'Wrong to Expect Mainstream Parties To Fight Exclusively For Muslims': Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Chief Mehmood Madani

New Age Islam News Bureau

03 December 2025

Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Chief Mehmood Madani

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·         'Wrong to Expect Mainstream Parties To Fight Exclusively For Muslims': Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Chief Mehmood Madani

·         Muslim Cleric's Call in Assam On Microphone Saves 7 People In Sinking Vehicle

·         Mass Wedding In Gaza Celebrates New Life After Years Of War And Tragedy

·         Pressure Nigeria To Abolish Sharia Law, Disband Hisbah  —  Expert Tells US Lawmakers

·         Who's Behind Push To Designate Muslim Brotherhood A Terror Group?

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India

·         NIA’s ISIS Cell Becomes Counter Terrorism Research Cell With Wider Terror Investigation Scope

·         Ajmer Dargah To Introduce Licensed Khadims For First Time In 75 Years; Move Sparks Massive Opposition

·         After Mamata Govt’s U-Turn On Waqf Law, Minister Says ‘Muslims Won’t Stay Quiet’

·         J&K BJP Asks Nadda To Review Admission Of 42 Muslim MBBS Students In Vaishnodevi Board Run Institute

·         Nirmal Singh-Led BJP Delegation Warns LG Over Rising ‘Love Jihad’ Cases In Kathua

·         ‘Complete lie’: Cong rubbishes Rajnath Singh’s remark on Nehru wanting to build Babri Masjid with public money

·         BSF rolls out advanced AI-based anti-tunnelling, anti-drone systems along Indo-Pak border

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Mideast

·         How prolonged hunger and famine left irreversible scars on Gaza’s youngest

·         ‘We Chose It’: PKK Fighters Cherish Life In Iraq’s Mountains

·         Syria’s Civil Defense calls for release of volunteer kidnapped in Sweida

·         Israel’s Netanyahu says Syria deal possible, expects buffer zone

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Africa

·         Terrorists: ‘They Have People Who Are Backing Them In And Outside The Country’ – Adeyemi

·         MURIC slams Rev. Dachomo over Christian genocide claims on Muslim-Muslim presidency

·         UNHCR: Nearly 100,000 displaced in recent weeks as violence spreads across northern Mozambique

·         Defence Minister: ‘Musa Has All That It Takes To Perform’ – Ex-General

·         Nigeria Snubbed As Pope Leo Reveals African Countries To Visit

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North America

·         Zohran Mamdani To Be 111th NYC Mayor on January 1? Historian Refutes; Challenges Number Count

·         CAIR-WA Releases Community Advisory for Muslim Immigrants

·         Texas Gov. Abbott asks Treasury Department to suspend Islamic group’s tax-exempt status

·         White House shooting: Trump halts immigration applications from 19 nations - check list

·         'No 'American Dream' when H-1Bs can come': Ex-DOGE advisor hits back at Vivek Ramaswamy

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South Asia

·         US Muslim Advocacy Group Calls on Trump to End Afghan Visa Ban

·         Public Won't Vote For Corrupt Representatives, Extortionists: Islami Andolan Ameer

·         War Ended, Reconstruction Now National Priority, Hanafi Says

·         Türkiye to Continue Supporting Afghanistan

·         Afghan, Russian Officials Hold Talks on Cultural Cooperation

·         UN: One in Four in Afghanistan Has a Disability, Urges Immediate Inclusion

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Arab World

·         KAUST Scientists Convert Food Waste Into Sustainable Ingredients Using Algae

·         Estonian minister eyes green collaboration with Saudi Arabia

·         Saudi Arabia, UK collaborate to advance sustainable humanitarian aid

·         King Salman orders extension of Citizen Account Program by one year

·         Global Harmony concludes Pakistan Culture Days, Indonesia to follow

·         Coalition launches anti-terror finance training in Nairobi

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Europe

·         Community Centre And Mosque In Leicester 'Saddened' By Vandalism

·         Azerbaijan and other secular Islamic States are key to ensuring peace in Gaza

·         Pair Arrested During Belfast Court Protest Over ‘Pink Knuckledusters’ Anti-Islam Rally

·         Muslim Forum Organises Islamophobia Awareness Event To Drive Hate Out Of Milton Keynes

·         "A pattern": Muslim charities ask why they have been excluded from fund for a second time

·         Pentagon ‘cut off’ communication with Germany – army chief

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Southeast Asia

·         Malaysia on track to meet 49pc of UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, says deputy minister

·         Sultan Ibrahim named patron of Scouts Malaysia, receives top honour from association

·         ‘Umno Not Beggars, We Are Kingmakers’: Lahad Datu Umno Chief Asserts Party’s Decisive Role In Sabah Govt Formation

·         Singapore PM thanks Malaysia and Thailand for flood rescue help

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/mainstream-parties-fight-exclusively-muslims/d/137874

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'Wrong to Expect Mainstream Parties To Fight Exclusively For Muslims': Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Chief Mehmood Madani

Dec 3, 2025

Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Chief Mehmood Madani

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NEW DELHI: Jamiat president Mehmood Madani on Wednesday said that it was "wrong to expect mainstream parties to fight only for Muslims". He went on to take a jibe at Congress, saying that the grand old party was not even "able to raise its own issues".

"It is wrong to expect any mainstream political party to fight only for Muslims or raise only their issues. I do not want to keep such expectations from any party. Right now, the Congress is not even able to raise its own issues — how will it raise anyone else’s?" he said.

This comes after Madani's remarks on 'jihad' created a political uproar with not just BJP, but also the community leaders, differing from his opinions. After the row, he clarified that "jihad is a pious word" and "Centre has decided anything negative is Jihad."

"The entire ministry, be it centre, or be it state, have decided that if anything negative related to Muslims comes to light, it will be called Jihad. Jihad is a pious word. We are fighting for the real meaning of jihad. Jihad is a pious word. We are fighting for the real meaning of jihad. The term jihad is being used to abuse Islam in a very planned manner," he said.

The Jamiat president also took responsibility for his other remarks, saying it was his duty to avoid being misunderstood — but insisted that, taken in context, his remarks were not problematic.

"It is correct that some confusion has been created, but if you see it is context then you won't misunderstand it, to make sure that no misunderstanding happens was my responsibility, and I could not fulfill that responsibility, you can blame me for that," Madani said.

"But if you hear my full statement, then three statements have been said. One is that in India Jihad has multiple meanings...The biggest jihad is to have a clear vision of your aim and work on yourself. If there is injustice, raise your voice against it; this is also jihad," he added.

Source: indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/wrong-to-expect-mainstream-parties-to-fight-only-for-muslims-jamiat-chief-madani-takes-on-congress-watch/articleshow/125733410.cms

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Muslim Cleric's Call in Assam On Microphone Saves 7 People In Sinking Vehicle

Dec 02, 2025

A Muslim cleric in Assam used a mosque microphone to alert an entire village at dawn, a move that helped save seven people trapped in a sinking vehicle.

The vehicle had lost control, skidded off the National Highway and plunged into a pond in Assam's Sribhumi district in the early hours of Tuesday. All the windows of the vehicle were shut, and most of passengers were asleep when the vehicle began sinking.

"Hearing a loud crash from outside, Maulana Abdul Basit, Imam of the Jama Masjid and teacher at Mirabari Madrasa, immediately used the mosque microphone to inform villagers of the emergency and appealed for immediate assistance," said a local resident.

Within minutes, residents from the neighbourhood rushed to the spot, launched a rescue operation and retrieved the seven passengers in the vehicle.

Source: ndtv.com

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https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/muslim-clerics-call-on-microphone-saves-7-people-in-sinking-vehicle-9736587

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Mass wedding in Gaza celebrates new life after years of war and tragedy

December 02, 2025

Some of the 54 brides and grooms gather on a stage during a mass wedding dubbed the "The Dress of Joy", organised by the Al-Fares Al-Shahm Foundation, in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip on December 2, 2025. (AFP)

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KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip: Eman Hassan Lawwa was dressed in traditional Palestinian prints and Hikmat Lawwa wore a suit as they walked hand-in-hand past the crumbled buildings of southern Gaza in a line of other couples dressed in exactly the same way.

The 27-year-old Palestinians were among 54 couples to get married Tuesday in a mass wedding in war-ravaged Gaza that represented a rare moment of hope after two years of devastation, death and conflict.

"Despite everything that has happened, we will begin a new life," Lawwa said. “God willing, this will be the end of the war.”

Weddings are a key part of Palestinian culture that have become rare in Gaza during the war. The tradition has begun to resume in the wake of a fragile ceasefire, even if the weddings are different from the elaborate ceremonies once held in the territory.

As roaring crowds waved Palestinian flags in the southern city of Khan Younis, the celebrations were dampened by the ongoing crisis across Gaza. Most of Gaza's 2 million residents, including Eman and Hikmet, have been displaced by the war, entire areas of cities have been flattened and aid shortages and outbursts in conflict continue to plague the daily lives of people.

The young couple, who are distant relatives, fled to the nearby town of Deir al-Balah during the war and have struggled to find basics like food and shelter. They said they don’t know how they’re going to build their lives together given the situation around them.

“We want to be happy like the rest of the world. I used to dream of having a home, a job, and being like everyone else," Hikmet said. “Today, my dream is to find a tent to live in.”

“Life has started to return, but it's not like we hoped it would," he added.

The celebration was funded by Al Fares Al Shahim, a humanitarian aid operation backed by the United Arab Emirates. In addition to holding the event, the organization offered couples a small sum of money and other supplies to start their lives together.

For Palestinians, weddings are often elaborate dayslong celebrations, seen as both an important social and economic choice that spells out the future for many families. They include joyful dances and processions through the streets by massive families in fabric patterns donned by the couple and their loved ones and heaping plates of food.

Weddings can also be a symbol of resilience and a celebration of new generations of families carrying on Palestinian traditions, said Randa Serhan, a professor of sociology at Barnard College who has studied Palestinian weddings.

“With every new wedding is going to come children and it means that the memories and the lineages are not going to die,” Serhan said. “The couples are going to continue life in an impossible situation.”

On Tuesday, a procession of cars carrying the couples drove through stretches of collapsed buildings. Hikmat and Eman waved Palestinian flags with other couples as families surrounding them danced to music blaring over crowds.

Lawwa and Eman, who was cloaked in a white, red and green traditional dress on Tuesday, said the wedding offered them a small moment of relief after years of suffering.

But Eman said she was also marked by the loss of her father, mother, and other family members who were killed during the war.

"It’s hard to experience joy after such sorrow," she said, tears streaming down her face. “God willing, we will rebuild brick-by-brick.”

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2624787/middle-east

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Pressure Nigeria To Abolish Sharia Law, Disband Hisbah  —  Expert Tells US Lawmakers

December 3, 2025

United States lawmakers were on Tuesday urged to press the Nigerian government to abolish Sharia law in the 12 northern states where it is currently in operation and dismantle the religious-enforcement Hisbah commissions, amid warnings that both systems are deepening anti-Christian persecution.

Speaking at a joint congressional briefing convened by the House Appropriations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Dr. Ebenezer Obadare, Senior Fellow for Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said extremist groups are exploiting local religious structures to entrench violence and impunity.

He told lawmakers that Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and radicalised Fulani militias “weaponise Sharia-based institutions and Hisbah operatives to advance extremist ideology, enforce forced conversions, and operate unchecked in many communities.”

A statement issued by the Appropriations Committee quoted Obadare as outlining a two-pronged approach: “The policy goal should be two-fold: first, work with the Nigerian military to neutralise Boko Haram. Second, the United States should put pressure on President Tinubu to make Sharia law unconstitutional in the twelve northern states where they have been adopted since 2000 and to disband the various Hisbah groups across northern states seeking to impose Islamic law on all citizens regardless of their religious identity.”

Obadare noted that the Nigerian government has shown responsiveness to international pressure, citing air strikes on Boko Haram positions, the recruitment of 30,000 additional police personnel, and President Bola Tinubu’s recent declaration of a national security emergency.

“As recent events have shown, the Nigerian authorities are not impervious to incentives,” he said, adding that “Washington must keep up the pressure.”

The bipartisan session, chaired by Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), featured testimony alleging state complicity in what some lawmakers described as “religious cleansing” in northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt.

Witnesses pointed to recent attacks, including the November abduction of pupils and teachers from St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, as well as a pattern of blasphemy prosecutions and mass killings.

Emphasising the root of the crisis, Obadare warned that “the deadliest and most serious threat confronting the Nigerian state today is jihadist terror,” insisting that any credible solution must prioritise the dismantling of Boko Haram’s military capability.

“Every proposal to solve the Nigerian crisis that does not take seriously the need to radically degrade and ultimately eliminate Boko Haram as a fighting force is a non-starter,” he said.

Source: vanguardngr.com

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Who's Behind Push To Designate Muslim Brotherhood A Terror Group?

DEC 03, 2025

Two weeks ago, Texas announced that it was designating the Muslim Brotherhood and a prominent American Muslim group as foreign terror organizations. President Donald Trump followed suit last week, ordering his administration to consider sanctioning Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon.

Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will discuss a bill that goes further yet, requiring the Trump administration to designate all Muslim Brotherhood-related groups as foreign terror organizations.

The sudden movement against the Muslim Brotherhood has left many observers confused. Trump considered designating the group in his first term but ultimately decided against it. At the time, career officials in the State Department and Pentagon were adamant in their assessment that the group didn’t qualify as a terrorist organization. In fact, it barely qualified as a single group. Nearly 100 years after its founding, the loosely organized Islamist political movement had inspired an endless number of different organizations, the vast majority of which have never participated in violence. And those that do advocate violence, like Hamas and Liwa al-Thawra, have already been designated as terror groups by the U.S.

Intelligence agencies have also long opposed efforts to designate the group. In 2017, the CIA said such a move would “fuel extremism” and lead to endless diplomatic headaches given that many political parties in the region are affiliated with the group in one way or another. And a wide range of national security experts say that designating the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization would divert resources away from more serious threats, like al-Qaida or ISIS.

So why, exactly, is this controversial effort suddenly so close to the finish line? An analysis of publicly available information suggests that the credit goes to a pair of influential advocates: hawkish D.C. think tanks and Middle Eastern governments.

