Kerala Muslim Family Puts Faith Aside To Cremate Hindu Orphan Who Grew Up With Them As per Hindu Rituals

New Age Islam News Bureau

21 December 2023

 

Alimon Naranipuzha (left) with Vithanassery Rajan

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·         Kerala Muslim Family Puts Faith Aside To Cremate Hindu Orphan Who Grew Up With Them As per Hindu Rituals

·         Issues Of Kashi Shouldn’t Be Raised In View Of Places Of Worship Act: Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind

·         Maulana Mujaddidi, Gen. Secy. AIMPLB, Stresses Need To Incorporate Modern Education System In Madrasas

·         Toronto Police Report Staggering Rise In Hate Crimes Against Jews, Muslims

·         Macron Says Fighting Terror Does Not Mean ‘To Flatten Gaza’

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India

·         New criminal bills threat to Muslims, Dalits & Adivasis: Owaisi

·         Gyanvapi verdict: Varanasi Court to present ASI scientific report today

·         Israel to begin hiring Indians to replace Palestinian workers from Dec 27

·         BJP questions Telangana for granting funds to hold Tablighi Jamaat event, urges CM Reddy to reconsider decision

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North America

·         CAIR Joins Call for U.N. Probe of ‘Israeli War Crime of the Day’ After Alleged Summary Execution of Palestinian Men in Front of Family Members

·         CAIR Releases ‘Gaza: The Resurgence of Islamophobia in 2023’

·         The United States continues to double down on its support for Israel

·         US expects Israel to shift to targeted operations : Blinken

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Europe

·         Russia, Arab League Demand UN Ceasefire For Gaza

·         EU donates 25 million Euros to address poverty crisis in Afghanistan

·         Germany releases results of 20-year Afghanistan presence review

·         Exporters explore cargo flights as way out of deepening Red Sea bottleneck

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Pakistan

·         Crimes Of Israel: Pakistan, Iran For Coordinated Efforts By Islamic States

·         Pakistan has made unparalleled contributions, sacrifices in fight against terrorism: COAS

·         ISI says it can’t trace source of audio leaks: Agencies can’t tap calls but nobody tells who is doing it: IHC

·         Pakistan’s UN envoy reports terror groups under Taliban protection

·         Toshakhana reference against Imran, Bushra fixed for hearing on Dec 23

·         Islamabad, Lahore & Mianwali: Imran to contest from 3 constituencies ‘at least’

·         Need for building bridges between Afghanistan, Pakistan stressed

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Arab World

·         Saudi Arabia To Chair UN Panel On Cyclones In Arabian Sea, Bay Of Bengal

·         Diplomatic Quarter: First Saudi-India Festival To Be Held In Jeddah On Jan. 19

·         Houthi Leader Threatens to Attack US Warships If Washington Targets Yemen

·         Saudi defence minister meets French President Macron

·         80 Samples Taken from Grand Mosque Daily to Guarantee Air Quality and Surface Safety

·         King Salman, crown prince send condolences to Xi Jinping after Gansu earthquake

·         Interior Ministry launches AI service on Absher for people with disabilities

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South Asia

·         UNAMA Chief Briefs UNSC, Says Humanitarian Situation Remains A ‘Grave Concern’

·         WHO demands $185 million for health sector in Afghanistan

·         1,000 Afghan migrants deported from Pakistan

·         Afghanistan’s Kunar River Dam proposal sparks controversy; water management dilemma for Pakistan and Taliban

·         Over 200 Afghan refugees transferred from Pakistan to Britain

·         CSTO raises concerns over insurgency, smuggling in Afghanistan

·         UNESCO Reports Journalists' Deaths in Afghanistan

·         BNP-Jamaat resorting to terror to foil polls: PM

·         Traders and Investors Express Confidence in Islamic Emirate: Hanafi

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Mideast

·         Israel Uncovers Major Hamas Command Centre In Gaza City As Ceasefire Talks Gain Momentum

·         Hopes rise for Israel-Hamas truce deal as Gaza toll hits 20,000

·         Gaza children dizzy from hunger as war impedes food deliveries

·         Hezbollah hits Israeli town in response to regime’s targeting of civilians

·         Israel orders more Gaza evacuations as envoys seek truce

·         UN Security Council again delays Gaza aid resolution vote as high-level talks try to avoid US veto

·         Amnesty demands probe into Gaza ‘enforced disappearances’

·         President Raeisi: Caucasus must not turn into battleground for foreign states

·         Israeli forces raid several areas across West Bank overnight, arrest people

·         Iran FM hails South Africa’s firm support for Palestine, calls for joint efforts against Israel

·         Pres. Raeisi: Palestine number one issue of region, world

·         Islamic Jihad delegation to visit Egypt for talks on hostage deal with Israel

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Southeast Asia

·         Indonesia To Declare Being World's Muslim Fashion Centre In 2024

·         Indonesia, Algeria demand permanent ceasefire in Gaza

·         Media should help religious agencies present correct information: MohdNa’im

·         Thailand edges closer to legalising same-sex marriage

·         Dr Mahathir: Israel-based ships allowed to dock previously due to Israeli-Palestinian peace process

·         Israeli folk dance class in Singapore part of efforts to ‘promote racial harmony’, say grassroots organisations amid online controversy

·         MER-C seeks WHO's assistance for occupied Indonesian Hospital in Gaza

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Africa

·         Ensure Equitable Dispensation of Justice, ZamfaraGov Charges New Sharia Appeal Court Khadis

·         Drone Attack: Miyetti Allah seeks compensation for all victims in Nigeria

·         Gunmen kidnap Nigerian judge and kill her guard

·         Boko Haram attacks Chibok, kills two, loots foodstuffs

·         Same-sex marriage not biblical, says Kumuyi

·         Pavilion of Mali unveils African features with Islamic identity

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Australia

·         Australia Not Sending Warship To Back US-Led Coalition Against Houthi Attacks In Red Sea

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:     https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/kerala-muslim-faith-cremate-hindu-rituals/d/131353

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Kerala Muslim Family Puts Faith Aside To Cremate Hindu Orphan Who Grew Up With ThemAs Per Hindu Rituals

 

Alimon Naranipuzha (left) with Vithanassery Rajan

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Shaju Philip

December 21, 2023

For 39 years, VithanasseryRajan lived as a Hindu in an orthodox Muslim family in Kerala’s Malappuram district. On Tuesday, when he died at the age of 62, AlimonNaranipuzha put his own faith aside to give a final farewell for Rajan, as per Hindu rituals.

The story of religious harmony from the state’s Muslim-dominated district doesn’t end here – having consigned Rajan’s body to flames at a public crematorium, Alimon is now waiting to collect the ashes of his beloved “brother”, which he will immerse in the Bharathapuzha river.

“I kept my faith aside for a moment to cremate Rajan as per his beliefs,” said Alimon (46).

Rajan, a native of Palakkad, lost his parents at an early age. Around four decades ago, when K V Muhammed, a social worker and local Congress politician from Malappuram, stopped for food at a roadside eatery in Puthanathani, he noticed a youth with an unkempt appearance. He was starving.

Muhammed offered him food and money to travel back to his village. But when Rajan started walking aimlessly along the road, Muhammed went after him and took the youth to his home in Nannamukku.

Rajan began a new life at the KannamchathuValappil house of Muhammed, who had six daughters and a son. The plan was to send Rajan back home after a few days, but since the youth had no place to go and no close relatives to look after him, Muhammed let him stay on. Slowly, Rajan became a member of the family.

Eight years later, Muhammed died at the age of 65.

“When my father died, people asked me to hand over Rajan to some asylum. But I was not ready to abandon him; I found there is virtue in taking care of a person who was brought home by my father,’’ Alimon said.

Rajan, who rarely went to his native village, grew up in the Muslim household, helping them with work at home and on their small agricultural land. Whenever he was hospitalised, Alimon’s family members stood beside him. As his health deteriorated, locals again advised the family to abandon him at a relief home or shelter, but they didn’t pay heed.

On Tuesday, before the cremation, Rajan’s body was kept at the house for people to pay homage, next to a flickering wick lamp. At the crematorium, the pyre was lit by Alimon and his nephew Muhammed Rishan. “We will do all rituals as per Hindu tradition for his soul,” he said.

“We lived as Muslims, and Rajan as a Hindu among us, in our family, under a single roof. When we went to the mosque, he prayed at the local temple,” said Alimon, a former member of the Perumbadappu block panchayat.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/thiruvananthapuram/muslim-family-puts-faith-aside-to-cremate-hindu-orphan-who-grew-up-with-them-9076725/

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Issues Of Kashi Shouldn’t Be Raised In View Of Places Of Worship Act: Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind

 

Maulana Arshad Madani

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New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI)

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani on Wednesday said the Muslim side will approach the Supreme Court after pleas challenging the maintainability of a 1991 suit seeking the “restoration” of a temple where the Gyanvapi mosque now stands in Varanasi was dismissed by Allahabad High Court.

He also asserted that he had hoped such issues in Kashi and Mathura would not arise in light of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act but this has been continuing unabated at the behest of “divisive forces”.

Allahabad High Court on Tuesday dismissed pleas challenging the maintainability of a 1991 lawsuit seeking the “restoration” of a temple where the Gyanvapi mosque stands and observed that the “religious character” of a disputed place can only be decided by the court.

Asked about the verdict while speaking with journalists, Madani said, “In the Gyanvapi case, the (mosque’s) committee is preparing to go to the Supreme Court and, as far as I know, they have also talked to some lawyers.” “We will present our case in the highest court of the country and will accept its decision because the Supreme Court is the highest court in our country and there is no legal option left after that,” he said.

On the recent decision allowing survey of the Gyanvapi mosque, Madani said, “We have no objection to the survey. We believe that if the survey is conducted honestly, nothing will come out of it.” But the manner in which such controversies are being raised goes against the 1991 law on the protection of places of worship in which it has been clearly stated that no such controversy will be raised with respect to any place of worship, except the Babri Masjid where the dispute dates back to pre-Independence, he added.

Asked about the silence of secular parties on such issues, Madani said the political party which brought this law and was in its favour should speak on it.

“After the enactment of the Places of Worship Act, we had hoped that no issue on any mosque would arise but communal-minded forces did not allow this and they started raising the issue of Gyanvapi mosque and the Idgah of Mathura,” he said.

Madani also said there is not a single Muslim minister in the ruling party who can present the problems of the community.

Asked whether he would invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Darul Uloom Deoband, Madani said, “Darul Uloom does not invite anyone. Whoever went there, went there himself. Whoever goes, we welcome him.” On the Israel-Palestine issue, Madani said the people of Palestine should get their independent country, which can live side by side with Israel.

He also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. PTI ASK SZM

This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

Source: theprint.in

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https://theprint.in/india/issues-of-kashi-mathura-should-not-be-raised-in-view-of-places-of-worship-act-arshad-madani/1894344/

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Maulana Mujaddidi, Gen. Secy. AIMPLB, Stresses Need To Incorporate Modern Education System In Madrasas

 

 

21st December 2023

Pervez Bari

Bhopal: India Islamic Academy, Deoband and Islamic Research Centre Education & Welfare Trust organized a two-day intellectual and educational conference christened as “Education Expo 2023” in Aurangabad on December 16 & 17 wherein scholars and selected people participated.

The conference was presided over by Maulana Fazl-ur-Rahim Mujaddidi, general secretary of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, a Press release stated.

Maulana Fazl-ur-Rahim Mujaddidi, who is also rector of Jaipur-based Jamea-tul-Hidaya, delivering his presidential address congratulated the organizers of “Education Expo 2023” in Aurangabad. While highlighting the new education policy he stressed the need to incorporate modern education system in madrasas. He appealed to the officials of madrasas to understand the requirements of the present era and pay attention to the intellectual and educational training of their students while equipping them with religious and contemporary education knowledge before sending them on to the field of action in society.

Maulana Mujaddidi said that such intellectual and educational workshops and fairs are necessary and should be held in different parts of the country so that the people can understand the demands and ideological invasion of the modern age and prepare themselves to compete with it. This will also ensure the protection of Urdu language and literature.

In the “Education Expo 2023” the first lecture was presented by Nadeem Akhtar of Meerut on the topic of the “Reality of Secularism”. He gave a detailed talk on prevalent secularism and communism. The second lecture was presented by Akram-ul-Jabbar, the retired Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, on the topic of “Minority Institutions and Tax Matters”, while on the topic of “Responsibility of Arbab Madaris in the light of New Education Policy”, a highly researched lecture, was delivered by an Educationist Prof. Tanveer Ahmed.

The first lecture of the second session was presented by the country’s legal expert Adv. Fawaz Shaheen under the title “Religious Institutions and Legal Matters”. He shed detailed light on the methods of documentation of cases of oppression and violence and gave satisfactory answers to the questions put up by the audience.

Thereafter, the second lecture entitled “Ideological Invasion and Responsibilities of Scholars” was presented by Maulana Mehdi Hasan Aini Qasmi, Director of India Islamic Academy, Deoband, in which he discussed the prevailing ideologies at the international level such as liberalism, secularism, capitalism, Orientalism, Colonialism, Internationalism, Globalization, Humanism, Feminism, Atheism and Agnosticism by giving a detailed introduction and highlighted the tasks to be done.

Maulana Aini also gave a detailed talk on the prevailing ideas in India such as Shudhikaran, home-coming, Hindutva, nationalism, patriotism and discussed burning issues like jihad, saffron trap, apostasy and assimilation. In the end he answered the questions of scholars.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board Secretary Maulana Mohammed Umrain Mahfooz Rahmani, while proposing vote of thanks thanked the organizers India Islamic Academy, Deoband and Aurangabad Education Expo for organizing this conference which encouraged everyone. There is a dire need of the time for the updating the minds of the scholars and the youth to work continuously on such intellectual topics.

The workshop proceedings were conducted by Maulana Marghubur Rahman Tayyab Qasmi, Deputy Director of India Islamic Academy, Deoband. In addition to Aurangabad and Marathwada, selected scholars from Maharashtra and Telangana also participated in this workshop, especially Maulana Ghulam Vastanwi, the founder of Jamia-e-Uloom, Akkal KuwaN. Maulana Farooq Vastanwi, son of Mohammad Maulana Ghulam Wastanwi, Mufti Mahfoozur Rehman Farooqi, Maulana Umar Farooq and a large number of other scholars were also present in the workshop.

It may be mentioned here that this was the second intellectual workshop organized by the India Islamic Academy, Deoband and this series will be extended across the country, In Shaa Allah, the Press release said.

Source: siasat.com

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https://www.siasat.com/maulana-mujjaddidi-stresses-need-to-incorporate-modern-education-system-in-madrasas-2938612/

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Toronto Police Report Staggering Rise In Hate Crimes Against Jews, Muslims

 

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw told the Toronto Police Services Board there have been 98 hate crime occurrences reported in Toronto since Oct. 7, compared to 48 in 2022 during the same time period. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press)

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December 20, 2023

Shauna Hunt and John Marchesan

Hate crimes in Toronto are occurring at an alarming rate as Toronto police release another set of staggering statistics showing Muslim and Jewish communities continue to be targeted.

“This is a kind of hatred we should never see in Canada,” said Jaime Kirzener-Roberts with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, reacting to the 211 per cent increase in antisemitic incidents reported to police since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in early October compared to the same time a year ago.

Kirzener-Roberts says they are receiving upwards of 500 emails a day regarding public safety concerns.

“Is it safe for my child to be at school, is it safe to be walking around our neighbourhood, is it safe to have a Menorah in our window,” she says of the questions being asked by the community.

“Jewish kids being told they should go die in a gas chamber, kids being spit at …Jewish children being called baby killers – and we know hateful words lead to hateful deeds.”

Since October 7th, Toronto police have investigated nearly 100 hate crimes – 56 targeted the Jewish community and 20 of those incidents were categorized as anti-Muslim.

Utham Quick with the National Council of Canadian Muslims says what’s actually being documented is just the tip of the iceberg.

“The numbers we are seeing from Toronto police are alarming of course but what we are seeing on our side at NCCM is a lot worse than that,” says Quick.

“I spoke to a Muslim woman who was spat at near a downtown university in Toronto and when she reported the incident to the campus police the experience that she had there dissuaded her from actually reporting it to Toronto police. So what you are seeing is a big disconnect.”

The war is also taking a major toll on mental health with one organization that offers support to Muslims in the GTA reporting a 600 per cent surge in calls to their helpline. Many report anxiety, depression and marginalization in their schools and workplaces.

“The trauma is extremely deep,” said Quick. “What we are seeing now will take generations, literal generations, to be undone from a physiological and traumatic experience.”

Police say since October they have made 43 arrests and laid 96 charges, 17 per cent of those related to assaults.

Source: toronto.citynews.ca

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https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/12/20/staggering-rise-in-hate-crimes-against-jews-muslims/

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Macron Says Fighting Terror Does Not Mean ‘To Flatten Gaza’

 

Emmanuel Macron Photograph: Christophe Ena/AP

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December 20, 2023

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that fighting terrorism did not mean “to flatten Gaza,” referring to Israel’s response to an unprecedented attack by Hamas militants on October 7.

“We cannot let the idea take root that an efficient fight against terrorism implies to flatten Gaza or attack civilian populations indiscriminately,” Macron told the France 5 broadcaster.

He called on Israel “to stop this response because it is not appropriate, because all lives are worth the same and we defend them.”

While acknowledging “Israel’s right to defend itself and fight terror,” Macron said France called for the protection of civilians and “a truce leading to a humanitarian cease-fire.”

The bloodiest-ever Gaza war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing around 1,140 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

In response, Israel began a relentless bombardment alongside a ground invasion.

Hamas said Wednesday 20,000 people have been killed in Gaza, mainly women and children.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2429321/world

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India

New criminal bills threat to Muslims, Dalits & Adivasis: Owaisi

20th December 2023

New Delhi: Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday alleged that the new criminal bills are a threat to the civil liberty and rights of the people as they give sweeping powers to the police to take action against anyone.

Participating in a debate on the three proposed criminal laws in the Lok Sabha, Owaisi said the legislations are against the common people of the country as their rights will be snatched away once they become laws.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the three redrafted bills — the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill (BSB) — last week and the Lok Sabha on Tuesday took them up for a debate for their consideration and passage.

