as a milestone in the government’s ongoing efforts to integrate modern technology into various sectors. He underlined that the Ministry of Finance is committed to utilizing advanced technologies to align Afghanistan’s governance practices with international standards.
In addition to this agreement, the National Postal Code and Address Expansion Program was officially launched during the ceremony. This initiative represents a significant shift from the previous four-digit postal code system to a more comprehensive six-digit postal code system, aimed at enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of postal services across the country.
Mawlawi Ahmad Jan Bilal highlighted that the previous four-digit postal code system was no longer adequate for meeting the needs of modern postal services. Afghan Post has now introduced a new six-digit code system, which has been approved by the Universal Postal Union (UPU). This new system will be used for both national and international postal operations, ensuring a higher standard of service delivery.
It is noteworthy that 1,405 postal codes have been designated across the country, with 634 assigned specifically to Kabul. This expansion ensures full coverage of Afghanistan’s regions, facilitating improved postal services at both the national and international levels.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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Mideast
Muslim World Divided into 3 Groups Over Palestinian Issue, Says Head of IUMS
Ali Altunkaya
09.10.2024
The head of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) on Wednesday said that the Islamic world has divided into three groups over the Palestinian issue.
Speaking to an Anadolu reporter at the union's headquarters in Doha, Qatar, Ali Mohiuddin Al-Qaradaghi said that the Islamic world has failed to act collectively on the matter of Palestine.
"Unfortunately, the Islamic world has split into three groups during this process. The first group has fallen silent, as if these massacres and attacks had never occurred," Al-Qaradaghi said.
"The second group, far from remaining silent, has provided support to Israel in various areas, including commercial and political aid," he noted.
"The third group consists of a small number of countries like Türkiye, Qatar, Malaysia, Algeria, and Kuwait, which have stood with the Palestinians against Israel," Al-Qaradaghi explained.
"However, this has not been enough to stop Israel. The genocides, deaths, and destruction continue," he said.
Marking one year of Israel's genocide in the Gaza Strip, al-Qaradaghi highlighted that Gaza continues to suffer, with at least 50 to 100 casualties daily.
"The Zionists are occupying our lands and homes. This year, horrific massacres took place in the truest sense of the word," according to al-Qaradaghi.
"Mosques, hospitals, schools, and universities have been destroyed. The infrastructure has been completely wiped out. Neither history nor humanity has witnessed such devastation and genocide before," he said.
"Sadly, these events failed to unite the Muslims. Over 50 Islamic countries have been unable to act," he said, adding they could neither stop Israel nor wipe the tears of the oppressed.
Türkiye's historical responsibility towards Palestine
Al-Qaradaghi also stressed Türkiye's historical and moral responsibility towards Palestine and underscored that the country has done all it can to halt Israel's aggression.
"However, the lack of unity among Muslims regarding Palestine has left Türkiye isolated in this cause," he said.
"As the union, we commend Türkiye’s stance, and we extend our gratitude to the Turkish government, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the Turkish people for their moral and historical position," Al-Qaradaghi said.
"Turkey’s stance is a continuation of Sultan Abdulhamid’s firm policy of refusing to cede even an inch of Palestinian land," he said.
Al-Qaradaghi called on all Muslims in the name of Gaza, urging all Muslim leaders to make every effort to stop this “oppression."
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
More than 42,000 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 97,300 others injured in the onslaught, according to local health authorities.
Source:aa.com.tr
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Israeli Defence Minister Warns Their Retaliation On Iran Would Be ‘Lethal’ And ‘Surprising’
October 10, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israel’s defence minister warned on Wednesday that his country’s retaliation for a recent Iranian missile attack will be “lethal” and “surprising,” while the Israeli military pushed ahead with a large-scale operation in northern Gaza and a ground offensive in Lebanon against Hezbollah militants.
On the diplomatic front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden held their first call in seven weeks, with a White House press secretary saying the call included discussions on Israel’s deliberations over how it will respond to Iran’s attack.
“It was direct, it was productive,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said of the 30-minute call.
The Israeli operation in northern Gaza left dozens of people dead and threatened to shut down three hospitals over a year into the war with Hamas, Palestinian officials and residents said.
The continuing cycle of destruction and death in Gaza, unleashed by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, comes as Israel expands a weeklong ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon and considers a major retaliatory strike on Iran following Iran’s Oct. 1 missile barrage.
“Our strike will be lethal, precise and above all, surprising. They won’t understand what happened and how. They will see the results,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said during a speech to troops. “Whoever strikes us will be harmed and pay a price.”
Iran fired dozens of missiles at Israel on Oct. 1 which the United States helped fend off. Biden has said he would not support a retaliatory strike on sites related to Tehran’s nuclear program.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah claimed a rocket attack that killed two people in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona. The town’s acting mayor, Ofir Yehezkeli, said the two killed were a couple walking their dogs.
Dozens killed in Gaza and survivors fear displacement
In northern Gaza, there was heavy fighting in Jabaliya, an urban refugee camp dating back to the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation, where Israeli forces have carried out several major operations over the course of the war and then returned as militants regroup. The entire north, including Gaza City, has suffered heavy destruction and has been largely isolated by Israeli forces since late last year.
In Gaza, Jabaliya residents said thousands of people have been trapped in their homes since the operation began Sunday, as Israeli jets and drones buzz overhead and troops battle militants in the streets.
“It’s like hell. We can’t get out,” said Mohamed Awda, who lives with his parents and six siblings. He said there were three bodies in the street outside his home that could not be retrieved because of the fighting.
“The quadcopters are everywhere, and they fire at anyone. You can’t even open the window,” he told The Associated Press by phone, speaking over the sound of explosions.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said it recovered 40 bodies from Jabaliya from Sunday until Tuesday, and another 14 from communities farther north. There are likely more bodies under rubble and in areas that can’t be accessed, it said.
Jabaliya residents fear Israel aims to depopulate the north and turn it into a closed military zone or a Jewish settlement. Israel has blocked all roads except for the main highway leading south from Jabaliya, according to residents.
“We are concerned about the displacement to the south,” Ahmed Qamar, who lives in Jabaliya with his wife, children and parents, said in a text message. “People here say clearly that they will die here in northern Gaza and won’t go to southern Gaza.”
Hospitals are under threat
Fadel Naeem, the director of Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza City, said it had received dozens of wounded people and bodies from the north. “We declared a state of emergency, suspended scheduled surgeries, and discharged patients whose conditions are stable,” he told AP in a text message.
Israel’s offensive has gutted Gaza’s health sector, forcing most hospitals to shut down and leaving the rest only partially functioning.
Naeem said three hospitals farther north — Kamal Adwan, Awda and the Indonesian Hospital — have become almost inaccessible because of the fighting. The Gaza Health Ministry says the Israeli army has ordered all three to evacuate staff and patients. Meanwhile, no humanitarian aid has entered the north since Oct. 1, according to UN data.
Israel’s authority coordinating humanitarian affairs in Palestinian territories said Israel “has not halted the entry or coordination of humanitarian aid entering from its territory into the northern Gaza Strip.”
Israel says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it fights in residential areas.
Israel ordered the wholesale evacuation of northern Gaza, including Gaza City, in the opening weeks of the war, but hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have remained there. Israel reiterated those instructions over the weekend, telling people to flee south to a humanitarian zone where hundreds of thousands are already crammed into squalid tent camps.
The war began just over a year ago, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. They still hold around 100 hostages, a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Israel’s offensive has killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters. It has said women and children make up over half of the dead. The offensive has also caused staggering destruction across the territory and displaced around 90 percent of the population of 2.3 million people, often multiple times.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep fighting until “total victory” over Hamas and the return of all hostages.
Israel warns Lebanon it could end up like Gaza
On Tuesday, Netanyahu said Lebanon would meet the same fate as Gaza if its people did not rise up against Hezbollah.
Video verified by The Associated Press shows what appears to be a group of Israeli soldiers raising an Israeli flag in a village in southern Lebanon.
In the video, which appears to have been filmed in Maroun A-Ras, three soldiers are seen hoisting up a flag atop a pile of debris. A soldier off camera speaks in Hebrew and refers to the nearby Israeli village of Avivim. The date it was filmed wasn’t immediately known.
The video follows other similar acts that took place throughout Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza. The Israeli military had no immediate comment.
An Israeli strike killed four people and wounded another 10 at a hotel sheltering displaced people in the southern Lebanese town of Wardaniyeh on Wednesday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.
An Associated Press reporter in a nearby town heard two sonic booms from Israeli jets before the strike. Plumes of smoke rose from the building after the explosion.
In recent weeks Israel has waged a heavy air campaign across large parts of Lebanon, targeting what it says are Hezbollah rocket launchers and other militant sites. A series of strikes had killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and most of his top commanders.
The Israeli military said Wednesday that Hezbollah has fired more than 12,000 rockets, missiles and drones at Israel in the past year.
Source:arabnews.com
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Occupier closes Ibrahimi Mosque for 4 days to celebrate Jewish festivals
09 Oct 2024
Hebron - Saba:
The Israeli occupier on Wednesday closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron City, denying the Muslims right to worship until next Saturday evening, the Mosque senior officer told WAFA news agency.
The occupier paves the way for settlers to celebrate one of their festivals, Mo'ataz Abu Sonaina added, noting that all the Mosque's gates were closed and all its staff are prevented to be there.
The occupier altered the Ibrahimi Mosque's vicinity and nearby quarters into military barracks, and intensively deployed its troops, he said.
Source:saba.ye
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Russia says Hezbollah is still organized despite Israeli attacks
October 09, 2024
MOSCOW: Russia’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Hezbollah was still organized and had not lost its chain of command despite strikes by Israel which Moscow said was trying to stoke an armed conflict across the Middle East.
“According to our assessments, Hezbollah, including the military wing, has not lost its chain of command and is demonstrating organization,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.
Zakharova said that the West, in particular the United States and Britain, was stoking the conflict in the Middle East and showing hypocrisy by its support for Israel which was inflicting significant civilian casualties in Lebanon.
Hezbollah was formed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the early 1980s to battle Israel. It is also a major social, religious and political movement for Lebanese Shiite Muslims.
