BJP MLA From Telangana Tears Bangladesh Flag On Stage, Urges Christians To Join Hindus In Fight Against 'Love Jihad'
New Age Islam News Bureau
9 December 2024
T Raja Singh with Narendra ModiCredit: X/@TigerRajaSingh
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· BJP MLAFrom Telangana Tears Bangladesh Flag On Stage, Urges Christians To Join Hindus In Fight Against 'Love Jihad'
· Council Of Islamic Ideology: Altering One’s Clearly Defined Gender Is Impermissible In Islam
· Islamic Emirate Commends Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham on Achieving Victory in Syria
· Best Jihad Is Peace-Building, Not War: Nigerian Council Of Islamic Affairs
· Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham Delisting Under U.S. Consideration Following Regime Collapse in Syria
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India
· ‘Unfamiliar With Country's Sanskriti, Sanskar’: Mukhtar Naqvi Reacts To Iltija Mufti's ‘Hindutva A Disease’ Remark
· Father-Son Duo Running Madrasas In UP Held For Enabling Cyber-Fraudsters To Park 'Digital Arrest' Money
· Rajbanshi Muslims To Write To The President Of India, Seeking Withdrawal Of Waqf Amendment Bill
· Sambhal Court Commissioner: Mosque Survey Report Ready, Need 15 More Days Due To Ill Health
· High court seeks Hindu side's reply on plea in Jaunpur mosque case
· Now, A Controversy Over UP's Muzaffarnagar Mosque
· Search operation underway after villagers report suspicious movement in J-K’s Kathua
· ‘Delicate dance with New Delhi’: Mehbooba Mufti's PDP calls for a conciliatory approach to Jammu and Kashmir
· IED found on Srinagar-Baramulla highway in J-K
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Pakistan
· PTI To Pursue Civil Disobedience Campaign At Home And Abroad If Demands Not Met: Omar Ayub
· Attaullah Tarar Slams Civil Disobedience Call As PTI Shifts Strategy
· Balochistan’s Uplift Integral To National Progress: Chief Secretary
· Coalition partners meet today to bridge rift
· 13 terrorists killed in North Waziristan operation
· Urgent hearing of challenges to 26th amendment sought
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South Asia
· Mazar-e-Sharif: Gateway to Afghanistan’s ancient heritage
· Suhail Shaheen Engages Dutch, German Diplomats on Afghanistan’s Key Issues
· MoD Restores Several Military Vehicles to Operational Status
· Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa Discusses Cultural Cooperation with Japanese Ambassador
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Africa
· ‘Those Saying We Do Not Want To Educate The Girl Child Are Wrong’ – Sultan Of Sokoto
· FG Has Not Made Any Ambassadorial Appointments — Ministry
· Tinubu Calls Mahama, Congratulates Ghana President-elect
· Burkina Faso leader names new premier after dissolving government
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North America
· Trump Vows To End Birth Right Citizenship And Pardon US Capitol Rioters
· Biden says US hostage Austin Tice is alive in Syria
· Passenger arrested after trying to divert flight in Mexico to United States
· Bermuda’s lawyers and firms recognised in fintech guide
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Mideast
· How Syria Rebels’ Stars Aligned For Assad’s Ouster
· Across Europe, Syrians Celebrate Being ‘Free’ Of Assad
· Mikati Urges Lebanese ‘To Show Wisdom And Calm During Critical Time’
· Head Of Muslim Scholars’ Body Hails Turkish President After Fall Of Syria’s Assad Regime
· Bewildered, elated prisoners pour out as Assad’s jails flung open
· Monitor says Israel hit arms depots in Syria’s east
· 26 killed as Syrian Turkish-backed groups attack Kurdish-held area in north
· Director of key north Gaza hospital says power outage threatens patients
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Arab World
· Saudi Arabia Says It Is Satisfied With Steps Taken To Ensure Safety Of Syrian People
· New Qatif Promenade Beckons Locals With Coastal Views, Diverse Flavours
· Diversity, creativity steal the spotlight at Noor Riyadh festival
· Saudi Arabia to host Arabic day events in New York
· Saudi Arabia and UK forge deeper ties in trade, tourism and innovation
· Misk Foundation Headquarters Awarded WELL Certificate For Innovative Design
· Award launched to improve tourism standards in Arab countries
· Minister receives newly appointed Japanese envoy to Saudi Arabia
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Southeast Asia
· Johor Police: Teen Alleges Rape By Charity Home Caretaker In Kulai Since She Was 13, Leading To Pregnancy, Claims Baby Was Sold
· Johor police detain 189 individuals in ‘Op Noda Khas’ crackdown
· In 1MDB trial, Najib claims former US AG Loretta Lynch set out to ‘literally to lynch me’
· Deputy minister: Putrajaya aiming to separate AG’s roles ‘at the very least’ next year
· PM Anwar: Malaysia, Brunei keen to further build up ties
· Minister receives mosque history book as waqaf
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Europe
· Syria’s Assad In Moscow – Senior Diplomat
· Town Plans Mosque For Rising Muslim Population
· Ukrainian war dead reaches 43,000, Zelensky says in rare update
· Hit by blackouts Cuba’s tourism industry now braces for Trump
· US beefing up missile deployment in Europe
· Zelensky rejects Trump’s call for peace
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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BJP MLAFrom Telangana Tears Bangladesh Flag On Stage, Urges Christians To Join Hindus In Fight Against 'Love Jihad'
Dec 09, 2024
T Raja Singh with Narendra ModiCredit: X/@TigerRajaSingh
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BJP MLA from Telangana T Raja Singh on Sunday expressed 'concern' about a demographic change taking place in Goa. Claiming Muslim population was increasing in the coastal state, he said it was a matter that needed 'thoughtful consideration’. Singh referred to the neighbouring country alleging that Hindus there were being killed and their shops looted. "They are appealing for help. I want to say that ‘Bajrangi’ is ready to fight for the protection of Hindus in Bangladesh. Modi ji, just open the gates for 15 minutes and we will do it," he said.
Pulling out a sword during his 48-minute address, Singh asserted that the weapon was not meant to be sheathed and should be in the home of every Hindu. He also appealed to Christians to join hands with Hindus for the united fight against "love jihad" which is affecting both religions.
Addressing a Bajrang Dal rally at Curchorem in south Goa, Singh said India won't have a Hindu prime minister in the next 20 to 30 years if the population of "jihadis" increases and the number of their legislators goes up.
"Love Jihadis don't only target Hindus. I want to appeal to our Christian brothers from Goa. You should watch the Kerala Files (Story) movie even though the film doesn't tell the entire story," the BJP MLA said.
Right-wing activists claim Muslim men practice "love jihad" to lure women from other religions into marriage and force them to change their faith. "
"The movie shows how in the name of love jihad, Hindu and Christian girls were lured. Hindus have kept their doors open for Christian brothers to fight against love jihad. Do join hands...our strength will increase," he said.
Singh said Hindus won't be able to organise processions for festivals like Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti etc in the next 10 to 20 years considering the direction of the population trend in India.
"If the population of Jihadis increases and if the number of their MLAs and MPs go up, the prime minister of India won't be a Hindu but a Muslim in the next 20-25 years," the BJP leader said.
He said the condition of Hindus will become like that of Hindus in Pakistan in the next 25 to 30 years if family planning continues.
Source:deccanherald.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.deccanherald.com/india/bjp-mla-tears-bangladesh-flag-on-stage-urges-christians-to-join-hindus-in-fight-against-love-jihad-3309317]
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Council Of Islamic Ideology: Altering One’s Clearly Defined Gender Is Impermissible In Islam
December 09, 2024
ISLAMABAD - The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman, Dr. Raghib Hussain Naeemi has emphasized that altering one’s clearly defined gender is impermissible in Islam. Addressing an awareness session focusing on gender determination for intersex individuals, he said, in cases of gender ambiguity, Islam permits medical intervention to ascertain and assign the appropriate gender.
The CII, in collaboration with the Birth Defect Foundation, recently hosted an awareness session, bringing together medical experts and religious scholars to address the issue.
Dr. Raghib, emphasizing the Islamic viewpoint on gender determination, criticized the use of the term ‘transgender’ as misleading, arguing that it conflates those with psychological conditions and those with congenital anomalies. He stressed that individuals with congenital defects should be referred to as ‘intersex’, while Islam does not recognize self-perceived gender identities.
Dr. Raghib further explained that Islam regards gender as a divinely determined characteristic at birth, and self-identification contrary to one’s biological sex is both un-Islamic and a psychological disorder requiring treatment.
During the session, Dr. Afzal Sheikh, Chief Surgeon of the Birth Defect Foundation, provided an in-depth briefing on medical perspectives regarding intersex conditions. He explained that biologically, every individual is either male or female. In cases where congenital abnormalities result in ambiguous sexual characteristics, medical evaluation can identify the dominant gender. Furthermore, he said surgical interventions can be performed to assign the predominant gender based on the individual’s physiological traits.
Dr. Ansar Javed, Chairman of the Birth Defect Foundation, alongside Head of the Health Centre, Tahira Javed Chaudhry, elaborated on congenital abnormalities and clarified the distinction between transgender individuals and intersex persons.
They noted that transgender individuals are typically born with no physical anomalies but may experience a psychological condition called gender dysphoria, where they identify as the opposite gender. In contrast, they said intersex individuals are born with physical anomalies requiring medical or surgical treatment.
Prominent religious scholars, including Allama Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, Allama Iftikhar Hussain Naqvi, and Dr. Qibla Ayaz, former Chairman of the CII, also shared their insights. Other participants included Mufti Zameer Ahmad Sajid, Maulana Tanveer Ahmad Alvi, Dr. Inamullah, Dr. Ghulam Dastgir Shaheen, and Mufti Ghulam Majid.
The session concluded with a call for establishing dedicated rehabilitation centers in major cities for individuals with gender dysphoria and congenital anomalies. It emphasized that such individuals should neither be ostracized nor subjected to violence. Instead, strict laws should ensure their inclusion in families and access to medical care. Parents were urged to play a supportive role in their treatment.
The participants also highlighted the need for nationwide awareness campaigns to educate the public on the medical and Islamic perspectives on gender and intersex conditions. They underscored the importance of distinguishing between biological sex and gender identity and aligning societal practices with Islamic teachings, which prohibit imitating the opposite gender.
Source:nation.com.pk
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https://www.nation.com.pk/09-Dec-2024/cii-chairman-declares-altering-defined-gender-un-islamic-calls-for-medical-interventions-for-intersex-cases
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Islamic Emirate Commends Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham on Achieving Victory in Syria
2024-12-08
KABUL(BNA): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan extended its congratulations to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Syrian people for their recent victory in Syria, expressing hope for effective management of the subsequent stages of the revolution.
In a statement, the ministry expressed optimism that the leaders of the revolution would adopt policies of general amnesty, unite the people, and implement positive foreign policies. It further emphasized the importance of protecting Syria from external threats and facilitating the return of millions of refugees.
The Islamic Emirate also urged all external parties involved in the Syrian conflict to pursue cooperation and engagement with Syria’s new leadership. This, the statement added, would help Syria move toward good governance, security, and long-term stability.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/islamic-emirate-commends-hts-on-achieving-victory-in-syria/
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Best Jihad Is Peace-Building, Not War: Nigerian Council Of Islamic Affairs
December 9, 2024
The Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), who is also the Registrar of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, has said many people misconstrue jihad in Islam to be a holy war.
He explained that jihad in Islam means peace-building and encompasses all forms of endeavour, such as preaching, teaching, loving, among others.
The JAMB boss said as long as these activities are carried out to seek divine pleasure in line with the stipulated guidelines and oppose to begging, they are deemed acts of jihad, striving in the cause of Almighty Allah.
Oloyede spoke at the maiden international conference organised by Fountain University and Nasfat Missionary Institute (NMI) at the institution’s campus, with the theme: Navigating the Dynamics of Religion, Politics, Ethnicity and Youth for Peace And Development.
He stressed that peace and development cannot be separated.
Source:thenationonlineng.net
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https://thenationonlineng.net/best-jihad-is-peace-building-not-war-says-oloyede/
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Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham Delisting Under U.S. Consideration Following Regime Collapse in Syria
2024-12-09
KABUL(BNA): The Washington Post has reported, citing a senior U.S. official, that the United States may consider removing Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from its list of designated terrorist organizations and initiating formal engagement with the group. HTS has played a significant role in opposing the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
On Sunday, HTS reportedly took full control of the Syrian government. Meanwhile, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, accused of widespread civilian atrocities, has fled to Moscow on a special flight.
The United States had designated HTS as a terrorist organization in 2018, but recent developments suggest Washington might reassess its stance, potentially paving the way for formal interactions with the group.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/hts-delisting-under-u-s-consideration-following-regime-collapse-in-syria/
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India
‘Unfamiliar with country's sanskriti, sanskar’: Mukhtar Naqvi reacts to Iltija Mufti's ‘Hindutva a disease’ remark
Dec 09, 2024
Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday slammed People's Democratic Party leader Iltija Mufti for calling Hindutva a “disease.”
He said that those unfamiliar with the country's “sanskriti and sanskar” should be gently reminded of the importance of “Sanatan culture.”
“Hindutva is desh ki ‘sanskriti’ hai, ‘sanskar’ hai and those who are unaware of the ‘sanskriti and sanskar’ of this country definitely need to be given a message about Sanatan culture once again,” ANI quoted Naqvi as saying.
He added that Hindutva conveys a message of bringing all sections of society together and progressing with inclusive thinking.
“As far as the question is concerned, Hindutva gives a message of uniting all sections of society and moving forward with inclusive thinking. There is no need to provide any further explanation on this,” said Naqvi.
“Some people have developed a phobia of Hindutva, and those with such a phobia should study it once. They should understand it,” the BJP leader said.
Earlier on Sunday, PDP leader Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, clarified her ‘controversial’ post where she expressed a strong criticism of 'Hindutva,' calling it a ‘disease.’
This comes after the PDP leader, reacting to a purported video of the attack on minor Muslim boys forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ called Hindutva “a disease” that has “afflicted millions of Indians & sullied a God's name.”
“Ram the deity must hang his head in shame & watch helplessly as minor Muslim boys are whacked with chappals only because they refuse to chant his name,” she said on Saturday.
Clarifying her stance on Sunday, Mufti drew a clear distinction between Hindutva and Hinduism, emphasising that the former is a religion promoting values of secularism, love, and compassion, similar to Islam, while criticised Hindutva as an “ideology of hate.”
“There is a lot of difference between Hindutva and Hinduism. Hindutva is a philosophy of hate that Veer Savarkar spread in India in the 1940s with the aim of establishing the hegemony of Hindus, and the philosophy was that India belongs to Hindus and is for Hindus. Like Islam, Hinduism is also a religion that promotes secularism, love, and compassion. So, let's not deliberately distort it,” she said.
Mufti further argued that the slogan “Jai Shri Ram” is being used as a tool to instigate hate, rather than representing the ideals of “Ramrajya.”
Source:hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/unfamiliar-with-countrys-sanskriti-sanskar-mukhtar-naqvi-reacts-to-iltija-muftis-hindutva-a-disease-remark-101733714478199.html
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Father-son duo running Madrasas in UP held for enabling cyber-fraudsters to park 'digital arrest' money
Express News Service
08 Dec 2024
BHOPAL: A father-son duo, found to be running Madrasas in Kannauj district of Uttar Pradesh, have been arrested by the Madhya Pradesh police, for enabling an inter-state racket of cyber fraudsters in parking the proceeds of money extorted through the menace of “digital arrest.”
