Muslim Man In Unnao, UP, Brutally Assaulted And Looted For Resisting Holi Colours, Dies
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 March 2025
Mohammad Sharif, a 55-year old Muslim man beaten to death by Hindu mob
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· Muslim Man In Unnao, UP, Brutally Assaulted And Looted For Resisting Holi Colours, Dies
· Suicide Bomber Rams Explosive-Laden Vehicle Into Security Convoy in Balochistan Five Officers Martyred, Dozens Wounded
· UN Chief Urges Online Tech Platforms To Curb Hate Speech And Harassment; Warns Of ‘Disturbing Rise In Anti-Muslim Bigotry’
· Gulf Cooperation Council Chief Praises Steps Taken by its Member States To Combat Islamophobia
· Islamic Resistance In Iraq: Aggression Against Yemen Proves America Is Official Sponsor Of Global Crime
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India
· ‘Grenade-Like’ Object Thrown At Youtuber House In JalandharFor Using Derogatory Language Against Islam
· Uttar Pradesh: Muslim Student Arrested For Offering Namaz In Open Area Of Intellectual University In Meerut
· Muslims need education the most, says Union Minister Nitin Gadkari
· Kashmiris hold on to their favourite Sufi cassettes defying digital streaming platforms
· Tripura SC Welfare Minister Sudhangshu Das trying to disturb peace through social media: Congress MLA Birajit Sinha
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Pakistan
· Military To Brief MPs On Security Situation On March 18 Amid Surge In Terror Attacks
· Peshawar admin bans sale of toy guns, firecrackers ahead of Eid ul Fitr
· KP will decide whether to expel Afghans after March 31
· Fazl plans protests against ‘puppet govt’ after Eid
· IHC urged to merge cases about Imran’s prison rights
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Europe
· East Lancs Hospice to host community iftar during Ramadan
· Madina Mosque in Bolton Iftar brings messages of peace
· Ramadan event helping bring community together
· Shut vile death video site, families say, as Ofcom gets new powers
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Arab World
· Crown Prince Launches Saudi Architecture Characters Map To Celebrate Architectural Heritage
· Jeddah fitness buffs break sweat before and after iftar
· Paramedics resuscitate pilgrim in Grand Mosque within two minutes
· Saudi-led project clears 484,949 mines, explosive devices in Yemen
· New bus routes launched to serve Diplomatic Quarter
· Rich agricultural produce enhances Ramadan meals in AlUla
· Dubai Police arrest 33 beggars during the first 10 days of Ramadan
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Mideast
· "Hamas" Calls for Continued Presence at Al-Aqsa During Ramadan
· Dozens of settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque amid tight security measures
· Sana'a revives Mecca, Badr victories with cultural parties
· Families of Syrians who disappeared during its civil war say the search must go on
· Houthi leader calls for ‘million-strong’ rally after deadly US strikes
· At least 16 people killed after ordnance from Syrian civil war explodes in port city of Latakia
· Syria authorities accuse Hezbollah of killing three soldiers
· Jumblatt calls on Syrian Druze to preserve their Arab identity
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South Asia
· Taliban’s Acting Interior Minister Resurfaces At Mosque But His Role Within Taliban Remains Unclear
· Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Calls For Talks With Kabul To Combat Terrorism
· Italy visa crisis: Victims demand CA’s intervention
· Acting Mines and Petroleum Minister Engages with Green Tree Partners on Investment Opportunities
· DMP for not creating public suffering by blocking roads during Ramadan
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North America
· Muslim Educators Fear Holding NAPLAN During Ramadan Will Disadvantage Students
· US Tornadoes, Wildfires And Dust Storms Leave 40 Dead And 'Staggering' Damage
· US deports hundreds of Venezuelans despite court order
· Trump moves to close down Voice of America
· Pope Francis seen for first time since being admitted to hospital: photo
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Africa
· Katsina: Bandits Demand N30m to Free Qur’an Recitation Winner, Says Family
· Sudanese seek refuge underground in western region of Darfur
· Sudanese police accuse RSF paramilitaries after 11 bodies found at bottom of a well in Khartoum
· Economic Hardship: Christians, Muslims beg Tinubu govt to focus on food security
· Lagos restaurant feeds the needy during Ramadan amid rising costs
· Governors Push Back Against LG Autonomy Implementation, Lobby Tinubu
· Akpabio: ‘Probing Natasha’s IPU Attendance Will Embarrass Tinubu’s Top Officials’ – Falana Warns Security Agencies
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Southeast Asia
· Police Open Investigation Paper Into Non-Muslim Scolded For Eating During Ramadan Incident
· Pernas Extends Aid To Asnaf Children And Orphans Through Ramadan CSR Programme
· ‘Terrorist attack’ incident at PUO part of a drill, says police
· Report religious figures involved in crime or misconduct, says Mohd Na’im
· Anwar congratulates DAP’s newly appointed CEC, tells them to ‘keep working’
· Ismail Sabri back at MACC to start another day of questioning
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-man-unnao-resisting-holi-colours/d/134901
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Muslim Man In Unnao, UP, Brutally Assaulted And Looted For Resisting Holi Colours, Dies
March 16, 2025
Mohammad Sharif, a 55-year old Muslim man beaten to death by Hindu mob
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A middle aged Muslim man was brutally assaulted after he refused Holi colours during the Holi festival in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district on Saturday.
Mohammad Sharif, a 55-year old man was riding an auto rickshaw around 11 in the morning while fasting when he was intercepted by Holi revellers in the Kotwali Sadar police station area near a Mandir. The assaulters forcefully tried to apply colours on him. When he resisted, he was met with brutal attacks by the group.
Although Sharif managed to escape from the spot he suffered a heart attack. According to Sharif’s daughter, Bushra, the assaulters not only misbehaved with him but also looted ₹5000 from his wallet. Speaking to the media, she said, “Some people assaulted and threw colours at him. When he stopped them, they beat him up. They also looted cash from his wallet.”
Bushra confirmed that her father had no enmity with anyone as he had been working as a driver in Saudi Arabia for years. He had returned only two months ago.
Sharif’s nephew, Mohammed Shamim who was a witness to the assault said that he was on his way to a diary when his uncle was attacked. He said that attackers were determined to apply colours on him when I reached the spot my uncle was pleading them not to apply. Despite the issue being settled they got hold of him again and assaulted him till he collapsed in front of my eyes.”
His death has caused tensions in the area while his family has demanded the arrest of culprits as soon as possible.
Enraged by the incident, locals blocked the road by placing Sharif’s body at Kanpur- Lucknow main road. Reportedly, some vehicles were also damaged.
The police urged the Sharif’s family to carry out his last rights, however the family has denied the police requests, demanding arrest of the culprits. The police have claimed that the postmortem report revealed a heart attack and there were no injuries however, locals have accused that it was a murder.
The accused’s family has claimed that there were few children playing Holi when Sharif came out. He told the children not to apply colours to him and went near his auto. However, the families couldn’t confirm what happened after that.
Meanwhile, the police have launched an investigation.
Source:muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/muslim_mirror/
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Suicide Bomber Rams Explosive-Laden Vehicle Into Security Convoy in Balochistan Five Officers Martyred, Dozens Wounded
Saleem Shahid
March 17, 2025
SECURITY personnel examine the wreckage of the bus, which was damaged in the blast, on Sunday.—Dawn
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• Suicide bomber rams explosive-laden vehicle into security convoy; over 30 troops wounded
• ISPR says three militants killed, vows to bring perpetrators to justice
• Security beefed up in Quetta amid ‘threats’, police and paramilitary personnel on active patrol
QUETTA: At least five people, including three security men, embraced martyrdom while about 40 troops sustained injuries on Sunday after militants rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a security convoy near Noshki on the Quetta-Taftan highway.
The military’s media wing confirmed the suicide bombing, saying five people were martyred in the attack, including two civilians. Officials told Dawn that a convoy of Frontier Corps comprising eight vehicles — six coaches and two cars — was on its way to Nokundi from Quetta. When it reached near the Darkhshan flour mill near Noshki, a powerful explosion took place near a coach, followed by the suicide attack.
“[A] suicide bomber rammed the explosive-laden car into one of the coaches and detonated it,” a senior security official told Dawn, adding that the coach caught fire after the explosion. However, seven other vehicles remained safe in the attack and they were promptly moved to safety.
Sources said the suicide bombing was followed by heavy gunfire by militants who were hiding in the nearby mountains. However, the security forces returned the fire and an intense shoot-out ensued, lasting over an hour. Soon afterwards, the security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. Helicopters were also witnessed hovering in the area during the operation.
Local authorities said the bodies and the injured were shifted to the Noshki Teaching Hospital. “Five bodies and over three dozen injured were brought to the hospital,” a senior officer told Dawn, adding that the injured and the bodies were later shifted to Quetta on a helicopter. The injured were admitted to the Quetta Combined Military Hospital. Officials said two helpers, who got injured in the suicide car bombing, were out of danger after they were operated at the CMH.
In a statement issued in the evening, Inter-Services Public Relations said a vehicle-borne suicide bomber “exploded himself on a security forces convoy in Noshki”. “Resultantly, five brave sons of soil embraced shahadat; three security forces personnel and two innocent civilians.”
The martyred “included Havildar Manzoor Ali, 38, resident of Nawabshah, Havildar Ali Bilawal, 39, resident of Naseerabad, Naik Abdul Raheem, 34, resident of Badin), civilian driver Jalaluddin, resident of Quetta and civilian driver Muhammad Naeem, resident of Kharan”.
“In the ensuing sanitisation operation, the terrorists were pursued and after intense fire exchange, three terrorists were effectively neutralised by the security forces,” the ISPR statement said. It further added that sanitisation operations in the area would continue and perpetrators of this heinous and cowardly act will be brought to justice.
The attack was claimed by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army.
Security beefed up
Meanwhile, the security measures have been tightened in Quetta. The security has been beefed up in the city, and the Zehri Flyover has been closed to traffic due to the prevailing security threat.
“The overhead bridge at the ‘Koila Phattak railway crossing’ has also been closed for security reasons in view of the security threat till further order,” Hamza Shafqaat, Quetta commissioner told Dawn. Heavy contingent of security forces, including police and paramilitaries, were patrolling in and around the city.
Govt denounces attack
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack and expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of lives. The president prayed for the high ranks of the departed souls and for the bereaved families to bear the losses with fortitude, said a statement issued by his office.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the blast. “Such cowardly acts cannot deter our resolve to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country,” he said.
Balochistan Governor Jaffar Khan Mandokhail and Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also denounced the deadly bombing. “We will not allow the peaceful situation of our province to be sabotaged under any circumstances. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the lives and property of the people,” he said.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1898361
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UN Chief Urges Online Tech Platforms To Curb Hate Speech And Harassment; Warns Of ‘Disturbing Rise In Anti-Muslim Bigotry’
16/03/2025
Attendees return signs after a rally to highlight Islamophobia, sponsored by the Muslim Association of Canada, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Reuters)
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday there was a “disturbing rise in anti-Muslim bigotry” around the world while urging online tech platforms to curb hate speech and harassment.
Guterres’ video message came ahead of the International Day to combat Islamophobia.
Rights groups around the world and the United Nations have noted a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Arab bias and antisemitism since the start of Israel’s devastating military assault on Gaza following Palestinian Hamas militants’ deadly October 7, 2023, attack.
“We are witnessing a disturbing rise in anti-Muslim bigotry. From racial profiling and discriminatory policies that violate human rights and dignity, to outright violence against individuals and places of worship,” the UN chief said, without mentioning any specific country or government.
“Online platforms must curb hate speech and harassment. And we must all speak out against bigotry, xenophobia and discrimination.”
Rights advocates have for years raised concerns about stigma faced by Muslims and Arabs because of how some people conflate those communities with Islamist militant groups.
At present, many pro-Palestinian activists, including in Western nations such as the United States, have complained and say that their advocacy for Palestinian rights is wrongly labelled by their critics as support for Hamas.
In recent weeks, rights watchdogs have published data noting record levels of anti-Muslim hate incidents and hate speeches in countries such as the UK, US and India, among others. The governments of those countries say they aim to combat all forms of discrimination.
Source:thearabweekly.com
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https://thearabweekly.com/un-chief-warns-disturbing-rise-anti-muslim-bigotry
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Gulf Cooperation Council Chief Praises Steps Taken by its Member States To Combat Islamophobia
March 16, 2025
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Albudaiwi. (Supplied)
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RIYADH: Gulf Cooperation Council states are taking important steps to combat Islamophobia, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi said, highlighting that Islam promotes love, tolerance, peace, coexistence, and respect for cultural and religious diversity.
Albudaiwi made this statement on International Day to Combat Islamophobia, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
All joint Gulf statements stress the importance of promoting dialogue, mutual respect, and rejecting hatred and extremism, he added.
These statements also urge international efforts to promote religious tolerance, dialogue, coexistence, and condemn offensive remarks against Islam, Muslims, and Islamic civilization. They call for countering all forms of hatred, intolerance, and misrepresentation of religions, Albudaiwi added.
He highlighted GCC efforts, including the proposal to establish a GCC Scientific Observatory to Combat Extremism through the Committee of Ministers of Islamic Affairs and Endowments in GCC countries.
This initiative aims to enhance Islam’s true image and counter hate campaigns, Albudaiwi added.
He reaffirmed the GCC’s firm stance against terrorism and extremism, rejecting all forms of these threats and any justifications behind them.
The GCC chief also emphasized the commitment to combating terrorist financing and supporting international counterterrorism efforts.
Albudaiwi said that terrorism is not linked to any religion, culture, nationality, or ethnicity, and that tolerance and coexistence are core values in GCC societies, as shown by their interactions with others.
He condemned all acts of terrorism, emphasizing the sanctity of human life and rejecting harm to civilians and civilian facilities such as schools, places of worship, and hospitals.
Albudaiwi urged continued international and regional cooperation to confront terrorist groups and sectarian militias that threaten security and stability.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2593802/saudi-arabia
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Islamic Resistance in Iraq: Aggression against Yemen proves America is official sponsor of global crime
16 Mar 2025
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq affirmed that the US aggression against Yemen proves that the United States is the official sponsor of crime in the region and the world in support of the Zionist entity.
It emphasized that the US aggression is evidence of the Trump administration's failure to break Yemen's courageous stance in support of steadfast Gaza.
In a statement, it clarified that the brutal bombing of civilians in Yemen represents a new episode in a series of crimes committed by the axis of evil, affirming its full solidarity with the Yemeni people and their courageous leadership.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq held the US administration fully responsible for the ongoing crimes against civilians in Yemen and Palestine, calling on the free people of the world to stand up against the brutality and condemn it in order to raise the voice of truth against the killing machine.
It urged the free people of the world to expose the crimes of the United States and its allies, and to pressure them to stop this unjust aggression against Yemen and Palestine.
Source:saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3451929.htm
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India
‘Grenade-Like’ Object Thrown At Youtuber House In JalandharFor Using Derogatory Language Against Islam
March 17, 2025
An object resembling a grenade was thrown at the residence of a YouTuber in Jalandhar district early Sunday, police said. The object did not explode, PTI reported.
A Pakistan-based gangster claimed responsibility for the incident, accusing the YouTuber, Rozer Sandhu, of using derogatory language against Islam.
In a video, the gangster, Shahzad Bhatti, threatened more attacks unless Sandhu was arrested. Bhatti released another video showing two people outside the YouTuber’s residence in Raipur Rasulpur village.