Let’s start with the think tanks. One major player here is the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, an organization best known for advocating regime change in Iran. FDD Action, the think tank’s lobbying arm, released a “policy alert” last month detailing how the Muslim Brotherhood has “methodically and insidiously supported terrorist organizations” in the Middle East. “Designating the Muslim Brotherhood and its violent affiliates is a first step to addressing the growing threat posed by its radical mandates,” one lobbyist argued, adding that the U.S. should “work in concert with regional governments who have already outlawed” the group.

The release of this report coincided with a more voluminous entry from the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, or ISGAP. In a 265-page-long analysis, ISGAP alleged a decades-long conspiracy by the Muslim Brotherhood to infiltrate the West and undermine its institutions from within. The report relies heavily on a pair of documents that purport to portray the brotherhood’s far-sighted plans for global domination. (Scholars of political Islam argue that the influence of these documents is greatly exaggerated, if they ever had any influence at all.)

FDD and ISGAP have a lot in common. For one, both groups have close ties to Israel. FDD originally described itself in tax filings as seeking to “enhance Israel’s image in North America,” and it continues to host former Israeli military officers as fellows while organizing trips to Israel for U.S. foreign policy hands. ISGAP received much of its funding from Israel until at least 2022.

Both FDD and ISGAP also maintain an intimate working relationship with the United Arab Emirates. Leaked emails from 2017 revealed extended correspondence, and even policy coordination, between the head of FDD and a prominent Emirati diplomat, who also later spoke at an FDD event in 2021. ISGAP, meanwhile, brought an Emirati official to Congress just a few weeks ago.

The UAE and Israel have a shared commitment to fighting the Muslim Brotherhood. The UAE designated the group as a terror organization in 2014 — a move driven in part by its desire to crack down on local opposition during the Arab Spring, in which a Muslim Brotherhood-backed president briefly came to power in Egypt. “The Emiratis are uniquely obsessed with the brotherhood,” said Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Quincy Institute, which publishes RS. Israel, for its part, has long been skeptical of the organization, in part due to the fact that Hamas emerged as a violent offshoot of the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood.

Israel has made no visible effort to push the current ban, but Israeli officials have welcomed it with open arms. One Israeli minister has even used it to advocate for an Israeli ban on the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent American civil rights group. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, used the new designation as an opportunity to call for a complete ban on the Muslim Brotherhood in Israel — a comment that many Arab observers received as a threat to ban prominent Palestinian political parties in the country.

There is reason to believe that the UAE is playing a more direct role in the push. The group has long advocated for Western bans on the Muslim Brotherhood; in 2014, Emirati officials threatened to back out of an arms deal with the United Kingdom unless London moved to crack down on the organization, according to the Guardian. A few weeks ago, the Emirati ambassador to the U.S. joined ISGAP for a “policy workshop” on Capitol Hill, just as ISGAP’s advocacy efforts in favor of a ban were heating up. Then, when Trump’s executive order came out, a prominent adviser to the Emirati president quickly welcomed it as a “strategic, courageous, and historic decision.”

These outside efforts have found a sympathetic ear in the halls of power, particularly as the Trump administration has stretched the definition of terrorism to include groups like drug cartels. One key ally in the White House is Sebastian Gorka, Trump’s senior director for counterterrorism. At an FDD event in July, Gorka referred to the brotherhood as the “granddaddy” of all terror groups and thanked FDD for all its efforts to “tell the truth about the brotherhood.” (This assessment will come as news to mainstream terror analysts, who don’t consider the brotherhood to be a terrorist group in the first place.) After Trump’s announcement, Gorka gushed that “history has been made.”

In Congress, the leading advocate for a designation has been Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), the sponsor of the bill that the House will discuss today. Diaz-Balart chairs the Friends of Egypt Caucus, suggesting a close relationship with Egyptian officials, who have long pushed for a brotherhood ban. He also joined FDD’s executive director last week for a discussion about Trump’s executive order, which he lauded as a key first step to fighting a “pernicious and dangerous terrorist group with global reach.”

The difference between Trump and Diaz-Balart’s approaches is consequential. Trump’s order would only designate a few chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood, which the administration accuses of making common cause with terrorists. (Experts largely agree that the Lebanese chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood has participated in violence, while the evidence against the Jordanian and Egyptian branches is far less clear.) But the congressional version would throw these distinctions out the window, forcing the U.S. to crack down on a seemingly endless list of Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated groups.

The biggest question mark here surrounds the possible role of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a powerful former GOP lawmaker who now works as a lobbyist for the UAE, among other clients. Ros-Lehtinen wrote a lengthy report in 2020 in which she described the Muslim Brotherhood alongside al-Qaida and ISIS as “terrorist and extremist groups.” She also happens to be a close personal friend of both Diaz-Balart, who once called her “a part of my family,” and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who recently credited her for helping get him into law school and launch his political career.

Regardless of who is behind the effort, its impact will fall squarely on opposition groups in the Middle East, according to Raed Jarrar of DAWN, a group that pushes for democratic change in the region. “It's a free gift that authoritarian regimes would use to stifle freedom of expression and political organizing in the Middle East and North Africa,” Jarrar said, noting recent efforts to crack down on non-violent Muslim Brotherhood-related political groups in Jordan and Tunisia.

Source: responsiblestatecraft.org

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https://responsiblestatecraft.org/muslim-brotherhood-terrorism/

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India

 

NIA’s ISIS Cell becomes Counter Terrorism Research Cell with wider terror investigation scope

Imran Ahmed Siddiqui

03.12.25

The government has widened the scope of the ISIS Investigation Research Cell in the National Investigation Agency to other theatres of terrorism and renamed it as the counter terrorism research cell, the home ministry informed Parliament on Tuesday.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, junior home minister Nityanand Rai said exclusive divisions, such as the anti-human trafficking division, anti-cyber terrorism division, the financial action task force cell, the financial analysis unit and a special cell comprising legal experts, have also been created in the NIA.

He said a specialised unit — the national terror data fusion and analysis centre — has been established in the agency for enabling big data analytics and facilitating automation and digitisation of the investigative processes to strengthen supervision and enhance efficiency, consistency and accountability.

Rai said the NIA has 1,901 sanctioned posts at present, of which 769 have been sanctioned over the last five years. “Further, the mandate of NIA has also been expanded to investigate offences related to Explosive Substances Act, 1908, human trafficking, cyber terrorism and Arms Act, 1959. Footprint of NIA has been expanded pan-India, by establishing 21 branch offices... with two zonal offices (in Guwahati and Jammu) and headquarters at Delhi,” he said.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/nia-renames-isis-research-cell-to-counter-terrorism-research-cell-expands-nationwide-mandate-prnt/cid/2135923

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Ajmer Dargah to introduce licensed Khadims for first time in 75 years; move sparks massive opposition

Rajesh Asnani

02 Dec 2025

JAIPU

On Monday, the government-appointed Dargah Nazim Mohammad Bilal Khan issued an official advertisement announcing that applications for Licensed Khadims will be accepted until January 5, 2026.

However, the move has sparked sharp opposition. The Anjuman Committee at the Dargah has termed the decision as an attack on tradition and warned that 10,000 Khadim families and millions of followers from across India and abroad will protest against this move. Objections have also resurfaced regarding the installation of CCTV cameras inside the shrine.

The Nazim had attempted to hold consultations before rolling out the licensing system. Two meetings were scheduled on November 24 and 27, but Khadim representatives did not attend either, after which the Committee proceeded unilaterally with the application process.

The Khadims of Ajmer Sharif Dargah are a community of hereditary caretakers who belong to the Sayyid lineage. They have been the traditional caretakers of the shrine of the Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti since medieval times, and their primary role is to assist pilgrims who visit the Dargah for spiritual solace and blessings.

The decision has triggered unrest ahead of the Urs beginning December 16. Anjuman Yadgare Sufiyan, the principal Khadim organisation, has strongly opposed the move. Its secretary, Syed Sarwar Chishti, said during a press conference, “This is our centuries-old ancestral and religious right. Since the Mughal era, Khadims have been performing their duties without any licence. The Dargah Committee cannot dare to take away this right.”

Warning of massive agitation, Chishti added, “If the Committee continues this process, 10,000 Khadim families will gather inside the dargah complex. Millions of Khwaja’s devotees from across the country and the world will stand with us. We will not tolerate this.”

He further accused the Committee of repeatedly hurting the sentiments of the Khadim community, citing the dispute over CCTV installation. According to him, the Ministry of Minority Affairs does not spend on the Dargah’s upkeep, while the salaries of government staff posted there are borne by the shrine itself. He also questioned the appointment of the Nazim, calling the committee “non-existent” and its orders “arbitrary.”

“We will seek to have this decision repealed. These unilateral decrees will not last long,” he said.

At the shrine, tensions between the Committee and the Khadim community are running high, and the issue could escalate into a major movement at any moment. Maintaining peace at the Dargah has once again emerged as a significant challenge.

On the other hand, Dargah Nazim Mohammad Bilal Khan maintains that the licensing process is fully compliant with legal and administrative directives.

“This is being done strictly according to the rules of the Central Government and the orders of the court. No one’s interests are being harmed,” he said.

He clarified that the system applies only to the Khadim community of Syed Zadgan and Sheikh Zadgan associated with the Dargah. The licensing framework, he said, is being implemented in accordance with Supreme Court and High Court orders, instructions from the Central and State Governments, district-level reports, and the Dargah Security Audit.

Section 11(F) of the Dargah Khawaja Saheb Act, 1955 defines duties, identification norms, procedures, facilities, and measures for the welfare of pilgrims—provisions that form the basis of this initiative.

It is notable that since the formation of the Dargah Committee in 1956, three administrators and 37 Nazims have completed their terms, but none implemented a licensing system until now.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Dec/02/ajmer-dargah-to-introduce-licensed-khadims-for-first-time-in-75-years-move-sparks-massive-opposition

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After Mamata govt’s U-turn on Waqf law, minister says ‘Muslims won’t stay quiet’

by Tanusree Bose

December 3, 2025

TMC minister and president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind’s West Bengal branch, Siddiqullah Chowdhury, on Tuesday said that “Muslims will not stay quiet” if the Waqf properties are taken away.

“It is very easy to say a lot of things from AC rooms, but can anyone come down to a village and say that the Waqf property is no longer theirs? What steps will be taken? We do not see this decision of the Centre in good faith. This has forcefully been put on the Muslims,” Chowdhury said at a press conference here.

After having refused to implement the Centre’s new Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, for months, the TMC government last week accepted the law and issued directions to upload information of 82,000 waqf properties across the state on the central portal by December 5.

“The state government had previously thought something. Now, the CM (Mmata Banerjee) must be thinking of something else,” Chowdhury added, referring to the change in the stance of his government.

Chowdhury, who holds the portfolio of Mass Education Extension and Library Services, said: “ We will make our stand clear about waqf later. The wakf properties are very essential. We don’t know what will happen in the future, we do not know, but the fight will be a long and difficult one,” he added.

Minister distances from Humayan Kabir’s Babri Masjid plan

Meanwhile, the TMC has distanced itself from rebel MLA Humayun Kabir and his plan to lay the foundation stone of a mosque in Murshidabad on December 6, the anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992.

Chowdhury too distanced himself from Kabir’s plan. “A political leader has said certain things which have raised questions in people’s minds. We have a certain responsibility. We do not do anything or take any steps in the heat of the moment. We think before we do something so that people are not harmed. For the Muslim community, a masjid is a holy place. What we are hearing from social media is that the popular leader has said there will be a Babri Masjid in Murshidabad. The way it is being presented seems like some big explosion will happen in Bengal on December 6,” the minister said.

Hinting at a conspiracy, he added, “This seems like a conspiracy. This will not benefit the Muslim community. Masjid is not for politics.”

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/tmc-govt-new-waqf-law-minister-says-muslims-will-not-stay-quiet-10399247/

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J&K BJP asks Nadda to review admission of 42 Muslim MBBS students in Vaishnodevi Board run institute

December 2, 2025

ABJP delegation from Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday met Union minister for Health JP Nadda and urged him to review the controversial admission of 42 Muslim MBBS candidates in the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), Katra, that has 50 seats.

The institute is run by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB).

The delegation comprised J&K BJP President and MP (Rajya Sabha) Sat Sharma, Union Minister in PMO Dr. Jitendra Singh, Leader of opposition Sunil Sharma, MP (Lok Sabha) Jugal Kishore Sharma, MP (Rajya Sabha) Ghulam Ali Khatana, MLAs Dr. Devinder Manyal, Sham Lal Sharma and RS Pathania.

According to a BJP statement, they conveyed to Nadda the deep resentment brewing among devotees and civil society groups over the composition of the first batch of 50 MBBS seats.

They said that 42 out of the 50 seats have been allotted to non-Hindu candidates, a development that has triggered strong reactions among devotees of Mata Vaishno Devi and among those who have contributed financially to the shrine.

The delegation informed the Minister that various social and religious organizations were holding protests, expressing dissatisfaction and demanding transparency and corrective measures in the admission process.

They cautioned that if the issue is not addressed promptly, a large-scale agitation could emerge in the coming days, potentially disturbing the peaceful environment of the region.

These party leaders said that while the BJP respects the merit-based and constitutional framework of medical admissions, it is equally important to acknowledge the sentiments of millions of devotees associated with the shrine.

They urged the Union Health Minister to understand the gravity of the situation and intervene appropriately so that a solution can be found that respects the emotional connection devotees have with SMVD institutions.

The delegation appealed for a thorough review of the admission process, greater transparency, and consideration of mechanisms that ensure devotees feel represented and reassured.

Nadda gave the delegation a patient hearing and assured them that the matter would be examined with due seriousness. He assured that the Ministry would look into all aspects of the issue and take appropriate steps to address the concerns raised, while ensuring compliance with national medical education norms, the BJP statement said

Source: thestatesman.com

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https://www.thestatesman.com/india/jk-bjp-asks-nadda-to-review-admission-of-42-muslim-mbbs-students-in-vaishnodevi-board-run-institute-1503520641.html

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Nirmal Singh-led BJP delegation warns LG over rising ‘Love Jihad’ cases in Kathua

December 2, 2025

Sounding a sharp alarm over what they alleged were growing incidents of ‘Love Jihad’, a delegation led by top BJP leader and former deputy chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha here and demanded his immediate intervention to curb such incidents in the Billawar and Basohli areas of the Kathua district.

The BJP delegation brought to the LG’s notice the “indifference and inefficiency” of the local police in tackling these dangerous issues.