The duo identified as Ali Ahmad Khan (69) and his 36-year-old son Asad Ahmad Khan has been arrested by the Indore police’s crime branch from the Kannauj district of UP. Following investigations into extortion of Rs 46 lakh from a 69-year-old woman in Indore in September via “digital arrest.”
The unidentified cyber fraudsters had extorted Rs 46 lakh from an elderly woman from Indore in September this year, after keeping her in “digital arrest” for five days, posing as officials of TRAI, CBI and other enforcement agencies.
The Indore police crime branch’s probe revealed that one of the two bank accounts in which the aged woman was made to transfer Rs 40 lakh and Rs 6 lakh were opened just nine days before the alleged extortion and fraud happened.
The probe took the Indore cops to the Kannauj district of UP, where it was found that Rs 40 lakh was parked initially in an account held in the name of Falah Daren Madrasa Samiti. The Samiti run by the father-son duo was found to be running 2-3 Madrasas in UP, including Kannauj district’s Satoura area.
According to cops privy to the ongoing probe, the primary grilling of the father-son duo has revealed that the current account opened by them in September to run the Madrasas was used to park Rs 40 lakh, after talking to a caller who rang them from a Mauritius number (which may be a masked VoIP call).
The caller promised to render them a 50% commission out of the parked money, after which the fraud money was parked in their account.
“We’ve gathered details of nine accounts held by the duo and their kin, including in the name of the committee formed to run the Madrasas. While the father-son duo are being grilled to know much about their involvement in the cyber extortion-fraud, transactions in the other eight accounts held by them and those related to them will also be probed in detail, once we’ve details of those transactions,” one of the cops forming part of the probe said.
The sum of Rs 40 lakh and Rs 6 lakh which was deposited by the elderly woman in two accounts initially under threat from the cyber fraudsters in September, was subsequently diverted to 18 other bank accounts operating in multiple states of the country. These 18 bank accounts in multiple states were not just used to divert the money extorted from Indore, but a much bigger sum totalling Rs 1.5 crore, including money derived from similar extortion fraud from victims in Chennai and Nashik.
According to additional DCP (crime-Indore) Rajesh Dandotiya, “Our teams are working in the case in multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh, from where the father-son duo has been held for allowing the cyber fraudsters to park the illegal money
Source:newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2024/Dec/08/father-son-duo-running-madrasas-in-up-held-by-mp-police-for-enabling-cyber-fraudsters-to-park-digital-arrest-money
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Rajbanshi Muslims to write to the President of India, seeking withdrawal of Waqf amendment bill
09.12.24
Representatives of the Nasya Sheikh community (Rajbanshi Muslims) in north Bengal have decided to write to the President of India, seeking the withdrawal of the Waqf amendment bill that the BJP-led Centre plans to pass in Parliament.
“In January, we will send memorandums to the President through the district magistrates of all the eight districts of north Bengal. We feel this bill will harm the interests of people,” Aminal Haque, secretary of the central committee of Nasya Sheikh Unnayanb Parishad here on Sunday.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the two-day biennial general meeting of the Parishad. The meeting concluded on Sunday.
Haque, who is also the vice-chairman of the Nasya Sheikh Development Board that the state has formed, said they will also write to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking her intervention on certain issues.
“The Trinamool government has constituted many development boards for the socio-economic development of different communities. However, unlike the other boards, the board meant for us does not have a member of our community in the chairman’s post,” he added.
Altogether, around 50 lakh people of the community live in north Bengal. As of now, the district magistrate of Cooch Behar is the ex-officio chairman of the board.
He pointed out that so far, the state has allotted only two crore rupees for the board. “We want the state to increase the allocation for the board so that different development works can be carried out. Most of the people in our community are poor and we should work for their economic development,” added Haque.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/rajbanshi-muslims-to-write-to-the-president-of-india-seeking-withdrawal-of-waqf-amendment-bill/cid/2069341
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Sambhal court commissioner: Mosque survey report ready, need 15 more days due to ill health
09.12.24
The survey report of the Shahi Jama Masjid at Sambhal expected on Monday, was not presented by the advocate commissioner entrusted with it, after he sought an extension of 15 days citing ill health.
The civil court (senior division) is expected to take a decision on the extension plea at around 4 pm, advocate commissioner Ramesh Singh Raghav told reporters.
"Today I have moved the adjudication application in the court. The final report of the survey is ready and is in the final stage. This report will be presented in a sealed envelope but due to health issues, I have asked for 15 days time from the court," Raghav told reporters.
"I had fever for three-four days. I have not been able to analyse the report yet. The other party will file its objection. After hearing the objection, the court will give its decision at around 4 pm," he added.
On November 19, the local court passed an ex-parte order for the mosque's survey by an advocate commissioner after taking note of the plea of the Hindu side claiming the mosque was built by Mughal emperor Babur in 1526 after demolishing a temple.
On November 24, during a second round of survey, protesting locals clashed with security personnel, leading to a major violence which led to death of four people and injuries to dozens.
Meanwhile, advocate Zafar Ali, who is representing the Muslim side, said the survey report will be presented in a sealed cover.
"The next proceedings will start after the decision of the high court and the Supreme Court, no action will be taken before that," added Ali.
He was referring to the SC's November 29 order wherein it asked the Sambhal trial court to the halt proceedings in the case over the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid and its survey while directing the UP government to maintain peace and harmony in the violence-hit town.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/sambhal-court-commissioner-mosque-survey-report-ready-need-15-more-days-due-to-ill-health/cid/2069377
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High court seeks Hindu side's reply on plea in Jaunpur mosque case
Dec 8, 2024
PRAYAGRAJ: Allahabad HC has directed the respondent Hindu side to file its reply within three weeks in response to a petition filed by management committee of Jaunpur's Atala mosque, challenging a local court order.
The court had directed registration of a suit which claimed the mosque was originally an ancient Hindu temple (Atala Devi temple). Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal in his order directed the petitioner to file a rejoinder affidavit within a week after the plaintiffs in the suit, Swaraj Vahini Association (SVA) and Santosh Kumar Mishra, file their reply.
SVA and Mishra filed the suit before Jaunpur court seeking a declaration that the disputed property was Atala Devi temple and followers of Sanatan religion had the right to worship there. They also demanded handing over of the disputed property to the Hindu side and a mandatory injunction to restrain non-Hindus from entering the property.
Further, the plaintiffs had also sought permission to sue under Order 1 Rule 8 CPC in a representative capacity. This prayer was allowed in May by the impugned order, and the same was upheld by the district judge in an order in Aug. Both the orders were challenged in the petition before HC.
The mosque management committee pleaded before HC that the plea was defective, as the plaintiff, a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, was not a juristic person and thus was not competent to file the suit in a representative capacity.
Source:indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/high-court-seeks-hindu-sides-reply-on-plea-in-jaunpur-mosque-case/articleshow/116088498.cms
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Now, a controversy over UP's Muzaffarnagar mosque
Dec 09, 2024
Lucknow: After the Sambhal and Badaun mosques, yet another mosque, this time in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar town, has landed in controversy after it was found that it was situated on the land that belonged to Pakistan’s first prime minister Liyaqat Ali Khan and was declared an ‘Enemy Property’ under the Enemy Property Act 1968.According to the sources, a local leader of a saffron outfit Sanjay Arora had lodged a complaint with the district authorities claiming that the mosque, which was situated before the Muzaffarnagar railway station, was built on the land which was in the name of Liyaqat Ali Khan and his family.
He claimed in his complaint that the mosque as well as four shops, which were also constructed beside it, were illegally built as the land was an ‘enemy property’ and as such should be acquired under the Enemy Property Act 1968.The Muslim side pleaded before the district authorities that the land had been donated to Waqf by Khan and his family in 1930.Sources said that the matter was looked into by senior district officials and documents furnished by the Muslim side were examined. It was found that the land in question belonged to Liyaqat Ali Khan and his family. It was later declared an enemy property.
Sources said that the district officials were planning to send a notice to the caretaker of the mosque and the owners of the shops asking them to vacate the premises. ‘’We will adopt the legal process to get the land vacated if the occupants did not vacate it after the notice,’’ said a district official in Muzaffarnagar.
The caretaker of the mosque Maulana Mujibul Islam said that he would move the court and challenge the order for vacating the land.
Arora, who was the convenor of the Rashtriya Hindu Shakti Sangathan, a saffron outfit, said that his demand for declaring the premises enemy property was accepted by the authorities.
Several mosques, in the recent past, have landed in controversy after the violence during a court ordered survey of a mosque in Sambhal in which four people were killed and scores others injured.
A mosque in Badaun was embroiled in a legal battle after a Hindu outfit claimed that it had been constructed after demolishing a Shiva temple by the Muslim rulers and filed an application in the district court seeking its ownership.
Hindu outfits have also demanded removal of a mosque which is situated inside an old college in Varanasi.
Source:deccanherald.com
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https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttar-pradesh/now-a-controversy-over-ups-muzaffarnagar-mosque-3308796
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Search operation underway after villagers report suspicious movement in J-K’s Kathua
December 8, 2024
A massive search operation is underway in Kandi area near the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district after local villagers reported suspicious movement, officials said on Sunday.
The joint search operation by police, Army and CRPF was launched in several forward villages of Hiranagar sector late Saturday night, the officials said.
“We got information about movement of some three to four suspected persons and responded immediately by mobilising the available resources. The area was also kept under aerial surveillance,” Senior Superintendent of Police, Kathua, Shobit Saxena said.
He said the operation is underway but there was no trace of the suspected persons so far.
Source:indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/search-operation-jammu-and-kashmir-kathua-9712934/
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‘Delicate dance with New Delhi’: Mehbooba Mufti's PDP calls for a conciliatory approach to Jammu and Kashmir
Dec 09, 2024
The People's Democratic Party (PDP) in its monthly newsletter ‘Speak Up’ has said that governing Jammu and Kashmir requires a ‘delicate dance’ with the Centre.
“Governing Jammu and Kashmir effectively requires a delicate dance with New Delhi, as acknowledged by the new government (in Jammu and Kashmir),” the newsletter reads.
The party mentioned that its late patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, understood that for the greater good of Jammu and Kashmir, unconventional approaches must be explored.
It also urged the BJP to adopt a more conciliatory approach, similar to that of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
“So, even with BJP's limited local influence, strategic engagement is necessary to leverage what rightfully belongs to J&K. Recent arbitrary dismissals of two employees, even with a popular government in place, raise questions. For now, all eyes are on the new government,” the party said.
The PDP said in Jammu and Kashmir, winning an election might be the simplest part of the political journey.
“The real challenge is managing the complex web of public expectations and conflict where hot-button issues abound and common ground is rare. Unemployment is at unprecedented levels, and while job creation is crucial, it's not the only solution. Imagine a landscape dotted with skill-building workshops, scholarships for higher studies, and robust career counselling-each a beacon to guide our youth away from the shadows of desperation that often lead to drugs and crime,” it added.
The party also raised the issue of electricity problem in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Electricity-or should we say, the lack thereof is another shared grievance across both regions. If our own hydroelectric projects fail to meet demand, then the government should consider purchasing more power from NHPC during peak summer and winter seasons. Long-term, the goal should be clear: reclaim control over at least two hydroelectric assets to ensure self-sufficiency. The government's recent promises, such as 200 units of free electricity and gas cylinders for the poor, transcend mere election pledges; they are lifelines for many. These commitments, if fulfilled, could dramatically improve the lives of the underprivileged,” said the party.
The PDP said the first assembly session in eight years was a vivid display of democracy, chaotic yet vibrant.
“The meeting was not just about policy debates but symbolised a return to a time where voicing dissent did not automatically mean detention,” it said.
The PDP also raked up the controversy surrounding the Ring Road project, particularly the lack of proper land compensation and the plan to develop 30 satellite townships.
“(It) has created fear that these townships might house outsiders. The local government must address these concerns,” party added.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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IED found on Srinagar-Baramulla highway in J-K
09 Dec 2024
SRINAGAR: Security forces on Monday detected and defused a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway in Kashmir, officials said.
A joint patrolling party of police and army found a suspicious object by the roadside on the highway at Palhallan in Pattan area of Baramulla district.
Officials said a bomb disposal squad was rushed to the spot and the suspicious object taken to an isolated place.
The bomb disposal squad destroyed the object in a controlled explosion, the officials said, adding there was no damage done.
Source:newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2024/Dec/09/ied-found-on-srinagar-baramulla-highway-in-j-k
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Pakistan
PTI to pursue civil disobedience campaign at home and abroad if demands not met: Omar Ayub
December 8, 2024
Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan on Sunday warned that the PTI will pursue a civil disobedience campaign at home and globally if the party’s demands are not met.
A recent message posted on party founder Imran Khan’s X account announced the formation of a five-member negotiation team comprising Ayub, Ali Amin Gandapur, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Salman Akram Raja, and Asad Qaiser.
This team will negotiate with the federal government on two points: the release of political prisoners facing trial and the formation of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9, 2023 and November 26.
Imran had warned that if these two demands are not accepted, a civil disobedience movement will be started from December 14, adding that the government will be “responsible” for the consequences. Imran also announced a “grand gathering” in Peshawar on December 13 to pay homage to the supporters who died during the November 26 protest in the capital.
Today, the opposition leader addressed a press conference alongside PTI Senator Shibli Faraz, Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram and PTI leader Asad Qaiser in Peshawar and announced that the PTI’s negotiation team had been formed.
“Imran Khan has made a five-member negotiation committee made up of Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Asad Qaiser, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapir, Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza and myself,” Ayub said.
“We are ready and empowered to negotiate on any issue with anybody with open hearts. We will negotiate with whoever is in power,” he added. “These names were personally selected by Imran Khan.”
Ayub reiterated the party founder’s demands, namely the release of incarcerated PTI members and supporters, as well as a judicial inquiry to probe the events of May 9, 2023.
“The government has been blaming us for the events of that day,” he said. “We need a judicial commission or inquiry and CCTV footage to be released, so that the truth can be determined.”
The opposition leader warned that the party would stage a civil disobedience campaign if their demands were not met. “We will provide details on the timeframe at a later date, but we hope it will not come to that,” Ayub asserted.
He also warned that the consequences of this campaign “would be felt by the present government”.
Speaking about the “grand gathering” announced by the ex-premier, Ayub said that on December 13, the party will organise a prayer service for “martyred party members” in Peshawar.
“We are organising a dua (prayer) and a jirga on Friday, December 13,” he said. “On December 15, the PTI’s international chapters will stage their own functions and rallies in their respective countries.”
The opposition leader added that different parties would be invited to the jirga.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1877518/pti-to-pursue-civil-disobedience-campaign-at-home-and-abroad-if-demands-not-met-omar-ayub
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Attaullah Tarar slams civil disobedience call as PTI shifts strategy
Mansoor Malik
December 9, 2024
• Minister slams PTI over ‘fake narratives’ on social media
• Hammad believes ‘minus-Imran formula’ will fail; Sahibzada says PTI eying talks with establishment
LAHORE: Information Minister Atta Tarar on Sunday criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) call for civil disobedience, mocking its proposer for being “disobedient since childhood”.
“The shameful call for civil disobedience has come from someone who once set fire to electricity bills,” Mr Tarar said, referring to PTI founder Imran Khan. “You have been disobedient since your childhood.”
Meanwhile, in a move that signals a shift in its strategy, the PTI has decided to engage in dialogue with the establishment, postponing its planned civil disobedience movement until the outcome of the negotiations is clear.