The proposed legislations seek to replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 1898, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, respectively.

Owaisi, the president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), said several provisions have been incorporated in the BNS which were “very dangerous”.

“The provisions of the bills are a threat to the civil liberty and rights,” he said, adding sweeping powers have been given to police to act as “judge, jury and executor”.

He claimed that the offence of sedition has been introduced in a different avatar in the proposed bills and the punishment has also been enhanced from three years to seven years.

Owaisi also demanded that the offence of rape should be made gender-neutral.

He alleged that the proposed laws will be a threat to the country’s Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis and claimed that 30 per cent of prisoners across the country and 33 per cent of prisoners in Uttar Pradesh alone belong to the Muslim community.

Participating in the debate, BJP member Nishikant Dubey complimented Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for taking the initiative to amend the country’s criminal laws after 163 years and said the legislations will have an effect on all 130 crore people of the country.

“This bill will free the nation from police raj,” he said.

Dubey alleged that the Congress and its allies tried their best to stall the bills coming to Parliament.

He alleged that the opposition is now trying to divide the nation in the name of North and South besides Hindi and non-Hindi speaking people.

“Their opposition to the bills is wrong,” he said.

Dubey also slammed the opposition parties for their stand that capital punishment should be abolished, saying the laws are made to scare people so that they do not indulge in any crime.

“The three bills have been brought keeping in mind the Indian ethos and Indianness,” he said.

Source: siasat.com

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https://www.siasat.com/new-criminal-bills-threat-muslims-dalits-adivasis-owaisi-2938206/

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Gyanvapi verdict: Varanasi Court to present ASI scientific report today

21st December 2023

Sameer Khan

Varanasi: The Varanasi district Court will present the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) scientific report on the Gyanvapi mosque survey today.

In the Gyanvapi Shringar Gauri case, today the Hindu side will present its objection in the court on the application of Anjuman Arrangements Masjid Committee’s plea asking the judge to present the ASI report in a sealed cover which according to the Hindu side is a clear ‘violation’ of the Supreme Court judgement.

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee on Monday asked the Court not to give the ASI report to any party to which the Hindu side is objecting.

Hindu side lawyer Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi said that the Supreme Court in its order dated 4 August stated that the report will not be filed in a sealed envelope.

“An application of the Muslim side is also before the Court that the report be filed in a sealed envelope and this be not disclosed in public domain until the report is disposed, we objected to it on 18th December and mentioned that the Supreme Court in its order stated that the report be not filed in a sealed envelope. So, the Court had given today’s date and the hearing will be taken up today. It will be heard if the report will be submitted in an open or sealed envelope,” Hindu side lawyer Advocate Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi said.

Earlier, Hindu side lawyer Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain claimed that the survey report being presented in a selaed envelope is a “violation of the Supreme Court order” and said that the Hindu side has filed an application in the district court and sought a copy of the report.

“We have moved an application before the district court that we must be supplied a copy of the report, and there cannot be a gag order on the media that you cannot talk about this report. If the district court does not pass an order, which is in consonance with the law, we’ll file an appeal before the Supreme Court,” he said.

Notably, the ASI team conducted the survey in the Gyanvapi complex for 92 days and submitted the sealed survey report to the court. Earlier, in August this year, the Allahabad High Court allowed the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi.

Source: siasat.com

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https://www.siasat.com/gyanvapi-verdict-varanasi-court-to-present-asi-scientific-report-today-2938698/

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Israel to begin hiring Indians to replace Palestinian workers from Dec 27

20th December 2023

New Delhi : A team of “selectors” from Israel visited India last week and another senior delegation will leave for India next week to start the process of recruiting thousands of workers to be brought to the country to fill in the acute shortage faced by its construction industry, a senior executive at the Israel Builders Association said on Wednesday.

“We will start the process in Delhi and Chennai next week on December 27. At the moment we are looking to bring in 10,000 as per government approvals and this will scale up to 30,000 in the near future depending on how it goes. It is an ongoing exercise and will take months,” Deputy Director General and Spokesperson for the Israel Builders Association (IBA), Shay Pauzner, told PTI.

“The selection starting next week will last 10-15 days,” Pauzner said.

A delegation led by IzchakGurvitz, who heads the IBA’s division dealing with workers’ issues and the selection team, was in India last week and would be joining CEO IgalSlovik again next week with other members of the IBA team, he said.

Director General of the Ministry of Construction and Housing Yehuda Morgenstern will also be accompanying the delegation leaving for India next week.

During a telephonic conversation with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “discussed advancing the arrival of foreign workers from India to the State of Israel”, the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel said in a statement.

“We urgently need more workers. In any case, the government is the one who will decide where the missing workers will come from,” Pauzner had told PTI last month.

The Israeli construction industry employs workers in specific fields where there is a lack of Israeli workers.

Israel urgently needs workers to continue with construction projects and the contractors have made a strong plea with the government to bring in hundreds of thousands of people from abroad to meet the needs.

The largest group of about 80,000 workers in the construction industry comes from the Palestinian Authority-controlled West Bank and another 17,000 from the Gaza Strip, a huge majority of whom had their work permits revoked following the Hamas attack on Israel in October.

Another group of about 7,000 have come from China and some 6,000 from Eastern Europe. The ongoing war has created a shortage of workers.

Israel’s Minister of Economy Nir Barkat had discussed the possibility of bringing workers from India to fill the need in Israel’s infrastructure industry during his India visit in April this year.

“Israel’s Minister of Economy, Nir Barkat, during his trip to India in April this year had spoken to officials and his counterpart in New Delhi about hiring Indians in various sectors, including in the construction sector,” a source here had told PTI.

“The discussions revolved around bringing in almost like 160,000 people,” he said.

About 18,000 Indians are working in Israel, mostly as caregivers. Most of them decided to stay back in Israel and did not leave the country during the war with Hamas because “they felt quite secure” and “also because the salaries are quite attractive”.

Israel and India also inked an agreement in May during Foreign Minister Eli Cohen’s visit to New Delhi that will allow 42,000 Indian workers to work in the Jewish state in the fields of construction and nursing, a move that was then seen to help deal with the rising cost of living and assist thousands of families waiting for nursing care.

A statement released by the Israeli Foreign Ministry then said that 34,000 workers would be engaged in the construction field and another 8,000 for nursing needs. ( With PTI inputs )

Source: muslimmirror.com

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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/israel-to-begin-hiring-indians-to-replace-palestinian-workers-from-dec-27/

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BJP questions Telangana for granting funds to hold Tablighi Jamaat event, urges CM Reddy to reconsider decision

 December 21, 2023

BJP MP and national general secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar has accused the new Congress-led Telangana government of committing an “unforgivable crime in the guise of secularism” and urged the state to cancel its funding for a Tablighi Jamaat congregation and take action against those who sanctioned Rs 2.45 crore of public funds for the event.

Sharing a government order on social media, the former state unit chief called it “pure evil and outrageous” of the new government to fund a Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Vikarabad district from January 6 to 8.

Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan have banned the Tablighi Jamaat organisation for promoting terrorism, Kumar pointed out.

Party MLA T Raja Singh, in a video message, sought to know from Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on what basis the programme was sanctioned funds and urged the CM to reconsider the government decision.

The GO dated December 13 from the Minorities Welfare Department, as shared by Kumar, sanctioned over Rs 2.45 crore towards arrangement of basic amenities for a three-day Islamic congregation being organised by Tablighi Jamaat at Parigi .

“It is outrageous that more than ₹2.45 crore have been sanctioned for the arrangements of the meeting organised by the Tablighi Jamaat organisation in the name of Islamic society in January in Parigimandal of Vikarabad district,” he said.

“Does the newly elected government of Revanth Reddy know this? What are intelligence agencies doing? What do you want to do to Telangana with the TukdeTukde gang? Congress government claims that the state is bankrupt, but is funding a program organized by Tablighi Jamaat, which promotes terrorism and the spread of Islam,” Kumar alleged.

Blaming the organisation as the main reason for the spread of coronavirus in the country in 2020, Kumar added, “this organisation’s entry into Telangana in the name of gatherings and meetings is leading to many suspicions, that too at a time when the coronavirus is spreading in India again.”

“Who is the mastermind behind the government’s grant of funds to an organization involved in spreading extremist ideologies and forced religious conversions?” he asked.

BJP MLA Raja Singh also shared similar views suggesting that Tablighi Jamaat’s name has been linked to several terrorist activities.

“The true face of Congress has come to the fore. If in the future Narendra Modi’s government does not come to power, Congress will give every district in the hands of Tablighi Jamaat and terrorism will rise in the country,” Singh said, urging the CM to reconsider the government’s order.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/hyderabad/bjp-telangana-tablighi-jamaat-event-funds-revanth-reddy-9077344/

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North America

 

CAIR Joins Call for U.N. Probe of ‘Israeli War Crime of the Day’ After Alleged Summary Execution of Palestinian Men in Front of Family Members

Ismail Allison

December 20, 2023

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/20/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today joined calls for a United Nations investigation of the latest “Israeli war crime of the day” – allegations that Israeli forces in Gaza carried our summary executions of unarmed Palestinian men in front of their family members.

According to UN Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territory, Israeli forces reportedly summarily killed at least 11 unarmed Palestinian men in front of their family members in Gaza’s Al Remalneighborhood.

The Israeli army “allegedly separated the men from the women and children, and then shot and killed at least 11 of the men, mostly aged in their late 20’s and early 30’s, in front of their family members.” The army “then allegedly ordered the women and children into a room, and either shot at them or threw a grenade into the room, reportedly seriously injuring some of them, including an infant and a child.”

Israel has now killed more than 20,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, and including hundreds of UN workers, journalists and medical personnel. 

“While the Biden administration blocks all attempts to end the genocide in Gaza, real people are being slaughtered daily in ways that echo the darkest periods of human history,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “Our nation must call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire to end the killing, ethnic cleansing and starvation of an entire people – the very definition of genocide.”

Earlier this week, CAIR condemned other “war crimes of the day,” including the reported mass killing of a Palestinian grandfather’s family in front of his eyes, vandalism of West Bank homes by Israeli forces, the deaths and alleged torture of Palestinian detainees, and more massacres in refugee camps and residential areas of Gaza.

Also this week, CAIR condemned a deadly Israeli strikes on a Gaza maternity hospital and other medical facilities, the killing of more than 100 people in a refugee camp and the killing of two Christians seeking shelter in a besieged church. 

Pope Francis condemned Israel’s killing of two Christian women sheltering at a Catholic parish in Gaza, noting that “unarmed civilians are targets for bombs and gunfire.”  

At least 110 people were killed in Israel’s bombing of Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp. 

Over the weekend, CAIR called for United Nations to investigate reports that Israeli forces in Gaza bulldozed medical tents with injured Palestinians inside, allegedly burying civilians alive and said that the Israeli military’s killing of three unarmed, shirtless Israelis waving a white flag is further proof that Israeli troops are “wantonly killing Palestinian civilians.”  

Earlier today, CAIR said that the Israeli military’s killing of three unarmed, shirtless Israelis waving a white flag is further proof that Israeli troops are “wantonly killing Palestinian civilians.”  

CAIR recently called on the Biden administration to respond to reports that Israel forces shot women, children and babies “execution-style” after they sought refuge in a school in Gaza.     

CAIR condemned the attempted assassination of an Al Jazeera journalist (and the ultimate death of another) by Israeli forces, the desecration of Gaza cemeteries by Israeli troops in Gaza, and a deadly airstrike targeting a UN school in Gaza.    

OTHER ISRAELI WAR CRIMES:   

A new US intelligence assessment concluded that nearly half of the air-to-ground munitions that Israel has used in Gaza have been unguided, also known as “dumb bombs.” Unguided munitions are typically less precise and can pose a greater threat to civilians.   

CAIR condemned the Israeli government’s celebration of IDF troops who took over and desecrated a mosque in the West Bank as an “attack on Islam.”   

CAIR said the far-right Israeli government’s controlled demolition of a U.N. school in Gaza is “further evidence of the ongoing campaign of ethnic cleansing.”      

Video posted online shows a man, reportedly with special needs, being detained by Israeli soldiers and then shot at point-blank range.      

CAIR condemned an Israeli attack on another hospital in Gaza and said the Biden administration is actively participating in Israel’s “ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian people.”   

CAIR condemned another “war crime of the day” – the slaughter of at least 50 civilians in airstrikes on two UN-run schools sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza.     

CAIR recently called on the Biden administration to address reporting that the U.S. supplied the Israeli government with white phosphorus used in attacks on civilian areas.    

The Israeli government’s extremist leaders have declared that there are no innocent civilians in Gaza, justified cutting off water, electricity and other basic necessities because Palestinians are ‘human animals,’ embraced an ancient biblical verse about the mass slaughter of an entire city from animals to infants, demanded a million residents of northern Gaza leave their homes or face death, and announced that the aim of the bombing in Gaza was destruction rather than accuracy.     

CAIR said a new report by Heritage for Peace detailing Israel’s ongoing destruction of Palestinian cultural sites shows its desire to entirely “eliminate Palestinian existence.”      

Washington, D.C., based CAIR questioned whether Western leaders even regard Palestinians as “human” after more than 700 women, children and men were massacred by Israel within just the last 24 hours.       

CAIR condemned the “Israeli war crime of the day” after more than 100 men, women and children were killed in the bombing of residential buildings hosting displaced families in Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp.  

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.                

La misión de CAIR esproteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.  

Source: cair.com

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CAIR Releases ‘Gaza: The Resurgence of Islamophobia in 2023’

Ismail Allison

December 20, 2023

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/20/23) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today released a new paper on the state of Islamophobia leading up to and during the ongoing attacks by the far-right Israeli government against Palestinians in Gaza, which many legal and human rights experts have indicated may constitute the crime of genocide.  

[MEDIA ADVISORY: The paper will be discussed by CAIR researchers during a virtual briefing on Thursday, December 21 at 3 P.M. ET.For more information: CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, csaylor@cair.com ] 

Titled “Gaza: The Resurgence of Islamophobia in 2023” this preliminary evaluation argues: 

That the drivers of U.S. Islamophobia have evolved since President Trump left office; 

That these evolved drivers have been on display throughout the recent wave of Islamophobic bias; and 

That institutions involved in promoting justice and mutual understanding need to expand their campaigns to address these drivers  

The paper documents how government and law enforcement officials, corporations, institutions of higher education, media executives, and social media networks have promoted Islamophobic tropes to justify the Israeli government’s violence against Palestinians and therefore emboldened anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian hate and rhetoric in the United States.  

“CAIR is committed to long-term problem solving, even as this current crisis of anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian hate is stretching our resources to the limit,” said CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor. “While this paper was in the works before October 7, events since then have convinced us that drivers of Islamophobia in the U.S. are changing and only by understanding the threat and designing sustained campaigns to address that threat will we be able to combat this bias.”   

He said the paper also contextualizes this present wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian racism within the wider landscape of U.S. Islamophobia in 2023, discussing how many key anti-Muslim actors today have increasingly promoted or relied on Islamophobic rhetoric and hate over the past several years. 

The paper concludes by initiating the work to make alterations to CAIR’s approach to addressing U.S. Islamophobia, including a reassessment of CAIR’s vision for combating Islamophobia as well as preliminary findings around a state-specific tool to quantitatively assess Islamophobia. These findings will pave the way for the organization’s 2024 Islamophobia Report and campaigns.   

Source: cair.com

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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-releases-gaza-the-resurgence-of-islamophobia-in-2023/

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The United States continues to double down on its support for Israel

21 December 2023

The United States continues to double down on its support for Israel. In a visit to Tel Aviv, the US Secretary of Defense promised more munitions, tactical vehicles, and air defense systems and said he wasn't there to "dictate timelines for peace".

The United States will remain Israel's closest friend in the world. As I've said repeatedly, our support for Israel security remains unshakable. And it always will.

Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of State

Washington continues to ignore worldwide demands for peace in Palestine.

For over two months, Israel has blocked deliveries of water, fuel, food, and medicine, leading top NGO Human Rights Watch to say that Israel "is using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare".

Indiscriminate airstrikes have destroyed 20 percent of the buildings in Gaza.

Israel's war crimes have caused their support to plummet in a country traditionally dominated by pro-Zionist sentiment.

A rights group finds that 71 percent of Gaza residents suffer from extreme hunger due to Israel’s devastating war on the Palestinian territory.

Polls show that just 30% of the United States wants to send Israel more weapons and that the majority of Americans aged 18 to 24 have effectively become anti-Zionists, with 51% agreeing that the long-term answer is for "Israel to be ended and given to Hamas and the Palestinians".

Victory has never seemed so close because this idea of the invincible Israel was shattered on October 7.

And now the so called Axis of Resistance is now including people of the world, right? It's no longer just the Axis of Resistance to the Middle East.

This the people in the diasporas, it's people who have a conscience in Brazil, in India, where trade unions are also demanding to divest and to boycott Israel.

The Axis of Resistance is expanded to almost the entire world.

Nino Brown, Party for Socialism and Liberation

Israeli prime minister rules out the prospect of any ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which has been the subject of a genocidal Israeli war for the past 75 days.

Despite recent talk in the United States mainstream media that Israeli atrocities are causing a rift between Washington and Tel Aviv, many believe history's actions speak louder than words.

And I think this is where we have to have a class analysis. It's absolutely in the interest of the 1%.

In fact, they are desperate because they have relied on Israel for 75 years as a forward military force, first for the UK and then for the last 60 years for the US, Israel has been their unsinkable aircraft carrier.

Joe Iosbaker, National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR)

The US Secretary of Defense and Tel Aviv also discussed a transition to a so called next phase of the war against the long-brutalized Palestinians.

Source: presstv.ir

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US expects Israel to shift to targeted operations : Blinken

 Dec 21, 2023

The US wants and expects Israel to shift its military operations in Gaza to a lower-intensity phase during which there will be more targeted operations focused on the Hamas leadership and its infrastructure, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Wednesday. Speaking at a year-end news conference, Blinken said once this shift happens, the "harm done to civilians" should decrease significantly, while repeating his calls for Israel to heed its obligation to minimise civilian casualties as it moves to destroy Hamas.