Bhatti also mentioned two individuals in his first video — Zeeshan Akhtar, an accused in the Baba Siddiqui murder case, and Happy Passia, a US-based gangster with alleged terrorist links.
Jalandhar Rural Police have initiated an investigation into the matter. Jalandhar’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Gurmeet Singh, confirmed receiving reports about the incident and visited the location.
After inspecting the area, authorities discovered the “grenade-like” object, and a bomb disposal team was called in for investigation, police said.
Source:indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/grenade-like-object-thrown-at-youtuber-house-pak-gangster-says-he-was-behind-it-9889808/
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Uttar Pradesh: Muslim Student Arrested For Offering Namaz In Open Area Of Intellectual University In Meerut
Scroll Staff
A 22-year-old student was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police for allegedly performing namaz in an open space on campus of the Intellectual Institute of Management and Technology University in Meerut, PTI quoted police officials as saying on Sunday.
Khalil Pradhan’s arrest followed protests by local Hindu groups over a purported video of around 50 students performing namaz on the university campus. The incident likely took place on March 13, a day ahead of the Hindu festival of Holi, Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kumar Mishra told The Times of India.
Hindu groups demanded the arrest of those involved, emphasizing the large crowd of students visible in the video and its circulation during Holi, suggesting it was intended to provoke communal tensions.
A first information report in the case was filed on Friday against university authorities by a person identified as Kartik Hindu, Station House Officer Ganga Nagar police station Anoop Singh told PTI.
The case has been filed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to deliberate acts intended to insult religious feelings, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.
The private university’s administration suspended Pradhan and three security personnel over the incident and separately initiated administrative action against Pradhan, who allegedly posted the video.
“Once the video surfaced, a committee was constituted to investigate the matter,” Sunil Sharma, the university’s media spokesperson told The Times of India. “We learned that no permission was taken from the administration for namaz on campus. It seemed to be a spontaneous act.”
Sharma added that Pradhan, “the main culprit” was summoned by the investigating panel to present his case, but he failed to appear and was subsequently suspended.
Source:scroll.in
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Muslims need education the most, says Union Minister Nitin Gadkari
March 16, 2025
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari emphasised the crucial role of education in the upliftment of Muslims and strongly criticised the prevalence of caste-based politics in the country.
Speaking at the convocation ceremony of the Central India Group of Institutions in Nagpur, Mr. Gadkari said education was the cornerstone of development and social progress. He stressed that the Muslim community, in particular, needed to focus more on educational advancement.
“In our society, the community that needs education the most is the Muslim community,” the Union Minister said.
Highlighting occupational patterns, he pointed out that only a limited number of professions were currently dominant within the Muslim community. “Unfortunately, professions like running tea stalls, paan shops, scrap dealing, truck driving, and cleaning have gained prominence,” he added. “If people from our society become engineers, doctors, IAS and IPS officers, then our society will progress. We may offer prayers in the mosque a hundred times, but without embracing science and technology, what will our future look like?” Mr. Gadkari said, referring to the achievements of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
At the event, the Minister expressed his belief that a person’s greatness was not dependent on caste, sect, religion, language, or gender but by their qualities and that was why one must not be discriminated against based on identities. “I am in politics, and caste leaders often come to meet me. But I am clear — I will live on my own terms, whether or not I get votes,” he said.
He said education uplifted the society in addition to one’s family. “Knowledge is power, and imbibing this power must be your mission,” Mr. Gadkari said.
Source:thehindu.com
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Kashmiris hold on to their favourite Sufi cassettes defying digital streaming platforms
17.03.25
Farooq Ahmad Shaksaaz presses a button on his 1970 Sharp cassette player, and with a hefty clack the machine whirrs to life. As the Kashmiri tailor stitches, the machine crackles for a moment before Ghulam Ahmad Sofi’s otherworldly voice fills his shop with verses about divine love and the pain of separation from the beloved creator of the universe.
Shaksaaz, a tailor in Srinagar, inherited his passion for local Sufi music from his grandfather along with a meticulously preserved collection of audio cassette tapes from the 1970s, which he often listens to as he works.
He’s part of a small, dedicated community that believes cassette tapes are the best way to listen to and archive the Sufi music of Kashmir, where music inspired by local and central Asian Muslim saints has long been a deep expression of spirituality and emotion. Many people turn to the music for spiritual guidance, or seeking an escape from the region’s long periods of street battles, shutdowns and security clampdowns.
For decades, cassette players have carried the soul-stirring poetry of Sufi saints and the mystical melodies of Kashmiri instruments like the sarangi and santoor, and it’s long been a local ritual for families to gather around the warm hum of a tape player. Even today, the region’s traditional Sufi music gatherings are often recorded only on the disappearing audio format, which was widely used from the 1970s to the 1990s.
While the music is increasingly available on digital formats, many Kashmiris say that it’s best heard on cassette tapes.
“There is something unique about this machine that for me plays recordings of spiritual guides,” said Abdul Ahad, a carpet weaver. “It is a sacred ritual in itself to press the play button of a cassette player to listen to a song on spiritual moorings.”
Many of the most beloved albums were released by local record labels during the heyday of the audio cassette, but dedicated devotees of the genre are still bringing tape recorders to gatherings. Digital recorders are often unwelcome at these nightly music sessions, as Sufi music lovers say they blur together the distinct sounds of the
different instruments.
“It is a different experience to listen to music on a tape recorder,” said Abdul Hamid Khan. “Tapes are smooth and you can feel the sound of every instrument, you don’t get that feel in these new players.”
Still, as tapes wear out and more music moves to digital streaming platforms and smartphones, the tactile and deeply personal listening experience of cassettes is becoming harder to keep going.
Many families have been forced to part with their players due to mechanical failures, while others struggle to preserve their cherished cassette collections, some of which hold rare and irreplaceable recordings passed down through generations. Some collectors have turned to digitising their old recordings to safeguard them for future generations.
Only a few shops in Srinagar sell tape recorders or blank tapes, and the availability of spare parts and skilled repair technicians has drastically dwindled.
A handful of mechanics in the Valley still cater to a dedicated population of Sufi music lovers, painstakingly restoring machines made by beloved Japanese brands like Sharp and Kenwood in the last century.
Mohammad Ashraf Matoo, a self-taught mechanic, has spent years keeping decades-old cassette players running even as spare parts become increasingly scarce. He purchases non-functional recorders to extract usable components, and manufactures some parts himself to keep his customers’ devices going. Once repaired, a well-functioning tape recorder is sold for a price between ₹13,000 and ₹74,000, depending on its brand and condition.
Shaksaaz, a lifelong Sufi music devotee, called it a “personal mission” to preserve the legacy of cassette tapes.
“It is a bridge to the past, a way to remain connected to our spiritual and cultural roots in this ever-modernising and digital world,” he said.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/kashmiris-hold-on-to-their-favourite-sufi-cassettes-defying-digital-streaming-platforms-prnt/cid/2089193
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Tripura SC Welfare Minister Sudhangshu Das trying to disturb peace through social media: Congress MLA Birajit Sinha
by Debraj Deb
March 16, 2025
A day after a minority organisation filed a case against Tripura Scheduled Caste Welfare Minister Sudhangshu Das accusing him of fomenting communal hatred through social media, veteran Congress legislator Birajit Sinha Sunday said the minister’s post should be removed at the earliest.
Speaking to reporters, the Kailashahar MLA said, “Sudhangshu Das has expressed something on social media… I feel this is a sensitive issue. It is an effort to disturb peace and solidarity in the state and incite tension by referring to whatever happened during the Mughal era. Earlier, he made similar comments on Facebook and hurt Hindu-Muslim relations. He ought to focus on maintaining peace in the state as a responsible minister. The stuff he is speaking about on Facebook is highly sensitive. I feel these comments should be deleted from social media at any cost.”
Earlier, Tipra Motha founder and BJP ally Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma also criticised the minister for his post. “Someone who is swearing on the Constitution of India should refrain from making such statements. I am indeed shocked and condemn such language by anyone, leave alone those who hold a responsible position in the government,” he said.
Das has hit the headlines several times in the recent past for his controversial comments on social media.
On November 3 last year, he claimed that if Muslims have the Waqf Board, then Hindus were entitled to have a ‘Sanatan Board’, otherwise there should be no such board.
Earlier in 2024, the minister stated in a Facebook post that Hindus have no moral right to do puja as they have failed to protect their deities.
The post was deleted soon, but the issue took the Assembly by storm with Opposition MLAs demanding his apology.
Source:indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/tripura-minister-sudhangshu-das-peace-social-media-congress-mla-birajit-sinha-9889564/
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Pakistan
Military to brief MPs on security situation on March 18 amid surge in terror attacks
By Ayaz Akbar Yousafzai
March 16, 2025
In light of the surge in terror incidents, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has summoned an in-camera session of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security on March 18.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office (PMO) on Sunday, the NA speaker scheduled the closed-door session for Tuesday at 1:30pm on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting will be held at the National Assembly Hall.
The military leadership will provide a comprehensive briefing to the parliamentary committee on the prevailing security situation, the statement added.
The session will be attended by parliamentary leaders of political parties in the National Assembly and the Senate, along with their nominated representatives. Relevant cabinet members will also be in attendance.
The crucial NA meeting has been summoned days after a major terrorist attack on passenger train in the Mushqaf area of the Bolan district in Balochistan.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both of which share borders with neighbouring Afghanistan, have faced the brunt of the terrorist attacks — with both provinces accounting for over 96% of terrorist attacks and deaths in Pakistan in 2024 as per a Global Terrorism Index 2025 report.
Dozens of militants, affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), blew up a railway track and assaulted Jaffar Express on Tuesday, carrying more than 440 passengers — who were taken hostage.
The security forces, after a complex clearance operation, neutralised 33 attackers and rescued the hostage passengers.
Apart from five operational casualties, as many as 26 passengers were martyred by the terrorists, of which 18 were security personnel belonging to the Pakistan Army and the Frontier Corps (FC), three were officials from Pakistan Railways and other departments, and five were civilians.
Also, three FC personnel were martyred in the militants' attack targeting a picket before the train ambush.
The country has witnessed a sharp increase in terror attacks since Taliban rulers returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
In January 2025, the terror attacked surged by 42% compared to the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think tank.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1292440-military-to-brief-mps-on-security-situation-amid-surge-in-terror-attacks-on-march-18
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Peshawar admin bans sale of toy guns, firecrackers ahead of Eid ul Fitr
By Abubakar Saddiq
March 16, 2025
PESHAWAR: The district administration has imposed a ban on sale of toy guns and firecrackers for 30 days, stating that the move will discourage "nurturing of militant tendency and maintain peaceful atmosphere during Eid ul Fitr 2025".
The ban came into effect a day after a mosque bomb explosion led to the death of noted religious scholar Mufti Munir Shakir.
Peshawar Deputy Commission Sarmad Saleem Akram issued a notification on Sunday, stating that a complete ban was imposed on toy guns and firecrackers. In case of any violations, the authorities concerned will take action under Section 188.
The move will "ensure effective enforcement while preventing inconvenience to both authorities and traders, a timely ban is required to be imposed under Section 144 of the CrPC on the sale and purchase of toy guns well in advance," it read.
Subsequently, the district administration also took the decision to take strict action against those selling toy guns.
Akram directed that his order shall come into force forthwith and shall remain enforced for 30 days unless modified or withdrawn.
A day ago, a bomb explosion at the door of a mosque in the Urmar area of Peshawar killed Mufti Shakir, the founder of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Islam, and injured three others.
When Shakir entered the mosque in the Kachori neighbourhood to offer Asr prayers, a bomb that apparently targeted the religious scholar detonated, The News reported on Sunday.
Shakir and three others, Khushal, Abid and Said Nabi, were wounded in the blast and were rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital.
The spokesperson for the LRH Mohammad Asim later told the media through a video message that Mufti Shakir succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1292425-peshawar-admin-bans-sale-of-toy-guns-firecrackers-ahead-of-eid-ul-fitr
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KP will decide whether to expel Afghans after March 31
Mohammad Ashfaq
March 17, 2025
• CM Gandapur terms Centre’s policy to repatriate refugees back ‘inhumane’
• Blames institutions ‘preoccupied with PTI’ for terror resurgence
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Sunday said his government would decide whether to follow the Centre’s directives to expel Afghans residing in the province after March 31.
The federal government has asked Afghan Citizen Card holders to leave Pakistan voluntarily by March end, after which they’d be deported from the country.
Mr Gandapur slammed the federal government’s repatriation policy as ‘inhumane and oppressive’. “I am not in favour of Afghans’ repatriation as per the policy of the federal government,” the chief minister said while talking to the media.
“When the deadline [March 31] will arrive,” Mr Gandapur said he, as the chief executive of KP, would decide whether Afghans should be forcefully repatriated or not. “I will decide what suits me, suits the culture and traditions of KP,” he said on the decision to expel Afghans.
He said it was “wrong and inhuman” to forcefully send back Afghans without any arrangement for them in their country.
The forced repatriation of Afghans at a time when they had no facility in their country was a “violation of basic human rights”.
In reply to a question, CM Gandapur said the federal government had not contacted him on this issue, rather he was criticised when he suggested negotiations with Afghanistan though the federal government had earlier agreed with him on the issue of talks with Afghanistan.
Rise in militancy
Earlier, in a press conference, the chief minister said the state and its institutions were responsible for the surge in militancy.
He alleged the state and its institution have been “wasting their energies in dismantling and breaking the PTI and creating rifts in its leadership”.
The KP CM said the state and its institutions were not focusing on their prime duty of maintaining law and order and curbing militancy.
It has resulted in the emergence of terrorism, he claimed.
“Today, I openly say that resurgence in militancy is the failure of the authorities at the helm of affairs and incompetency of the federal government and institutions,” he remarked.
He said the state and its institutions needed to be careful and make the right decisions in view of the law and order situation.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1898354
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Fazl plans protests against ‘puppet govt’ after Eid
Kalbe Ali
March 17, 2025
• Laments rising corruption, deteriorating law and order in Balochistan, KP
• Dismisses speculation of JUI-F joining federal govt
ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has announced plans to launch a nationwide protest campaign, along with the PTI, against the government after Eidul Fitr, citing rising corruption and deteriorating law and order in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Speaking to media persons on Sunday, Maulana Fazl accused the federal government of neglecting security concerns in these provinces, claiming that the ruling coalition was least bothered about the crisis.
“We are planning to protest against the federal government’s policies after Eidul Fitr, along with the PTI,” he said.
A meeting of the JUI-F’s general assembly had been called to devise a plan about the protest drive, he said, terming the current parliament and government “puppets”.
While he acknowledged that PTI’s real leadership remains in jail, he admitted that tensions between the two parties had subsided, paving the way for a possible alliance.
“Rhetoric by a few people will not cause a rift in the possible alliance with PTI. If certain individuals speak against me, PTI should take notice,” he said.
A final decision on the matter, he added, would be made in JUI-F’s policymaking meeting.
‘State’s existence in danger’
Fazlur Rehman lashed out at the government’s handling of security and governance, arguing that authorities treat Punjab as if it were the entire country while ignoring Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“If there is no terrorism in Punjab, it does not mean that other provinces should be left to fend for themselves,” he said, referring to the situation in Balochistan and the KP.
