Al-Qaida Targets India Over Remark Made By Nupur Sharma Against Prophet Muhammad, Asks To Expel Hindus Working In Arab Countries
New Age Islam News Bureau
28 December 2022
Al Qaeda urged Muslim countries to expel Hindus
working there. (Image for Representation/ Reuters)
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• "Islamophobia Is Not An Opinion, But A Crime"
European Court of Human Rights
• At Least 100 Protesters Face Execution Risk In Iran,
Oslo-based Rights Group Warns
• Abuse Of Domestic Workers Continues In Saudi Arabia;
Despite Recent Labour Reforms In The Kingdom: The Times Report
• Muslims Seek UN Intervention To Build Mosque In
South Korea
India
• Press Council Of India Censures Star Of Mysore For
Targeting Minority Community
• Jammu: Encounter breaks out between terrorists and
security forces, three terrorists killed
• Major terror attack averted in J&K's Udhampur,
15-kg IED defused: Police
• India, Kazakhstan Start Joint Military Drill in
Meghalaya: Report
--------
Europe
• Street Preachers Spark Outrage As 'Cousins Called
Gay And Muslim Man Seeks Shelter'
• 12 new arrests over Leicester clashes after India-Pak
match
• Türkiye rescues over 380 irregular migrants after
illegal Greek pushbacks
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Mideast
• Israeli soldiers fire teargas at Palestinian school
children, several suffer suffocation
• New Phase Of Military Confrontation With Riyadh Will
Be Totally Different: Ansarullah
• Islamic-Christian Authority Warns Of Escalation Of
Enemy's Plans To Judaize Jerusalem
• Israel says Palestinian suspect held for twin
bombings in Jerusalem
• Israeli president says ‘looking forward to’
receiving credentials of Turkish ambassador
• Israel much prepared to attack Iran's nuclear sites:
Army chief
• Anger in West Bank over Israel’s ‘disrespect’ of
dead prisoners
--------
Arab World
• Awqaf (Ministry of Islamic Affairs) Stresses On
Importance Of Developing Skills Of Imams
• Saudi Arabia Approves Next Phase Of Project To
Combat Human Trafficking
• Syrian Kurdish Forces ‘On Alert’ For Islamic State
Attacks: Official
• Iran holds funerals for troops killed in 1980s Iraq
war
• Fireworks, Light Shows And Views Of Burj Khalifa:
Dubai’s Spectacular New Year Plan
• King Abdulaziz Festival boosts Saudi Arabia’s
camel-related heritage, says UK envoy
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Southeast Asia
• 16 mosques participate in pilot investment programme
• UN urges countries to help Rohingya at sea as
hundreds land in Indonesia
• ‘She thought she would die’: Rohingya refugees reach
Indonesia after weeks at sea
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Pakistan
• Strict Security Measures Introduced Amid Terror
Attack in Islamabad
• Audience interrupt Pakistan PM's speech, Shehbaz
Sharif says 'food will be served soon'
• JUI-F struggles for interest free banking bear fruit
• Return to assembly to avoid ‘being victimised’, PTI
told
• Trigger-happy policemen shoot ‘innocent’ youth to
death in Karachi
• Siraj blames establishment, PDM-PPP-PTI troika for
political, economic turmoil
• Maulana Tariq Jamil hospitalized after cardiac
arrest in Canada
• ‘2023 Happy Chinese New Year Press Conference’
organized by Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Pakistan
• Sharif remembers Bhutto’s vibrancy on killing
anniversary — ‘crusader for rights’
--------
South Asia
• Afghanistan Towards Becoming Leading Exporters of
Dried Fruits Globally
• Afghanistan: IS claims to have killed Taliban police
chief
• Pakistan faces disappointment on bilateral deals
with the new regime in Afghanistan
• Afghan Refugee Boy Dies in U.S. After Falling Into
the Frozen Water
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Africa
• Alaran Organises Special Muslim Prayer For Ariwoola,
Raji, Alege, Others
• Over 50 people killed in new communal violence in
South Sudan
• Nigerian cyclist’s two-year journey to Saudi Arabia
for Umrah
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North America
• How The G77 Group Of Developing Nations Helped
Advance The Cause Of Climate Justice Under Pakistan’s Presidency
• UN Security Council denounces Taliban bans on women
in Afghanistan
• Syria: Expelling US occupation forces not out of
reach
• US occupation convoy confronted by Syrian troops,
forced back in oil-rich Hasakah
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Al-Qaida Targets India Over Remark Made By Nupur Sharma Against Prophet Muhammad, Asks To Expel Hindus Working In Arab Countries
Al Qaeda urged Muslim countries to expel Hindus
working there. (Image for Representation/ Reuters)
----
Subodh Kumar
Dec 27, 2022
Terror outfit Al-Qaida has once again targeted India
over remark made by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma against Prophet
Muhammad. Al-Qaida called on Muslim countries to boycott India, Indian
products, and to expel Hindus working in Arab countries.
The terror group Al-Qaida Media, As-Sahab, published
fifth issue of a periodical magazine One Ummah. One of the articles in the
magazine targeted India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and referred to the
controversy over Nupur Sharma’s remark. Al-Qaida also called on Muslims and
Islamic nations to unite against India.
"The Hindu government of India was encouraged by
the silence in the Muslim world to cross the limits this time and go on to
insult the Prophet," the Al-Qaida’s article reads.
Al-Qaida has also sought the help of Muslims in
terrorist activities in Kashmir Valley.
“We invite our noble Ummah to unite against this Hindu
government and help their brothers and sisters in India so that the enemies of
Allah dare not repeat such an outrageous offense against our Prophet,” the
article published by AlQaeda further reads.