"It's clear that the conflict will move and needs to move to a lower-intensity phase," Blinken told reporters. "We expect to see and want to see a shift to more targeted operations with a smaller number of forces that's really focused in on dealing with the leadership of Hamas, tunnel network and a few other critical things," he said.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/us-expects-israel-to-shift-to-targeted-operations-blinken/articleshow/106167323.cms

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Europe

 

Russia, Arab League demand UN ceasefire for Gaza

2023-12-21

MARRAKESH: Russia and the Arab League called jointly on Wednesday for a UN ceasefire resolution for the Israel-Hamas war during the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum in Marrakesh, Morocco.

The forum, which usually focuses on diplomatic and economic ties, was dominated by the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

“We hope that the Security Council will raise its voice for a mature resolution (calling for a ceasefire),” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the meeting. “We have agreed to continue coordination within the United Nations.”

The UN Security Council was set to vote later on Wednesday on a resolution calling for a pause in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, diplomatic sources told AFP.

Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 19,600 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory.

On October 7, Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack against Israel from Gaza, killing about 1,140 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Chaired by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, the meeting was attended by Lavrov and diplomats from the 22-member Arab League.

“We hope that the Security Council can adopt this resolution and that there will not be a veto from a permanent member, notably the United States,” said HossamZaki, assistant secretary general of the league.

“The Arab hope is that the United States understands that international patience is exhausted in the face of Israel’s practices.”

Speaking via videoconference, Arab League Chief Ahmed AboulGheit called for an “immediate ceasefire,” adding that “anyone who opposes an immediate ceasefire in Gaza has the blood of innocents on their hands”.

“The occupation is the heart of the problem and the origin of the cause,” AboulGheit said, advocating for a two-state solution and calling for the “creation as quickly as possible of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders”.

Lavrov also said it was “urgent to create a Palestinian state” and even “accelerate the process,” because “some sources say that our Western partners are trying to develop hidden projects to separate the West Bank from Gaza”.

On December 8, the US vetoed a ceasefire resolution.

Wednesday’s vote on a new resolution comes after two votes were delayed on Monday with members wrangling over wording, sources told AFP. The text’s latest version calls for a “suspension” of the conflict, said the sources.

Source: brecorder.com

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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40279742/russia-arab-league-demand-un-ceasefire-for-gaza

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EU donates 25 million Euros to address poverty crisis in Afghanistan

Fidel Rahmati

December 20, 2023

The World Food Programme (WFP) has announced that the European Union has contributed 25 million euros to support those in need in Afghanistan.

This organization announced on Tuesday, through its social media platform X, about the EU’s assistance for Afghanistan.

According to the World Food Programme, these aids will be used to support pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, hungry families, and the treatment of malnourished children across Afghanistan.

Also, Shaw Wali, the head of the World Food Programme in Afghanistan, has emphasized that ‘these humanitarian aids from the European Union are happening at a time when we still have a chance to access the most vulnerable families before the arrival of winter and snowfall.’

In the statement, citing Francois Gommes, the head of EU humanitarian operations, it is mentioned that one in every three Afghan citizens does not know where their next meal will come from.

He added, concerning the fact that the people of Afghanistan are facing a harsh winter that ‘the European Union stands with the people of Afghanistan for survival with life-saving aids.’

The World Food Programme has expressed concern about the severe drought and economic crisis in Afghanistan.

According to the statistics of this organization, the total aid of the European Union for Afghanistan in the year 2023 has reached 73.7 million euros.

This comes at a time when the increase in poverty, the migration crisis, and the arrival of the cold season have increased the people’s need for humanitarian assistance.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/eu-donates-25-million-euros-to-address-poverty-crisis-in-afghanistan/

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Germany releases results of 20-year Afghanistan presence review

Fidel Rahmati

December 20, 2023

The German government, following the hasty withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and the fall of the previous government to the Taliban administration, decided to review its 20-year presence in Afghanistan. The results of this review have recently been released and indicate that Western countries, particularly Germany, pursued misguided approaches to address the challenges in Afghanistan over the past two decades due to a lack of understanding of the cultural and social complexities within Afghanistan.

This report, prepared by three ministries, including the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aimed to examine the two-decade-long presence of Germany in Afghanistan and draw lessons from it. The review has shown that the strategies employed by the German government to address Afghanistan’s complex problems were flawed because the country was either unaware of or disregarded the cultural and social challenges within Afghanistan. Instead, they were overly optimistic about their ability to bring about change in the country and solve its problems.

The government formed after the 2021 Bonn Conference in Afghanistan had aspects of a Western-style structure, and foreign countries, led by the United States, had both military and non-military presence in the country for 20 years. However, this prolonged presence came to an end with the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.

Germany’s report covers the non-military presence in Afghanistan, stating that dependency on Afghan politicians who were not accountable to the people and overlooking cultural and social challenges was mistaken. It also highlighted that corrupt local authorities and public distrust in the previous Afghan government were major factors that paved the way for the Taliban’s return.

The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs admitted to a significant failure by Germany and other international factors during their 20-year presence in Afghanistan. It stated that the outline of societal structure, its development, efforts toward the rule of law, a flexible economic system, and civic participation from outside were all wrong, and this complex version of nation-building was doomed from the start.

Germany is the first country to review its 20-year presence in Afghanistan. It has been learned that cooperation with unsuccessful Afghan political figures to establish a rule-of-law government in Afghanistan, disregarding societal structures, and not emphasizing the global community’s desires were major mistakes of the past two decades.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/germany-releases-results-of-20-year-afghanistan-presence-review/

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Exporters explore cargo flights as way out of deepening Red Sea bottleneck

December 21, 2023

LONDON/MADRID: Exporters are scrambling to find alternative air, land and ocean routes to get toys, apparel, tea and auto parts to retailers as disarray ripples through freight supply chains around the world during a wave of attacks in the Red Sea.

Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have stepped up attacks on vessels in the Red Sea since Nov. 19 to show support for Hamas during Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.

The attacks have disrupted a key trade route linking Europe and North America with Asia via the Suez Canal. Container shipping costs have surged, more than tripling in some cases, as companies seek to move goods via other, often longer, ocean routes.

If there are extended disruptions, the consumer goods sector that supplies the world’s top retailers like Walmart and IKEA will face the biggest impact, S&P Global said in a report.

Alan Baer, CEO of OL USA, has teams advising shipping and logistics clients to prepare for at least 90 days of Red Sea disruptions.

“It doesn’t help that it’s Christmas weekend,” said Baer. “We’ll have a quiet period from now until Jan. 2, and then everybody will be frenetic.”

Some fast-acting companies already are trying to switch to so-called intermodal transport, which can involve two or more modes of transportation, said Jan Kleine-Lasthues, chief operating officer airfreight with leading German freight forwarder Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.

Hellmann has seen increased demand for combined air and sea routing for consumer goods like apparel as well as electronics and tech items, he said. For example, that could mean goods being transported first by sea to a port in Dubai, where they are then loaded onto planes.

“This alternative route allows customers to avoid the danger zone in the Red Sea and the long voyage around the southern tip of Africa,” Kleine-Lasthues told Reuters.

While companies moving urgent or critical items might opt to use air freight, the expense means it is not a blanket solution, said Paul Brashier, vice president of Drayage and Intermodal for supply chain group ITS Logistics.

Moving goods by air costs roughly 5-15 time more than by sea, where container shipping rates are still low by historical standards, said Brian Bourke, global chief commercial officer at SEKO Logistics.

If the time it takes to get goods to shelves doubles, more shippers will switch to air — especially for high value goods like designer clothing and high-end electronics, said Bourke, who has already received queries from customers.

Major trade route

Some 35,000 vessels sail through the Red Sea region annually, moving goods between Europe, the Middle East and Asia, representing about 10 percent of global GDP, said Corey Ranslem, CEO of British maritime risk advisory and security company Dryad Global.

US retailers including Walmart, Target, Macy’s and Nike depend on the route to get goods ranging from cotton sheets and electric toothbrushes from India to footwear from China and Sri Lanka.

“Under an extended threat you will see the price of fuel and goods into Europe increase substantially because of the increased costs of diverting around Africa which can add roughly 30 days to a transit depending on the arrival port,” Ranslem said.

Tailwind Shipping Lines, a subsidiary of German discount supermarket chain Lidl, which transports non-food goods for Lidl as well as goods for third-party customers, said it was shipping goods around the Cape for now.

“Our aim is to remain as close to our schedule as possible,” it said.

Shipping companies remain in the dark over a new international navy coalition being assembled by the United States aimed at stablizing the area.

A Spanish fashion industry source told Reuters shipping lines were telling customers a lot was riding on the US-led task force and whether it can prevent more attacks and make the route safe again.

It is critical that European companies are able to use the Suez Canal again to ensure supplies of clothes from Asia, the industry source said.

The timing of the Red Sea security issues compounds difficulties for shippers, said Jeb Clulow, partner in law firm Reed Smith’s transportation industry group.

The Panama Canal is struggling with severe drought and has slashed the number of ship passages it allows. In addition, there is a race to get goods in transit before Chinese New Year factory closures planned for Feb. 10-17, which can disrupt supplies for a month or longer.

Meanwhile, large container ship owners have begun adding fees, including emergency surcharges, for cargo affected by the Red Sea disruptions.

In a customer notice on Wednesday, French shipping group CMA CGM announced fees of $1,575 per 20-foot container, $2,700 per 40-foot container and $3,000 for refrigerated containers and special equipment for cargo traveling to and from Red Sea ports.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2429391/middle-east

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Pakistan

 

Crimes of Israel: Pakistan, Iran for coordinated efforts by Islamic states

2023-12-21

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran emphasized the need for coordinated efforts by the Islamic countries to bring an end to the ongoing massacre and crimes of Israel against humanity in Gaza.

In a telephone call on Wednesday that lasted almost 45 minutes, President Dr Arif Alvi of Pakistan and President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran underscored the need for coordinated and collective efforts by the Islamic countries to bring an end to the ongoing massacre and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

President Dr Alvi voiced deep concern over the dire situation in the occupied Palestine including Gaza as a result of ongoing Israeli aggression and occupation. The president regretted that despite the deaths of over 19,000 Palestinians including women and children, the UN Security Council has failed to impose a ceasefire and bring an end to the unspeakable Israeli atrocities.

The president reiterated that a just solution to the Palestinian question based on an independent and contiguous Palestinian State with Al-Quds-Al-Sharif as capital was critical for lasting peace in the Middle East.

The president reaffirmed Pakistan’s support to all diplomatic initiatives to this end and appreciated Iran’s concerns and initiatives about the ongoing situation. He also appreciated the Iranian leadership for its principled stance on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and its support to the Palestinian cause.

The president conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the government and brotherly people of Iran over the heinous terrorist attack on an Iranian police station in Sistan-Baluchistan on 15 December 2023. He expressed Pakistan’s resolve to work with Iran to combat terrorism.

The two leaders discussed bilateral economic cooperation. President Alvi termed the joint inauguration of Mand-Pishin Border Sustenance Market place and Gabd-Polan Electricity Transmission Line as tangible developments that would further strengthen bilateral ties between the two brotherly countries.

The two leaders agreed that Pakistan and Iran were brotherly Islamic countries, sharing the same culture, religion and history. They agreed to work together for further improving economic, trade and cultural relations between the two brotherly countries.

Source: brecorder.com

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Pakistan has made unparalleled contributions, sacrifices in fight against terrorism: COAS

December 20, 2023

Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir says Pakistan has made unparalleled contributions and sacrifices in its enduring fight against terrorism and will continue to fight till logical end, in line with the aspirations of people Pakistan.

During the interaction with members of prominent US think tanks and media during his visit to the United States, he put across Pakistan's perspective on regional security, transnational terrorism and importance of maintaining strategic stability in South Asia.

The Army Chief said Pakistan is a country of consequence both from geopolitical and geo-economic perspective and wishes to develop itself as a hub of connectivity and a gateway to Central Asia and beyond, however, eschews Bloc Politics and believes in maintaining balanced relationships with all friendly countries.

General Syed Asim Munir highlighted that Pakistan desires to broaden bilateral engagement with the US through long term multi domain partnership.

He highlighted that his interactions during the visit to the US with Political and Military leadership have been very positive and forward looking for further strengthening the relationship.

The Army Chief also highlighted that Pakistan has stood as a bulwark against transnational terrorism for decades for ensuring regional stability and global peace and security.

Turning to Kashmir issue, the Army Chief stressed upon the need for resolution of Kashmir Issue as per the aspirations of the people of Kashmir and the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

He said Kashmir is an internationally accepted dispute and no unilateral action can alter the nature of this dispute against the wishes of millions of people of the area.

General Syed Asim Munir also emphatically highlighted the immediate need for ending the sufferings in Gaza, provision of humanitarian assistance and implementation of two-state solution for enduring peace in the region.

Source: radio.gov.pk

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https://www.radio.gov.pk/20-12-2023/pakistan-has-made-unparalleled-contributions-sacrifices-in-fight-against-terrorism-coas

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ISI says it can’t trace source of audio leaks: Agencies can’t tap calls but nobody tells who is doing it: IHC

December 21, 2023

Awais Yousafzai

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday said the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in its report has stated it can’t trace the source of the audio leaks.

Hearing the pleas of former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar’s son and former prime minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi regarding their audio conversation leaks, IHC’s Justice Babar Sattar asked why the ISI filed the report through the Ministry of Defence.

At this, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan replied the intelligence agency should have filed the report through the Prime Minister’s Office. According to the ISI report, the investigation could proceed only after taking assistance from social media platforms, the attorney general added. The report of the PMO regarding the audio leaks was submitted to the court by the attorney general. The AGP said no intelligence agency was allowed to tap audio conversations by the federal government including the ISI, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB).

The FIA had to first see who recorded the call, the attorney general said adding that following the court orders, the FIA was writing to telecom companies as it required access to those IP addresses. “If any government agency is doing this recording, it is doing so illegally,” he maintained.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) lawyer said private audio leaks could not be broadcast by TV channels. At this, the court asked what action the PEMRA was taking on the matter. The counsel apprised the bench that TV channels would not air this kind of audio. “We have sent the matter to the Council of Complaints, they will decide,” the PEMRA lawyer added.

Justice Babar Sattar asked whether the PEMRA was effectively functioning as a regulator. He further asked if the authority had issued urgent instructions to the TV channels. “So, you are saying that you cannot take immediate action, the matter will go to the Council of Complaints,” the court remarked.

The audio conversation between Bushra Bibi and his counsel Latif Khosa that surfaced on November 30 on social media, suggested that there were differences in the incarcerated former prime minister’s family. Latif Khosa said not once but for the entire day the TV channels continued to broadcast the audio. He said it was a derogatory treatment.

The court observed that on the one hand, there was freedom of information and on the other was the matter of privacy, and how it could be balanced. However, Justice Babar said, it was the responsibility of the state to ensure both.

Counsel Aitzaz Ahsan said there should be self-regularisation, but here even the Constitution was not implemented. He cited the delay in polls as an example.

The court, quoting a news report, asked the attorney general to check if IB was given the authority to record calls. The AGP replied he would look into it and apprise the court.

The IHC directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to submit a detailed report at the next hearing. If the government didn’t come up with the required information, then the court would appoint national and international amici curiae for the purpose, it said.

Ordering the FIA and other institutions to submit their replies, the court adjourned the hearing. “Whoever comes, he says there is no permission to tap calls. Nobody is telling who is doing it and why,” he said.

The court also decided to appoint senior journalists as amici curiae on the matter related to the code of conduct of TV channels.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1140208-isi-says-it-can-t-trace-source-of-audio-leaks-agencies-can-t-tap-calls-but-nobody-tells-who-s-doing-it-ihc

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Pakistan’s UN envoy reports terror groups under Taliban protection

Fidel Rahmati

December 21, 2023

Munir Akram, Pakistan’s representative to the United Nations, said in a Security Council meeting on Afghanistan on Wednesday that the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan poses a serious threat to the country, the region, and the world.

He stated that terrorist groups are openly supported by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Mr Akram mentioned that the Pakistani Taliban and related groups are given the freedom to operate in Afghanistan, and they are attacking Pakistani security forces from inside Afghanistan. He described the threat from the Pakistani Taliban as very serious, noting that their attacks have become more complicated due to access to advanced weapons left by Western forces.

Munir Akram called for a United Nations investigation into the American advanced weapons that have fallen into the hands of the Pakistani Taliban.

The United Nations Security Council convened on Wednesday to review a report by FeridunSinirlioglu, the UN’s Special Coordinator for Afghanistan. Western countries, especially the United States, emphasized widespread human rights violations in Afghanistan at the meeting. The U.S. representative stated that the Taliban cannot have normal relations with the U.S. without respecting women’s rights.

Mr. Akram called for strengthening the work of the Afghanistan Sanctions Monitoring Committee at the Security Council meeting to compel the Taliban to take serious action against terrorist groups.

The Pakistani representative said that any policy of engagement with the Taliban government should be based on the Taliban’s actions against terrorist groups. He warned that otherwise, there would be a spread of terrorism from Afghanistan similar to September 11, threatening not just the region but the entire world.

The Pakistani representative at the United Nations also stated that the Taliban should lift the restrictions imposed on women’s rights to work and education.

Although Pakistan has supported the Afghan Taliban for years and helped their victory against the former Afghan government, the recent sharp increase in attacks by the TTP on Pakistani security forces has strained relations between Islamabad and the Taliban.

Source: khaama.com

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Toshakhana reference against Imran, Bushra fixed for hearing on Dec 23

December 20, 2023

An accountability court in Islamabad on Wednesday fixed for hearing a graft reference against former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in connection to the Toshakhana case, Express News reported.

The hearing for the reference, filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) a day earlier, is scheduled for December 23, with notices being already dispatched to the pertinent parties.

The NAB Rawalpindi, acting on allegations of graft, had named only two accused in the reference – Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi.

The development came after the accountability court on Saturday rejected NAB's request for an extended physical remand of Khan in the Toshakhana case. The court, dismissing the bureau's plea, declared a 21-day judicial remand for the former PTI chairman. The hearing was adjourned until January 6.

