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Islamic World News ( 4 Jan 2022, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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Muslim Women Are Being Used As Sexual Objects To Spread The Power Of Islam, Says Yati Narsinghanand

New Age Islam News Bureau

04 January 2022

 

Yati Narasinghanand Saraswati (Photo-Twitter)

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• ‘Saffron’ Pressure Forces Hijab Curb In Karnataka College; Asks Muslim Girls Wearing Headscarves To Take Them Off Once They Enter The Classroom

• Pakistan Bar Councils Threaten Blanket Boycott If Judicial Commission Considers Woman Judge’s Elevation

• Sections Of Blast Walls Being Used To Bolster The Taliban's Narrative Of Toppling US-Led Forces After 20 Years Of Fighting

• Netherlands Foundation Condemns Sending Of Islamophobic Letters To Mosques

 

India

• Breakthrough in Bulli Bai case? Bengaluru student taken to Mumbai for questioning

• Muslim women’s photos morphed: Centre steps in, police file FIR

• Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi Defend His Ancestor Fazl-e-Haq Against Trolls: 'A Freedom Fighter Who Died In Kala Pani'

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Pakistan

• Jamaat-i-Islami challenges new local govt law in Sindh High Court

• IHC issues notice to PM Imran in Khawaja Asif defamation case

• Pakistan saw upsurge in violence-related fatalities in 2021: report

• Pakistan won’t stop erecting fences on Durand Line: Qureshi

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South Asia

• We didn’t plan to assassinate Ashraf Ghani: Baradar

• Taliban to include suicide bombers in their army

• Afghanistan’s blue mountain lakes deserted as tourists stay away

• Taliban say only technical jobs at Afghanistan's airports will be contracted out

• Taliban say Russian investors expressed willingness to extract Afghanistan's petroleum

• IEA providing uniform for Taliban affiliates in Kabul

• Uzbek-Afghan border guards engage in armed conflict

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Europe

• Spanish expert: Fight for religion freedom, independence Soleimani's legacy

• Our culture in London was Turkish: British consul general

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Africa

• I Don’t Care If Nigeria’s Next President Is Christian Or Muslim – Bishop Okonkwo

• Somalia aims to overcome political crisis with clan-based electoral system

• Kenya deports Dutch national wanted for human trafficking

• Detained Ennahda politician stages hunger strike in Tunisia

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Arab World

• Saudi Arabia Says Hands Extended To Iran To Address Regional Security

• Syrian soldiers killed in deadly Islamic State ambush in Deir Ezzor

• Two drones shot down targeting Iraq base: Anti-ISIS coalition

• In rare instance, Lebanese government rebukes Hezbollah and its leader

• ISIS attack near Syria oil wells kills nine fighters: Monitor

• Saudi Arabia’s defences destroy a hostile Houthi target launched towards Taif

• Houthi militia hijacks UAE-flagged cargo ship carrying medical supplies: Report

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Mideast

• Israeli Attack On Iran To Be ‘Catastrophic’ For Mideast: Arab MK

• Iran resumes Muslim Shia pilgrim tours to Syria

• President: Iran Supports Armenia’s Sovereignty

• FM: Israel’s Ill Wishes against Iranian Nation Never Come True

• Iranian President Asks for Trial of Trump, Pompeo

• Daughter: Reprisal for General Soleimani’s Blood Not to Take Long

• Source: No Deadline for Vienna Talks

• EU 'seriously concerned' about Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike

• Palestinians rally to demand release of hunger-striking detainee

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North America

• US Calls For Civilian Rule In Sudan After Hamdok Quits As Premier

• Canadian court awards $83.9 million to families of Ukraine airliner downed by Iran

• Iran threatens revenge for Soleimani killing if former US President Trump not tried

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Southeast Asia

• Religious Affairs Minister: Decision To Suspend Umrah Travel Permission Prioritises Public Interest

• Closed borders won’t curb Omicron wave, says MMA

• Man who believed girlfriend was cheating on him gets six months’ jail for setting fire to Kuching convenience store

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:   https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-women-sexual-objects-yati-narsinghanand/d/126094

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Muslim Women Are Being Used As Sexual Objects To Spread The Power Of Islam, Says Yati Narsinghanand

 

Yati Narasinghanand Saraswati (Photo-Twitter)

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3rd January 2022

A couple of days after the notorious Bulli Bai auction caused a lot of Muslim women deep anguish and pain, head priest and hate-spewing Hindutva leader Yati Narsinghanad has once again sparked controversy by making highly objectionable and distasteful remarks against Muslim women.

In a video doing the rounds on Twitter, Yati is seen saying that aside from the Hindi film industry, Muslims have occupied all sectors including the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Hindu(tva) group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Discussing Muslim women, he says that they were the major strength of the community as they are being used as sexual objects to spread the power of Islam.

“Muslim community encourages their women to sleep with other men in the service of Islam,” says Yati.

“This is why I advise the young priests in the Hindu fold. If an ordinary Hindu marries once, a religious Hindu priest should marry at least twice. They should then give birth to as many children as possible so that the Vishudha DNA (Most pure DNA) can spread far and wide,” he adds.

He goes on to say that Muslim women are made to sleep with journalists, politicians, and higher-up officials to turn them against the majority.

“Islam is dirty disease, a gang. Until you understand the religion, it is hard to understand why I am saying all this. The day people understand Islam, they will agree with me,” he further says.

Yati Narsinghanand also went so far as to say that the men in Bharatiya Janata Party are kamine (perverted rascals) who only want to see every woman on their bed.

This is not the first time Yati Narsinghanand has made derogatory comments against Islam, women from the Muslim community, and otherwise. He had in the past shown female politicians from the BJP in an offensive light.

The continual hate speeches made by him especially at the recent Haridwar hate conclave, caused an uproar as he advocated for the genocide of Muslims in India.

During his speech in Haridwar, Narsinghanand targeted Muslims and urged Hindus to take up weapons against them. “Swords look good on stage only. This battle will be won by those with better weapons,” the spiteful Yati had said.

Source: Siasat Daily

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

https://www.siasat.com/yati-narsinghanand-makes-distasteful-remarks-against-muslim-women-2252204/

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‘Saffron’ Pressure Forces Hijab Curb In Karnataka College; Asks Muslim Girls Wearing Headscarves To Take Them Off Once They Enter The Classroom

 

A delegation of the Girls Islamic Organisation of India (GIO) met Udupi district collector Kurma Rao. (India Today)

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Jan 4, 2022

CHIKKAMAGALURU: A state-run college in Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru district on Monday asked Muslim girls wearing headscarves to take them off once they enter the classroom, apparently under pressure from another group of students that came to campus wearing saffron scarves to demand enforcement of the stipulated dress code.

Barring classrooms, girl students can wear their hijab anywhere else on the college premises, the degree college at Balagadi in Koppa taluk clarified.

It was the second time in two years that a section of students had protested against Muslim girl students being allowed to attend classes in headscarves. Last year, these students had asked the college authorities to initiate disciplinary action against students who violated the dress code.

Trouble started on Monday when the protesters turned up in saffron shawls and veils. Some staff members complained to principal Ananth S about it, but the group wouldn’t budge until headscarf-wearing girl students were told to do likewise.

Principal Anant told TOI that wearing a scarf didn’t amount to violation of the college dress code. “It (the scarf issue) was discussed during a parents’ meeting and we advised the students accordingly,” he said.

The principal said the issue that cropped up again would be resolved soon. The police didn’t file a case regarding the incident on campus, saying the onus was on the college management to appropriately handle it.

Source: Times of India

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

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangaluru/saffron-pressure-forces-hijab-curb-in-karnataka-college/articleshow/88676765.cms

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Pakistan Bar Councils Threaten Blanket Boycott If Judicial Commission Considers Woman Judge’s Elevation

 

A file photo of Justice Ayesha Malik. — Photo courtesy Punjab Judicial Academy website

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January 4, 2022

ISLAMABAD: The legal fraternity has called on Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed to postpone Thursday’s meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), scheduled to be held on January 6 to consider the elevation of Justice Ayesha A. Malik of the Lahore High Court (LHC) to the apex court.

In case the meeting is not called off, the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and all bar associations would boycott all court proceedings, from the superior judiciary to the lower courts.

This was announced by PBC Vice Chairman Khushdil Khan and PBC Executive Committee Chairman Muhammad Masood Chishti and others after a representative meeting on Monday.

The Jan 6 session of the JCP was summoned after the CJP once again proposed the name of Justice Ayesha A Malik for elevation. The last time this question came before the JCP on Sept 9, a lack of consensus during an extended meeting forced the commission to defer the appointment of Justice Malik — who is fourth in the seniority order of the Lahore High Court (LHC) — to enter the Supreme Court as the first-ever woman judge in the country’s judicial history.

PBC maintains Justice Ayesha’s proposed elevation violates seniority; calls for reforms in appointment rules

Mr Khan insisted PBC or any bar association was not targeting Justice Ayesha Malik for her gender, adding that they respected all and harboured no ill-will against any individual. “Our emphasis is only to the extent of respecting the seniority principle. We believe parliament should amend the Constitution and enhance the present strength of 17 judges in the Supreme Court by adding two or more women judges at the top.:

He also questioned why Justice Mussarat Hillali of the Peshawar High Court was not being considered for elevation, when she was senior to Justice Malik.

The representative meeting was of the view that the nomination of Justice Ayesha Malik for appointment in the Supreme Court violated the seniority principle. It superseded three judges of the Lahore High Court, including the chief justice of the concerned high court, who were not only senior to her in service but also terms of their legal practice before their elevation to the high court.

Monday’s meeting also resolved to approach parliament as well as political parties to lobby for amendments in articles 175A and 209 of the Constitution that deal with the appointment of the judges in the superior judiciary and their removal.

Article 175-A deals with the appointment procedure of the judges in the superior courts while Article 209 provides a forum for the removal of a superior court judge.