Russia also scolded Israel for a strike on Syria.
“Once again, Israel has grossly violated the sovereignty of Syria by launching a missile attack on a multi-story apartment building in a densely populated area of Damascus,” Zakharova said.
“It is outrageous that such actions have literally turned into a routine practice applied to Syria, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip,” Zakharova said, adding that it showed Israel’s “desire to further expand the geography of armed escalation in the region.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Islamic resistance in Iraq strikes vital target in northern occupied Palestine
09 Oct 2024
Baghdad - Saba:
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has attacked a vital target in northern occupied Palestine using drone aircraft, as part of their ongoing resistance against the occupation, support for Palestinians and Lebanon, and in response to the massacres committed by the usurping entity against civilians.
Source:saba.ye
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Lebanon facing ‘catastrophic’ situation as 600,000 displaced: UN
October 09, 2024
UNITED NATIONS: United Nations officials warned Wednesday that Lebanon was staring down a “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis as the number of internally displaced people hit 600,000 and Israel presses its offensive against Hezbollah militants.
Hezbollah said its fighters were locked in clashes with Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, using rocket-propelled weapons to repel Israeli attempts to breach the border.
“Lebanon finds itself facing a conflict and a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions,” Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, told a briefing.
She expressed “hope that Israel too will now be ready to add its support to the many calls and appeals that are out there” for de-escalation.
But as fighting raged, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down, warning Lebanon could face “a long war... like we see in Gaza.”
Israel has intensified air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon since September 23, leaving more than 1,190 people dead and forcing more than a million to flee, according to an AFP tally of official figures.
The UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza said that Lebanon was facing “one of the deadliest periods” in its recent history, reporting that 600,000 people are internally displaced — over 350,000 of whom are children.
“Even wars have rules,” he said.
Israel has refused to rule out strikes on Beirut’s civilian airport and its access roads, even as thousands of people continue to flee the country by air and road every day.
“We are not targeting civilians. But at the same time, if we will find Hezbollah activities or intention to launch rockets into Israel, we will do what any other country would do about it,” said Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon.
Israel’s ground forces crossed into Lebanon on September 30 in response to Hezbollah rocket and artillery attacks over the past year that have forced tens of thousands of Israelis out of their homes in border areas.
Source:arabnews.com
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At least four Palestinians killed in Israeli raid on West Bank
October 09, 2024
NABLUS, Palestinian Territories: Israeli police killed at least four Palestinians in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Wednesday, Palestinian health authorities and Israeli security forces said.
The Palestinian health ministry reported in a statement Wednesday that “four martyrs shot by the occupation in Nablus have been transferred to Rafidia Government Hospital.”
It later said the men were aged between 31 and 43 years old.
The Palestinian Red Crescent also reported the deaths of four people, but Israeli security forces said five were killed Wednesday.
Officers from an elite police unit “killed five wanted terrorists in Nablus,” the Israeli police, army and Shin Bet domestic security service said in a joint statement.
The statement added that among those killed was the head of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade in the Balata refugee camp adjacent to the city.
It said that during a joint operation involving army and police force, coordinated by Shin Bet, police killed five armed men “who presented a danger for our forces.”
“The eliminated terrorists were involved in the planning and exporting of terrorist activity against civilians and army forces,” the statement added.
Nablus governor Ghassan Daghlas however told AFP that “the four martyrs are ordinary citizens who were among the people and were killed among the people in cold blood.”
He called the killing “a cowardly and deliberate assassination.”
He added that one man was from Balata camp, while the remaining three were from the Askar camp in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.
Violence has soared in the West Bank since Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on Israel in October last year.
Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 705 Palestinians in the West Bank since, according to the Ramallah-based health ministry.
Israeli officials say at least 24 Israelis, civilians or members of the security forces, have been killed in attacks carried out by Palestinian militants or in Israeli military operations over the same period in the West Bank.
Source:arabnews.com
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Hezbollah repels Israeli incursions as deadly clashes continue
NAJIA HOUSSARI
October 09, 2024
BEIRUT: Israeli forces clashed with Hezbollah fighters across Lebanon’s southern border on Wednesday as Israel expanded its invasion force with a fourth division.
The two sides exchanged fire early in the day across the Labouneh area, near the coastal border town of Naqoura.
It followed two days of Israeli attempts to infiltrate the towns of Maroun Al-Ras, Adaisseh and Kfar Kila, which were subsequently abandoned after clashes with the militant group.
Hezbollah said on Wednesday that its fighters “targeted an Israeli infantry unit in Ras Al-Naqoura with a missile barrage.”
A military source told Arab News: “The Israeli advances and retreats along the border can be categorized as an assessment of Hezbollah’s strengths and weaknesses in terms of ground confrontation at the primary defense line.”
The Lebanese border region experienced an unprecedented barrage of airstrikes from Tuesday night through Wednesday.
Towns along the border have effectively become military zones devoid of civilian populations, with Khiam enduring about 15 airstrikes within a span of 30 minutes.
Hezbollah said: “While the Israeli enemy’s forces attempted to advance toward Mays Al-Jabal from several locations, the resistance fighters targeted them at 1:30 p.m. with rocket fire and artillery shells, and the clashes are ongoing.”
Hezbollah said in a previous statement: “At 1:20 p.m., a group confronted the forces of the Israeli enemy as they advanced from the Tufa plain toward Mays Al-Jabal and Muhaybib with a barrage of rockets.”
According to its statements this morning, Hezbollah targeted “an Israeli infantry force that tried to infiltrate the Labouneh area with a large missile barrage, killing and wounding them.”
The Israeli army is focused on entering towns situated in highland areas that provide a vantage point into southern Lebanon.
Its activities near Maroun Al-Ras have been particularly significant, with an Israeli unit entering the town between Monday and Tuesday.
During the operation, Israeli soldiers hoisted their national flag on the wall of a garden at the eastern edge of the town after clearing the area and uprooting trees.
Photographs of the event were taken and shared online before the forces withdrew.
Hezbollah acknowledged the Israeli operation.
UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti described the situation on the ground as “unsafe and unclear.”
The Israeli army on Tuesday launched a new incursion into Lebanon’s western sector led by the 146th Division, which includes the 2nd Brigade and 205th Brigade.
It aims to “execute a targeted ground operation against Hezbollah’s infrastructure,” and follows eight days of aerial bombardment over Lebanese territory and warnings for residents in southern villages to move north of the Litani River.
In Tebnine, an Israeli drone targeted two motorcycles, as well as a car on the road to the town of Shaqra.
For the first time, Israel struck the town of Wardaniyeh in the Iqlim Al-Kharroub region of Mount Lebanon, targeting an apartment.
The area is housing displaced people from southern Lebanon, mainly those who left the border town of Aitaroun.
The Ministry of Health reported that the attack killed four people and injured 10 others, including the principal of a local school and his wife.
Their children sustained severe injuries.
Cautious calm prevailed in Beirut’s southern suburb following a series of raids on Tuesday night that targeted several areas in Laylaki, Haret Hreik and Burj Al-Barajneh.
The attacks were preceded by a warning from Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee, who instructed residents of the targeted areas to leave.
The southern suburb has become a ghost town, with unprecedented destruction visible near neighborhood landmarks, as well as flames rising from the rubble of flattened buildings.
A line of four residential buildings in Burj Al-Barajneh collapsed following the most recent Israeli strikes, and Israeli jets have circled over the area round the clock.
In a statement, the Israeli army claimed that its attacks “targeted a weapon factory and Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburb.”
Saaideh in western Baalbek was also hit by an airstrike, killing a citizen later identified as Hussein Saleh Amhaz and injuring several residents, including three women from the same family — a grandmother, her daughter and her granddaughter.
An Israeli raid also targeted a house in Al-Hallanieh, killing two people and injuring others.
Hezbollah operations targeted Israeli military positions and settlements on and across the border.
Israeli media said that the militant group launched 20 missiles at Kiryat Shmona, killing two people.
Hezbollah said that it targeted “a gathering of the Israeli enemy in the Kiryat Shmona settlement with a rocket salvo.”
Amid Israel’s invasion, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that Arab and international efforts to end Israel’s “aggression” are “ongoing.”
He added: “However, the Israeli intransigence and the efforts by the enemy to achieve what it considers as gains and victories are still obstructing the success of these efforts.
“Lebanon’s friends from the Arab and foreign countries also continue to pressure Israel into implementing a ceasefire for a specified period in order to discuss the main political steps, most importantly implementing Resolution 1701 fully, and compelling the Israeli enemy to implement it.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Europe
ICESCO adds Azerbaijan's Shusha, Aghdam monuments to its Islamic World Heritage pre-list
9 October 2024
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 9. The monuments of Azerbaijan's Shusha and Aghdam cities have been included in ICESCO's preliminary list of Islamic World Heritage Sites, Trend reports via the country’s Ministry of Culture.
According to the ministry, the 12th session of ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage Committee held on October 8-9 in Shusha, which has been declared the "Cultural Capital of the Islamic World" for 2024, discussed various nominations submitted for the above list.
The discussions covered a proposal by the Ministry of Culture to include two nominations in the preliminary list - the Shusha Historical-Architectural Reserve and the Aghdam Complex of Imarat and Juma Mosque.
The event first featured a speech of expert Rizvan Bayramov, representing Azerbaijan on the Islamic World Heritage Committee, on the topic, followed by a presentation titled "Pearls of Aghdam" by Head of the Department for Cooperation with International Organizations at the Ministry of Culture, Araz Baghirli.
The participants were shown photos depicting the current state of iconic monuments such as the Imarat Complex, the Juma Mosque, the Aghdam State Drama Theater, the Bread Museum, and the Tea House.
The session highlighted that Azerbaijan’s experience in cultural heritage restoration serves as a unique model for post-conflict cultural heritage restoration worldwide.
After discussions, the committee members decided to include Azerbaijan's two nominations, the Shusha Historical-Architectural Reserve and the Aghdam Complex of Imarat and Juma Mosque, in the preliminary list of Islamic World Heritage Sites.