Singh wrote on X, “We discussed the rising cases of Love Jihad, drugs, terrorism & bovine smuggling in Basohli-Billawar, & most importantly, the indifference & inefficiency of the local police in tackling these dangerous issues”.

The delegation included the district development committee member, Bikram Andotra, Neeru Rajput, and youth leader Mohit Gupta.

They also impressed upon the LG the necessity of raising the maximum age limit for open merit aspirants appearing in the J&K Combined Civil Services examination.

This is the first time that a top BJP leader in J&K has questioned the law and order situation in the Union Territory and pointed out “inefficiency” of the police that functions directly under Home Minister Amit Shah.

It is worth mentioning that the Billawar area has witnessed a rise in terror incidents in the recent past.

Movement of terrorists has been reported from time to time in the area.

Earlier, five soldiers, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), were killed in a terror ambush and as many were injured a few months ago in the Billawar area.

Thereafter, the throat-slit bodies of three relatives – including a minor boy – who were on their way to attend a marriage were found near a waterfall in the area.

Source: thestatesman.com

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https://www.thestatesman.com/india/nirmal-singh-led-bjp-delegation-warns-lg-over-rising-love-jihad-cases-in-kathua-1503520522.html

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‘Complete lie’: Cong rubbishes Rajnath Singh’s remark on Nehru wanting to build Babri Masjid with public money

December 3, 2025

The Congress on Wednesday hit back at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s claim that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel “opposed” Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s proposal to use of government money to construct Babri masjid. Party MP Manickam Tagore called his statement a “complete lie”.

Tagore said, “It is a complete lie by Rajnath Singhji. We all know that Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel had a cordial relationship, and Pandit Nehru’s logic was simple: public money should not be spent on mosques, temples, churches, or gurudwaras. It should be people’s contribution…”

What did Rajnath Singh say?

Singh on Tuesday claimed, “When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru raised the issue of spending money from the government treasury on the Babri masjid, if anyone opposed this, it was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, born of a Gujarati mother. And at that time, he did not allow the Babri Masjid to be built with government funds.”

He said, “Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was truly secular… When Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru spoke about spending government funds on the Babri Masjid issue, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel opposed it. At… pic.twitter.com/KtRqbmkIzH

Addressing a gathering in Vadodara’s Sadhli village as part of the Rashtriya Ekta Yatra to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, Singh also said when Nehru opposed the renovation of Somnath temple in Gujarat, Patel reminded him that the money was to be spent from a Trust.

Singh said, “Nehru raised the issue of rebuilding the Somnath Temple. When the question of reconstruction was raised, Sardar Patel, in a calm but firm voice, clarified that the Somnath Temple was a different matter. The public has donated lakhs… A Trust has been formed, and not a single paisa of the government’s money has been spent on this project. This was established by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel…”

Congress demands proof of Rajnath Singh’s claim

Reacting to Singh’s statements, several Opposition leaders referred to them as “lies.”

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari, speaking to ANI, expressed that he was deeply hurt by Singh’s statements. “I am only hurt that Rajnath Singh is saying this, maybe he has gotten affected by their party, or is being forced to say such things. Nehru made him (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel) Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister… Rajnathji, this statement does not go with your history or your personality.”

Congress MP Imran Masood also said, “He [Rajnath Singh] is in the government, he should provide some documents. We have documents that Sardar Patel wrote a letter against the mentality of their (BJP’s) parental organisation and banned it… It is unfortunate when those in government spread such false narratives in the country.”

Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP) MP Fauzia Khan, sharing her views outside the Parliament, said, “If he [Jawaharlal Nehru] wanted to, his intentions were not bad in my opinion. But for the construction of a mosque, funds can only be collected from those who pray there. So what are these people gaining by raising this useless question?”

Congress MP Manish Tewari said, “Rajnath Singh should focus on strategic challenges instead of twisting and turning history to suit his narrative.”

Another Congress MP, Imran Pratapgarhi said, “Where did he even get such information from? He is the Defence Minister of the country. He has been a Chief Minister. He is considered a serious political figure, not like Modi ji. So he should at least maintain that dignity that whenever you make such statements, especially in a historical context, you must have factual evidence for it.”

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rajnath-singh-nehru-babri-masjid-public-funds-sardar-patel-congress-10399584/

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BSF rolls out advanced AI-based anti-tunnelling, anti-drone systems along Indo-Pak border

Harpreet Bajwa

02 Dec 2025

CHANDIGARH: The Border Security Force (BSF) is installing artificial intelligence-based anti-tunnelling technology in the Jammu sector to curb infiltration from across the border.

In the coming days, an advanced surveillance system will be deployed in both Punjab and Jammu sectors along the Indo–Pak international border, incorporating night-vision and optical cameras and a mix of radars to enhance observation.

The BSF will also receive technical alerts if anyone attempts to intrude into Indian territory, and a new border fence is being installed that cannot be cut or climbed.

This year, 278 drones carrying consignments of drugs, weapons and ammunition have been intercepted and recovered, besides 200 weapons seized – including AKs and pistols – 53 intruders apprehended or arrested, and 380 kg of heroin recovered along the 533-km Punjab stretch of the international border.

A new trend has emerged, where small Chinese-made drones are being sent from Pakistan carrying only around 500 grams of payload and small weapons; earlier, larger drones with heavier payloads were used.

Speaking to the media during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the BSF at the Lakhnaur Campus in Mohali, Satish S Khandare, Additional Director General of BSF (Western Command), said, “Now days new technologies are being used for anti-national activities be it smuggling or dropping of arms and ammunition as drones are being used on large scale in Punjab and now in certain areas of Rajasthan. So it is another challenge we are facing in our day to day duty."

"Thus now various technologies are being used by the BSF to counter smuggling from across the border. Now days we are deploying anti-drone system on the Indo-Pak border on a massive scale especially in Jammu and Punjab sectors to prevent drone infiltration as drugs and weapons are smuggled via these flying machines," he said.

He also added that, “We are also in a process of implementing a major technological solution on Jammu and Punjab border which will comprise off all the available solutions as it will be collective mix of all technologies which will have tunnel detection system also to prevent attempt on our adversaries part to infiltrate through tunnels."

"Thus we are implementing anti-tunneling system in Jammu which will have AI based night cameras so that the movement during the night is observed and appropriate reaction is given by the troops, also include electro optical targeting system (EOTS) which is combination of cameras and radar as radars detects the movement and subsequently camera focuses on that movement and analysis is made weather that movement is friendly or not friendly."

"Based on that action is taken by the troopers which are there at the border out post. The phase one of the anti-tunneling technology completed now phase two and three will be completed soon.”

Khandare said two additional battalions have been deployed to strengthen the anti-infiltration grid in Jammu. “All revierrine gaps are plugged using available resources and creating command posts and well lit environment in those areas and psoting adequate number of troops,’’ he said.

“For border surveillance, we are going to install an advance system in Punjab and Jammu sectors in coming days in which will include a mix night and optical cameras besides radar systems in order to enhance our observations on the border and if one tries to intrude or dig tunnel we get technical warning,’’ he added.

On the extent of flood-related damage to fencing along the Indo–Pak border, Khandare said, “It was not contiguous but approximately one third of the total fence in Punjab on the Indo-Pak international border was broken that was around 60 kilometres. In some places it was not possible to go to the border due to water logging."

"In this situation with so many gaps and little manpower at our disposal it is quite possible that anti national elements might have exploited certain gaps but we were quick to regain our grounds and lift the fence and go to the border. In Jammu region not that much of breach as nallas was seasons. As far fencing is concerned the damage was not much in Jammu,’’ he added.

He said the ageing fence along the Indo–Pak border is being replaced. “The fence which was erected on the Indo-Pak border has become quiet old so we are replacing to old fence with new design fence all along the indo-pak intentional border,’’ he said.

A state-of-the-art drone forensics laboratory has been set up in Amritsar. “The drones which we recover their forensic analysis is that at this laboratory now, from where the drone flew, how many sorties it has done and where did it drop the consignments and on that basis we have identified the hot stops, primarily in Punjab a few in Rajasthan also."

"Thus, we tackle those hot stops by two means firstly by deploying counter drone systems and secondly physical deployment. We are also manning in depth of the state as we know that the consignment will be dropped beyond the border. The anti-drone system of Punjab Police is being operated in coordination with BSF,’’ he said.

Khandare said the BSF utilises a multilayered approach involving a mix of indigenous technologies to counter cross-border drone threats along the Indo–Pak border.

“The systems integrate multiple sensors including radar, electro-optical infrared cameras and radio frequency analyzers to detect, track and neutralize the Pak drones. During the year till date we have recovered 278 rogue drones, besides 200 weapons seized including AKs and pistols, 53 intruders apprehended and arrested and 380 kg of heroin recovered,’’ he said.

He concluded, “We are noticing that in the last five years there has been change in drone intrusions as it started in 2019, if we analyze that now smaller and cheap drones being used, also size of consignments is now small. First big drones use to come and they had sound signature."

"From adversaries point of view they are using smaller drones as per sortie a drone carries 500 grams of drugs and a pistol. Also big drones are also coming but they fly at much higher level now frequency hopping drones are being used thus is a difficult task to detect them.’’

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Dec/02/bsf-rolls-out-advanced-ai-based-anti-tunnelling-anti-drone-systems-along-indo-pak-border

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Mideast

 

How prolonged hunger and famine left irreversible scars on Gaza’s youngest

ANAN TELLO

December 02, 2025

LONDON: Famine conditions in Gaza have eased somewhat since the Oct. 10 ceasefire enabled limited aid deliveries into the enclave. But months of hunger and trauma had already inflicted profound, and in many cases irreversible, harm.

Although a formal declaration of famine did not come until August, Gazans had been cut off from adequate, nutritious food for close to two years. The effects, families say, began long before the crisis was officially classified.

“Just two days ago, we ate meat for the first time in a long while after prices dropped slightly,” said Maysa Yousef, an artist and mother of four based in central Gaza. “The last time anyone in my family tasted eggs was last Ramadan (March 2025).”

The crisis has reshaped children’s understanding of food.

“Children born during the war do not know sweets, eggs, chicken, fish or fruit,” Yousef told Arab News. “They have not eaten vegetables or protein, so their bodies are extremely weak and their ability to focus is almost nonexistent. All of this is the result of prolonged malnutrition.”

A friend’s toddler, she said, calls all round fruit “koora,” or “ball,” because she cannot identify even the most common produce. The little girl has never tasted candy, biscuits or fresh fruit. “She only knows bread and basic canned food. Nothing else.”

Yousef, who lives with her family among the rubble of their former home in Deir El-Balah, said that “for two full years, we survived mostly on canned food — peas, beans and processed meats like luncheon.”

Compared to the days of famine, “this feels like a blessing,” she added. However, her children remain deprived of a basic nutritious diet.

The hunger started soon after the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, triggered Israel’s offensive in Gaza. By December that year, international monitors, including Human Rights Watch, said starvation was being used as a weapon of war.

In March 2024, the first major alerts warned that famine was imminent. Aid organizations and UN bodies accused Israel of impeding deliveries of relief goods — claims Israel has consistently denied.

By Aug. 22 this year, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification estimated that more than 500,000 people had reached catastrophic levels of hunger.

The IPC projected the risks would persist for years, warning more than 132,000 children under the age of five could suffer acute malnutrition by June 2026.

Israel dismissed the findings, with its foreign ministry accusing the IPC of publishing a “tailor-made fabricated report to fit Hamas’s fake campaign.”

Since 2023, Gaza has endured a near-total blockade of food, fuel, power and commercial goods, marking its most extreme embargo since 2007.

The territory’s health system has been shattered by bombardment, displacement and fuel shortages, contributing to malnutrition-related deaths.

As of Sept. 19, the local health authority reported at least 440 starvation-related deaths, including 147 children.

The real figure is likely far higher. The IPC’s report says malnutrition frequently contributes to fatalities recorded under other causes such as injury, infection or delayed trauma recovery.

Many deaths in homes, it added, likely go uncounted due to displacement, a lack of transport and collapsed medical access.

Children have been among the most visibly impacted.

“Our children carry water, search for firewood, and walk long distances just to get bread if it is available, or to look for flour, canned goods and other basic necessities,” Yousef said. “Their bodies were not built during the war — they have been severely weakened and broken down.”

Her own young daughter suffers from malnutrition, persistent headaches and abnormal dental development.

“During the famine, she lost all her baby teeth, and until now, some still have not grown back, and those that did are deformed or crooked,” Yousef said.

UN officials say progress is fragile and incomplete.

“Despite progress, thousands of children under the age of five remain acutely malnourished in Gaza, while many more lack proper shelter, sanitation and protection against winter,” Catherine Russell, executive director of the UN children’s fund, UNICEF, said in a Nov. 28 statement.

“Too many children in Gaza are still facing hunger, illness and exposure to cold temperatures, conditions that are putting their lives at risk. Every minute counts to protect these children.”

More aid has entered since mid-October, easing prices and improving meal frequency. The UN says households are now having two meals per day, up from one meal in July.

But access to produce, eggs, meat and other high-nutrient foods remains limited or is unaffordable for most families.

The IPC noted in its August report that short periods of minimal food availability cannot restore the body after months or years of deprivation.

Recovery requires sustained surplus calories, protein, and nutrient-rich foods — as much as 25 percent more than normal intake over multiple months.

Minimum aid levels, it warned, are not sufficient at this stage. Distribution systems, it added, must change urgently for the most vulnerable to consistently receive food.

US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan requires “full aid” to be “immediately sent into the Gaza Strip” as an initial step to mitigate the famine. Yet the agreement has fallen short of its targets, as Israel is still accused of limiting the delivery and distribution of aid.

The ceasefire agreement demands that an average of 600 aid trucks enter Gaza per day. Israel says it is meeting its obligations and blames Hamas for the shortages, alleging that fighters are diverting deliveries before distribution.

Hamas rejects the claims.

Independent monitors offer a different assessment. The World Food Programme said in early November that about half of the necessary food assistance was reaching the population, while local relief agencies reported October deliveries totaled roughly a quarter of pledged levels.

Abeer Etefa, senior spokesperson for WFP, described a “race against time,” as people “are still suffering from hunger, and the needs are overwhelming.”

Despite a drop in prices since the ceasefire, cash liquidity remains another barrier, with withdrawal fees of between 20 and 24 percent.