Mr Tarar, speaking at a Christmas event in his constituency, said the public needed solutions to inflation, not disruptive measures like civil disobedience.
“The people have rejected the politics of civil disobedience and violence. There will be no more chaos and mischievousness in the country,” he said. “The people have resisted such tactics in the past and will do so again. Miscreants will fail to achieve their ulterior motives,” he said.
The minister also insisted that while the federal government was implementing the National Action Plan to root out terrorism, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was not serious about maintaining law and order in the province.
He alleged that funds were being diverted to build a false narrative instead of addressing violence in areas like Kurram.
Minus-Imran formula ‘doomed to fail’
Meanwhile, the PTI has reiterated its stance that efforts to sideline Imran Khan are futile. Hammad Azhar, PTI Punjab president, declared on Sunday that the “minus-Imran formula” had failed in the past and would fail again.
In a post on his X account, Mr Azhar said Imran Khan is the “most significant political force” in the country today, claiming the PTI leader’s support base had grown even during his “illegitimate incarceration”.
In another post, Mr Azhar said the establishment’s key functionaries also did not appear on the same page. “Someone is giving hope to Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, while another was seen pampering the PML-N leadership,” he said.
“None of these touts have the guts to become a councillor, and the parties they were pampering could not win a single seat if elections are held in a transparent manner,” he said.
Talks with establishment
Separately, PTI’s negotiation committee member Sahibzada Hamid Raza said the party believed in negotiating with the “actual centres of power” rather than the government.
“The government does not hold the authority for meaningful talks. Negotiations will only take place with those who are the real source of power,” Mr Raza, who is also chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council, told DawnNewsTV’s Nadir Guramani.
He emphasised that PTI has never ruled out discussions with the establishment and remained open to dialogue.
Explaining the decision to defer the civil disobedience movement, Mr Raza said, “We are not launching the campaign on Dec 14. The civil disobedience movement will only commence if negotiations fail.”
He added, “If the government cannot meet our demands, we will engage directly with those who have the authority to address them.”
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1877613/attaullah-tarar-slams-civil-disobedience-call-as-pti-shifts-strategy
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Balochistan’s uplift integral to national progress: chief secretary
December 9, 2024
QUETTA: Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan has said the vast potential of natural resources, fisheries, tourism and livestock sectors of Balochistan can significantly contribute to both provincial and national development.
While addressing participants of the National Security Workshop, the chief secretary emphasised that the province’s strategic location, with a 750-km-long coastline, the Gwadar Port and borders with Iran and Afghanistan, positions it as a vital economic and strategic asset for Pakistan.
“With its strategic location, abundant resources, and a rich cultural heritage, Balochistan has the potential to become an economic hub,” he said.
He outlined key provincial initiatives, including the Reko Diq project, which is set to transform Balochistan’s economy by generating $1bn in annual revenue and creating 8,000 jobs.
The project would give Balochistan a 25pc share in profits without any investment, while also ensuring the welfare of local communities through targeted development programmes.
In a bid to boost employment opportunities, the provincial government has launched a vocational training initiative to train 30,000 youth over three years and send them overseas for employment.
This month alone, 600 students are being sent abroad, with 2,400 more to follow by June next year.
The chief secretary highlighted the provincial government’s efforts to reform the education sector, including the reopening of 3,800 non-functional schools through merit-based teacher recruitment and establishing residential schools and cadet colleges.
He also stressed the importance of infrastructure, healthcare and economic development as the government’s top priorities.
The chief secretary highlighted the importance of further investments in tourism, fisheries and infrastructure, noting that Balochistan’s development was integral to building a prosperous Pakistan.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1877612/balochistans-uplift-integral-to-national-progress-chief-secretary
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Coalition partners meet today to bridge rift
Syed Irfan Raza
December 9, 2024
ISLAMABAD: In order to sort out differences between the ruling partners, PML-N and PPP teams will meet today to start negotiations on contentious issues that have led to a rift between the two sides.
“Although the two sides have already made virtual contact on the matter, they are meeting in person for the first time today (Monday),” said a source close to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday. The venue of the meeting has not been disclosed by the two sides.
Besides complaints about not being a part of the decision-making process, the PPP has some reservations about the treatment meted out to the party by the Punjab government, with insiders claiming the PML-N government was not allowing it to freely hold party events in the province.
“First of all, the provincial government of Punjab does not give permission to the PPP to hold its political events and if it does so, it later raises objection to these events,” the source said while elaborating on the differences.
The meeting between the two political parties comes days after PML-N stalwart and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar held a meeting with the PPP chief on the order of the prime minister aimed at addressing the PPP’s concerns.
In the meeting, it was decided that both sides would regularly meet to resolve their differences.
Ahead of today’s meeting, the PPP chairperson held a virtual meeting with members of his team and gave them instructions on how they should plead their case in the meeting. It said Mr Bhutto-Zardari also discussed some national issues with the team. During the meeting, the PPP chief recalled his concerns and reservations regarding the federal government’s behaviour with the PPP.
A few days ago, PPP leader in Punjab Syed Hasan Murtaza asked the PML-N to consult his party on all major decisions in the province.
“PPP is only sharing the burden with the PML-N in Punjab. If decisions are made unilaterally, the burden will also have to be borne alone. We demand that the PPP should be taken into confidence in Punjab’s governance matters,” Mr Murtaza said in a presser after the party’s executive meeting in Lahore on Thursday.
Days after the PPP chief played a key role in the passage of the much-hyped 26th constitutional amendment last month that changed the process of the appointment of the chief justice, he expressed annoyance with the government for lack of coordination.
He lamented that the government had backed out on its promises by not ensuring equal representation of the ruling PML-N and the PPP in the judicial commission. The PML-N formed its government with the support of the PPP, which has the third-largest number of votes in the National Assembly.
Although the PPP is not part of the government, it has obtained many constitutional offices, including the president of Pakistan, the Senate chairman, and Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governors.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1877634/coalition-partners-meet-today-to-bridge-rift
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13 terrorists killed in North Waziristan operation
Pazir Gul
December 9, 2024
NORTH WAZIRISTAN: At least 13 terrorists were reportedly killed and several others injured as militant hideouts near the Afghan border were targeted by security forces in the North Waziristan tribal district, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Although there was no official word from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), sources said 13 militants, including a key commander of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), were killed and several others wounded in two separate actions, which took place in the Gazum Mandi area of North Waziristan’s Shawal tehsil.
The attacks were carried out on different hideouts of terrorists in the area, locals said, adding that the dead also included a key TTP commander, who was said to be the mastermind of a number of suicide attacks.
Sources also said that two other commanders, Gauhar and Abu Bakr alias Mohsin, were injured in the attacks.
Locals said a cloud of dark smoke billowed from their hideout following the security operation. They said many militants abandoned the bodies of their accomplices and fled.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1877635/13-terrorists-killed-in-north-waziristan-operation
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Urgent hearing of challenges to 26th amendment sought
Nasir Iqbal
December 9, 2024
ISLAMABAD: Seven senior lawyers in a letter have requested Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi that their separate petitions challenging the 26th amendment be taken up urgently and heard by a full court bench of the Supreme Court.
“Needless to say, the very creation of a legislative instrument cannot examine the vires of the instrument, that creates it,” said a letter addressed to the CJP.
Some of the petitions were presented prior to the first meeting of the new Judicial Commission of Pakistan and formation of the “Constitutional Benches”. They included specific prayers for interim relief as well as urgency applications for listing of the matter.
Section 7 of the SC (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, explicitly requires… application pleading urgency or seeking interim relief to be fixed for hearing within 14 days from the date of its filing. “The delay is inexplicable,” the letter said.
Signed by senior counsel Muneer A. Malik, Hamid A. Khan, Abid Shahid Zuberi, Salahuddin Ahmad, Khwaja Ahmad Hosain, Akhtar Mengal and Zainab Janjua, the letter requested the CJP to also order an inquiry into the unprecedented manner in which these petitions were dealt with by the court office and to ensure that all petitions were placed before the full court as already decided by the majority of the SC Practice and Procedure Committee as per its Oct 31 decision on some of the earlier petitions.
The letter said that despite the passage of more than a month and the overwhelming constitutional and public importance of the matter, far from being fixed for hearing, and even more surprisingly, none of the petitions have even been assigned a number by the registry.
Nor have any office objections to the petitions been communicated by the SC registrar, the letter said.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1877615/urgent-hearing-of-challenges-to-26th-amendment-sought
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South Asia
Mazar-e-Sharif: Gateway to Afghanistan’s ancient heritage
December 9, 2024
Nestled in the heart of northern Afghanistan, Mazare Sharif stands as a city rich in history and spiritual significance. Its name, meaning “The Noble Shrine,” reflects its deep connection to Islamic heritage, as it is believed to be the resting place of Ali, the fourth Caliph of Islam and the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). This sacred site, located in the capital city of Balkh province, draws thousands of pilgrims and tourists each year, especially during the Persian New Year, Nawroz. The story of Mazar-e Sharif begins in the 12th century when a spiritual man had a profound dream. In this vision, he saw that Imam Ali was buried at a specific location in what is now Mazar-e Sharif. The man shared his dream with the ruling Seljuk authorities, who, moved by the revelation, commissioned the construction of a shrine on the site in 1136 AD. The original shrine served as a beacon of faith and devotion for many years until it was tragically destroyed in 1220 AD by the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan, who was in search of hidden treasures. However, the legacy of the shrine did not end with its destruction. In 1481 AD, Sultan Hussain Baiqara, a Timurid king, resurrected the shrine after another spiritual leader experienced a similar dream confirming the location of Imam Ali’s tomb. Sultan Hussain appointed the renowned architect Maulana, along with other skilled craftsmen, to rebuild the shrine. The result was a stunning structure adorned with intricate tile work, embodying the titidhittlal and cultural resilience of the region. Mazar-e Sharif’s significance extends beyond its religious importance; it is a cultural and historical gateway to the broader region, particularly to the ancient city of Balkh, just an hour’s drive away. Balkh, known in antiquity as Bactria, is one of the oldest cities in the world and a key region in the history of Central Asia. It has been a significant center in various empires, including the Achaemenid, Seleucid, and GrecoBactrian empires. Historically, Mazar-e Sharif and its surrounding region have witnessed a succession of powerful rulers. From the 6th century BCE, the area was under the control of the Achaemenids, followed by Alexander the Great, whose conquests led to its inclusion in the Seleucid Empire. As the Seleucids declined, thGBtikid The region later came under the influence of the Sassanian Empire and was subsequently incorporated into the Islamic world following the conquests of 651 CE. Throughout the medieval period, the region was part of Greater Khorasan and was ruled by various dynasties, including the Tahirids, Saffarids, Samanids, Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Ilkhanids, Timurids, and the Khanate of Bukhara. The poet Jalal al-Din Rumi was born in this area, adding to its cultural significance. During the 19th century, the city became part of the Durrani Empire, though it was often governed by autonomous Uzbek rulers. The city played a strategic role during the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s, serving as a base for Soviet forces and later becoming a battleground between various factions during Afghanistan’s iilDuring the Bronze Age, it was part of the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC), a civilization that laid the foundation for much of Central Asia’s history. Balkh was a significant center during various empires and played a pivotal role in early Zoroastrianism and the Silk Road trade. Mazar-e Sharif and Balkh are not just historical landmarks; they are living testaments to the enduring cultural and spiritual legacy of Afghanistan. From the sacred shrine of Imam Ali to the ancient city of Balkh, these sites offer a glimpse into the rich tapestry of history that has shaped the region for millennia. For visitors and pilgrims alike, Mazar-e Sharif serves as both a destination of devotion and a gateway to Afghanistan’s ancient heritage, where the echoes of history continue to resonate in the
Source:thekabultimes.com
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Suhail Shaheen Engages Dutch, German Diplomats on Afghanistan’s Key Issues
2024-12-09
KABUL(BNA): Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, head of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Political Office in Doha, recently announced his meeting with the Dutch Ambassador and the German Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan.
Shaheen shared on his X account that he held discussions yesterday, Sunday with Laetitia van Asch, the Dutch Ambassador for Afghanistan, and Rolf Dieter Reinhard the German Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan.
According to Shaheen, the meeting focused on education, climate change, and humanitarian aid for Afghanistan.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/suhail-shaheen-engages-dutch-german-diplomats-on-afghanistans-key-issues/
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MoD Restores Several Military Vehicles to Operational Status
2024-12-09
KABUL(BNA): The Ministry of Defense announced the successful repair and reinstatement of 27 military vehicles. According to the ministry, the vehicles were restored by technical and professional teams of the Fifth Logistics Battalion under the Third Brigade of Abu Dujana Corps, 205th Al-Badr Army Corps.
The repaired vehicles include 11 International trucks and 16 Humvee tanks, now ready for operational use.
This comes shortly after engineers and technicians of the same brigade reported the repair of dozens of other military vehicles.
Worth mentioning that, the ministry’s technical teams have restored thousands of military vehicles at central and corps levels across Afghanistan.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/mod-restores-several-military-vehicles-to-operational-status/
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Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa Discusses Cultural Cooperation with Japanese Ambassador
2024-12-08
KABUL(BNA): Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa, the Acting Minister of Information and Culture, held a meeting with Japan’s Ambassador, Mr. Takayoshi Kuromiya, to strengthen cultural ties between Afghanistan and Japan.
Discussions focused on fostering cultural and artistic collaboration, with an emphasis on preserving Afghanistan’s rich cultural heritage. Both sides highlighted the need for joint efforts to enhance these areas.
Ambassador Kuromiya reiterated Japan’s respect for Afghanistan’s cultural history and expressed a commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at cultural development and heritage preservation.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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Africa
‘Those Saying We Do Not Want To Educate The Girl Child Are Wrong’ – Sultan Of Sokoto
8 December 2024
By Justina Otio
The Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar llI, has rubbished claims that the northern elites are responsible for the out-of-school children in the region.
He argued that the situation should be blamed on a lack of understanding about the importance of education.
The monarch stated this at the Traditional and Religious Leaders’ Conference on the Education of the Girl Child, held recently in Bauchi.
He described the allegations as both false and mischievous.
The Sultan firmly rejected notions that Islam opposes girl-child education or that the elites intentionally prevent girls from being educated to perpetuate male dominance.
He said, “Those saying we don’t want the girl child to rise are completely wrong.
“It is not education that is the problem but how it is being carried out. Poverty and ignorance remain the greatest obstacles to educating our children, particularly girls.”
He explained that Islam encourages education, stating, “Islam promotes girl-child education because an educated woman is the foundation of a successful family and society. Without education, how will people worship Almighty Allah correctly?”
The Sultan attributed the challenges to a lack of resources, explaining that many families cannot afford school uniforms, books, or fees.
This, he noted, is why millions of children remain out of school, especially in northern Nigeria.
“If education is to be free and compulsory, governments at all levels must take responsibility. Parents who are struggling to feed their families cannot be expected to bear the full cost of education,” he added.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/12/08/those-saying-we-do-not-want-to-educate-the-girl-child-are-wrong-sultan-of-sokoto/
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FG Has Not Made Any Ambassadorial Appointments — Ministry
8 December 2024
By Justina Otio
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged the public to disregard a fake list of ambassadorial nominees circulating on social media.
Speaking via a press release issued on Sunday, and signed by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the Ministry noted that the appointment of ambassadors is solely the prerogative of the President.
The spokesperson emphasized that no such appointments has been made.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform the general public to kindly disregard the fake list of ambassadorial nominees which is currently in circulation on some social media platforms.
“The ministry wishes to state unequivocally that the appointment of ambassadors is the prerogative of Mr President, and no such appointments have been made in that regard.