“We also invite all Muslims, specifically businessmen,
to boycott Indian products, fire Hindu employees and expel them from Muslim
countries. It is a disgrace to let millions of supporters of Modi reside in
Peninsula of the Prophet, the Al-Qaida’s magazine seen by India Today further
reads.
The magazine also features images of 9/11 hijackers
and calls them "heroes".
One Ummah magazine also highlights Al-Qaida presence
in Somalia. The article on Somalia features Ahmed Abdi Godane aka Mukhtar Abu
Zubair, former Emir of Al-Shabaab. Godane was killed in a US drone strike in
September, 2014, in Somalia.
The magazine also announced forthcoming as-Sahab
publication on slain AQIS leaders, narrated by Ayman al-Zawahiri. Notably, the
magazine makes no indication whether Zawahiri is alive or dead.
Last week SITE intelligence group reported that
Al-Qaida had released a 35-minute recording. The terror group claimed that the
recording was narrated by its leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who is believed to have
been killed in a US raid in August 2022.
The magazine also features the biography of the former
Emir of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) Abdelmalek Droukdel aka Abu
Musab Abdel Wadoud. Originally from Algeria, he was killed in northern Mali in
a French special operation during the Battle of Talahandak in June 2020.
Source: India Today
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original story:
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"Islamophobia Is Not An Opinion, But A Crime" European Court of Human Rights
Giulio Meotti/ Israel National News
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Dec 27, 2022
"Islamophobia is not an opinion, but a
crime," exulted left-wing senator Danièle Obono at the news that the
European Court of Human Rights - whose decisions are legally binding on the 28
member countries of the European Union - condemned right-wing journalist Eric
Zemmour for "discrimination and religious hatred against the Muslim
community".
"The Court considers that the interference in the
applicant's exercise of his right to freedom of expression was necessary in a
democratic society in order to protect the rights of others," the judges
explained.
The independent journalist candidate for the French
presidential election had made the remarks on television on September 16, 2016.
Zemmour said Muslims should be given "the choice between Islam and
France", assimilate or return to their own countries, that France she
lived "for thirty years under an invasion", that "in countless
suburbs where many girls are veiled there is a struggle to Islamize a territory"
and "a jihad" was taking place.
Convicted for telling the truth?
The European Court, which is the judicial arm of the
Council of Europe, ruled that "such remarks given the context of terrorist
attacks include a discriminatory intention towards the Muslim community".
In the same hour as the sentence was given down, in France, a thirteen-year-old
student was arrested after having praised "killing all unbelievers".
Zemmour is France's most loved and hated polemicist.
Islamic organizations and those of the anti-racist left have been dragging him
to court for years, while Islamic fundamentalists are forcing him to go around
with an impressive security escort. Now the European judges are also removing
the word from the "most threatened man in France."
But I am confused. Is it the European Court of Rights
or the Pakistani court that sentenced Asia Bibi to death for “blasphemy” or was
it one of the hundred Sharia Courts that legally exist in England?
But no scandal: the sentence of the European Court of
Rights against Zemmour is in line with the others of the Strasbourg Solons on
Islam.
This is now open submission to the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation, the large bloc of 57 Muslim countries that has long been
calling for the EU to punish "freedom of expression' (read: criticism of
Islam). And the Organization for Islamic Cooperation is in fact rejoicing over
the sentences of the European Court.
I don't believe in coincidences: Strasbourg is the
city where Erdogan incites the Turkish community.
In September, the European Court condemned France for
repatriating the families of ISIS terrorists. The European Court has condemned
the Italian government by ordering it to pay thousands of euros to a group of
immigrants pushed back to the Libyan coast. The court has again convicted the
Italian government of pushing back migrants. The Court also condemned Spain for
having decided to proceed with the expulsion of a group of migrants from the
enclave of Melilla, a European territory. The Court has always condemned France
for having violated the freedom of expression of pro-Palestinian militants who
in supermarkets invited customers to boycott Israeli products.
Freedom, but not for you!
We come to the case of Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, the
Austrian activist who was found guilty of "denigrating Islam" after
giving a series of lectures on the dangers of fundamentalist Islam. She had no
right to freedom of expression, she ruled the European Court of Human Rights.
Her statements represent "an attack on the Prophet of Islam which could
arouse prejudice and threaten religious peace," the European court said.
In a seminar, not inside a mosque, Sabaditsch-Wolff had called Muhammad a
paedophile because of his marriage to 6-year-old Aisha. An Austrian court had
convicted her of "denigrating" Islam.
The European Court ruled that European states must
limit the right to freedom of expression enshrined in Article 10 of the
Convention if what is expressed "risks disturbing religious peace" (a
similar sentence has never been issued in defense of Judaism or Christianity).
Instead, a sentence that the lawyer Thibault de Montbrial describes, in his
book “Osons l'auteur”, as "the recognition on a European scale of the
crime of criticizing Islam". "A shovel of dirt on the grave" of
Charlie Hebdo journalists, according to public law professor Roseline Letteron.
A shovel of earth on our freedoms. Hamlet, there is
something rotten in Brussels and Strasbourg. Dear Emir of Qatar, Europe is
ready for you!
Giulio Meotti is an Italian journalist with Il Foglio
and writes a twice-weekly column for Arutz Sheva. He is the author, in English,
of the book "A New Shoah", that researched the personal stories of
Israel's terror victims, published by Encounter and of "J'Accuse: the
Vatican Against Israel" published by Mantua Books, in addition to books in
Italian. His writing has appeared in publications, such as the Wall Street
Journal, Gatestone, Frontpage and Commentary.