“Cash money has become a thing of the past for us,” Yousef said. “We have practically forgotten it as we are no longer able to hold a single shekel in our hand.

“During the height of the famine, 1 kg of flour cost $50, and later reached $100 per kg, after we once used to buy 4 kg for just $1. As a mother, it was unbearable to watch my children sleep hungry.

“I worked and walked and struggled for hours just to secure a single loaf of bread — that was our greatest challenge.

“Imagine having money in the bank but not being unable to buy anything or manage your life, because not everyone uses banking apps, and some people refuse to accept payment through those apps.”

Humanitarian needs remain vast. The WFP said it provided food parcels to 1 million people in the first three weeks after the ceasefire — still some way below its 1.6 million target. Aid flows are restricted further by the limited number of active border crossings.

Fuel shortages compound the health crisis. More than 60 percent of households are cooking by burning debris or waste, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, heightening infection and respiratory risks.

OCHA said in early November that acute malnutrition among screened children in Gaza had fallen to 10 percent, down from 14 percent in September, but more than 1,000 remained severely affected.

Even if a child survives and receives adequate nutritious food, they will likely still face long-term health impacts.

A January health study, published in Frontiers in Public Health, found exposure to famine during infancy and toddler years sharply increases the risk of later-life chronic diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, stroke, kidney disease, cancer and cognitive disorders.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, warned that Gaza is experiencing a health “catastrophe” that will last for “generations to come.”

“If you take the famine and combine it with a mental health problem, which we see is rampant, then the situation is a crisis for generations to come,” Ghebreyesus told BBC Radio 4’s Today program on Oct. 22.

With pregnant and lactating mothers among those most affected by malnutrition, one in five babies are born prematurely or underweight and one in seven needs emergency neonatal care, according to UN figures.

In August, more than 40 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza were severely malnourished, according to the UN Population Fund.

The UN body warned that surviving children may face stunted growth, developmental delays, weakened immunity, and increased risk of chronic disease in adulthood.

The risk is also there for unborn children.

Dutch epidemiologist Tessa Roseboom, whose research tracks the long-term impact of prenatal malnutrition, says famine can leave a lasting imprint on fetuses.

She told France24 on Nov. 17 that malnutrition may leave epigenetic markers on a fetus’s DNA that affect how genes function. “The genetic code itself is not changed, but the expression of the DNA changes,” she said.

She also highlighted that the production of protective maternal enzymes is impacted during famine, exposing fetuses to elevated stress hormones, potentially increasing sensitivity to stress in adulthood.

This damage is irreversible, Roseboom said, but it can still be reduced. “Food safety has to come quickly, prioritizing women and children.

“The scientific evidence is clear. The repercussions will continue for generations, and I’m incredibly worried about this generation and the next.”

UN agencies say treatment demands will shape the year ahead. In a report covering the month of October, UNICEF estimated that 132,000 children and 55,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza will require nutritional care over the next 12 months.

Taken together, aid agencies, physicians and researchers warn the crisis has triggered a collapse in mental and physical health, childhood development, labor participation, and life expectancy.

For Yousef and other parents in Gaza who have struggled to feed their children, the warnings from health experts make for painful listening.

“One of the most painful moments I’ve lived through in the past two years was hearing my children say they were hungry — and having to tell them I had nothing to give them,” she said.

“All while we still had money in the bank.”

Source: arabnews.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2624779/middle-east

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‘We chose it’: PKK fighters cherish life in Iraq’s mountains

December 02, 2025

QANDIL MOUNTAINS, Iraq: A Kurdish militant picks his way along a switchback road in Iraq’s mountains before pulling over to alert his comrades in a nearby hidden bunker that they are about to have company.

After calling from a phone dangling from a tree, he leads a team of  journalists into a bunker under the Qandil mountains, where they have been granted rare access to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) rear base in northern Iraq.

“A peace process doesn’t mean leaving the mountains,” says Serda Mazlum Gabar, a 47-year-old commander with her long, rust-colored hair and unfailing smile.

“Even if we leave, we will live the same way,” she added. “Nature doesn’t scare me, but I wouldn’t feel safe walking around a city, with its cars, smoke and traffic.”

Answering a call from the group’s imprisoned founder Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK has taken historic steps in recent months toward ending its decades-old fight against Turkiye that has claimed around 50,000 lives.

The group formally renounced its armed struggle. Thirty of its fighters even burned their weapons in a symbolic move, although many fighters based in Qandil carried rifles during the journalists’ visit.

For decades, the PKK has found sanctuary in mountains in northern Iraq and southeastern Turkiye.

Even if fighting has stopped, the guerrilla lifestyle won’t end. It will rather adapt to new “peaceful” ways, the commander said.

“We were not forced into this life. We chose it,” she added.At the entrance, a large fan is attached to a duct that runs into a concealed passage, ventilating fresh air to the hidden bunker.

The tunnel then opens into a broader corridor where PKK members and commanders dressed in their traditional military dress — olive green fatigues or a dusty-colored sirwal and vest — line up to greet visitors.

The corridor branches out to several rooms, each serving a purpose. One, its entrance decorated with fresh plants and strings of lights, is quarters designated for women fighters.

Iraq’s mountains have recently welcomed new arrivals — fighters who withdrew from Turkiye to show the group’s commitment to the peace process.

Among them is Vejin Dersim who joined the PKK at only 23 and had spent most of her time in southeastern Turkiye.

Now 34, she has withdrawn to Iraq’s mountains.

“Leaving was very emotional. It is a very special place there, especially because we were closer to leader Apo,” she said, referring to Ocalan, who has been held in solitary confinement on Turkiye’s Imrali island since 1999.

Her comrade Devrim Palu, 47, joined the movement in 1999 and has recently returned to Iraq.

“In our movement, it doesn’t matter where you are fighting, and one doesn’t stay in one place,” he said in a soft, low voice.

Today is the time for change, he said.

He added that the PKK is capable of changing the nature of the conflict and transition from war to peaceful engagement.

Over decades, the PKK — still formally designated a “terrorist group” by the US and the EU — has gone through several periods of peace talks with Turkiye.

They have gone through several seismic shifts from starting as a separatist movement to gradually becoming advocates for Kurdish equality in Turkiye.

It now says it is entering a new phase by pursuing a democratic path to defend the rights of the Kurdish minority.

According to Devrim Palu, it is generally easier to be based in Iraq because the top commanders are closer, and news arrives firsthand.

In the bunker that AFP visited, the walls are adorned with pictures of Ocalan and fallen fighters.

In a kitchen, PKK members knead dough to make lahmajun, which is bread topped with meat. Others watched TV, drank tea or chatted in the corridors.

One is a designated room to maintain communications with others in the surrounding mountains.

Qandil has been home to the PKK for years — a place that offered greater refuge than the mountains of southeast Turkiye.

At first, fighters hid in caves, then began carving and digging dozens of their own well-maintained bunkers. Qandil became their headquarters.

“I could drive these mountains with my eyes closed,” one member said, skillfully navigating the rugged tracks at high speed in the pitch-dark night.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2624773/middle-east

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Syria’s Civil Defense calls for release of volunteer kidnapped in Sweida

December 02, 2025

LONDON: The Syrian Civil Defense on Tuesday called for the immediate release of volunteer Hamza Al-Amarin, who was abducted by armed groups in Sweida in July while on a humanitarian mission to evacuate civilians and a UN team.

The organization said that Al-Amarin’s continued detention is a “blatant violation of humanitarian norms and international law,” which protect relief and humanitarian workers.

He was kidnapped amid rising tension between armed factions in Sweida, a governorate in southern Syria, which prompted the Syrian government forces to intervene to enforce stability.

The Civil Defense said that targeting Al-Amarin undermines the values and principles of humanitarian work in Syria, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.

They did not specify which group is holding him. Communication with Al-Amarin was lost on July 16 while he was on an evacuation mission for a UN team in Sweida province.

It called on the relevant authorities to fulfill their legal and moral responsibilities, determine his fate, and ensure his safety. It described him as one of the first responders during Syria’s most challenging circumstances, SANA added.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2624747/middle-east

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Israel’s Netanyahu says Syria deal possible, expects buffer zone

December 02, 2025

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday a deal with Syria is possible and he expects Syrian authorities to establish a demilitarised buffer zone from Damascus to Mount Hermon and other areas.

Netanyahu spoke a day after US President Donald Trump, whose administration has been trying to broker a non-aggression pact between the two countries, said it was very important that Israel maintained a “strong and true dialogue” with Damascus.

Syria does not formally recognize Israel, which has occupied more Syrian territory since December 2024. It captured the Syrian Golan Heights in a 1967 war and later annexed it, a move recognized by the United States but not by most other countries.

“What we expect Syria to do is, of course, to establish a demilitarized buffer zone from Damascus to the buffer area, including the approaches to Mount Hermon and the Hermon peak,” Netanyahu said while visiting wounded soldiers in central Israel.

“We hold these areas in order to ensure the security of Israel’s citizens, and that is what obligates us.”

He added: “With goodwill and an understanding of these principles, it is possible to reach an agreement with the Syrians, but we will stand by our principles in any case.”

Trump has backed Syria’s new leader, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, while Israel has voiced wariness over Sharaa’s past links to Islamist militancy, but has engaged in efforts to broker a deal.

An Israeli raid in southern Syria on Friday killed 13 Syrians, Syrian state media reported. The Israeli military said it had targeted a Lebanese Islamist militant group there. Netanyahu on Tuesday was visiting soldiers wounded in the clash.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2624726/

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Africa

 

Terrorists: ‘They Have People Who Are Backing Them In And Outside The Country’ – Adeyemi

December 2, 2025

By Enioluwa Adeniyi

Former lawmaker representing Kogi West senatorial district, Smart Adeyemi, on Tuesday, stated that terrorists attacking the country have the support of both local and international forces.

Naija News reports that Adeyemi made this claim during an interview on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm, adding that the terrorists have in-house agents.

Adeyemi said, “They made sure they were already formidable enough, and don’t forget this terrorist, no doubt have people who are backing them in and outside the country.

“They were waiting to see the focus of the Asiwaju government that took some highly courageous decisions that were aimed at emancipating Nigeria to another level.”

According to the former lawmaker, while campaigns are ongoing, killings have gone down because the terrorists were moving in thousands to the country’s forests.

Adeyemisaid that there are insiders who are acting as agents for the terrorists.

He said, “As of the time they were changing the service chiefs, they were very much aware that the terrorists were building, becoming more formidable.

“This insecurity you are seeing in Nigeria has been going on for 20 years.

“I ran into them in 1998. They kill people, but nobody reports them. The people from the north can attest to it, so that has been happening in Nigeria over the years.”

Source: naijanews.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/02/terrorists-they-have-people-who-are-backing-them-in-and-outside-the-country-adeyemi/

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MURIC slams Rev. Dachomo over Christian genocide claims on Muslim-Muslim presidency

By Ibrahim Ramalan

December 2, 2025

The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has slammed Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Regional Leader of the Church of Christ in Nations, for claiming that Nigeria’s Muslim-Muslim presidency amounts to a Christian genocide.

Prof. Ishaq Akintola, the MURIC Founder/Executive Director, in a statement on Tuesday, said Mr Dachomo went to the extreme in his outburst.

Going further, MURIC said: “A new twist was thrown into the Christian genocide debate yesterday, Monday, 1st December, 2025 when the Regional Leader of the Church of Christ in Nations, Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, exploded on national television, alleging that the Muslim-Muslim ticket is equal to Christian genocide.

‎‎”We quote him verbatim: ‘Shettima is a Muslim, the president is a Muslim. Is that not complete genocide to Christians in the political world? The way forward is to remove Shettima and I stand on.

‎‎”MURIC finds this outburst emotive, explosive and kindergarten. It is articulated religiousity cum religious masturbation. It also amounts to a denial of the principles of democracy and the due process painstakingly taken by Nigerians from the electioneering campaigns down to the elections.

‎‎”It is equally a declaration of lack of faith in the long judicial exercise that followed the election through the appeal court up to the Supreme Court. It is subjudice. How can anyone suggest the removal of the vice president who emerged from a free, fair and credible election? If Dachomo wants to be the vice president of Nigeria, he must bofollow the well known democratic process. He must wait for 2027.

‎”Has our reverend gone paranoia? He sees Muslim-Muslim ticket in his sprawling mansion, in his wardrobe, in television studios and, of course, in the mythical Christian genocide. That is why he believes it amounts to Christian genocide for the Nigerian president and his vice to be Muslims.

‎‎”But Dachomo’s likely schizophrenia has come with the dramatisation and sensationalism which are characteristic of our Christian neighbours when they are pushing an agenda or when they have something to hide.

‎‎”A whole mass of women in a Jos community came out to protest half nude in September 2018 when they were trying to deceive soldiers who were searching for their missing general, Idris Alkali. Trust the military, they ignored the hocus pocus, continued the search and later found their general inside a deep well.

‎‎”MURIC sees a sea of con artists in the current mass psychosis. We are not unaware that dramatisation is a special course in the curriculum of some religious training institutes.

It also comes with an entitlement mentality regarding what belongs to others by right and by fair play. Our neighbours feel no qualms claiming such things even at the expense of contempt of court. Fair or foul, what they cannot get by the straight must be snatched by the bend.

‎‎”That is why Dachomo and his co-travellers ‘believe’ that they can snatch the mandate given by a Muslim majority, albeit a silent, voiceless and docile one, under the guise of a false allegation of Christian genocide, particularly if the connivance of arm-twisting Western crusaders is secured.

‎‎”But the wind has blown. We have seen the ruff of the hen. All along, in the past seven or eight weeks, this has been the casus belli. We did not know that all the noise about ‘Christian genocide’ has to do with a political post. That post has been so important to our neighbours that they were ready to concoct all forms of lies against us.

‎‎”We salute the good Christians in this country. Many of them stood up and they were counted. Many of them spoke out boldly and loudly because they knew the truth and the truth eventually set them free (John 8:32).

‎‎”We reiterate our appeal to the good Christians and the good Muslims of this country. Let us come together to rescue our land from ruthless killers and mindless kidnappers.

“The book of Isaiah 1:18 says, ‘Come, let us reason together’. Similarly, Qur’an 3:64 says, ‘Oh people of the Book, come unto common terms with us…’ We have no scintilla of doubt that the good Muslims and the good Christians can make Nigeria great if they work together.