To note, the extraordinary session of the Islamic World Heritage Committee in 2019, held in Rabat, included Icherisheher (along with the Maiden Tower and Shirvanshahs’ Palace Complex), the historic center of Shaki (along with the Khan’s Palace), and the Gobustan rock carvings were added to ICESCO’s List of Islamic World Heritage Sites.
Source:trend.az
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Council for Mosques organises tour round Bradford mosques
By Natasha Meek
10 October 2024
A TOUR around two of Bradford’s beloved mosques has served as a symbol of unity and reassurance for the Muslim community.
The Council for Mosques (CfM) led a visit to the Islamic Cultural Education Association (ICEA) on Thornbury Road and Masjid Usman on Upper Seymour Street.
The Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Ed Anderson and Bishop of Bradford Rt Rev Toby Haworth were among the guests.
Other members of the delegation included Rashad Bokhari, chief of CfM, Kamran Zulffkar, the CfM Mosque Engagement & Development Officer, Ishtiaq Ahmed from Khidmat Centres, Dr Sofia Buncy OBE, the Khidmat Centre’s national coordinator, and Ijaz Noorie, a visiting representative from Pakistan’s Pakistan Social Welfare & Human Rights Organisation.
The CfM - alongside local authorities and community stakeholders - has been working to create a sense of security and unity in the district.
The Lord Lt wanted to send a message of reassurance and friendship to Bradford’s Muslim community.
The Islamic Cultural Education Association (ICEA) spoke about the mosque’s 20-year journey.
They discussed their hopes for the future such as tackling youth engagement, unemployment, and anti-social behaviour.
The Masjid Usman - which has undergone a remarkable transformation from a humble back-to-back house to a place of worship - greeted Mr Anderson at the gates.
He was welcomed by several mosque representatives, including the Imam.
Source:thetelegraphandargus.co.uk
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Finns Party Aiming to Reduce Quota Refugees FromMuslim-Majority CountriesWhile IncreasingFrom Christian-Majority Nations
October 10, 2024
The Finns Party has proposed reducing the number of quota refugees accepted from Muslim-majority countries while increasing the intake from Christian-majority nations, according to newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.
According to sources, Interior Minister Mari Rantanen (Finns) and acting interior minister Lulu Ranne (Finns) have directed officials to prepare to exclude quota refugees from countries like Afghanistan next year. Meanwhile, the number of such refugees would increase for countries such as Venezuela.
Interior Minister Ranne declined to comment on the matter to Yle and HS.
Yle was unable to independently verify the claims reported by HS. The final decision on next year’s refugee quotas is still pending.
The proposal is currently under review by a working group composed of officials from the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo), and the Finnish Immigration Service Migri.
Decisions on quota refugee allocations will be outlined in the ministerial committee on internal security and administration of justice, with the earliest deliberations expected by the end of October. Parliament will make the final decision on the 2025 refugee quota in December, as part of the next year’s budget.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s (NCP) government has already decided to reduce the total number of quota refugees from 1,050 to 500. This year, Finland has received quota refugees from Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria and Venezuela, as well as refugees displaced from Libya to Rwanda.
Source:yle.fi
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https://yle.fi/a/74-20116988
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Spain looks to immigrants to drive economy
Guy Hedgecoe
10 October 2024
A group of Sub-Saharan African men are playing bingo in a conference room of a hotel near the northern Spanish city of León.
They laugh and celebrate when their numbers are called out, but many of these asylum seekers have harrowing stories.
Among them is Michael, who fled Ghana to escape a violent feud that saw his sister and father killed. After travelling by land to Morocco, he paid a trafficker who put him on an inflatable boat crammed with people which took him to the Canary Islands.
“I was so happy, because I knew all my troubles, and the people trying to kill me, were behind me,” he says. “Because once you are in Spain you are safe.”
In Ghana he worked as a petrol pump attendant and a storekeeper. He also started studying human resource management, which he hopes to be able to continue in Spain once he has settled.
“Spain is one of the most respected countries in the world,” he says. “Being here is an opportunity for me.”
Around 170 asylum seekers are staying in this hotel, in the town of Villaquilambre, which has been converted into a migrant centre.
They are among the many thousands of people who take the maritime route between the African coast and Spain each year.
So far this year, more than 42,000 undocumented migrants have arrived in Spain, an increase of 59% on 2023, the vast majority having undertaken the perilous crossing to the Canary Islands.
The archipelago’s difficulties in managing these large numbers have contributed to a fierce political debate about immigration, mirroring that in many other European countries. In Spain the controversy is driven in great part by the far-right Vox party, which frequently describes the trend as an “invasion”.
However, the arrivals have also underlined a major potential source of manpower for an economy which faces stiff demographic challenges.
Javier Díaz-Giménez, a professor of economics at the IESE business school and an expert in pensions, says that a baby boom which lasted from the mid-50 to the late-70s has created a generation of Spaniards who are heading for pension age, and the “baby crash” that followed means there are not enough workers to replace them.
“The next 20 years are going to be critical, because more and more people are going to retire,” he says. “According to the most recent demographic scenario, 14.1 million people will retire during that time.”
One way of tackling the workforce deficit, he says, is to ape the kind of economic model implemented by Japan, which has a similarly low birth rate, by investing heavily in algorithms and machines. The obvious alternative to that is immigration.
“If you want to grow GDP, if you want to pay pensions for all the retiring baby boomers, you need to grow GDP in a different way to how we’re growing it now, because there will not be as many people, unless we bring them in through immigration,” adds Prof Díaz-Giménez.
Spain’s central bank has put a figure on the projected labour shortfall. In a report published in April, it said that the country will need around 25 million immigrants over the next 30 years.
The left-wing Spanish government has also made the economic case for immigrants, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez describing them as representing “wealth, development and prosperity” for his country, while on a recent tour of Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal.
“The contribution of migrant workers to our economy is fundamental, as is the sustainability of our social security system and pensions,” he said.
Mr Sánchez’s coalition is hoping that a proposal to legalise the status of up to 500,000 undocumented migrants, mainly from Latin America, will get through parliament. Spain has seen nine such mass regularisations in its democratic era, most recently in 2005 under a previous government led by the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party.
However, the country’s economic needs contrast with ordinary Spaniards’ perception of immigration. A new poll shows that 41% of people are “very worried" by the phenomenon, making it their fifth-biggest concern after inflation, housing, inequality and unemployment.
While only 9% of Spaniards associate immigrants with economic progress, 30% link them to insecurity, and 57% believe that there are too many of them.
Villaquilambre, meanwhile, is an example of how undocumented new arrivals can integrate into the workforce.
The asylum seekers here are allowed to work six months after their arrival in Spain.
“Before they receive the authorisation to start working we place great emphasis on them learning Spanish, as well as offering them training courses and classes on risk avoidance,” says Dolores Queiro, of the San Juan de Dios Foundation, the non-governmental organisation that manages the migrant centre in Villaquilambre.
“When the date for them being able to start working approaches we get in touch with different companies – and they contact us as well – and we start looking for jobs for them."
Companies get in touch, she says, “because they know that we have people here who want to work.”
Makan, from Mali, has just started working for a local business, GraMaLeon, which makes walls, bathrooms and kitchen counters out of marble and granite. He commutes the short distance from the hotel to the factory each day on an electric scooter.
“I’m happy to be working,” he says, in halting Spanish, after completing a shift hauling slabs of marble around the factory.
Ramiro Rodríguez Alaez, co-owner of the business, which employs around 20 people, says that finding workers is not easy.
“We need a lot of manpower in this profession. But it’s tough, it gets cold, you have to lift heavy weight, so it’s not a job that many young people here want to do.
“There aren’t a lot of companies in this industry around here, but those that do exist all need people. We’re all looking for people locally and we can’t find them.”
He adds: “Immigrants provide an important source of manpower for us.”
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm28vp8rvko
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North America
‘Depraved Ideology’: Convicted Terrorist, Aran Sherani, Smiles After Being Jailed Over Islamic State Pledge
ByTara Cosoleto
October 10, 2024
A convicted terrorist who pledged allegiance to Islamic State after lighting bushfires could be released from prison in just under three years.
Aran Sherani, 22, looked down and smiled after he was sentenced in the Victorian Supreme Court on Thursday morning.
Sherani was found guilty in 2023 of preparing a terrorist act after declaring his allegiance to Islamic State and threatening to die as a martyr in a March 2021 video.
Police arrived to arrest him at his home in Melbourne’s north, but he ran away and bought a knife, which he held up during the video.
Justice Amanda Fox said Sherani intended to threaten police with the knife, rather than planning to actually stab them.
“While the plan remained afoot, you were committed to its execution,” Fox said in her sentencing remarks.
“However, you voluntarily abandoned the plan and the ultimate arrest was made without resistance.”
Sherani was also filmed lighting two bushfires in February 2021, where he stated he would burn down cities and punish non-believers.
The Supreme Court jury acquitted Sherani of attempting to commit terrorist acts by lighting the bushfires, but he did plead guilty to being a member of a terrorist organisation.
Fox said the fires showed the lengths Sherani was prepared to go to in his support of Islamic State.
“You embraced a depraved ideology and sought to advance the ideology through your own actions,” the judge said.
Fox said Sherani first made contact with members of the terrorist group in January 2021 because he wanted their help to travel to Kurdistan to fight and commit “jihad”.
Sherani began creating propaganda videos for Islamic State, which Fox found were “clearly intended to inspire terrorist acts”.
The judge said Sherani had an interest in the Kurdish plight due to his family background, but he became radicalised online during the pandemic.
The 22-year-old grew up in an unstable home where his father was cruel and violent, Fox said.
Sherani planned to distance himself from his father and study law once he turned 18, but the COVID-19 pandemic hit and he was instead stuck at home, she said.
He spent more time online and, in early 2021, became connected with Islamic State members.
At his pre-sentencing hearing in July, Sherani told the court he denounced the terrorist group and he no longer believed Islamic State would help the Kurdish people.
He also claimed a more moderate and practical approach to Islam.
Fox accepted Sherani rejected Islamic State, but still held concerns.
“There is a risk you could be radicalised again, but it’s unknown what you may or may not believe in the future,” she said.