“The existence of the state is in danger and yet only the opposition parties are worried. Why is the government not thinking about it?” he questioned. “The prime minister is inviting people for Iftar. Why can’t they talk about the country’s problems?”
The JUI-F chief also questioned the government’s legitimacy, stating that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi lacked electoral credibility and were not true representatives of people.
About the ruling PML-N, Maulana Fazl said its supremo and ex-premier Nawaz Sharif could “play an important role in the current political situation of the country”.
“If Nawaz Sharif thinks that the government has worked in one province, where has the country gone,” he said, adding that President Asif Ali Zardari was the only person who had “the ability to buy the provincial assembly and the President’s House”.
Rejects govt role
Dismissing any speculation of JUI-F joining the federal government, Fazlur Rehman said, “They begged us to be part of this setup, but we refused to be part of this dummy government.”
He accused the authorities of creating unemployment by sacking employees from institutions like the Pakistan Postal Services and the Public Works Department (PWD). “If the employees were incompetent, how are you qualified to retain your positions?” he questioned.
He also accused the government of prioritising US interests over national concerns, referencing the recent deportation of terror suspects to the United States. “The government is presenting scapegoats to the US. If needed, they could even offer me as a scapegoat to protect their illegitimate rule,” he alleged.
Maulana Fazl also spoke about a recent threat issued against him by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also referred to as Fitna-i-Khawarij.
“The threat sent to me was ridiculous. It was rather funny,” he said. “The terrorists want me to stop interference in politics, government affairs and religious matters.” He said his existence was a threat to the real causes of this turmoil, not to Fitna-i-Khawarij.
Despite facing targeted attacks on JUI-F leaders, he insisted that his party would not be intimidated by threats or assassinations.
“Unless unilateral decision-making is not stopped, the country’s politics will never be stable,” Maulana Fazl said.
He said the establishment was responsible for the current state of affairs in the country. “Unfortunately, the establishment is running the country,” he said. “Pakistan does not belong to the army alone; it belongs to all of us.”
Fazlur Rehman also urged the government to engage in diplomatic talks with Afghanistan to ease tensions between the two neighbouring nations and offered his services if need be.
Source:dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1898359/fazl-plans-protests-against-puppet-govt-after-eid
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IHC urged to merge cases about Imran’s prison rights
Malik Asad
March 17, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The superintendent of Adiala Jail, where former prime minister Imran Khan is incarcerated, has requested the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to club together all petitions regarding prison facilities provided to the ex-PM and his rights in the jail for hearing.
Acting chief justice of the IHC Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar will hear the petition, which has been filed under Section 24 of the Civil Procedure Code by SSP Abdul Ghafoor Anjum.
The court was also requested that all pending cases and appeals against decided cases in this regard be heard by a single or larger bench of the IHC.
The PTI has filed several petitions in the IHC regarding the jail facilities provided to Mr Khan, who has been in custody since his arrest in August 2023. Most of these cases sought permission to allow family members and party leaders to meet Mr Khan, while some petitions challenged the restrictions imposed by the jail authorities. The party claimed that their leader wasn’t allowed to have visitors and was being denied his rights as a prisoner.
The SSP argued that since the cases were being heard by different benches, there have been “inconsistent” and “conflicting” judgments on the issues according to his understanding. The petition also cited several cases where different judges have issued varying orders regarding Mr Khan’s visitation rights, leading to “confusion and inefficiency”.
The judgments issued by different benches of the IHC created difficulties and uncertainty for the prison administration, SSP Anjum argued, adding that the merger of cases would ensure uniformity in adjudication and effective enforcement of judicial directives.
The petition highlighted that despite the jail authorities’ efforts to accommodate Mr Khan and other inmates, cases were filed against them, particularly regarding the PTI leader’s visitation rights.
In the petition, SSP Anjum informed the court that the jail currently houses over 8,000 inmates, far exceeding its capacity of 2,000. Despite these challenges, the jail authorities ensured that Mr Khan received all privileges under the Pakistan Prison Rules of 1978, including regular meetings with his family, lawyers and party leaders, as well as access to reading materials and newspapers.
However, multiple cases related to Mr Khan’s prison rights put additional “strain on the jail administration”, already burdened by an overwhelming number of inmates, he stated. The petitioner asserted that under the prison rules, the jail superintendent had the authority to regulate and, if necessary, disallow meetings with prisoners. It argued that the multitude of cases was undermining this authority and creating “unnecessary legal hurdles” for the jail administration.
In addition to the main petition, the jail superintendent also filed an application seeking interim relief, with the request that all case proceedings related to Mr Khan be stayed until the final disposal of the main petition.
The petitioner argued if the relief was not granted, it would do irreparable harm to the jail administration and compromise the efficient management of prison affairs.
The petition included a detailed list of over 20 cases filed by or on behalf of Mr Khan, many of which have already been decided by various benches of the IHC.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1898358/ihc-urged-to-merge-cases-about-imrans-prison-rights
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Europe
East Lancs Hospice to host community iftar during Ramadan
March 17, 2025
By Shuiab Khan
The East Lancs Hospice is to host its annual Community Iftar during the month of Ramadan.
The event which is open people from across the borough and will take place on Monday March 17 at the hospice off Park Lee Road from 5.30pm.
The iftar is the time of day Muslims break their fast and on Monday this will be just after 6.20pm.
Guests will be able to hear about the valuable service the hospice provides to people and also find out about how they can volunteer and help at future fundraising events.
Suleman Khonat who has been fundraising for the Hospice through the year said: “I am so pleased that East Lancs Hospice is once again hosting an Iftar event. This is an opportunity to connect, reflect, and enjoy delicious dishes in the heart of our community.
“It is also an opportunity for everyone to get together and know about each other.
“I am so pleased to be part of the organising team as I know the special caring they provide is second to none.
“My appreciation in advance to all those attending."
Source:lancashiretelegraph.co.uk
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https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/25012255.east-lancs-hospice-host-iftar-ramadan/
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Madina Mosque in Bolton Iftar brings messages of peace
16 MARCH
By Joe Harrigan
A mosque in the heart of Bolton has opened its doors to spread its message of peace across the community.
The Madina Mosque on St George’s Road just north of the town centre was open to all on Saturday March 15 as part of a special Iftar event, marking the Holy month of Ramadan.
The event also featured talks from Seek2Change, which one of its founders Yasar Arfan explained is dedicated to helping people achieve inner peace.
Mr Arfan said: “The main purpose was exploring what is the meaning of being a Muslim, which is all about peace, and how does that manifest itself in the world?”
He added: “There are three main things, there is peace being at peace with the creator, being at peace with oneself and being at peace with creation.
“We also think about the purpose of fasting, its not just about food and drink its about training you to be more at peace with the creator, with creation and with yourself and being a more peaceful person.
“Obviously everyone needs peace, not just Muslims, everyone.”
Mr Arfan explained that his message was for people to “surrender to peace” meaning to let go of the past, try not to worry about the future and to be at peace in the present.
He said people then needed to “present the peace” and “silence the tongue” meaning that they should “speak good, speak positively and speak gently".
Finally, Mr Arfan said people should then share that peace with others in their communities and across the world.
This was a message taken to heart by the many attendees at the Madina Mosque that evening, whether Muslim or not.
The event had been open to all sections of the community, of all faiths and none, with men, women, boy and girls of all ages and backgrounds in attendance.
The talks and prayers were followed by the traditional fast breaking meal, known as the Iftar, which was prepared with the help of volunteers and presented to grateful attendees.
Abdul Samad of Seek2Change said: “I think the main objective here has been to break down the barriers, because sometimes there can be that fear of the unknow.
“So this is really a change for people all of faiths and of no faith to see for themselves what the Islamic faith is all about, which is living in peace, living in harmony and building those bridges.”
Source:theboltonnews.co.uk
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https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/25011883.madina-mosque-bolton-iftar-brings-messages-peace/
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Ramadan event helping bring community together
March 16, 2025
A leader of the Muslim community in Jersey has praised the work of volunteers for helping people observe Ramadan in the island.
Organisers said they had seen seen rising numbers of islanders come together at the Jersey Islamic Centre to break fast during the holy month.
Ramadan is the most important time in the Islamic calendar where Muslims fast and refrain from eating or drinking between dawn and sunset.
Muslims also believe it is a time for self-reflection and renewing their faith to Allah.
Manik Ahmed Memon, the Iftar co-ordinator at Jersey Islamic Centre, said "a lot of work goes on in the background" to make sure people were able to break fast together.
"It's great to see different people from different backgrounds coming together," he said
"We have got great volunteers here who do the heavy lifting and families come together to cook the food which we serve at the centre."
The centre is able to serve food to between 50 to 75 people coming to break fast every evening.
Amna Salim and Mohammed Attari were both observing Ramadan in Jersey for the first time.
Ms Salim said: "It's been great.
"I didn't know everyone would get together like this when I first came to the island.
"Jersey is very different to Pakistan, where I'm from originally, but it makes the move much easier being around people who celebrate your religion and your culture."
Mr Attari said: "It's really important for the community to have something like this because we're a small community so it's good to be connected."
Dr Sarfaraz Jamali, the head of Jersey's Muslim Community, said more than 75 people had gathered on one night for Iftar.
"We started with very few people maybe four or five," he said.
"It gives a thought about how we're going to deal with the increasing numbers of people coming here with the space we've got."
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17qxxlzwggo
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Shut vile death video site, families say, as Ofcom gets new powers
March 17, 2025
Bereaved families are calling on the online regulator Ofcom to shut down a "vile" website which promotes videos of the deaths of their loved ones.
The website, which we are not naming, has more than three million members and contains thousands of graphic photos and videos of real-life killings and suicides as well as executions carried out by extremists. Past members include those who have gone on to commit school shootings and murders, the BBC can reveal.
From Monday, Ofcom gets new powers to crack down on illegal content, but it may not be enough to close the site.
The site's admin team have said they would give their "full attention" to any Ofcom requests.
Under the Online Safety Act, the regulator can now take action over illegal content and that includes videos promoting terrorism or banned extremist groups.
All websites will now have to show they have systems in place to remove illegal material. If they fail to do so, the regulator can get court orders to block platforms or impose fines of up to £18m.
And from the summer all sites must have robust age verification systems to prevent children accessing a range of content.
But critics believe the legislation itself is weak and that Ofcom is not being robust enough in how it plans to police sites.
Mike Haines' brother David was murdered by members of the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria in 2014. The full uncensored video of his killing is on the site.
Mr Haines says the website is "vile" and describes the content on it as "horrifying". He points out there is no effective age verification and worries about the impact on children.
"It's like a drug," he says, "once you've had your first taste, you want another taste.
"So you want to see more, and it becomes more violent and more graphic and more disgusting".
David Haines' daughter, Bethany, says the comments on the videos are horrendous. "For years I have been trying to keep track and report sites such as this one. I have a fear that my son will one day see the video of his grandfather."
Mr Haines says the authorities must act now. "Every second that we delay in shutting this site down, we are endangering our youth."
Ofcom has spent the past 18 months since the Online Safety Act was passed drawing up the codes of practice that platforms have to follow.
The regulator can now start to exercise its powers to investigate and fine platforms for hosting illegal material.
Videos on the website are categorised into groups, which include executions by extremist groups as well as people being burned alive, decapitated by passing cars and crushed by trains.
Although violent and distressing, not all videos on the site would be deemed illegal.
Experts are concerned that viewing such content normalises extreme violence and helps in the radicalisation of young people.
BBC research into user names on the site has also identified a number of known online extremists, including two people who recently carried out school shootings in the US.
Last December, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow killed two and injured six at her conservative Christian school, in Madison, Wisconsin.
And in January, 17-year-old Solomon Henderson opened fire in a school cafeteria in Antioch, Tennessee, killing one student and injuring another before turning the gun on himself.
Both were members of the website, which offers a "school shooting compilation" video.
In the UK, it's known that Nicholas Prosper, 19, who pleaded guilty to killing his mother and two siblings, was also a member of the site.
When he was arrested by police in September last year a shotgun and 30 cartridges were found nearby. It's thought he was planning to carry out an attack at his old primary school in Luton.
Prosper had an interest in mass shootings, including the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, one of the most infamous massacres in the US.
Dr Olivia Brown, who studies radicalisation and extremism at the University of Bath, says repeated viewing of these kinds of videos, especially school shootings, desensitises users.
"What might have seemed like an impossible solution to what someone might be feeling, would then become something that might feel like a viable option," she says.
The site is also deeply distressing for grieving families.
A video of base jumper Nathan Odinson has been put in the "falling" category of the website by site administrators.
The 33-year-old from Cambridgeshire was an experienced skydiver, but died when his parachute failed to open after jumping from a 29-storey tower in Pattaya, Thailand, last year.
A Thai friend was filming at the time and the video was posted first on local social media.
"Nathan was a family member that we loved," said his brother Ed Harrison.
"I found it amazing, literally, that people could be so half-witted as to share that video. I don't suppose these forum members have such thoughts in respect to their own family members."
Another video on the site shows Ian Price who died in hospital after he was attacked by two XL Bullies in September 2023.
From today Ofcom says platforms must have systems in place to remove illegal content.
"We won't hesitate to take enforcement action where necessary against platforms that fall short."
The challenge for Ofcom is that the death website is hosted in the US and its owner and administrators remain anonymous.
Ofcom told us "this content is deeply disturbing".
In a statement, the website's admin team said it "routinely receives reports from many government agencies and industry watchdogs".
It said any reports from Ofcom "will have our full attention".
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3w1z248145o
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Arab World
Crown prince launches Saudi Architecture Characters Map to celebrate architectural heritage
March 16, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has officially launched the Saudi Architecture Characters Map, featuring 19 distinct architectural styles inspired by the Kingdom’s diverse geographical and cultural characteristics.
The map highlights Saudi Arabia’s commitment to celebrating the Kingdom’s architectural heritage, enhancing quality of life and modernizing the urban landscape in Saudi cities as part of Vision 2030, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
The crown prince emphasized that Saudi Architecture would reflect the cultural and geographical diversity of the Kingdom.
He further highlighted the importance of sustainable urban planning that harmonized with the local environment and integrates traditional architectural elements into modern designs.
“Saudi Architecture blends our rich heritage with contemporary design thinking. We are enhancing urban landscapes and quality of life as well as building an architectural framework that balances the past and the present. This model will serve as a global source of inspiration for innovation in architectural design,” the crown prince said.
Prince Mohammed continued: “Saudi Architecture will indirectly contribute to economic growth by making our cities more attractive to visitors and tourists, which will stimulate sectors such as tourism, hospitality and construction. It also envisions a future where our cities and communities thrive.”
Saudi Architecture aims to enrich the urban architectural diversity of the Kingdom, elevate urban landscape in cities and empower local talent.
By 2030, it is expected to contribute over SR8 billion ($2.13 billion) to the Kingdom’s cumulative gross domestic product and create more than 34,000 direct and indirect job opportunities across the engineering, construction, and urban development sectors.
Saudi Architecture provides developers with guidelines that allow for modern building materials without imposing additional financial burdens. Each of the 19 architectural styles offers three design typographies: traditional, transitional, and contemporary – encouraging creative expression while preserving the authenticity of local architecture.
The implementation of Saudi Architecture will unfold in a phased manner. The first phase will focus on Al-Ahsa, Taif, Makkah, and Abha, where initial applications will target major projects, government buildings, and commercial structures.