‎‎”To do this, we must cooperate with the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by exposing the criminals in our midst, no matter their faith or ethnicity. We must not allow our political party, tribe or religious affiliation to becloud our patriotism. Political party or religion must not be on the table or in the driving seat if we are serious about fighting insecurity.

“Before we sign out, we call attention to Reverend Dachomo’s combative posture during his interview on television. We remind him that religious clerics are models. Our followers watch and emulate us. Unless it is deliberate incitement of Nigerian Christians, Dachomo needs to mellow down.”

Source: dailynigerian.com

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https://dailynigerian.com/muric-slams-rev-dachomo-over-christian-genocide-claims-on-muslim-muslim-presidency/

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UNHCR: Nearly 100,000 displaced in recent weeks as violence spreads across northern Mozambique

December 3, 2025

Close to 100,000 people in northern Mozambique have been forced to flee in recent weeks after armed groups stormed their villages, burning homes and attacking civilians.

In Nampula Province, schools, churches and open spaces are crowded with newly arrived families.

This is the fourth massive influx of displaced people in recent months and it’s putting pressure on already fragile host communities.

The insurrection of fighters affiliated with the so-called Islamic State has already displaced more than 1.3 million people since it began in Cabo Delgado, the country’s northernmost state, in 2017.

Since the start of the year, attacks have spread into Nampula and Nissa Provinces, bringing violence closer to communities that had previously hosted displaced families.

The United Nations Refugee Agency UNHCR says it will need close to 40 million dollars next year to meet rising needs in the region. This year, funding stands at just 50 percent of the required amount.

In the meantime, the agency says, overcrowded shelters and the lack of response is forcing some people to return to unsafe areas.

Source: africanews.com

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https://www.africanews.com/2025/12/03/unhcr-nearly-100000-displaced-in-recent-weeks-as-violence-spreads-across-northern-mozambiq/

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Defence Minister: ‘Musa Has All That It Takes To Perform’ – Ex-General

December 3, 2025

By Enioluwa Adeniyi

The immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), barring any last-minute change, is set to become Nigeria’s next Minister of Defence, following his nomination on Monday by President Bola Tinubu.

Naija News understands that General Musa exited office on October 30, 2025.

Musa’s ministerial appointment was disclosed hours after the sudden resignation of the former Jigawa State governor and then-Defence Minister, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who stepped down on Monday, citing health reasons.

A credible presidency source, speaking to Daily Trust on Tuesday, said the nomination followed quiet counsel from within Tinubu’s inner cabinet, as the presidency sought a defence chief with military rank recognition among active troops.

Meanwhile, Retired Brigadier General Mohammed Kabir Galadanchi, in an interview with Daily Trust, expressed confidence in Musa’s ability to support the president on internal defence and regional stabilisation.

He said, “We need somebody who has an understanding of the military in itself and its operation to help the president in executing most of the policies in dealing with this issue. C.G. Musa has been part and parcel of the training… the impartial ways and means of solving this problem.”

Highlighting Musa’s career trajectory, Galadanchi recalled that “he was commandant of Depot-Nigeria Army, where soldiers are trained to take part in operations. He was the Theatre commander, General Officer, Commanding, and he became the Chief of Defence Staff. With such credentials, Musa has all that it takes to perform.

“The people who are serving as service chiefs now… have worked with him as his subordinates, and now they are heading agencies that will come under his review. This will create synergy and understanding.”

Source: naijanews.com

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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/03/defence-minister-musa-has-all-that-it-takes-to-perform-ex-general/

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Nigeria Snubbed As Pope Leo Reveals African Countries To Visit

December 3, 2025

By George Oshogwe

Nigeria’s name was missing as Pope Leo XIV, the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, announced on Tuesday that his next international trip may be to Africa, with a personal desire to visit Algeria in 2026.

The pontiff made the announcement during a press conference aboard the papal plane on his return from his inaugural six-day international trip, which included visits to Turkey and Lebanon (November 27 to December 2, 2025).

“I hope to make a trip to Africa, which could be my next trip. Personally, I hope to go to Algeria to visit the places from the life of Saint Augustine,” Pope Leo XIV said.

The 70-year-old pontiff, who was elected Pope in May 2025 and belongs to the Augustinian Order, emphasized the theological and political significance of visiting Algeria.

He said: “The figure of Saint Augustine plays an important role as a bridge because in Algeria he is highly respected as a son of the nation.” 

The Vatican expects such a visit would allow the head of the Catholic Church to continue fostering dialogue and bridge-building between the Christian and Muslim worlds.

According to the Vatican, a potential voyage to Africa could also include visits to: Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.

Pope Leo XIV also stated that he would “very much like to visit Latin America,” listing Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru, where he spent over 20 years working as a missionary.

Source: naijanews.com

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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/03/nigeria-snubbed-as-pope-leo-reveals-african-countries-to-visit/

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North America

 

Zohran Mamdani To Be 111th NYC Mayor on January 1? Historian Refutes; Challenges Number Count

Dec 2, 2025

Zohran Mamdani is set to be sworn in as New York City’s 111th mayor on January 1, but new historical research suggests the number may be off by one.

According to historian Paul Hortenstine, Mamdani should actually be counted as the city’s 112th mayor - owing to a missing non-consecutive term served in 1674–75 by Matthias Nicolls that does not appear in the official directory.

Hortenstine told Gothamist, he uncovered references to Nicolls’ second term while researching ties between early mayors and slavery. Documents in the papers of Edmund Andros, the colonial governor, pointed him to the 1674–75 mayoralty.

“This was in 1675. So then, when I later looked through the official list of the city, I noticed that they had missed this term,” he said. A preliminary search by the New-York Historical also found multiple references to the second term in The Iconography of Manhattan Island.

The omission cascades through centuries of recordkeeping. By Hortenstine’s count, Fiorella La Guardia was not the 99th mayor but the 100th, and current Mayor Eric Adams - who often says “I’m 110” - would actually be 111.

The discovery is not entirely new. In 1989, historian Peter R Christoph wrote in the Record of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society that “Edward I Koch is the 105th Mayor of New York… But they are wrong: He is the 106th,” noting the error originated in an 1841 municipal manual and persisted across official documents.

Ken Cobb, assistant commissioner at the city’s department of records, said no formal review of the discrepancy has been undertaken. During a recent check of the municipal archives, he could not locate records of Nicolls’ second term but did not dispute the findings. “We're the keepers of the records. We're not the creators of the records,” he said. “It's a good question. Who noticed this discrepancy? Apparently, this historian did,” as quoted by Gothamist.

There is precedent for renumbering. In 1937, Charles Lodwick was inserted into the list as the 21st mayor, shifting all subsequent numbering.

Nicolls, born in England in 1630, served as a lawyer and British colonial official in New York. His family owned parts of Long Island, and, like many officials of the era, he was a slaveowner.

Asked whether the Adams administration might update the list before leaving office, first deputy mayor Randy Mastro said he had never heard of the missing mayor and added, “I think we will leave this issue for historians and - for a change - the next administration.” A spokesperson for Mamdani did not comment.

Source: indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/zohran-mamdani-to-be-111th-nyc-mayor-historian-refutes-challenges-number-count/articleshow/125714705.cms

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CAIR-WA Releases Community Advisory for Muslim Immigrants

December 2, 2025

The Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today released a community advisory addressing recent immigration-related announcements made by the Trump administration following the tragic shooting of two members of the National Guard last week.

“While we were all horrified by this senseless, tragic shooting, it is unacceptable for the Trump administration to assign collective blame to an entire community,” said Imraan Siddiqi, CAIR-WA’s Executive Director. “This playbook of scapegoating immigrants has been repeated throughout history, and we must ensure that we stand up for the communities and families who are being targeted by blanket crackdowns.”

In the community advisory, CAIR-WA reassures the Muslim community in Washington state that, though disturbing, public statements and proposals do not have legal force until they are implemented through official policy or regulatory action. CAIR-WA urges community members to reach out to CAIR-WA at (206) 367-4081 or cairwa.org/gethelp if they are contacted by the FBI, concerned about their immigration case, or experience hate or discrimination. 

Prior to the events of this past week, Islamophobia has been on the rise nationally and locally, with the Texas Governor accusing CAIR National of being a “terrorist organization,” and a Spokane Valley councilmember stating that she is a “proud Islamophobe,” among other inflammatory rhetoric. 

A 2024 survey of Muslims in Washington showed that 82% of respondents had experienced discrimination or hate in the past year, and earlier this year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report, Unconstitutional Crackdowns, which reveals that Islamophobia remains at record-high levels nationwide.

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

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.     

Source: cair.com

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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-wa-releases-community-advisory-for-muslim-immigrants/

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Texas Gov. Abbott asks Treasury Department to suspend Islamic group’s tax-exempt status

Bethany Blankley

December 2, 2025

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott took more action Tuesday against the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Abbott on Tuesday requested the Treasury Department investigate CAIR for its alleged terrorist ties and suspend its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit status.

Abbott and Texas lawmakers have led the charge to ban Sharia law in the U.S., The Center Square reported. Abbott was the first governor to designate the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations. He also directed state and local law enforcement to investigate them and an Islamic Tribunal in north Texas.

Not soon after Abbott’s actions, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the Muslim Brotherhood to be designated as an FTO. In response, Abbott said, “Pres. Trump is right to make this federal designation. It aligns with the Texas designation that the Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist organization.”

CAIR and the Muslim Legal Fund of America sued Abbott, arguing his directives are unconstitutional and blamed Israel for his actions, The Center Square reported. CAIR also maintains it is not a terrorist organization and doesn’t fund terrorism.

Abbott has said that CAIR’s X account is routed through a Turkish App store, saying, “This sure seems like an international operations link between CAIR and a country tied to the Muslim Brotherhood.”

He’s also praised the arrest and deportation of a Muslim leader in Dallas, claiming its another CAIR terrorism connection.

In September, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Dallas officers arrested Jordanian national Marwan Marouf, the fundraising director for the Muslim American Society’s Dallas chapter. Marouf was arrested on charges of illegally living in Dallas after overstaying his student visa from the 1990s. He was also accused of donating nearly $14,000 to the Holy Land Foundation, a terrorist organization. The leaders of the foundation were convicted of sending $12 million to support the terrorist organization Hamas.

On Nov. 21, a federal immigration judge ordered that Marouf be deported to his home country of Jordan. The MLDF, which represents Marouf, denies the terrorism financing allegations, saying he is a “hardworking, family man and civic-minded community leader,” “moral icon,” and “character giant.”

In response, Abbott said CAIR-Texas’ executive director called Marouf “a ‘pillar of the community.’ This is another example of CAIR Texas’ support for Hamas & terror.”

Abbott’s FTO order also cites former CAIR board members, speakers and staff who were sentenced to prison for financing terrorism, conspiring to aid Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, bank and visa fraud, financing terrorist causes overseas, violating U.S. sanctions and other charges in the Holy Land Foundation case. It was one of the largest terrorism financing cases in U.S. history.

On Tuesday, Abbott requested that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent investigate CAIR for its “longstanding ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, and its ongoing support for terrorism.” He also cited a federal court, stating, “there is ‘ample evidence to establish’ that CAIR is associated ‘with Hamas,” in the Holy Land case.

Federal law prohibits FTOs from receiving tax-exempt status; domestic organizations created by known FTOs should not have tax-exempt status, Abbott argues.

He also expressed concerns to Bessent about a CAIR California chapter awarding $1,000 grants to anti-Israel campus activists to disrupt classes and intimidate and harass students after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack against Israel. According to a Network Contagion Research Institute and Intelligent Advocacy Network report, the CAIR chapter solicited $64,000 in donations to fund the grants.

"Federal investigators and court filings identify CAIR as a direct subsidiary of the Muslim Brotherhood and as a 'front group' for Hamas in the United States," Abbott said to Bessent, requesting that he “investigate CAIR for suspension of its tax-exempt status. Americans have generous hearts, and federal law wisely creates incentives to donate to nonprofit organizations that promote the public good. But charity must not become a backdoor to sponsor terrorism, endanger Americans, and subvert our democracy."

 

CAIR argues that actions being taken against it are examples of anti-Muslim bigotry “not coming from the right wing generally, but from the old guard Israel First right, who are very well aware that they are losing the narrative among the younger generation of conservatives. Whipping up Islamophobia is their last, desperate attempt at stopping the bleeding."

Source: justthenews.com

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https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/abbott-asks-treasury-department-suspend-islam-groups-tax-exempt-status

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White House shooting: Trump halts immigration applications from 19 nations - check list

Dec 3, 2025

The Trump administration has halted the processing of all immigration applications, including green card requests, for people from 19 countries covered under this year’s expanded travel ban. The move was detailed in a new US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy memo posted Tuesday.

The suspension, rolled out as part of sweeping immigration changes following the shooting of two National Guard troops, effectively freezes access to immigration benefits for applicants from the affected nations.

USCIS said the pause was prompted by the Thanksgiving week shooting near the White House, in which an Afghan national is accused of killing one National Guard soldier and wounding another. It cited the incident as justification for heightened scrutiny of applicants from the affected countries.

“In light of identified concerns and the threat to the American people, USCIS has determined that a comprehensive re-review, potential interview, and re-interview of all aliens from high-risk countries of concern who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021 is necessary,” the agency said, as cited by AP.

The agency also said it would carry out a full review of all “approved benefit requests” for immigrants who arrived in the US during the Biden administration.

Who faces the ban?

The administration in June barred citizens of 12 countries from entering the US and imposed limited access on individuals from seven others, citing national security concerns.

The travel ban applied to people from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The restricted-access list covered Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

At the time, officials made no changes affecting immigrants from those nations who were already living in the U.S. before the ban took effect.

The latest directive from USCIS now signals that those individuals, regardless of when they arrived, will face additional scrutiny.

The memo, highlighting the breadth of the new restrictions, states that, “this hold includes all form types and making any final decisions (approvals, denials) as well as completing any oath ceremonies.”

Immigration lawyers told ABC News that several clients, including applicants from Venezuela, Iran and Afghanistan, have had their citizenship hearings cancelled this week.

Naturalisation ceremonies, which mark the final step after as many as five years of processing, are usually celebratory events where new citizens take the oath of allegiance while waving small American flags.

USCIS last week also paused all asylum decisions, while the State Department halted visa processing for Afghans who assisted the US war effort. The latest measures come as Trump increasingly casts migrants and refugees as the source of what he calls the country’s “social dysfunction,” as cited by the BBC.