The meeting recalled the CJP’s own principle that no chief justice should initiate the process of elevation or the appointment of judges in the superior judiciary when he was nearing the end of his tenure.

The incumbent CJP has less than a month remaining as he is scheduled for superannuation on Feb 1, Mr Khan recalled.

Khushdil Khan said that Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Ahsan Bhoon had also been consulted over the decision to boycott. When asked whether the PBC would host its traditional send-off dinner in honour of the outgoing CJP if their demand was not met, he said the council would consider this at the appropriate time.

He also said that representatives of bar councils in the JCP had been calling for amendments to the Judicial Commission Rules 1980 for the last three years since these rules were sketchy and consisted of only ten lines regarding the procedure of appointment the judges in the superior judiciary.

Mr Khan said that since the legal fraternity’s “valid and genuine demands” were not being heeded, they would ask that no appointments should be made to the Supreme Court until a detailed criteria or guidelines regarding the consideration of the seniority principle were included and amendments made to the JCP rules.

He said the bar stands by the seniority principle for the purposes of elevation and appointments of judges to the Supreme Court, as also laid down in the 1996 Al-Jehad Trust case.

Mr Khan said he believed that this violation would create divisions, not just between bar and bench, but will also foster further dissent and frustration within the judiciary. This view is further fortified by the prevailing situation in the Sindh High Court, he said.

Source: Dawn

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

https://www.dawn.com/news/1667509/bars-threaten-blanket-boycott-if-judicial-commission-considers-woman-judges-elevation

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Sections Of Blast Walls Being Used To Bolster The Taliban's Narrative Of Toppling US-Led Forces After 20 Years Of Fighting

 

Taliban provincial culture chief Mullah Habibullah Mujahid (R) stands with Taliban members next to a section of a wall of a former US military base with the names of US soldiers in Ghazni.(AFP)

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Jan 4, 2022

GHAZNI, Afghanistan: In the governor's compound of Afghanistan's Ghazni province, a new historical exhibit is unveiled before a rapt audience of Taliban fighters -- sections of blast walls from a former US military base.

One concrete slab is inscribed with the names and regiments of US troops who served in the province during America's longest war.

Like soldiers throughout history, US troops regularly daubed their names on the walls of bases and fixed positions they occupied.

But now the towering block is on public display -- being used to bolster the Taliban's narrative of toppling US-led forces after 20 years of fighting.

"We have to show this so that Afghans, the world, and future generations know that we beat the Americans," Taliban provincial culture chief Mullah Habibullah Mujahid told AFP.

"Even if they called themselves the greatest power in the world."

Taliban forces took the city of Ghazni -- 150 kilometres (95 miles) south of Kabul -- three days before the capital fell on August 15.

The region has 3,500 years of rich recorded history, and the Taliban are now busy writing the latest chapter with proof of their military triumph.

The propaganda push comes as Afghanistan's new rulers struggle to evolve from an insurgency to a governing power in a country on the brink of economic collapse, with the UN estimating more than half the population is facing acute hunger.

On roads outside the city of nearly 200,000, another informal exhibition to the Taliban victory has been erected.

Rusting hulks of destroyed American armoured vehicles are on display, their weapons removed, their tyres flat and frayed.

Children clamber around and over the wreckage, which also features skeletons of abandoned Soviet tanks from the decade-long occupation of Afghanistan.

That invasion ended in humiliation for the Soviets, and -- alongside the defeat of British troops in the 19th century -- Afghans are quick to remind visitors that the country has now triumphed over three foreign empires.

"We are proud of our achievement when we see this," said 18-year-old Taliban fighter Ozair, who like many in the country goes by only one name.

"We showed that Afghans born here could beat America, a powerful country," he added, surveying the crumpled humvees and charred personnel carriers.

Reminders and relics of two decades of the US-led occupation of Afghanistan are scattered across the nation -- some of them usable.

Much military hardware gifted to Afghan police and armed forces fell into the hands of the Taliban in the last chaotic days of the US-backed government.

The windfall of weapons, vehicles and uniforms has given the new rulers of Kabul tangible spoils of victory.

But curating those trophies into a credible homage to the Taliban's return to power remains a challenge.

Standing at the blast walls, Mullah Habibullah Mujahid boasted that the 20 or so names inscribed included "important commanders and generals" killed in combat.

The ranks listed, however, were all junior -- and none of the names feature on databases of Americans killed in the war.

Source: Times of India

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

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/spoils-of-war-taliban-put-victory-over-us-on-display/articleshow/88679840.cms

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Netherlands Foundation Condemns Sending Of Islamophobic Letters To Mosques

Abdullah Aşıran 

04.01.2022

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands

The Dutch Religious Foundation issued a statement Monday condemning the sending of letters to several mosques in the Netherlands with Islamophobic content.

The mosques, which are affiliated with the foundation, also known as Hollanda Diyanet Vakfı (HDV), received the letters last week, which included cartoons insulting the Prophet Muhammad and Islam.

The foundation said in its statement that similar incidents in the past turned into assaults, noting "we strongly condemn any attack on temples and sanctuaries."

"We expect the authorities to identify the perpetrators of such attacks that disturb our community and bring them to justice," it added.

The foundation said it has been operating in the Netherlands for over 40 years, offering opportunities for Muslims in the country to fulfill their religious obligations.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/netherlands-foundation-condemns-sending-of-islamophobic-letters-to-mosques/2464569

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India

 

Breakthrough in Bulli Bai case? Bengaluru student taken to Mumbai for questioning

V Narayan

Jan 4, 2022

NEW DELHI: A 21-year-old Bengaluru student was detained and taken to Mumbai on Monday for questioning, two days after the cyber cell of Mumbai Police registered an FIR against those who created the app Bulli Bai and used it to upload doctored photographs of at least 100 prominent Muslim women that were put for auction online on January 1. The hosting platform, GitHub, has blocked the site.

Source: Times of India

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

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/breakthrough-in-bulli-bai-case-bengaluru-student-taken-to-mumbai-for-questioning/articleshow/88677256.cms

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Muslim women’s photos morphed: Centre steps in, police file FIR

Jan 03, 2022

Union minister for electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw Sunday said government had already asked for a ban on the account of a user on the online portal GitHub — posting photos of Muslim women with derogatory messages — months after a similar application led to an outcry.

“GitHub confirmed blocking the user this morning itself. Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Police authorities are coordinating further action,” Vaishnaw tweeted.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police Sunday said they had registered a first information report (FIR) at the cyber cell police station of south east district against unidentified persons.

The incident comes nearly six months (July 2021) after unidentified persons created an app and uploaded photographs of Muslim women with derogatory messages. No arrests were made in the case.

One of the woman journalists whose doctored image was also uploaded on the app took to Twitter to express her anguish. She also posted a copy of the complaint she filed over the matter with the Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police. Acknowledging the complaint, the Delhi Police tweeted: “The matter has been taken cognizance of. Concerned officials have been directed to take appropriate action.” Another complaint was filed in Mumbai regarding the matter.

“The case was registered under the Indian Penal Code. It is likely to be transferred to the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit of Delhi Police,” said a senior cyber cell officer pleading anonymity.

Meanwhile, a GitHub spokesperson said, “GitHub has longstanding policies against content and conduct involving harassment, discrimination, and inciting violence. We suspended a user account following the investigation of reports of such activity, all of which violate our policies.”

Source: Hindustan Times

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

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/muslim-women-s-photos-morphed-centre-steps-in-police-file-fir-as-outrage-mounts-101641148344787.html

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Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi defend his ancestor Fazl-e-Haq against trolls: 'A freedom fighter who died in Kala Pani'

Jan 04, 2022

Lyricist Javed Akhtar and his actor wife Shabana Azmi recently gave it back to trolls who questioned the honour of his great great grandfather Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi. Javed had raised his voice against a controversial website ‘auctioning’ Muslim women, following which some Twitter users distastefully dragged his ancestors into the conversation.  

Slamming those who spoke against late Fazl-e-Haq, Javed wrote on Twitter, “The moment I raised my voice against the online auction of women and those glorifying Godse and preaching genocide to the army, police and people, some bigots have started abusing my great great grandfather, a freedom fighter who died in Kala Pani in 1864. What do you say to such idiots.”

The moment I raised my voice against the online auction of women n those glorifying Godse n preaching genocide to the army police n people some bigots have started abusing my great great grand father a freedom fighter who died in kala pani in 1864 What do you say to such idiots

— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) January 4, 2022

The lyricist took to Twitter in the early hours of Tuesday to express his angst against the online ‘auction’ of hundred women on the ‘Bulli Bai’ app. He said he was “appalled with every one's silence” on the issue.

Javed also replied to a Twitter user who accused him of not speaking for people who were not from his ‘cadre’.  The lyricist wrote, “I have been deadly against all the Muslim fanatics and fundos, so go bark some where else. This whataboutry will not work with me. You are not talking to any Muslim right winger but a proud Indian . So shut up.”

Javed Akhtar replied to a troll.

Shabana Azmi also replied to a tweet accusing Fazl-e-Haq of trying to bring down a temple during the British rule. She said, “This is pure lies. Fazle Haq was a freedom fighter who was sentenced to Kala Pani by the British . He died in the Andamans and his grave is still there where he is revered as a hero. If you want to know more about him read Baghi Hindustan."

This is pure lies . Fazle Haq was a freedom fighter who was sentenced to Kala Pani by the British . He died in the Andamans and his grave is still there where he is revered as a hero .If you want to know more about him read “ Baghi Hindustan “ https://t.co/7P5szOfhMO

— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) January 3, 2022

Source: Hindustan Times

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

https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/javed-akhtar-shabana-azmi-defend-his-ancestor-fazl-e-haq-against-trolls-a-freedom-fighter-who-died-in-kala-pani-101641269976767.html

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Pakistan

 

Jamaat-i-Islami challenges new local govt law in Sindh High Court

Ishaq Tanoli

January 4, 2022

KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami on Monday approached the Sindh High Court against the recently passed Sindh Local Government Act (SLGA) 2021.