The crux of the accusations revolves around Imran and Bushra allegedly retaining gifts received during their official visits to foreign countries while Imran Khan served as the prime minister. Instead of following the prescribed official protocol by depositing these gifts in the Toshakhana, the couple purportedly kept them and contributed an amount less than the stipulated value into the national treasury.

Bushra, in particular, is accused of holding on to various jewellery items received as gifts during official visits. The list of allegedly retained gifts includes a locket, two rings, two ear tops, and two bracelets received on June 26, 2019. In 2020, she reportedly acquired a diamond-studded gold necklace, ring, bracelet, and ear tops. The list expanded in 2021 with the addition of a necklace, earrings, ring, and bracelet.

Despite repeated requests from the NAB for the return of these gifts, especially the jewellery items, Bushra has allegedly failed to comply. In response, the NAB directed her to appear at the NAB Rawalpindi office on December 11 and bring the specified ornaments with her. Subsequently, Bushra obtained bail until December 13 in this case from the accountability court in Islamabad.

Source: tribune.com.pk

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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2450640/toshakhana-reference-against-imran-bushra-fixed-for-hearing-on-dec-23

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Islamabad, Lahore & Mianwali: Imran to contest from 3 constituencies ‘at least’

 2023-12-21

ISLAMABAD: As the crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders continued unabated, the jailed founding chairman of the party Imran Khan on Wednesday declared to contest the upcoming general elections from “at least” three constituencies – Islamabad, Lahore, and Mianwali.

Talking to journalists after holding a meeting with Khan in Adiala jail, senior PTI leader Ali Zafar along with newly-elected chairman PTI Gohar Ali Khan said “the former prime minister Imran Khan had decided to contest the upcoming general elections from at least three constituencies i.e. Islamabad, Lahore, and Mianwali.”

“For this purpose, we will bring nomination papers for Imran Khan and get his signatures on Thursday, after which it will be submitted to the concerned returning officers as today, we were not allowed to take even a plain piece of paper,” he added.

Zafar said Islamabad High Court (IHC) was set to release its verdict on a petition filed by Imran Khan, in which he had challenged his conviction in the Toshakhana case.

“We’re optimistic that the IHC verdict will soon be announced as the election schedule has already been issued,” he said, and expressed the hope that the verdict would be in PTI’s favour.

He said all the PTI workers had been given directions to file their nomination papers as the country had entered election mode.

“As far as the PTI candidates are concerned, our workers in jail, who have rendered sacrifices for the party at this testing time, would be allotted tickets 100 per cent on a priority basis,” he added.

He said the names of remaining candidates had also been finalised and the final list of those who would be given party tickets for national and provincial assemblies would be announced shortly.

To a question, he said that stopping party workers from filing nomination papers was an undemocratic exercise which would jeopardise free and fair elections, adding “We request the ECP [Election Commission of Pakistan] to take action on this as to who is behind all this”.

Speaking on the occasion, PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan said the party wanted elections to be held on February 8 at all costs, and there was no truth in reports the PTI wanted to delay the elections.

He highlighted that his party had time and again stressed the need for a level playing field for all political parties, but still PTI candidates were facing a crackdown, and the ECP was acting as a silent spectator.

He lamented that PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s nomination papers were snatched from his secretary inside Adiala Jail which was condemnable, adding “snatching nomination papers from people like this will certainly make these elections a shame”.

“The impression of fairness and transparency in the elections would be lost if nomination papers are snatched from people,” he added.

He said that party founding chairman Imran Khan would be provided with his nomination papers today (Thursday), and vowed that “Khan Sahib will contest these polls, God willing”.

“Imran Khan has asked all the party workers to file their nomination papers and the decision to allot party tickets would still be taken by Imran Khan himself,” he added.

Gohar said he too would participate in the upcoming election from Buner, his home constituency in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

To a question about providing a level-playing field to political parties, Gohar lamented that “Nawaz Sharif can’t play sans his own umpire, and this time again he wants an umpire of his own choice which we will not allow”.

“Our candidates are not even being allowed to enter the ground which is simply not acceptable. PTI’s stance regarding elections being held on time has always been consistent,” he added.

“Wherever our candidates are submitting their nomination papers, the papers are being confiscated…if this continues, we’ll left with no option but to move the courts to take notice of the matter,” he warned.

Source: brecorder.com

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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40279762/islamabad-lahore-mianwali-imran-to-contest-from-3-constituencies-at-least

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Need for building bridges between Afghanistan, Pakistan stressed

 2023-12-21

ISLAMABAD: The need for building bridges between Afghanistan and Pakistan has never been as great as it is today as 1.7 million refugees, many including women and children, without proper planning and at the stroke of the pen have been expelled making even the western border more volatile and hostile.

This has been stated by ex-senator Farhatullah Babar, president of the Human Right Cell of PPP at a seminar, “Empowerment of Pak-Afghan Women for Building Bridges” in a local hotel on Wednesday.

He said official channels had limitations to build bridges and the civil society and NGOs needed to explore non-official channels.

People-to-people contacts, businesses, art and culture and literature and empowered women could play a great role, he said.

“Women by nature are peace-loving, they shun war and destruction. They love their children more than the men do. In Pakistan, in Afghanistan indeed anywhere they yearn for peace. They are thus a potent force for building bridges for peace, for children for everyone,” he said.

He said, Benazir Bhutto had in an article once said “in a world where weapons and war too often define us, it is important that we discover our humanity in bringing the women together”.

“Women in Afghanistan have been victims of state repression and the most tortured group. Before 9/11 for 23 years, they suffered war and death. They were left as widows in their youth. These young others could not work or even leave their homes but had hungry children,” he said.

Babar said, “When warlords ended after 9/11, women of Pakistan also gathered to raise their voices for their sisters across the border demanding rehabilitation of women and their inclusion in the new Afghan set-up. Indeed, there were demonstrations in over 60 countries in support of Afghan women showing the potential power of non-state NGOs to become force multiplies for Afghan and Pakistani women.”

He said that in Pakistan disenfranchisement of 10 million women, child marriage, rape and honour killing, harassment at workplace, lack of access to justice, downright violence of a justice system was some of the critical issues that needed to be addressed for women empowerment.

Source: brecorder.com

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Arab World

 

Saudi Arabia to chair UN panel on cyclones in Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal

December 21, 2023

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has been unanimously elected to chair the UN panel tasked with monitoring cyclones in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, the Kingdom’s meteorology office said on Wednesday.

The appointment is to the 13-nation World Meteorological Organization/UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Panel on Tropical Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Ayman bin Salem Ghulam, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology, said the appointment is a “testament to the country’s pioneering role and its commitment to addressing critical issues related to disasters and their significant impact on humanity, both regionally and internationally.”

Ghulam said it was important to strengthen monitoring and forecasting systems to minimize loss of life and property, especially since there has been an increase in the number of tropical cyclones in the region and the world.

The panel was set up in 1972 in the aftermath of Cyclone Bhola, the world’s deadliest tropical cyclone that killed more than 300,000 people in Bangladesh in November 1970.

From six original members (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand), the panel grew to 13, and now includes the Maldives, Oman, and Yemen. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Iran joined in 2018.

A report published by ReliefWeb, of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, noted that the panel has successfully tracked and monitored several tropical cyclones, “providing accurate early warnings that led to targeted evacuations and saving tens of thousands at risk.”

ReliefWeb cited the region’s experiences with cyclones Mocha and Biparjoy as proof of the effectiveness of cross-border collaboration involving real-time data sharing and risk-information exchange.

Mocha, which emerged from the Bay of Bengal on May 14, 2023, hit Myanmar with sustained winds of 180 to 190 kph, violent gusts, and torrential rainfall, causing widespread flooding in the impoverished state.

“Mocha made the landfall in a most vulnerable context of compounding poverty, inequality and environmental degradation. However, the impact differed significantly from the 2008 devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, a storm as powerful as Cyclone Mocha, which resulted in the loss of over 138,000 lives in Myanmar,” the report said.

On June 26, 2023, Biparjoy, emerging from the Arabian Sea with wind speed of 140 kph, hit densely populated parts of India’s west coast of Gujarat state, but no casualties were recorded, the report noted.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2429386/saudi-arabia

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DiplomaticQuarter: First Saudi-India Festival to be held in Jeddah on Jan. 19

December 20, 2023

JEDDAH: The first Saudi-India Festival will be held in Jeddah on Jan. 19 featuring various traditional arts and cultural activities, and showcasing the 5,000-year history between the Asian nation and Arabia.

The event has been organized by India’s consulate in collaboration with the Goodwill Global Initiative.

The theme of the event is “5K Camaraderie,” and will see over 2,000 people attend at the International Indian School in Jeddah’s Al-Rehab district.

India’s Consul General Mohd Shahid Alam launched the festival’s brochure during a ceremony held at the consulate recently.

Emphasizing the festival’s significance in strengthening cultural and strategic ties between the two countries, Alam called for the support of the Indian community.

A documentary will be screened showcasing the 5,000-year ties between people from the two continents.

This narrative will traverse the ancient Spice Route, Silk Road, and Incense Route, and the recent partnership in the world’s second-largest migration corridor encompassing India and the GCC states.

Additionally, the festival will feature exhibitions showcasing Indian products and companies.

Source: arabnews.com

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Houthi Leader Threatens to Attack US Warships If Washington Targets Yemen

2023-12-21

(Reuters) - The leader of Yemen's Houthis warned on Wednesday they would strike U.S. warships if the Iranian-backed militia was targeted by Washington, which this week set up a multinational force to counter Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

The Houthis, which control vast amounts of territory in Yemen after years of war, have since last month fired drones and missiles at international vessels sailing through the Red Sea, attacks it says respond to Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip.

The U.S.-led security initiative will see Washington and ten other, mostly NATO countries patrol the Red Sea to deter and respond to future Houthi attacks that have so far led to major global shipping lines rerouting around Africa instead.

"We will not stand idly by if the Americans are tempted to escalate further and commit foolishness by targeting our country or waging war against it," Abdel-Malek al-Houthi said.

"Any American targeting of our country will be targeted by us, and we will make American battleships, interests, and navigation a target for our missiles, drones, and military operations," he said in a televised speech.

The crisis in the Red Sea has grown out of the war between Israel and Gaza's ruling Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, the latest conflict in the Middle East to pit the U.S. and its allies against regional power Iran and its Arab militia proxies.

The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters stormed across the Gaza border into southern Israel, where Israeli authorities say the militants killed about 1,200 mostly civilian Israelis and foreigners.

Israel’s retaliatory bombardment and invasion of Gaza, which Israeli officials state is aimed at wiping out Hamas, has killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the densely populated, coastal enclave.

Iranian proxies including the Houthis and Lebanese Hezbollah have fired rockets at Israel since the conflict began. The Houthis, meanwhile, have stepped up their Red Sea attacks, threatening to target all ships heading to Israel and warning shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.

The attacks have disrupted a key trade route that links Europe and North America with Asia via the Suez Canal and caused container shipping costs to rise sharply as companies seek to ship their goods via alternative, often longer, routes.

Dubbed "Operation Prosperity Guardian", Britain, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, along with the U.S., will conduct joint patrols in the southern Red Sea and the adjacent Gulf of Aden.

"As long as the Americans want to enter into a direct war with us, they should know that we are not those who fear them, and that they are facing an entire people," al-Houthi said.

He warned the Americans against sending soldiers to Yemen, saying they would "face something harsher than what they faced in Afghanistan and what they suffered in Vietnam." Source: tolonews.com

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Saudi defense minister meets French President Macron

December 21, 2023

RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday.

During the meeting the pair discussed bilateral relations between France and the Kingdom.

“Upon the directives of HRH the Crown Prince, I met with Emmanuel Macron,”  Prince Khalid posted on social media. “I had the honor of conveying the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. We also reviewed our bilateral relations.”

The meeting was attended by senior Saudi and French officials.

Earlier, Prince Khalid toured the frigate Chevalier Paul with SébastienLecornu, the French armed forces minister.

“I had the opportunity to watch an air defense exercise involving Rafale aircraft. I also explored the frigate’s defense capabilities and advanced technologies and equipment,” he posted on X.

“It was great to have you on board, to witness together the French army expertise, world class equipment and leadership. Thank you for joining us,” Lecornu responded to Prince Khalid on social media.

Source: arabnews.com

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80 Samples Taken from Grand Mosque Daily to Guarantee Air Quality and Surface Safety

20 Dec, 2023

The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque examines 80 samples from inside the Grand Mosque, which are taken on a daily basis, to guarantee the quality of the air, the cleanliness of surfaces, the clarity of Zamzam water, and the suitability of dates, and food that are distributed to the mosques' visitors. This system maintains their safety and provides a healthy and safe environment.

 The samples are collected for laboratory testing that involves analytical, microbiological, and physical chemistry in the epidemiology laboratory at the Grand Mosque, in which analyses are made for 50 samples of Zamzam water, 20 samples of dates and foodstuffs, and ten samples of surfaces, in addition to checking the air quality.

 Director of the General Department of Prevention and Health Care at the Grand Mosque Hassan Al-Suwaihri said that the laboratory relies on three types of analyses to achieve the highest quality standards, noting that Zamzam water and the quality of dates and food which are distributed in the Grand Mosque are examined. Also, carpet cleaning and sterilization work take place, and the effectiveness of cleaning materials and disinfectants used in cleaning surfaces and floors are reviewed.

 Al-Suwaihri added that swabs are taken from carpets, the surfaces of marble stations for drinking Zamazam water, escalators, cupboards and shelves of the Quran copies, plastic barriers, doors, and other surfaces, and samples from all Zamzam water sources, filling points, tanks, and Zamzam water cooling stations.

 He continued that the microbial examination uses a device to measure the percentage of contamination (instant scanning) and that the laboratory investigates through its work, in addition to the services and religious programs it provides at the Grand Mosque.

Source: alriyadhdaily.com

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King Salman, crown prince send condolences to Xi Jinping after Gansu earthquake

December 20, 2023

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sent his condolences to China’s President Xi Jinping and the victims of an earthquake that struck Gansu Province on Monday.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also sent a similar cable to the Chinese leader.

A number of houses caved in and crumbled in the quake, which has killed at least 134 people and injured more than 900 others.

Most of the casualties were in Gansu and the rest in the neighboring province of Qinghai.

Nearly 15,000 homes collapsed in Gansu and more than 87,000 people had to be resettled, provincial officials said at a Wednesday news conference.

Source: arabnews.com

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Interior Ministry launches AI service on Absher for people with disabilities

December 20, 2023

JEDDAH: The Ministry of Interior on Wednesday launched a personal assistance service on the Absher platform for people with disabilities, allowing them to access services using advanced voice recognition and artificial intelligence technologies.

Prince Bandar bin Abdullah Al-Mishari, the assistant minister of interior for technology affairs, told the second Digital Government Forum in Riyadh that the service enabled quick and easy access to ensure a distinguished user experience.

This aligns with the goals of the ministry in promoting the progress of digital transformation initiatives, developing services, and making them accessible to all sections of society.

The Kingdom is dedicated to providing a good quality of life for all its inhabitants, while addressing the diverse needs of different groups. Individuals with disabilities hold a significant place among these groups, comprising 7.1 percent of the Kingdom’s population.

The two-day forum, which boasted the theme “Our Future Now,” concluded on Dec. 20. It was attended by various government entities and ministers, as well as a group of experts, specialists, and decision-makers in the field of digital government at both local and international levels.

The forum offered panel discussions with several ministers; workshops in the field of digital transformation; the launch of new digital products and services; and the announcement of the winners of the Digital Government Award in its second edition in the Kingdom, as well as the winners of the award for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in its fifth cycle.

The forum also revealed results of the Digital Transformation Measurement 2023, which is aimed at improving the performance and effectiveness of government entities to accelerate the pace of digital transformation, advancing the Kingdom in international indicators, in line with the programs and targets of Saudi Vision 2030.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2429221/saudi-arabia

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South Asia

 

UNAMA chief briefs UNSC, says humanitarian situation remains a ‘grave concern’

December 20, 2023

UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva briefed the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday and said the humanitarian situation remains a grave concern; and that as another winter approaches, more than 20 million people will depend on aid.

She also said key features of the human rights situation in the country are “a record of systemic discrimination against women and girls.”

According to her, there was “repression of political dissent and free speech, a lack of meaningful representation of minorities, and ongoing instances of extrajudicial killing, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and illtreatment.”

She thanked the Security Council for considering the situation in Afghanistan “several times over the past month,” and that “in a world of multiplying crises, I am grateful for this ongoing attention to Afghanistan.

“Many Afghans inform me that they fear being forgotten, as they have been in the past. I strongly believe that my role, and that of UNAMA, is to prevent this from happening.”

According to her, the lack of progress in resolving human rights issues is a key factor behind the current impasse and that accepting and working to uphold the international norms and standards, as set out in the UN Treaties that Afghanistan has ratified, “will continue to be a non-negotiable condition for a seat at the United Nations.”

She noted however that the Islamic Emirate “continue to maintain a generally good level of security,” although unexploded ordnance remains a significant concern.

According to her, the Shia community remains at disproportionate risk of harm – especially by ISIL-KP (Daesh).

“At the same time regional countries remain deeply concerned about additional possible threats emanating from inside Afghanistan. In particular, Pakistan remains convinced that the de facto authorities (IEA) have done too little to contain the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which has claimed major recent terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

Otunbayeva said she was in Islamabad last week and raised the issue of the expulsion of undocumented Afghans living in Pakistan.

She said Pakistan’s decision has led to a deterioration of relations between the two countries; and that “it is essential that both sides take measures to prevent further deterioration and begin working on issues of common interest.”

According to her, almost 500,000 Afghans have returned home and that “a consortium of humanitarian actors” are working constantly alongside the IEA to provide these families with assistance.

“This has proven to be an effective cooperation and the de facto authorities IIEA) have responded with great professionalism despite lacking resources. The returnees are the poorest of the poor. 80,0000 of them have nowhere in Afghanistan to go. The human rights consequences for women and girls forced to return are particularly severe,” she said.

Otunbayeva also raised the issue of education and said while the international community has called for the ban on girls’ education to be reversed, the overall quality of education had deteriorated.