Fox took into account Sherani’s guilty plea on the membership offence, his difficult conditions in custody due to the pandemic and the support he had from his family.
But she said terror offences must be denounced due to the ongoing and serious threats posed by groups such as Islamic State.
Sherani was jailed for eight years and will be eligible for parole in just under three, because of time served in pre-sentence detention.
His elder brother, Ari Sherani, who admitted filming one of the bushfire videos, was found not guilty by the jury of attempting to commit terrorist acts.
Source:theage.com.au
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ACT Greens leader says candidate's post comparing Osama bin Laden to Jesus Christ is 'not a reflection of our party as a whole'
October 10, 2024
The ACT Greens say they will not disendorse a candidate who made a blog post comparing Osama bin Laden to Jesus in the upcoming territory election.
The ABC revealed that 20-year-old candidate for the electorate of Murrumbidgee, Harini Rangarajan, wrote a blog post in August 2023 where she compared the terrorist figure and September 11 mastermind to Jesus Christ.
An ACT Greens spokeswoman said the candidate's post was a "fiction" and a "creative writing exercise" and that Ms Rangarajan and her party abhor terrorism.
Party leader Shane Rattenbury said today scrutiny of the post was a distraction, which was disappointing, but the post itself was "not a reflection of our party as a whole".
Mr Rattenbury said the ACT Greens had a vetting process which included potential candidates providing all social media accounts to the party, but "the particular pieces were missed in that vetting process".
Mr Rattenbury said he only heard about the post for the first time yesterday when his office was contacted by the ABC.
He acknowledged the post would be "concerning and confronting" for members of the community, but said Ms Rangarajan had been very clear they were creative works that "do not reflect her personal views".
Mr Rattenbury also affirmed his party's commitment to peace and non-violence as one of its four pillars, and said Ms Rangarajan had been clear in her commitment to them.
The controversy around Ms Rangarajan follows questions raised about the handling of concerns about former Greens MLA Johnathan Davis, who resigned from the Legislative Assembly in 2023 after being accused of sexual misconduct.
Source:abc.net.au
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-10/act-greens-leader-respond-harini-rangarajan-bin-laden-blog-post/104451214
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Referee told officials Christchurch Mosque gunman was 'good outstanding young man'
October 10, 2024
One of the referees for the Christchurch mosque attacker's firearms licence told police the terrorist was a "good outstanding young man" and a "nice person".
The inquest into the deaths of the 51 worshippers murdered at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre on 15 March 2019 has re-convened for its second phase.
Deputy Chief Coroner Brigitte Windley is examining how the terrorist obtained his firearms licence.
On Thursday, a former police vetting officer, who interviewed both of the referees put forward for his firearms licence application, gave evidence in the coroner's court.
Police have already accepted the two referees were not suitable as one was an online friend the terrorist played video games with, and the other was that friend's parent.
The vetting officer said he had been in the role more than 20 years by 2017 when he conducted the interviews and had never had any complaints about the way he filled out the vetting guide.
He said his job was simply to ask the questions and record the answers.
He told the inquest by the time of the interviews, he already knew both referees from previous dealings as they were firearms licence holders themselves.
He said he decided not to elaborate on many of their answers as he had no reason to doubt their responses, integrity or sincerity.
The second referee to be interviewed, the gaming friend's parent, said he had known the terrorist four years and the purpose for him having access to firearms was for hunting and targets.
The gaming friend's parent said the terrorist had been out range shooting with them in the past and his attitude towards firearms was "good and safe".
The parent said the terrorist would be a suitable applicant to have access to firearms as he was a "good outstanding young man" and a "nice person".
The parent finished the interview by saying they "fully supported" the terrorist's application for a firearm's licence.
Neither referee expressed any concern for any person if he was to hold a firearm's licence.
Under questioning by counsel assisting the coroner, Ian Murray, the vetting officer said it was not his role to address the suitability of the referees.
He did not find the fact they were related to be an issue.
Upon reflection, the vetting officer said he could have expanded a bit more on what he wrote down as the referee's answers, but thought the questions asked were sufficient.
The second phase of the inquest is set down for three weeks, with about 15 witnesses expected to be called.
Source:rnz.co.nz
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'It's non-stop': Swing state voters bombarded with ads - will they make a difference?
Natalie Sherman
October 9, 2024
Like many Americans, Hayden Cook decided long ago who to vote for in this year's presidential election.
And yet, every day, the 19-year-old from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania is bombarded with political ads, despite installing a blocker on YouTube and opting out of cable television.
"It's still so constant," Cook said. "Work is six minutes away - you're already hearing two or three ads; then we have the radio on at work and there's ads there."
More than $10bn (£7.6bn) is expected to be spent on political advertising this election. That is up some 20-25% from 2020 - itself a record-setting cycle - depending on which forecaster is consulted.
Most of that money will be funnelled through a handful of critical, highly competitive states that are expected to decide the election, with almost $1bn going towards one state alone: Pennsylvania.
The Keystone State is expected to attract $935m in ad spending this election, including $450m on the presidential contest between former President Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris, according to research firm AdImpact.
And that does not include all the free media coverage the candidates have received as they repeatedly return to the state on the campaign trail.
Cook, a political junkie, doesn't mind the barrage - but has been bemused by some of it.
At one point, the family home was getting multiple mailers each day from a conservative group, despite everyone being a registered Democrat.
"It's absolutely non-stop," Cook said. "It's everywhere."
In the UK, election campaigns are limited to 25 working days, spending is capped, and political advertising on radio and television is banned.
So the frenzy in the US can seem nonsensical - especially in a contest where so many voters like Cook have already made up their minds about the candidates.
Polling this year has suggested only a tiny fraction of voters - about 3%, much smaller than in historic elections - are undecided.
But surveys also indicate Trump and Harris are locked in a dead heat while even some decided voters are expressing dissatisfaction and uncertainty, raising the possibility of an election-day surprise.
"Advertising in presidential races typically matters only at the margins - it doesn't matter very much - but if the margin is in play, it matters a lot to the overall outcome," said Erika Fowler, professor of government at Wesleyan University and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project.
By the numbers
If election success were determined by dollars alone, Harris could be declared the winner now.
Her campaign - and that of Joe Biden before he quit the race - has been significantly out-fundraising and out-spending her Republican rival's.
At the start of September, it had $235m in the bank, almost twice as much as Trump's $135m.
Her campaign spent roughly $135m on media product and ad buys the month prior, which amounted to nearly 80% of $174m in total expenditures in August, the most recent official figures available, according to federal filings.
That was more than double the roughly $57m the Trump campaign spent on advertising and mailers the same month, and his overall $61m in spending was also far lower.
But elections are about more than a bottom line.
In the 2016 and 2020 election, Trump was also outspent but he dominated the headlines, giving him free coverage that helped to narrow the gap, Prof Fowler said.
This year, since Harris became the nominee, she has appeared to close Trump's lead with free press, while the Democrats' spending advantage has continued to widen, according to Prof Fowler. Over some weeks in September, Harris had been outspending Trump on Facebook and Instagram by a factor of 16:1.
"I have never seen margins like that before," Prof Fowler said.
When you factor in spending by outside groups, the gap between Trump and Harris narrows.
But Geoff Pereira, head of content and insights at Media Radar CMAC, which tracks advertising on traditional television and radio, said Trump may be gambling, based on past experience and tight polls, that commercials won't be the deciding factor.
After all, pro-Trump groups backed by some of his wealthiest supporters, such as Elon Musk's America PAC, have claimed they plan to steer their spending to other areas, such as turnout.
"He was outspent in 2016 and 2020 and he's being outspent to a greater extent this cycle, at least so far," Mr Pereira said. "Will it matter?"
"Reading between the lines, he thinks he doesn't necessarily need it."
Backlash risk
Advertising by a candidate has been found to help boost turnout by supporters, said Cameron Shelton, a professor of political economy at Claremont McKenna College. That makes it potentially important in states like Pennsylvania, where polls suggest margins will be slim.
But unless it is targeted, the messages can also backfire, Prof Shelton warned.
His research on the 2012 and 2016 elections found that political ads were as likely to propel opponents to the polls in anger as they were to bring in supporters.
"Ads don't persuade," he said. "What happens is the ad just pushes you towards your preconceptions. It polarises, it enflames."
"If you get a balanced audience, it looks like you're increasing the other side's votes just as much as your own," he said.
Harris's Facebook page is currently running more than 300 ads targeting voters in Pennsylvania, compared with 22 on Trump's page, many of them pitched to younger audiences and women, a BBC Verify analysis found.
But mass advertising on traditional television - which tends to reach a population of older, more reliable voters - continues to account for the majority of spending for both campaigns.
Over the summer, campaign ads focused on issues important to each candidates' base: immigration for Trump and healthcare and abortion for Harris.
But in more recent weeks, the economy - an issue of importance to voters in both camps and one in which Trump and Republicans have historically held the advantage - has gained focus, Prof Fowler said.
In Pennsylvania, Trump has attacked Harris over fracking, an advanced oil and gas drilling technique which she previously supported banning. Fracking plays a key role in the state, which is the second biggest producer of natural gas in the US.
Harris has spotlighted adverts aimed at traditional Republicans and rural voters, in which former Trump voters and farmers argue that he worked only for the wealthy.
All the ads can make for awkward moments in politically diverse company, said Tim Anzelone, a 36-year-old from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who recently hosted a watch party to celebrate the start of the season for his NFL team, the Steelers.
Worried about political ads spurring arguments among his guests, he strategised ahead of time to mute the television during every commercial break.
The plan worked, he said: "People didn't pay attention... I would guess 50% of the ads were presidential [election-related] and nobody talked about it."
He said he was ready for the election to be over, having already made up his mind about the race - a private decision he declined to share.
"The ads definitely don't sway me at all," he said. "I always do think it's a huge waste of money but it must be working for someone."
In future elections, Prof Shelton said he expected targeting to become much more precise, reducing the risk of backlash and uncomfortable party dynamics - but also likely pushing America further apart.
"My sad projection would be then we're going to get even more siloed and polarised," he said. "I'm going to see a certain set of ads that make me believe one thing and you're going to see a certain set of ads that make you believe another."