The Saudi Architecture Characters Map highlights 19 architectural styles inspired by geographical, natural and cultural characteristics, derived from urban and historical studies of building traditions passed down through generations.
These styles include Central Najdi, Northern Najdi, Tabuk Coast, Madinah Rural, Inner Madinah, Hejazi Coast, Taif Highlands, Sarawat Mountains, Aseer Escarpment, Tuhama Foothills, Tuhama Coast, Farasan Islands, Abha Highlands, Bisha Desert, Najran, Al-Ahsa Oasis, Al-Qatif Oasis, East Coast, and Eastern Najdi.
Efforts to implement Saudi Architecture are driven by partnerships across government agencies, engineering firms and real estate developers.
Architectural design studios will support engineers and designers through engineering guidelines, training workshops, and skill development programs to ensure the highest standards of sustainability and quality.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2593817/saudi-arabia
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Jeddah fitness buffs break sweat before and after iftar
SALEH FAREED
March 16, 2025
JEDDAH: Ramadan provides a tough test for many, with iftar spreads of sugary, calorie-packed, and fried food being quite a temptation — but fitness enthusiasts in Jeddah are not letting that slow them down.
Many fasting residents are staying committed to their fitness regimes, hitting the gyms and cycling, jogging, paddling, running, boxing, and tackling other high-energy activities to keep their health on track during the holy month.
Fitting in a workout before iftar has become a popular trend this Ramadan among men and women, with many taking to the open spaces to reap its health benefits.
Tariq Abdulmajeed, 42, who walks daily before iftar on the Tahlia pathway, told Arab News: “One of the effective ways to exercise in Ramadan is to walk before breaking the fast. It is the right period to obtain fitness.
“It really can improve physical and muscular capacity and enhance overall body fitness.”
Fitness expert Nasser Al-Saadi told Arab News that Ramadan was not the time to push your limits or set personal records, and added: “You should treat it as a time to maintain (your health). People should take it easy and not have hard workouts because that could affect their health.”
He explained that exercising before iftar can help burn fat, as the body relies on stored energy. But it may also lead to dehydration.
Al-Saadi recommends light exercises such as walking, stretching, or low-intensity activities, ideally 30 to 60 minutes before breaking the fast. He added: “Exercising after iftar is the ideal time because the body is replenished with nutrients and fluids.”
With more people training in the hours just before and after iftar, gyms across Jeddah are seeing more members attending during the holy month.
Mahmoud Abdul Raziq, a coach at Ultimate Power Gym, told Arab News: “Many people intend to maintain their health during Ramadan but they should be committed all year long, not only for one month.”
He has been impressed by the discipline he has seen in his fasting clients, and added: “I think they are at full power and most of them seem very determined to make a change. They want to challenge themselves physically, mentally and spiritually and that’s the reason we have seen more members signing up.
“Group classes are scheduled two hours before and two hours after iftar, which has been advised as the best timeline for results geared towards losing fat and gaining muscle.”
Arab News caught up with a few people in the gym, and all of them had goals: losing excess body fat, maintaining muscle mass, and toning the body.
Most of them have their workout just before their fast ends. They get home just in time for iftar or end their fast in the gym with a single date and water.
Rayan Abu Hamza, 34, said his fitness goal was to maintain muscle mass and tone his body, and added: “Since the beginning of Ramadan I have been coming to the gym before iftar because it is much better than coming at night when the gym gets crowded and most of the exercising machines are busy.”
When asked if it was better to exercise before or after iftar, Saad Al-Zahrani said: “For me it is before iftar. I don’t feel lazy and it gives me more strength.”
Another member, Tawfiq Hamawi, a Syrian expat, said he preferred later in the day, adding: “Due to my working hours, it is impossible to come before iftar. This would be ideally two hours after eating because it allows the body to replenish nutrients and fluids before physical exertion.”
Whether it is walking outdoors, joining group classes, or hitting the gym alone, residents in Jeddah are finding ways to balance health and tradition.
Ramadan is no excuse for these committed locals to pause their fitness journey, but a period to adapt and push forward.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2593812/saudi-arabia
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Paramedics resuscitate pilgrim in Grand Mosque within two minutes
March 16, 2025
RIYADH: Paramedics resuscitated a pilgrim within two minutes of a reported cardiac arrest at Makkah’s Grand Mosque on Saturday.
Authorities received a report at 4:06 p.m. of an Algerian pilgrim in his 60s who had fallen unconscious in the outer courtyards of the mosque.
Ambulance teams immediately attended the patient and used an electrical defibrillator and chest compression device to resuscitate him, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The patient was then transferred to a nearby medical facility to follow up on his condition and receive further care.
The quick response time was thanks to a plan that the Saudi Red Crescent Authority in Makkah had put in place in preparation for Ramadan, according to the SPA.
The holy month tends to be an especially busy period with visitors performing the Umrah pilgrimage.
There have been 242 instances in which emergency cases were transported from the courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque to medical centers during Ramadan.
The Madinah Cardiac Center has performed open-heart surgery and seven cardiac catheterizations on Umrah pilgrims from five countries during the first half of Ramadan.
The Madinah Health Cluster, which includes hospitals and clinics in the region, also provided medical and emergency services to 23,014 people from more than 70 countries during Ramadan.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2593782/saudi-arabia
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Saudi-led project clears 484,949 mines, explosive devices in Yemen
March 16, 2025
RIYADH: A Saudi-led humanitarian initiative in Yemen has seen a milestone 484,949 land mines and unexploded ordnance cleared since the start of the project in 2018, according to a recent report.
These include 323,793 items of unexploded ordnance, 146,207 anti-tank mines, 8,200 improvised explosive devices, and 6,749 anti-personnel mines, according to Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the project’s managing director.
Project Masam, overseen by the Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief, continues to remove deadly devices laid in the war-torn country by the Houthis.
Last week, the project’s special teams destroyed 515 items of unexploded ordnance, 25 anti-tank mines, five anti-personnel mines, and three improvised explosive devices.
Explosives planted indiscriminately by the Houthis across Yemen pose a threat to civilians, including children, women, and the elderly.
Project Masam is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia on the orders of King Salman to help the Yemeni people, clearing routes for humanitarian aid to reach the country’s citizens.
Demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale, and Saada.
The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.
About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.
Masam teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads, and schools to facilitate the safe movement of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2593781/saudi-arabia
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New bus routes launched to serve Diplomatic Quarter
March 16, 2025
RIYADH: The public bus network in Riyadh has been extended to serve the city’s Diplomatic Quarter, which houses many of the foreign embassies in the capital.
New bus routes will run from the King Saud University Station to the Diplomatic Quarter daily starting from 6:30 a.m. and ending at midnight.
The full schedule can be found on the Darb application for public transport.
The new routes come as the Royal Commission for Riyadh City continues its efforts to expand the public transport network in the city.
As well as the high-profile launch of the Riyadh Metro in December 2024, which now has six lines covering an area of more than 176 km, the commission is also working to expand the bus network.
There are now more than 2,860 bus stops and stations in the city, covering a total length of 1,905 km with a daily capacity of 500,000.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2593780/saudi-arabia
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Rich agricultural produce enhances Ramadan meals in AlUla
March 16, 2025
ALULA — AlUla is renowned for its diverse agricultural crops, which play a significant role in enriching iftar and suhoor meals during the holy month of Ramadan.
The region’s unique natural environment provides fresh, high-quality produce that graces the tables of residents and visitors, reflecting a deep-rooted connection to the land across generations.
Dates are among AlUla’s most prominent crops, distinguished by their high quality and diverse varieties, including barni, halwa, and ajwa.
The region also produces a variety of seasonal fruits such as citrus (oranges of various types and sizes, and lemons), as well as pomegranates, figs, and grapes. These fruits not only add a refreshing touch to suhoor meals but also provide essential vitamins and nutrients for those fasting. Additionally, they support local markets and meet community needs during Ramadan.
Fresh vegetables, including cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, are cultivated using sustainable agricultural methods. These ingredients are essential in Ramadan dishes and salads, contributing to a balanced diet for those observing the fast. Many farms in AlUla rely on modern irrigation techniques to ensure year-round sustainable production of high-quality crops.
Agriculture in AlUla is deeply intertwined with the region’s heritage, with farmers leveraging fertile soil and a favorable climate to grow crops that sustain both residents and visitors. During Ramadan, the demand for fresh, nutritious produce significantly increases.
According to statistics from the Agricultural Sector of the Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate, the governorate’s annual fruit production is estimated at 127,000 tons, covering an area exceeding 18,000 hectares.
Grain production is estimated at more than 800 tons across 200 hectares, while fodder production spans over 2,000 hectares, yielding more than 40,000 tons annually.
The cultivation of open-field winter vegetables exceeds 60 hectares, with an annual yield of over 1,565 tons, while open-field summer vegetable production surpasses 2,150 tons across 101 hectares. Additionally, protected vegetable farms cover approximately 25 hectares, producing more than 1,500 tons annually.
Source:saudigazette.com.sa
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Dubai Police arrest 33 beggars during the first 10 days of Ramadan
March 16, 2025
The Suspects and Criminal Phenomena Department at the General Directorate of Criminal Investigations, in close collaboration with police stations in Dubai, successfully arrested 33 beggars of various nationalities in the first 10 days of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
This was part of the effective Fight Begging campaign launched by the Dubai Police under the powerful slogan ' Aware Community, No Begging', in collaboration with strategic partners represented by the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Municipality, Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai, and Amin Service.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining the civilised image in the country by combating begging.
Colonel Ahmed Al Adidi, Deputy Director of the Suspicious and Criminal Phenomena Department at the General Directorate of Criminal Investigations, stated that the Fight Begging campaign is one of the successful campaigns that have been launched by the department in cooperation with partners.
It has been asserted that this campaign has contributed to a yearly reduction in the number of individuals begging, a consequence of the strict and decisive measures that have been taken against those who have been apprehended for begging.
"Indeed, in the first ten days of the Holy Month of Ramadan alone, 33 people of different nationalities were arrested in this campaign," Al Adidi said.
As stated by the Dubai Police, an integrated security plan is developed on an annual basis in order to combat begging. This is achieved by intensifying deployment of patrols in areas where beggars are known to congregate.
Colonel Ahmed Al Adidi has confirmed that the Dubai Police monitor fraudulent begging methods annually. This is part of the force's ongoing efforts to combat negative influences and develop effective plans and programmes to prevent such activities and apprehend those involved with a view to protecting the community.
It was highlighted that individuals engaged in begging activities often seek to capitalise on the prevailing sentiments of benevolence and communal support during the holy month of Ramadan, with the aim of achieving illicit financial gains. This phenomenon, which manifests in various forms, includes the exploitation of children, patients, and individuals with disabilities for the purpose of soliciting sympathy. This assertion is supported by documented cases of women being apprehended while begging with children.
Brigadier Ali Salem further noted that individuals engaged in begging frequently resort to fraudulent and professional solicitation during religious observances and public holidays. This practice constitutes a criminal offence, for which the law stipulates appropriate penalties.
Captain Abdullah Khamis, head of the anti-begging section, stated that the objective of the campaign is to combat all forms of begging, including traditional begging in places where worshippers gather, such as Majalis and markets, as well as non-traditional begging, such as electronic begging and soliciting donations to build mosques abroad, or claiming to ask for help for humanitarian cases, among others. The campaign seeks to achieve several objectives, notably preserving the civilised image of society, protecting society from crimes associated with traditional and electronic begging, and combating and preventing the crimes of begging and organised begging.
Captain Abdullah Khamis stressed the importance of utilising official channels for charity and aid through charitable organisations and institutions to ensure the efficient allocation of donations to their intended recipients. He urged individuals to contribute through these designated channels.
Captain Abdullah Khamis is urging members of the public to report beggars by calling the toll-free number (901) or the "Police Eye" service available on the Dubai Police mobile app. In addition to this, cases of electronic begging should be reported via the "E-crime" platform.
Source:gulftoday.ae
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Mideast
"Hamas" Calls for Continued Presence at Al-Aqsa During Ramadan
16 Mar 2025
Hamas called for the continuation of the presence at Al-Aqsa Mosque for the remainder of Ramadan, despite Israeli restrictions preventing i'tikaf there.
Leader Majid Abu Qutaish stressed that the occupation measures will not prevent worshipers from reaching Al-Aqsa, stressing the importance of the large crowd as a message of defiance and steadfastness.
He pointed out that the Almoravids are the fortified shield of the mosque in the face of Judaization schemes, considering that the month of Ramadan is an opportunity to strengthen the presence in Al-Aqsa.
Despite the Israeli restrictions, tens of thousands of Palestinians performed evening and Taraweeh prayers at Al-Aqsa, where the number reached 130,000 on the second Friday of Ramadan, in the largest gathering since the beginning of the blessed month.
Source:saba.ye
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Dozens of settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque amid tight security measures
16 Mar 2025
Zionist settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque this morning, Sunday, through the Mughrabi Gate, under heavy guard from Israeli enemy forces.
These incursions came in response to a call by the so-called "Temple" groups to carry out a central incursion into Al-Aqsa Mosque today to commemorate the so-called "Shushan Purim" day, a special day for the Hebrew holiday of Purim.
The Islamic Endowments Department in occupied Jerusalem reported in a statement that dozens of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Mughrabi Gate and toured its courtyards.
It explained that the intruders performed Talmudic rituals in the eastern area of the mosque.
The enemy forces intensified their military measures around the Old City of Quds and at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque, obstructing citizens' entry.
Calls continue to intensify the crowds and presence at Al-Aqsa Mosque throughout Ramadan to confront enemy attacks and settler incursions.
The Ministry stressed the need to intensify the crowds and presence at Al-Aqsa Mosque throughout the holy month and beyond to thwart any Judaization schemes.
It emphasized the importance of adhering to and protecting Al-Aqsa Mosque amid the dangerous circumstances threatening the Palestinian cause and its Islamic sanctities, particularly with regard to the threats of the Zionist enemy and the US administration with plans aimed at liquidating the cause.
Source:saba.ye
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Sana'a revives Mecca, Badr victories with cultural parties
16 Mar 2025
Cultural parties were held in the districts of Sana'a Governorate to commemorate the conquest of Mecca, the Battle of Badr, and the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, as part of the Ramadan program.
In the Al-Haymah Al-Kharijiyah District, the governorate's General Mobilization Officer, Fayez Al-Hanmi, highlighted in his speech the importance of promoting noble values and correct behavior in the hearts of community members by remembering martyrs and great figures, and recalling the virtues that Yemenis traditionally celebrate through remembrance, glorification, supplication, and recitation of the Holy Quran.
The speeches of the participants at the evening, which was attended by the director of the district, Khaled Al-Arshi, the director of the district, Hamdan Al-Darwani, a number of directors of the district's executive offices, and social figures, emphasized the importance of drawing lessons and morals from history to promote the culture of jihad and martyrdom in defense of religion, homeland, and the nation. They pointed to the killing and dragging taking place in Syria due to people abandoning jihad.
The speeches called for mobilizing efforts, continuing cultural courses, enrolling in the "Al-Aqsa Flood" courses, and preparing for this sensitive stage, during which the nation is facing American and British aggression as a result of its supportive stance toward the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
In the Manakha District, a cultural awareness evening was held in the Bayt Al-Mudai' sub-district, attended by the District Director, Munir Al-Kabsi, the Secretary-General of the Local Council, Ali Ghaleb, a number of executive office directors, and social figures.