Source: indiatimes.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/white-house-shooting-trump-halts-immigration-applications-from-19-nations-check-list/articleshow/125735788.cms

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'No 'American Dream' when H-1Bs can come': Ex-DOGE advisor hits back at Vivek Ramaswamy

Dec 3, 2025

A row erupted after former DOGE adviser and Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback hit back at Vivek Ramaswamy over his comments about the "American Dream."

Ramaswamy is running for governor in Ohio and posted on X defending the uniqueness of American opportunity and dismissing the idea of other national ideals. “There’s no ‘Canadian Dream.’ There’s no ‘British Dream.’ There’s no ‘Chinese Dream.’ It’s called the American Dream for a reason. It’s what makes American exceptionalism possible,” he said.

Fishback is an outspoken critic of immigration programs and H1-B. He replied. “There’s no ‘American Dream’ when H-1Bs can come here and steal our jobs and dignity. I'm running for Florida Governor to end the H-1B scam so our workers can get great paying jobs again,” he said.

There's no "American Dream" when H-1Bs can come here and steal our jobs and dignity. I'm running for Florida Governor to end the H-1B scam so our workers can get great-paying jobs again. https://t.co/zfqvjyDsCk

Fishback has built his campaign around restricting immigration.

The Florida candidate has repeatedly claimed that the H-1B programme blocks opportunities for US workers and unfairly benefits Indians. He has argued that even immigrants who later become citizens should not be part of the American Dream.

The ex-DOGE advisor formally launched his campaign last week, telling CNN that Americans are being pushed out of entry-level jobs. “You have got recent college graduates in my home state of Florida who cannot get jobs. We are the hungriest, smartest, and most brilliant people on Earth. The idea of importing cheap labourers for entry level accounting or IT workers from India and China is preposterous,” he said.

When challenged on why he is targeting Indians, who make up less than one per cent of Florida’s population, he replied: “I single out Indian Americans not because they are Indian Americans; I single them out because they receive about 77 per cent of all H-1B visas. I don't hate immigrants, but I love our own people.”

Fishback has also repeated that if elected, he would terminate every H-1B visa holder in the state.

Source: indiatimes.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/no-american-dream-when-h-1bs-can-come-ex-doge-advisor-hits-back-at-vivek-ramaswamy/articleshow/125724710.cms

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South Asia

 

US Muslim Advocacy Group Calls on Trump to End Afghan Visa Ban

By Fidel Rahmati-

 December 3, 2025

A major US Muslim advocacy group has urged the Trump administration to lift its Afghan visa ban, calling the policy discriminatory and unjust.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in California has called on the Trump administration to reverse its broad restrictions on visa processing and immigration pathways for Afghanistan nationals.

The organisation said late Tuesday that the measure unfairly targets an entire population and amounts to “collective punishment,” arguing it could fuel discrimination and restrict basic rights for vulnerable communities.

Following a recent attack in Washington that U.S. authorities linked to an Afghan asylum seeker, Donald Trump sharply escalated his rhetoric against Afghan refugees. He accused immigration agencies of “failing the American people” and argued that Afghans should face heightened screening or be barred entirely from entering the country.

Trump has repeatedly linked refugee admissions to national security risks, framing Afghan migration as a threat and calling for what he described as “zero tolerance” policies. His comments have drawn support from hardline immigration groups while alarming rights advocates who warn such statements amplify fear and stigmatize entire communities.

Amina Fields, a senior immigration attorney at CAIR, said the restrictions have left Afghan families facing uncertainty and fear, noting that many seeking asylum or family reunification have had their applications frozen or rejected without clear legal justification.

Hussam Ayloush, CAIR’s executive director, said the policy mirrors broader calls by Donald Trump to halt immigration from “third-world countries,” language he described as dangerous and discriminatory.

Advocacy groups working with Afghan refugees in California report that the freeze has stalled approved cases, separated families, and created prolonged legal limbo for individuals who had already cleared multiple layers of security vetting.

No official response has been issued by the administration regarding CAIR’s request. Analysts say a policy reversal is unlikely without broader political consensus on refugee policy and border enforcement.

CAIR, one of the largest Muslim civil rights organisations in the U.S., says it will continue pressing for fair immigration policies and protections for those fleeing conflict, instability and persecution.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/us-muslim-advocacy-group-calls-on-trump-to-end-afghan-visa-ban/

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Public won't vote for corrupt representatives, extortionists: Islami Andolan ameer

Dec 2, 2025

People will not vote for corrupt people and extortionists in the upcoming national election, said Islami Andolan Bangladesh Ameer Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim.

"Corrupted individuals and extortionists will have no place in Bangladesh. People will reject them through their votes," he said while speaking as chief guest at the Barishal divisional rally of the like-minded eight parties at Barishal's Bell's Park.

The country would get rid of extortion, injustice, violence and money laundering, if the Islamic parties are voted to power, he said.

"We have seen BNP, Awami League and Jatiya Party, but we have not seen Islam. For once, bring us to parliament for the sake of Islam. If that happens, no more mothers will lose their sons, there will be no extortion, and no armed thugs," said Rezaul.

At the end of his speech, Rezaul prayed for immediate recovery of political leaders, including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Mujibur Rahman chaired the programme, while leaders of eight Islamist parties addresses the event in the presence of several thousands of leaders and activists.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/public-wont-vote-corrupt-representatives-extortionists-islami-andolan-ameer-4049026

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War Ended, Reconstruction Now National Priority, Hanafi Says

December 3, 2025

KABUL: Mawlavi Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, said Afghanistan has entered a new chapter of stability, declaring that with decades of imposed war now over, national reconstruction has become the country’s foremost priority.

Addressing a graduation ceremony of 3,500 students from the Capital Zone Technical and Vocational Education Institute, Hanafi stated that for more than fifty years Afghanistan endured conflict, foreign interference and destruction, but today the nation is moving forward “united under one Islamic system” toward development and self-reliance, according to a statement from Arg on Tuesday.

He said the restoration of security across all provinces has created the foundation for long-term progress.

“The Islamic Emirate is fully focused on rebuilding the country’s infrastructure and improving essential sectors such as agriculture, technology, education and healthcare,” he said, emphasizing that Afghanistan’s reconstruction will be carried out by its own people.

No foreign power will develop the country, the deputy PM said, adding, “Just as we liberated Afghanistan from occupation, we will also rebuild it. Afghans alone will shape Afghanistan’s future.”

Hanafi added that years of war severely damaged the nation’s institutions and slowed its growth, but ongoing development projects demonstrate a renewed commitment to rebuilding the country on firm foundations.

He reaffirmed that the Islamic Emirate remains dedicated to providing opportunities for youth to gain education, skills and employment so they may contribute to national progress.

Source: thekabultimes.com

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https://thekabultimes.com/war-ended-reconstruction-now-national-priority-hanafi-says/

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Türkiye to Continue Supporting Afghanistan

December 3, 2025

KABUL: The Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Afghanistan, Cenk Ünal, reaffirmed his country’s long-standing commitment to Afghanistan, emphasizing that strengthening bilateral relations remains a priority for Ankara.

The pledge came during a meeting between the Turkish Ambassador and Mohammad Naeem, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Finance and Administration, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Cenk Ünal expressed appreciation for the ministry’s coordination and support, noting that Türkiye values its historic and cultural ties with Afghanistan.

He stated that his country remains firmly committed to providing all possible assistance and cooperation to the Afghan people.

He added that Türkiye views its relationship with Afghanistan as strategically significant and is ready to expand partnership across various sectors.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Naeem highlighting the deep political, cultural and religious bonds between the two nations and expressed optimism that cooperation would continue to grow, particularly in areas of diplomacy, development and mutual understanding.

Both sides underscored their intention to further enhance bilateral engagement and maintain close coordination going forward.

Source: thekabultimes.com

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https://thekabultimes.com/turkiye-to-continue-supporting-afghanistan/

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Afghan, Russian Officials Hold Talks on Cultural Cooperation

December 3, 2025

KABUL: Mawlavi Qudratullah Jamal, Deputy Minister for Tourism, Finance and Administration of the Ministry of Information and Culture, met with Sergey Stupachov, head of the Russian House of Science and Culture, and his accompanying delegation to discuss cultural cooperation.

Stupachov expressed Russia’s strong interest in expanding cultural engagement with Afghanistan, noting that 2025 will mark a historic year for both countries, according to a statement from the ministry on Tuesday.

He stated that Russia has taken “practical and serious steps” toward recognizing the Islamic Emirate.

Stupachov announced that a major Cultural and Educational Forum will be held in Kabul next year, focusing on culture, language, heritage and innovation.

“The event will also include documentary and promotional productions showcasing Afghanistan’s tourism potential, which will later be presented in Russia,” he said, adding that the forum will create opportunities for investment in Afghanistan’s tourism sector.

The Russian side also agreed to cooperate with Afghanistan in exhibitions, with plans to hold joint cultural and tourism expos in both countries.

Meanwhile, Mawlavi Jamal welcomed the delegation and highlighted that Russia was among the first countries to recognize Afghanistan after British colonial rule, and now, with Russia’s recognition of the Islamic Emirate, “history is repeating itself.”

He emphasized that Afghanistan’s security, particularly for tourists, provides an important opportunity for expanding tourism.

Jamal reaffirmed that Afghanistan is ready to host Russian visitors, noting the country’s scenic landscapes, historical and religious sites, traditional culture, cuisine and handicrafts.

Source: thekabultimes.com

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https://thekabultimes.com/afghan-russian-officials-hold-talks-on-cultural-cooperation/

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UN: One in Four in Afghanistan Has a Disability, Urges Immediate Inclusion

By Fidel Rahmati

December 3, 2025

The United Nations says one in four people in Afghanistan is living with a disability, calling for urgent inclusion, protection, and equal access to essential services across the country.

The United Nations has called for stronger protection and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Afghanistan, saying they remain among the most vulnerable groups amid the country’s deepening humanitarian crisis.

In a statement issued on 3 December 2025, marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the UN said nearly one in four Afghans lives with a disability, a rate significantly higher than global averages due to decades of war, displacement, poor health systems, and economic instability.

The UN cited recent data showing 24.6% of Afghans have mild disabilities, 40% moderate, and nearly 13.9% severe disabilities, noting that many continue to face barriers to healthcare, employment, and education.

Indrika Ratwatte, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, said disability inclusion is central to ongoing UN programming in the country, “Ensuring the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all spheres of life is an important step to help build a peaceful, fair and prosperous Afghanistan.”

The statement comes as conditions worsen, with thousands of Afghan refugees being forcibly deported from Iran and Pakistan, leaving many people with disabilities without medical care, mobility support, or access to basic services

The UN reaffirmed its commitment to implementing its Disability Inclusion Strategy, which requires all agencies in Afghanistan to integrate disability rights into humanitarian and development work.

Source: khaama.com

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Arab World

 

KAUST scientists convert food waste into sustainable ingredients using algae

December 02, 2025

JEDDAH: Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have discovered a new use for an ancient organism, converting chocolate factory waste into C-phycocyanin, a valuable blue pigment projected to have a global market value of over $275 million by 2030.

The study, published in “Trends in Biotechnology,” shows that Galdieria yellowstonensis, an ancient red algae strain, can consume sugars in chocolate-processing waste to grow into protein-rich biomass containing C-phycocyanin, which is used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

The researchers also found that high levels of carbon dioxide unexpectedly boost Galdieria growth, even though carbon dioxide is normally a waste byproduct of microbial sugar consumption.

Kyle Lauersen, an associate professor at KAUST and lead author of the study, said: “Our work studying the metabolism of algae is uncovering new ways to turn waste into valuable products sustainably. Chocolate production, for example, generates waste when process lines start and stop. We realized this waste could be a useful food for Galdieria.”

The release highlighted that phycocyanin from Galdieria, of which C-phycocyanin is one type, was recently deemed food-safe by the US Food and Drug Administration and is suitable for beverages and other food applications.

However, compared to conventional methods for phycocyanin, which use cyanobacteria, the KAUST method using Galdieria can significantly reduce costs and increase yields because the hot and highly acidic environment in which Galdieria thrive can reduce the presence of other microbes.

Lauersen’s team collected waste from a Saudi chocolate factory for its experiments. The team plans to further develop the process, evaluating scalability and technical capacity on locally available wastes to help Saudi businesses advance toward a circular carbon economy.

Source: arabnews.com

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Estonian minister eyes green collaboration with Saudi Arabia

NADA ALTURKI

December 02, 2025

RIYADH: The Circular Economy Forum has highlighted opportunities for collaboration on sustainable environmental solutions — not only between Estonia and Saudi Arabia, but also with Nordic countries that lead in the field.

Estonian Energy and Environment Minister Andres Sutt told Arab News on Tuesday this was undoubtedly the case after a meeting with the Saudi Investment Recycling Company.

He said the technology he had seen had been world class, noting that there were many areas to connect innovations in the circular economy sector.

Sutt said: “We have certain interests and we have actually (had) very good conversations (at CEF25) about the green hydrogen market. Estonian companies like Stargate Hydrogen, who are doing high-efficiency alkaline electrolyzers, are interested to be present here.”

Stargate Hydrogen, an Estonia-based green hydrogen technology firm, is expanding globally and positioning itself as a key supplier for industrial decarbonization worldwide, including through a new headquarters in Riyadh and a partnership with RDI (Research, Development and Innovation) in Saudi Arabia.

Its advanced electrolyzer systems, including 5 MW stacks and a compact 10 MW module, aim to make clean hydrogen production more efficient and affordable.

The firm’s designs eliminate expensive catalyst metals by using ceramic-based materials, reducing costs while improving reliability and scalability.

Marko Virkebau, CEO of Stargate Hydrogen, told Arab News: “Besides those cost factors, there are also regulative factors that are sometimes bottlenecks to deployment, but I’m happy to say this is also one of the reasons we are in this region, because deregulated relative hurdles are much less here compared to Europe.”

With Estonia’s strong digital infrastructure supporting its environmental solutions, the minister said another area for collaboration with local partners was Saudi Arabia’s focus on artificial intelligence and data centers.

Taavi Madiberk, the CEO of Skeleton Technologies, told Arab News that the Kingdom was now positioned to shift from a technology importer to an innovation hub by building local value chains and adopting advanced energy-efficiency technologies.