JI-Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, through his lawyer, filed a petition stating that the new law was in violation of various provisions of the Constitution.

Citing the Sindh chief secretary and local government secretary as respondents, the petitioner while submitting that the SLGA 2021 was passed on Dec 11 sought a permanent restraining order for respondents from giving any effect or acting in pursuance of the impugned amendments.

Women workers join protest sit-in outside PA

The petitioner stated that the impugned amendments were made only to seize the authority of local government regarding health, education, control of land owned by municipal bodies and other fundamental functions.

The crucial powers of revenue generation had also been withheld from the local governments resulting in the weakening of its institutions, he further argued.

The JI leader maintained that any purported concern about lack of capacity of local governments must be evaluated in the light of provincial government’s own deliberate role in undermining such capacities and therefore, the obligation lied with the Sindh government to restore and replenish local governments by empowering them instead of further reducing their financial autonomy.

The petitioner pleaded to declare the impugned amendments to several sub-sections of Sections 14 and 17 of the SLGA as unconstitutional and void as the same had unlawfully abridged vital local government functions in violation, inter alia, of Article 140-A of the Constitution.

He also asked the court to further restrain the respondents and all persons acting on their behalf or authority from withholding any financial provisions or administrative support from local government authorities concerned in pursuance of the impugned amendments.

While talking to media persons after filing the petition, Hafiz Naeem said that the impugned legislation was in conflict with the Constitution.

He said that once building control authority, educational institutions, Karachi Development Authority and medical facilities were under the administrative control of the Karachi city government, but the provincial government of Pakistan Peoples Party had taken control of all these institutions “due to ethnic reasons”.

He also lashed out at the PPP government for not constituting the provincial finance commission and encroaching upon the financial resources of the metropolis.

While referring to a sit-in being staged by his party outside the provincial assembly for the past three days, he said that holding demonstrations and approaching courts were their constitutional and democratic rights.

Before the JI petition, the Pak Sarzameen Party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan had also filed petitions in the SHC against the new law.

Women workers join JI sit-in

Hundreds of women workers and supporters on Monday joined the JI’s sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly, where a large number of people continued their protest for the fourth consecutive day against the LG law.

The women workers arrived the place of sit-in while carrying placards and posters and chanting slogans. They were led by JI women wing chief Asma Safeer.

Hafiz Naeem said that he had been approached by the Sindh government for talks on the issue.

Source: Dawn

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

https://www.dawn.com/news/1667492/jamaat-i-islami-challenges-new-local-govt-law-in-sindh-high-court

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IHC issues notice to PM Imran in Khawaja Asif defamation case

Tahir Naseer

January 4, 2022

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday set aside an order of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Mohammad Adnan and issued a notice to Prime Minister Imran Khan seeking his response in a defamation case against Khawaja Asif over the PML-N leader's allegations about misappropriation of funds of Shaukat Khanam Memorial Trust (SKMT).

The premier had filed the defamation suit against Asif in 2012 for recovery of Rs10 billion as the latter had at a press conference levelled allegations about misappropriation of and money laundering through the SKMT funds.

In Dec 2021, the prime minister, while recording his statement before the digitally connected court, which was presided over by the ADSJ, said he was the biggest individual donor of the SKMT from 1991 to 2009 and the investments, against which allegations had been made, were fully recovered by the SKMT without any loss.

The legality of the statement was challenged by the PML-N leader in the IHC on Monday, arguing that the ADSJ had unilaterally closed his right of the prime minister's cross-examination. The petition stated that on December 17 of 2021, before the commencement of proceedings, the court was informed that Asif’s counsel was unable to appear because of sickness, but the ADSJ recorded the premier's statement in the absence of the defence counsel. The petition had requested the IHC to set aside the ADSJ’s order.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah presided over the hearing for the petition today. He questioned that since when the case was pending.

Asif's counsel replied that the defamation suit was filed in 2012 and questions were formulated in 2021, to which the judge asked who was responsible for the delay when the court had ordered that defamation cases be disposed of quickly.

"Are you saying that the delay was caused by Imran Khan? The case is being delayed since 2012. It should have been decided in two months," the judge said.

The counsel responded that both parties had taken adjournments. He said the prime minister had not pursued the case initially and only started doing so later. He added that Asif was in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau for six months — from December 2020 to June 2021 — when the issues were framed.

He added that during that time Asif was unable to consult his lawyer and the ADSJ decided to proceed ex parte on account of the counsel's absence.

Source: Dawn

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

https://www.dawn.com/news/1667593/ihc-issues-notice-to-pm-imran-in-khawaja-asif-defamation-case

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Pakistan saw upsurge in violence-related fatalities in 2021: report

January 4, 2022

ISLAMABAD: Though violence-related casualties in Pakistan declined at a steady rate since 2015, remained somewhat unchanged in 2020 but seemed to have accelerated dramatically last year.

With an increase of roughly 42pc in 2021, Pakistan suffered 853 fatalities (up from 600 last year) and 1,690 injuries directly linked to violence-related incidents.

Nearly 75pc of all violence-related fatalities were recorded in KP including erstwhile Fata and Balochistan. Of the total fatalities, Punjab accounted for 8pc followed by Sindh.

Compared to the fatalities in 2020, all regions except Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan suffered an exponential surge in violence with Balochistan accounting for a net 80pc increase.

These are the crux of the annual security report (2021) released by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).

According to the report, commensurately, both security operations and terror attacks increased last year. A total of 146 security operations were carried out during the year leaving 298 outlaws dead, a rise of more than 40pc, against the figures of 2020.

In contrast, there were 403 terror attacks compared to 2020. Four suicide attacks took place last year that left 20 people dead compared to two suicide attacks in 2020.

An alarming upsurge of over 41pc was observed in 2021 in the fatalities of security personnel. In 2020, there was a decline of 18pc in security personnel’s fatalities. Outlaws (including militants, insurgents and criminals) suffered a 26.5pc increase in fatalities while the civilians accounted for the largest number of the victims of violence. As a whole, the combined losses of civilian and security personnel’s lives were 74pc of the total fatalities while the outlaws, the main perpetrators of violence, had suffered one fourth of the fatalities.

Afghan militants and even a member of the Afghan Taliban were reported to have been involved in violence in Pakistan that left 15 persons dead.

Also read: Supporting Afghan Taliban may be counterproductive, seminar told

Mob violence brought about by Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protests resulted in the deaths of 13 people with another 1,056 people wounded, mostly policemen.

Inspired by the TLP protests, some teenagers also took the law into their hands and carried out violent attacks in the name of religion.

Source: Dawn

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

https://www.dawn.com/news/1667464/pakistan-saw-upsurge-in-violence-related-fatalities-in-2021-report

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Pakistan won’t stop erecting fences on Durand Line: Qureshi

04 Jan 2022

Despite the recent destruction of Pakistan’s barbed-wire on the Durand line by the Taliban in three different provinces, Pakistan’s foreign minister Mahmood Qureshi has acknowledged that they will continue erecting fences on the line.

Mahmood Qureshi said that misunderstanding and recent conflicts on the Durand Line will be resolved with Kabul through the diplomatic channel.

“We will not quit, erecting barbed-wire on “border” has begun and will be continued until it gets completed. Afghanistan is our friend and brother country but some opportunists provoke issues that are not in Pakistan’s interests.” Said Qureshi.

Taliban border guards recently destroyed fences of Pakistan in Nangarhar and Nimroz provinces as the Pakistani army reportedly wanted to erect fences and new outposts on Afghan soil.

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has not officially reacted to Qureshi’s remarks, spokesperson of the IEA Zabiullah Mujahid said that there is no need to erect fences on Durand Line as the issue of the line is yet to be fully resolved.

Spokesperson of Taliban’s defense ministry Enayatullah Khwarazmi had also called the erection in opposition with the law and that Pakistan has no right to divide border.

Source: Khaama Press

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

https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-wont-stop-erecting-fences-on-durand-line-qureshi-5373734/

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South Asia

 

We didn’t plan to assassinate Ashraf Ghani: Baradar

04 Jan 2022

Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said that they (Taliban affiliates) did not plan to assassinate former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani after they took over Kabul.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Afghanistan’s state-run TV (RTA) Baradar said that a number of former officials and politicians still live in Kabul peacefully and no harm has been done to them.

Baradar added that the supreme leader-Mullah Hebtullah Akhundzada- has announced a general amnesty and that is applicable to all including the former president.

Ashraf Ghani in a video clip after his escape from Kabul said, he left Afghanistan to prevent bloodshed, destruction of Kabul, and the assassination of yet another president of Afghanistan.

He meant former president Najibullah who was assassinated by the Taliban in the late 90s.

In the interview, Baradar accused the former officials of corruption, bribery, robbery, and looting and that they could not help doing misdemeanors.

Source: Khaama Press

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

https://www.khaama.com/we-didnt-plan-to-assassinate-ashraf-ghani-baradar-7657656/

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Taliban to include suicide bombers in their army

04 Jan 2022

Officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said that they will create a special battalion of suicide attackers to be part of their future army.

Deputy Minister of information and culture and spokesperson of the Taliban Zabiullah Mujahid said that the battalion will be part of their special forces and will be active under Defense Ministry.

Zabiullah Mujahid said that the battalion will be used during special operations.

About women and former officers in the Taliban’s army, Mujahid acknowledged that women will be recruited based on need, and specialists of the previous Afghan army will also be given a part in the future army.

Earlier, the defense ministry of IEA had said that they are working on building a 100,000-member army that will be fully equipped.

Source: Khaama Press

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

https://www.khaama.com/taliban-to-include-suicide-bombers-in-their-army-876876/

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Afghanistan’s blue mountain lakes deserted as tourists stay away

04 January ,2022

The winter landscape around the deep, blue mountain lakes of Band-e-Amir in the central Afghan province of Bamiyan presents an arresting spectacle empty of people - but the absence of visitors is costing locals dearly.