Source:bbc.com
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Pakistan
Karachi terror attack: AEMEND terms Pemra's notices to TV channels 'illegal'
By Web Desk
October 09, 2024
After several TV channels received show-cause notices from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) over coverage of Karachi terrorist attack, the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) strongly reacted to the move, terming the notices "illegal".
The media body said that TV channels were facing announced and unannounced restrictions following Pemra's orders, adding that the show-cause notices "aimed at imposing illegal censorship" on TV channels.
Three people, including two Chinese nationals, were killed in a suspected suicide attack near the Jinnah International Airport on Sunday night (October 6). The explosion also left dozens of others injured which was widely covered by national media.
It also rejected Pemra's "baseless allegations" on the TV channels, saying that the coverage of the terrorism incident was carried out in a responsible manner while keeping in view the laws, national and social interests, and regulations for electronic media.
An AEMEND spokesperson further stated that the TV channels had relayed the government and the law enforcement agencies' (LEAs) stance to the public besides updating the citizens regarding the traffic closure and resumption in the affected area.
"It is the media's responsibility to deliver all relevant information to the public and the nation's right [to stay updated with latest developments] which was fulfilled by TV channels with responsibility," the statement read.
Despite meeting all protocols, "illegal notices" were issued to different channels indiscriminately in order to pressurise them.
The association said that no individual or institution is above the law and any code violation from a TV channel could be reviewed in accordance with the regulations. However, the show-cause notices in question reflected "malice" and is "unacceptable", it added.
Subsequently, the AEMEND decided to summon a special session of its executive committee to formulate a joint strategy to respond to the Pemra's move via approaching court and using other options.
Similarly, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned Pemra's decision to issue notices to TV channels, terming it an act of pressuring and arm-twisting.
PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Arshad Ansari jointly denounced Pemra's actions, stating that covering the recent terrorist attack in Karachi, which made international headlines, is not only justified but also essential for public safety and security.
They argued that media outlets cannot ignore such incidents, especially when precious lives, including those of visiting foreigners, have been lost.
The PFUJ leadership demanded the immediate withdrawal of these "uncalled for and illegitimate" notices, emphasising that broadcasting such events is crucial for keeping the public informed.
The journalist body also warned authorities to refrain from using coercive tactics, cautioning that continued pressure on media outlets would prompt protests and sit-ins across the country.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1238442-karachi-terror-attack-aemend-terms-pemras-notices-to-tv-channels-illegal
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Two terrorists killed in Mir Ali intelligence-based operation: ISPR
Dawn.com
October 9, 2024
Two terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement, security forces conducted the operation in Mir Ali area of the district when they were informed of the presence of terrorists therein.
“On 09 October 2024, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in general area Mir Ali in North Waziristan District, on [the] reported presence of Khawarij,” the ISPR said in the statement.
It added an intense firefight took place between security forces and “khawarij”, with two terrorists being killed.
“Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from killed Khwarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces as well as target killing of innocent civilians in the area,” the statement added.
In July, the government, through an official notification, designated the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna al Khawarij, while mandating all institutions to use the term Khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan.
The media wing added that a sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists in the area.
“[The] security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country,” the ISPR said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the military’s media wing announced that it had neutralised two terrorists while repelling a suicide attack on the Joint Response Centre in Zhob, Balochistan.
“The attempt to enter the camp was effectively thwarted by the security forces personnel, and resultantly two terrorists, including a suicide bomber and HVT Terrorist Umar @ Umari, were sent to hell before they could cause the intended damage,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement read.
Havaldar Jam Sher was martyred in the attack, the ISPR said.
According to a monthly security report published by the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), a total of 45 terrorist attacks took place across the country in September 2024, reflecting about a 24 per cent decline from the month before.
These attacks resulted in 54 fatalities (29 security personnel, 16 civilians, and nine militants), compared to 84 last month, and injuries to another 117 people.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffered the most as 27 terrorist incidents occurred across the province, followed by 17 in Balochistan and one in Punjab.
The report said that 27 terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa claimed the lives of 35 people and wounded 70 others.
The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Gul Bahadur Group, Islamic State-Khorasan and a few local Taliban groups were involved in these attacks.
No terrorist attack was recorded in any part of Sindh in September 2024. However, one reported attack in Punjab injured one policeman.
A total of five attacks were recorded from across Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1864102/two-terrorists-killed-in-mir-ali-intelligence-based-operation-ispr
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Islamabad High Court Orders De-Sealing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in The Capital
By Awais Yousafzai
October 10, 2024
ISLAMABAD: Just two days after the Capital Development Authority (CDA) sealed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in the federal capital, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered the authority to open it.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued the order during the hearing of a petition filed by KP's provincial government.
Presenting arguments during the hearing, the authority's lawyer said that illegal construction has taken place on the property and some dues are also still pending with first notice given to KP administration in 2014.
Justice Farooq told the CDA lawyer that the authority can issue notices to seal the property according to the law. “Don't make it seem like you are targeting someone.”
Presenting arguments during the hearing, the authority's lawyer said that illegal construction has taken place on the property and some dues are also still pending with the first notice given to the KP administration in 2014.
The lawyer insisted that the lease of the property expired in 2014.
“When did CDA issue notices?” asked the IHC chief justice, insisting that a notice should have been issued even before sealing the house.
The judge further remarked: “It is a provincial house. [It] is shameless to seal it.”
The KP government, a day earlier, filed a plea against the provincial house being sealed by the CDA.
In its petition, the provincial government maintained that the house — a property of the KP government — had been sealed “illegally”.
The plea added that when the KP administration moved the Peshawar High Court (PHC) against the CDA's action, it was told to take the matter to the IHC — which was termed as the proper forum for the case.
The court was requested to declare the sealing of the house and the act of taking the KP government’s vehicles into custody “illegal”, while seeking to reopen the property.
The matter came to the fore after the CDA, in an unprecedented move, on Monday sealed the provincial government’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House for violating building by-laws.
“This premises has been sealed on account of building violations,” a notice pasted on the main gate by a CDA team led by Special Magistrate CDA Muhammad Asif said.
According to the authority’s record, the first notice to the KP government was issued by the CDA Building Control Section on April 5, 2014, directing it to halt illegal construction on the premises of the provincial property.
The CDA had also served notices on the KP government in February and May this year to get the lease of the plot on which the KP House is constructed in Sector F-5/2 renewed.
For that purpose, the provincial government was required to apply for a No Objection Certificate, but the needful was not done.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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COAS expresses gratitude over Saudi Arabia’s 'unflinching' support for Pakistan
By Web Desk
October 10, 2024
RAWALPINDI: Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al Falih met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir and discussed matters of mutual interest on Thursday in Rawalpindi, said the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The meeting, attended by a high-level Saudi government cum business delegation as well, particularly discussed initiatives to strengthen evergrowing brotherly bilateral cooperation in a variety of sectors, the ISPR said.
The Saudi delegation headed by the investment minister arrived in Pakistan on October 9 for a three-day visit.
The military’s media wing said the COAS expressed his profound appreciation and gratitude for unflinching support of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman for Pakistan.
"Manifestation of one of the largest business delegation’s visit to Pakistan reaffirms the enduring and fraternal ties between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)," he said.
Army Chief Munir underscored the deep respect and affection that the people of Pakistan held for Saudi Arabia, the ISPR added.
Furthermore, he assured the delegation of Pakistan’s full support and commitment and conveyed his optimism for the promising outcomes that would mutually benefit both nations.
Separately, the minister accompanied by the high-level delegation met President Asif Ali Zardari at the President House in Islamabad on Thursday.
On this occasion, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation in key areas including economy, agriculture, mining and information technology.
Both the sides underlined the need to work together to build a prosperous and peaceful future for the region as well as for the Islamic world, according to a President House press release.
Welcoming the delegation, the president emphasised the longstanding and time-tested relationship between Pakistan and the KSA.
He expressed Pakistan’s desire to elevate the bilateral ties into a long-term strategic and economic partnership, underscoring that such collaboration would bring the two brotherly nations further closer.
President Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan's deep respect for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, and reiterated Pakistan's unwavering commitment to stand in solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
He also praised the visionary leadership of Crown Prince Salman.
The president also highly commended the remarkable progress Saudi Arabia was making under Vision 2030 and expressed gratitude for the Kingdom’s continued support to Pakistan during challenging times.
“I am happy to witness the progress and prosperity of Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Saudi minister Khalid said that Saudi Arabia recognised the strategic geographical significance of Pakistan and its potential for natural resources and renewable energy.
He informed that Saudi Arabia had planned to invest in the infrastructure and mining sectors of Pakistan and, in this regard, his delegation would sign 25 agreements in different sectors to boost economic cooperation between the two brotherly nations.
The minister expressed the hope that the signing of the agreements would mark a new era of economic cooperation between the two countries. Both sides emphasised to increase collaboration in the areas of agriculture and information technology.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Petroleum Senator Musadik Masood Malik, Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Minister for Privatisation Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister for Interior Senator Syed Mohsin Naqvi, Minister for Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Senator Saleem Mandviwalla. Saudi Ambassador in Islamabad Nawaf Saeed Al Malki was also present in the meeting.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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Security forces kill two terrorists in Mir Ali IBO
By Zarmeen Zehra
October 09, 2024
RAWALPINDI: Security forces have gunned down two terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday.
“On October 9, 2024, security forces conducted the operation in general area Mir Ali on the reported presence of Khwarij, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
During the conduct of the operation, the ISPR said an intense fire exchange took place between the security forces and terrorists, with two of them being killed.
“Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from killed Khwarij [terrorists], who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces as well as target killing of innocent civilians in the area,” it added.
The ISPR said the sanitisation operation was launched to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area as “security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country”.
Pakistan has experienced a spike in terrorism since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Most terror incidents are reported in provinces bordering the neighbouring country — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
On October 5, ISPR reported that a lieutenant colonel among six soldiers embraced martyrdom during a gun battle with terrorists in North Waziristan's Spinwam area.
“The exchange of fire between the two sides took place on the night between October 4-5, during which six Khwarij were also killed,” the military’s media wing had said.