The participants discussed the importance of commemorating the Conquest of Mecca, the Battle of Badr, and the martyrdom of Imam Ali (peace be upon him). They emphasized the importance of commemorating the historical milestones of the Islamic call, the sacrifices it made, and the struggle against hordes of hypocrites.
The speeches emphasized that the Conquest of Mecca represented a major turning point in the history of the Islamic call, through which it entered the global stage. At that time, Muslim society, under the leadership of the best of mankind, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), became one of the most advanced societies.
They called for celebrating these religious occasions to strengthen faith and foster a sense of responsibility toward the true Islamic faith. They urged people to take advantage of the summer vacation to encourage their children to enroll in summer courses to protect them from false cultures, false beliefs, and destructive calls, and to participate in the Tufan Al-Aqsa courses.
In Bani Matar District, several Ramadan night parties were held. In two parties, in the Sahman neighborhood in the Matna area and in the Baqlan sub-district, the director of the district, Yahya Al-Qanous, highlighted the great opportunity this month represents for guidance and turning to Allah Almighty.
He emphasized the importance of drawing lessons from the Battle of Badr, the anniversary of which falls on the seventeenth of this holy month. He called for interaction with the Ramadan program and listening to the lectures of the Leader.
He also addressed developmental aspects in the district, emphasizing the need to focus on agriculture and move toward activating community initiatives and reclaiming agricultural land.
In a party held in the village of Sha'bat, in the Thuluth sub-district, cultural activist Muhammad Al-Qasimi highlighted the greatness and virtues of the holy month, calling for increased acts of obedience and drawing closer to Allah through righteous deeds and jihad in His cause.
In the Jahana District, an awareness evening was held in the village of Beit Abu Sab’a, Al-Sahman District, during which the Director of General Mobilization in the District, Saleh Al-Hasani, pointed out that the month of Ramadan is a great station and opportunity to stock up on piety and guidance and to return sincerely to Allah through repentance, submission, supplication, and sitting with the Holy Quran.
He urged people to learn lessons and morals from the anniversary of the Battle of Badr, "the Day of Furqan," the day Allah granted Islam victory over disbelief and tyranny during the holy month of Ramadan. This is a sign of mobilization, preparation, and movement to confront the enemies of Allah.
Activist Ahmed Al-Ra'i spoke about the greatness of Ramadan, the month of goodness, charity, giving, solidarity, and compassion, and the month of mobilization and jihad. He emphasized that the holy month of Ramadan is a great opportunity to gain from Allah's guidance by listening to the lessons of Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi.
He called on everyone to participate in summer courses to teach children the Holy Quran, arm them with Allah's guidance and Quranic culture, and raise their awareness of the importance of preserving their faith identity.
The evening included a poem by poet Akram Abu Saba'a.
Source:saba.ye
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Families of Syrians who disappeared during its civil war say the search must go on
March 17, 2025
DARAA, Syria: Family members of Syrians who disappeared in the country’s 14-year civil war gathered in the city of Daraa on Sunday to urge the newly installed interim government to not give up on efforts to find them.
The United Nations in 2021 estimated that over 130,000 Syrians were taken away and disappeared during the war, many of them detained by former President Bashar Assad’s network of intelligence agencies as well as by opposition fighters and the extremist Daesh group. Advocacy group The Syrian Campaign says some 112,000 are still missing.
When rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham overthrew Assad in December, they stormed prisons and released detainees from the ousted government’s dungeons. Families of the missing quickly rushed to the prisons seeking their loved ones. While there were some reunions, rescue services also discovered mass graves around the country and used whatever remains they could retrieve to identify the dead.
On Sunday, the 14th anniversary of the countrywide uprisings that spiraled into civil war, Wafa Mustafa held a placard of her father, Ali, who was detained by the Assad government’s security forces in 2013. She fled a week later to Germany, fearing she would also be detained, and hasn’t heard from him since.
Like many other Syrians who fled the conflict or went into exile for their activism, she often held protests and rallied in European cities. Now, she has returned twice since Assad’s ouster, trying to figure out her father’s whereabouts.
“I’m trying, feeling both hope and despair, to find any answer on the fate of my father,” she said. “I searched inside the prisons, the morgues, the hospitals, and through the bodies of the martyrs, but I still couldn’t find anything.”
A United Nations-backed commission on Friday urged the interim government led by Ahmad Al-Sharaa to preserve evidence and anything they can document from prisons in the ongoing search for the disappeared. The commission also urged the new government to pursue perpetrators.
Some foreign nationals are missing in Syria as well, notably American journalist Austin Tice, whose mother visited Syria in January and met with Al-Sharaa. Tice has not been heard from other than a video released weeks after his disappearance in 2012 that showed him blindfolded and held by armed men.
Syria’s civil war began after Assad crushed largely peaceful protests in 2011, one of the popular uprisings against Arab rulers known as the Arab Spring. Half a million people were killed during the conflict, and more than 5 million left the country as refugees.
Source:arabnews.com
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Houthi leader calls for ‘million-strong’ rally after deadly US strikes
March 17, 2025
SANAA: The leader of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Sunday called for a “million-strong” march of defiance after deadly US strikes hit the capital, Sanaa, and other areas.
“I call on our dear people to go out tomorrow on the anniversary of the Battle of Badr in a million-strong march in Sanaa and the rest of the governorates,” Abdulmalik Al-Houthi said in a televised address, referring to a celebrated military victory by the Prophet Muhammad.
In the speech aired Sunday night, Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, warned: “We will confront escalation with escalation.”
“We will respond to the American enemy in its raids, in its attacks, with missile strikes, by targeting its aircraft carrier, its warships, its ships,the secretive Houthi leader said. “However, we also still have escalation options. If it continues its aggression, we will move to additional escalation options.”
He did not elaborate.
Hours after Al-Houthi's speech, the Yemeni militia claimed responsibility on Monday for a second attack on an American aircraft carrier group in 24 hours, calling it retaliation for US strikes.
A spokesperson for the group said “for the second time in 24 hours” Houthi fighters launched missiles and drones at the USS Harry S. Truman and several of its warships in the northern Red Sea.
The announcement came a few hours after the Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV early on Monday reported that the US launched two strikes targeting Hodeidah, a port city in western Yemen controlled by the Houthis.
Hodeidah has served as a launching pad for Houthi attacks on commercial vessels passing through Bab Al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The US military has yet to make any statement regarding the reported strikes on Hodeidah.
On Sunday, the Houthi-run Health Ministry said the overnight US strikes killed at least 53 people, including five women and two children, and wounded almost 100 in the capital of Sanaa and other provinces, including Saada, the rebels’ stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia.
The overnight airstrikes were one of the most extensive attacks against the Houthis since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.
US President Donald Trump has vowed to use “overwhelming lethal force” until the Houthis cease their attacks, and warned that Tehran would be held “fully accountable” for their actions.
“We’re not going to have these people controlling which ships can go through and which ones cannot. And so your question is, how long will this go on? It will go on until they no longer have the capability to do that,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS on Sunday. He said these are not the one-off retaliation strikes the Biden administration carried out after Houthi attacks.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted international shipping in the Red Sea, sinking two vessels, in what they call acts of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has been at war with Hamas, another Iranian ally.
Rubio said that over the past 18 months the Houthis had attacked the US Navy “directly” 174 times and targeted commercial shipping 145 times using “guided precision anti-ship weaponry.”
The attacks sparked the most serious combat the US Navy had seen since World War II.
Call for restraint
Amid the bellicose statements from both sides, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement called for “utmost restraint and a cessation of all military activities,” while warning of the “grave risks” to the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest nation.
On Sunday, the head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, denied his country was involved in the Houthis’ attacks, saying it “plays no role in setting the national or operational policies” of the militant groups it is allied with across the region, according to state-run TV.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, writing on X, urged the US to halt its airstrikes and said Washington cannot dictate Iran’s foreign policy.
The US and others have long accused Iran of providing military aid to the rebels. The US Navy has seized Iranian-made missile parts and other weaponry it said was bound for the Houthis.
The United States, Israel and Britain previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen, but the new operation was conducted solely by the US It was the first strike on the Houthis under the second Trump administration.
The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, which includes the carrier, three Navy destroyers and one cruiser, is in the Red Sea and was part of the mission. The USS Georgia cruise missile submarine has also been operating in the region.
Source:arabnews.com
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At least 16 people killed after ordnance from Syrian civil war explodes in port city of Latakia
March 17, 2025
DAMASCUS, Syria: Ordnance from Syria’s 13-year conflict exploded in the coastal city of Latakia, collapsing a building and killing more than a dozen people, the Syrian Civil Defense said Sunday.
The paramedic group known as the White Helmets said it worked overnight, searching through debris and recovered 16 bodies, including five women and five children, and that 18 others were injured. The group and residents said the explosion occurred in a metal scrap storage space on the ground floor of the four-story building.
Elsewhere, the Syrian Defense Ministry late Sunday accused the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group of crossing the Lebanon-Syria border and killing three Syrian soldiers. Hezbollah denied any involvement in the killing that took place near northeastern Lebanon, where clashes between Syrian forces and Lebanese clans happened last month.
Local Lebanese media have reported Syrian shelling on the northeastern Lebanese border town of Al-Qasr.
“The Defense Ministry will take all the necessary measures after this dangerous escalation from the Hezbollah militia,” a statement from the ministry read.
The United Nations said in February that about a hundred have been killed from exploding ordnance during the last 13 years, adding that since the ouster of Bashar Assad in December, over 1,400 unexploded devices across Syria have been safely disposed of and 138 minefields and contaminated areas identified in Idleb, Aleppo, Hama, Deir-ez-Zor and Lattakia.
Latakia, a key port city, and Syria’s coastal province recently witnessed a surge in violence, after gunmen loyal to Assad ambushed a security patrol. While the government’s counter-offensive, alongside allied factions, crushed the insurgency, it led to widespread destruction and numerous cases of retaliatory attacks against members of the Alawite community, which the Assad family is part of.
The clashes and revenge killings led to the deaths of more than 1,000 people.
Source:arabnews.com
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Syria authorities accuse Hezbollah of killing three soldiers
March 16, 2025
DAMASCUS: Syria’s defense ministry on Sunday accused Lebanon’s Hezbollah group of abducting three soldiers to Lebanon and killing them there, state media reported, as Hezbollah denied any involvement in clashes.
“A group from the Hezbollah militia... kidnapped three members of the Syrian army on the Syrian-Lebanese border... before taking them to Lebanese territory and eliminating them,” the news agency SANA quoted the defense ministry as saying.
“The defense ministry will take all the necessary measures after this dangerous escalation from the Hezbollah militia,” it added of the incident which it said occurred near the Zeita Dam, west of Homs.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah in a statement denied any involvement in clashes with Syrian security forces or in Syrian territory.
The group said it “categorically denies any connection to the events taking place today on the Lebanese-Syrian border.”
It added that it “reaffirms its previous announcements that Hezbollah has no relation to any events within Syrian territory.”
Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported that rockets fired from Syrian territory had landed in the Lebanese village of Qasr near the border.
“A number of rockets, fired from the Qusayr countryside inside Syrian territory, fell on the border town of Qasr,” it said, without providing further details.
Hezbollah was a key backer of Syria’s former president Bashar Assad before he was toppled in a lightning offensive by militants in December.
The country’s new authorities announced last month the launch of a security campaign in the border province of Homs, aimed at shutting down routes used for arms and goods smuggling.
They accused Hezbollah of launching attacks, saying it was sponsoring cross-border smuggling gangs.
Source:arabnews.com
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Jumblatt calls on Syrian Druze to preserve their Arab identity
NAJIA HOUSSARI
March 16, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt on Sunday warned Syrian Druze against foreign influence, urging them to resist Israeli approaches and protect their heritage.
Jumblatt, former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, was speaking on the 48th anniversary of the assassination of his father, and party founder, Kamal Jumblatt.
He said that the arrest of Ibrahim Huweija — who was responsible for the assassination — by Syrian authorities a week ago “represents historical justice taking its course, albeit after a while.”
Jumblatt urged Druze from Syria’s Jabal Al-Arab region to defend their shared struggle with Syrian and Arab citizens against “occupation, colonialism, and mandates imposed on the Golan Heights.”
“Safeguard your heritage and beware of being used by some to divide Syria under the banner of the ‘alliance of minorities,’ which Kamal Jumblatt opposed,” he said.
The commemoration of the 48th anniversary of Kamal Jumblatt’s assassination took place on Sunday in Moukhtara, Jumblatt’s political stronghold and the center of Druze leadership in Lebanon, evolving into a significant and inclusive political gathering.
On March 16 every year the Progressive Socialist Party gathers at Kamal Jumblatt’s tomb, marking the anniversary of his assassination and those who were with him.
His convoy was ambushed in Deir Dourite at a pivotal moment in Lebanese politics.
Investigations determined that Ibrahim Huweija, a general in the ousted Syrian regime’s army and a senior security officer, was responsible for the crime.
According to the new Syrian authorities, Huweija is accused of “committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the assassination of Jumblatt.”
Jumblatt’s speech on Sunday coincided with his announcement that the annual commemoration of his father’s assassination would be discontinued after the arrest of its perpetrator.
In his speech, Jumblatt said: “For 48 years, we have gathered on March 16 to recite Al-Fatiha and place a red flower on Kamal Jumblatt’s tomb. This occasion symbolizes our defiance and strength to remember, endure, and persevere.
“We have stood in reverence for the blood of the martyrs who fell treacherously on that fateful day. The Lebanese people will remember their sacrifices and the political legacy.”
Jumblatt said that the Progressive Socialist Party looked forward to a new phase of struggle, challenges, and adherence to the most humane form of socialism.
Jumblatt emphasized the party’s position on recent developments, highlighting the need to end Israeli occupation in the south and establish borders under international resolutions to maintain sovereignty.
He emphasized the need to reconstruct the south and other affected areas by establishing a reliable mechanism at both Arab and international levels.
He also underlined the importance of “rebuilding relations between Lebanon and Syria based on new principles. This includes clearly defining land and maritime borders, supporting legitimate Palestinian rights — particularly the two-state solution and the affirmation of the right of return — and upholding the ceasefire agreement.”
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov participated in the commemoration.
Former French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin sent a message to Walid Jumblatt, acknowledging the “void left by the assassination of his father.”
He emphasized that his father was an advocate for peace in the Middle East, believing that true peace cannot be achieved without recognizing the Palestinians’ right to establish their own state.
In the meantime, the municipality of the border town of Houla released a statement condemning the ongoing Israeli attacks, especially in the eastern region of the town, where Israeli soldiers are digging a trench extending toward the Al-Abbad site.
The municipality said that Israel’s actions indicated an occupation beyond the five occupied heights.
The municipality urged all relevant officials in the Lebanese government to take immediate action and exert pressure on the UN and the five-member committee responsible for overseeing the implementation of UN Resolution 1701.
The goal is to prevent further aggression and to ensure the return of the occupied territories, it added.
The appeal came as Israeli forces opened fire with bursts of machinegun fire and bombs from the Ruwaisat Al-Alam border site on the outskirts of Kafr Shuba late on Saturday and into Sunday.
The forces also launched a military incursion into Odaisseh, occupying the town square for several hours before withdrawing.
A security source reported that a Lebanese army motorized unit was sent from Taybeh to Odaisseh after the Israeli forces pulled out.