After two decades of war and facing its worst economic crisis, the collapse of Afghanistan’s vestigial tourism industry might almost go unnoticed.

But Band-e-Amir, about 3,000 meters (9,840 feet) above sea level and a couple of hours’ drive from the Buddhist sites of Bamiyan, usually attracts thousands of visitors a year seeking respite from the conflict.

All that changed last year as the Taliban swept through one province after another, culminating in the shock overthrow of the Western-backed government in Kabul in August and plunging the economy into crisis as foreign aid dried up.

“It used to be very good, there were skiing programs and competitions in the winter,” said Sayed Reza, a tourist guide who also rents out rooms to visitors.

“There used to be so many tourists in the winter and spring, but since Taliban came, in the last four months we have not seen any tourist in Band-e-Amir,” he said.

Bamiyan province was one of the rare places that remained sheltered from the conflict that ripped much of Afghanistan apart over the past 20 years. It developed a relatively liberal culture in which mountain sports played a significant role.

The skiers and cyclists on the slopes and roads, as well as the thousands of picnickers and sightseers enjoying the natural beauty offered a vision of carefree peace in stark contrast to the violence elsewhere.

Source: Al Arabiya

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

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2022/01/04/Afghanistan-s-blue-mountain-lakes-deserted-as-tourists-stay-away

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Taliban say only technical jobs at Afghanistan's airports will be contracted out

Jan 3, 2022

KABUL: The Taliban have said that only the management of the technical operations at Afghan airports will be contracted out while the general management will be led by the Afghan government, reported local media.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) has said that negotiations over the management of technical issues of Afghan airports are ongoing between the Afghan team and the delegations from Qatar and Turkey, reported TOLOnews.

The officials of the ministry also stated that the final decision will be made within the next two weeks.

Imamuddin Ahmadi, the spokesperson for the ministry, said that the interim government will not give the complete management of the country's airport to anyone rather a contract will be made over the technical affairs of the international airports with standard and international companies, according to TOLOnews.

Source: Times of India

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

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/taliban-say-only-technical-jobs-at-afghanistans-airports-will-be-contracted-out/articleshow/88673614.cms

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Taliban say Russian investors expressed willingness to extract Afghanistan's petroleum

Jan 3, 2022

KABUL: The Taliban have said that Russian investors have expressed their willingness to extract Afghanistan's petroleum and gas while meeting with a top leader of the country, reported local media.

Russian investors met the Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister in the interim government Abdul Salaam Hanafi on Sunday and discussed a number of economic projects including refinement and excavation of gas and petroleum, reported Khaama Press citing the Taliban's spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid as saying.

The spokesperson also said that Hanafi accompanied by Afghan traders and investors called on Russian investors in his office and discussed founding a cement factory, separate plants of LNG beside refinement and extraction of oil and gas in the country.

Mujahid further informed that Hanafi appreciated and welcomes the willingness of the Russian investors to extract the country's gas and oil, according to Khaama Press.

The Taliban leader also assured the investors of providing a conducive environment for further investment in the country.

Source: Times of India

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

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/taliban-say-russian-investors-expressed-willingness-to-extract-afghanistans-petroleum/articleshow/88668563.cms

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IEA providing uniform for Taliban affiliates in Kabul

04 Jan 2022

Interior ministry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said that the process of providing a specific uniform for police (Taliban affiliates) in Kabul has begun and will soon get completed.

Deputy spokesperson of the ministry Engineer Izam in a video clips said that the process has begun simultaneously with Taliban affiliates in the Afghan capital Kabul.

People across Afghanistan have been asking the IEA to provide their rank and file with a specific uniform in order to be differentiated with those who impersonate the Taliban and rob people.

Source: Khaama Press

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

https://www.khaama.com/iea-providing-uniform-for-taliban-affiliates-in-kabul/

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Uzbek-Afghan border guards engage in armed conflict

03 Jan 2022

Taliban’s local officials in northern Jawzjan province said that Afghanistan’s border guards engaged in armed conflict with Uzbekistani in the Khumab district of the province.

Head of the directorate of information and culture of Jawzjan province Hilal Balkhi has said that the conflict occurred on Monday, January 3, 2022 afternoon.

The armed conflict reportedly happened ten days after an Afghan who mistakenly crossed the border into Uzbekistan was shot dead by the country’s border police.

Meanwhile, another Afghan who intended to cross the border into Uzbekistan was arrested and was then buried alive.

Source: Khaama Press

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

https://www.khaama.com/uzbek-afghan-border-guards-engage-in-armed-conflict-436346/

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Europe

 

Spanish expert: Fight for religion freedom, independence Soleimani's legacy

January 3, 2022

Yusuf Fernandez, a Spanish analyst, said that the legacy of the late General Qasem Soleimani was fight for freedom and independence of the West Asian people.

In an interview with Islamic Republic News Agency correspondent in Madrid on Monday, Fernandez said that former IRGC Qods Force commander General Soleimani's assassination was widely condemned throughout the world and that's why it undermined US position in the region to a large extent.

Fernandez mentioned US withdrawal from Afghanistan as a scandalous failure for Washington after twenty years of war in which the US failed to defeat Taliban in one of the longest wars in US history.

The US has pulled out a significant number of its forces from Iraq, but thousands of American forces have still remained in the country although rejected by Iraqi people, the Spanish analyst said.

The secretary of Spain's Muslim Federation said that the people of Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine owe General Soleimani a lot because he helped them stand against extremist movements and destroyed the untouchability of the Zionist regime.

He also touched on the talks held in Vienna between Iran and the P4+1, saying that the US failed to impose its will on Iranians through sanctions and now it is Tehran that has specified what is acceptable in these negotiations and what is not.

Source: ABNA24

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

https://en.abna24.com/news//spanish-expert-fight-for-religion-freedom-independence-soleimanis-legacy_1214991.html

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Our culture in London was Turkish: British consul general

Mehmet Kara  

04.01.2022

Calling the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul his “dream city,” Kenan Poleo said he admires the multicultural life here from all perspectives.

Poleo was appointed the British consul general in Istanbul just three months ago, even though his love for the city and Turkish culture is much deeper.

"My parents were very young when they came to London, and they were broke. Life was difficult at that time in England. There was also racism,” he said, describing how his family emigrated from Cyprus in the 1950s.

“Cypriot, Turkish families, families from Africa began to arrive. For me, London and Istanbul are like a mosaic because where I grew up in London, there were people from all over the world.”

Sharing that his childhood years were spent in a cultural richness even though it was difficult financially, Poleo noted that while working at his father’s shops when he was a child, he gained “diplomatic talent” as he often spoke to the customers.

He also noted that his family tried to preserve their Turkish Cypriot culture and that they went to Cyprus from time to time, saying that they have a mixed British, Turkish and Turkish Cypriot culture.

Poleo said he came to Istanbul for the first time at the age of 18 and that his "head exploded" due to the crowds and noise in the city.

"My head exploded because Cyprus was so small. It's very big and crowded when we came here,” he said.

“The people were hospitable, and so was Cyprus, but here it is much different than there.

“I loved it so much. So I did my second education on Turkish studies,” he added.

He emphasized that he had been following Turkish cinema and music with interest since a young age, adding "our culture in London was Turkish culture.”

Giving examples of Turkish artists and actresses that he loved at that time, Poleo said it was not just the movies or movie stars that he loved but also Turkish music.

“We supported Turkish artists at Eurovision. We loved (famous Turkish singer) Ajda Pekkan's song Petrol. We used to listen to it and play it at our house.”

“Ajda Pekkan was like a star. The song was very beautiful, but it was the 15th in the contest.

“I was 10 years old at the time, and I realized there was discrimination,” he said.

“Music, art and literature all came from Turkiye. I read (famous Turkish author) Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoglu's book Yaban with a dictionary in one year. That's why we are so close to this culture."

-‘Istanbul was my dream destination’

After his assignments in Slovenia and Germany, Poleo said he chose Istanbul, noting it “was my dream destination.”

“I was supposed to stay in Berlin for another two years, but I came here, like a dream. I'm very lucky. This dream continues. It's a colorful dream. I really like this task,” he said.

“I talk to people every day. I learn new things. People are enterprising, innovative. They communicate very well,” he added.

“It's like my neighborhood here, I'm very comfortable in Istanbul. Unfortunately, I can only stay for four years. I don't want to go.”

He mentioned that he is always thinking about what to do after leaving the city.

Stating that the German capital, which was his previous post, is like a "village" compared to the Turkish metropolis, Poleo said that London is more like Istanbul in terms of mobility.

He said he loves the energy of big cities.

"There is another view everywhere, on every corner. It's an incredibly beautiful city,” he said.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/culture/our-culture-in-london-was-turkish-british-consul-general/2464581

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Africa

 

I Don’t Care If Nigeria’s Next President Is Christian Or Muslim – Bishop Okonkwo

January 3, 2022

By Seun Opejobi

Bishop Mike Okonkwo of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM, has cautioned Nigerians against banking on religion and tribe in deciding Nigeria’s next president.

Okonkwo has, however, claimed he does not care if Nigeria’s next president is a Christian or Muslim.

Featuring on Arise tv, the founding member of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, said Nigerians should pick a president who can deliver on the dividends of democracy.

He said: “We must rid ourselves of party politics, religious politics and personal interests as long as the politics of this nation is concerned and focus on who can deliver to us the dividends of democracy.

“I don’t care whether he is a Christian or a Muslim, but who actually is interested in this country and has a multitude of them across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

Source: Daily Post Nigeria

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

https://dailypost.ng/2022/01/03/2023-i-dont-care-if-nigerias-next-president-is-christian-or-muslim-bishop-okonkwo/

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Somalia aims to overcome political crisis with clan-based electoral system

Gokhan Kavak  

03.01.2022

Somalia aims to overcome the ongoing political crisis in the country with its clan-based electoral system, called the “4.5 system.”