"Lt Col Muhammad Ali Shaukat was leading the operation against the Khwarij when he and five soldiers were martyred as a result of intense exchange of fire," it had stated.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1238438-security-forces-kill-two-terrorists-in-mir-ali-ibo
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Govt botched constitutional package issue, says Bilawal
Syed Irfan Raza
October 10, 2024
• PPP chairman reiterates call for constitutional court at federal, provincial levels
• Says package should not be introduced in parliament without consent of Fazl, Mengal
• Praises CJP Isa for ‘bold’ decisions, ordering polls ‘even against military’s wishes’
ISLAMABAD: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari criticised the government on Wednesday for mishandling the much-debated constitutional package, which led to delays in its passage through parliament.
He also called for establishing a constitutional court not only at the federal level but also in all provinces and demanded equal opportunities for all provinces.
In an informal chat with a group of journalists at Zardari House in Islamabad, the PPP chairman said the government had tried to rush the constitutional legislation without proper homework or the backing of allies like the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).
“When the government first tried to table the constitutional package in parliament over the weekend (Saturday and Sunday), I was told that Maulana Fazl would support it, but later we came to know that he was not convinced,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.
He explained that the situation changed after the Supreme Court’s July 12 ruling that allocated reserved seats to the PTI. That judgement shattered the government’s confidence in securing the two-thirds majority needed in both the Senate and the National Assembly to pass the package.
In the initial draft of the package, the government sought to amend Articles 8 and 51 of the Constitution concerning reserved seats. However, the PPP chairman stressed that he was not in a hurry to pass the package, preferring instead to build consensus among all political forces.
“I believe the package should not be introduced in parliament without the consent of Maulana Fazl and Sardar Akhtar Mengal (president of the Balochistan National Party),” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.
He stressed that he was willing to go to great lengths to convince Maulana Fazlur Rehman, adding that the package would eventually have to be passed.
Mr Bhutto-Zardari revealed that three separate drafts of the constitutional package were being prepared: one by the government, one by the PPP, and another by the JUI-F. The PPP chairman said the JUI-F would share its proposals with him. “I will try to incorporate my proposals with that of Maulana Fazl and the government’s,” he added.
The PPP’s draft includes demands such as the formation of constitutional courts not only in the Centre but also in all the provinces and ensuring equality among them, he said.
Asked whether Maulana Fazl would support the package, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, “I am quite confident that we will secure his (Maulana’s) support sooner or later.”
‘PTI bent upon politics of aggression’
On the PTI, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said he had supported the party on various occasions, including opposing military trials for those accused in the May 9 unrest and defending the constitutional need for general elections within 90 days after the ouster of Imran Khan. “But the PTI is bent upon the politics of aggression and hatred and therefore it is suffering,” he added.
When questioned about whether the formation of a constitutional court would be person-specific, the PPP chairman said, “Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa is not the priority, but he is the only judge in the present lot who has given bold and historic decisions, such as ordering the 2024 general elections even against the will of the army, and reversing Supreme Court’s own decision in the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case.”
On the government’s economic policies, Mr Bhutto-Zardari acknowledged that high prices remain a major problem for the people but noted that the recent drop in inflation was a positive step.
“I know the decline in inflation has not had a significant impact, but it’s a step towards the redressal of people’s problems. For this, we should give a space to the government to complete its term,” he added.
To another question about his plans to eliminate corruption and overcome the ills in politics and society, he said: “I have to play a long innings. To eliminate corruption, we should first disband NAB (National Accountability Bureau), which does not work to eradicate corruption but to twist the arms of political opponents of the rulers.”
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1864231/govt-botched-constitutional-package-issue-says-bilawal
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Balochistan tribunal nullifies PPP lawmaker’s victory
Saleem Shahid
October 10, 2024
QUETTA: The election tribunal of the Balochistan High Court has annulled the victory notification of PPP’s Mir Ubaidullah Gorgage for the PB-44 (Quetta VII) constituency of the Balochistan Assembly.
The tribunal, led by Justice Abdullah Baloch, has ordered repolling at 16 polling stations within the constituency.
This decision follows an election petition filed by Haji Atta Muhammad Balochzai, a National Party candidate, who challenged Mr Gorgage’s win, alleging irregularities in the voting process.
Advocate Nadir Chalgari represented the petitioner, while Advocate Amanullah Kanrani and other lawyers appeared on behalf of Mr Gorgage. Both sides presented their arguments during the tribunal’s previous hearing.
The petitioner argued that Mr Gorgage had initially secured only 113 votes from the 16 disputed polling stations, but through fraudulent methods, including tampering with Form-45s, his vote count was falsely increased by 6,437 votes, which ultimately led to his victory.
The petitioner also submitted his own Form-45, which showed significant discrepancies compared to the declared winner.
After examining the evidence, the tribunal issued its final ruling, cancelling the notification of Mr Gorgage’s victory issued on Feb 22, 2024 — Notification No. 2024-cord(I) No.F.2(12) — and declaring the seat vacant.
The tribunal has directed the Election Commission to conduct repolling at the 16 affected polling stations and ensure transparency by appointing new returning officers, deputy returning officers and polling staff.
Additionally, the tribunal instructed that a copy of the decision be sent to both the provincial Election Commission and the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Source:dawn.com
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Africa
Libya's Representative UN Stresses The Need To End The Transitional Stages And Stop Negative Interference In National Decisions
2024-10-10
New York, October 9, 2024 (LANA) - Libya's representative to the United Nations, "Taher Al-Sunni", stressed the need to end the transitional stages in Libya, stop negative interference in the national decision, accelerate the unification of the military institution, and end foreign presence.
Al-Sunni said in a speech before the Security Council session on Libya today, Wednesday, that everyone must respect the political agreement as a basic reference for reaching a political solution in Libya and closing the door to those who want to exacerbate the situation in the country. Al-Sunni continued that there is a national capacity to organize elections, and that the problem is not technical and logistical, but rather political. He pointed out that there are correspondences to the Sanctions Committee regarding exceptions related to frozen funds, and we have not been officially notified of them, and this is unacceptable, calling for informing the mission so that it can be officially responded to.
The Libyan delegate to the United Nations called for not using oil as an economic tool for blackmail or pressure, and building on the agreement of the sovereign institutions regarding the Central Bank of Libya with the aim of reaching a consensus on financial arrangements and the unified budget, expressing his hope that the international panic to find a permanent solution to the political situation in Libya would be at the same pace as the search for a solution to the Central Bank crisis, and that the matter would not be limited to money and resources.
Al-Sunni again denounced the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and said that the blood of innocents who were killed in Palestine and are still being killed is a stain on the forehead of everyone who contributed to and supported these attacks and atrocities or even remained silent about them.
Source:gov.ly
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https://lana.gov.ly/post.php?id=317035&lang=en
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‘Thirteen Repentant Boko Haram Fighters Escape With Govt Rifles, Motorcycles’
9 October 2024
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
Thirteen former fighters of the Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JASDJ), commonly known as Boko Haram, have reportedly escaped with rifles and motorcycles provided to them by the Borno State government.
The ex-fighters are part of a larger group of thousands who had surrendered to the government, seeking to distance themselves from the insurgency.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum previously revealed that more than 160,000 Boko Haram members and their families had voluntarily surrendered amid ongoing military operations against the insurgents.
These “repentant” militants are being managed under the Borno Model, a post-conflict amnesty programme aimed at deradicalisation, rehabilitation, reintegration, and resettlement of low-risk individuals previously associated with armed groups.
Sources familiar with the situation indicated that nearly 6,000 combatants are currently awaiting “transitional justice” under this framework.
The Borno State Government had co-opted some of these former fighters into assisting military efforts against insurgency, utilizing their knowledge of the insurgents’ hideouts.
These individuals, often referred to as “hybrid forces,” have been instrumental in conducting joint operations with the military, including locating and destroying weapons caches and rescuing hostages.
A defence journalist in the state who spoke with Premium Times said, “Their involvement has significantly helped the military.
“They have led the troops into the hideouts of the terrorists where the military recovered a large amount of ammunition around the Timbuktu axis.”
According to the platform, military provides the ex-fighters with sophisticated rifles, motorcycles, and ammunition for joint counterinsurgency operations. Sources revealed that these weapons are always recovered from them after any operation.
Unfortunately, 13 of them attached to the military operatives in Mafa escaped from their camp between the 1st and 2nd of September, Malik Samuel, a researcher with a deep understanding of jihadi groups in northeastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region, told the platform.
Mr Samuel, a senior researcher with Good Governance Africa, said eight ex-fighters first escaped from the camp on 1 September before five others followed suit the next day.
He said the escapees called Abdullahi Ishaq, a special adviser to the government on security matters, threatening to unleash more violence.
After their escape, the jubilant terrorists released a video brandishing the rifles.
Mr Ishaq, a retired brigadier general who promoted the Borno Model programme, could not be reached for comments. He did not respond to calls and messages sent via SMS and WhatsApp. Also, calls and messages sent to the Acting Deputy Director of the army’s operations in Borno, Operation Hadin Kai, Rugben Kovangya, and the Borno State Commissioner for Information & Internal Security, Usman Tar, were not responded to.
Why did they leave, and where did they go?
This is not the first time ex-fighters and their families who surrendered would return to their previous lives, multiple sources, including Mr Samuel, told PREMIUM TIMES.
They said this was worrisome because it seemed planned.
“The reason for their exit may have to do with the management of the Borno Model programme,” a source familiar with the workings of the programme said in confidence. “These guys were promised many things… about skill acquisition, stipends, a better life and reintegration into the society, but not many of these promises have been kept by the government.”
The “repentant” terrorists and their families had staged protests, as seen here and here, decrying poor planning [by the government] and demanding better welfare and a clear reintegration procedure.
According to Mr Samuel, the terrorists fled to Darul Gazuwa, a renegade Boko Haram faction led by a senior commander, Alhai Kale. The group, Mr Samuel said, terrorises villagers around Bama, Konduga, Mafa and Dikwa.
Premium Times noted that the escapees risk death if they return to Boko Haram enclaves in Mandara Mountain, which Ali Ngulde controls, or the Barwa Island, where Bakura Doro, the overall Boko Haram leader, holds sway.