She also raised the issue of climate change and its effects on Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan is one of the most climate change-affected countries in the world while it has contributed least to its causes. I continue to believe that the de facto authorities (IEA) need to be part of this global conversation.”

She went on to say that addressing Afghanistan’s climate crisis should transcend politics – especially as the lack of water from recurring drought has reached a level of urgency that is felt across the country including Kabul.

“The de facto authorities (IEA) have demonstrated a desire to engage with the international community on this issue.

“I urge all of us to find ways of including Afghanistan in future meetings on climate change,” she said.

In terms of the UN’s future approach to dealing with the IEA, she said the organization should be guided by two factors; a durable and more detailed international consensus on Afghanistan and making far greater use of the IEA’s willingness to engage in dialogue with members of the international community.

“Dialogue does not legitimize. It can be used to express disapproval yet encourage change,” she said and that “there must be more direct engagement with the de facto authorities (IEA), including in Kabul.”

The IEA has not yet commented on Otunbayeva’s report.
Source: ariananews.af

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https://www.ariananews.af/unama-chief-briefs-unsc-says-humanitarian-situation-remains-a-grave-concern/

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WHO demands $185 million for health sector in Afghanistan

Fidel Rahmati

December 21, 2023

The World Health Organization (WHO) has requested $185 million for the provision of medicines and support of hospitals in Afghanistan.

TedrosAdhanomGhebreyesus, the head of the WHO, announced on Wednesday, December 20, that this amount is requested to prevent malnutrition, especially among women and children.

According to the head of the organization, currently, 13 million people in Afghanistan are facing food insecurity.

The WHO’s request for funds to combat malnutrition comes at a time when it is estimated that approximately one million children are suffering from severe malnutrition and about 2.3 million children in Afghanistan are moderately malnourished.

The WHO recently stated that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in partnership with the WHO, has contributed $6.9 million to address infectious diseases in Afghanistan.

The WHO had previously reported on the serious vulnerability of Afghanistan’s health system.

In their report, it was mentioned that the lives of millions are at risk due to food insecurity, the spread of infectious diseases, and ongoing droughts in Afghanistan.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/who-demands-185-million-for-health-sector-in-afghanistan/

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1,000 Afghan migrants deported from Pakistan

Fidel Rahmati

December 20, 2023

The ongoing process of deporting Afghan migrants from Pakistan has been highlighted by the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation of Afghanistan. The Ministry reported the return of approximately one thousand Afghan migrants from Pakistan.

On Wednesday, the Ministry stated on social media platform X that around one thousand Afghan migrants returned to Afghanistan after being deported from Pakistan.

The Ministry of Refugees added that these migrants were deported by the Interim government of Pakistan and returned to Afghanistan through the Torkham and Spin Boldak borders in Kandahar province.

A day earlier, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation announced that about 813 Afghan migrants entered the country through the Torkham border in Nangarhar province after being deported.

This comes at a time when newly returned migrants from neighboring countries, especially Pakistan and Iran, are facing significant challenges. The arrival of the winter season has compounded these difficulties following their forced deportation.

Many of these migrants are struggling with the harsh realities of returning to Afghanistan during the winter. The situation is particularly challenging given the sudden nature of their deportation and the cold weather.

The Ministry’s reports highlight the ongoing challenges faced by Afghan migrants. The issue of forced repatriation during the winter months has brought significant hardships for these individuals and their families.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/1000-afghan-migrants-deported-from-pakistan/

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Afghanistan’s Kunar River Dam proposal sparks controversy; water management dilemma for Pakistan and Taliban

 Fidel Rahmati

December 20, 2023

Several citizens have shared their plans with the Taliban administration regarding the construction of a dam on the Kunar River and have even shown readiness to provide financial assistance for the construction of this dam.

After Pakistan began forcibly deporting Afghan refugees, Afghans desired the construction of a dam on the Kunar River. They are ready for all kinds of cooperation in this regard.

The founder and leader of the ‘Hasina Karokhail Charity Foundation,’ Dr. Hasina Karokhail, says she is ready to provide financial assistance for the construction of the dam on the Kunar River. She states that several other women and numerous activists for women’s rights are also prepared to provide financial support for the construction of the dam on the Kunar River.

Ms. Karokhail told Khaama Press, ‘We are ready to provide financial assistance for the construction of a dam on the Kunar River. Many other women and numerous Afghans are enthusiastic about generating electricity from the Kunar River and are prepared for any kind of cooperation in this matter.’

She says that there are women who are even ready to sell their jewellery to raise funds for the construction of the dam on the Kunar River.

At the same time, several Afghan experts have shared their plans with the leadership of the Taliban government regarding the construction of a dam on the Kunar River. Dr. MirwaisSargandKuchi says that he has submitted a plan to the Deputy Minister of Economics for cooperation in controlling the Kunar River’s water and building a dam there. The plan suggests that the ministry should seek public funding for this historic project and activate funding mechanisms.

The plan includes, ‘Collecting a fee of $100 from each Afghan returning through Kabul Airport and $10 from each passenger on domestic flights, and the total amount of these contributions should be shared live through a TV screen. According to our calculations, just the Kabul Airport has the capacity to generate between 30,000 to 40,000 dollars a day.’

Another part of the plan mentions, ‘Creating toll points along major roads and collecting 200 Afghanis from each heavy vehicle and 50 Afghanis from each fast-moving vehicle.’

Dr. Kuchi stated, that if Afghans utilize all their national potential, the work to control the Kunar River and build a major dam, comparable to Qush-Tepa, could start within three months.

This comes at a time when, some time ago, the Deputy Minister of Water and Energy of the Taliban, Mujib Rahman Akhundzada, announced plans to build a hydroelectric dam on the Kunar River. He said the dam has been surveyed, but due to its high cost, the plan could not be implemented immediately. He added that the construction of this dam would irrigate one and a half lakh acres of agricultural land and produce 45 megawatts of electricity. The official also mentioned plans to build other dams along the length of the Kunar River.

The Kunar River has been flowing freely into Pakistan for decades without any intervention. Governments over time have promised to build a dam on this river, but so far no government has been able to harness these waters.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/afghans-propose-kunar-river-dam-plans-to-taliban-authorities/

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Over 200 Afghan refugees transferred from Pakistan to Britain

Fidel Rahmati

December 20, 2023

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced the transfer of 250 Afghan refugees from Pakistan to the United Kingdom.

On Tuesday, December 19, the organization called for support of safe ways and sustainable solutions for Afghan refugees through a message on the social media platform X.

The International Organization for Migration emphasizes that these refugees represent a global effort to support Afghans displaced by war.

According to the organization’s report, since the Taliban administration’s resurgence in Afghanistan in August 2021, it has facilitated the resettlement of at least one thousand Afghan refugees in various countries.

Previously, several Afghan refugees were transferred from Pakistan to countries including Canada and Britain.

It’s noteworthy that Britain has committed to relocating 20,000 eligible Afghan refugees to the country over the next four years.

Currently, thousands of Afghan refugees are residing in Pakistan, awaiting relocation to Western countries, including Canada, France, and Britain.

This development is part of the broader international response to the Afghan refugee crisis following recent political changes in Afghanistan.

Pakistani authorities have initiated a crackdown on Afghan refugees, commencing forced deportations since November 1st. This move has raised concerns about the treatment and rights of these refugees within Pakistan.

Despite facing widespread condemnation and calls to cease the forceful deportation of Afghan migrants, particularly in light of the severe humanitarian crisis and the harsh winter conditions, Pakistani officials have continued with their actions.

International organizations and human rights groups have urged Pakistan to reconsider its stance, emphasizing the critical situation of the Afghan refugees and the potential risks they face upon forced return to their homeland.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/over-200-afghan-refugees-transferred-from-pakistan-to-britain/

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CSTO raises concerns over insurgency, smuggling in Afghanistan

Fidel Rahmati

December 21, 2023

ImangaliTasmagambetov, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), raised concerns about increasing terrorist activities, drug smuggling, and arms trafficking in Afghanistan at a joint meeting of the CSTO Council and the 16th plenary session of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly in Moscow.

During his speech, Tasmagambetov highlighted the threats facing the southern borders of Central Asia and called for an agreement to counter these threats.

He stated, “The danger of terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, and illegal arms trade spreading from Afghanistan remains a direct threat to the southern borders of the CSTO’s area of responsibility.”

He emphasized the importance of the Working Group on Afghanistan under the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers in coordinating efforts to address these challenges.

However, the Taliban administration rejected the allegations,  with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid assuring that Afghan territory would not be used against any country and stating their opposition to narcotics trafficking.

Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, there has been increasing concern among regional countries about security and stability in the country and the broader region. These concerns are amplified by the complex dynamics of regional politics and the potential for instability to spill over national borders.

On a related note, the Pakistani UN envoy recently criticized the Taliban, accusing them of harbouring terrorist groups. This accusation reflects ongoing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly regarding the activities and influence of various militant groups in the region.

Pakistani officials have claimed that the Taliban has not effectively acted against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts within Afghanistan. In response, the Taliban have denied these allegations, reiterating their commitment not to allow Afghan soil to be used against any neighbouring countries, including Pakistan. This denial and reassurance, however, continue to be a point of contention and concern for regional stability.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/csto-raises-concerns-over-insurgency-smuggling-in-afghanistan/

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UNESCO Reports Journalists' Deaths in Afghanistan

December 21, 2023

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has declared 2023 as the deadliest year for journalists in war-torn countries in its annual assessment.

It stated in a press release of that Afghanistan, Syria, Cameroon and Ukraine have each witnessed at least two murders of journalists.

UNESCO wrote that the number of journalists killed in war zones has doubled compared to the last three years.

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, in this press release said: “I pay tribute to all of these media professionals and reiterate my call to all actors involved to mobilize the necessary means to guarantee the protection of journalists as civilians, as stipulated in international law.”

But the Islamic Emirate rejected this assessment and said that no journalist has been killed in Afghanistan in the past year.

Zabihullah Mujahid said: "In the past year, no journalist has died, and Israel has the highest number and statistics in this area, which martyred a large number of journalists in Gaza, and this crime is the responsibility of the countries that support Israel and they should be questioned. In Afghanistan We have no casualties from the media and media people.”

Meanwhile, some journalists asked the Islamic Emirate to take better care of the problems of journalists in the country.

"Since journalists in the current situation are a reliable bridge between the people and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, our request is that in terms of ensuring the security of journalists and providing work facilities in the city and in news centers with the journalists of the Islamic Emirate, we should have serious cooperation so that journalists can do their work efficiently and with a peaceful mind," said Daud Nazari, a journalist.

“We want the current government to pay serious attention to the safety of journalists,” said Sayed Hashem Kashefi, a journalist.

The Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) called this report regrettable and said that they are hopeful that the problems of journalists  will be solved in the upcoming year.

“We are trying to make 2024 a good year for Afghan journalists and media,” said Farhad Behroz, deputy head of Afghan Independent Journalists Association.

Haqmal Zia, the acting Deputy Minister of Information and Culture, said: “This number decreased year by year and this year there were limited cases, most of which were personal and family enmities. Apart from that, we did not have any cases where our journalists were in danger.”

Earlier, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said that journalists and media workers should have immunity and the crimes committed against them should be investigated.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186586

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BNP-Jamaat resorting to terror to foil polls: PM

Dec 20, 2023

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the BNP-Jamaat alliance has unleashed a reign of terror on the masses aimed at foiling the national election scheduled for January 7, 2024.

"Casting vote is the constitutional right of the people. No one has the right to resist them and kill people for casting votes," she said.

The prime minister said this while talking to reporters after offering prayers at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal in Sylhet.

She said no one would accept any militant and terrorist activities in Bangladesh.

"If anyone does this, the people of the country one day will throw them out. That is the reality," she said.

The ruling Awami League chief also warned those who are behind the recent arson attacks on rail lines.

"There will be no forgiveness at all for those who are involved in arson attacks and killing people. We must take stern actions against them," she said.

She said although BNP-Jamaat wanted to foil the election and to stop people from casting their votes in the next elections, the people are in favour of election and casting votes.

"People are not responding to the strike [hartal] of BNP. What will they gain through these destructive activities? The mass people will hate them ultimately," she said.

Hasina said whenever Awami League forms the government it brings welfare for the people.

"In 2009, we formed the government. The people of Bangladesh also elected us in 2014 and 2018," she said.

She said that the Awami League government is fulfilling the basic needs of the people one by one.

"Rest of the needs will be fulfilled In sha Allah if in the January 7 election people of Bangladesh cast their votes for boat symbol and if we can form the government again. We will make the whole Bangladesh developed and prosperous. And no one will be without address, home and land," she said.

She mentioned that the aim of the government is to bring smiles on the faces of poor people by making the country a developed and prosperous one, which was the dream of the father of the nation.

"Already we have attained the recognition of developing nation status. It has to be implemented. I know that if our government comes again, it will be effective."

Regarding BNP's boycott of the election, Sheikh Hasina said that if anyone wants not to participate in the election, that is fine.

"But why are they destroying properties? These are the properties of the mass people," she said.

She said that uprooting fishplates and setting fire to a train are totally terrorist and militant activities.

"And BNP-Jamaat alliance are doing those terrorist and militant activities."

She mentioned that it is the character of BNP to burn people alive. What type of anti-government movement is that, she asked.

"They called strike on Tuesday, but people of the country did not respond to the call. They must understand that people of the country want the election and to cast their votes."

She said Awami League creates opportunity for the party members so that anyone can participate in the election.

"All can be the candidate and work for the election, it is the people who will decide their respective MPs," she said.

She came down heavily on the BNP-Jamaat alliance while talking about the tragic death of a mother and her child, which she tried to save from the fire.

In an emotion-choked voice she said, "There is nothing more painful than seeing this scene. How can a human being do this?"

Creating fear by killing people to foil the election will not work, she said they could not do that in 2013 and 2014.

She said the unscrupulous members of BNP-Jamaat are implementing the orders "they are getting from London".

"This kind of criminal activities will not be accepted by the people of Bangladesh," she said.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/national-election-2024/news/bnp-jamaat-resorting-terror-foil-polls-pm-3499061

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Traders and Investors Express Confidence in Islamic Emirate: Hanafi

 2023-12-21

KABUL (BNA): Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs Mawlavi Abdul Salam Hanafi met with a group of national traders and investors to discuss the economic situation and the opportunities for investment in the country.

The traders and investors praised the Islamic Emirate for ensuring the security of life and property, which had been lacking in previous years. They expressed their readiness to invest in various sectors and contribute to the country’s development and prosperity.

They also raised some challenges and issues related to transportation and commerce and asked for special attention from the Islamic Emirate officials. Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi appreciated the meeting and acknowledged the importance of traders and investors in the economic activities of the country.

He said that the Islamic Emirate has prioritized the security of all citizens, especially traders, and investors, and has provided various facilities for them, such as customs exemptions, land distribution in industrial parks, and tax exemptions.

He also said that the Islamic Emirate welcomes the return and transfer of trade and factories from neighboring countries.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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Mideast

 

Israel uncovers major Hamas command center in Gaza City as ceasefire talks gain momentum

December 21, 2023

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military on Wednesday said it had uncovered a major Hamas command center in the heart of Gaza City, inflicting what it described as a serious blow to the Islamic militant group as pressure grows on Israel to scale back its devastating military offensive in the coastal enclave.

The army said it had exposed the center of a vast underground network used by Hamas to move weapons, militants and supplies throughout the Gaza Strip. Israel has said destroying the tunnels is a major objective of the offensive.

The announcement came as Hamas’ top leader arrived in Egypt for talks aimed at brokering a temporary ceasefire and a new deal for Hamas to swap Israeli hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Israeli leaders have vowed to press ahead with the two-month-old offensive, launched in response to a bloody cross-border attack by Hamas in October that killed some 1,200 people and saw 240 others taken hostage.

The offensive has devastated much of northern Gaza, killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, and driven some 1.9 million people — nearly 85 percent of the population — from their homes. The widespread destruction and heavy civilian death toll has drawn increasing international calls for a ceasefire.

The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has continued to support Israel’s right to defend itself while also urging greater effort to protect Gaza’s civilians.

But in some of the toughest American language yet, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday called on Israel to scale back its operation.

“It’s clear that the conflict will move and needs to move to a lower intensity phase,” Blinken said. He said the US wants to see “more targeted operations” with smaller levels of forces focused on specific targets, such as Hamas’ leaders and the group’s tunnel network.

“As that happens, I think you’ll see as well, the harm done to civilians also decrease significantly,” he said.

His comments were more pointed than statements by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who in a visit to Israel this week said the US would not dictate any timeframes to its ally.

TUNNEL NETWORK

The Israeli military escorted Israeli reporters into Palestine Square in the heart of Gaza City to show off what it described as the center of Hamas’ tunnel network.

Military commanders boasted that they had uncovered offices, tunnels and elevators used by Hamas’ top leaders. The military released videos of underground offices and claimed to have found a wheelchair belonging to Hamas’ shadowy military commander, Mohammed Deif, who has not been seen in public in years.

The army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said the army had located a vast underground complex. “They all used this infrastructure routinely, during emergencies and also at the beginning of the war on Oct. 7,” he said. He said the tunnels stretched across Gaza and into major hospitals. The claims could not be independently verified.

Hagari also indicated that Israel was winding down its operations in northern Gaza, including Gaza City, where it has been battling Hamas militants for weeks. He said the army had moved into a final remaining Hamas stronghold, the Gaza City neighborhood of Tufah.

But the army also acknowledged a significant misstep. An investigation into its soldiers’ mistaken shooting of three Israelis held hostage in Gaza found that, five days before the shooting, a military search dog with a body camera had captured audio of them shouting for help in Hebrew.

Hagari said the recording was not reviewed until after the hostages were killed while trying to make themselves known to Israeli forces.

The incident has sparked an uproar in Israel and put pressure on the government to reach a new deal with Hamas. The military chief has said the shooting was against its rules of engagement.

The Israeli military campaign now is largely focused on southern Gaza, where it says Hamas’ leaders are hiding.

“We will continue the war until the end. It will continue until Hamas is destroyed, until victory,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement. “Whoever thinks we will stop is detached from reality.”