Source:arabnews.com
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South Asia
Taliban’s Acting Interior Minister Resurfaces At Mosque But His Role Within Taliban Remains Unclear
By Milad Sayar
Mar 17, 2025,
KABUL — After a 52-day absence, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s acting interior minister, appeared at a mosque in Khost on Friday, March 14. But no recent images have emerged confirming his presence at the Interior Ministry, fueling speculation about whether he has stepped back from his official duties.
Haqqani last traveled to the United Arab Emirates on Jan. 22. The most recent official photo of him, posted on the Taliban-run Interior Ministry’s social media account on X, dates back two months, when he met with Saudi Arabia’s chargé d’affaires for Afghanistan on Jan. 14.
His prolonged absence has raised questions: Has Haqqani withdrawn from the ministry and returned to his traditional power base?
Mohammad Asif Siddiqui, a former deputy speaker of the Afghan Senate, said tensions between Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and the Haqqani network have escalated in recent months.
“The divisions have deepened,” Siddiqui told Amu TV. “Haqqani has effectively been stripped of his previous authority, and Akhundzada has created an environment where his resignation is becoming inevitable.”
Sources familiar with the Taliban’s internal politics have reported growing friction between the Kandahari faction, which dominates the Taliban’s leadership, and the Haqqani network. According to these sources, Haqqani has become increasingly frustrated with what he sees as Akhundzada’s consolidation of power.
A key point of contention was the reassignment of Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s former deputy chief minister for political affairs, to the role of acting minister for refugees. Some sources say the Haqqani faction viewed the refugee ministry as part of its sphere of influence and saw Kabir’s reassignment as a political slight.
Fayz Zaland, a political analyst, downplayed the significance of the reported tensions.
“The disagreements among the Taliban are more about differences in opinion than outright internal opposition,” Zaland told Amu TV. “Reassignments are normal. Even if they occur, I don’t think they will lead to a split that could threaten the Taliban’s rule.”
More than two months after Kabir’s reassignment, the position of deputy prime minister for political affairs remains vacant. However, despite his official transfer, Kabir has reportedly continued to operate from his former office in Sapidar Palace, overseeing refugee ministry affairs from there.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has denied reports of serious internal divisions, saying that differences of opinion are natural but do not indicate a major rift within the Taliban.
While Haqqani’s public appearance in Khost suggests he has not disappeared from political life, his continued absence from the Interior Ministry raises further questions about his standing within the Taliban’s leadership.
https://amu.tv/163422/
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM criticizes Pakistan’s Afghan Refugee Expulsion Policy
By Fidel Rahmati-
March 17, 2025
Ali Amin Gandapur, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has criticized the Pakistani federal government’s policy regarding Afghan refugees, emphasizing that they should not be forcibly expelled from Pakistan.
He considers this policy to be wrong and has called for a revision of the decisions related to the expulsion of these migrants.
Gandapur recently stated during a press conference: “The federal government’s policy towards Afghan refugees is wrong. The approach taken in the past was a violation of human rights.” His remarks come at a time when the Pakistani government has set a deadline of March 31st for the voluntary departure of illegal Afghan nationals and those holding Afghan citizenship cards.
The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa emphasized that Afghans with no criminal record should be allowed to stay in Pakistan and should even be eligible for Pakistani citizenship. This is in stark contrast to the expulsion policy, which has sparked widespread domestic and international reactions in recent months.
In October of the last year, Pakistan announced that illegal migrants, especially Afghan nationals, must leave the country. This decision resulted in the expulsion of thousands of Afghan migrants, raising significant concerns about their human rights situation. Meanwhile, some local officials, including Gandapur, have opposed this policy and called for more humane solutions to manage the refugee situation.
The debate over the fate of Afghan refugees in Pakistan remains a deeply contentious issue. While some argue for their forced expulsion due to legal and security concerns, others, like Gandapur, advocate for a more compassionate approach that acknowledges their contributions and protects their basic rights.
Whether Pakistan will revise its policy or continue with the planned expulsions remains to be seen, but the debate is likely to continue as both legal and ethical considerations play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Afghan refugees in the region.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/khyber-pakhtunkhwa-cm-criticizes-pakistans-afghan-refugee-expulsion-policy/
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Italy visa crisis: Victims demand CA’s intervention
Mar 17, 2025
Victims of the ongoing Italy visa crisis have sought the intervention of Prof Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the interim government, to resolve the crisis.
They have warned that if the issue is not resolved soon, expatriates will announce a remittance shutdown and initiate an indefinite sit-in protest.
They have also declared that if their demands are not met within the next 15 working days, they will pursue tougher action.
The Italian visa applicants made these demands at a press conference held at the Maulana Akram Khan Hall of the Jatiya Press Club yesterday.
Riaz Hossain, a visa applicant, said that visas have been stuck without any resolution since August 2023.
"The embassy is haphazardly delivering visas. We seek a peaceful solution. We have spoken with the expatriate community in Bangladesh, and they are willing to support us during this difficult time."
He added that if the government does not take immediate action to resolve the visa crisis, expatriates will announce a remittance shutdown.
During the press conference, the victims placed two major demands.
One is the CA must invite the Italian ambassador for discussions and request that the embassy immediately process visas from 2023 onwards within a month, proper work permit visas should be issued while fake visas must be cancelled, and the Italian ambassador must also confirm this through a press briefing.
The other one is if the Italian Ambassador expresses an inability to resolve the issue, a government delegation must visit Italy to discuss the matter with the Italian prime minister and foreign minister to find a diplomatic solution.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/nrb/migration/news/italy-visa-crisis-victims-demand-cas-intervention-3850136
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Acting Mines and Petroleum Minister Engages with Green Tree Partners on Investment Opportunities
2025-03-16
KABUL(BNA): Mullah Hedayatullah Badri, the acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, convened a meeting with Mohammad Sabori and Dennis Kolomin, partners from Green Tree Russia and Iran, in his office.
During the meeting, the discussion centered around Green Tree’s interest in investing in the lead mine located in Ghor province. The partners highlighted the potential of the mine and expressed their commitment to contributing to Afghanistan’s economic development through responsible mining practices.
In addition, the conversation included details about the equipped laboratory established in Afghanistan, which is aimed at supporting mining operations and ensuring quality control in mineral extraction.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/acting-mines-and-petroleum-minister-engages-with-green-tree-partners-on-investment-opportunities/
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DMP for not creating public suffering by blocking roads during Ramadan
16 Mar 2025
DHAKA, March 16, 2025 (BSS) – The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) today called upon all not to create sufferings to the people by blocking roads during the holy month of Ramadan in the name of realizing demands.
“In this situation, for the convenience of the city residents, Dhaka Metropolitan Police has requested all concerned not to create unnecessary public suffering by blocking roads during the remaining periods of the holy month of Ramadan,” said a DMP statement. As the Ramadan is underway and the Eid-ul-Fitr is approaching nearer, economic activities across the country increase manifolds along with mad rush of the people and vehicles, the law enforcers have to face difficulties to manage such huge pressure on the roads. Apart from this, some vested interest groups have made the lives of the city residents difficult by blocking roads and streets in the name of realizing various demands. So, the DMP has requested all to take the overall situation into consideration and refrain from blocking roads that lead to create immense sufferings for the city dwellers.
Source:bssnews.net
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bssnews.net/news/255401
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North America
Muslim educators fear holding NAPLAN during Ramadan will disadvantage students
ABC News reporter Lachlan Bennett.
By Lachlan Bennett
March 17, 2025
The decision to hold crucial exams during one of the most sacred periods in the Islamic calendar will put young Muslims "at a clear disadvantage" and undermine "the principles of equity, inclusion, and fairness", a leading educator says.
Primary and high school students across Australia are currently partaking in the NAPLAN tests, which help schools and parents track a child's progress against national standards.
But for the second year in a row, the exams coincide with the holy month of Ramadan, where Muslims abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours.
The scheduling was slammed by the Victorian chair of the Islamic Schools Association of Australia, Fazeel Arain, who said fasting could impact energy levels and concentration.
"This demonstrates a continued lack of consideration for the needs of Muslim students," he said.
"Scheduling high-stakes assessments during Ramadan disregards the diversity of Australian students and fails to accommodate an essential aspect of our religious observance."
Mr Arain said the timing of NAPLAN "reflects broader systemic issues regarding the recognition and respect of religious and cultural diversity in policymaking".
Logistical nightmare
The National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy is held every year for students in Grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 and provides crucial data to help governments allocate learning resources and refine teaching programs.
While NAPLAN is run simultaneously at schools across Australia during a two-week period in March, the date of Ramadan changes from year to year.
That's because Ramadan is determined by the Islamic calendar, which is based off lunar cycles, and they do not line up with the annual, solar cycles used by the western Gregorian Calendar.
In 2015, Ramadan occurred in the middle of winter, where fasting is made much easier by the shorter, cooler days.
But by 2028, Ramadan will have moved to the middle of summer, where long days and scorching heat will make it tough to go without water during 14-hours of daylight.
And next year, the major religious holiday Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan and is a day where many Islamic schools will close, will likely fall in the middle of the NAPLAN testing period.
The ever-shifting dates of Ramadan are a major headache for academic administrators, who want NAPLAN tests to be held at a similar time every year to ensure long-term datasets are reliable, consistent and comparable.
And they also have to work around the different term dates of every single Australian state and territory, as well as local considerations.
Mitigating the disadvantages
The body charged with running NAPLAN, The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, said they had worked with the Islamic Schools Association of Australia to ensure they "have guidance for schools and teachers to support affected students".
"Schools are encouraged to schedule their tests as soon as possible in the testing window and encouraged to run NAPLAN tests first thing in the morning to ensure fasting students' energy levels are at their highest," a spokesperson said.
"Parents and carers with any concerns should contact their child's school directly."
Mr Fazeel said schools were doing "everything in [their] power" to support students, such as by shortening school days and holding exams in the morning "to ensure students have the great opportunity to perform at their best".
"Despite these efforts, the fundamental issue remains: the responsibility should not fall on schools to mitigate the disadvantages caused by poor scheduling decisions," he said.
'It's harder to fast at school'
Most Muslims start observing Ramadan once they hit puberty, however, 14-year-old student Kinan Ariyanto started undertaking half-day fasts when she was six.
"It is harder to fast at school, especially during the break times when all your friends are eating," she said.
Despite that, she doesn't think it will impact her NAPLAN results.
"I'm not sure it really changes my learning," she said.
"But I do feel hungry at times."
Kinan said her teachers and friends have been "very supportive" and Ramadan was an opportunity "to become a better Muslim overall".
"The whole purpose of fasting is to make yourself more disciplined," she said.
"We usually give to charity, be kinder to people, read more of the Koran, help people and try to not commit as much sin."
Mother-of-two Vaessy Usatryanti from suburban Adelaide has been paying close attention to her 11-year-old son Raza during the NAPLAN test.
She made sure his teacher was aware and has been giving Raza vitamins and honey before dawn for extra energy.
"I told him, it was going to be very hot, if you feel it's too hard and you have to break the fast, it's OK," she said.
But on the day of the first NAPLAN test, Raza kept his fast.
Raza is the only one fasting in his class and while not having water is challenging, air-conditioned classrooms and a less active lunchtime have helped him survive the heat.
"I'm really proud. I actually thought I wasn't going to do it," he said.
"But I was so focused on the NAPLAN, I didn't need to worry about fasting."
Schools encouraged to support students
The potential impact of Ramadan on student performance is not just about fasting but about the disruption of normal sleeping patterns, according to Melanie Brooks, an associate professor of Religion, Education and Leadership at Edith Cowan University.
"Family routines are altered. They're staying up later, they're getting up earlier," she said.
"Some families and students may be concerned that they won't be able to do their best work, especially if the tests are later in the day when they might really start feeling a little bit more tired."
Associate Professor Brooks said schools could support students by holding exams early, keeping examinations rooms "cool and comfortable" and modifying the physical education programs.
"Schools have very diverse populations and it's about maintaining that culturally responsive leadership, culturally responsive pedagogy."
Most importantly, Associate Professor Brooks said educators should take time after NAPLAN to reflect on their approach, seek feedback from Muslim families and share successful strategies with other schools to inform their approach in the coming years.
"Overall, it's just making sure that teachers have an understanding of Ramadan, they are prepared to help their students and they maintain an inclusive school environment," she said.
Source:abc.net.au
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/ramadan-and-fasting-during-naplan-tests/105052358
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US tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms leave 40 dead and 'staggering' damage
March 17, 2025
At least 40 people have died after tornadoes ripped through a swathe of the US Midwest and South.
Missouri bore the brunt of the twisters, which began to spawn on Friday. At least 12 people have died in that state.
Powerful winds in Texas and Kansas whipped up dust storms that resulted in vehicle pile-ups and a dozen deaths.
The extreme weather, covering an area of the country that is home to more than 100 million people, fanned nearly 150 deadly wildfires in Oklahoma. Fatalities were also recorded in Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi.
Parts of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky and North Carolina were under flood advisories.
More than 320,000 people across the region were without power on Sunday evening, according to tracker PowerOutageUS.
States of emergency have been declared in Arkansas, Georgia and Oklahoma.
In Missouri, Governor Mike Kehoe said "the scale of devastation across our state is staggering".
"Hundreds of homes, schools, and businesses have been either destroyed or severely damaged," his statement added.
A tornado killed the occupant of one residence in Butler County in the Midwestern state, leaving it "unrecognisable as a home", according to local coroner Jim Akers.
"Just a debris field," he added. "The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls."
In Oklahoma, nearly 150 wildfires driven by winds that hit 83mph (133km/h) toppled several articulated lorries.
The state's chief medical examiner said at least four people had died there as a result of fires or high winds.
The blazes burnt 170,000 acres and destroyed nearly 300 structures, including a farmhouse owned by the state's Governor Kevin Stitt.
In Kansas, at least eight people died after more than 55 vehicles crashed due to a dust storm.
In Texas, another dust storm caused a pile-up of about 38 cars, leaving at least four people dead.
Six people died in Mississippi as tornadoes swept through that state and twisters killed another three in Alabama, including an 82-year-old woman.
In Arkansas, officials reported three deaths and 29 people injured.
US President Donald Trump said the National Guard had been deployed to Arkansas to help with the storm response.
"Please join Melania and me in praying for everyone impacted by these terrible storms!" he posted on his Truth social platform.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gm6jjqzg2o
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US deports hundreds of Venezuelans despite court order
March 17, 2025
More than 200 Venezuelans alleged by the White House to be gang members have been deported from the US to a supermax prison in El Salvador, even as a US judge blocked the removals.
El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele wrote on social media that 238 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua had arrived in the Central American country, along with 23 members of the international MS-13 gang, on Sunday morning.
Neither the US government nor El Salvador has identified the detainees, nor provided details of their alleged criminality or gang membership.
A federal judge's order prevented the Trump administration from invoking a centuries-old wartime law to justify some of the deportations, but the flights had already departed.
"Oopsie... Too late," posted Bukele on social media, referring to the judge's ruling.
A video attached to one of his posts shows lines of people with their hands and feet shackled being escorted by armed officials from the planes.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied the court ruling had been violated.
"The administration did not 'refuse to comply' with a court order," she said.
"The order, which had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist TdA [Tren de Aragua] aliens had already been removed from US territory."
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he had signed a proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as he accused Tren de Aragua of "perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion of predatory incursion against the territory of the United States".