Somalia, which is struggling with drought, terrorism, and economic issues, has been unable to complete the electoral process due to political disputes between the central government and the state governments, as well as between the president and the prime minister.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Abdinor Dahir, a Somali political scientist, said: "There are two forces contributing to the election stalemate; The first is President (Mohamed Abdullahi) Farmajo, whose term ended in early 2021, and the second is the heads of federal states who apparently support Farmajo and jeopardize the process in favor of the president."

Noting that the country's clan-based social structure affects the electoral system, Dahir said that the country’s political stalemate deepens security problems in Somalia.

He called on the international community, including Turkiye, to help resolve the political crisis in Somalia.

Dahir said that in order to resolve the political standoff, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble should be allowed to lead the process. "The heads of federal states should speed up the election process and ensure transparency," he added.

"Political actors, including opposition and civil society groups, should support Prime Minister Roble's efforts to ensure that the election takes place without further delay," he said.

Electoral system in Somalia

Parliamentary and presidential elections are held consecutively in Somalia.

Elections are held in line with a clan-based electoral system, called the 4.5 system, which gives four major clans an equal share in parliament and half a share to minority groups.

The 275 members of the lower house, also known as the House of People, are elected for four years by 14,000 delegates representing different tribes in Somalia. The 54 members of the upper house are chosen by state councils.

The elected members of the upper house elect both the speaker of the assembly and the president.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/somalia-aims-to-overcome-political-crisis-with-clan-based-electoral-system/2464283

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Kenya deports Dutch national wanted for human trafficking

Andrew Wasike  

03.01.2022

NAIROBI, Kenya

Kenyan authorities on Monday said that a Dutch national of Eritrean descent wanted for human trafficking with Interpol red notice had been deported to the Netherlands.

John Habeta, 53, had been on the run for four years and was believed to be running an underground international human smuggling network for the trafficking of people from Africa to Europe, according to a statement by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Kenya.

He was arrested in Nairobi following a covert operation by DCI detectives.

“He is linked to at least four different operations where groups of Eritrean nationals were smuggled into Europe through Asia. Immediately after his arrest, he was extradited to the Netherlands on orders from the Ministry of Interior,” the statement read.

Authorities in Kenya warned criminals that the East African country is not “a haven for international fugitives.”

According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), the human trafficking in East Africa has been a reported problem.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/kenya-deports-dutch-national-wanted-for-human-trafficking/2464266

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Detained Ennahda politician stages hunger strike in Tunisia

Adel al-Thabti  

03.01.2022

TUNIS, Tunisia

The detained deputy leader of Tunisia’s Ennahda party has been refusing food and medication in hospital, a local human rights group said on Monday.

Fathi al-Jari, head of the Association for the Prevention of Torture, said he met late Sunday with Noureddine El-Beheiry at a hospital in Bizerte alongside with a delegation from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"El-Beheiry, 63, has staged a brutal hunger strike and refuses to take medicine," al-Jari told Anadolu Agency.

He pointed out that "El-Beheiry told the delegation that he was transferred from the capital, Tunis [following his arrest] to the National Guard Center in the city of Menzel Jamil [in Bizerte province], then to the Agricultural Vocational Training Center in Bizerte, where he was under house arrest, and later to Bizerte Hospital."

Al-Jari stated that Ennahda’s deputy leader "considers himself in a case of abduction, and he has a single request, which is to hold his abductors accountable."

Regarding his health condition, he said El-Beheiry is "conscious, but his health condition is fragile", adding that he suffers from complications of a heart surgery he underwent earlier.

Meanwhile, the attorneys of El-Beheiry filed on Monday a complaint with the Public Prosecution against President Kais Saied and Interior Minister Tawfiq Sharaf el-Din over the Ennahda deputy leader’s detention.

On Sunday evening, an Ennahda member said el-Beheiry was hospitalized in a "very dangerous condition" and he was "facing death," adding that "for three days he has been without food, water and medicine."

On Friday, Ennahda Movement said that El-Beheiry was abducted and taken to an unknown destination, and held the president and the interior minister responsible for his disappearance.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/detained-ennahda-politician-stages-hunger-strike-in-tunisia/2464198

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Arab World

 

Saudi Arabia says hands extended to Iran to address regional security

Laith Juneidi  

03.01.2022

Jordan and Saudi Arabia held talks on Monday to discuss regional developments, particularly the Iranian issue.

Speaking at a press conference in Jordanian capital Amman, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the talks dwelt on the Iranian support to militias.

“We affirmed that our hands as Arabs are extended to Iran if they respond to Arab concerns regarding regional security and stability,” he said.

The top diplomat said that discussions also took up the need to intensify efforts to “prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and rendering the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.”

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, for his part, reiterated his country’s support to any Saudi step to protect its security.

Last month, Jordan hosted a security dialogue session between Riyadh and Tehran to discuss a range of security and technical issues and the promotion of regional stability.

The Amman talks came as diplomatic efforts to break the ice between Iran and Saudi Arabia gain pace in recent months, with officials on both sides citing progress in talks brokered by Iraq.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/saudi-arabia-says-hands-extended-to-iran-to-address-regional-security/2464318

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Syrian soldiers killed in deadly Islamic State ambush in Deir Ezzor

January 4, 2022

Syrian state-run media said five soldiers were killed in an Islamic State missile attack on a transport convoy in the country’s eastern desert on Sunday evening.

Twenty others were wounded, state-run SANA news agency reported. The outlet operates under the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The attack occurred in the Badia desert between Palmyra and Deir Ezzor, according to SANA. The remote area remains a hotbed of IS insurgent activity even after nearly all of the country was recaptured from the jihadist group by the Syrian regime and Kurdish forces two years ago.

Two years ago, a Russian major general was killed in a roadside bomb attack in the desert outside Deir Ezzor city. Russia militarily backs the Assad regime.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a grassroots monitoring network following the Syrian civil war, claimed nine Syrian soldiers and affiliated militiamen were killed in the attack. SOHR said 15 pro-government fighters were wounded.

On Dec. 2, IS fighters ambushed a bus of Syrian oilfield workers in Deir Ezzor province, killing ten and injuring one.

On Dec. 15, fighters infiltrated the Subaihan oilfield under the control of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Deir Ezzor and demanded extortion money over oil production.

The jihadist group used to rely heavily on Syria’s oilfields to fund its proto-state, but lost control of the oil trade amid the US-led bombing campaign and ground fighting in 2017-18.

A Syrian brigadier general was reportedly killed along with four soldiers and 13 civilians in the Badia desert in IS attacks in November, according to SOHR.

IS retains underground cells across eastern Syria. Last month US forces accompanied SDF fighters on a raid near Shadadi that left four men dead. The Pentagon said those killed were armed IS fighters.

Source: Al Monitor

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

https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/01/syrian-soldiers-killed-deadly-islamic-state-ambush-deir-ezzor?A4C76C99-CC08-3F45-8EC4-F07C65705DF1_kav_cup_C6FA3ED5_6D17_47D1_B6E2_F4B02CC905E0_

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Two drones shot down targeting Iraq base: Anti-ISIS coalition

04 January ,2022

Two armed drones targeting an air base in western Iraq were shot down on Tuesday, an official of the US-led coalition fighting ISIS revealed.

“Two fixed-wing drones rigged with explosives were engaged and destroyed by defensive capabilities at the Iraqi Al-Asad Air Base early this morning,” the official detailed.

“The attempted attack was unsuccessful. All forces are accounted for.”

It is the second such attack in 24 hours aimed for the coalition in Iraq. On Monday, the coalition shot down two armed drones targeting its compound at Baghdad airport.

The attacks come as Tehran and its allies across the Middle East held emotional commemorations marking Monday's second anniversary of the assassination of Iranian commander General Qassem Soleimani and his Iraqi lieutenant in a US drone strike at Baghdad airport.

Source: Al Arabiya

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

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2022/01/04/Two-drones-shot-down-targeting-Iraq-base-Anti-ISIS-coalition

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In rare instance, Lebanese government rebukes Hezbollah and its leader

03 January ,2022

Lebanon’s government hit out at Hezbollah on Monday, shortly after the group’s leader made disparaging comments about Saudi Arabia.

With the rare condemnation of the Iran-backed group by the Lebanese state, Prime Minister Najib Mikati implored for a halt to the fueling of “political and sectarian hatred.”

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

“For God’s sake, have mercy on Lebanon and the Lebanese people and stop [fueling] political and sectarian hatred,” Mikati said in a series of tweets.

Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah accused Saudi Arabia and its leadership of supporting terrorists and trying to make Lebanon a “Gulf emirate.”

He also claimed that Saudi Arabia sent suicide bombers to Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

Nasrallah was speaking on the second anniversary of the slaying of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a US drone strike after he arrived in Baghdad. He was killed alongside the deputy leader of Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

Mikati voiced opposition to Hezbollah’s “trend of positions” that hurt the Lebanese population “first” and Lebanon’s ties with its “brothers, second.”

“We have called for adopting the policy of dissociation from Arab disputes and refraining from harming Lebanon’s ties with Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia,” Mikati said.

“What the secretary-general of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia tonight does not represent the stance of the Lebanese government or the broader Lebanese population. And it is not in the interest of Lebanon to harm any Arab country, especially Gulf countries,” he added.

Iran has formed proxies or armed militias in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria.

Source: Al Arabiya

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

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2022/01/03/In-rare-instance-Lebanese-government-rebukes-Hezbollah-and-its-leader

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ISIS attack near Syria oil wells kills nine fighters: Monitor

03 January ,2022

Extremist fighters killed nine Syrian soldiers and allied militiamen in an ambush near oil installations in eastern Syria, a war monitor reported Monday.

“Nine army soldiers and allied militia fighters were killed in an ambush” by ISIS near oil wells, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

The attack was carried out late Sunday in a remote region on the edge of the eastern province of Deir Ezzor where extremist units have their hideouts, the monitor stated.

The rocket attack on a convoy also left 15 pro-government fighters wounded, the UK-based organization said.