Sutt added: “For Skeleton Technologies, the creed stabilization and the efficients of AI training data centers is something that could really add and contribute, and that is where I think there is a shared interest.”

International interest in collaboration extends to other areas as well.

Finnish-based environmental-solutions firm Lamor specializes in oil-spill response, waste management, soil and water remediation, and recycling.

It operates in more than 100 countries, with a focus on boosting local manufacturing and environmental-protection capabilities in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

It opened its main manufacturing center in Dammam two months ago to “make products in Saudi Arabia for Saudi Arabia,” Johan Gron, CEO of Lamor, told Arab News.

Gron said: “I think that our vision — ‘let’s clean the world’ — as a company goes right through our DNA. And it’s very important that we can support Saudi Arabia to meet up to their Vision 2030.”

Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia’s only technical university, founded in 1918, offers around 80 study programs across engineering, business, IT, and natural sciences, emphasizing research, innovation, and sustainable digital development. To help shape a climate-neutral, tech-driven future, the university hopes to collaborate with Saudi Arabia on student exchange programs.

Tiit Land, rector of the university, told Arab News: “We are looking to, hopefully, sign some memorandums of understanding, (and) set up agreements with universities. And, of course, these climate change issues are so global that no single country can achieve this on their own. We have to collaborate.

“What we can provide from the university is our expertise in digitalization, clean NSC production, and circular economy. We are looking for exchange of students and also actually research collaboration because research is really what matters to achieve real changes.”

Also based in Tallinn, the agritech firm Ground Improver offers a soil-conditioning technology called Rescaype that improves soil structure, boosts water retention, reduces fertilizer and water needs, and significantly raises crop yields. The solution is an innovative, sustainable option for agriculture, landscaping, greenhouses, and land reclamation worldwide.

Anti Noor, co-founder of Ground Improver, was present at the forum hoping to connect with local entities. He told Arab News: “For us in Arabic countries, specifically Saudi Arabia, we understand that there is a big problem with desertification as well as desalination.

“So we hope to come to try to seek partners with whom we can help against these problems, reducing the salinity in the soil. This enables them to start putting trees back into the ground, as well as increasing the water retention.”

The minister also expressed an interest in working with the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and has already had conversations with the National Center for Environmental Compliance, and the Saudi Investment Recycling Company about potential collaborations.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi Arabia, UK collaborate to advance sustainable humanitarian aid

December 02, 2025

RIYADH: The opening session of the third Strategic Aid Dialogue on international development and humanitarian assistance between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom took place in London on Monday.

The Saudi delegation was headed by Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, advisor at the Royal Court and supervisor-general of Saudi aid agency KSrelief, and included representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance and the Saudi Fund for Development.

 

The British side was headed by the UK Minister of State for International Development and Africa, Baroness Jennifer Chapman.

In his opening remarks, the Saudi Aid chief said that since their last meeting in Riyadh in May 2024, there had been a significant increase in the role of both Saudi Arabia and the UK in addressing pressing humanitarian and development challenges worldwide. Further cooperation was anticipated between the two countries going forward.

Al-Rabeeah said Saudi Arabia and the UK had collaborated on five projects to date aimed at serving humanitarian work and promoting opportunities for global peace, security and prosperity, with a total cost exceeding $30 million.

He added a workshop on Saudi-British official development assistance was held in London in June 2025, and that the two sides took part in several other meetings and a joint visit to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Al-Rabeeah said officials from both countries were striving to identify promising opportunities to enhance cooperation between them. Saudi Arabia sees tremendous potential in leveraging its strengths in several areas, he added, such as providing healthcare, developing educational infrastructure and implementing livelihood programs.

Al-Rabeeah highlighted the Kingdom’s eagerness to explore further avenues of cooperation with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to successfully transform humanitarian interventions into sustainable aid. He also presented a vision for the future that included a strong partnership that integrated the expertise of both countries.

The third Strategic Aid Dialogue is taking place while humanitarian and development needs continue to increase due to ongoing conflicts, climate shocks and economic instability.

The partnership between Saudi Arabia and the UK is seen as crucial to improving the reality of humanitarian work, with the opening session of the Strategic Dialogue representing an opportunity to review the progress made since the last session and to highlight shared strategic ambitions and priorities.

Source: arabnews.com

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King Salman orders extension of Citizen Account Program by one year

December 02, 2025

RIYADH: King Salman has directed the extension of the Citizen Account Program, including the continuation of providing additional support to its beneficiaries, until the end of 2026.

The extension was made after a recommendation was submitted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Registration to the program will also remain open and the directive reflects the sustained attention and care that the leadership provides to citizens, SPA added.

The program was first announced in December 2016 and opened for registrations in February 2017. It was established to protect Saudi families from the impact of various economic reforms, which may have caused an additional burden on some segments of society.

Source: arabnews.com

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Global Harmony concludes Pakistan Culture Days, Indonesia to follow

December 02, 2025

RIYADH: The closing day of a Riyadh event celebrating Pakistani culture was held on Monday evening, with celebrations of Indonesian culture set to begin on Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Ministry of Media held the Pakistan Culture Days as part of the Global Harmony 2 initiative, organized in cooperation with the General Entertainment Authority. The initiative is part of the Kingdom’s Quality of Life Program, which aims to enhance the culture, entertainment, sports, and tourism sectors.

Hosted at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of Riyadh Season’s zones, the event featured cultural and entertainment activities and was attended by thousands of visitors.

The closing day featured performances by leading Pakistani singers, along with traditional shows, dances, circus acts and crafts displays.

Throughout the course of the Pakistan Culture Days, which began on Saturday, there were also performances by folk groups and interactive presentations by students from a Pakistani school in Saudi Arabia.

The ministry invited members of the Pakistani community and residents of all nationalities to visit the event site and enjoy its diverse programs, noting that the initiative promotes cultural exchange and underscores the Kingdom’s role as a meeting point for global communities and a hub of cultural creativity.

The Indonesian cultural events kick off on Tuesday, featuring numerous concerts with leading singers and influencers, as well as around 70 performers presenting traditional Indonesian arts and folklore.

Indonesia’s events offer visitors a range of traditional craft and food stations, children’s entertainment and interactive activities, reflecting the depth and diversity of Indonesian culture, all within a space designed for audiences of all ages to enjoy authentic heritage and arts.

Global Harmony was first launched last year by the Ministry of Media.

This year’s initiative aims to showcase 14 world cultures represented by resident communities in the Kingdom, including the Philippines (Dec. 5-8); Uganda (Dec. 9-10); Ethiopia (Dec. 11-13) and Sudan (Dec. 14-20).

Source: arabnews.com

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Coalition launches anti-terror finance training in Nairobi

December 02, 2025

RIYADH: The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition is conducting a five-day advanced training program in Nairobi focused on combating terrorist financing and money laundering.

The opening was attended by Kenya’s Deputy Army Commander Maj. Gen. Mohamed Nur Hassan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

The program covers a wide range of advanced technical and leadership topics, including international legal frameworks, modern terrorist financing methods, money laundering mechanisms, digital detection and analysis techniques, and leadership and compliance management within financial institutions.

The program underscores the Saudi-backed coalition’s commitment to strengthening member states’ capabilities and supporting global efforts to counter terrorism-related financial threats.

Earlier this week, the coalition launched a rehabilitation and social reintegration initiative for individuals with extremist ideologies at its headquarters in Riyadh.

The opening event was attended by Maj. Gen. Mohammed Al-Moghedi, the coalition’s secretary-general, and representatives from member states.

The foundational course, held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4, includes specialists from four countries: Oman, Malaysia, Somalia, and Guinea.

The group comprises 16 trainees, including supervisors and staff involved in rehabilitation and reintegration programs in their countries.

The initiative aims to strengthen member states’ rehabilitation capabilities and improve their readiness to reintegrate individuals affected by extremist ideologies, balancing security needs with humanitarian considerations.

Source: arabnews.com

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Europe

 

Community Centre And Mosque In Leicester 'Saddened' By Vandalism

December 03, 2025

Victoria Hicks

Police are investigating after a mosque, house and bus were vandalised in Leicester.

CCTV footage showed two people throwing traffic cones at an internal door of the Peace Centre in Thurncourt Road, Thurnby Lodge, on Sunday evening.

Leicestershire Police confirmed further inquiries were being carried out after receiving three reports of damage in the area, which the force believes "were carried out randomly and were not targeting specific properties".

Numayar Gazi, spokesperson for the Peace Centre, which has a mosque, a community centre and a weekly food bank, said: "To be attacked like this, it really does hurt."

Mr Gazi said: "It was very sad because we love this community.

"We are integrated into the community, but to have this kind of thing done to us, we just feel rejected."

He said those behind the attack were invited to come and have a hot drink at the centre and explain why they had done this "otherwise we're never going to resolve this kind of thing".

"This was premeditated to me," he added.

"They intentionally came here. They're not just walking past. We're quite far away from the road."

Mr Gazi said there was a similar incident in May 2024 when bottles and stones were thrown at the centre, which has been running for 12 years.

A police spokesperson said: "Three reports have been received relating to damage to a bus, a premises in Thurncourt Road and house.

"All the reports are being linked and we believe these offences were carried out randomly and were not targeting specific properties.

"CCTV has been obtained and inquiries are ongoing to identify those involved.

"It's believed the offences were committed by a group of teenagers around 18:00 GMT on Sunday.

"Local officers are carrying out increased patrols in the area and anyone who has any information about the incidents is encouraged to come forward."

Source: bbc.com

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Azerbaijan and other secular Islamic States are key to ensuring peace in Gaza

DECEMBER 2, 2025

The appeal focused on Armenian grievances against Azerbaijan which of course have nothing to do with Gaza or the Middle East. As a sovereign country, Azerbaijan can buy its military equipment from whichever country it wants – including from Israel. Azerbaijan has never questioned Armenia, for example, buying most of its military equipment from internationally sanctioned and pariah Russia. Additionally, it is unclear why Israel purchasing 40% of its oil from Azerbaijan should have any bearing on Gaza or the Middle East?

The appeal in a one-sided manner condemns Azerbaijan for committing crimes against Armenians in Karabakh and yet neither the UN nor any human rights organisation have published reports or released documentation upholding this. POW’s have been exchanged by both sides. The appeal deliberately ignores Armenian ethnic cleansing and war crimes committed during the First Karabakh War from 1988-1992 and cultural destruction in occupied Azerbaijan from the end of that war until 2020.

Armenia is bitter that Israel continues to refuse to recognise 1915 as a genocide. In addition, Armenian nationalists need to blame somebody for the collapse of Armenian dreams of a Greater Armenia after it was defeated in the Second Karabakh War in 2020 and lost control of Karabakh three years later. A final factor is Armenian enviousness at Azerbaijan’s rising stature and influence in the non-aligned countries and within the Turkic world.

The Middle East has seen many peace plans fail as it is the most difficult region in the world to seek an end to a deeply embedded religious and territorial conflict between Israel and Palestinians. US President Donald Trump to his credit has been possibly successful where previous US presidents have failed. Obviously, Trump’s has not become involved because of a sudden desire to save human lives but to add one more resolved conflict to his list and use this to win the Nobel Peace Prize. US President Barack Obama won the prize in 2009.

A 20-point peace plan for Gaza negotiated by Trump, the presidents son-in-law Jared Kushnir, special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was signed on October 10. Three days later Egypt hosted a Gaza Peace Summit attended by thirty countries who backed the peace plan.

The ISF would be modelled on the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in Sinai after the 1979 peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. Another example would be the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) formed in 2006 to deal with the civil war in Lebanon.

With a UN mandate voted upon by UN Security Council resolution 2803 the ISF could act without being viewed as a UN peacekeeping force and would only deploy after the withdrawal of the Israeli Defence Forces. The ISF would not be issued with heavy weaponry and would be issued with self defence military equipment and armoured personnel carriers.

The ISF would have to ensure security, destroy Hamas tunnels and weapons production facilities and build a new police force. De-militarising the terrorist organisation Hamas might be easier said than done. Trump threatened ‘They will disarm’ and ‘They will disarm or we will disarm them. Got it!’

After Gaza and Hamas have been demilitarized power will move to the Temporary International Transitional Authority, which has been dubbed the ‘Board of Peace’ headed by Trump. Other members of the ‘Board of Peace’ would include 7-10 Palestinian and international technocrats.

US President Trump (pictured) has inserted himself in the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict, which he wrongly claimed to have resolved, after negotiating the Zangezur Corridor and naming it the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). A third example is found in the poorly drafted ‘peace plan’ to end the Russian-Ukrainian war which included as one of its 28 points that it would ‘be monitored and guaranteed by the Peace Council, headed by President Donald J. Trump.’

The training of a new police force will be undertaken by the Civil-Military Coordination Centre based in Israel, north Of Gaza. 200 US military personnel are already in place to assist establishing the Centre. Egypt and Jordan, Israel and Gaza’s neighbours, will play a leadingsta role in the Civil-Military Coordination Centre.

With its influence in the Middle East, its overthrow of the criminal Assad regime in Syria and large army, Türkiye is an important country to be included in the ISF. Trump backs Türkiye’s participation. Israel has protested claiming Türkiye is a backer of Hamas which is untrue; Iran provided financial support, military training and equipment. In return, the US has agreed to sell Türkiye F-35 fighter jets; when US-Turkish relations were poor under Presidents Obama and Joe Biden Turkiye purchased the S-400 Russian air defence.

Azerbaijan has stated its support for joining the ISF after a ceasefire has been implemented where ‘there is a complete end to the fighting’. At the same time Azerbaijan is refusing to participate in an ISF tasked with disarming Hamas. Baku’s stance is not unusual when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, ‘We do not want to put our troops in danger.’ After all, the European ‘Coalition of the Willing’ are only willing to send a Reassurance Force to Ukraine after a ceasefire has been agreed between Russia and Ukraine.

Azerbaijan seeks to coordinate its participation in the ISF with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League. In addition to Türkiye and Azerbaijan, the world’s largest Muslim country Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt and possibly Malaysia have agreed to participate in the ISF.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar have declined to become involved but have instead offered financing and training. From the West, Canada and Australia have expressed an interest.