Source: Israel National News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/365048
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At Least 100 Protesters Face Execution Risk In Iran, Oslo-based Rights Group Warns
People protest against
executions and detentions in Iran, in front of the Iranian Permanent Mission to
the UN in New York City on December 17, 2022. (AFP)
-----
27 December ,2022
A human rights group monitoring violations in Iran published
on Tuesday the names of 100 Iranians it said were at risk of being executed for
participating in anti-regime protests.
Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) said the 100 people
have either already been sentenced to death or risk being sentenced to death
due to their charges.
The group said the 100 figure is “a minimum as most
families are under pressure to stay quiet, the real number is believed to be
much higher.”
IHR called on the international community to “increase
the political cost” of executions for the Iranian regime.
The defendants “have been deprived of the right to
access their own lawyer, due process and fair trials,” it said.
“In cases where they have had managed to make contact
or details of their cases reported by cellmates and human rights defenders, all
have been subjected to physical and mental torture to force false
self-incriminating confessions.”
Iran has already executed two protesters. Mohsen
Shekari and Majidreza Rahnavard, both 23, were hanged earlier this month.
On Saturday, Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death
sentence of Mohammad Ghobadlou, a 22-year-old who was sentenced to death over
the protests.
Activists have since warned that Ghobadlou’s life is
in imminent danger.
Protests – described by the regime as “riots” – have swept
across Iran since September 16 when 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa
Amini died after her arrest by the morality police in Tehran.
Since Amini’s death, demonstrators have been calling
for the downfall of the regime in a movement that has become one of the boldest
challenges to the Islamic Republic since its establishment in 1979.
At least 476 people, including 64 children and 34
women, have been killed by security forces in the protests, according to IHR.
Source: Al Arabiya
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original story:
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Abuse Of Domestic Workers Continues In Saudi Arabia; Despite Recent Labour Reforms In The Kingdom: The Times Report
The file photo shows a
migrant worker in Saudi Arabia. (Photo by AP)
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27 December 2022
A new report has revealed that domestic workers in
Saudi Arabia continue to suffer from abuse at the hands of their employers,
despite recent labour reforms in the kingdom.
According to a report by The Times on Monday, migrant
housekeepers are being subjected to physical, mental, and sexual abuse by their
employers in the country.
The report went on to say that the major reforms
announced by Saudi Arabia for its migrants workers in 2021 do not apply to all
the workers, arguing that the "new freedoms" have only been given to
"those working in private sectors," such as oil and gas.
Saudi Arabia has a terrible reputation when it comes
to the rights of migrant workers, who are forced to work long hours and invariably
subjected to abuse.
In October 2020, the Saudi authorities announced that
they were working on the notorious Kafala or sponsorship system, described by
critics as "modern day slavery."
Under the Kafala system, the legal status of migrant
workers is controlled by their employers, leaving them prone to abuse and
exploitation.
Saudi Arabia promised to roll out the Kafala reforms
in March 2021. However, those reforms don’t apply to 3.7 million domestic
workers as they are excluded from the kingdom's labor laws.
The latest report further noted that four million
women and men who work as domestic helpers, farmers, and drivers "are
still restricted,” adding that their employers have admitted that they had been
denying laborers' passports, among other things.
It also said several human traffickers have admitted
to employing “physical punishment” to punish their victims if they "talked
back," and they demanded that the maids work nonstop for as little as $6
per day.
Despite being among the most wealthiest of countries,
Saudi Arabia has a horrible human rights record. The kingdom has been accused
of detaining thousands of African migrants and treating them in extremely
inhumane and dreadful manner.
Western powers have a long history of ignoring heinous
crimes and human rights violations in Saudi Arabia due to high dependence on
oil and billions of dollars’ worth of arm sales to the kingdom.
The administration of US President Joe Biden recently
granted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman legal immunity in Saudi
dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder case, which angered many even
within the ruling establishment in Washington.
Source: Press TV
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Muslims Seek UN Intervention To Build Mosque In South Korea
(Jong-Hyun Kim - Anadolu Agency)
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27/12/2022
Miffed by inaction by local authorities to implement
court orders, a human rights group in South Korea has appealed to the UN to
help construct a mosque for the Muslim community.
The appeal comes after local residents in the south-eastern
city of Daegu blocked the construction of the mosque near Kyungpook National
University. The permission to build the two-story mosque was granted in 2020
and the site was earlier used as a prayer centre.
A local human rights group on Monday appealed to the
UN special rapporteur on religious freedom to urge South Korea’s central and
local governments to “intervene to stop the residents’ obstruction of the
construction work and remove the pig heads immediately.”
The task force for peaceful resolution of the mosque
issued the appeal as authorities did not pay any heed to the demand of the
Muslim community to remove the pig heads from the alley which is used by those
visiting the mosque construction site for routine prayers.
The petition to the UN official urges the South Korean
government and local authorities to “publicly condemn all forms of
discrimination based on a particular religion or race, conduct education on the
duty of religious neutrality and anti-racism for all public officials of Daegu
City, and remedy all damage.”
Those opposing the construction have “physically”
blocked access to the site, put up banners, threw pork barbecue parties, and
displayed pig heads near the construction site.
Despite court orders to go ahead with the
construction, the local Muslim community has been unable to complete the
construction as some non-Muslim locals have hindered the process.
“We’ll fight against the mosque construction till our
last breath,” read one banner displayed next to the site.
Condemning the act as Islamophobic, Mian Muaz Razaq, a
Muslim students’ representative at the university, told the daily South China
Morning Post: “They held rallies against Islam, they called us terrorists, they
hung banners against our religion, they distributed hate pamphlets against
Muslims in our area, what can these acts be called? This is pure Islamophobia.”
According to the report, the local officials have
shown helplessness, saying: “They had no power to clear the pig heads without
approval from residents as they were useful items bought by private citizens.”