CEASEFIRE TALKS GAIN MOMENTUM

As Netanyahu vowed to continue the war, there were new signs of progress in ceasefire talks.

Hamas’ top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, traveled to Cairo for talks on the war, part of a flurry of diplomacy. In recent days, top Israeli, American and Qatari officials have also held ceasefire talks.

“These are very serious discussions and negotiations, and we hope that they lead somewhere,” the White House’s national security spokesman, John Kirby, said aboard Air Force One while traveling with President Joe Biden to Wisconsin.

Biden, however, indicated a deal was still a ways off. “There’s no expectation at this point, but we are pushing,” he said. Asked about the rising death toll in Gaza, Biden said: It’s tragic.”

Hamas says no more hostages will be released until the war ends. It is insisting on the release of large numbers of Palestinian prisoners, including high-level militants convicted in deadly attacks, for remaining captives.

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Beirut, said the efforts right now are focused on how to “stop this aggression, especially that our enemy now knows that it cannot achieve any of its goals.”

Israel has rejected Hamas’ demands for a mass prisoner release so far. But it has a history of lopsided exchanges for captive Israelis, and the government is under heavy public pressure to bring the hostages home safely.

Egypt, along with Qatar and the US, helped mediate a weeklong ceasefire in November in which Hamas freed over 100 hostages in exchange for Israel’s release of 240 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas and other militants are still holding an estimated 129 captives, though roughly 20 are believed to have died in captivity.

UN Security Council members are negotiating an Arab-sponsored resolution to halt the fighting in some way to allow for an increase in desperately needed humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.

A vote on the resolution, first scheduled for Monday, was pushed back again on Wednesday in the hopes of getting the US to support it or allow it to pass after it vetoed an earlier cease-fire call.

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

Mobile phone and Internet service was down across Gaza again on Wednesday. The outage could complicate efforts to communicate with Hamas leaders inside the territory who went into hiding after Oct. 7.

The war has led to a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Tens of thousands of people are crammed into shelters and tent camps amid shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies. Israel’s foreign minister traveled to Cyprus to discuss the possibility of establishing a maritime corridor that would allow the delivery of large amounts of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

At least 46 people were killed and more than 100 wounded early Wednesday after Israel bombarded the urban Jabaliya refugee camp near Gaza City, according to Munir Al-Bursh, a senior Health Ministry official.

At least five people were killed and dozens injured in another strike that hit three residential homes and a mosque in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah Wednesday, health officials said.

The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Tuesday the death toll since the start of the war had risen to more than 19,600. It does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths.

Israel’s military says 134 of its soldiers have been killed in the Gaza ground offensive. Israel says it has killed some 7,000 militants, without providing evidence. It blames civilian deaths in Gaza on Hamas, saying it uses them as human shields when it fights in residential areas. Source: arabnews.com

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Hopes rise for Israel-Hamas truce deal as Gaza toll hits 20,000

December 21, 2023

GAZA:Hopes rose Wednesday that Israel and Hamas may be inching toward another truce and captive-release deal in the Gaza war, following talks in Europe and a visit to Egypt by the head of the Palestinian resistance group.

While some talked of a truce, fighting raged and Gaza's government said the death toll in the Palestinian territory reached 20,000.

Right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there can be no Gaza ceasefire until Hamas fighters are destroyed, but Washington expressed hope the truce talks can bring results.

"These are very serious discussions and negotiations and we hope that they lead somewhere," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also voiced hope for a new pause in fighting.

"We remain very actively engaged in seeing if we can get a pause back on and hostages moving out again," he said.

The comments came after Netanyahu, under pressure from Washington and other allies over civilian casualties, said fighting would not stop until all objectives are achieved: "the elimination of Hamas, the release of our hostages and the end of the threat from Gaza."

Late Tuesday he had told relatives of some of the remaining 129 captives held in Gaza that he had sent the head of the Mossad spy agency "to Europe twice to promote a process to free our hostages".

Netanyahu has faced protests from relatives of captives seeking an urgent deal to free them.

"Every moment the hostages are there, is danger. They have no time," said Ofir Engel, 17, a Dutch-Israeli former captive.

Mossad director David Barnea held a "positive meeting" in Warsaw this week with CIA chief Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a source familiar with the talks told AFP, asking not to be named.

Talks were ongoing "with the aim of reaching an agreement around the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza in exchange for a truce and the potential release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons," said the source.

Qatar, backed by Egypt and the United States, last month helped broker a first week-long truce that saw 80 Israeli captives freed in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

The Qatar-based chief of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, arrived in Egypt for talks with that country's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.

A Hamas official, speaking Wednesday on condition of anonymity, told AFP in Gaza that "a total ceasefire and a retreat of the Israeli occupation army from the Gaza Strip are a precondition for any serious negotiation" on a captive-prisoner swap.

The Egypt talks would focus on proposals including a week-long truce that would see the release of 40 Israeli hostages, a source close to Hamas said earlier.

Before leaving Qatar, Haniyeh met Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian but no details were released.

In Rafah, where fireballs and smoke rose after explosions, residents expressed hope that talks would succeed.

"I wish for a complete ceasefire, and to put an end to the series of death and suffering. It's been more than 75 days," said KassemShurrab, 25.

BassilKhoder, 63, said a ceasefire would allow displaced Palestinians like him to return home but it would be good for Israelis too.

"The Jews are also our neighbours," he said. "We won't give up on them."

An AFPTV live camera on Wednesday filmed two bombs hitting Rafah, in southern Gaza where many of the territory's estimated 1.9 million displaced have fled.

The Gaza health ministry said Israeli strikes killed at least 12 Palestinians when houses and a mosque in Rafah "were targeted". It said later at least 30 more people were killed in an Israeli strike that hit two houses east of Khan Yunis.

Crowds swarmed the rubble, digging with shovels and a backhoe to try to free the victims. One blackened body lay under a blue blanket on the blood-soaked ground.

The Israeli army reported close-quarter combat and more than 300 strikes over the past day, while the death toll among its own forces rose to 134 inside Gaza.

It claimed troops had uncovered a tunnel network used by Hamas leaders including Yahya Sinwar, the resistance movement's Gaza chief. The military released footage it said showed the "large network" around Gaza City's Palestine Square linking hideouts and residences.

The UN Security Council again delayed a vote on a resolution calling for a pause to the war after members wrangled over wording. The vote is now scheduled for Thursday morning.

The United States vetoed a previous ceasefire resolution.

Israel, which declared a total siege on Gaza at the start of the war, has since allowed aid trucks through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and, as of this week, its own Kerem Shalom crossing.

The World Food Progamme said Wednesday it had delivered food through Kerem Shalom in a first direct aid convoy from Jordan and warned of the "risk of starvation".

Fuel, water and medical supplies are also scarce, diseases are spreading, and communications have been repeatedly cut.

An Israeli military agency, COGAT, said it had started laying a pipeline from Egypt to deliver drinking water from a mobile desalination plant in a project led by the United Arab Emirates.

Visiting nearby Cyprus, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen expressed support for plans to send humanitarian aid to Gaza from the Mediterranean island.

"We aim to create a fast track for humanitarian aid to Gaza through this corridor," he said.

The war has sparked fears of regional escalation, with exchanges of fire over the Lebanon border, and missiles from Houthi fighters disrupting Red Sea shipping.

Source: tribune.com.pk

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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2450713/hopes-rise-for-israel-hamas-truce-deal-as-gaza-toll-hits-20000

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Gaza children dizzy from hunger as war impedes food deliveries

December 21, 2023

RAFAH: The children displaced to south Gaza were craving chicken, but all their mother had left to feed the family for the day was a tin of peas donated by a man who took pity on her when he saw her crying.

Left homeless by Israel’s military offensive against Hamas, like most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population, Tahany Nasr was in a tent camp in Rafah focused on one thing only: how to find enough food and water to get everyone through another day.

She said her children had lost weight and were getting dizzy spells because they were not eating enough.

“I’ve been begging to feed my children and don’t find anything. I go to Social Affairs, they say go to the mosque. I go to the mosque, they say go to the Affairs,” she said, referring to Gaza’s welfare ministry which normally organises distributions of basic goods like flour to people in hardship.

Hunger has become the most pressing of the myriad problems facing hundreds of thousands of displaced Gaza Palestinians, with aid trucks able to bring in only a small fraction of what is needed, and distribution uneven due to the chaos of war.

Some trucks have been stopped and looted by people desperate for food, while swathes of the devastated territory are beyond their reach because access roads are active battlegrounds.

Even in Rafah, which has a crossing to Egypt through which aid trucks enter and is an area where the Israeli army has told civilians to seek refuge, the dearth of food and clean water is so severe it is causing people to lose weight and get ill.

“We have started to see people coming in emaciated,” said Samia Abu Salah, a primary care doctor in Rafah.

She said weight loss and anaemia were common and people were so weak and dehydrated they were more susceptible to chest infections and skin conditions. Babies and children were particularly at risk, and their growth would be affected.

A meal of onions

“My children just told me today that they were craving chicken. Where would I find them chicken? Where? Do I know? May Allah save us,” said Nasr, breaking down in tears as she spoke.

“We haven’t received any food in two days. How do I fool my children? With some pasta? Some lentil stew? If I could find it!” she said, adding that sometimes she had resorted to making meals out of only onions.

Nasr went into her tent to fetch the tin of peas she said a kindly man had given her, even though he had bought it for himself. “This is it. This can is all we have for a whole day,” she said, holding it up, her voice rising in anger.

Far from being an extreme case, the account given by Nasr echoed stories told by many interviewees who spoke to Reuters in Rafah and elsewhere. People spoke of eating only once a day, of inadequate meals with insufficient nutrition, of rationing water, of children getting diarrhoea from drinking dirty water.

The war was triggered by Hamas fighters who stormed into southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people including babies and children and capturing 240 hostages of all ages in the deadliest day of Israel’s 75-year history.

Israel has responded with a military assault on the densely populated, Hamas-run Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 20,000 people, mostly women and children, according to health officials there, and wrought a humanitarian catastrophe.

Maha Al-Alami, a displaced woman sheltering in a school in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis with eight children and grandchildren, said everyone was traumatised by the experience of hunger.

“I’m telling you, once the war is over, God willing, the Palestinian people should sit before psychiatrists,” she said.

Source: brecorder.com

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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40279836/gaza-children-dizzy-from-hunger-as-war-impedes-food-deliveries

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Hezbollah hits Israeli town in response to regime’s targeting of civilians

21 December 2023

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has carried out rocket attacks on an Israeli settlement close to the border between Lebanon and the occupied territories, in response to the Tel Aviv regime’s continuous aggression against the Palestinian people in the besieged enclave.

A Hezbollah statement reported that the group fired salvos of artillery rounds and rockets toward the Israeli town of KiryatShmon at 12:15 am on Thursday.

"In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in Gaza and in solidarity with their brave and honorable resistance, and in response to the Israeli enemy's persistent targeting of villages and civilian homes, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance at 12:15 am on Thursday, December 21, 2023, targeted the settlement of KiryatShmona (the occupied town of Al-Khalsa) with a salvo of Katyusha rockets, " the statement said.

Lebanese Hezbollah resistance fighters carry out strikes against Israeli military locations in response to the brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip.

In a statement later in the day, the resistance group noted that its fighters have launched incendiary rockets at the Biranit Woodlands in response to an earlier Israeli strike, reiterating that it would not hesitate to defend Lebanese villages and towns and would respond to the enemy's aggressive actions.

The latest attacks came a day after the movement targeted multiple Israeli military positions in close proximity to the border between Lebanon and the occupied territories.

The resistance stressed that the operations took place in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who have come under a relentless Israeli war.

The Israeli military has been carrying out attacks against the Lebanese territory since October 7, when it launched a war of genocide on the Gaza Strip, prompting retaliatory strikes from Hezbollah in support of the Palestinian people in the besieged territory.

The movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory operations as long as the regime continues its onslaught against Gaza.

So far, the Israeli military aggression has claimed the lives of more than 20,000 people across Gaza.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/12/21/716756/Lebanon-Hezbollah-Palestine-Israeli-war-Gaza-fire-rockets-crimes-aggression-response

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Israel orders more Gaza evacuations as envoys seek truce

December 21, 2023

GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: Israel has ordered more evacuations in southern Gaza’s main city as diplomats pressed on with efforts to secure a pause in the war that Hamas says has claimed 20,000 lives.

The United Nations said Israel had issued evacuation orders on Wednesday for large areas of Khan Yunis, where more than 140,000 displaced people were sheltering.

Israel told civilians to leave the north of the besieged Palestinian territory at the beginning of the conflict, urging them to seek safety in southern areas.

But as places for people to go continued to shrink, international outrage has mounted over the rising death toll.

The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing around 1,140 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The Hamas government’s media office in the Gaza Strip said Wednesday at least 20,000 people had been killed in the Palestinian territory since the war with Israel began.

It said 8,000 children and 6,200 women were among the dead.

UN relief chief Martin Griffiths deemed it a “tragic and shameful milestone.”

In the southern city of Rafah, where fireballs and smoke rose after explosions on Wednesday, residents expressed hope that truce talks would succeed.

“I wish for a complete ceasefire, and to put an end to the series of death and suffering. It’s been more than 75 days,” said KassemShurrab, 25.

Hopes that Israel and Hamas could be inching toward another truce and hostage release deal have risen this week as the head of the Palestinian militant group visited Egypt and talks were held in Europe.

Qatar-based Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Egypt on Wednesday for talks with the country’s intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.

Haniyeh also met Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian but no details were released.

A Hamas official said that “a total ceasefire and a retreat of the Israeli occupation army from the Gaza Strip are a precondition for any serious negotiation” on a hostage-prisoner swap.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there could be no ceasefire in Gaza before the “elimination” of Hamas.

And US President Joe Biden said of a fresh hostage release deal: “There’s no expectation at this point. But we are pushing it.”

Mossad director David Barnea held a “positive meeting” in Warsaw this week with CIA chief Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a source familiar with the talks said.

Qatar, backed by Egypt and the United States, last month helped broker a first week-long truce that saw 80 Israeli hostages freed in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel said Wednesday its troops had uncovered a tunnel network used by Hamas leaders including Yahya Sinwar, the Islamist movement’s Gaza leader.

The military released footage it said showed the “large network” around Gaza City’s Palestine Square linking hideouts and residences.

The army reported close-quarter combat and more than 300 strikes over the past day, while the death toll among its own forces rose to 134 inside Gaza.

An AFPTV live camera on Wednesday filmed two bombs hitting Rafah, where many of the territory’s estimated 1.9 million displaced have fled.

The Hamas health ministry said Israeli strikes killed at least 12 Palestinians when houses and a mosque in Rafah “were targeted.”

It said later at least 30 more people were killed in an Israeli strike that hit two houses east of Khan Yunis.

Crowds swarmed the rubble, digging with shovels and a backhoe to try to free the victims. One blackened body lay under a blue blanket on the blood-soaked ground.

“Enough, enough of this. We have lost everything and we can’t take it anymore,” Samar Abu Luli, a woman in Rafah, said after Israeli strikes on the city’s Al-Shaburaneighborhood.

The UN Security Council was due to try once again Thursday to pass a resolution calling for a halt in fighting after previous efforts to win Washington’s backing fell short.

Israel has rejected the term “ceasefire,” and the US has used its veto twice to thwart resolutions opposed by Israel since the start of the war.

The United Arab Emirates is sponsoring a draft resolution on the conflict which has already been watered down to secure compromise, according to a draft version seen by AFP.

It calls for “the urgent suspension of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and for urgent steps toward a sustainable cessation of hostilities.”

International Crisis Group analyst Richard Gowan said: “There is a strong sense that Biden will make the final decision on this.”

Israel, which declared a total siege on Gaza at the start of the war, has since allowed aid trucks through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and, as of this week, its own Kerem Shalom crossing.

The World Food Progamme said Wednesday it had delivered food through Kerem Shalom in a first direct aid convoy from Jordan and warned of the “risk of starvation.”

The war has sparked fears of regional escalation, with exchanges of fire over the Lebanon border, and missiles from Iran-backed Yemeni rebels disrupting Red Sea shipping.

Israel said Wednesday it had struck an “operational command center” used by Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and fired on fighters heading for the Lebanon-Israel border.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have launched missiles and drones at cargo ships in the Red Sea, warned Wednesday that they would strike back if attacked by US forces.

The warning came after the United States said it was building up a multinational naval task force to protect vessels transiting the Red Sea from Houthi attacks carried out in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Source: arabnews.com

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UN Security Council again delays Gaza aid resolution vote as high-level talks try to avoid US veto

December 21, 2023

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council again Wednesday delayed the vote on a new UN resolution on desperately needed aid to Gaza for another day as the Biden administration struggles to change key wording in high-level negotiations seeking to avoid a US veto.

The United States is seeking to change the text’s references to a cessation of hostilities in the Israel-Hamas war and to putting the United Nations in charge of inspecting trucks to ensure they are actually carrying humanitarian goods, which Israel opposes.

Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh of the United Arab Emirates, which sponsored the Arab-backed resolution, said very high-level discussions are underway to try to reach agreement on a text that can be adopted.

“Everyone wants to see a resolution that has impact and that is implementable on the ground,” she told reporters after the 15 council members held closed consultations. “We believe today, giving a little bit of space for additional diplomacy, could yield positive results.”

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomacy, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will speak with his Egyptian and UAE counterparts to try to reach a consensus either late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Nusseibeh said the UAE is optimistic but if the negotiations yield no results by Thursday, “then we will assess in the council to proceed ... to a vote on the resolution.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said Gaza faces “a humanitarian catastrophe” and that a total collapse of the humanitarian support system would lead to “a complete breakdown of public order and increased pressure for mass displacement into Egypt.”

The UN food agency reported last week that 56 percent of Gaza’s households are experiencing “severe levels of hunger,” up from 38 percent two weeks earlier.

The vote — initially postponed from Monday and then pushed back to Tuesday and then Wednesday — is now expected on Thursday morning, Ecuador’s UN Ambassador José Javier De La GascaLópez-Domínguez said.