The Syrian state news agency SANA reported five dead in an ISIS ambush on a military convoy.

The extremist organisation, which once reigned over a sprawling proto-state straddling swathes of Iraq and Syria, lost its last fixed positions in March 2019, but its remnants have kept up deadly guerrilla-style attacks.

Since the defeat of its self-proclaimed “caliphate”, ISIS attacks have killed close to 1,800 government and allied forces in Syria.

Source: Al Arabiya

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

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2022/01/03/ISIS-attack-near-Syria-oil-wells-kills-nine-fighters-Monitor

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Saudi Arabia’s defences destroy a hostile Houthi target launched towards Taif

03 January ,2022

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said on Monday its defenses intercepted and destroyed a hostile aerial target that was launched towards Taif city in the Kingdom.

The ministry added that the Houthi attack was launched from inside Yemen, stressing that it took all operational defensive measures to contain the threat and protect civilians.

The Arab Coalition had shared on Monday videos of the destruction of three explosive laden drones launched by the Iran-backed militias towards the Kingdom’s southern region, Sunday night.

The Coalition affirmed it took all necessary operational measures to preserve the security of Saudi Arabia, and its citizens and residents.

Sunday evening, the Coalition announces that Saudi defenses shot down and destroyed three drones launched towards Najran.

It also added in a statement that Coalition forces monitored the launch of the drones from the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, and how the Houthis used human shields.

The Coalition continued to stress that it takes all the operational measures necessary to deal with the sources of threat and to respond immediately.

Yemen’s Houthis have launched dozens of cross-border aerial attacks on Saudi Arabia during 2021. The Iran-backed militia targeted civilian areas and energy facilities in the Kingdom with explosive-laden drones and ballistic missiles.

Source: Al Arabiya

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

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2022/01/03/Saudi-Arabia-s-defenses-destroy-a-hostile-Houthi-target-launched-towards-Taif

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Houthi militia hijacks UAE-flagged cargo ship carrying medical supplies: Report

03 January ,2022

The Iran-backed Houthi militia has hijacked the United Arab Emirates-flagged cargo ship Rawabi off the city of Hodeidah, according to an Arab Coalition spokesperson quoted in a statement from SPA.

The ship was carrying medical equipment for a Saudi field hospital on Socotra Island, and was heading towards the port of Jazan, the statement said.

The coalition called on the Houthis to immediately surrender the ship, adding that it will take all necessary measures to deal with the “piracy”.

Fighting between the coalition and the Houthi militia has intensified in recent months.

On Sunday, coalition forces carried out air strikes on four targets on Yemen’s capital Sanaa that it said were storage facilities for drones and launch pads.

On Saturday, December 25, a coalition strike killed three members of the Iran-backed Houthi militia traveling in a military vehicle northwest of the city.

Source: Al Arabiya

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

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2022/01/03/Houthi-militia-hijacks-UAE-flagged-cargo-ship-carrying-medical-supplies-Report

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Mideast

 

Israeli attack on Iran to be ‘catastrophic’ for Mideast: Arab MK

Abdel Raouf Arnaout  

03.01.2022

JERUSALEM

An Arab member of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) has warned of “catastrophic” consequences for the Middle East region in case of any Israeli military action against Iran.

“The idea of launching an attack against Iran does not enjoy consensus in Israel,” Ahmed Tibi told Anadolu Agency on Monday.

His remarks come amid rising calls inside Israel for attacking Iran over its controversial nuclear program.

Several Israeli officials have hinted at the possibility of carrying out a military action against Tehran to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear bomb.

However, Tibi said there are Israeli voices that oppose any military strike against Iran and prefer to see Iran abide by the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed sanctions in a move aimed to bring Iran back to negotiations for what Trump hoped would be a "better" deal.

Iran and world powers resumed their talks in the Austrian capital, Vienna, in late November in an effort to revive the nuclear agreement.

Israel says it will not be bound by any agreement reached with Iran.

Tibi considers the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal a “big mistake” and is unsure whether Washington will "allow the adventurers in Israel to drag the region into a devastating war."

Bennett-Netanyahu

While Naftali Bennett replaced Benjamin Netanyahu as Israeli prime minister last year, Tibi argues that the change in leadership did not result in an actual policy shift in Israel.

"What happened is a change of people without a change in policies,” the Arab MK said.

"Bennett and his government are still perpetuating the occupation, expanding illegal settlements, incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque have increased, and settlers are allowed to conduct silent prayers inside the flashpoint site,” he said.

“As for Arabs living inside Israel,” Tibi said, “incitement against Arab leaders still exists, and nothing has changed regarding the issues of planning and construction."

Unlike the United Arab List which supported Bennett’s formation of government in Israel, Tibi’s Joint Arab List did not.

Tibi considers the United Arab List's support for the Bennett government as a "very big political mistake."

“Despite the fact that an Arab party joined the government of the former secretary of the Settlements Council (Bennett), this did not lead to a change in the government's policies. Rather, it dealt with a number of issues worse than its predecessors."

Tibi deplored what he said attempt by the United Arab List to block bills in the Knesset for the benefit of the Arab public in Israel, which were presented by the Joint Arab List.

“I did not expect that we would reach this degree,” he said.

The United Arab List argues that it acted within the "coalition discipline".

"Damn the coalition discipline that makes you vote against the issues of your people,” Tibi said.

American support

Tibi said the administration of US President Joe Biden has no positive impact on the course of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians for a two-state solution.

"Unfortunately, he (Biden) did not fulfill his promise to reopen the US Consulate in (East) Jerusalem, due to Bennett and (Israeli Foreign Minister Yair) Lapid's objections," Tibi said.

The Trump administration closed the consulate in 2019 and made it a section of the US Embassy after moving it from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Recently, the US State Department confirmed more than once that it would move forward with reopening the consulate, which is tasked with coordinating the relationship with the Palestinians.

Tibi said the Biden administration did not do much with regard to the Palestinian issue, and was unable to influence Israeli policies towards the Palestinians over fears of Netanyahu’s return to power again.

Tibi said he does not expect Netanyahu to return to power in Israel.

"Although polls suggest that the right-wing bloc (which supports Netanyahu) will win by 56 or 57 votes in the upcoming elections, this is not enough to form a single government," he said, noting that the Joint Arab List “will never negotiate with the Likud and the right-wing."

Source: Anadolu Agency

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

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israeli-attack-on-iran-to-be-catastrophic-for-mideast-arab-mk/2464082

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Iran resumes Muslim Shia pilgrim tours to Syria

03 January, 2022

Iran resumed religious pilgrim trips to Syria on Sunday, enabling its nationals to visit Muslim Shia shrines in Damascus, according to state-run Fars news agency.

Two weekly flights from Tehran International Airport to Damascus resumed, allowing Iranians to visit the shrines of Sayyida Zainab and Sayyida Ruqayya - the head of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation Ali-Reza Rashidian said.

"The Hajj and Pilgramage Organisation has allocated two weekly flights to Damascus from Tehran International Airport to visit the shrines of Sayyida Zainab and Sayyida Ruqayya," Rashidian told Fars news agency.

The first batch of 25 tourists headed from Shia-majority Iran to Syria's historic capital on Sunday as part of an "implementation of agreements previously concluded" with the Syrian regime, according to the agency.

Iran has backed Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in the country's decade-long conflict where over 500,000 civilians were killed, mostly civilians from regime attacks.

Iran and Syria agreed to resume religious pilgrim tours last November when it was agreed that Tehran would send 100,000 Iranian tourists to the war-torn country in the first phase of the deal.

At the time, Syrian Minister of Tourism Muhammad Rami Martini expressed his desire to "conduct the trips quickly" as his ministry encourages "Syrian tourism offices to receive Iranian tourists".

Source: The New Arab

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

https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/iran-resumes-muslim-shia-pilgrim-tours-syria

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President: Iran Supports Armenia’s Sovereignty

2022-January-4

During the phone talks on Monday, the two sides discussed development of economic exchanges and cooperation between Tehran and Yerevan.

“The principled policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries,” Rayeesi said.

“In doing so, Tehran supports the sovereignty of Armenia over all its territories and means of transportation passing through the country.”

He extended his congratulations on the birthday anniversary of Jesus Christ (PBUH) and the beginning of the Christian New Year, and stressed the necessity of constant interaction and dialogue between the two countries at different levels and among neighbors.

“The sensitivity of the situation in the Caucasus region requires the countries of the region to discuss regional and bilateral issues on a regular basis,” Rayeesi added.

He underscored that Tehran welcomes progress in the process of talks between the Republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and said, “We hope that other issues between the two countries will be resolved peacefully within the framework of international principles and law, and that we will see more peace, stability and security in the region.”

Pashinyan, for his part, reaffirmed his country’s resolve to expand multilateral relations with Iran and said, “We are determined to increase economic relations and interactions with Iran in all fields and to make the Iran-Armenia joint economic cooperation commission more active than before.”

The Armenian premier described regional cooperation between the two countries as important, and said, “We are confident that by boosting the level of cooperation and bilateral coordination, we can take important steps towards establishment of peace and security in the region.”

Source: Fars News Agency

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

https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001014000319/Presiden-Iran-Spprs-Armenia%E2%80%99s-Svereigny

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FM: Israel’s Ill Wishes against Iranian Nation Never Come True

2022-January-4

Amir Abdollahian’s comments came in response to recent claims by Lapid that the Zionist regime “could attack Iran if necessary without informing the Biden administration”.

Lapid claimed on Friday that “Israel has capabilities, some of which the world, and even some experts in the field, cannot even imagine”.

In response, Amir Abdollahian wrote on his twitter page that the senseless remarks made by the “fake Israeli regime against the great Iranian nation” are a dream, which will never come true.

“We will defend the nation’s rights, interests and progress with power and wisdom,” Iran’s foreign minister said.

“Zionism has no place in the future world,” he underlined.