“Hence they chose to go to the Alhai Kale-led Darul Gazuwa faction,” Mr Samuel explained, adding the renegade faction, although disagrees with Mr Doro’s leadership, “they are still technically part of JASDJ.”
The group mainly specialises in kidnapping-for-ransom and highway robbery, Mr Samuel noted, adding “economic reasons contributed to the recidivism.”
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/10/09/thirteen-repentant-boko-haram-fighters-escape-with-govt-rifles-motorcycles/
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Sokoto govt disburses N95.4m for mosques’ upkeep
By News Desk
October 9, 2024
The Sokoto State Government on Wednesday disbursed N95.4 million to committees of 87 Mosques for upkeep of their respective worship centres.
Gov. Ahmad Aliyu, who disclosed this at the disbursement ceremony, said that the initiative was in fulfilment of his electioneering campaign promises aimed at easing challenges in religious centres.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the amount is to be used as three months routine maintenance allowances for the Mosques.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Bello Sifawa, charged Mosque committee members to ensure transparency in using the funds.
He said the funds were meant for routine activities such as; maintenance of electricity, water system, leaking roof, sanitation and other petty-petty works in the Mosques.
Mr Aliyu commended the state government committee for careful screening and categorisation of the Mosques, depending on size as well as chain of activities.
Earlier, the State Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Sheikh Jabir Maihula, said the Mosques were categorised into three grades with 20 on grade 1, 17 on grade 2, while 50 Mosques were on grade 3.
According to Mr Maihula, Mosques on grade 1 will receive N500,000, grade 2, N400,000 and grade 3, will collect N300,000 each month.
He said each Mosque committee was mandated to opened a bank account for monthly payment and a separate committee was constituted to supervise the spendings.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, represented by the Wazirin Sokoto, Prof. Sambo Wali-Junaid, lauded the Sokoto state government’s efforts for assisting religious activities across the state.
Source:dailynigerian.com
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Islamic University College, Ghana to establish Advanced Clinical Training Centre
Zakaria Alhassan
Oct - 09 - 2024
Processes have begun to establish a branch of the Iran University of Medical Sciences in Ghana to train nurses at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
In that regard, a memorandum of understanding has been signed between the Iranian institution and the Islamic University College, Ghana.
The collaboration between the two countries is aimed at creating an Advanced Clinical Training Centre (ACTC) for enhanced medical education.
In an interview with the Dean, School of Nursing at the Islamic University College, Ghana, Dr Masoud Maleki Birjandi, he said the initiative would take effect in February, 2025.
He explained that once operational, ACTC would introduce advanced medical methodologies and skills previously unavailable in Ghana.
The dean added that the centre would serve as a reputable scientific hub for both Ghana and the broader African continent.
Medical services
Dr Birjandi said that at the core of the partnership was the quest to train skilled professionals who would deliver quality medical services that responded to the health needs of the people.
He also said the collaboration between the two institutions would contribute significantly to Ghana’s commitment to knowledge acquisition to position the country as a leader in West Africa.
“Building on the historical ties and robust scientific collaboration between Iran and Ghana, the introduction of nursing and midwifery courses marks the inaugural phase of this initiative, with further details to be announced shortly,” Dr Birjandi added.
He explained that the Centre for Nursing and Midwifery at the Islamic University College, Ghana, would help to train professional nurses “whose goal and satisfaction is rooted in the quick recovery of their patients”.
The dean also said that as part of the arrangement, Iranian professors would be dispatched to Ghana, where they would work alongside Ghanaian academics to deliver training that meets international standards.
Partnership
Dr Birjandi further said that the partnership wiould provide cutting-edge educational resources in nursing and midwifery at the Islamic University College’s Ghana Nursing School.
“Additionally, collaborative efforts in medical and nursing sciences are planned with both the Islamic University College and the University of Development Studies, Tamale,” he added.
The dean also said through the exchange of knowledge, the two institutions aspire to foster peace and strengthen friendships between their countries, emphasising that scientific communication was a vital pathway to international relations.
Dr Birjandi said funding for the project had been provided by the Iranian government, reflecting the principle that education was paramount and shared responsibility.
While expressing gratitude for the cooperation of the Ghanaian Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) over the past two years in facilitating the necessary permits for the centre, he assured the regulator of strict adherence to standards.
Source:graphic.com.gh
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https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-islamic-university-college-ghana-to-establish-advanced-clinical-training-centre.html
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‘Things Were Bad Before Tinubu Took Office’ – Minister Begs Nigerians For Patience
10 October 2024
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, has urged Nigerians to exercise patience with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as his administration endeavours to address the nation’s challenges.
Ohanenye made this appeal during a charitable event held in Awka, the capital of Anambra State, where she distributed palliatives to support the less privileged in the community.
The minister’s remarks came as she handed out 5,000 bags of 10 kg rice, 300 gas cylinders, and 500 bags of 50 kg fertilizers, aimed at easing the burden faced by vulnerable families in the area.
During her speech, Ohanenye acknowledged the difficulties many Nigerians are currently experiencing but emphasized that the government’s efforts to improve the situation would take time.
She expressed confidence in Tinubu’s leadership and commitment to transforming the country for the better.
The Minister stated, “I plead with you to be patient with the president. He is doing everything to change the negative practices that have crippled the nation’s economy. Just give the president time; in the next few months, things will begin to improve.
“He needs time to clean up the mess left by previous administrations. Honestly, things were bad before President Tinubu took office, and he is working hard to bring happiness to Nigerians.”
According to her, the Tinubu-led administration has introduced numerous social security initiatives aimed at uplifting Nigerians, especially the poor.
She encouraged individuals to submit their BVN so the government can plan and provide assistance to the less privileged.
“The BVN helps the government identify those who qualify for federal social security palliatives. The aid is meant for the poor, not the rich, who have cornered these resources over the years,” she added.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/10/10/things-were-bad-before-tinubu-took-office-minister-begs-nigerians-for-patience/
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia launches insurance policy to protect expatriate workers
LAMA ALHAMAWI
October 09, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and the Insurance Authority have launched an insurance service that will cover unpaid wages for up to six months and provide travel assistance for expatriates in the Kingdom in the case of private sector defaults.
Director general of international communications and cooperation, Abdulrahman Al-Zaid, told Arab News: “The Expatriate Worker Wage Insurance Service for Private Sector Defaults is part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to protect both workers and employers, while enhancing the overall efficiency and appeal of the Saudi labor market.
“The initiative is designed to create a more secure labor environment, making Saudi Arabia a leading hub for international talent.”
The service covers specific benefits as outlined in the policy, allowing foreign workers in defaulting companies to receive their entitlements — within the financial limits of the policy — and provide a plane ticket to return to their home country, if they wish to do so, within the policy’s financial limits, he said.
Insurance is part of a package of measures introduced by the ministry to safeguard the rights of employers and employees.
Al-Zaid explained how the insurance policy works for the benefit of the expatriates: “In rare cases when wages are not fulfilled, this insurance service will cover unpaid wages and entitlements for up to six months, with a maximum compensation payout of SR17,500 ($4,661) provided the combined rights of all workers do not exceed the overall insurance coverage limit for the company.”
But this payout is contingent on 80 percent or more of the workers in the establishment not having received their wages or entitlements, per the ministry’s regulations.
The initiative is part of the ministry’s commitment to creating a fair and secure labor environment for employers and employees.
Affected workers who wish to return to their home countries will be provided with a travel ticket, with cover up to SR1,000 ($266).
Al-Zaid said a worker is entitled to a return ticket to their home country “if they wish to leave the country directly without transferring their services to another company and can provide proof of completing all necessary procedures for departure, such as obtaining an exit visa and proof of a travel booking to their home country.”
Private sector employees wishing to apply for the insurance policy can submit claims through the designated insurance company responsible for handling compensation claims.
The ministry will oversee the process to ensure compliance and smooth execution of the service.
The introduction of this service does not absolve employers of their responsibilities, and they will still be fully responsible for meeting their wage obligations.
“The ministry will continue to enforce strict measures, including penalties for employers who deliberately fail to meet their obligations,” Al-Zaid added.
Abdul Ghaffar is an expat, originally from India, who has been living in the Kingdom for the past 24 years working as a senior consultant in talent development.
When asked if he had ever been affected by a company defaulting in Saudi Arabia, Ghaffar said: “I have never personally witnessed any instances where companies defaulted on paying my salary. But one of my close friends, who worked for a private construction company, was facing financial difficulties.
“The company delayed salaries for several months, causing significant stress for him and his family. It becomes very critical, especially (for) expatriates who rely on timely wages to support their families back home.”
He said that the situation was resolved but it took months for the individual’s account settlement and exit process. The case highlighted the vulnerability that expatriate workers face in such circumstances, he added.
The ministry and the Insurance Authority's new policy aims to protect expatriates from vulnerabilities such as these.
“I believe the new wage insurance policy is a positive step forward. It shows that the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development is taking the necessary steps to protect expatriates working in Saudi Arabia,” Ghaffar said. “This policy will not only provide financial relief to workers impacted by company defaults but also create a more secure and attractive environment for expatriates considering working in the Kingdom.”
Ghaffar said of the new policy that the “travel ticket assistance also reflects the ministry’s understanding of the needs of expatriates who might want to return home in such situations.”
He said he believes the new initiative will “enhance Saudi Arabia’s reputation as a fair and competitive destination for international talent.”
The insurance cover for eligible workers began on Oct. 6, 2024.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574649/saudi-arabia
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Nordic Week brings Scandinavian culture to Riyadh
SULAFA ALKHUNAIZI
October 09, 2024
RIYADH: Nordic Culture Week 2024 is bringing Scandinavian culture to Riyadh with a weeklong festival.
The celebration aims to strengthen ties between Nordic countries and the Kingdom and includes a host of cultural events, including screenings of films from Norway, Sweden and Finland.
On Monday, the Danish Embassy hosted Nordic Joyfest, featuring a demonstration of how to make Danish pastries. The event was held in cooperation with Aysh Academy at Hayy Jameel, a baking institute in Jeddah founded by Sumaia Showail and known for its expertise in Danish pastry-making.