The draft on the table Monday morning called for an “urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities,” but this language was watered down in a new version that was to be put to a vote on Wednesday. It would call “for the urgent suspension of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and for urgent steps toward a sustainable cessation of hostilities.”

That draft also calls for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to quickly establish a mechanism for exclusive UN monitoring of aid deliveries to Gaza — bypassing the current Israeli inspection of aid entering the strip.

A council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions were private, said the US and Egypt are engaging directly to ensure any aid monitoring mechanism can work for everyone.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby also raised two other issues Wednesday morning that are not in the Arab-sponsored resolution — condemnation of Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 incursion into southern Israel that sparked the latest war and Israel’s right to self-defense.

“It’s important for us, if the Security Council is going to speak on this, that there’s a condemnation of Hamas and what they did on the 7th of October, there’s a recognition of the need for Israel to be able to defend itself, and there’s of course, significant commitment by all members on getting humanitarian assistance into the people of Gaza,” Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One as President Joe Biden was enroute to Wisconsin.

The US has repeatedly called for condemnation of Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attack that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and recognition of Israel’s right to self-defense, which have not been included in any of the adopted resolutions or the latest draft.

Blinken told a Washington news conference later Wednesday that the US has engaged intensively and “in very good faith” in negotiations on the resolution, “so I hope we can get to a new place.”

The US on Dec. 8 vetoed a Security Council resolution backed by almost all other council members and dozens of other nations demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. The 193-member General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a similar resolution on Dec. 12 by a vote of 153-10, with 23 abstentions.

In its first unified action on Nov. 15, with the US abstaining, the Security Council adopted a resolution calling for “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses” in the fighting, unhindered aid deliveries to civilians and the unconditional release of all hostages.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said during a briefing with ambassadors Tuesday that Israel is “ready for another humanitarian pause and additional humanitarian aid in order to enable the release of hostages.”

But the UAE’s Nusseibeh said the new resolution must go “a little bit further.”

Security Council resolutions are important because they are legally binding, but in practice many parties choose to ignore the council’s requests for action. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they are a significant barometer of world opinion.

Nearly 20,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry since the war started. Suring the Oct. 7 attack, the militants also took about 240 hostages back to Gaza.

Hamas controls the Gaza Strip, and its Health Ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Thousands more Palestinians lie buried under the rubble of Gaza, the UN estimates.

Source: arabnews.com

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Amnesty demands probe into Gaza ‘enforced disappearances’

December 20, 2023

JERUSALEM: Amnesty International on Wednesday called for an urgent probe into Israel’s “enforced disappearance” of Palestinian detainees from Gaza, following reports of deaths in military detention centers.

Hundreds of Palestinians are being held in detention centers in southern Israel, having been arrested in military operations across the Gaza Strip since its war with Hamas militants erupted on October 7.

“The Israeli military must urgently disclose the fate and whereabouts of everyone that it has detained since 7 October,” Heba Morayef, Amnesty’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.

“Israeli forces must specify the grounds of arrest for those detained and make every effort to provide families of those in its custody with information, particularly in light of the telecommunications blackouts that have cut off Gazans.”

Amnesty demanded an investigation into the “inhumane treatment and enforced disappearance” of the detainees from Gaza.

The Israeli army on Tuesday said it was investigating the deaths of detainees arrested in Gaza.

It did not provide details regarding how many detainees had died or the circumstances of their deaths.

On Tuesday Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that “several of them have died” in these detention facilities.

The report said the prisoners died at the SdeTeiman base near the city of Beersheva.

The detainees held at this facility are “blindfolded and handcuffed for most of the day and the lights are on at the facility throughout the night,” the report said.

Concerns for the fate of detainees from Gaza heightened last week after Israeli television showed scores of stripped Palestinian men sitting on a Gaza street in military custody.

One clip showed the arm of a soldier in the foreground, suggesting it was filmed by a member of the military.

In another clip, a group of blindfolded men are seen sitting with their hands tied behind their backs as Israeli soldiers watch them.

Earlier this month the army announced that more than “500 terrorists” had been arrested in Gaza.

The war between Israel and Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, began after the Islamist group carried out a bloody attack on southern Israel on October 7 which killed around 1,140 people, according to an AFP tally based on the latest official Israeli figures.

Israeli’s ensuing military campaign in Gaza has so far killed at least 20,000 people, the majority of them children and women, according to the Hamas government.

Source: arabnews.com

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President Raeisi: Caucasus must not turn into battleground for foreign states

 21 December 2023

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has warned of attempts by extra-regional countries to gain foothold in the Caucasus, saying the region must not turn into a battleground for other states.

The Iranian chief executive made the remarks on Wednesday night during a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister NikolPashinyan.

“The Islamic Republic’s policy toward the Caucasus is fixed,” he said, adding that the region “must not turn into a field of competition between extra-regional countries, and its issues should be resolved by regional countries and away from foreign meddling.”

Commenting on Armenia’s plan to develop road and railway connection routes between the two countries as well as regional states, Raesi said Iran supports any such plan which he described as an effective step to cement peace and protect the interests of neighboring countries.

The Islamic Republic of Iran supports any measure aimed at opening communication routes and infrastructures in the region while respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, he said.

The Iranian president, meanwhile, called Tehran’s successful hosting of the 3+3 meeting in October a “constructive step” to strengthen regional cooperation and improve ties between regional countries.

“Developing relations with neighbors and strengthening relations to ensure mutual interests and the interests of regional countries is the fundamental policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Raesi added.

Pashinyan, for his part, said the increased interactions between the top officials of both countries indicates that the two neighbors are determined to expand their bilateral ties in all fields.

Iran’s foreign minister backs the 3+3 framework as an effective mechanism for resolving disputes in the Caucasus region without foreign interference.

The 3+3 format cooperation mechanism features the three South Caucasus countries of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan plus Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

Addressing the second 3+3 regional platform meeting, dubbed Time for Peace, Cooperation, and Progress in the South Caucasus, in Tehran on October 23, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian expressed support for the format as an effective mechanism to resolve the disputes in the Caucasus without foreign interference.

He also highlighted the need for regional countries to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Situated in the South Caucasus, the landlocked region of Nagorno-Karabakh has been at the heart of a long-running dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Azerbaijan took full control of the breakaway Karabakh region in September following a 24-hour military operation against pro-Armenian forces.

Source: presstv.ir

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Israeli forces raid several areas across West Bank overnight, arrest people

 21 December 2023

Israeli forces have continued their large-scale raids in several areas across the occupied West Bank, triggering violent confrontations with local Palestinian residents, amid the regime’s continuous bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

According to a report by Palestine’s official WAFA news agency, Israeli troops stormed Palestinian-owned houses in a number of cities, towns, and villages in the West Bank on Wednesday, arresting several people.

Clashes erupted following the raids, with the occupying regime’s forces firing live ammunition and stun grenades at Palestinian youths. There were no initial reports of injuries.

Israeli forces storm the northern West Bank city of Tubas, triggering an intense exchange of gunfire with Palestinian resistance fighters.

Israeli forces raided the towns of Ya'bad, Qalqilia, and Azzun, as well as the cities of al-Bireh and Jericho and its adjacent refugee camp Ein el-Sultan.

They also stormed the towns of Beit Ummar, Bani Naim, and al-Dhahiriya, as well as Beit Liqya, Nahalin, and the village of Tuqu.

Israeli forces have recently been conducting overnight raids and killings in the northern occupied West Bank, mainly in the cities of Jenin and Nablus, where new groups of Palestinian resistance fighters have been formed.

Israel has intensified its attacks against Palestinians throughout the West Bank since October 7, when it launched a devastating war on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Israeli military forces have detained dozens of Palestinians in multiple raids across the occupied West Bank.

More than 300 Palestinians have been killed and thousands more injured by Israeli troops in the West Bank over the past two months.

In Gaza, at least 20,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and more than 52,000 others wounded, while many people are still trapped under the rubble.

The Tel Aviv regime has imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

Source: presstv.ir

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Iran FM hails South Africa’s firm support for Palestine, calls for joint efforts against Israel

21 December 2023

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has hailed South Africa’s strong position in support of the innocent people of Palestine in the face of Israel’s deadly war on the Gaza Strip.

Both Iran and South Africa have taken firm positions against Israeli atrocities and expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people since the occupying regime waged the war on Gaza over two months ago.

In a Wednesday phone conversation with his South African counterpart, Grace NalediMandisaPandor, Amir-Abdollahian praised the African nation’s “clear” and “firm” position on the subject.

He also highlighted the importance of joint efforts by the two countries to condemn Israel’s crimes and take practical measures aimed at ending the war and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people.

The chief Iranian diplomat also expressed satisfaction with developing relations between the two countries.

Pandor, for her part, said Pretoria pursues a clear and transparent policy on the need to support the Palestinian people and put an end to the Tel Aviv regime’s atrocities.

She added that the South African government has submitted a written request to the International Court of Justice to probe into the crimes committed against the Palestinian people.

A rights group finds that 71 percent of Gaza residents suffer from extreme hunger due to Israel’s devastating war on the Palestinian territory.

Israel waged the bloody war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 20,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 53,000 others.

Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble in Gaza, which is under “complete siege” by Israel.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/12/21/716746/Iran-South-Africa-Amir-Abdollahian-counterpart-Naledi-Pandor-Palestine-Israel-Gaza-war-crimes

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Pres. Raeisi: Palestine number one issue of region, world

21 December 2023

Amid the Israeli regime's ongoing genocidal war against the Gaza Strip, Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi considers the issue of Palestine to be the "most essential" issue of the region and the entire world.

The Iranian chief executive made the remarks in a Wednesday phone call with Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah.

"The Islamic Republic is prepared to cooperate with other countries towards restoration of the Palestinian nation's legitimate rights," Raeisi added.

The Israeli regime began the war on October 7 following an operation staged by Gaza's resistance movements. More than 20,000 people, most of them women and children, have been killed since the onset of the Israeli military campaign.

Also on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out the prospect of any ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, alleging that the regime would sustain the war until all of its "objectives" were met.

Israeli prime minister rules out the prospect of any ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which has been the subject of a genocidal Israeli war for the past 75 days.

The Iranian president expressed gratitude towards the Kuwaiti emir over his country's support for the Palestinian nation's rights, and its opposition to normalization of relations with the "bogus and occupying Zionist regime."

Elsewhere in his remarks, Raeisi said the Islamic Republic's policy revolved around fortification and expansion of relations with the country's neighbors.

In the same context, the Iranian president stressed that "integrity, cooperation, and synergy" among neighbors was the only means of resolution of the regional issues and provision of collective interests, considering foreign presence in the region to be a source of problem.

For his part, the Kuwaiti official said his country's position concerning the need for restoration of Palestinians' rights was "constant and unchangeable."

He voiced hope that the regional problems be resolved as soon as possible and peace, stability, and security be established across the region.

Source: presstv.ir

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Islamic Jihad delegation to visit Egypt for talks on hostage deal with Israel

Anadolu staff

20.12.2023

A delegation from the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad will visit Egypt for talks on a possible hostage swap deal with Israel, according to a group official on Wednesday.

“The delegation will discuss ways to stop the [Israeli] war on Gaza and a prisoner exchange deal,” Ziad al-Nakhala, Secretary-General of Islamic Jihad group, said in a statement.

He said his movement will press for a halt of the Israeli onslaught, withdrawal of all Israeli forces and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in return for any hostage deal.

"The swap of hostages will take place based on the all-for-all principle, in a political process agreed upon by the Palestinian forces, led by Hamas,” al-Nakhala added.

A group source earlier said that Egypt had invited a delegation from the movement for talks on the developments of the Israeli war on Gaza.

The source said the delegation is expected to visit the Egyptian capital, Cairo, by the end of this week.

Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Cairo early Wednesday for talks with Egyptian officials on the Israeli war and other issues, without providing any further details.

There was no immediate comment from the Egyptian authorities on the report.

On Tuesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Tel Aviv is prepared for another humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages.

A previous swap deal last month saw the release of 84 Israelis and 24 foreigners by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinians from Israeli jails, including 71 women and 169 children.

Source: aa.com.tr

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Southeast Asia

 

Indonesia to declare being world's Muslim fashion center in 2024

20 Dec 2023

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Trade stated that Indonesia will declare itself as the world's Muslim fashion center in 2024 in line with its persistent efforts to market Indonesian halal products globally.

“Our Muslim fashion industry will make a declaration next year, as mandated by the vice president and the president. Next year, we will surely make a declaration as the world's modest fashion center," the Ministry of Trade’s Director General of National Export Development, Didi Sumedi, stated.

The statement was made during the publication of Indonesia's halal product export performance in Jakarta on Tuesday.

As Indonesia prepares itself for the declaration, the Ministry of Trade, alongside Bank Indonesia (BI) and the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (Kemenkop UKM), is actively promoting Indonesian fashion at the international level.

Modest fashion is a style that emphasizes more on coverage of the body and does not overly accentuate the body curves. The concept of modest fashion became popular, as it could integrate religious values and fashion.

“We, alongside BI and Kemenkop UKM, are constantly promoting Muslim fashion to the global market,” Sumedi stated.

Sumedi remarked that one of the promotional efforts is encouraging the domestic fashion industry to actively participate in various famous fashion week events, such as New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, and Jakarta Muslim Fashion Week.

He emphasized that Indonesia seeks to dominate the global market by focusing on key markets to support the presence of Indonesian Muslim fashion in the international world.

“We will uphold our modest and Muslim fashion in the international market because we are following its existence on famous World Fashion Week platforms,” Sumedi remarked.

He stated that the only differentiating factor between modest fashion and Muslim fashion is the hijab. Fashion without a hijab is considered modest fashion, while with hijab, it is considered to be Muslim fashion.

Similarly, BI’s Head of Sharia Financial and Economic Department, AriefHartawan, stated that his side is ready to support Indonesia’s vision as the world's modest fashion center.

With Indonesian designers and the richness of Indonesian traditional fabrics, Indonesia can compete on the global fashion stage, Hartawan stated.

“Our designers, the materials, and Indonesian traditional fabrics are extraordinary, from Sabang to Merauke. Be it tenun or batik fabrics, it can be modified into something significant,” he remarked.

Hartawan expressed hope that the Indonesia Modest Fashion Week would eventually gain recognition in the global fashion calendar in its endeavors to create a positive impact in the international fashion world.

Source: antaranews.com

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https://en.antaranews.com/news/301488/indonesia-to-declare-being-worlds-muslim-fashion-center-in-2024

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Indonesia, Algeria demand permanent ceasefire in Gaza

21 Dec 2023

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia and Algeria condemned Israel for the ongoing fighting in the Gaza Strip and demanded a permanent ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave that is direly needed by civilians.

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister RetnoMarsudi and her Algerian counterpart, Ahmed Attaf, in a meeting in Algiers, on Wednesday (December 20), also agreed that overcoming the core problem of Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian territories is crucial to guarantee lasting peace for Palestinians.

"Minister Attaf and I share the same belief that Algeria and Indonesia can continue to work together to defend justice and humanity for Palestinians," Marsudi noted in a written statement.

She expressed optimism that Algeria, which will serve as a member of the UN Security Council for two years starting from January 1, 2024, will do everything to defend Palestinian interests.

In addition to the issue of Palestine, the two ministers also discussed Algeria's interest in joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The treaty is aimed at creating political stability and security in Southeast Asia and has been signed by more than 50 countries, including 10 ASEAN member countries, China, Japan, the United States, and Russia.

Minister Marsudi welcomed the interest and stated that she would support Algeria.

Lastly, the two countries also agreed to support each other in multilateral forums, including each other's candidacy in international relations.

"And we agreed that Indonesia and Algeria will continue to support the paradigm of collaboration and prioritize the interests of developing countries and Muslim countries," she remarked.

At least 19,667 Palestinians have been killed and 52,586 others have been injured due to Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7, according to the Ministry of Health run by the Palestinian armed group Hamas on Tuesday (December 19).

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) noted that nearly 1.9 million people in Gaza, or about 85 percent of the total population, were forced to flee their homes.

Meanwhile, Israel is continuing its attacks after a one-week humanitarian pause that it agreed with Hamas ended on December 1.

Source: antaranews.com

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Media should help religious agencies present correct information: MohdNa’im

21-12- 2023

KUALA LUMPUR: Media practitioners should do their part to disseminate authentic news which can help religious agencies in the country fulfil their responsibilities, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr MohdNa’im Mokhtar.

He said cooperation from the media was important to raise public awareness of the role of religious organisations like Yayasan Pembangunan Ekonomi Islam Malaysia (YaPEIM).

“The good office of the media is crucial in ensuring that correct information about the missions of agencies like YaPEIM gets disseminated to the public.

“If this role is not fulfilled and this cooperation is not strengthened, I think this religious agency will not go far. So, I hope ties between the media and this religious agency will be maintained,“ he said in his speech at the 2023 YaPEIM with Media Appreciation and Charity dinner here last night (Dec 20).

Meanwhile, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) editor-in-chief Nur-ul AfidaKamaludin said journalists should use the Malaysian journalistic ethics as a guide.

“This is because we do not want inaccurate reports, as it can lead to the creation of fake news that will spread to the entire community.

“We are now in the digital era where online media has far-reaching influence compared to print and broadcast media, so there may be concerns about the reports and information we disseminate, especially from ‘instant journalists’,“ she said in her speech as the media representative at the event.

She said unverified news not only affects the journalists who write it but also the entire organisation, adding that journalistic ethics should always act as a guide in news reporting.

A total of 100 media practitioners, including journalists, photographers and cameramen, as well as former media personnel, received cash aid totalling RM50,000 from YaPEIM, which was distributed through five media associations and clubs.

Each of them received RM500 under the InspirasiPrihatinYaPEIM programme.

“This effort was successfully implemented through the collaboration of KL and Selangor Media Club (KLS), Malaysian Professional Press Photographers Association (MPPA), Crime Journalists Association (CiJA), Putrajaya Media Club and Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM), which identified recipients among media practitioners who truly needed assistance,” YaPEIM Board of Trustees chairman Datuk Dr. MohdRadzifMohd Yunus said. – Bernama

Source: thesun.my

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https://thesun.my/local_news/media-should-help-religious-agencies-present-correct-information-mohd-na-im-EB11892503

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Thailand edges closer to legalising same-sex marriage

Dec 21, 2023

If the draft laws are approved, Thailand will become the third country in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to recognise same-sex marriage.