The Israeli regime has never stopped advertising the threat of “military action” against Iran and falsely accusing the Islamic Republic of seeking to acquire non-conventional military capability.

Iranian generals, for their part, have decisively warned the Tel Aviv regime on multiple occasions against any adventurism against the country, pledging a crushing response to any attack.

Last Tuesday, Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Headquarters Major General Gholam Ali Rashid underlined Iran’s plan to stage several military drills, warning enemies of his country’s crushing response to any aggression.

“A sum of 25 massive army, IRGC andd joint drills have been scheduled for the current year and so far 15 massive wargames have been staged by the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and of course, some of them will not be publicized,” General Rashid said, addressing the Armed Forces’ commanders.

“We want the enemy not to be after testing our will and power because it will not be able to bear the costs of a massive and all-out confrontation. Therefore, believing the Islamic Republic of Iran’s power will certainly have lower costs for the enemy,” he added.

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri said last week that the IRGC’s recent Great Prophet 17 military drills were held in response to the threats of the Israeli regime.

Source: Fars News Agency

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

https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001014000403/FM-Israel%E2%80%99s-Ill-Wishes-agains-Iranian-Nain-Never-Cme-Tre

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Iranian President Asks for Trial of Trump, Pompeo

2022-January-4

The Ex-president of the United States and also former Secretary of State must stand trial for the crime of assassinating General Soleimani, Rayeesi said, addressing a massive gathering of people at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla (congregational prayers site) held to commemorate the second anniversary of martyrdom of General Soleimani on Monday afternoon.

He addressed the Americans, saying that General Soleimani was officially invited by the Iraqi prime minister before he was assassinated, noting that the Americans violated Iraq’s sovereignty.

“You (the Americans) not only violated Iraq’s sovereignty, but also assassinated a nation, not just an individual,” Rayeesi said.

“The aggressor, murderer, and the key criminal, namely the former US president must be tried for the heinous crime of assassinating General Soleimani,” he added.

The president went on to address the American statesmen that if the perpetrators behind the heinous crime do not stand trial, the Islamic Ummah will avenge his martyrdom.

The president said that the top Iranian commander General Soelimani was a school of thought that was in continuation of the school of late Imam Khomeini and current Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

Soleimani was not a man of compromise but was a man of resistance, he noted, adding that Martyr Soleimani should not be seen only as a top military commander.

Rayeesi went on to say that General Soleimani had the expertise in winning hearts and left behind a culture of resistance.

He said that the former IRGC Qods Force commander could conquer hearts better than lands.

Former Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Qods Force Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, his Iraqi trenchmate Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s PMU, and ten of their deputies were martyred by an armed drone strike as their convoy left Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020. The attack was ordered by then US President Donald Trump.

To date, Iran’s chief civilian prosecutor has indicted tens of individuals in connection with the assassination, among them former president Trump, the head of US Central Command General Kenneth McKenzie Jr., and former US Secretaries of State and Defense Mike Pompeo and Mark Esper.

The file remains open to the further addition of individuals that Tehran determines to have played a role in the killing.

Both commanders were highly popular because of their key role in fighting against the ISIL terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.

Back in January 2020, two days after the assassination, the Iraqi parliament passed a law requiring the Iraqi government to end the presence of the US-led foreign forces in the Arab country.

Last year, Baghdad and Washington reached an agreement on ending the presence of all US combat troops in Iraq by the end of 2021.

The US military declared the end of its combat mission in Iraq this month, but resistance forces remain bent on expelling all American forces, including those who have stayed in the country on the pretext of training Iraqi forces or playing an advisory role.

Since the assassination, Iraqi resistance forces have ramped up pressure on the US military to leave their country, targeting American bases and forces on numerous occasions, at one point pushing the Americans to ask them to “just leave us alone”.

Iran and Iraq in a joint statement earlier this month underlined their determination to identify, prosecute and punish the culprits behind the assassination of General Soleimani and al-Muhandis.

Source: Fars News Agency

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

https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001013000525/Iranian-Presiden-Asks-fr-Trial-f-Trmp-Pmpe

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Daughter: Reprisal for General Soleimani’s Blood Not to Take Long

2022-January-4

"It will not be long before we will take revenge on the blood of our martyred commanders and we will remain faithful to our covenant with the martyred commanders", Zeinab Soleimani said, addressing a large gathering of Iraqis near Baghdad airport, where General Soleimani was assassinated by the US drones on January 3, 2020.

She also added that with the liberation of Iraq and the withdrawal of US forces, people's sorrow will turn into joy.

Iran’s anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, his Iraqi trenchmate Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s PMU, and ten of their deputies were martyred by an armed drone strike as their convoy left Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020. The attack was ordered by then US President Donald Trump.

To date, Iran’s chief civilian prosecutor has indicted tens of individuals in connection with the assassination, among them former president Trump, the head of US Central Command General Kenneth McKenzie Jr., and former US Secretaries of State and Defense Mike Pompeo and Mark Esper.

The file remains open to the further addition of individuals that Tehran determines to have played a role in the killing.

Both commanders were highly popular because of their key role in fighting against the ISIL terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.

Back in January 2020, two days after the assassination, the Iraqi parliament passed a law requiring the Iraqi government to end the presence of the US-led foreign forces in the Arab country.

Last year, Baghdad and Washington reached an agreement on ending the presence of all US combat troops in Iraq by the end of 2021.

The US military declared the end of its combat mission in Iraq this month, but resistance forces remain bent on expelling all American forces, including those who have stayed in the country on the pretext of training Iraqi forces or playing an advisory role.

Since the assassination, Iraqi resistance forces have ramped up pressure on the US military to leave their country, targeting American bases and forces on numerous occasions, at one point pushing the Americans to ask them to “just leave us alone”.

Iran and Iraq in a joint statement earlier this month underlined their determination to identify, prosecute and punish the culprits behind the assassination of General Soleimani and al-Muhandis.

Source: Fars News Agency

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

https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001013000517/Dagher-Reprisal-fr-General-Sleimani%E2%80%99s-Bld-N-Take-Lng

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Source: No Deadline for Vienna Talks

2022-January-4

No deadline has been set for the ongoing talks, and the main issue for Iran's negotiating team is to realize the rights of the Iranian people within the framework of previous agreements, a source close to the Iranian negotiating team said on Monday.

Such media claims, which have no real basis and are aimed solely at straining the negotiations atmosphere, will not change the strategy of the Iranian negotiating team to reach a "good agreement", the source added.

As the representatives of Iran and Group 4+1 (Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) arrived in Vienna on Monday to attend the eighth round of talks, certain western media outlets, citing US diplomats, claimed that a deadline had been set to avoid the talks being prolonged.

Iran’s chief negotiator Ali Baqeri Kani arrived in Vienna on Monday to continue talks with the world powers on removal of sanctions.

He had left Vienna for Tehran last Thursday after meeting with the representatives of E3 (the UK, France and Germany) and EU Foreign Policy Chief Enrique Mora.

Baqeri Kani departed Vienna for Tehran on Thursday after holding talks with EU Deputy Foreign Policy Chief Enrique Mora and representatives of the three European states of Britain, France and Germany.

The Vienna talks aimed at lifting sanctions will continue on Monday after a short recess due to the New Year's holidays.

Before leaving, Baqeri Kani told reporters in front of the Coburg Hotel that he would return to Vienna on Monday to resume talks.

He had earlier on Thursday met and held talks with Mora and the European troika (representatives of the three European members of the JCPOA) in Vienna.

The Vienna talks between Iran and the G4+1 (Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) will continue but teams will go to a three-day New Year break as of Thursday and will resume talks on January 3.

Delegations from Iran and the G4+1 had returned to Vienna, Austria, on Monday after a Christmas recess.

Mora who co-chaired the JCPOA Joint Commission meeting on Monday evening told reporters that the upcoming break was only due to Palais Coburg's suspension of services.

Baqeri Kani had also on Wednesday held separate talks with the Mora and the E3 representatives in Vienna.

The ongoing round of talks – the eighth round – was originally set to be held after the New Year holiday, but the teams decided to reconvene between the two holidays as an indication of seriousness.

Iran and the five remaining parties to the JCPOA -- Britain, Germany, France, Russia and China -- resumed talks in Vienna on November 29 after a five-month hiatus, marking the first round of negotiations under President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi’s administration and the seventh overall.

During the seventh round of the Vienna talks, Iran presented two draft texts which address, separately, the removal of US sanctions and Iran’s return to its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA. Tehran also said it was preparing a third draft text on the verification of the sanctions removal.

Iran and the G4+1 group of countries resumed the talks in the Austrian capital on December 9 after being paused on December 3, when the participants returned to their capitals for additional consultations on the two draft proposals that Tehran had put forward.

As the seventh round of discussions in Vienna concluded, Baqeri Kani said the three European parties to the JCPOA, also known as the E3, intimately agreed to accept Tehran’s viewpoint as a basis for “serious, result-oriented” talks.

The eighth round of talks for lifting anti-Iran sanctions kicked off on Monday evening local time, when Iranian top negotiator and the European Union’s representative in Vienna talks Enrique Mora co-chaired the Joint Commission meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Source: Fars News Agency

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

https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001014000294/Srce-N-Deadline-fr-Vienna-Talks

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EU 'seriously concerned' about Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike

Dilan Pamuk 

04.01.2022

The European Union Delegation to the Palestinians (DPAL) expressed grave concern Monday over the health of a Palestinian prisoner who has been on a hunger strike for over four months in protest against his detention without trial by Israel.

DPAL said it is "seriously concerned" about Hisham Abu Hawash, whose life is reportedly in “immediate danger,” according to a report by Physicians for Human Rights and is in critical condition on the 140th day of the hunger strike.

Reminding that Hawash aimed to protest his administrative detention in an Israeli prison since October 2020 through the strike, the delegation said on Twitter that "the use of administrative detention without formal charge remains a longstanding concern.”