Students from the Higher Institute for Tourism and Hospitality, a long-standing partner of HTMi Hotel and Tourism Management Institute in Switzerland, were among those taking part.
Liselotte Plesner, the Danish ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said the festival was not only a celebration of Nordic heritage but also a reflection of the strong cooperation among Nordic nations.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574579/saudi-arabia
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Saudi crown prince meets with Iranian foreign minister in Riyadh
October 09, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Riyadh on Wednesday.
During the meeting, Saudi-Iranian relations and the latest regional developments were discussed, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The meeting was also attended by Saudi officials including Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan who received Aragchi separately, earlier on Wednesday.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574630/saudi-arabia
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Saudi deputy minister receives UN official in Riyadh
October 09, 2024
Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for International Multilateral Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Rassi received UN Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom Mohamed El-Zarkani in Riyadh on Wednesday.
During the meeting, they discussed aspects of cooperation between the UN and the Kingdom, and prominent developments of common interest, the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
Seperately on Wednesday, Al-Rassi met with Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom Madiyar Menilbekov, during which they reviewed joint cooperation in various fields.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574641/saudi-arabia
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Ibex Reserve becomes first Saudi Green List protected area
October 09, 2024
RIYADH: In a milestone for Saudi Arabia’s conservation efforts, the Ibex Reserve has become the first protected area in the Kingdom to be added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Green List.
This recognition places it among only 77 protected areas worldwide that meet the union’s strict criteria for effective management and conservation, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
The National Center for Wildlife, which oversees the reserve, emphasized the significance of this recognition, as only a small number of more than 300,000 protected areas globally have earned a place on the Green List.
The Green List program recognizes outstanding areas for effective and equitable management in nature conservation, offering benefits to stakeholders.
For the Ibex Reserve, this listing marks a global endorsement, evaluated by independent experts, of its exemplary management and commitment to preserving ecosystems and biodiversity.
The Green List status highlights the reserve’s contribution to sustainable development and its success in providing valuable services to local communities.
The listing reflects the reserve’s achievement in key criteria, including governance, management, design and planning, along with its understanding of social, economic and environmental challenges.
Mohammed Qurban, CEO of the National Center for Wildlife, said: “This listing reaffirms our commitment to preserving ecosystems and supports our 30x30 goal to protect 30 percent of the Kingdom’s land and marine areas by 2030.”
Qurban added that the center aimed to register all national reserves on the Green List as part of Saudi Vision 2030, aligning with global conservation standards and promoting sustainable resource use.
Established in 1988 in the Riyadh region at the request of local communities, the Ibex Reserve spans 1,840 sq. km within the Tuwaiq Mountain range, featuring diverse landscapes, flora and fauna.
It is home to a healthy population of mountain ibex, as well as gazelles, antelopes, hyraxes, and various birds and reptiles.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia’s King Salman completes medical tests successfully
October 09, 2024
RIYADH: King Salman has recovered after successfully completing medical tests for lung inflammation, Saudi Press Agency said on Wednesday.
The royal court said on Sunday evening that the king would undergo medical tests for a lung inflammation.
In a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered reassurances about the king’s health.
Source:arabnews.com
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Italian ambassador visits archaeological mission at Dumat Al-Jandal
RASHID HASSAN
October 09, 2024
RIYADH: Italian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Carlo Baldocci recently visited the Italian archaeological mission at the historic oasis of Dumat Al-Jandal, highlighting close cultural ties between Saudi Arabia and Italy.
Dumat Al-Jandal, also known as Al-Jouf, which refers to Wadi Sirhan, is an ancient city of ruins and the historical capital of the Al-Jouf Province in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
The archaeological mission established in 2009 and led by Prof. Romolo Loreto of the University of Naples L’Orientale recently obtained a new five-year concession (2024-2029) for excavations and the study of materials in Dumat Al-Jandal, the ancient Assyrian Adummatu (Nabataean Dumah and Roman Dumata), and for prospecting in the Al-Jouf region to study the Neolithic prehistoric phases (Asfan and Jebel Najma sites) and the Bronze Age (Tamriyat funerary sites).
“Ambassador Baldocci visited the Archaeological Mission at Dumat Al-Jandal. The new five-year concession will enhance excavation, restoration and personnel training. Ambassador Baldocci emphasized close ties between Saudi Arabia and Italy,” the Italian Embassy posted on X.
In addition to archaeological activities, there is a restoration mission and training of Saudi personnel.
During the visit, Baldocci highlighted how “Italy in the archaeological field, also thanks to the fundamental contribution of the Farnesina, succeeds in bringing its knowledge, traditions and skills to many friendly countries, as it does in Saudi Arabia, where it has been present since 2009 on the Dumat Al-Jandal site, in a synergy with the Heritage Commission of the Saudi Ministry of Culture.
“It is our intention to reinforce this commitment with an increasingly structured and profiled partnership in Saudi Arabia: A Winter Archaeological School for Saudi students and an exhibition on the results of the Italian Mission’s excavation campaigns in recent years will be part of a program with the Italian Embassy in Riyadh, for 2025,” he added.
Source:arabnews.com
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Southeast Asia
Selangor Sultan calls for immediate rehabilitation efforts for 600 rescued GISBH children
10 Oct 2024
SHAH ALAM, Oct 10 — The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has ordered the setting up of a committee responsible for rehabilitating children rescued from GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISBH).
According to a post on Selangor Royal Office Facebook today, the committee is tasked to produce a detailed working paper to identify the best methods for rehabilitating the more than 600 affected children.
Sultan Sharafuddin urged the matter to be addressed without delay as it involves the future of the children concerned.
“This committee will report directly to His Royal Highness and will be responsible for rehabilitating and reintegrating the children into society within the specified timeframe,” read the post.
Earlier, Sultan Sharafuddin granted an audience to the Selangor Islamic Affairs and Innovation Committee chairman, Dr Mohammad Fahmi Ngah, and the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) member, Senator Datuk Salehuddin Saidin, at Istana Bukit Kayangan here.
MAIS was reported to have implemented aqidah (faith) rehabilitation process for 261 rescued GISBH children since Oct 1 using a special module jointly developed with the Selangor Islamic Religious Department and the Association of Selangor Al-Quran Tahfiz Institutions.
According to MAIS, the module is part of the action plan implemented on Sept 23 to assist in the faith and social rehabilitation of the children. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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Economic recovery linked to political stability, PM Anwar stresses importance of reforms
10 Oct 2024
VIENTIANE, Oct 10 — The political stability currently enjoyed by the country allows the government to implement necessary changes to enhance well-being and revive the national economy, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said that he appreciated the willingness of political leaders, civil servants, and the private sector to acknowledge that the country cannot remain at its old level, and that all parties must change.
“People talk about change, but not many understand and try to implement it because if more meaningful and smoother changes are not made, we will return to a gloomy and sluggish state,” he said in a brief speech during a dinner reception with the Malaysian delegation in Laos last night.
The dinner was hosted by Malaysia’s Ambassador to Laos, Edi Irwan Mahmud, and his wife, Rashidah Mohd Rashid.
Also present at the event were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
The Prime Minister said that the political stability currently enjoyed provided the government with the opportunity to improve governance to ensure that the country was managed effectively.
“If you ask me, we have political stability; we should use it to improve governance because no country, regardless of its wealth, can elevate the dignity of its society, nation, and country without trustworthy and responsible management.
“In this regard, the government can introduce clear policies in industrial, digital, energy, and semiconductor sectors, which enable investors to understand and be assured to come (invest) and see for themselves whether we have achieved the expected level of efficiency.
“So far, there have been changes in that direction; however, I always say there is room for improvement,” he said.
He also urged all parties to maintain the spirit of bringing about change to rectify existing shortcomings.
The 44th and 45th Asean Summits and Related Summits officially began in the Laotian capital on Wednesday (Oct 9).
Anwar, who arrived here on Tuesday night, will also attend the Asean Plus One Summit between Asean and its seven Dialogue Partners, namely Australia, China, Japan, India, South Korea, the United States, and Canada, as well as the Asean Plus Three Summit, the East Asia Summit, and the Asean-United Nations Summit.
Asean leaders and other dialogue partners, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, will also attend these sessions.
The summit will conclude on Oct 11, with Laos handing over the Asean Chairmanship to Malaysia during the closing ceremony.
According to Wisma Putra, Anwar is scheduled to deliver a speech outlining Malaysia’s vision as Asean Chair at the event, and Malaysia will officially assume the Chairmanship on Jan 1, 2025. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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Nabawi Grand Imam's visit strengthens Indonesia-Saudi ties: minister
October 9, 2024
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas described the visit of the Grand Imam of the Nabawi Mosque (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina as a key moment to strengthen Indonesia-Saudi Arabia relations.
"I am confident that relations between our two countries, governments, and peoples are going very well. God willing, we will continue to maintain these good relations," Qoumas stated on Tuesday.
Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali Al-Hudhayfi is expected to stay in Indonesia until October 11, during which he will deliver the Friday prayer sermon at Jakarta's Istiqlal Mosque. He is also scheduled to meet President Joko Widodo and representatives of Muslim organizations during his visit.
Qoumas expressed Indonesia's honor in hosting Al-Hudhayfi. He also extended his warm regards to King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman through the Grand Imam.
The minister praised Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia Faisal Al-Amudi, referring to him as a "brother" and highlighting his effective efforts in fostering bilateral cooperation.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Al-Amudi noted that Al-Hudhayfi's visit could be considered a "state visit," as the Grand Imam brought a message from the Saudi King.
"The visit reflects King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman's deep attention to the strategic relations between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia," Al-Amudi said.
King Salman also praised the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs for its extensive collaboration with Saudi authorities in Islamic affairs and proselytization, the ambassador added.
Meanwhile, Grand Imam Al-Hudhayfi emphasized the shared commitment of Indonesia and Saudi Arabia to religious moderation, which was one of the key reasons for his visit.
"We bear a great responsibility to spread the correct religious teachings, as conveyed by Prophet Muhammad, as a universal divine message," he stressed.
Source:antaranews.com
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