The Thai parliament is set to begin deliberating four draft bills on same-sex marriage, moving the country closer towards its legalisation with the first vote on the bills expected later on Thursday.

The deliberation comes after parliament last year debated similar draft laws and the previous government's same-sex civil union bill, but did not come to a final vote before the session ended.

The four draft bills being deliberated on Thursday include one tabled by the new government that came to power after the May general election, another by civil society groups, and two others from opposition Move Forward and the Democrats parties, all of which bear similar approaches.

"In principle, this draft law is for the amendment of some provisions in the civic codes to open the way for lovers, regardless of their gender, to engage and get married," Deputy Prime Minister SomsakThepsuthin told parliament about the government's draft bill.

"This will provide rights, responsibilities and family status as equal to the marriage between a man and a woman presently in all aspects," he said.

Somsak said the government conducted a survey between Oct. 31 and Nov. 14 that showed 96.6% public support for the draft bill.

Thailand has one of Asia's most open and visible lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities but many political activists say the country's laws and institutions have yet to reflect changing social attitudes and still discriminate against LGBT people and same-sex couples.

If the draft laws are approved in parliament's first reading on Thursday, they could be tabled for final reading votes early next year, which could make Thailand the third place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to recognise same-sex marriage.

Source: hindustantimes.com

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https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/thailand-closer-legalising-same-sex-marriage-101703150034216.html

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Dr Mahathir: Israel-based ships allowed to dock previously due to Israeli-Palestinian peace process

21 Dec 2023

Ben Tan

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 21 — Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government in 2002 allowed Israel-based shipping company, ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd, to dock at Malaysia’s ports as the country hoped that the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be resolved by the peace process at the time.

He added that the Malaysian government had at the time also allowed the Israeli cricket team to participate in an international tournament here to show Malaysians that they can co-exist with those from other faiths.

“Unfortunately, all those efforts were clearly in vain because Israel has continued to show its uncivilised nature by killing Palestinians,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Dr Mahathir was responding to yesterday’s announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that ZIM was banned from docking at any Malaysian ports.

The 98-year-old explained that his administration had granted ZIM port access in the past to allow its ships passage but was not an indication of Malaysia’s support for Israel and its treatment of Palestinians.

“This is different from being a member and supporter of a pro-Zionist organisation that clearly supports Israel’s ambitions to wipe out Palestinians through genocide and mass murder,” he said.

Dr Mahathir, who is a vocal critic of Israel and its policies, said he supported the government’s decision to ban ZIM’s ships from docking at Malaysian ports.

“This is due to Israel’s extreme and inhumane actions against the Palestinian people that should be abhorred,” he said, adding that any form of protest should be taken if possible.

In 2002, the government began allowing ZIM’s ships to dock at Malaysian ports, followed by permission to land in 2005.

Prior to that, in 1997, the government also allowed the Israeli cricket team to participate in an international tournament in Kuala Lumpur.

Dr Mahathir was prime minister during that time and helmed the BarisanNasional (BN) administration.

Apart from ZIM ships, Anwar announced yesterday that the government had imposed a ban on ships flying the Israeli flag from docking at Malaysian ports.

Anwar said the ban is a direct response to Israel’s actions, which have been deemed a violation of basic humanitarian principles and international law through continuous massacres and atrocities against the Palestinian people.
Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/12/21/dr-mahathir-israel-based-ships-allowed-to-dock-previously-due-to-israeli-palestinian-peace-process/108567

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Israeli folk dance class in Singapore part of efforts to ‘promote racial harmony’, say grassroot organisations amid online controversy

20 Dec 2023

SINGAPORE, Dec 20 — An Israeli folk dance class that has been offered on the People’s Association (PA) online portal since 2022 is part of efforts to “promote racial harmony and social cohesion”, said the two grassroot organisations yesterday amid an online debate about why there is a need for such a class.

The OnePA website, which is meant to allow users to make bookings for PA’s courses and activities, originally displayed a listing of the Israeli Folk and Recreational Dance class, but the activity has since been removed.

This came after Instagram user sgpforpalestine48 posted a screenshot of the course, as well as a poster advertising the class on a notice board purportedly in PasirRis.

The user, who frequently made pro-Palestinian posts about the Israel-Hamas war previously, stated in the post’s caption that Singapore should not be promoting such a dance amid the ongoing conflict.

Some netizens commenting on the post claimed that one of the classes have been fully booked, and holding such dance classes would be akin to supporting Israeli actions in the conflict.

The screenshots showed that the class was offered by the Kampong Glam Community Club and Coral Ris Residents’ Network.

Yesterday, the Kampong Glam Constituency Office and Coral Ris Residents’ Network stated on their respective Facebook pages that they were “aware of certain comments” as to why the dance courses exist.

“This course is one of several diverse international folk dance programmes organised in the community over the years, so that participants can experience different genres of dance, originating from Southeast Asia, South Asia, America and China,” the grassroot organisations said.

“This is part of our efforts to promote racial harmony and social cohesion, through a range of different courses and programmes to bring people together. Such courses and programmes, including sports and dance, are also effective channels for residents to exercise their mind and body, and make friends.”

Adding that the Israeli dance course had started in 2022, both organisations said it was offered due to “growing interest from participants for its dynamic and upbeat style”.

The course was taught by local trainers who have been teaching folk dance courses with the PA since 1992.

TODAY has reached out to the grassroot organisations for comment about whether the classes have been cancelled. — TODAY

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/singapore/2023/12/20/israeli-folk-dance-class-in-singapore-part-of-efforts-to-promote-racial-harmony-say-grassroot-organisations-amid-online-controversy/108465

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MER-C seeks WHO's assistance for occupied Indonesian Hospital in Gaza

21 Dec 2023

Padang, West Sumatra (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) will ask the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate the occupation of Indonesia Hospital in Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which uses it as their headquarters.

"MER-C will send a letter to the WHO requesting it to send an investigation team," MER-C Presidium Chair Sarbini Abdul Murad stated on Thursday.

Apart from urging the WHO to investigate Indonesia Hospital being used as a military base, Murad also called on the organization to appeal to Israeli soldiers to leave the facility.

"The WHO has the authority to do that," he stated.

On November 6, 2023, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari accused the hospital of having a tunnel and being used as headquarters for the Palestinian militant group, Hamas. However, this allegation has been denied with no proof, Murad remarked.

After the one-week ceasefire, Israel gave an ultimatum for Indonesia Hospital in Gaza to be vacated. Apart from asking the health workers and patients to leave, the Israeli troops also used the hospital as a military base.

Murad noted that the action had clearly violated international humanitarian law by using hospitals as shields. Moreover, hospitals are neutral institutions that cannot be occupied by soldiers.

"There should be no military presence in hospitals, and we strongly condemn that," he emphasized.

Responding to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Murad criticized the approach of the United Nations (UN), which appeared to be passive.

To stop Israel's crime against Palestinians, instead of merely condemning the aggression, the global community should take concrete steps to end it, he stated.

Source: antaranews.com

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https://en.antaranews.com/news/301536/mer-c-seeks-whos-assistance-for-occupied-indonesian-hospital-in-gaza

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Africa

 

Ensure Equitable Dispensation of Justice, ZamfaraGov Charges New Sharia Appeal Court Khadis

Dec 20, 2023

Zamfara State Governor, DaudaLawal, has urged the three new Khadis of the State Sharia Court of Appeal to be honest and committed while discharging their duties.

“You have a role to play in ensuring an equitable dispensation of justice to the people,” the governor told them on Wednesday, adding that, “yours is therefore a great trust.”

The state’s Chief Judge, Hauwa Kulu, swore in the Khadis, AminuAbdullahiGusau, Usman Hassan Gumi and Hadi Sani of the Zamfara State Sharia Court, at a ceremony at the Government House.

A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, noted that the Sharia court plays a significant role in the state’s legal system.

According to him, the Sharia courts in Zamfara were expanded in 1999 to handle criminal and other matters and have since been at the forefront of dispensing justice.

In his speech, according to the statement, the governor said that, “I believe your appointment as Khadis of the Sharia Court of Appeal is in recognition of your vast experience, Islamic jurisprudential expertise and commitment to upholding the tenets of the Sharia.

“As Khadis, you should always remember that you will ultimately account for all your judicial decisions before Almighty Allah on the Day of Judgment.

“I urge you furthermore to always uphold the people’s trust in the Sharia legal system and ensure that the courts remain a beacon of hope especially for the vulnerable.

“In line with the Rescue Mission of my administration, I assure you that we shall remain committed to the implementation of Sharia across the state, both in terms of legal adjudication and undertaking projects.

“With your swearing in today, you should bear in mind that you have a great task of maintaining the integrity of our Sharia system.

“Justice must be done to all manner of people irrespective of their political, economic and social status.”

Source: thisdaylive.com

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https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2023/12/20/ensure-equitable-dispensation-of-justice-zamfara-gov-charges-new-sharia-appeal-court-khadis

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Drone Attack: Miyetti Allah seeks compensation for all victims in Nigeria

December 20, 2023

Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has urged the Federal Government to come out with a clear-cut compensation package for all victims of drone attacks across the country.

The National President of MACBAN, Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, made the call in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

Othman-Ngelzarma appealed to the military to take precautions in discharging its constitutional duties of protecting and ensuring the unity of the country.

He particularly called on the Federal Government to ensure that justice is done for some pastoralists, allegedly killed in Rukubi, Doma Chiefdom, Nasarawa State, on January 27, 2023.

According to him, the victims were allegedly killed as a result of a drone attack by the Nigerian Air Force.

“The victims were offloading their livestock, which was retrieved from the Benue livestock guard after paying a fine of N29 million.

“To justify the victim’s innocence, it was on record that they were publicly buried in the presence of the officials of the Nasarawa State, royal fathers and thousands of sympathizes.

“Those killed were bona fide, peace-loving Nigerians, deserving justice like every other citizen.“

He lamented that similar drone strikes in TudunBiri is getting all the attention of not only the Federal Government, but also the military, accepting responsibility and pledging compensation for the victims.

“The leadership of the Northern Governors forum and that of the federal legislative arm of Government have, in addition to visiting the site, pledged all sorts of assistance.

“We, therefore, call on the Federal Government to extend the same gesture to the victims of Rukubi Drone Attack and similar incidences that took place in other States.“

“We believe now is the time for the Federal Government to come out with a clear-cut compensation package for victims of such incidents across the nation.“ (NAN)

Source: vanguardngr.com

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

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/12/drone-attack-miyetti-allah-seeks-compensation-for-all-victims-in-nigeria/

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Gunmen kidnap Nigerian judge and kill her guard

December 20, 2023

Justice Joy Uwanna, a distinguished high court judge in Nigeria, was kidnapped while returning from a court session on Monday night in southern AkwaIbom state.

The incident occurred along Uyo-Okoboin in Oron town, where unidentified gunmen ambushed the judge's vehicle.

Tragically, the assailants not only kidnapped Justice Uwanna but also fatally shot her police guard during the abduction. The incident unfolded as the gunmen opened fire, targeting the judge's security detail before swiftly taking Justice Uwanna and her driver away.

The police spokesperson in AkwaIbom state, OdikoMacdon, termed the incident as "unfortunate" and confirmed that security forces are actively investigating the matter.

As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction. However, it's noteworthy that criminal gangs frequently engage in abductions for ransom in certain regions of Nigeria.

The abduction of Justice Joy Uwanna highlights the ongoing security challenges in the country, prompting intensified efforts by law enforcement agencies to address and prevent such incidents.

Source: africanews.com

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

https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/20/gunmen-kidnap-nigerian-judge-and-kill-her-guard/

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Boko Haram attacks Chibok, kills two, loots foodstuffs

21st December 2023

Uthman Abubakar

Chibok town, Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, is in the news again following a fierce attack by Boko Haram insurgents, on Tuesday evening, killing two persons and injuring scores.

Chibok was for the first time in the global news in April 2014, when the insurgents stormed the Government Girls Secondary School there and abducted over 300 students.

The fierce Tuesday attack took place, according to locals, around 7 pm, when the insurgents suddenly pounced on the community shooting rampantly, sending the residents into a stampede.

Residents, according to a local, Moses Adamu, took to their heels in all directions into the surrounding bushes, as the insurgents, going on a shooting spree, burnt down homes and looted food items.

Adamu said the majority of the fleeing residents passed the night in the bushes while some might have found refuge in neighbouring communities.

“We are certain that two persons died of the terrorists’ gunshots, but there could be more loss of lives, which we cannot ascertain yet, because the villagers started trooping back home this afternoon, ” Adamu said.

The Borno Police Command confirmed the attack, saying that it attracted a swift response from a joint team of the military, the police and the local vigilante.

“The attack was repelled by the joint effort of the military and the police,”  the police spokesman, Nahum Kenneth, said.

“Unfortunately, two persons were killed – one of the deceased, named Mr. Badi, aged 75, and one Ngule, aged 45, died during the attack. However, the situation has since returned to normal,” he said.

Source: punchng.com

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https://punchng.com/boko-haram-attacks-chibok-kills-two-loots-foodstuffs/

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Same-sex marriage not biblical, says Kumuyi

21st December 2023

IdowuOyelere

The General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, on Wednesday, said same-sex marriage is at variance with the command of Jesus Christ to Christians.

He spoke at the Deeper Life International Conference Centre, KM 48 Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, during the opening ceremony of a joint event of the Global Crusade with Kumuyi and the 2023 National December Retreat  tagged: “Emmanuel.”

PUNCH reported on Tuesday that Pope Francis had granted permission for priests to bestow blessings upon same-sex marriage couples.

ButmKumuyi in his address, asserted that the command of Christ Jesus was for a man to get married to a woman.

He said, “The Lord Jesus Christ told us before he left that we should go to the world, teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. He even says heaven and earth shall pass away but his words will not pass away.”

“We stand in obedience to Christ and submissive to him and we carry on the works of Christ that said a man and a woman should be joined together in marriage until death do us part,” Kumuyi declared.

Speaking on the essence of the Yuletide, he said it was a period to celebrate the impacts and the sacrifice that Jesus had made for the whole world.

“There are some things that people do during this time that do not honour Christ Jesus, and do not help their health, things like; smoking, drinking substances, and doing other things that impact their health negatively.”

Kumuyi emphasised that his zeal was to impact the youths, stating that December 26 had been slated for ‘Youth Impact’ to discuss the tremendous work of ‘Emmanuel’ which would change their lives.

“I have the vision, passion, and a mission towards the young people. People are looking for something that will make life meaningful for them. We have the road map; we have goals and everything they are looking for. We don’t condemn them, but we want to show them the best alternative.

“We’ll show them steps that lead to the discovery of what they are searching for. They will have the redirection they ought to have in life and a great thing is going to happen to everyone that comes,” Kumuyi said.

The crusade, which is coming under the auspices of the GCK, is scheduled to start from December 21 to December 26.

However, Kumuyi assured that the safety of people’s lives and properties would be of utmost priority during the forthcoming global crusade.

Source: punchng.com

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

https://punchng.com/same-sex-marriage-not-biblical-says-kumuyi/

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Pavilion of Mali unveils African features with Islamic identity

DECEMBER 20, 2023

The pavilion of the Republic of Mali at the International Horticultural Expo 2023 Doha showcases the phases of evolution agriculture has undergone in Mali with a rich history that distinguishes the nation from the rest of African countries. The pavilion introduces the prominent landmarks of this nation that express its culture, African features, Islamic identity, as well its French-speaking tongue.

The number of Muslims in Mali represents roughly 95% of the total population of 22mn people. The pavilion primarily exhibits a huge map that defines the geography of the country to familiarize the expo visitors with its location in West Africa, bordering Mauritania, and Algeria to the north, Niger to the east, Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast in the south, as well as Guinea to the south and west.

In addition, the pavilion contains models of ancient agricultural practices in Mali and their evolution through time. It also highlights the cultivation of cotton and sorghum-based on irrigation on the waters of the Senegal and Niger rivers. The pavilion has dedicated a section that shows the modern irrigation systems and the high-efficiency agricultural techniques that were the reason behind the agricultural expansion there, notwithstanding the challenges posed by climate change.

The pavilion shows a wide range of cultural artefacts and modern irrigation techniques, along with the role of insecticides and agricultural machines in addressing the challenges and increasing production. The photographs in the pavilion document the process of cultivating rice, since it is one of the most important crops in Mali, and how climate plays a significant role in the agricultural diversity in that country.

Source: gulf-times.com

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https://www.gulf-times.com/article/673969/qatar/pavilion-of-mali-unveils-african-features-with-islamic-identity

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Australia

 

Australia not sending warship to back US-led coalition against Houthi attacks in Red Sea

Anadolu Staff

21.12.2023

Australia has refused to send warship to support the US-led coalition in the Red Sea amid ongoing Houthi attacks on commercial vessels.

However, Canberra will send additional personnel to help the Washington-led efforts secure the international shipping route, local broadcaster Sky News Australia reported.

Earlier Washington had requested Australia to join a US-led maritime task force in the Red Sea to repel the Houthi group's targeting of Israeli vessels.

“No, we won’t be sending a ship or a plane – that said, we will be almost tripling our contribution to the Combined Maritime Force,” Defense Minister Richard Marles told the broadcaster.

“Right now, we have five personnel who are embedded in the headquarters of the Combined Maritime Force, and over the next month, that number will increase to 16," he said and added: “That is a significant contribution.”

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced earlier this week the creation of a multinational naval task force to counter Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

According to the US announcement, so far NATO nations the UK, Canada, France, Italy, Norway, and the Netherlands pledged support for the Operation Prosperity Guardian to defend merchant ships transiting between Asia and Europe.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have significantly stepped up their involvement in the current conflict in the Gaza Strip by targeting vessels in the southern Red Sea, saying the move came in solidarity with “the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip.”

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

Source: aa.com.tr

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

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/australia-not-sending-warship-to-back-us-led-coalition-against-houthi-attacks-in-red-sea/3088550

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