He said members of the gang would be deported for engaging in "irregular warfare" against the US. The Alien Enemies Act was last used during World War Two to intern Japanese-American civilians.
On Saturday evening, US District Judge James Boasberg in Washington DC ordered a 14-day halt to deportations covered by Trump's proclamation, pending further legal arguments.
After lawyers told him that planes with deportees had already taken off, Judge Boasberg gave a verbal order for the flights to turn back, US media reported, although that directive did not form part of his written ruling.
The written notice appeared in the case docket at 19:25 EDT on Saturday (00:25 GMT on Sunday), the Reuters news agency reports, although it is unclear when the flights carrying the alleged gang members departed from the US.
In a court filing on Sunday, Department of Justice lawyers said the order had not applied because the deportees "had already been removed from United States territory".
A senior administration official told CBS News, the BBC's US partner, that 261 people were deported on Saturday, 137 of whom were removed under the Alien Enemies Act over alleged gang ties.
The justice department has appealed against the judge's ruling.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which was involved in the lawsuit against the Trump administration, said the court's order may have been violated.
The case raises constitutional questions since, under the US system of checks and balances, government agencies are expected to comply with a federal judge's ruling.
Venezuela criticised Trump invoking the Alien Enemies Act, saying it "unjustly criminalises Venezuelan migration" and "evokes the darkest episodes in the history of humanity, from slavery to the horror of the Nazi concentration camps".
Rights groups condemned Trump, accusing him of using a 227-year-old law to circumvent due process.
Amnesty International USA wrote on X that the deportations were "yet another example of the Trump administration's racist targeting" of Venezuelans "based on sweeping claims of gang affiliation".
President Bukele, a Trump ally, wrote that the detainees were immediately transferred to El Salvador's notorious mega-jail, the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot).
The El Salvadoran president said they would be held there "for a period of one year", and that could be "renewable".
El Salvador's Cecot jail is part of Bukele's effort to crack down on the country's organised crime.
The newly built maximum-security facility, which can hold up to 40,000 people, has been accused by human rights groups of mistreating inmates.
The arrangement between the US and El Salvador is a sign of strengthening diplomatic ties.
El Salvador was the second country that Rubio visited as the US's top diplomat.
During that trip, which took place in February, Bukele made an initial offer to take US deportees, saying it would help pay for the massive Cecot facility.
The latest deportations under Trump's second term are part of the president's long-running campaign against illegal immigration in the US.
In January, Trump signed an executive order declaring Tren de Aragua and MS-13 foreign terrorist organisations.
He won over voters on the campaign trail, in part, by promising to enact the largest deportation operation in US history.
While illegal border crossings have plummeted to the lowest number in decades since Trump took office, the Republican president has reportedly been frustrated by the relatively slow pace of deportations so far.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9yv1gnzyvo
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Trump moves to close down Voice of America
March 17, 2025
US President Donald Trump has signed an order to strip back federally funded news organisation Voice of America, accusing it of being "anti-Trump" and "radical".
A White House statement said the order would "ensure taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda", and included quotes from politicians and right-wing media criticising the broadcaster.
VOA, still primarily a radio service, was set up during World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda. It says it currently reaches hundreds of millions of people globally each week.
Mike Abramowitz, VOA's director, said he and virtually his entire staff of 1,300 people had been put on paid leave.
Abramowitz said that the order left VOA unable to carry out its "vital mission... especially critical today, when America's adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia, are sinking billions of dollars into creating false narratives to discredit the United States".
The National Press Club, a leading representative group for US journalists, said the order "undermines America's long-standing commitment to a free and independent press".
It added: "If an entire newsroom can be sidelined overnight, what does that say about the state of press freedom?
"An entire institution is being dismantled piece by piece. This isn't just a staffing decision - it's a fundamental shift that endangers the future of independent journalism at VOA."
The president's order targets VOA's parent company US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which also funds non-profit entities such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, which were originally set up to counter communism.
It tells managers to "reduce performance… to the minimum presence and function required by law".
CBS, the BBC's US news partner, said that VOA employees were notified in an email by Crystal Thomas, the USAGM human resources director.
A source told CBS that all freelance workers and international contractors were told there was now no money to pay them.
Emails obtained by CBS notified the bosses of Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that their federal grants had been terminated.
VOA and other stations under USAGM say they serve more than 400 million listeners. They are broadly equivalent to the BBC World Service, which is part-funded by the British government.
The Czech Republic's Foreign Minister, Jan Lipavský, said he hoped the European Union could help keep Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty running in Prague.
He said he would ask European foreign ministers at a meeting on Monday to find ways to at least partially maintain the broadcaster's operations.
Elon Musk, the billionaire and top adviser to Trump who has been overseeing sweeping cuts to the US government, has used his social media platform X to call for VOA to be shut down.
The US president also cut funding to several other federal agencies - including those responsible for preventing homelessness, and funding museums and libraries.
Trump was highly critical of VOA in his first term. He has recently appointed staunch loyalist Kari Lake to be a special adviser for the USAGM.
The president regularly states that mainstream media outlets are biased against him. He called CNN and MSNBC "corrupt" during a speech at the justice department.
Voice of America launched in 1942 with a mandate to combat Nazi and Japanese propaganda. Its first broadcast - made on a transmitter loaned to the US by the BBC - stated a modest purpose.
Gerald Ford, a former president, signed VOA's public charter in 1976 to safeguard its editorial independence.
By 1994, the Broadcast Board of Governors, with oversight over non-military broadcasting, was established.
In 2013, a shift in legislation allowed VOA and affiliates to begin broadcasting in the US.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvge4l109r3o
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Pope Francis seen for first time since being admitted to hospital: photo
By Andrea Margolis
March 16, 2025
The Vatican released a photo of Pope Francis observing Mass on Sunday, highlighting how his health has gradually improved over recent days.
The photograph is the first picture of Pope Francis that has been released since he was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14. The photo shows him sitting near an altar with his back facing the camera.
Pope Francis was diagnosed with a complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection that worsened before improving earlier last week. At the worst of his health condition, he battled renal failure and the onset of pneumonia in both lungs.
The 88-year-old suffers from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger, making his recovery difficult. Since then, he has been able to eat solid food and continues receiving high-flow supplemental oxygen.
On Monday, the Vatican said that he was "out of danger from death" and that the "clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to be stable." On Saturday, the Vatican confirmed that his condition remained stable.
"The Holy Father still needs hospital medical therapy, motor and respiratory physiotherapy," the Saturday bulletin said, noting that these therapies show "gradual improvements."
Though Sunday's photograph is the first time the world has seen Pope Francis since Feb. 14, many "heard" from him earlier this month. On Mar. 6, Pope Francis recorded a short, two-line message in Spanish thanking his well-wishers around the world, marking the first time his voice was heard since his hospitalization.
"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square," he said in a message that was translated from Spanish to English. "I accompany you from here."
Source:foxnews.com
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https://www.foxnews.com/world/pope-francis-seen-first-time-since-being-admitted-hospital-photo
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Africa
Katsina: Bandits Demand N30m to Free Qur’an Recitation Winner, Says Family
Mar 16, 2025
The Katsina State Government has said the winner of the Quranic recitation competition, Abdulsalam Rabiu-Faskari, his father, and brother are still alive but in the custody of their abductors.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Dr Bala Salisu-Zango, at the weekend in Katsina.
It could be recalled that the victims were abducted two days ago on their way to Faskari from Katsina after they were honoured by Governor Dikko Radda for his outstanding performance during the National Qur’anic recitation competition held in Kebbi.
Salisu-Zango said he would represent Nigeria in the recitation of the whole Quran at the forthcoming international edition of the competition.
“The attention of Katsina State Government has been drawn to the recent media reports and condolence messages contained in a press statement signed by Special Advisor to Kebbi Governor on Media and Publicity.
“It was to the effect that the kidnapped winner of the National Qur’anic recitation competition, Hafizul Qur’an and ABU final year Medical student from Katsina State, Abdussalam Rabiu-Faskari was killed by his abductors.
“We appreciate the kind gesture, concern, and compassion shown by the Kebbi Government over the unfortunate incident.
“We, however, wish to state that the Quranic recitation competition winner, Rabiu-Faskari, his father, and brother were really abducted by bandits.
“But information reaching the government indicates that they are still alive and healthy in the custody of their abductors,” he said.
Salisu-Zango further said that as of Friday, their abductors were demanding a ransom of N30 million from their family.
The commissioner quoted Radda as describing the kidnapping of the young talented student, alongside his father and brother as unfortunate.
“My heart is with the victims, their families, relatives, and friends, and we pray they safely regain freedom.
“Government will take concrete actions to rescue and ensure the safe return of all the abducted victims, as rescue effort is being put in place,” Radda said.
The governor then urged the security agents to put all hands on deck to ensure the safe rescue of the victims.
Radda reiterated the commitment of his administration to addressing the prevailing security challenges in the state.
He further called on the people to fervently pray for the safety and freedom of Rabiu-Faskari and all others in the hands of those evil abductors.
Source:thisdaylive.com
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https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2025/03/16/katsina-bandits-demand-n30m-to-free-quran-recitation-winner-says-family/
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Sudanese seek refuge underground in western region of Darfur
March 17, 2025
EL-FASHER: Beneath the broken earth of the besieged Sudanese city of El-Fasher in the western region of Darfur, Nafisa Malik clutches her five children close.
As shells rain down, the 45-year-old mother tries to shield them in a cramped hole barely big enough to crouch in.
“Time slows down here,” Malik said, from her home near El-Fasher’s Hajjer Gadou market.
“We sit in the darkness, listening, trying to guess when it’s over,” she said.
For almost two years the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and Sudan’s army have waged a war that has killed tens of thousands.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called it a “crisis of staggering scale and brutality.”
El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, is the only major city in Darfur still under army control, making it a strategic prize.
The paramilitary troops have tried for months to seize it.
Malik’s crude shelter, held up by splintered wooden planks and scraps of rusted metal, is one of thousands in the war-battered city, according to residents.
The army regained much of the capital Khartoum this year, but the paramilitary troops have intensified their attacks on El-Fasher.
Desperate for safety from artillery and drone strikes, residents have built makeshift bunkers.
Some are hurriedly excavated foxholes, others are more solid and reinforced with sandbags.
Mohammed Ibrahim, 54, once believed hiding under beds would be enough, “until houses were hit.”
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2593826/middle-east
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Sudanese police accuse RSF paramilitaries after 11 bodies found at bottom of a well in Khartoum
March 17, 2025
CAIRO: Sudanese authorities said Sunday many bodies have been found at the bottom of a well in the capital, Khartoum, a few days after the military cleared the area from a notorious paramilitary group.
The bodies of 11 people, including women and children, were recovered Saturday from the deep well in the Fayhaa neighborhood of the city, according to police.
Col. Abdul-Rahanan Mohamed Hassan, head of the civil defense’s field team in Khartoum, said a search of the the area was mounted after residents reported that they found a dead body in the well.
“We found inside this well different characters (bodies), males and females, adults and children,” Hassan said, adding that authorities were still searching the well.
Police say the victims were killed by the Rapid Support Forces before being thrown into the well when the paramilitary force was controlling the area. The military retook the area earlier this month as part of its sweeping advances in Khartoum and its sister city of Omdurman.
There was no immediate comment from the RSF.
Afraa Al-Hajj Omar, a resident of the nearby Hajj Youssef neighborhood, said that the RSF killed many people in the area and their bodies were left for days in the streets. She said many bodies were thrown in the well. “They robbed us, beat us, and tortured us,” she said.
Sudan was plunged into chaos in April 2023 when simmering tensions between the military and the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces exploded into open warfare across the country.
At least 20,000 people have been killed, though the number is likely far higher. The war has driven more than 14 million people from their homes and pushed parts of the country into famine.
The fighting, which wrecked Khartoum and other urban areas has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in the western region of Darfur, according to the United Nations and international rights groups.
The war has intensified in recent months, with the military making steady advances against the RSF in Khartoum and elsewhere in the country.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2593841/middle-east
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Economic Hardship: Christians, Muslims beg Tinubu govt to focus on food security
MARCH 17, 2025
Across-section of Muslim and Christian leaders have called on the federal government to prioritise addressing food insecurity, emphasising its vital role in achieving lasting peace and stability in the country.
The call was made on Sunday evening in Abuja during the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society’s 2025 annual Ramadan Food Bank and iftar (breaking of fast) event, which also hosted faith-based leaders.
The event brought together Christian and Muslim clerics who broke their fast, serving meals to about 2,500 fasting Muslims and less privileged individuals.
The national chief imam of Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, Sheik Fuad Adeyemi, highlighted the event’s goal of promoting peace, unity, and religious tolerance among all Nigerians.
He stressed food security’s vital role in ensuring national peace and stability.
“We are all from the same place, and whether we like it or not, we are going back to the same place.
“We are from God, and we pass through the soil to return to God again. When we come together as Muslims and Christians, we often find peace rather than conflict,” he said.
Rev. Joseph Hayab, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 northern states and Abuja, lauded the event as a genuine example of interfaith collaboration.
Cornelius Omonokhua, the executive secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, also called on the government and all stakeholders to prioritise the welfare of the masses.
Sheik Tajudeen Bello, the chief imam of the Fouad Lababidi Central Mosque, Wuse Zone 3, emphasised that peace could not be achieved in a nation where its people were hungry.
Farouk Suleiman, the chairman of the Al-Habibiyyah Food Bank, said more than 2,500 beneficiaries received aid daily, with 50kg bags of rice and 80 crates of eggs distributed throughout Ramadan.
He encouraged Nigerians and organisations to support initiatives for the less privileged further.
Source:gazettengr.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://gazettengr.com/economic-hardship-christians-muslims-beg-tinubu-govt-to-focus-on-food-security/
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Lagos restaurant feeds the needy during Ramadan amid rising costs
March 17, 2025
At the back of a restaurant in Lagos a lamb is being butchered for iftar - the meal eaten by practising Muslims during Ramadan to break their fast at sunrise. During the holy month of Ramadan the faithful observe the requirement to fast between sunrise and sunset.
But increasingly hard economic conditions here in Nigeria's largest city, means many families don't even have a simple meal to break their fast. They're reliant on the kindness of people like Naheemah Ishola, a restaurant owner who makes it her business to feed the hungry during Ramadan. Her contribution is especially important this year with food prices soaring. She says the cost of essentials has skyrocketed. By the end of 2024, a 50-kilogram bag of rice reached a staggering 75,000 naira ($48.50) in Lagos and an even higher 99,000 naira ($58.20) in Abuja, making everyday meals a luxury for many. With inflation stretching household budgets to their limits, more people are going hungry.
Ishola, has taken it upon herself to cook and share meals with those who might otherwise have nothing to eat. For her, and many others who are helping in different ways, Ramadan isn’t just about fasting—it’s about feeding those in need. "The motivation for me is I know that most people cannot afford a decent meal on a normal day and as a Muslim, during the holy month of Ramadan, one of the Five Pillars of Islam says we should give back to the society. So I've taken it upon myself since 2017 as my duty to feed the vulnerable people in major bus parks, mosques and the roadside,” says Ishola.