South Korea has no state religion.
Among around 52 million people, 28% of South Koreans
said they are Christian in a census conducted in 2015. Other 15.5% said they
are Buddhist.
According to Korea Muslim Federation, Muslims in the
country constitute a meager 0.4% or around 200,000.
Source: Yeni Safak
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India
Press Council of India censures Star of Mysore for targeting
minority community
December 28, 2022
In an order dated December 16, the Press Council of
India (PCI) censured the ‘Star of Mysore’ (SOM) for its April 2020 editorial,
‘Bad Apples in the Basket’. In the piece, the Mysore-based news publication purportedly
called the Muslim community in India “bad apples”. A censure by the PCI means
that the state government concerned must not advertise in the paper for three
consecutive months.
Following the publication of the article, The Campaign
Against Hate Speech – a collective that works towards promoting media
accountability – filed a complaint with the PCI against SOM editor M Govinda
Gowda and the then editor-in-chief KB Ganapathy. The complaint claimed that
“the news agency is promoting and inciting hatred towards the community
(Muslims) on the grounds of religion… thereby violating a basic principle of
journalism of not to attribute individual actions to a whole community to
spread hatred and violence against it.”
Thereafter, an inquiry committee was constituted by
the PCI and it recommended censure after hearing both parties involved in the
matter. In its report, the inquiry committee stated that “it is of the opinion
that this editorial may have been written in the context of Corona pandemic but
the conclusion is inevitable that it is targeting one community, i.e. the
Muslims, even though the community had not been explicitly named in the
editorial.”
The committee also refused to accept the apology that
had been tendered by the newspaper on April 10, 2020, soon after the
publication of the editorial, stating that the “apology is not genuine” and had
been tendered only because a mob had surrounded the offices of the newspaper.
Source: Indian Express
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Jammu: Encounter breaks out between terrorists and
security forces, three terrorists killed
28.12.22
An encounter broke out between terrorists and security
forces in the Sidhra area here early Wednesday morning. At least three
terrorists, travelling in a truck to Kashmir, were killed in a "chance
encounter", police said.
Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone,
Mukesh Singh said the encounter with the terrorists took place around 7.30 am
amid intense fog near Tawi Bridge in the Sidhra bypass area along the
Jammu-Srinagar National highway.
Reinforcements were rushed to the area and the
terrorists were neutralised, police said.
The terrorists were intercepted near Tawi Bridge when
they were travelling in a truck to Kashmir, they said.
Source: Telegraph India
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Major terror attack averted in J&K's Udhampur,
15-kg IED defused: Police
Dec 27, 2022
UDHAMPUR/JAMMU: Police on Tuesday defused an
improvised explosive device (IED) weighing 15 kilograms which was recovered in
Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district, officials said.
A major terror plan was averted when the cylindrical
shaped IED, 300-400 grams of RDX, seven 7.62 mm cartridges and five detonators
were recovered in Basantgarh area on Monday, they said.
The IED was safely defused on Tuesday, the officials
said.
One coded sheet and one letter pad page of banned
terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were also recovered, they said,
adding that a suspect has been detained.
Source: Times Of India
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India, Kazakhstan Start Joint Military Drill in Meghalaya:
Report
By Arif Ahmadi
December 27, 2022
NEW DELHI, India –
India and Kazakhstan conduct joint military exercise in Umroi, Meghalaya
of India, according to sources, marking the sixth edition of Kzalnd 2022.
In the sixth edition of Kazlnd, Kazakhstan Army
soldiers – comprising troops from the Regional Command, South and Indian Army
soldiers from the 11 Grokha Rifles – took part.
The exercise aimed at building positive military
relations, imbibe each other’s best practices and promote the ability to
operate together while undertaking counter-terrorist operations in
semi-urban/jungle scenario, according to ANI.
The program is under a United Nation peace enforcement
mandate, enabling the two armies to train, plan and execute a series of
combined tactical drills for neutralizing of likely threats that may be
encountered in UN peacekeeping operations.
During the exercise, participants engaged in a variety
of missions ranging from joint planning, joint tactical drills, basics of
special arms skills, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and raiding a
hostile target, as ANI reported.
Meanwhile, senior officials said “Exercise Kazlnd”
will enhance the level of defense cooperation between Indian Army and
Kazakhstan Army, which will foster the bilateral relations between the two
nations.
The final validation exercise named as Ex Jenis (Ex
Victory) displayed the various skills inculcated in patrolling, jungle
shooting, reflex shooting, combat tracking, use of Mine Protection Vehicles and
the conduct of raid on Monday, according to ANI.
The exercise showed the intra-operationability between
both countries according to the UN
Mandate.
The 14-day-long joint military exercise started on
December 15 this year, which was an initiative of the Kazakhstan Army in 2016
as Exercise Prabal Dostyk.
Prabal Dostyk Joint Military Exercise
Prabal Dostyk is a 14 day joint military exercise
between India and Kazakhstan, where the two or more countries are participating
in the war game.
This exercise was first held in 2016 by the Indian
Army with units of the Kazakhstan Army on Counter-terrorism operations at a
high altitude. The second edition of this exercise was held in 2017 in Madhya
Pradesh, India.
According to India’s Ministry of Defence, the exercise
is a unique tri-service training that focuses on counter-terrorism operations
in mountainous terrain, in a short duration and at a high altitude (up to 4000
m), with special emphasis on promoting interoperability between the armies of
India and Kazakhstan.
Objectives of the Exercise:
To strengthen the mutual trust and cooperation between
the armies of both countries.
To share experience in counter-insurgency operations
under extreme weather conditions.
To train effectively, to operate in high-altitude
regions.