"Detainees have the right to be informed about charges underlying any detention, must be given a fair trial within a reasonable time or be released," they added, calling for an urgent solution from Israeli authorities.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/eu-seriously-concerned-about-palestinian-prisoner-on-hunger-strike/2464578

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Palestinians rally to demand release of hunger-striking detainee

Qais Abu Samra

03.01.2022

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinians staged several rallies in the occupied West Bank on Monday in support of a hunger-striking detainee in Israeli prison.

Hisham Abu Hawwash has been on hunger strike for 140 days in protest of his arrest without charge or trial under Israel’s policy of administrative detention.

Dozens of Palestinians marched in the city of Ramallah to call for the international community to intervene to free Abu Hawwash from prison.

Two rallies were also staged in the city of Bethlehem and at Birzeit University in Ramallah to show support for the striking detainee.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said his government is closely following up the health conditions of the striking detainee.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Monday, Shtayyeh said he sent letters to international institutions to seek their help to secure Abu Hawwash’s release.

Abu Hawwash, from the town of Dura in southern West Bank, was detained by Israeli forces on October 27, 2020 and placed under administrative detention, a policy that allows Israeli authorities to detain anyone for six months without charge or trial, which can be extended indefinitely.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/palestinians-rally-to-demand-release-of-hunger-striking-detainee/2464172

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North America

 

US calls for civilian rule in Sudan after Hamdok quits as premier

03 January ,2022

The United States has urged Sudanese leaders to ensure civilian rule and end violence against protesters after Abdalla Hamdok resigned as prime minister, throwing a transition towards elections deeper into uncertainty.

“After PM Hamdok’s resignation, Sudanese leaders should set aside differences, find consensus and ensure continued civilian rule,” the US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs said in a tweet.

Hamdok, an economist and former United Nations official widely respected by the international community, had served as prime minister under a military-civilian power sharing deal that followed the overthrow of former leader Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

The military dissolved his government in a coup in October, but he returned a month later under a deal that tasked him with forming a government of technocrats ahead of elections in 2023.

Hamdok announced on Sunday that he was resigning after being unable to forge a consensus to bring the transition forward. He called for dialogue to reach a new agreement for the transition.

Reaction on social media in Sudan was divided, with some saddened by the loss of a leader who they said stood out for his wisdom. Others, still angry with Hamdok for returning after the coup, expressed their resolve to end military rule.

Jibril Ibrahim, a former rebel leader who served as finance minister under Hamdok but expressed support for the military before the coup, called his resignation “regrettable”.

“Our nation needs political compromise today more than ever to navigate safely through these turbulent times. There is a room to accommodate everyone.”

Hamdok’s resignation came hours after the latest round of mass rallies against the military. At least 57 civilians have been killed as security forces have moved to contain or disperse demonstrations since the Oct. 25 coup, according to medics aligned with the protest movement. Further protests are planned for Tuesday.

Hamdok had been a key partner for the international community as Sudan sought to emerge from decades of isolation and sanctions under Bashir and to end an economic crisis, with Western backing.

Source: Al Arabiya

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

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2022/01/03/US-calls-for-civilian-rule-in-Sudan-after-Hamdok-quits-as-premier

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Canadian court awards $83.9 million to families of Ukraine airliner downed by Iran

04 January ,2022

A court in Ontario, Canada, has awarded C$107 million ($83.94 million), plus interest, to the families of six people who died when the Iranian Revolutionary Guards downed a Ukraine International Airlines plane near Tehran two years ago.

Iran shot down the airliner in January 2020. All 176 people onboard were killed, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents.

The six family members awarded compensation by the Ontario court lost spouses, siblings, children, nieces and nephews aboard Flight 752, their lawyer, Mark Arnold, said in a statement on Monday. They had filed a civil lawsuit against Iran and other officials they believe were to blame for the incident.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The lawyer said his team will look to seize Iranian assets in Canada and abroad. He said Iran has oil tankers in other countries and his team will be looking to seize whatever it can to pay what the families are owed.

The decision by Justice Edward Belobaba of Ontario's Superior Court of Justice was dated Dec. 31 and announced by Arnold on Monday.

The case was filed by Shahin Moghaddam, Mehrzad Zarei and Ali Gorji. Fearing reprisals from Iran, some of the other plaintiffs withheld their names, CBC News reported earlier.

A special Canadian forensic team had produced a report in mid-2021 that accused Iran of incompetence and recklessness over the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane. Iran criticized the report as being “highly politicized”.

The report found that while the shooting down of Ukrainian International Airlines flight 752 had not been premeditated, it did not absolve Iranian officials of responsibility for the incident.

Source: Al Arabiya

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

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2022/01/04/Canadian-court-awards-83-9-million-to-families-of-Ukraine-airliner-downed-by-Iran

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Iran threatens revenge for Soleimani killing if former US President Trump not tried

03 January ,2022

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi vowed revenge on Monday for the US assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani two years ago unless former US President Donald Trump was put on trial.

“If Trump and [former secretary of state Mike] Pompeo are not tried in a fair court of law for the criminal act of assassinating General Soleimani, Muslims will take their martyr’s revenge,” Raisi said, according to state news agency IRNA.

Iran and allied groups in Iraq have been holding vigils to honor Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force, the overseas arm of the IRGC, who was killed in a drone strike in Iraq on January 3, 2020, along with Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations also called on the UN Security Council to hold the US and Israel responsible for assassinating Soleimani.

“Given the dire implications of this terrorist act on international peace and security, the Security Council must live up to its Charter-based responsibilities and hold the US and the Israeli regime to account for planning, supporting and committing that terrorist act,” Takht Ravanchi said in his letter to the UNSC.

Source: Al Arabiya

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

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2022/01/03/Iran-threatens-revenge-for-Soleimani-killing-if-former-US-President-Trump-not-tried

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Southeast Asia

 

Religious affairs minister: Decision to suspend umrah travel permission prioritises public interest

03 Jan 2022

SEGAMAT, Jan 3 — The decision to temporarily suspend umrah trips has been a difficult one to make but it is done in the public interest following the threat of the new Covid-19 Omicron variant, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Senator Idris Ahmad.

He said there was no discrimination against Muslims as alleged by some parties.

The decision was made following careful deliberation between the relevant agencies taking into account the recommendations from the Health Ministry regarding the latest threat of the deadly virus, he said.

He said it was a national issue involving members of the public therefore such allegations were highly inconsiderate.

“Don’t slander us, claiming that we want to oppress Muslims. MoH provided data facts of how the disease is being transmitted from all these countries,” he told reporters after visiting flood victims housed at Sekolah Agama Kuala Paya, near here, today.

Idris said the proposal to make it compulsory for the umrah pilgrims to undergo quarantine at designated hotels or venues instead of at their respective homes could not be implemented due to a shortage of logistics.

“We need at least 1,000 beds a day. In the end, the authorities had to make the decision (to suspend umrah trips). We don’t want the disease to spread, which could cause even more problems (in the future),” he said, adding that he hoped the people could accept the government’s decision as it was made in their interest.

Source: Malay Mail

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

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/01/03/religious-affairs-minister-decision-to-suspend-umrah-travel-permission-prio/2032764

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Closed borders won’t curb Omicron wave, says MMA

Dineskumar Ragu

January 4, 2022

PETALING JAYA: The country’s main medical association has spoken against closing international borders as a way to stop the spread of Covid-19 after a high number of cases involving the Omicron virus variant were discovered among returning Muslim pilgrims.

Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Koh Kar Chai said only immunisation would bring long-term benefits against the Omicron variant, which had shown that it could spread easily, and help end the pandemic.

The government had recently announced that umrah trips would be suspended from Jan 8 following the discovery of a high number of Covid-19 Omicron variant cases among umrah returnees.

This led to calls on social media for the government to ban Malaysian tourists from going for holidays overseas to reduce the risk of them bringing the Omicron variant back to the country.

Koh said the temporary suspension of umrah trips was introduced because umrah returnees did not follow SOPs while in quarantine.

“All travellers will need to adhere strictly to the mandates issued by the authorities to prevent the import of Omicron cases. In fact, following SOPs is the only proven way to prevent the virus from spreading easily,” he said.

“We will just have to adapt to a different way of life, at least till we have other means of keeping Omicron at bay.”

He also called on the government to conduct research not only on the vaccines but also possible therapeutic drugs that could assist in the management of Covid cases.

Antiviral drugs

Gopeng MP Dr Lee Boon Chye suggested that the health ministry increase the number of hospital beds, create more isolation centres for patients with Omircron infections, and speed up the booster vaccination programme.

The government should also speed up the approval of antiviral drugs Paxlovid and Molnupiravir which had been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, he said.

He urged the health ministry to increase its manpower and other resources.

Source: Free Malaysia Today

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

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/01/04/closed-borders-wont-curb-omicron-wave-says-mma/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=9O3TeW_sv2sJSb839KstbN5kKD8TjVIjke7lJsifdGc-1641283521-0-gaNycGzNDBE

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Man who believed girlfriend was cheating on him gets six months’ jail for setting fire to Kuching convenience store

04 Jan 2022

KUCHING, Jan 4 — A man was sentenced to six months’ jail by the Sessions Court here yesterday for starting a fire at a convenience store last month.

Shamsuri Masranini, in his 20s, pleaded guilty when the charge was read to him by a court interpreter before Judge Maris Agan, who ordered the sentence to take effect from yesterday.

The accused was charged under Section 435 of the Penal Code which provides for imprisonment of up to 14 years and a fine, if convicted.

He was charged with using flammable liquid to set fire to the floor of a convenience store at Jalan Petanak here on Dec 28, 2021 at about 10.40pm, resulting in a loss of RM500.

It was informed the accused was intoxicated at the material time and acted in such manner after suspecting his girlfriend of cheating on him.

Source: Malay Mail

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

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/01/04/man-who-believed-girlfriend-was-cheating-on-him-gets-six-months-jail-for-se/2032830

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URL:   https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-women-sexual-objects-yati-narsinghanand/d/126094


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