She explains that she is supported by friends and family who also want to contribute. "At the beginning of every year, as part of my savings plan, I set aside some funds for majorly Ramadan outreach for the less privileged, and I also get some support from a few family and friends, like say 20% of everything I do comes from family and friends, and the profits from my business for the month of Ramadan goes into it as well,” she says. According to Ishola the people's happiness is the reward. "There are some days during the holy months of Ramadan as humans, you know I wake up tired, and I don't feel the need to do this. But when I remember the smiles it's going to put on people's faces to hand them the food, it motivates me to get up and do it and this has kept me going since 2017.”
But Ishola is not completely shielded from the financial difficulties she sees around her. "Every time I hand over the meal packs to the vulnerable people on the street there's this form of fulfilment I feel inside me. And at the same time, in recent times, I feel like I might not be able to do as much with the rising cost of living but if this rising cost of living is normalized, then I'll be able to do more,” she says. Hunger led to stampedes during charity food handouts just before Christmas. It resulted in many deaths and injuries, including 35 children who died in two incidents alone. Muhammed Baba, a father of three, struggles with leprosy as well as poverty. His gratitude to Ishola is not just for feeding his family, but also for the dignity she affords him. "This month is the month of Ramadan, and everybody want to come and share food to those who need it and we are very, very happy for that and you know as we live in this community, we don't want to go out to, to be begging up and down,” says Baba.
Source:africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2025/03/16/lagos-restaurant-feeds-the-needy-during-ramadan-amid-rising-costs/
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Governors Push Back Against LG Autonomy Implementation, Lobby Tinubu
17 March 2025
By George Oshogwe Ogbolu
State governors have intensified efforts to delay the disbursement of federal allocations directly to local government councils, challenging the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.
During a recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, some governors objected to channeling local government allocations through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), citing outstanding multi-billion dollar debts allegedly incurred by the councils.
Presidency officials disclosed that the governors used the Iftar dinner as an opportunity to lobby the President and negotiate favorable terms regarding direct allocations to local governments.
“When the governors came on Monday for Iftar, they sought to meet the President, which they did on Tuesday afternoon. Some of the governors were with him for a long time and only left around past six that evening,” an insider revealed to The PUNCH.
According to another official, who spoke anonymously, the Federal Government insists that all local government funds should be paid directly into CBN accounts, but governors are resisting this move.
“The Federal Government wants the allocations paid to the CBN, and all local governments should open accounts with the apex bank. But the governors said no. They argue that if the money goes to the CBN, it would still be under federal control,” the source stated.
Instead, the governors are advocating for the funds to be deposited in commercial bank accounts, reportedly to ensure state-level oversight.
“One of the governors argued that if the CBN handles local government accounts, approval would be required from the Accountant-General, meaning the funds remain under federal oversight. The governors want the money in commercial banks, but the Federal Government is rejecting that option,” the source added.
Legal and Political Struggles Over Local Government Autonomy
The direct allocation of funds to local governments has been a longstanding issue, rooted in the power struggle between state and local governments.
On July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment affirming the financial autonomy of local governments. It ruled that federal allocations must be sent directly to local government accounts, bypassing state governors.
The ruling also mandated that only democratically elected local government administrations would be eligible to receive these funds. This provision aimed to end the widespread practice of state governors appointing caretaker committees to oversee local government administration.
Following the judgment, the CBN instructed all 774 local governments to submit two years’ worth of audited financial statements before funds could be disbursed. The apex bank also began opening accounts for local governments to enable direct transfers.
In February, the CBN announced it had started profiling local government chairmen and financial signatories as part of the financial autonomy process.
However, reports indicate that some governors have pressured the CBN to delay account openings for local governments, with claims of non-compliance with auditing requirements.
Governors Cite Local Government Debt as a Roadblock
The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has accused some state governors of working behind the scenes to block the Supreme Court’s decision.
Additionally, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has raised concerns that governors are using local government debts as a justification to postpone the implementation of financial autonomy.
ALGON’s Secretary-General, Mohammed Abubakar, disclosed that the multi-billion dollar liabilities allegedly incurred on behalf of local governments have become a key issue in discussions between governors and federal officials.
“The Federal Government also has its challenges. When I engaged the FG team, they said the governors were coming up with different excuses, claiming liabilities incurred in the name of local governments. These must be properly itemized and balanced,” Abubakar stated in a chat with The PUNCH.
He warned that governors might use these debts as a means to divert local government funds, particularly if the Supreme Court ruling is enforced without proper safeguards.
“If not handled carefully, local government funds might end up in the hands of people claiming to be settling debts, and many local government administrations don’t even know how these debts were incurred,” he warned.
Abubakar also revealed that the CBN is currently facing multiple lawsuits from consultants claiming to have worked for local governments.
“Many so-called consultants have obtained judgments and garnishee orders against the CBN, seeking payment for past contracts with local governments. If direct allocation is implemented, these funds could be at risk,” he cautioned.
He urged local government chairmen to work diplomatically with state governors to avoid friction over financial autonomy.
“ALGON represents the 774 LGAs, but local government chairmen must also engage their governors and assure them that autonomy won’t harm their relationship or state-level operations,” Abubakar advised.
Call for Clear Implementation Guidelines
Abubakar criticized the lack of transparency in the Federal Government’s approach to implementing financial autonomy, stating that local government chairmen have not received clear guidelines on how to engage with the CBN.
“There’s no clarity on how LG chairmen should approach the CBN. What department is handling this? Everything should be made public,” he stated.
He urged the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to play a more active role in coordinating the implementation process and engaging stakeholders.
“The AGF’s office should facilitate more consultations with ALGON, NULGE, and key local government stakeholders. Without this, autonomy implementation could become chaotic,” he added.
He also called for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, and other top officials to hold stakeholder meetings to discuss the best path forward.
“If stakeholders are fully involved, financial autonomy for local governments can take off smoothly,” Abubakar concluded.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/03/17/governors-push-back-against-lg-autonomy-implementation-lobby-tinubu/
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Akpabio: ‘Probing Natasha’s IPU Attendance Will Embarrass Tinubu’s Top Officials’ – Falana Warns Security Agencies
17 March 2025
By Rachel Okporu Fadoju
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has asserted that probing the attendance of suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, at the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting in New York will embarrass some top officials of President Bola Tinubu’s administration who were once accused of travelling out of Nigeria to embarrass the defunct military junta of Sani Abacha.
Naija News recalls that Natasha spoke at the IPU meeting on March 11 about her suspension from the Senate for gross misconduct, stating that the suspension was designed to silence her over the sexual harassment allegations levelled against Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Reacting on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, Akpabio stated that the Kogi senator’s actions at the IPU meeting humiliated the government and people of Nigeria.
A report emerged on Sunday, March 16, 2025, that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) have launched a probe into how Natasha attended the IPU meeting in New York without an official nomination.
However, in a statement on Sunday, Falana warned against any official probe by security agencies.
The human rights lawyer said investigating the circumstances of Natasha’s trip by security forces will expose Nigeria to needless embarrassment and undeserved ridicule.
The statement reads, “Finally, it is public knowledge that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio had accused Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of embarrassing the government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by reporting her suspension by the senate to the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
“Contrary to the jaundiced views of the senate leader, it is the official probe of the circumstances of her trip by security forces that will expose Nigeria to needless embarrassment and undeserved ridicule.
“Therefore, the SSS and NIA may study the report of the investigation of our illegal travelling by the Sani Abacha military junta before embarking on the futile attempt to probe senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for having the temerity to externalise the “internal affair of the senate.
“In fact, the probe will particularly embarrass some top officials of the Bola Tinubu administration who were once accused of travelling out of Nigeria to embarrass the defunct military junta.”
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/03/17/akpabio-probing-natashas-ipu-attendance-will-embarrass-tinubus-top-officials-falana-warns-security-agencies/
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Southeast Asia
Police open investigation paper into non-Muslim scolded for eating during Ramadan incident
BERNAMA
17-03- 2025
JOHOR BAHRU: The police have opened an investigation into the incident of a non-Muslim man being scolded and slapped by an individual for eating during Ramadan at a convenience store in a shopping mall here.
Johor Bahru Utara district police chief ACP Balveer Singh Mahindar Singh said his team received a report from a 21-year-old complainant regarding the incident at 9.08 pm yesterday.
The investigation found that the incident occurred at 3.45 pm yesterday. In the incident, the complainant alleged that he was slapped twice on the right cheek by an unknown man.
“The incident is believed to have taken place when the man asked about the complainant’s religion and requested to see his MyKad, but the complainant refused to give the card,“ he said in a statement today.
The case is being investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code for intentionally causing injury, and if found guilty, the offender can be sentenced to imprisonment for up to one year or fined up to RM2,000 or both.
Balveer Singh also urged members of the public who have information related to the incident to come forward and assist the investigation by contacting the Johor Bahru Utara district police headquarters at 07-5563122.
Previously, the National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang was reported to have said that the incident was considered a provocative act and did not reflect the spirit of unity and harmony in the multi-ethnic country.
Aaron was quoted as saying that the action must be stopped immediately and not allowed to spread in a country that upholds the principles of the Rukun Negara.
The incident also went viral on social media yesterday, through two videos lasting 32 and 44 seconds.
Source:thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/police-open-investigation-paper-into-non-muslim-scolded-for-eating-during-ramadan-incident-PL13811824
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Pernas Extends Aid To Asnaf Children And Orphans Through Ramadan CSR Programme
17/03/2025
KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (Pernas) has reached out to 60 asnaf children and orphans from Madrasah Tahfiz Al-Quran Al Ukhuwwah by providing duit raya and contributions to ease their burden in preparing for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. In a statement today, Pernas said the RM25,000 contribution was allocated from Zakat Wakalah funds as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative through the Sinar Ramadan: Iftar and CSR Programme 2025. "The Sinar Ramadan CSR Programme reflects the company’s commitment to helping those in need as they prepare for the month of Syawal," it said. Pernas acting chief executive officer Tengku Mohamed Fadhli Tengku Hamzah said in the same statement that the company remains committed to CSR programmes focusing on three key areas: entrepreneurship, education and community welfare. In addition to the Sinar Ramadan CSR Programme, Pernas also carried out a 'Back to School' initiative in February, benefiting 400 students from the Sungai Buloh parliamentary constituency. "Pernas has drawn up several CSR initiatives for this year, including programmes aligned with environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles," he added.
Source:bernama.com
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https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=2403131
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‘Terrorist attack’ incident at PUO part of a drill, says police
BERNAMA
17-03- 2025
IPOH: Police have confirmed that the viral incident involving a ‘terrorist attack’, gunfire and student hostages at Politeknik Ungku Omar (PUO) today was actually a counter-terrorism crisis management drill conducted by the 69 Commando Unit of the Special Operations Force.
Ipoh district police chief Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad said the small-scale exercise aimed to assess the preparedness of agencies involved, including the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), PUO and Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital, in handling terrorism-related crises as outlined by the National Security Council.Travel packages to Malaysia
He added that the presence of police personnel, security and medical vehicles, and a PDRM Air Operations Force helicopter at the polytechnic was part of the exercise, codenamed ‘Ex Kurung’.
“These drills are conducted periodically to evaluate the effectiveness of crisis response plans in ensuring public safety and security.
“The public is advised not to panic or to spread unverified information regarding this incident and exercise,” he said in a statement.
Abang Zainal Abidin said the District Control Centre earlier received a call at 9.04 am from a PUO security officer reporting an ‘attack’ by an armed group.
“The unidentified group allegedly took a lecturer and several students hostage. This scenario was the opening phase of the drill,” he explained.
Earlier, several videos went viral on social media claiming a terrorist attack had occurred at PUO, with reports of gunfire and students being taken hostage.
Source:thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/terrorist-attack-incident-at-puo-part-of-a-drill-says-police-JL13811495
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Report religious figures involved in crime or misconduct, says Mohd Na’im
17 Mar 2025
KUALA TERENGGANU, March 17 — The public is urged to report any religious figures or teachers involved in criminal activities or misconduct to enable appropriate action to be taken.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said such reports would also allow the suspension or revocation of their teaching credentials if they are found guilty of any offence.
“If these individuals misuse their knowledge and the trust of the community... if any criminal wrongdoing arises, I hope the public will come forward and file a report. I believe the police will conduct a fair investigation.
“Should they be convicted, their credentials would certainly be suspended. This is why I urge the public to report such cases, as revoking credentials without a conviction is difficult,” he told reporters here yesterday.
He was commenting on a recent case involving a religious teacher linked to the assault of a teenage boy in Kajang, Selangor.
Mohd Na’im also expressed hope that religious figures would uphold good character and conduct, serving as role models for the community.
Meanwhile, he called on media production houses and practitioners to adhere to the Guidelines for Censorship of Islamic Broadcasting Materials issued in 2015.
“JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) is responsible for educating and issuing guidelines. These guidelines are provided to media practitioners and production teams to ensure compliance when producing dramas.
“JAKIM and other religious agencies remain in constant communication. If there are any violations, JAKIM will collaborate with relevant authorities to provide the necessary information,” he said in response to the ongoing controversy surrounding the drama series Bidaah. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/03/17/report-religious-figures-involved-in-crime-or-misconduct-says-mohd-naim/169857
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Anwar congratulates DAP’s newly appointed CEC, tells them to ‘keep working’
By Muhammad Yusry
17 Mar 2025
PUTRAJAYA, March 17 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today congratulated DAP’s newly appointed Central Executive Committee (CEC).
DAP, a key ally in Anwar’s ruling coalition Pakatan Harapan, concluded its party elections last night, which saw several names dropped, including Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying.
“Tahniah, teruskan bekerja (Congratulations, keep on working),” he said when met by reporters after attending the Ihya’ Ramadan programme with the Higher Education Ministry’s staff here.
The election for DAP’s CEC saw 64 candidates vying for 30 positions.
Hui Ying’s brother, Lim Guan Eng, remained in the party’s 30-seat central leadership but came in at the 26th spot with 1,719 votes, amid earlier speculation of an internal push against him.
Gobind Singh Deo came in at the top spot with 2,785 votes.
In the previous 2022 elections, Gobind also won the highest number of votes, securing 1,782 votes, while Lim ranked eighth with 1,311 votes.
Gobind was also appointed as DAP’s new national chairman for the 2025-2028 term, while his predecessor Guan Eng now serves as the party’s national adviser.
Nga Kor Ming, formerly DAP’s national vice-chairman, has been named deputy chairman.
The five newly appointed vice-chairpersons are Chong Chieng Jen, Teo Nie Ching, Ng Suee Lim, Syahredzan Johan, and Arul Kumar Jambunathan.
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/03/17/anwar-congratulates-daps-newly-appointed-cec-tells-them-to-keep-working/169905
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Ismail Sabri back at MACC to start another day of questioning
By Malay Mail
17 Mar 2025
PUTRAJAYA, March 17 — Ex-prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has returned to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here to continue his questioning over a case involving RM177 million in seized assets.
He arrived close to 10am to start his fourth day of questioning.
A MACC source previously said Ismail is being made to verify hundreds of documents including asset declarations, procurement records, and approval documents linked to his time in the government.
The case centres on cash and gold bars worth RM177 million, which were confiscated from Ismail Sabri’s former aides in several locations here.
Ismail Sabri is a suspect in the case, which falls under the MACC Act 2009 and the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2001, with investigators examining potential links between the seized assets and government expenditure.
Ismail is the third former prime minister investigated for corruption after leaving office, with Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin being predecessors.
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/03/17/ismail-sabri-back-at-macc-to-start-another-day-of-questioning/169870
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-man-unnao-resisting-holi-colours/d/134901