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/india-kazakhstan-start-joint-military-drill-in-meghalaya-report/
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Europe
Street preachers spark outrage as 'cousins called gay
and Muslim man seeks shelter'
By Richard PriceLocal
28 DEC 2022
Street preachers have been accused of causing
'outrage' in a town centre. It follows reports of two cousins holding hands
being called out as 'gay', a Muslim man seeking shelter, and a shopworker being
reduced to tears.
Now Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC)
has agreed to work with police to "challenge and prevent such
behaviour". The complaints centre around street preachers on Derby Street,
Leek, on Tuesdays.
The motion states: "The council notes the
widespread dismay caused to residents of Leek by the activities of the street
preachers. It agrees that there is no place for the utterance in public spaces
of homophobic or misogynistic comments which residents have been subject to for
some time.
"The motion believes that residents are proud to
live in a diverse and tolerant society. Hateful comments have no place in our
community.
"SMDC will work with the police and other
community safety partners, Staffordshire County Council, and town and parish
councils to challenge and prevent such behaviour. SMDC wishes to assure all its
residents and visitors that they are valued members of the community."
The motion was put forward by Leek councillor Bill
Cawley.
He told councillors: “I can think of very, very few
issues in Leek over recent years that have galvanised public opinion such as
this. I guess some people will say this is a classic stand off between freedom
of speech and worship.
“But there can’t be freedom of speech to outrage,
there can’t be freedom of speech to spread hatred and loathing - which I think
the activities of four or five men over the course of many months have led.”
Source: Stoke Sentinel
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12 new arrests over Leicester clashes after India-Pak
match
Dec 28, 2022
LONDON: British police investigating clashes between
groups of men on the streets of the eastern England city of Leicester following
an India-Pakistan cricket match earlier this year have made 12 more arrests
over the course of December. Police said this week that its investigating team
is working through the evidence and has identified a number of suspects and
carried out inquiries to work up to making over 47 arrests.
A further 12 men were arrested in the last few weeks
and one was voluntarily interviewed, with three of them being charged with
offences relating to disorder offences. “We’ve been re viewing the CCTV footage
making IDs of those who may be involved,” police said. The people have been
arrested on suspicion of v iolent disorder in the clashes that took place in
September. Three of the m — Jadved Patel, 46, Zakir Umarji, 26, and Hassan
Chunara, 28 — will appear before magistrates’ court next month. The arrests are
part of an ongoing probe into what police termed as “serious
Source: Times Of India
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Türkiye rescues over 380 irregular migrants after
illegal Greek pushbacks
Merve Gül Aydoğan Ağlarcı
27.12.2022
Türkiye rescued a total of 384 irregular migrants on
Monday, including many who were illegally pushed back into Turkish territorial
waters by Greek authorities, according to the Turkish Coast Guard.
In the first incident, teams were dispatched off the
coast of Ayvacik in the northwestern Canakkale province after the coast guard
learned that there were irregular migrants in an inflatable boat. A total of 61
people from various countries who were pushed back by Greek authorities were
rescued, it said.
At least 39 migrants were rescued in another incident
in the southwestern Aydin province's Didim and Kusadasi districts, said a
Turkish Coast Guard statement.
Meanwhile, in Türkiye’s Aegean province of Balikesir,
73 irregular migrants who were pushed back by Greek forces were rescued.
According to a statement, Turkish Coast Guard teams
were dispatched off the coast of Ayvalik, Balikesir following reports of irregular
migrants on life rafts and inflatable boats, the agency said.
Separately, the Turkish Coast Guard held 147 irregular
migrants while rescuing another 29 in Bodrum in the southwestern Mugla
province.
Meanwhile, 182 irregular migrants in an inflatable boat
pushed into Turkish territorial waters by Greek authorities were also rescued
off the coast of Izmir.
Another 21 irregular migrants trying to cross into
Greece by illegal means were held by Turkish authorities.
All of the migrants were taken to provincial migration
offices.
Following a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that a total of 256,000 irregular
migrants were prevented from crossing into Türkiye in the past year.
Türkiye has been a key transit point for irregular
migrants wanting to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those
fleeing war and persecution.
Human rights groups and media outlets have frequently
reported on illegal pushbacks and other human rights breaches by Greek
authorities.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Mideast
Israeli soldiers fire teargas at Palestinian school
children, several suffer suffocation
28 December 2022
Several Palestinian children have suffered suffocation
from teargas canisters fired by Israeli soldiers in the city of al-Khalil, as
Israeli occupation forces continue systematic aggression against Palestinians.
The Israeli soldiers fired teargas canisters at
students as they were leaving their schools in the southern parts of al-Khalil
on Tuesday. A few students who suffered suffocation were treated on the spot.
According to the Palestinian Quds news network, the
children panicked as gas filled the air and did not know where to go to avoid
breathing in the toxic gases, while local residents tried helping them run away
to a safe place.
The network posted a video via twitter filmed by a
resident showing the gas spreading in the air, as he addresses a small girl and
helps her run away from the area.
This is not the first time Israeli occupation forces
target schools across the Palestinian occupied territories, especially in the
city of al-Khalil.
Earlier in October, the Quds news reported that a
Palestinian infant died after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli occupation
forces in Kafr Aqab in occupied al-Quds.
Also in December, the Palestinian Wafa news agency
said a group of armed soldiers fired tear gas and concussion bombs around the
area and inside the Akka Elementary Co-ed School, causing suffocation cases
among dozens of students and staff.
The al-Khalil area falls under Israeli control and
remains vulnerable to daily harassment by the regime's settlers and military
forces.
According to Defense for Children Palestine (DCIP),
investigations and evidence collected suggest that Israeli forces carry out
different crimes against Palestinian children, including the use intentional
lethal force against them in circumstances that may amount to extrajudicial or
willful killings.