“The purported list should, therefore, be discountenanced,” the statement read.
Nigeria has 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates around the globe.
On September 2, 2023, President Bola Tinubu recalled all career and non-career ambassadors operating the country’s diplomatic missions, embassies and consulates globally.
A statement by the ministry confirmed the recall, saying, “Sequel to the inquiries on the letter recalling the Nigerian ambassador to the UK, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has clarified that all career ambassadors and non-career ambassadors have been recalled on the instructions of President Bola Tinubu.”
The envoys were directed to return to the country on or before October 31, 2023.
They include the 41 non-career ambassadors and 42 career ambassadors appointed by Former
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/12/08/fg-has-not-made-any-ambassadorial-appointments-ministry/
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Tinubu Calls Mahama, Congratulates Ghana President-elect
8 December 2024
By Oladipo Abiola
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the President-elect of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, on his victory in the December 7 election in the country.
According to a statement on Sunday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Nigerian leader congratulated Mahama in a telephone interview.
He commended the people of Ghana for their commitment to democracy and hoped Mahama’s ascension to power for the second time would further bring stability to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The statement added that President Tinubu commended the candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Vice President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia, for conceding defeat before the official announcement by Ghana’s Electoral Commission.
According to the statement, “President Bola Tinubu has congratulated President-elect John Dramani Mahama on his victory in the December 7 general election in Ghana, following his opponent’s concession speech.
“In a telephone call to Mahama, President Tinubu hoped that Mahama’s ascension to power for the second time would further bring stability to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which President Tinubu is the chairman.
“President Tinubu commended the people of Ghana for their commitment to democracy, which was demonstrated through the peaceful and successful conduct of both the presidential and parliamentary elections.
“He applauded Ghanaians for demonstrating again to the world that democracy is the preferred path to achieving political stability, economic development, social justice, and transparent governance in Africa.
“He affirmed that Nigeria’s and the region’s belief in the principles of the people’s right to choose their leaders freely will remain a source of pride.
“The Nigerian leader applauded the candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, for conceding defeat before the official announcement by Ghana’s Electoral Commission.
“President Tinubu said Bawumia’s stance reinforced Ghana’s democratic ethos.
“President Tinubu noted that President-elect Mahama’s return to Jubilee House, having served as President from 2012 to 2017, reflects the Ghanaian people’s trust in his stewardship and vision to take the country to greater heights.
“Mahama served as Vice President of Ghana from 2009 to 2012, Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2009, and held deputy and ministerial roles between 1998 and 2001.
“President Tinubu renews his steadfast support for deepening the fraternal bonds between Nigeria and Ghana, underpinned by shared history, cultural ties, mutual support and cooperation, Pan-African goals, democracy, the rule of law, and economic integration.
“The Nigerian leader thanks President Nana Akufo-Addo for his exemplary leadership and numerous contributions to Ghana’s progress and regional peace and stability.
“The President looks forward to working with President Mahama’s incoming administration to strengthen bilateral ties across various sectors and build a brighter future in the West Africa region.”
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/12/08/tinubu-calls-mahama-congratulates-ghana-president-elect/
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Burkina Faso leader names new premier after dissolving government
8 December 2024
A day after dissolving the government without providing any reason, Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta on Saturday appointed a new prime minister.
Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, communications minister and spokesperson for the previous government, has been named as the country's new premier.
Military leader, Ibrahim Traore, made the announcement in a presidential decree read on state television on Saturday.
A journalist by trade and a close ally of Traore, Ouedraogo was formerly editor-in-chief and then director of the country's state television.
No reason was given for the dismissal of former Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela, who was appointed interim premier soon after Traore seized power in September 2022.
The junta ousted the military rule of Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba about eight months after it had staged a coup to remove democratically elected President Roch Marc Kaboré.
The country is one of several West African nations where the military has recently taken over, capitalising on popular discontent with previous democratically-elected governments over security issues.
However, since the latest coup, military leaders have struggled to end Burkina Faso’s security challenges, the very reason it claims had prompted it to take power.
Growing attacks by extremists linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have devastated the country.
Thousands have been killed in recent years and more than two million people have been displaced, half of them children.
Analysts believe around half of Burkina Faso’s territory remains outside of government control.
The country’s transitional government has been running under a constitution approved by a national assembly that included army officers, civil society groups, and traditional and religious leaders.
Under pressure from the regional bloc, ECOWAS, the junta had set a goal to conduct an election in July 2024 to return the country to democratic rule.
However, in May it extended its transition term for five more years, the duration of one presidential term.
Alongside Niger and Mali, which have also experienced coups, Burkina Faso has severed ties with long-standing Western and regional partners, including ECOWAS, which they all quit early this year.
The three countries have banded together to form the Alliance of Sahel States and are battling jihadi violence that first erupted in northern Mali in 2012.
Source:africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/12/08/burkina-faso-leader-names-new-premier-after-dissolving-government/
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North America
Trump Vows To End Birth Right Citizenship And Pardon US Capitol Rioters
9 Dec, 2024
Jude Sheerin
President-elect Donald Trump has said he will look at pardons for those involved in the 2021 US Capitol riot on his first day back in office next month.
"These people are living in hell," he told NBC's Meet the Press in his first broadcast network interview since winning November's election.
The Republican also vowed to end automatic citizenship for anyone born in the country, but offered to work with Democrats to help some undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as children.
In the wide-ranging sit-down, which was recorded on Friday, Trump promised to issue "a lot" of executive orders, including on immigration, energy and the economy, after he is inaugurated on 20 January.
While he suggested he would not seek a justice department investigation into Joe Biden, he said that some of his political adversaries, including lawmakers who investigated the Capitol riot, should be jailed.
Trump was asked whether he would seek to pardon the hundreds of people convicted of involvement in that riot, when supporters of his stormed Congress three months after his defeat in the 2020 election.
"We're going to look at independent cases," he said. "Yeah, but I'm going to be acting very quickly."
"First day," he added.
Trump continued: "You know, by the way, they've been in there for years, and they're in a filthy, disgusting place that shouldn't even be allowed to be open."
The president-elect made other news in the NBC interview aired on Sunday:
He offered a caveat on whether he would keep the US in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato): "If they're paying their bills, and if I think they're doing a fair - they're treating us fairly, the answer is absolutely, I'd stay with Nato"
Trump said he would not seek to impose restrictions on abortion pills, though when asked to make a guarantee, he added: "Well, I commit. I mean...things change"
The Republican said Ukraine should "probably" expect less aid when he returns to the White House
Trump said he thinks "somebody has to find out" if there is a link between autism and childhood vaccines - an idea that has been ruled out by multiple studies around the world. Trump suggested his nominee for health secretary, vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Jr, would look into the matter
The president-elect repeated his promise that he will not seek to cut Social Security, nor raise its eligibility age, though he said he would make it "more efficient", without offering further details
Pressed on whether his plan to impose tariffs on imports from major US trading partners would raise consumer prices for Americans, he said: "I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee tomorrow"
On the subject of immigration, Trump told NBC he would seek through executive action to end so-called birthright citizenship, which entitles anyone born in the US to an American passport, even if their parents were born elsewhere.
Birthright citizenship stems from the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which states that "all persons born" in the United States "are citizens of the United States".
"We're going to have to get it changed," Trump said. "We'll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it."
Trump also said he would follow through on his campaign pledge to deport undocumented immigrants, including those with family members who are US citizens.
"I don't want to be breaking up families," he said, "so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back."
Trump also said he wants to work with Congress to help so-called Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who were shielded under an Obama-era programme, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which Trump once attempted to scrap.
"I will work with the Democrats on a plan," he said, adding that some of these immigrants have found good jobs and started businesses.
Trump seemed to offer mixed signals on whether he would follow through on his repeated vows to seek retribution against political adversaries.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden this week issued a sweeping pardon to his criminally convicted son, Hunter. The Democrat is reported to be considering other blanket pardons for political allies before he leaves office next month.
Trump seemed to indicate that he would not seek a special counsel investigation into Biden and his family, as he once vowed.
"I'm not looking to go back into the past," he said. "I'm looking to make our country successful. Retribution will be through success."
But he also said that members of the now-defunct, Democratic-led House of Representatives committee that investigated him "should go to jail".
One member of the panel, former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, hit back at Trump on Sunday.
She said his comment that members of the committee should be jailed was a "continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic".
In his NBC interview Trump also said he would not direct the FBI to pursue investigations against his foes.
But he also told the network: "If they were crooked, if they did something wrong, if they have broken the law, probably.
"They went after me. You know, they went after me, and I did nothing wrong."
Source:bbc.com
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Biden says US hostage Austin Tice is alive in Syria
Jude Sheerin
9 Dec, 2024
President Joe Biden has said the US will try to bring home one of the longest-held American hostages following the sudden collapse of the Syrian government.
Speaking at the White House, Biden said the US believes Austin Tice is alive, but they must pinpoint his location in the war-torn country.
Mr Tice, a freelance journalist, is thought to have been taken captive close to Damascus on 14 August 2012 while he was covering the country's civil war.
On Sunday, rebel fighters seized the Syrian capital in the culmination of a lightning offensive launched two weeks ago. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country.
Biden said Assad's exit was a "fundamental act of justice" after decades of repression, but also "a moment of risk and uncertainty" for the Middle East.
"We are mindful that there are Americans in Syria," Biden said on Sunday, "including those who reside there, as well as Austin Tice, who was taken captive more than 12 years ago.
"We remain committed to returning him to his family."
On his way out of the room, Biden turned to answer a question from the media about Tice.
"We believe he's alive," said the president. "We think we can get him back, but we have no direct evidence of that yet."
The president added: "We have to identify where he is."
Mr Tice, 43, was last seen in a video, blindfolded and in apparent distress, posted online weeks after his capture.
While no government or group claimed responsibility for his disappearance, US officials soon said they believed that the former US Marine was being held by the Syrian government.
Mr Tice's sister, Abigail Edaburn, told the BBC on Friday they believe he is still in Syria.
"We don't know the exact circumstances of the place that he's being held, but we do know it is in Syria and that he is healthy and well," she said.
"I don't know how much I can say, but there have been independent, trusted sources that have been able to verify this information," she added.
The FBI said in a statement on Sunday that a $1m reward was still on offer for information that leads to Mr Tice's "safe location, recovery and return".
The US has about 900 troops in Syria, and Biden said on Sunday he planned for those forces to remain.
The president also said US forces had conducted "dozens" of what he called "precision air strikes" on Sunday against Islamic State group camps and operations in eastern Syria.
President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US should not intervene militarily in Syria. "THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT," he wrote on social media.
The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has been designated a terrorist group by the Biden administration.
The US, UK, UN and others consider HTS to be an al-Qaeda affiliate, though HTS says it broke off ties with the Sunni Islamist organisation years ago.
Source:bbc.com
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Passenger arrested after trying to divert flight in Mexico to United States
ByConor Finnegan
December 9, 2024,
A 31-year-old man was arrested for allegedly trying to hijack a Mexican domestic commercial flight and reroute the aircraft to the U.S. Sunday morning, according to Mexican authorities and the airline, Volaris.
At some point after the flight took off this morning from León traveling to Tijuana, the Mexican man -- identified by authorities only as Mario N -- attacked a flight attendant and tried to storm the cockpit.
The plane was diverted to Guadalajara, where the Mexican National Guard arrested him.
It's unclear the exact motive, but Mexico's federal Department of Security said that airline personnel reported the man said that a close relative had been kidnapped and shortly before takeoff he received a death threat if he traveled to Tijuana.
The man was traveling with his wife and two children, Mexican authorities said.
Once the suspect was arrested in Guadalajara, the plane continued on to Tijuana without incident.
Source:abcnews.go.com
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Bermuda’s lawyers and firms recognised in fintech guide
Dec 08, 2024
Bermuda’s legal fraternity has been recognised in the Chambers and Partners Fintech 2025 Guide.
A leading directory for the legal industry, Chambers ranks law firms and their lawyers across 200 jurisdictions worldwide based on independent research and analysis, including client feedback.
The Bermuda offices of Walkers and Carey Olsen were ranked in Band 1, while Appleby was ranked in Band 2.
Natalie Neto, partner and co-head of Walkers’ global fintech group, was ranked in Band 1, while Rachel Nightingale was recognised as “up and coming”.
Partner Steven Rees Davies of Carey Olsen was ranked in Band 1, while counsel Charissa Ball was recognised as “up and coming” and senior associate Alexandra Fox was named for the first time as an “associate to watch”.
Appleby partner Jerome Wilson was ranked in Band 2.
Source:royalgazette.com
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Mideast
How Syria rebels’ stars aligned for Assad’s ouster
December 09, 2024
ISTANBUL/DAMASCUS: After 13 years of civil war, Syria’s opposition militias sensed an opportunity to loosen President Bashar Assad’s grip on power when, about six months ago, they communicated to Turkiye plans for a major offensive and felt they had received its tacit approval, two sources with knowledge of the planning said. Launched barely two weeks ago, the operation’s speedy success in achieving its initial goal — seizing Syria’s second city, Aleppo — took almost everybody by surprise. From there, in a little more than a week, the rebel alliance reached Damascus and on Sunday put an end to five decades of Assad family rule. The lightning advance relied on an almost perfect alignment of stars for the forces opposed to Assad: his army was demoralized and exhausted; his main allies, Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, were severely weakened by conflict with Israel; and his other key military supporter, Russia, was distracted and losing interest.
There was no way the rebels could go ahead without first notifying Turkiye, which has been a main backer of the Syrian opposition from the war’s earliest days, said the sources, a diplomat in the region and a member of the Syrian opposition.
Turkiye has troops on the ground in northwest Syria, and provides support to some of the rebels who were intending to take part, including the Syrian National Army (SNA) — though it considers the main faction in the alliance, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), to be a terror group. The rebels’ bold plan was the brainchild of HTS and its leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, the diplomat said.
Because of his former ties to Al-Qaeda, Golani is designated as a terrorist by Washington, Europe and Turkiye. However, over the past decade, HTS, previously known as the Nusra Front, has tried to moderate its image, while running a quasi-state centered on Idlib, where, experts say, it levied taxes on commercial activities and the population.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s government, which struck a deal with Russia in 2020 to de-escalate fighting in northwestern Syria, has long opposed such a major rebel offensive, fearing it would lead to a new wave of refugees crossing its border.
However, the rebels sensed a stiffening of Ankara’s stance toward Assad earlier this year, the sources said, after he rebuffed repeated overtures from Erdogan aimed at advancing a political solution to the military stalemate, which has left Syria divided between the regime and a patchwork of rebel groups with an array of foreign backers.
The Syrian opposition source said the rebels had shown Turkiye details of the planning, after Ankara’s attempts to engage Assad had failed.
The message was: “That other path hasn’t worked for years — so try ours. You don’t have to do anything, just don’t intervene.” Reuters was unable to determine the exact nature of the communications. Hadi Al-Bahra, head of the internationally-recognized Syrian opposition abroad, told Reuters last week that HTS and SNA had had “limited” planning together ahead of the operation and agreed to “achieve cooperation and not clash with each other.” He added that Turkiye’s military saw what the armed groups were doing and discussing.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking in Doha on Sunday, said Erdogan’s effort in recent months to reach out to Assad failed and Turkiye “knew something was coming.”
However, Turkiye’s deputy minister for foreign affairs, Nuh Yilmaz, told a conference on Middle Eastern affairs in Bahrain on Sunday that Ankara was not behind the offensive, and did not provide its consent, saying it was concerned about instability.