In addition to security, the ISF would have the task of distributing humanitarian aid, retrieving casualties from the Israeli-Hamas war and ensuring reconstruction which will be an enormous task. Two thirds of all residential buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. Entire districts have been razed, rendering large parts of Gaza uninhabitable. Approximately 89% of the water and sanitation network is damaged, 66% of the road network has been affected, and nearly all school buildings have sustained some level of damage. Meanwhile, the healthcare system has largely collapsed.

If the Peace Plan is implemented and the ISF is successful in stabilising the security environment and removing Hamas from state structures and the police, there will be an opportunity – for the first time – in achieving a path towards Palestinian statehood. The Palestinians deserve to live in peace at home and with their neighbours in a state they can call their own.

With the military defeat of Iran by Israel and the US and Trump’s personal engagement, there is - potentially - hope for peace in Gaza and an. End to decades of conflict between Israel and Palestinians. Secular Islamic countries such as Egypt, Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Indonesia are key to ensuring the success of the peace process, establishing security and creating a safe environment for Palestinians and secure neighbourhood for Israel and Gaza’s other neighbours.

Source: eureporter.co

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Pair arrested during Belfast court protest over ‘pink knuckledusters’ anti-Islam rally

December 02, 2025

By Conor Coyle

Two anti-immigration protesters have been arrested by the PSNI in connection with a rally last month where pink knuckledusters were handed out.

The man and woman were detained on Tuesday during a protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice, where protesters had gathered to oppose a Belfast City Council decision to fly a Palestine flag at Belfast City Hall.

The man and woman are prominent anti-immigration protesters. The 45-year-old man remains in custody while the 37-year-old woman was released on street bail pending further enquiries.

The arrests were made in relation to a separate rally around immigration on Saturday 8 November.

Police say a 20-year-old man was also arrested outside the courts on suspicion of disorderly behaviour and remains in custody.

The trio were detained while a legal challenge to the council decision to fly the Palestine flag brought by a TUV representative was being heard in court.

Protesters had gathered outside and placed an Israeli flag and a Union flag on railings outside the court entrance.

Illegal ‘knuckleduster’ weapons were handed out in free ‘safety bags’ given to attendees at an anti-Islam rally outside City Hall last month.

The rally was organised by the Pink Ladies Ulster Women First Northern Ireland, which says it aims to “protect the rights of women and children”.

However, many speakers at the rally focused on anti-immigrant and anti-Islam rhetoric, including one speaker who led a chant of “f*** Islam”.

The Belfast City Hall rally was attended by several well-known figures within the anti-immigration movement in the north, including a former UVF bank robber.

Those in attendance at the rally were provided with pink ‘safety bags for women’, which included torches, make-up, whistles, as well as pink knuckledusters, which are classed as an offensive weapon in the UK.

The weapons are defined in law as “a band of metal or other hard material worn on one or more fingers, and designed to cause injury”.

The sale, importation, manufacture, supply and possession of the offensive weapons in either public or private is prohibited under the Offensive Weapons Act.

In a statement, a PSNI spokesperson said: “Police are in attendance at a protest outside Belfast Courts. A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour, he remains in custody at this time.

“Meanwhile a 45-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of offences relating to a separate incident on November 8th. The man remains in custody at this time and the woman was street bailed.”

Source: irishnews.com

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Muslim Forum organises Islamophobia Awareness event to drive hate out of Milton Keynes

By Sally Murrer

2 Dec 2025

City Muslims organised a special event in a bid to stamp out Islamophobia in Milton Keynes.

As part of the national Islamophobia Awareness Month, the MK Muslim Forum took over Wolverton’s Ridgeway centre for the day and invited a series of speakers, including MPs, police chiefs and local dignitaries.

They all emphasised the fact that Islamophobia has no place in society and in Milton Keynes.

A form of racialized prejudice aimed at Muslims, Islamophobia often manifests in discriminatory attitudes, behaviours, threats and acts of violence - targeting expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.

Disturbingly, it was recently reported by an anti-hate crime charity that UK Islamophobic assaults surged by 73% in 2024, highlighting the need for collective action to address and prevent such alarming trends within our society.

Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM) is a month-long campaign founded by a group of mainstream Muslim organisations and is held every November.

"This a time dedicated to addressing and combatting prejudices and misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. It serves as an opportunity for individuals and communities to stand against injustice and reflect on the rich contributions Islam and Muslims has made to our world as we know it,” said a spokesperson.

The theme for IAM 2025 is Flip the Switch. It aims to emphasise the importance of challenging narratives that misrepresent Muslims. The goal is to reframe conversations that are based on stereotypes or assumptions and to platform stories that showcase the day-to-day reality.

Milton Keynes Muslim Forum is a coalition of Muslim civil society groups and mosques in Milton Keynes that works with various stakeholders to help the fight against Islamophobia.

Source: miltonkeynes.co.uk

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"A pattern": Muslim charities ask why they have been excluded from fund for a second time

2 December 2025

by Graham Martin

They want an inquiry into how decisions are made

Leading Muslim-led voluntary sector groups are demanding an inquiry into why they have been shut out of a major fund – for the second time.

Amina Muslim Women’s Resource Centre, Al-Meezan, Boots and Beards and Sufi Festivals have not been recommended for funding in the Glasgow Communities Fund (GCF) 2026–2029 cycle.

This mirrors the 2023–2026 round, where no Muslim-led organisation was approved, despite submitting applications they say aligned with GCF priorities: health and wellbeing, culture and creativity, and tackling violence against women and girls.

Three of them – excluding Amina - have now endorsed a letter of complaint to Glasgow City Council’s (GCC) chief executive and are demanding an “independent equity audit” of GCF assessments and decisions.

The GCF was introduced by GCC in October 2020 and provides three-year funding to community and third sector organisations to deliver a diverse range of projects at a city-wide and local level.

It is worth up to £55 million over the course of its three years and the next cycle is due to begin in April 2026.

Amina, which tackles violence against women and girls, had applied for £462,837, Al-Meezan, which promotes education, applied for £317,609, Boots and Beards, which promotes health and wellbeing, was looking for £425,242 and Sufi Festival, a cultural group, was looking for £375,356.

The groups say not funding Muslim-led charities “perpetuates exclusion”, when the funding sought represents only a small fraction of the total available.

As well as demanding an inquiry, the groups want “transparent, disaggregated reporting of funding outcomes by protected characteristics and geography”.

Tariq Mahmood, chair of Sufi Festival, said: “This is now a pattern, not an anomaly. Our services are culturally competent, trusted, and directly address GCF priorities. Repeated exclusion raises serious questions about fairness and the robustness of equality safeguards.”

Glasgow hosts Scotland’s largest Muslim population — around 48,766 people or 7.9% of residents, concentrated in areas of high deprivation such as Pollokshields and Govanhill.

Community leaders warn that “excluding trusted providers undermines support for survivors of domestic abuse, family wellbeing, and cultural participation”.

Mahmood said: “Equity is a statutory and moral imperative. We stand ready to work with the council to rebuild trust and deliver for Glasgow’s communities.”

Glasgow City Council has been asked for comment.

Source: tfn.scot

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Pentagon ‘cut off’ communication with Germany – army chief

2 Dec, 2025

Communications between the Pentagon and the German Defense Ministry have been sharply reduced, the Atlantic has reported, citing German Lieutenant General Christian Freuding. 

After years of being able to contact American defense officials “day and night,” Freuding, who had been in charge of the German Defense Ministry’s Ukraine unit and has now been named the next chief of the army, says communications have now been “cut off, really cut off.”

As an example, Freuding recalled that when the administration of US President Donald Trump abruptly halted weapon shipments to Ukraine earlier this year, Berlin received no warning of the move. The officer said he now relies on diplomats in Washington to “find somebody in the Pentagon” for basic information about US policy.

His comments come as Washington has moved to reduce its direct involvement in the Ukraine conflict and in Europe in general, urging NATO members to play a bigger role in their defense.

While Freuding expressed concern over the US winding down activity on the continent, Germany has continued a military buildup, with Berlin expanding weapons production, accelerating procurement programs, and approving long-term borrowing to support militarization. 

German officials have insisted on turning the Bundeswehr into the strongest conventional force in Europe by 2029, citing warnings from Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and other officials who claim Russia could attack NATO in the coming years.

Moscow has vehemently rejected those claims as unfounded, stating that Western governments are deliberately using the threat of Russian aggression to stoke fears and justify rapid militarization and record military budgets across the EU.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of attempting to transform Germany into “the main military machine of Europe,” stating that Berlin and the broader EU are sliding into what he has described as a “Fourth Reich.”

The Kremlin has also stressed that while Russia does not seek a military conflict with NATO, it could be forced to take retaliatory measures to ensure its security in response to the bloc’s increasingly “militaristic” rhetoric.

 Source: rt.com

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Southeast Asia

 

Malaysia on track to meet 49pc of UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, says deputy minister

03 Dec 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — Malaysia is expected to achieve 49 per cent of the 169 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets by 2030 based on analysis of 2023 data, according to Deputy Economy Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib.

She said the projection exceeded the global average of 18 per cent reported in 2025.

“Two goals posted the highest achievement, namely SDG 4 Quality Education (70 per cent) and SDG 12 Responsible Production and Consumption (64 per cent), driven by comprehensive access to education as well as increased recycling rates and better management of hazardous waste,” she said.

She was replying to a question from Tan Kok Wai (PH—Cheras) in the Dewan Rakyat today about the United Nations SDG targets, highlighting the most significant achievements and the goals that remain major challenges for Malaysia by 2030.

Hanifah Hajar said eight other SDGs were above the national average achievement, including SDG 5 Gender Equality, SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals.

“Meanwhile, seven goals recorded lower projections, including SDG 1 No Poverty, SDG 2 Zero Hunger, SDG 10 Reduced Inequality, and SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions,” she said.

She said that among the main hurdles to achieving the SDG targets are inter-agency coordination, incomplete data, development gaps in states, biodiversity issues, the impact of climate change, and low levels of public awareness.

She said that achieving the SDGs requires the cooperation of all parties, including lead ministries, state governments, the private sector, academia, non-governmental organisations and civil society, to ensure Malaysia achieves the Agenda 2030.

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the SDGs include 17 goals, 169 targets and 244 indicators to measure universal development achievements across social, economic and environmental aspects.

Malaysia and 193 other countries have expressed their commitment to supporting and implementing the Agenda 2030 and the SDGs with the theme ‘Leaving No One Behind’. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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Sultan Ibrahim named patron of Scouts Malaysia, receives top honour from association

03 Dec 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, was today proclaimed as the patron of the Scouts Association of Malaysia.

The proclamation was made when the King received a courtesy call from the National Chief Scout, Maj Gen (Rtd) Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Zin Bidin at Dewan Sri Bendahara, Istana Negara.

During the audience, Sultan Ibrahim also accepted the First Class Bintang Semangat Padi Emas medal from the association.

Also present were National Scout Council deputy president Datuk Ahmad Shaziy Ismail Bakti, vice-president Datuk Zamani Tambichek and treasurer Tan Sri Datuk Abdullah Taib.

The King’s appointment as the patron of the association accords with Part II, Section 1, Article 11(1) of the Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR) 2010, read together with Act 784 or the Scouts Association of Malaysia Act 1968 (revised 2016). — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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‘Umno not beggars, we are kingmakers’: Lahad Datu Umno chief asserts party’s decisive role in Sabah govt formation

By Julia Chan

02 Dec 2025

KOTA KINABALU, Dec 2 — Sabah Umno should not be treated as a junior partner or “beggar” in the formation of the new state government, as the party holds the decisive numbers to determine who governs Sabah, said its Lahad Datu division chief Sharif Musa Sharif Mabul.

He said Umno’s six seats have placed the party squarely in the position of kingmaker in the aftermath of the state election — and warned its partners and rivals alike against dismissing the party’s role.

“We are not beggars. We are the kingmaker, and we sympathise with the difficult process of forming the government today.

“Don’t flog BN until the cane breaks. We may not have a cane, but we have roots — and they hurt just the same when used to whip someone else,” he said, criticising the online attacks directed at Umno since Barisan Nasional (BN) was brought into the GRS-led administration.

Social media platforms are rife with unhappiness over BN’s inclusion into the Cabinet after last weekend’s polls results a heavy lean towards local-based parties.

The unhappiness also temporarily extended to GRS assemblymen and other grassroots citing the government had enough numbers to make majority without BN.

He said all political blocs needed BN’s support to form a government, adding that the coalition’s six seats were now the “stability anchor” for Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s new administration.

“These six BN seats can form the government with anyone. They can even form the government with Warisan as an alternative. BN can decide the government today with whichever side it chooses — we are the kingmaker,” he said.

The leader also suggested that GRS’s inclusion of BN was driven by necessity, not preference.

“I don’t think Hajiji would be working with BN if he had enough seats to form the government on his own,” he said.

He urged political leaders to stop portraying Umno and BN as desperate or dependent when the numbers clearly showed the opposite.

Hajiji was sworn in as chief minister at 3.05am Sunday morning, just as final polling results completed. It was unclear then who made up his majority.

BN holds six assembly seats out of 45 that it contested while PH won one seat out of 21 that it contested.

GRS was the biggest bloc with 29, followed by Parti Warisan with 25.

Upko won three seats, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku won two, Parti Kesejahteraan Rakyat Malaysia won one, and five independent candidates won a seat each.

Source: malaymail.com

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Singapore PM thanks Malaysia and Thailand for flood rescue help

 2 Dec 2025

Singapore PM Lawrence Wong thanked Malaysian and Thai authorities for assisting Singaporeans stranded in Hat Yai floods, with 822 citizens safely home

KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has thanked Malaysian and Thai authorities for their swift help in evacuating Singaporeans from flood-hit Hat Yai.

In a Facebook post, Wong said the assistance ensured the safe return home of those affected.

“Deeply saddened by the news of severe flooding devastating communities across Southeast Asia,” he wrote.

He extended his thoughts and prayers to all those affected and to the responders battling the waters.

Wong added that Singapore stands ready to provide support where it can during this time of need.

He said the extreme weather is a stark reminder of shared vulnerability to climate change.

“It is a global crisis that demands a global response,” the Prime Minister stated.

Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan confirmed 822 e-registered Singaporeans have now safely returned from Hat Yai.

He also expressed gratitude to the Thai and Malaysian governments for their assistance.

“Grateful to the Malaysian government, which helped receive Singaporeans where possible and provided timely support during the evacuation efforts,” Balakrishnan posted. – Bernama

Source: thesun.my

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