Source: Press TV
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New phase of military confrontation with Riyadh will
be totally different: Ansarullah
28 December 2022
A member of Yemen's Ansarullah political bureau has
warned Saudi Arabia that things will be different in any future military
confrontation, underscoring that Sana'a has developed its missile and air
capabilities.
Mohammad al-Bukhaiti on Sunday assured that the Yemeni
armed forces have developed the capability to strike deep inside the countries
of aggression in case of the outbreak of a military confrontation.
“The new phase of military confrontation with Saudi
Arabia will be completely different compared to previous bouts, as Yemeni armed
forces will employ all tools of power in their possession to exercise power
against any threat,” the official said in an interview with the Arabic-language
al-Mayadeen TV network.
He also said the Saudi-led coalition has failed to put
forward any initiatives that would satisfy Yemen’s demands, warning that if
Sanaa's just demands are not met, it will not stand idly by without responding
to the siege, reported al-Mayadeen.
Elsewhere in his comments, al-Bukhaiti slammed the
Saudi-led coalition attempts to sow strife among the Yemeni people by paying
salaries of a fraction of the employees only. Salaries have been suspended
since 2016 as a result of the Saudi war on Yemen.
In October, UN announced the end of a truce in Yemen
reached between the Ansarullah Movement and the Saudi-led coalition.
The Yemeni Army blames Riyadh and its allies for
failing to observe the UN-brokered armistice.
Yemeni government officials involved in the peace
talks said in order for political negotiations to commence, the Saudi coalition
must end its blockade and allow the resumption of salary payments to all civil
servants. Saudi Arabia has so far rejected those demands.
Enjoying arms and logistics support from the US and
other Western states, Saudi Arabia led its regional allies, including the
United Arab Emirates, into a catastrophic war on Yemen beginning in March 2015.
The war has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis and turned the entire country
into the scene of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Source: Press TV
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Islamic-Christian Authority warns of escalation of
enemy's plans to Judaize Jerusalem
27/December/2022
Al-Quds December 27. 2022 (Saba) - The Islamic
Christian Authority for Patronizing al-Quds and Holy Sites on Tuesday warned of
the escalation of the plans of the Zionist enemy to Judaize the occupied city
of al-Quds, especially during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
In a statement reported by the Palestinian News Agency
(Wafa) the Authority called on the international community to assume its
responsibilities and take practical and serious steps to stop the plans of the
Zionist enemy.
It affirmed that the enemy authorities are trying to
obliterate the Arab, Palestinian, Islamic, Christian identity of al-Quds,
leading to its Judaization, by removing religious and archaeological monuments
and sites, trying to change the features of the Arab-Palestinian face and
undermining the Palestinian demographic presence and seizing Islamic and
Christian property, including the property of the Greek Orthodox Church in the
Hebron Gate.
The Authority said “The insistence of the Council of
Churches in al-Quds to light the Christmas tree in the Imperial Hotel
constitutes a message emphasizing the rejection of the plans of the Zionist
enemy, emphasizing the Palestinian Christian national identity and rejecting
any attempt to change the historical and legal status quo in the Holy City.”
Source: Saba
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3216887.htm
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Israel says Palestinian suspect held for twin bombings
in Jerusalem
27 December ,2022
A Palestinian man suspected of carrying out the deadly
twin bombings in Jerusalem’s outskirts a month ago has been arrested, Israel’s
police and domestic security service said on Tuesday.
The suspect was arrested six days after the November
23 blasts which killed two people, police and Shin Bet said. They identified
him as Islam Farouh, 26, and described him as a lone attacker driven by
ideology akin to that of ISIS.
A lawyer for Farouh could not immediately be reached.
The first explosive device went off at a busy bus stop
at Jerusalem’s main exit during rush hour and the second, 30 minutes later, hit
a bus stop near an outlying settlement.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Israeli president says ‘looking forward to’ receiving
credentials of Turkish ambassador
Busra Nur Cakmak
27.12.2022
As Tel Aviv’s ambassador assumed her duties in Ankara
on Tuesday, the Israeli president said he is “looking forward to” receiving the
credentials of Turkish ambassador soon.
“So moving to hear HaTikvah at the Presidential
Complex in Ankara again, as Ambassador Irit Lillian presented her credentials
to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today,” Isaac Herzog said on Twitter.
“Looking forward to receiving the Turkish ambassador’s
credentials soon. A big step forward for Israel-Türkiye relations,” he added.
Herzog wrote his message in Hebrew and Turkish.
Irit Lillian, a senior diplomat whose appointment was
announced on Sept. 19, had served as Israel’s charge d’affaires in Ankara for
the past two years.
In August, Türkiye and Israel agreed to restore
diplomatic ties and reappoint ambassadors and consuls general after a four-year
hiatus.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Israel much prepared to attack Iran's nuclear sites:
Army chief
Abdelraouf Arnaout
27.12.2022
JERUSALEM
Israel’s Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi said Tuesday that
the army’s preparedness to launch strikes against Iranian nuclear sites has
improved.
"The level of preparedness for an operation in
Iran has dramatically improved," Kochavi said in a speech for the Israeli
Institute for National Security Studies cited by The Jerusalem Post newspaper.
If the army is ordered to act against the Iranian
nuclear program, he said, "it will fulfill the mission that is
given."
Kochavi said Iran seeks to deploy hundreds of missiles
in Syria along with deploying "thousands of Shia militiamen."
The army chief said Israel managed to disrupt the
Iranian vision in Syria "to establish a second Hezbollah in Syria."
Israel frequently accuses Tehran of exploiting the
ongoing conflict in Syria -- where Iran supports the ruling Assad regime -- to
establish a permanent military presence near Israel’s border.