Turkiye’s foreign and defense ministries did not respond directly to Reuters questions about an HTS-Ankara understanding about the Aleppo operation. In reply to questions about Turkiye’s awareness of battlefield preparations, a Turkish official told Reuters that the HTS “does not receive orders or direction from us (and) does not coordinate its operations with us either.”
The official said that “in that sense” it would not be correct to say that the operation in Aleppo was carried out with Turkiye’s approval or green light. Turkish intelligence agency MIT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reuters was unable to reach a representative for HTS.
VULNERABLE
The rebels struck when Assad was at his most vulnerable.
Distracted by wars elsewhere, his military allies Russia, Iran, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah failed to mobilize the kind of decisive firepower that had propped him up for years.
Syria’s weak armed forces were unable to resist. A regime source told Reuters that tanks and planes were left with no fuel because of corruption and looting — an illustration of just how hollowed out the Syrian state had become.
Over the past two years morale had severely eroded in the army, said the source, who requested anonymity because of fear of retribution.
Aron Lund, a fellow at Century International, a Middle-East focused think-tank, said the HTS-led coalition was stronger and more coherent than any previous rebel force during the war, “and a lot of that is Abu Mohammed Al-Golani’s doing.” But, he said, the regime’s weakness was the deciding factor.
“After they lost Aleppo like that, regime forces never recovered and the more the rebels advanced, the weaker Assad’s army got,” he said.
The pace of the rebel advances, with Hama being captured on Dec. 5 and Homs falling on or around Sunday at the same time government forces lost Damascus, exceeded expectations.
“There was a window of opportunity but no one expected the regime to crumble this fast. Everyone expected some fight,” said Bassam Al-Kuwatli, president of the Syrian Liberal Party, a small opposition group, who is based outside Syria.
A US official said on condition of anonymity that while Washington had been aware of Turkiye’s overall support for the rebels, it was not informed of any tacit Turkish approval for the Aleppo offensive. The White House National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Turkiye’s role.
US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday said that Russia’s abandonment of Assad led to his downfall, adding that Moscow never should have protected him in the first place and then lost interest because of a war in Ukraine that never should have started.
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday noted his country’s role in weakening Hezbollah, which sources told Reuters withdrew its remaining troops from Syria on Saturday.
GAZA FALLOUT
Sources familiar with Hezbollah deployments said the Iran-backed group, which propped up Assad early in the war, had already withdrawn many of its elite fighters from Syria over the last year to support the group as it waged hostilities with Israel — a conflict that spilled over from the Gaza war. Israel dealt Hezbollah heavy blows, particularly after launching an offensive in September, killing the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah and many of its commanders and fighters. The rebel offensive in Syria began the same day as a ceasefire came into effect in the Lebanon conflict on Nov. 27. The sources familiar with Hezbollah said it did not want to engage in big battles in Syria as the group focused on starting a long road to recovery from the heavy blows.
For the rebel alliance, the withdrawal of Hezbollah presented a valuable opportunity. “We just wanted a fair fight between us and the regime,” the Syrian opposition source said.
Assad’s fall marks a major blow to Iranian influence in the Middle East, coming so swiftly after the killing of Nasrallah and the damage done by Israel to Hezbollah.
Turkiye, on the other hand, now appears to be Syria’s most powerful external player, with troops on the ground and access to the rebel leaders.
In addition to securing the return of Syrian refugees, Turkiye’s objectives include curbing the power of Syrian Kurdish groups that control wide areas of northeast Syria and are backed by the United States. Ankara deems them to be terrorists.
As part of the initial offensive, the Turkiye-backed SNA seized swathes of territory, including the city of Tel Refaat, from US-backed Kurdish forces. On Sunday, a Turkish security source said the rebels entered the northern city of Manbij after pushing the Kurds back again.
“Turkiye is the biggest outside winner here. Erdogan turned out to be on the right — or at least winning — side of history here because his proxies in Syria won the day,” said Birol Baskan, Turkiye-based political scientist and former non-resident scholar at Middle East Institute.
Source:arabnews.com
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Across Europe, Syrians celebrate being ‘free’ of Assad
December 08, 2024
BERLIN: Thousands of jubilant Syrians rallied in Berlin and cities across Europe on Sunday, waving flags and barely able to contain their joy at the downfall of president Bashar Assad.
“Finally we are free!” exclaimed Bassam Al-Hamada, 39, among 5,000 people at an exuberant rally in the capital of Germany, where the one million-plus Syrians makes it the largest diaspora in Europe.
But Syrians in Athens, Belgrade, Istanbul, London, Paris, Stockholm, Vienna also waved flags in the green, red, black and white colors of the Syrian opposition and made clear their hostility to Assad.
Berlin police said more than 5,000 Syrians gathered in a square in the Kreuzberg district.
Many waved flags and banners that read “Free Syria” and “Freedom,” flashed “V” for victory signs and chanted “Allahu Akbar!” (God is Greatest!).
Despite a cold drizzle, many came with their families. Children’s faces were painted in the Syrian colors. Passing cars honked their horns.
Most Syrians in Germany fled their country after civil war erupted in 2011. A big community now lives in Berlin’s Neukoelln district.
“We’re happy. The dictatorship is over. Assad has gone,” said 39-year-old Berlin resident Ahmed, who preferred not to give his last name.
“All Syrians are together now,” said the railway technician, who fled the Syrian city of Aleppo in 2015.
Ahmad Al-Hallabi, a 27-year-old mechanic from Aleppo, arrived in Germany through Turkiye and Greece in 2015 at the peak of the migrant influx into Europe.
“Ten years ago, I was in Syria and saw things no-one should have to see, things that are impossible to wipe from your memory,” he said.
“Assad is the worst terrorist imaginable ... I hope there’ll be peace and everything Assad and his men destroyed will be rebuilt.”
Germany’s far-right, which has gained popularity on the back of its opposition to the arrival of Syrians and other migrants quickly raised its fears about more arrivals.
“The frontiers are closed, we will not accept any any more,” said Alternative for Germany co-leader Alice Weidel on the X social platform.
Anti-immigrant parties have also made gains in other European countries. “The top priority must be to ensure that the Syrian civilian population has prospects on the ground again and that refugees can return,” Austria’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Assad’s defeat.
Many Syrian say they want to return to their war-battered nation.
“Like many Syrians, I would like to return to my country to help rebuild it,” said Bassam Al-Hamada, a social worker who arrived in Germany in early 2016.
Sabreen, 36, an architect, said she planned to help from Germany.
“They mainly need expertise and money. All of that, we can gather here for the moment,” added the woman.
Like many of the stunned exiles in Berlin, Sabreen called for Assad to answer for the killing and torture of his people in the past 13 years. “He must be tried in the international court in The Hague,” she said.
Hundreds of ecstatic Syrians celebrated the fall of Assad on London’s Trafalgar Square, hugging each other and chanting “Mabrouk!” (Congratulations!).
Syrians greeted each other, many with the opposition flag, and singing: “Syria is ours, not the Assad family’s.”
Hundreds took part in joyous scenes outside the Fatih Mosque in Istanbul, one of the focal points for their 500,000-strong Syrian community in the Turkish city.
Several hundred Syrians also gathered outside parliament in central Athens. “Allah, Syria, freedom!” and “together, together, together,” they chanted.
“I am happy after these 13 years of displacement, massacres and tens of thousands of people killed in prisons,” said Adel Batal, 29.
“I am in Greece because of this regime,” said the man from Aleppo. “My city has been destroyed by this regime.”
Thousands also gathered in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Vienna. Sweden has Europe’s second biggest Syrian diaspora.
“I lost my homeland. My home, my family and my friends, and we fought for 14 years — so yes, today I am happy,” Noura Bittar told Danish local television.
“Of course, we are worried about what the next step will be, what kind of government will be put in place? But for now, we are just happy.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Mikati urges Lebanese ‘to show wisdom and calm during critical time’
NAJIA HOUSSARI
December 08, 2024
BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati stressed the need to tighten control over the border and distance Lebanon from the repercussions of the developments in Syria on Sunday.
Mikati discussed the situation at the Syrian border in a call with Gen. Joseph Aoun, head of the Armed Forces, and other security chiefs.
Lebanon currently hosts around 2 million Syrians, while more than 800,000 are registered with the UN. Many fled Syria after its civil war began in 2011.
Mikati called on the “Lebanese people, of all affiliations, to show wisdom and avoid provocations, especially at this critical time for our country.”
He urged communication with the National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared in Lebanon and the committee addressing the issue of Lebanese detainees in Syria.
He requested the use of all available resources to contact the relevant parties for the release of hundreds of prisoners in Syrian prisons.
Recent developments in Syria, including the opening of prisons by opposition factions and the release of all detainees, along with videos on social media showing alleged Lebanese prisoners previously considered missing, have sparked widespread anger in Lebanon.
On Sunday, Lebanese citizen Marwan Nouh, who had been imprisoned in Syria, returned to Arsal, Lebanon.
The president of the Committee of Families of the Kidnapped and Disappeared in Lebanon, Wadad Halwani, called on Lebanese authorities to follow up on this issue, especially since Syrian officials had long denied the presence of Lebanese prisoners in Syrian prisons.
In Tripoli, Sidon, and parts of Beirut, people celebrated the fall of the Syrian regime.
The Lebanese Army Command took security measures “to prevent any threat to civil peace.”
Social media activists circulated a video showing a group of Lebanese youth storming the Arab socialist Baath party’s office in Akkar, northern Lebanon, and removing posters of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
Also on Sunday, many pro-regime Syrian families, along with Lebanese families who had been living in Syria, namely in Rablah and surrounding villages, entered Lebanon.
Hezbollah in Bekaa sent out a message urging the residents of the pro-Hezbollah Baalbek-Hermel region to welcome them.
Amid these developments, an Israeli airstrike hit the eastern ridge between Qoussaya and Anjar.
Early on Sunday, hundreds of Syrians gathered at Masnaa Border Crossing with Syria, waiting for the Lebanese General Security’s to open it.
Many more closely followed the rapid military developments in their homeland through television and social media.
Around 400,000 Syrians returned home from Lebanon during the Israeli assault on southern Lebanon, which lasted for 64 days.
In Arsal, a border town in eastern Lebanon whose terrain overlaps with Syria and includes the most significant number of Syrian refugee camps, people emerged from their tents at dawn and began chanting enthusiastic slogans.
One camp official, Abu Mohammed, told Arab News that people had not slept.
“We toured these camps in the Qalamoun region, Qusayr, and its countryside. All the people want to return, but we look forward to an orderly exit from Lebanon.”
He said that the refugee committees submitted a request to the relevant authorities in Lebanon to inquire about the procedures for return.
“We have been informed that those wishing to leave Lebanon may do so only once without possibly returning.
“Departure can occur through Al-Zamrani crossing on the outskirts of Arsal, a natural geographical passage and not an official crossing, or via Al-Matraba crossing in Hermel, an unofficial route.
“The former leads refugees to Qalamoun, while the latter directs them to Qusayr.”
The General Directorate of General Security in Lebanon said it would provide all necessary facilities to return Syrians to Lebanon.
It noted that the repeated Israeli assaults on the land border crossings, particularly in the north, have led to the closure of these crossings until further notice to ensure the safety of travelers and entrants.
Consequently, Masnaa Border Crossing remains open for the place of entry and exit, especially for Syrian nationals, under the previously issued temporary exceptional measures and instructions.
As of Sunday afternoon, around 1,500 Syrians crossed from Lebanon into Syria at Masnaa Border Crossing.
Conversely, the crossing experienced a significant influx of Syrians entering Lebanon, either to utilize Beirut Airport for travel or due to having residency permits or sponsors under the procedures established by Lebanon.
The Military Operations Management in Syria confirmed the withdrawal of Hezbollah from Al-Qusayr and Homs towards Lebanon.
The Lebanese Armed Forces announced the deployment of reinforcements to the Lebanese border north of the town of Al-Qaa following reports of the evacuation of Syrian security and customs personnel from their positions.
Dalal Harb, the spokesperson and Communications Officer for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, told Arab News about the measures UNHCR can implement to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon to Syria.
She said it is aware of reports of Syrians returning from Lebanon, with some movements reported through Masnaa crossing in Bekaa.
According to the Lebanese General Security Office, measures have been announced to facilitate returns to Syria.
Harb said: “We closely monitor these developments and remain in contact with the relevant authorities. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Head of Muslim scholars’ body hails Turkish president after fall of Syria’s Assad regime
09.12.2024
The Secretary-General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) hailed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday for his efforts following the fall of Syria’s Assad regime.
Ali Mohammad Al-Sallabi prayed for President Erdogan, praising him on his social media account.
"President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Türkiye is a blessing from Allah to the Turkish people and to defenseless populations. O Allah, elevate his name among those who bring reform,” he said.
“The sun of freedom is shining in Syria, and we pray to Allah to grant them security, stability, justice and peace,” he added, noting that the Syrian people have liberated the country with unity and discipline.
"The guilty have fled and the regime has fallen. Free Syrians are entering Damascus, declaring victory,” he added.
After a period of relative calm, clashes between Assad regime forces and anti-regime groups reignited on Nov. 27 in rural areas west of Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria.
Over 10 days, opposition forces launched a lightning offensive, capturing key cities and then on Sunday the capital, Damascus. The rapid advance, supported by defecting military units, led to the collapse of the Assad regime after 13 years of civil war.
Source:aa.com.tr
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Bewildered, elated prisoners pour out as Assad’s jails flung open
December 08, 2024
DAMASCUS: Bewildered and elated prisoners poured out of Syrian jails on Sunday, shouting with joy as they emerged from one of the world’s most notorious detention systems and walked to freedom following the collapse of Bashar Assad’s government.
All across Syria, families wept as they were reunited with children, siblings, spouses and parents who vanished years ago into the impregnable gulag of the Assad dynasty’s five-decade rule.
A video verified by Reuters showed newly freed prisoners ran through the Damascus streets, holding up the fingers of both hands to show how many years they had been in prison, asking passers-by what had happened, not immediately understanding that Assad had fallen.
“We toppled the regime!” a voice shouted and a prisoner yelled and skipped with delight in the same video. A man watching the prisoners rush through the dawn streets put his hands to head, exclaiming with wonder: “Oh my god, the prisoners!“
Throughout the civil war that began in 2011, security forces held hundreds of thousands of people seized in detention camps where international human rights organizations say torture was universal practice. Families were often told nothing of the fate of their loved ones.
As insurgents seized one city after another in a dizzying eight-day campaign, prisons were often among their first objectives. The most notorious prisons in and around Damascus itself were finally opened on the uprising’s final night and the early hours of Sunday.
When they reached Sednaya prison, militants shot the lock off the gate, a video showed, using more gunfire to open closed doors leading to cells. Men poured out into corridors and a courtyard, cheering and helping them open more cells.
In a video uploaded by Step News Agency, a grey-haired man leapt into the arms of relatives in a sudden, disbelieving hug, the three men clasping each other and sobbing with joy before one fell to his knees, still clutching the freed man’s legs.
The pan-Arab Al Arabiya news channel showed a family arriving in Damascus by car from Jordan to meet their newly released son, the elderly mother’s voice breaking with emotion as she told the interviewer he had been freed after 14 years.
Reuters was not immediately able to verify the locations of some of the videos, though no one disputed that prisons were opened across the country.
Relief and terror
In what was purported to be the women’s block at Sednaya prison on the Damascus outskirts, perhaps the most notorious in the country, a militant recorded the moment he reached cells and pulled open the doors for prisoners who seemed to have had little idea they were about to be freed.
“May God honor you!” a woman shouted to the men freeing her. As they left their cells a toddler could be seen walking the corridor, having apparently been held in the prison along with his mother.
“He (Assad) has fallen. Don’t be scared,” a voice shouts, trying to reassure the prisoners that they faced no more danger.
In another video, a deafening roar erupted as militants marched down a corridor, said to be in the prison at Mezzeh air base southwest of the old center of Damascus. Prisoners leaned through the bars at the top of doors and banged on the sides of their cells as shouts of joy echoed all around.
One video showed a shaven-headed man squatting on his heels, trembling and barely able to answer the militants asking his name and where he was from.
Over the years, thousands of Syrians were brusquely informed by authorities that their relatives had been executed, sometimes years earlier.
The United States said in 2017 it had evidence of a new crematorium built at Sednaya especially to dispose of bodies of thousands of inmates hanged during the war.
Some of the most disturbing information about Assad’s prison system came with thousands of photographs smuggled out of Syria by a military photographer codenamed Caesar who defected to the West in 2013.
His photographs of thousands of killed detainees showed clear marks of torture and starvation and for many families provided the first evidence that imprisoned relatives were dead.
A few miles from Sednaya early on Sunday, a stream of freed prisoners was recorded walking toward Damascus, many lugging sacks of belongings on their backs, and chanting “God is great!”
Source:arabnews.com
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Monitor says Israel hit arms depots in Syria’s east
December 09, 2024
BEIRUT, Lebanon: Israel launched strikes on weapons depots in the country’s east on Sunday, a war monitor said, after rebels toppled Bashar Assad’s government earlier Sunday.
“Israel has conducted air strikes on weapon depots and positions that belonged to the defunct regime and Iran-backed groups in the eastern Deir Ezzor province,” Rami Abdel Rahman who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP. He reported “increased Israeli strikes” on such targets since President Bashar Assad fled the country as rebels seized the capital.
Source:arabnews.com
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26 killed as Syrian Turkish-backed groups attack Kurdish-held area in north
December 09, 2024
BEIRUT, Lebanon: At least 26 combattants were killed Sunday as Turkish-backed Syrian fighters launched an offensive on the northern Manbij area, days after seizing a Kurdish-held enclave.
The pro-Turkiye fighters had already retaken the Kurdish-held Tal Rifaat enclave last week, days after rebels swooped into government-held areas, snatching key cities before reaching Damascus on Sunday.
“Pro-Turkish factions... seized large districts of Manbij city in the eastern Aleppo countryside, after violent clashes with the Manbij Military Council,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said.
The Council is affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that act as a de facto army for the Kurdish administration that controls swathes of Syria’s northeast.
“The clashes killed nine pro-Turkish fighters and at least 17 Manbij Military Council” combattants, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria.
The US-backed SDF also reported “fierce clashes,” saying the military councils in Manbij and in Al-Bab were “dealing qualitative blows” to Turkish-backed fighters.
The Ankara-backed factions said they had “taken control of the city of Manbij in the eastern countryside of Aleppo after fierce battles,” in a statement on their Telegram channel.
The groups posted videos of the fighters declaring control over Manbij, said to be from inside the area.
AFP could not independently verify the videos.
Earlier Sunday, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi hailed “historic” moments with the fall of the “authoritarian regime” of President Bashar Assad.
Source:arabnews.com
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Director of key north Gaza hospital says power outage threatens patients
December 09, 2024
GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: The director of northern Gaza’s Kamal Adwan hospital said on Sunday the lives of more than 100 patients were in danger after electricity, oxygen and water supplies were cut.
Hossam Abu Safiyeh said recent Israeli shelling and bombing had severely damaged the hospital and cut the water and electricity supply to parts of it.
“The outage of electricity and water persists, and we urgently appeal to the international community for assistance,” he said.
“The situation is extremely dangerous. We have patients in the intensive care unit and others awaiting surgeries. Access to the operating rooms is only possible after restoring electricity and oxygen supply.”
Safiyeh said the hospital currently had 112 wounded patients, including six in intensive care and 14 children.
Continued shelling near the hospital was “preventing us from conducting repairs,” he said.
Israel on Friday said it was operating around the facility but had not fired directly on the hospital.
Kamal Adwan is located in Beit Lahia, a city at the center of an intense Israeli military operation aimed at preventing Hamas from regrouping in northern Gaza.
The hospital is one of the last operational medical facilities in the north of the territory.
The World Health Organization’s representative in the Palestinian territories, Rik Peeperkorn, said on Friday the hospital was operating at a “minimum” level.
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’s surprise October 7, 2023 attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 44,708 people, mostly civilians, according to figures from the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry which the UN considers reliable.
Source:arabnews.com
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia says it is satisfied with steps taken to ensure safety of Syrian people
December 08, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has followed recent developments in Syria and is satisfied with the positive steps that have been taken to ensure the safety of the Syrian people, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
The Kingdom is also satisfied with steps taken to stop bloodshed in the country and preserve its institutions and capabilities, the ministry added in a statement.
The ministry affirmed the Kingdom’s support for the Syrian people and their choices at this critical stage in Syria’s history, and called for concerted efforts to preserve the unity of the country and its people, in a way that protects Syria from slipping into chaos and division.
The ministry also affirmed the Kingdom’s support for everything that would achieve the security and stability of Syria in a way that preserves its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
The Kingdom calls on the international community to stand by the Syrian people and cooperate with them in everything that serves Syria, and to refrain from interfering in its internal affairs.
It said supporting Syria at this stage is extremely important to help it overcome the woes that the Syrian people have suffered over the course of many years, during which foreign militias have ravaged Syria to impose foreign agendas on its people.
It is time for the Syrian people to enjoy the dignified life they deserve, and for all its elements to contribute to shaping a bright future of security, stability, and prosperity, the statement said.
Source:arabnews.com
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New Qatif Promenade Beckons Locals With Coastal Views, Diverse Flavours
HIND ALKHUNAIZI
December 08, 2024
DHAHRAN: Nestled in the vibrant Al-Shubaili neighbourhood of Qatif, C Front emerges like a jewel along the coast, shimmering against the backdrop of the sea and the picturesque Qatif Corniche.
With 60 commercial units offering everything from trendy boutiques to delightful eateries, C Front promises shopping, dining, and entertainment catering to different tastes.
Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a lively atmosphere where the salty breeze mingles with the aroma of diverse cuisines.
The project boasts a beautiful 2-km promenade for families and friends to stroll along while enjoying captivating views of the glistening waters and lively community.
Enhanced by dancing fountains and spectacular lighting and sound systems, the promenade transforms ordinary shopping trips into extraordinary experiences.
Currently, C FRONT also features exciting pop-up shops that are available until Dec. 14.
These include local abaya designers, clothing shops, Arab perfumes, gold jewelry, frankincense from Oman, dried fruits, books, and a diverse range of restaurants serving sweet delights like chocolate and ice cream, as well as savory options like tacos and burgers.
There is also a play area and an “Ice Kingdom” where kids can play with snow.
While the pop-up shops are temporary, the permanent stores will remain open, promising a wealth of choices, including cafes, food outlets, and family-friendly options.
“The vision for developing C Front is to create a comprehensive destination that reflects the aspirations of Qatif and aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in supporting economic and social development,” said Khaled Al-Rasoul Shahab, executive director of Al-Seef Al-Sharqi Co.
Laila Abualsaud, co-owner of Tree Optics with her husband, expressed her enthusiasm for being involved in this exciting project.
“Tree Optics was founded to deliver an exceptional eyewear shopping experience, emphasizing creativity and quality. We are proud to be the first store to open in the unique C Front location,” she told Arab News.
Speaking about what is to come, Shahab said, “We plan to host a series of recreational and cultural events at C Front, including seasonal markets, live performances, and activities for all ages.
“Collaborations with local and international brands will further enhance its appeal as a key destination in Qatif.”
He also highlighted the range of businesses at C Front: “The project features a diverse lineup of restaurants, cafes, fashion shops, and the first hotel in Qatif, elevating service standards and enhancing the shopping experience with numerous options for visitors.”
Discussing C Front’s architectural choices, he added, “C Front features an innovative blend of modernity and Qatif’s coastal character, inspired by the natural environment.
“Its design emphasizes open spaces and visitors’ comfort while reflecting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 by focusing on quality design and showcasing local identity.”
Alseef Alsharqi Co., a multi-activity firm engaged in real estate development, investment, and contracting, and Ryadah, an investment and real estate marketing company specializing in facilities and property management, both played crucial roles in bringing C Front to fruition.
Saudi Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majed Al-Hogail and Eastern Province Secretary Fahd Al-Jubair recently visited C Front as part of a broader exploration of development projects and investment opportunities in the area.
Source:arabnews.com
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Diversity, creativity steal the spotlight at Noor Riyadh festival
HEBSHI ALSHAMMARI
December 08, 2024
RIYADH: Arab media professionals attending the Noor Riyadh festival have highlighted the significant artistic activity in Saudi Arabia, noting that the movement drives creativity and innovation in the Kingdom’s contemporary arts scene.
Noor Riyadh serves as a platform for cultural exchange, aligning with Riyadh Art’s goal of nurturing local talent and boosting the capital’s cultural economy.
The festival, held under the theme “Light Years Apart” until Dec. 14, features artworks by over 60 artists across three hubs: King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifa, and JAX District.
Some 43 international artists from countries including Australia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Turkiye, the UK, the UAE, and the US are showcasing their work, in addition to 18 Saudi artists.
Sara Al-Abri, a journalist at Oman’s newspaper Al Roya, told Arab News that the festival stood out for its diverse artworks, with the use of modern technologies like digital lighting and interactive art creating a unique experience.
She said: “What particularly caught my attention was the innovative integration of art and technology, adding depth and beauty to the venue.”
She added that the event also embodied Saudi Vision 2030, which promotes culture and the arts.
“I noticed a growing interest in contemporary and digital arts in Saudi Arabia, alongside traditional arts,” she said.
Mohammed Alafthan, TRT World correspondent in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), said contemporary arts in the Kingdom were making enormous strides and almost racing against time to keep up with global advancements, adding: “Saudi society, in all its segments, has a deep appreciation for creativity and visual arts.
“The integration of the Kingdom’s ancient civilization with contemporary arts added a magical touch to the Noor Riyadh Festival.”
Ahmed Al-Fadalah, a writer for Bahrain’s newspaper Al Ayam, said: “The event was truly stunning. I was impressed by the diversity of the artistic forms displayed, reflecting the immense creativity of Saudi artists.”
Al-Fadalah highlighted the high quality of the displayed works, and added: “(This) indicates noticeable development in the local art scene.
“An event like Noor Riyadh demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s commitment to driving creativity and innovation in contemporary arts.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia to host Arabic day events in New York
December 08, 2024
RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, in collaboration with the permanent mission of Saudi Arabia to the UN in New York, will stage events from Dec. 9 to 11 at UN headquarters to celebrate World Arabic Language Day.
This year’s theme is “Arabic Language and AI — Advancing Innovation While Preserving Cultural Heritage,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Held under the patronage of Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the event will welcome high-ranking international and diplomatic figures.
This marks the fourth consecutive year of the celebration, which displays the academy’s efforts to promote Arabic in global organizations and highlights Saudi Arabia’s dedication to preserving the language’s cultural and scientific heritage.
The event will include a panel discussion titled “Arabic Translation at the UN,” featuring international experts, and a virtual training course on “Arabic Translation Skills for Diplomatic Purposes” for UN staff.
An Arabic Language Exhibition will feature artistic works and digital displays focused on the language’s beauty, history, and impact on other civilizations. It will reflect Saudi culture’s authenticity while introducing the academy’s activities and publications.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia and UK forge deeper ties in trade, tourism and innovation
TAMARA ABOALSAUD AND MANAL AL-BARAKATI
December 08, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom are solidifying their partnership through expanded collaborations in key sectors, including finance, trade, tourism and innovation.
The strategic alignment reflects both countries’ shared aspirations for economic growth and diversification, with Saudi Arabia leveraging its Vision 2030 initiative and the UK seeking stronger ties in the Gulf region.
Recent high-level discussions underscore a mutual commitment to bolstering bilateral trade, setting ambitious targets, and fostering cross-industry synergies.
These efforts are underpinned by cultural exchanges, increased tourism flows, and cooperative initiatives in emerging sectors such as clean technology and heritage preservation.
According to data from the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade, total trade in goods and services with Saudi Arabia reached £17.6 billion ($22.4 billion) in the year ending March 2024.
During a top ministerial meeting in Riyadh in September between Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Qasabi and the UK’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds, officials discussed a target to increase bilateral trade to £30 billion ($39.6 billion) by 2030.
After the meeting, Al-Qasabi noted the implementation of 79 initiatives in 13 economic sectors to strengthen Saudi-British relations that have led to more than 30 percent growth between 2018 and 2023.
“Economic growth is this government’s driving mission, and boosting trade and investment with some of the world’s biggest economies is crucial to that,” Reynolds said in a statement.
The Kingdom was the UK’s 23rd largest trading partner in the four quarters to the end of the year’s first quarter, accounting for 1 percent of total UK trade.
Chairwoman of the Saudi British Joint Business Council Jennie Gubbins spoke to Arab News in November 2023 and said that bilateral trade between Saudi Arabia and the UK had increased 68 percent in the previous year.
She said at the time: “This is just a really exciting time. The relationship between Saudi Arabia and the UK, I think, is better than I’ve ever seen it, and I’ve been working between the UK and the Middle East for a long time.
“People who don’t know what’s going on in Saudi Arabia think maybe it’s oil stuff. but it’s all about … a huge growth in the technology (sector). Things like clean tech, fintech, healthtech, huge interest in all of those things,” Gubbins said.
She also said that the council uses Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 as a “blueprint” to direct them toward the areas to focus on with continual growth.
Gubbins highlighted that Saudi mega-project NEOM opening its first international office in London is not surprising considering that Britons are the second-largest group of expatriates working at NEOM.
During a November event at the British Embassy, Neil Crompton, the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, pointed out that the partnership between the two countries has expanded from traditional defense partnerships to include variable sectors such as tourism, people-to-people relations, and sports, especially since Vision 2030 was announced.
The tourism sector is an area of promising growth, with more British sports personalities, such as the cricketer Kevin Pietersen, visiting Saudi Arabia and many Saudis regularly traveling to London for holidays.
“I think the affection between the two countries is amazing,” Crompton said. “Since we introduced the visa waiver system in June 2022, over 500,000 Saudis have used it to go to London, in addition to the 100,000 who already had a 10-year visa or another passport.”
At the Great Futures Conference in May, the Saudi Tourism Authority and VisitBritain, the UK’s national tourism agency, signed a declaration of intent to develop and grow tourism.
VisitBritain has predicted there will be 240,000 visitors to the UK from Saudi Arabia this year, a 9 percent increase from 2019.
At the event, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb said that the Kingdom had welcomed more than 165,600 British tourists and issued 560,462 e-visas for British visitors since 2019.
The former UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport Lucy Frazer told Arab News: “We’ve always had a very strong relationship, but that relationship is getting closer as Saudi Arabia undergoes this huge societal and economic change.”
She added: “It’s so dynamic and it’s got so many ambitions for the future. And in the UK, we would like to be a strong partner in that. So we’re collaborating in a number of areas sharing knowledge, sharing expertise, sharing best practice.”