From time to time, Israel launches airstrikes on
positions of the Syrian regime and Iranian forces in various Syrian provinces.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Anger in West Bank over Israel’s ‘disrespect’ of dead
prisoners
MOHAMMED NAJIB
December 27, 2022
RAMALLAH: At least 11 people were injured on Tuesday
in Jerusalem as Israeli forces clashed in the north of the city with protesters
demanding the release of the bodies of Palestinians who died in custody at
Qalandia checkpoint.
Soldiers fired bullets and used tear gas to disperse
the crowd as dozens of Palestinians marched from Al-Amari refugee camp, south
of Ramallah, toward the checkpoint.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said its medics
treated a young man who appeared to have been shot in the leg with explosive
bullets. Eight people were treated for tear gas inhalation, and two suffered
burns as a result of being hit by gas canisters.
The participants in the protest march included
families of people who died during detention in Israeli prisons, and
representatives of civil society. It followed a similar event this week at the
Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Israeli soldiers are reportedly holding
the bodies of 17 Palestinians from the city who died in detention.
According to a campaign that lobbies for the return of
bodies and for information about the fates of people who are missing, Israeli
authorities have held the bodies of 256 Palestinians in so-called “graves of
numbers” and 117 in refrigerators since Israel resumed the policy of kidnapping
bodies in October 2015.
In addition, Palestinians say about 68 people have
gone missing since the beginning of the Israeli occupation in 1967, their fates
unknown. Israeli authorities claim that they do not have any information about
them.
Protesters called on the international community to
hold Israel to account, describing the refusal to return bodies as a form of
collective punishment and a violation of international human rights laws. They
said that Israeli authorities are holding the bodies of dozens of former
detainees in an attempt to put pressure on Hamas to release four Israeli
soldiers who went missing in Gaza.
The withheld bodies in Jerusalem include those of five
women and 11 prisoners who died in custody. The most recent death was that of
Abu Hamid, a member of the Fatah movement who died of lung cancer in the
Israeli Asaf Harofeh Hospital on Dec. 20.
Ahmed Ghuneim, a Fatah leader in Jerusalem, told Arab
News that Israel would not voluntarily release the bodies and so the protests
will continue. He said the Palestinian Authority should make intensive efforts
to force Israeli authorities to hand them over, including taking action in
international courts.
“Detaining the bodies of the occupied people after
their death is something that no country in the world has done, and the silence
about it has made Israel believe that its behavior and conduct is normal and
acceptable,” he said.
Israeli authorities refuse to issue death certificates
to the families of prisoners who died in Israeli prisons or provide lists of
those who are being held.
Dana Ben Shimon, a senior reporter for Israel Hayom
newspaper, told Arab News that Israeli authorities are withholding bodies to
provide leverage in potential negotiations for future prisoner exchanges.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2223021/middle-east
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Arab World
Awqaf (Ministry of Islamic Affairs) Stresses On
Importance Of Developing Skills Of Imams
December 28, 2022
The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf)
has emphasised the importance of developing the skills of imams, preachers,
teachers of the Holy Qur'an and legal muftis including citizens and residents
of Qatar. In this context, the ministry stressed the importance of
qualification courses of the Dawa and Islamic Science Institute, which is
affiliated to the Department of Dawa and Guidance in developing their
knowledge. It conducted 55 specialised courses during the year 2022.
This came during the closing ceremony, in the presence
of HE the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ghanem bin Shaheen bin
Ghanem al-Ghanem, to recognise the outstanding participants who graduated from
the Shariah and specialised training sessions at the Institute of Islamic Science
in 2022.
The head of the Institute of Islamic Da'wa and
Science, Omar Akle al-Ruwaili, said in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA),
this year the institute organised 55 courses including Shariah, skills building
courses and specialised seminars totaling up 988 training hours that were
focused on the development of the cognitive, Shariah knowledge and the
managerial directions of the 1,675 trainees participants within the framework
of the 'Paths and Beacons' training program.
He noted that the courses were conducted with the help
of internal and external experienced professional trainers and teachers from
the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs. He thanked and appreciated all
those who had contributed to the success of those programs and events.
In a related context, the participants expressed their
profound thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic
Affairs for holding these courses aimed at developing their skills and
knowledge, and commended the Dawa and Islamic Science Institute for its effort
to emphasise the status of Shariah science. One of the institute's graduates
Imam Abdullah bin Mohamed al-Thani, said there were many courses, events and
programs held in one year that benefited all participants, crediting the ministry
with the successful implementation of these scientific projects.
Source: Gulf Times
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Saudi Arabia approves next phase of project to combat
human trafficking
28 December ,2022
Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission and the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) have approved the second phase
of a project aimed at improving the Kingdom’s efforts to protect human
trafficking victims, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Tuesday.
President of the Human Rights Commission and President
of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking Dr. Hala al-Tuwaijri and
the International Organization for Migration (IOM) signed the agreement in a
bid to unify Saudi Arabia’s efforts to respond to these crimes through a
comprehensive government and societal approach.
The agreement includes a joint mechanism to support
victims in their rehabilitation and integration into society after being
rescued, according to the SPA report.
The agreement is part of the Kingdom’s efforts to
crack down on human trafficking through national and international cooperation,
al-Tuwaijri said, adding that these efforts reflect Saudi Arabia’s commitment
to protecting victims.
For his part, the head of IOM Mission in Bahrain Mohammed
al-Zarqani said that human trafficking is a globally criminalized offense and
requires cooperative efforts to combat it.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Syrian Kurdish forces ‘on alert’ for Islamic State
attacks: official
December 27, 2022
QAMISHLO, Syrian Kurdistan,— Syrian Kurdish-led forces
boosted security Tuesday a day after foiling a deadly Islamic State group
assault on a prison fearing that the extremists will strike again, a spokesman
said.