A heritage agreement between Historic England and the Saudi Ministry of Culture was also discussed to encourage joint training and sharing expertise in terms of the restoration of palaces and historic buildings.
Source:arabnews.com
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Misk Foundation Headquarters Awarded WELL Certificate For Innovative Design
December 09, 2024
RIYADH: The headquarters of the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation, also known as the Misk Foundation, received the WELL gold certificate on Sunday for its innovative urban design.
The globally recognized certificate is given by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) which aims to encourage organizations to prioritize health and well-being through building design.
The acclaimed headquarters is in the Mohammed bin Salman Nonprofit City, also known as Misk City, in Riyadh.
The WELL certificate acknowledged that Misk's headquarters is a role model and center for innovative urban design in Saudi Arabia, committed to creating sustainable urban spaces that focus on human health and well-being.
IWBI's certificate considers various elements in the urban and building design such as air quality, water purity, light, temperature and insulation, contact with nature, and flow of movement.
The Misk Foundation's headquarters have integrated these WELL elements to provide a healthy and supportive working environment for its employees, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
This latest accomplishment is in line with Misk Foundation's current pursuit of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certificate which would further strengthen Misk's position as a model for healthy and green design in the Middle East.
Source:arabnews.com
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Award launched to improve tourism standards in Arab countries
HEBSHI ALSHAMMARI
December 08, 2024
RIYADH: A new award has been launched with the aim of improving the quality of tourist offerings in the Arab world.
A memorandum of cooperation launching the Tourism Quality Award was signed by Bandar Al-Fuhaid, president of the Arab Tourism Organization, and Talal Mandoura, CEO of the Quality Applications Co., according to a statement issued on Sunday.
The Arab Tourism Organization said that the award is part of its efforts to enhance the quality of tourism services and contribute to sustainable tourism development.
It will include a comprehensive evaluation of various aspects of the tourism sector, ranging from regulations and laws to the quality of services provided to tourists.
Judging focuses on eight main areas: the quality of regulations and laws, tourism services and products, tourism management, tourist destinations, transportation, accommodation and restaurants, tours and guides, as well as management and knowledge transfer.
“The company will develop training and qualification programs for individuals and institutions to enable them to apply tourism quality and excellence standards,” Mandoura told Arab News.
The award will require effective governance to ensure its transparency and credibility and to achieve its intended goals, he explained.
Khaled Al-Akwa, the award’s technical director, told Arab News that it will motivate tourism institutions to adopt global best practices and develop their products and services to meet the growing needs of tourists.
He explained how the award will create a healthy competitive environment among institutions and boost investment.
“The Tourism Quality Award is a crucial step to boost (the) Arab tourism sector. By applying the principles of good governance, this award can achieve its desired goals of elevating the level of tourism services and enhancing the position of Arab tourism globally,” Al-Akwa said.
Source:arabnews.com
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Minister receives newly appointed Japanese envoy to Saudi Arabia
December 08, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of State and Cabinet member Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz received the newly appointed Japanese Ambassador to the Kingdom Morino Yusanari in Riyadh on Sunday.
During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in various fields.
Prince Turki also wished the Japanese ambassador success in his new duties.
Source:arabnews.com
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Southeast Asia
Johor police: Teen alleges rape by charity home caretaker in Kulai since she was 13, leading to pregnancy, claims baby was sold
By Malay Mail
09 Dec 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — A 17-year-old girl has alleged that she endured two years of rape by the caretaker of a charity home, leading to her pregnancy and the birth of a child in 2022.
The victim claimed the 59-year-old caretaker sold her baby to a couple in Perak and continued the abuse after the delivery.
According to documents, including a police report cited by the New Straits Times, the victim said, “After delivering my baby, the suspect forced me to give up the newborn.”
She alleged that the abuse began in 2020 when she was 13 years old and that the caretaker, along with workers at the home, warned her against revealing the abuse or her child’s existence.
Human rights activist D. Arun said the victim confided in a visitor to the home last month, which prompted the matter to be reported to authorities.
“A police report was lodged at the Kulai police station on November 29, and the Johor Welfare Department has taken steps to facilitate investigations,” Arun said.
Arun added that he met the victim for three hours to hear her account before bringing the case to the police.
“This is a very tragic case that should never have happened,” Arun said, adding that the victim has “expressed her determination to reclaim her child.”
The victim also alleged that the suspect prevented her from attending school between 2020 and 2022, allowing the abuse to continue.
The Johor Welfare Department has since placed the victim and her two-year-old child under its care.
Kulai police chief Assistant Commissioner Tan Seng Lee confirmed the suspect’s arrest on November 30.
“Following the report lodged on Nov 29, an investigative team went to the home in Taman Mas at 3am and arrested the suspect,” Tan said.
He added, “Preliminary checks revealed that the alleged incidents occurred over a span of two years while the victim was under his care.”
Tan said the suspect is under remand until tomorrow.
Source:malaymail.com
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Johor police detain 189 individuals in ‘Op Noda Khas’ crackdown
BERNAMA
09-12- 2024
JOHOR BAHRU: Police have arrested 189 individuals, including 177 foreign nationals, in six raids conducted under the ‘Op Noda Khas’ operations around Johor Bahru and Iskandar Puteri, from Friday until yesterday.
Johor police chief Datuk M Kumar said that the operation, involving 14 senior officers and 54 junior officers, targeted prostitution, guest relation officer (GRO) activities, and criminal gang operations at entertainment centres.
As a result, 11 local men, one woman, 16 foreign men, and 161 foreign women, aged between 18 and 63, were arrested for various offences.
“Initial urine screenings conducted revealed that 16 local men and 12 foreign women tested positive for drugs,” he added.
Authorities also seized a variety of equipment, including mobile phones, payment receipts, microphones, speakers, mixers, televisions, MP3 players, DVDs, amplifiers, remote controls, sashes, and a total of RM2,510 in cash, for further investigation.
In a separate raid at an entertainment centre, Kumar said that police arrested six local men, one local woman, one foreign man, and six foreign women for gambling activities. Authorities also seized RM83,100 in cash, along with gambling equipment.
“All local suspects have been remanded under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code, while foreigners arrested for lacking valid travel documents and for working without permits have been remanded under the Immigration Act 1959/63,“ he said.
The case is being investigated under various sections, including Section 6(2) and Section 11(2) of the Johor Entertainment and Entertainment Places Enactment (ENJ) 4/98; Sections 55B, 6(1)(c), and 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63; Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963; Section 6(1) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, and Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Kumar added that, from January until yesterday, the Johor Criminal Investigation Department had conducted 388 raids at entertainment centres across the state, resulting in the arrest of 1,910 individuals, including 1,699 foreign nationals, for various offences.
“Any information regarding criminal activities can be channelled to the Johor police hotline at 019-279 2095 or the operations room at 07-221 2999,“ he added.
Source:thesun.my
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In 1MDB trial, Najib claims former US AG Loretta Lynch set out to ‘literally to lynch me’
By Ida Lim
09 Dec 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today claimed that the US Department of Justice’s (DoJ) forfeiture action in 2016 to recover more than US$1 billion of 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) assets was a conspiracy between two political parties in the US and Malaysia to change the government.
Testifying in his defence in his 1MDB trial here, Najib also highlighted US DoJ’s 2021 move to block his bid to get access to additional evidence from Goldman Sachs and its former banker Tim Leissner in US courts, which he claimed would exonerate him and help in his defence in the 1MDB trial in Malaysia’s courts.
“I am of the view that the DoJ was so protective of this exculpatory evidence because it must be so beneficial to me that it would directly rebut the wild allegations raised in their civil forfeiture actions, including the US Department of Justice’s civil forfeiture suit filed in 2016, in the case of United States of America v. Wolf of Wall Street Motion Picture.
“I also believe this forfeiture action was politically motivated and orchestrated as part of a collaboration between the United States Democratic Party and the then-opposition party in Malaysia in order to effect a regime change in Malaysia,” he told the High Court here, without naming the then opposition party.
Pakatan Harapan was the opposition coalition in 2016, and is now part of the ruling government.
In 2016 when the US DoJ launched its forfeiture suit, Najib was still the prime minister of Malaysia and heading the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional.
“I further believe that this collaboration was the key motive in obstructing my access to the exculpatory evidence as it would undermine their narrative and expose the untruths in their allegations against me,” he claimed.
Earlier today, when his defence lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah asked him to confirm if the US attorney general at the time, Loretta Lynch, had publicly disclosed related information, Najib replied in the affirmative.
“Yes, it was very well known what Loretta Lynch did, it was literally to lynch me,” he said.
Both Shafee and Najib did not say when Lynch had made such public announcements of evidence related to 1MDB.
On July 20, 2016, then US attorney general Lynch announced the US filing of civil forfeiture complaints — involving over US$3.5 billion allegedly stolen from 1MDB — to recover over US$1 billion assets associated with an international conspiracy launder 1MDB funds. Lynch was US attorney general during the 2015 to 2017 period.
While Najib was concerned that delays in accessing evidence in US courts could possibly prejudicing his defence in his ongoing 1MDB trial in Malaysia, the US DoJ had opposed his bid to get the evidence as it could potentially affect its prosecution in ongoing US criminal proceedings and affect confidentiality of witnesses and evidence in the 1MDB scandal.
Najib confirmed to Shafee that the US DoJ did not specify in 2021 how giving him access to the evidence would affect the prosecution’s strategy and confidentiality of witnesses, before going on to accuse Lynch of literally trying to “lynch” him in 1MDB matters.
Today, Najib said a judge in a New York court had on January 8, 2021 initially granted his request to access alleged exculpatory evidence from Leissner, but had on May 7, 2021 granted the US government’s February 9, 2021 bid to stay or put a pause to this.
The court in New York, US had said this was necessary to protect the integrity of ongoing 1MDB criminal trials in New York involving Low Taek Jho and Roger Ng, and said Naijb’s concerns of delays in getting evidence were outweighed by public interest in safeguarding the US criminal proceedings’ integrity and ensuring the security of witnesses and evidence.
Later when asked by his lawyer Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin about his bid to seek the additional evidence in US courts given the DoJ’s 2016 damning 1MDB allegations against him, Najib claimed that he was confident that the evidence would purportedly clear him of guilt in the 1MDB case.
“Yang Arif, if I were complicit in the defrauding of 1MDB, it would have been totally insane for me to ask for this evidence from the courts, because that would implicate me. I would be insane to have done it.
“On the other hand, it would be more logical for me to try to suppress the evidence. If I were involved, I would suppress, logically I would try, but I want the evidence and I want the evidence to be presented in court. Because I feel totally vindicated, Insya Allah if the evidence was tabled, I feel confidently Insya Allah I would be exonerated,” he said, using the Arabic phrase “Insya Allah” that means “God willing”.
Among other things, Najib had said he is “left to face prosecution in Malaysia with my hands tied” without the evidence which he was seeking in the US on 1MDB officials.
During the lunch break for today’s heading, Shafee held a press conference where he continued speaking about the US DoJ’s 2016 1MDB forfeiture action, as well as on Najib’s unsuccessful bid for the additional evidence.
“We have always believed that this DoJ’s announcement in 2016 was politically-motivated. You remember it was just before the election of 2018, we always believed it was engineered by many persons headed by the US, they wanted a regime change in Malaysia — that was under the Democrats and Obama was then the president and Loretta Lynch was the attorney general.
“Until today, that forfeiture proceedings is never tried, until today, it’s just allegations,” Shafee told reporters in the conference that was also streamed live on Najib’s Facebook page, before accusing the US of being involved in regime changes throughout the world.
Source:malaymail.com
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Deputy minister: Putrajaya aiming to separate AG’s roles ‘at the very least’ next year
By Syed Jaymal Zahiid
09 Dec 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — The government is targeting to separate the powers of the attorney general “at the very least” by next year, the deputy law minister told Parliament today.
M. Kulasegaran said the Cabinet agreed in August 2023 to commission an empirical study first, with an interim report only to be ready by 2025.
“We have the two-thirds (majority) and we can amend Article 145 (of the Federal Constitution), it’s not a problem. But the empirical study must be done because to bring change it’s usually easier said than done,” he said when replying Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh).
“We need to conduct discussions with all stakeholders, NGOs, who always come for explanations. Apart from that we also have the respective Select Committees so it takes time,” he added.
“But ultimately the government is of the opinion that at the very least the matter must be done by next year.”
Two special task forces were set up to oversee the reform involving three phases, Kulasegaran said.
The first phase involved study trips to commonwealth nations Australia and Canada, which took place between May to June. A third trip to the UK is expected to happen soon.
The second phase entails the technical task force looking into the “legal implications” and financial aspects by Attorney General’s Chambers and the Prime Minister’s Department.
Kulasegaran said an interim report should be ready by March next year.
During Question time, Kok had questioned why it was taking Putrajaya two years to institute the reform and said the Bill to separate the two offices should be prepared by the March session next year.
The Seputeh MP suggested that amending Article 145, which covers the AG’s duties and would require two-thirds support, could have been expedited.
In April, institutional reform watchdog Bersih said it was concerned that the government may delay separating the powers of the attorney-general and public prosecutor.
The statement came after law and institutional reform minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said’s comments that the process will be carried out in phases.
Source:malaymail.com
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PM Anwar: Malaysia, Brunei keen to further build up ties
09 Dec 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — Malaysia and Brunei will continue to strengthen the existing relations and cooperation between the two countries, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The prime minister said the matter was discussed during his meeting with Brunei Crown Prince Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah this morning.
“We spoke about efforts to strengthen the existing relations and cooperation between the two countries covering various fields, especially trade and investment, defence, education and border affairs,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.
In August, the media reported that Brunei would be Malaysia’s sixth largest trading partner among Asean member states in 2023, with a total trade of US$2.04 billion (RM9.31 billion). — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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Minister receives mosque history book as waqaf
09 Dec 2024
Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman on Saturday received a waqaf contribution in the form of a book titled Masjid-Masjid Brunei Darussalam (Brunei Darussalam Mosques). The book was presented by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Syarikat Borneo Corporation Dr Haji Nasir Latif.
The handover ceremony was held at the Dhiyafah Room, Ministry of Religious Affairs. The event began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah, led by Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque Supervisor Zulkifli bin Haji Murat, followed by remarks from a representative of Syarikat Borneo Corporation.
The ceremony proceeded with the presentation of the waqaf by Dr Haji Nasir Latif to the minister, who then handed it over to Acting Director of Mosque Affairs Haji Amir Hisham bin Haji Masri.
The book, contributed as part of the company’s charitable initiative, is intended for distribution to mosques, suraus and other places of worship nationwide to benefit congregants. Brunei Darussalam Mosques features historical references drawn from Al-Quran and Hadith, insights into mosques in Islamic history, and details about major mosques in Brunei Darussalam. It also provides guidance on mosque etiquette and shares the author’s experiences from visits to mosques abroad.
The book is expected to serve as a source of knowledge and reference for the public while contributing to the development of mosques in Brunei Darussalam.
Authored by Balai Kenangan Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien former director Dato Paduka Dr Haji Abdul Latif bin Haji Ibrahim, the book reflects his extensive expertise. Dr Haji Abdul Latif holds a PhD in Anthropology from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and a Master of Philosophy in Anthropology from Cambridge University. – Fadhil Yunus
Source:borneobulletin.com.bn
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Europe
Syria’s Assad in Moscow – senior diplomat
9 Dec, 2024
Bashar Assad and his family are in Moscow, senior Russian diplomat Mikhail Ulyanov said early Monday morning, seemingly confirming previous media reports that the former Syrian president has been granted asylum. The government in Damascus fell to militants on Sunday.
Ulyanov, who leads Moscow’s delegation to international organizations headquartered in Vienna, said the presence of the Assads in Moscow shows that “Russia does not betray its friends in difficult situations… unlike the US.”
On Sunday, Russian news agencies cited diplomatic sources as saying that Assad and his family members had arrived in Russia. They were reportedly granted asylum “on humanitarian grounds.”
Over the weekend, the Syrian Army stood down as Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and US-armed Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants advanced on Damascus and took over the Syrian capital. The anti-Assad forces declared him deposed and claimed control over the country’s government.
Assad agreed to step down following back-channel talks with unspecified armed groups and left the country, instructing officials to conduct “a peaceful transfer of power,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
Russian military bases in Syria are on combat alert, but are not considered to be at serious risk, the statement added. Moscow sent troops to Syria in 2015 to help the government beat back Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) and other militant groups. The Russian military currently operates a naval facility in the port of Tartus and an air base near the city of Latakia.
The Russian government has urged the militants to refrain from violence and support a UN-backed effort for national reconciliation. Syria was plunged into years of violence in 2011, after US-backed armed groups tried to topple the Assad government. Jihadists and Islamists eventually emerged as dominant players among the anti-Assad groups, even as Washington and its allies claimed that ‘moderate rebels’ could ultimately prevail.
The lightning offensive that led to the fall of Damascus was launched late last month. It followed a period of relatively low-intensity fighting, which began with an uneasy truce brokered by Moscow and Ankara in 2020.
Source:rt.com
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Town plans mosque for rising Muslim population
9 Dec, 2024
A market town could get its own Islamic centre after a significant increase in the local Muslim population.
Attendance at Friday prayers in Selby has doubled in the past two years, but worship is led by a "mobile" imam because there is no mosque.
Mohamed Osman travels from York for the meetings at the town's community centre.
He said: "It is a small community but it is growing. Selby is making us very welcome and our doors are open. It is at an early stage, but we are working towards having an established, integrated mosque."
'Integration'
The imam is also a lecturer in biomedical sciences at the University of York and organised the outreach visits to Selby two years ago in partnership with the city's mosque.
Selby's Muslims were previously travelling to York or Doncaster for prayers.
He added: "The numbers coming have doubled, and that is down to the work of the brothers and sisters, and being at the community centre, a consistent, fixed place.
"It is also helping with integration. Everyone can see us here, it is very important for us to be a part of the community, we don't want to be working in isolation."
Mr Osman said that fundraising activities for a dedicated place of worship had begun, but that the Friday gatherings were the "nucleus" for the wider project.
Akhtar Zaman, who runs a newsagent and convenience store, settled in Selby in 2016, before the Friday prayer sessions were set up.
Mr Zaman said: "I used to pray at home. These Friday prayers have made such a difference. We can get together, make new friends and really feel like a community.
"That is so important to us, to be able to get together here, worship and support each other. Every Friday more people are coming, word is getting round, people from out of town who are working in Selby are coming to join us here."
Somaya Abdel-Aal lives in the village of Eggborough and was previously travelling to a mosque in Doncaster. Because of her work commitments and the journey time, she was only attending prayers when she had a day off.
"It has made quite a big difference having somewhere local. The future plans are exciting. It would be nice to have a bigger place, more space for women, children and families.
"It's really important that communities feel settled and able to access something they need that is fit for purpose."
Source:bbc.com
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Ukrainian war dead reaches 43,000, Zelensky says in rare update
December 08, 2024
Some 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia's full-scale invasion began, Volodymyr Zelensky has said in a rare admission of the extent of the nation's casualties.
In a post on social media, the Ukrainian president said 370,000 injuries had been reported, though this figure included soldiers who had been hurt more than once and some of the injuries were said to be minor.
He also claimed that 198,000 Russian soldiers had been killed and a further 550,000 wounded.
The BBC has not been able to verify either side's figures.
While both Kyiv and Moscow have regularly published estimates of the other side's losses, they have been reluctant to detail their own.
The new figure marks a significant increase in Ukrainian deaths since the start of the year.
The last time Zelensky gave an update on Ukraine's casualties was in February, when he put deaths at 31,000.
The Ukrainian president is thought to have been compelled to make the admission after incoming US President-elect Donald Trump wrote on social media that Ukraine had "ridiculously lost" 400,000 soldiers, while close to 600,000 Russians had been killed or wounded. Trump did not state where these figures were from.
The incoming president, who has long made clear he wants to bring an end to the war, said too many lives had been "needlessly wasted".
Zelensky's estimates of Russian losses are similar to those provided by senior Western officials, who estimate Russia has suffered around 800,000 casualties, both killed and injured.
The UK's defence ministry says Russia suffered 45,680 casualties in November alone - more than during any month since its full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
According to the latest UK Defence Intelligence estimates, an average of 1,523 Russian soldiers are being killed and wounded every day.
On 28 November, it says, Russia lost more than 2,000 men in a single day, the first time this has happened.
Moscow disputes those figures. In a statement, the Kremlin claimed that Ukrainian losses were "many times higher" than Russian ones.
Outside of Russia, the consensus is that Russian casualty figures are far higher than Ukraine's due to their "meat grinder" tactics.
Recent developments in the war have only added to the number of dead.
Russian forces continue to make incremental advances along the eastern front line, capturing and retaking about 2,350 sq km of territory (907 sq miles) in eastern Ukraine and in Russia's western Kursk region since the start of the year.
Ukrainian forces maintain control over a small amount of Russian territory which was captured during a surprise offensive into Russia in August.
The Russian defence ministry says more than 38,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Kursk alone - a number that cannot be verified.
Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014. Eight years later, it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has occupied territory in the country's south and east.
Zelensky mentioned Ukraine's war dead in a broader post about the prospects for an eventual end to the war.
It follows talks in Paris on Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron and Trump, who has sought to capitalise on views held by around a quarter of Americans that the US is providing too much support to Ukraine.
During the campaign, Trump repeatedly said he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine "in a day" - but has yet to specify how he intends to do so.
In his post, Zelensky stressed that any peace deal had to be backed by effective international guarantees for his country's security.
He said he told Macron and Trump that Kyiv needs an "enduring peace" which Moscow would not "destroy in a few years".
Responding to Trump's call for an immediate ceasefire, the Kremlin said it was open to negotiations, but the conditions for a cessation of hostilities had been set by Russian President Vladimir Putin in June.
His demands included Ukraine giving up more of its territory and abandoning ambitions to join Nato, which Kyiv has rejected.
Source:bbc.com
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Hit by blackouts Cuba’s tourism industry now braces for Trump
December 09, 2024
Will Grant
With winter nights drawing in across North America, Canadian “snowbirds” – citizens who flee their freezing temperatures for sunnier climes every year – are planning their annual trips to Florida or the Caribbean.
Traditionally, Cuba has been hugely popular among Canadians, drawn to the pristine white sands of beach resorts like Varadero.
They fill the void left by Americans wary of the travel restrictions imposed on them under the continuing US economic embargo of the largest island in the Caribbean.
Figures show that almost one million Canadian tourists visited Cuba last year, the top country of origin for visitors by some margin.
As such, a recent decision by the Canadian tour operator, Sunwings Vacations Group – one of Cuba’s leading travel partners – to remove 26 hotels from its Cuba portfolio is a blow to the island’s struggling tourism industry.
Sunwings took the decision after Cuba endured a four-day nationwide blackout at the end of October, caused by failures with the country's aging energy infrastructure.
This was followed by another national power cut last month, when Hurricane Rafael barrelled its way across the island, worsening an already-acute electricity crisis.
A third countrywide blackout then happened on Wednesday, 4 Dec, after Cuba's largest power plant broke down.
“Cuba has had some volatility in the last few weeks and that may shake consumer confidence,” Sunwings’ chief marketing officer, Samantha Taylor told the Pax News travel website last month.
“There are incredible places to go in Cuba,” she stressed, keen to emphasise that the company isn’t pulling out of Cuba altogether. “But we also recognise that if clients are a little uncomfortable, we need to give them options.”
Specifically, that involved drawing up a list of what they called “hidden gems” – alternative holiday destinations in the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and Colombia.
The implications for Cuba are clear.
With tourism now the island’s principal economic motor, and the main source of foreign currency earnings after remittances, that an important tour operator is pointing its customers towards other countries’ beaches over crumbling energy infrastructure is a real concern.
“Our message to Canadians is that tourism is one of the economy’s priorities,” said Lessner Gómez, director of the Cuban Tourism Board in Toronto in a statement. “The Ministry of Tourism has been preparing for the winter season to deliver better services, uninterrupted supplies, a better airport experience, and more and new car rentals.”
While Cuba’s tourism agency tries to ease fears about the extent of the electricity blackouts, few can deny that these have been extremely difficult months on the island. Hurricane Rafael was only the latest storm to hit Cuba in a frenetic Atlantic hurricane season in which more powerful and more frequent storms are the new normal.
Of course, severe weather is a problem across the Caribbean. But for Cuba, there are other complications in play.
Donald Trump’s re-election to the White House and his choice for Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stand to make life even more complicated for Cubans than it already is.
“This is probably the Cuban Revolution’s hardest moment,” says former Cuban diplomat, Jesús Arboleya. “And unfortunately, I see nothing on the horizon whatsoever which allows for an optimistic view of the future of US-Cuba relations.
“Donald Trump has handed US policy towards Cuba to those sectors of the Cuban American right who have essentially lived off anti-Castro policies since their origins.”
Mr Arboleya adds that Marco Rubio, currently a US Senator for Florida, is the leading voice among them. He is a Cuban American long opposed to the communist government in Havana.
His parents were Cubans who moved to the US in 1956, three years before Fidel Castro seized power, but his grandfather fled the Castro-led turn to communism on the island.
“People are horrified by the idea of another Donald Trump presidency. It spells real trouble,” echoes Cuban political commentator and editor of Temas magazine, Rafael Hernández.
Current US policy towards Cuba is “somewhat schizophrenic”, he argues.
“On the one hand, the State Department facilitates support to the private sector, and [pushes for] economic changes in Cuba. But on the other hand, Congress and Senate seem to freeze any advances on those reforms.”
The expectation is, however, that a future Secretary of State Rubio will coalesce the US’s Cuba policy around a single idea - maximum pressure on the island by tightening the already-harsh sanctions.
Cubans fear that could mean the suspension of commercial flights to Cuba, or even the closure of the US Embassy in Havana, which was officially reopened in 2015 after decades of frosty relations.
If implemented, such steps would be deliberately designed to further harm Cuba’s floundering tourism trade, the aim to hit the communist-run nation when it’s down. Tourist numbers to Cuba have almost halved since the high point of nearly five million visitors during the Obama-era détente with Cuba.
Between 2015-2017 US visitors flocked to the island under more relaxed travel restrictions, keen to experience a country that had long been denied them. Around the same time, the Cuban government embarked on a major hotel-building spree, confident that demand would remain strong over the next decade.
However, there followed a double blow to Cuban tourism from which it hasn’t fully recovered. First, the Trump Administration rolled back President Obama’s engagement policies, and then the Covid-19 pandemic sent the industry into freefall.
With many of those hotels now registering much lower occupancy rates than originally predicted, and real difficulties in providing the five-star customer experience as advertised amid the blackouts and shortages, some question the strategy of putting so many eggs in the tourism basket in the first place.
“Why has Cuba invested 38% [of government funds] on average over the past decade in hotels and infrastructure connected to international tourism, but only 8 to 9% on energy infrastructure?” asks economist Ricardo Torres at the American University in Washington DC. “It doesn’t make sense. The hotels run on electricity.”
Even with all the current challenges, most visitors agree that Cuba remains a unique travel experience. The cliches – classic cars, cigars and mojitos – still appeal to many, while others prefer to travel the island absorbing its history, culture and music.
Yet as tour operator Sunwings’ decision to step back shows, some tourists are finding it hard to appreciate Cuba during its energy crisis, especially if it’s about to be exacerbated by a hostile administration – and Secretary of State – in Washington.
Source:bbc.com
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US beefing up missile deployment in Europe
8 Dec, 2024
The US is stepping up efforts to increase deployment of intermediate and short-range missiles, including stationing hypersonic weapons in Europe and Asia, according to information obtained by RT. Production and deployment of such systems in the US has reportedly been picking up pace in recent years.
Among the major weapons being developed is the multiple-launch rocket system Dark Typhon, which will be capable of firing Standard-6 missiles with a 500-km range and Tomahawk cruise missiles (2,400-km), as well as a hypersonic missile that is also still being developed. The system is expected to become operational by 2025.
During the NATO summit this past July, Washington and Berlin announced that Dark Typhoon would be stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany starting in 2026, a prospect that Russia slammed as an “escalatory action” given that it would place the missiles within range of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other major Russian cities. The Pentagon also reportedly plans to deploy the system on the Japanese island of Io by October of next year, which would put the missiles within 2.5 hours flight time of Russia’s Vladivostok.
Among Washington’s most ambitious projects is the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile, which is designed to hit critical land-based targets within a range of 5,500km with strike precision of 3-10 meters. While still being developed, the prototype has passed at least seven tests, four of them successfully.
According to the information obtained by RT, the US plans to start deploying the missiles in Japan by October 2025, which would put then within 8-10 minutes’ flight time from Vladivostok. By 2026, one rocket launcher equipped with 16 missiles is expected to be stationed in Wiesbaden, with a flight time to central Russia also estimated at 8-10 minutes.
Russia has long warned that the US military buildup and the deployment of nuclear-capable missiles will draw a proportionate response. Earlier this week, Russia and Belarus signed a security treaty, which, among other things cemented the deployment of Russia’s brand-new hypersonic ballistic Oreshnik missile systems in the neighboring country next year. The Russian military combat tested the Oreshnik last month, using it to strike a Ukrainian military industrial facility in Dnepropetrovsk with multiple warheads.
Washington unilaterally pulled out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia back in 2019. Moscow also subsequently abandoned the treaty. Under the INF, both countries were prohibited from new deployments of ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500km.
Source:rt.com
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Zelensky rejects Trump’s call for peace
8 Dec, 2024
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has rejected a call by US President-elect Donald Trump for an immediate truce and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
Following a meeting between Trump, Zelensky, and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday, the US president-elect issued a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform saying, “there should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin” to settle the Ukraine conflict. According to Trump, Ukraine “would like to make a deal and stop the madness.”
However, Zelensky made it clear that this is not the case, in a post published on X on Sunday, in which he said the conflict “cannot simply end with a piece of paper and a few signatures.”
“A ceasefire without guarantees can be reignited at any moment... To ensure that Ukrainians no longer suffer losses, we must guarantee the reliability of peace and not turn a blind eye to occupation,” the Ukrainian leader stated.
He stressed that “in the occupied territories of Ukraine, at least several million people remain,” once again ruling out the possibility of Kiev making any territorial concessions to Moscow in exchange for peace.
”It is precisely such peace through strength that we discuss with all our partners, as well as the steps and guarantees needed for the people and the state attacked by Russia,” Zelensky said.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he could end the Ukraine conflict within a day of returning to the White House, and has criticized the outgoing US administration for spending too much on arming Kiev. According to earlier media reports, he may try to enforce a freeze of the conflict along the current battle lines, using US aid to Kiev as leverage.
Moscow has repeatedly said it considers a freeze of the conflict unacceptable. It has insisted that any settlement is only possible if Ukraine withdraws its forces from Russian territory, including the former Ukrainian regions, ensures the rights of its Russian-speaking population and adheres to neutrality.
Source:rt.com
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