Authorities on Monday declared a state of emergency in
Raqqa, the jihadists’ former de facto capital in northern Syria, after gunmen
launched an attack on a security complex near a prison holding fellow
militants.
Six members of the Kurdish-led security forces and one
jihadist were killed.
Farhad Shami, spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF), the de facto
army of the autonomous Kurdish administration in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava),
said they had “declared a state of alert” and security forces sweeping the
area.
“We have information about potential IS attacks during
end-of-year holidays”, he said, listing the northern Syrian cities of Raqqa,
Hasaka and Qamishlo.
Shami said that a new IS leader — who took over after
his predecessor was killed in October — wanted to assert the group’s presence.
Following the attack, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi
(Kobani) had warned that “terrorist cells” were “preparing dangerous plots”.
The failed assault on Monday targeted a Kurdish
security complex, which includes a military intelligence prison housing
hundreds of jihadists, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor
said.
IS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying two
of its fighters had carried it out to avenge “Muslim prisoners” and female
relatives of jihadists living in the Kurdish-administered Al-Hol camp.
Al-Hol, home to more than 50,000 people, is the
largest camp for displaced people who fled after the SDF led the battle that
dislodged IS group fighters from the last scraps of their Syrian territory in
2019.
It was the most significant jihadist attack on a
prison since IS fighters launched their biggest assault in years in January,
when they attacked the Gweran prison in the Kurdish city of Hasaka.
Residents of Raqqa, still fearful after years of war,
worried that IS wanted to stage comeback.
Osama Al-Khalaf, an activist from Raqqa, said
residents “live in a state of fear” of an IS comeback because the jihadists
managed to breach the well-guarded complex.
“IS never let us forget they are here, they want to
bring back fear and panic,” said Abdallah, 35, speaking on condition of
anonymity for fear of reprisals.
“We’re tired of war, we can’t live in fear of the
bombings and killings anymore, we want peace.”
The Kurdish Democratic Union Party PYD and its
powerful military wing YPG/YPJ, considered the most effective fighting force
against IS in Syria and U.S. has provided them with arms. The YPG, which is the
backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces SDF forces, the de facto army of the
autonomous Kurdish administration in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), has seized
swathes of Syria from Islamic State.
The Kurdish forces expelled the Islamic State from its
last patch of territory in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz in March 2019.
An estimated 12,000 suspected IS members are still held in Kurdish prisons
since 2019.
Over 11,000 Kurdish male and female fighters had been
killed in five years of war to eliminate the Islamic State “caliphate” that
once covered an area the size of Great Britain in Syria and Iraq.
The worldwide-respected PYD-led Autonomous
Administration in Syrian Kurdistan has a secular decentralized self-rule, where
equality between men and women, direct democracy, and environmental
responsibility are emphasized.
In 2013, the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party PYD
— the political branch of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) — has
established three autonomous Cantons of Jazeera, Kobani and Afrin and a Kurdish
government across Syrian Kurdistan in 2013. On March 17, 2016, Kurdish and Arab
authorities announced the creation of a “federal region” made up of those
semi-autonomous regions in Syrian Kurdistan. Turkey on January 20, 2018
launched an operation against the YPG in the Kurdish canton of Afrin and on
March 18, the Turkish troops supporting Syrian Islamic mercenary fighters drove
the YPG out of Afrin city.
Source: E Kurd
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https://ekurd.net/syrian-kurdish-forces-alert-2022-12-27
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Iran holds funerals for troops killed in 1980s Iraq
war
27 December ,2022
Thousands of Iranians on Tuesday attended
state-organized funerals for 400 soldiers killed in the 1980s Iran-Iraq war.
Iran’s president, meanwhile, lashed out at the United States and its allies,
accusing them of fomenting anti-government protests that have been underway in
Iran for over three months.
Caskets with the remains of “unidentified
martyrs" were draped in Iranian flags and carried in mass processions. For
many Iranian families, the conflict’s painful legacy drags on in a continuous
waiting for news of loved ones still “missing.”
In January, 250 Iranian soldiers killed in the
1980-1988 war were buried in similar ceremonies.
Iran has been shaken by mass protests since
mid-September over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish
woman who died after being detained by the country’s morality police.
The protests rapidly escalated into calls for the
overthrow of Iran’s theocracy, established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution,
marking one of the biggest challenges to the Iranian clerical rule in over four
decades.
At least 507 protesters have been killed and more than
18,500 people have been arrested, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran,
a group that has closely monitored the unrest. Iranian authorities have not
released figures for those killed or arrested.
In the capital, Tehran, the last farewell on Tuesday
honored 200 soldiers whose remains were recently recovered from the former
battlefields along the Iraq-Iran border. Funerals were held for another 200
soldiers in other cities and towns across Iran.
None of the soldiers have been identified and their
remains were to be buried as “unknown martyrs” in mass funerals.
From outside of Tehran University, trucks piled high
with the caskets made their way through the streets. Men and women in black
thronged the coffins, many weeping for those lost in the bloody, stalemated war
started by Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and his Baath Party in 1980.
Iran and Iraq sporadically exchange remains of
soldiers recovered from borderland territory that witnessed major combat in the
war, which left more than a million casualties on both sides.
Iranian state TV said the remains buried Tuesday were
of troops killed in four battlefields, including in two locations inside Iraq.
Along with the Iranian flag, many people also carried photographs of a top
Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a US drone strike in
January 2020 in Baghdad.
President Ebrahim Raisi and other top officials attended
the ceremonies and praised “the martyrs,” saying they help improve the nation’s
sprit, according to media reports.
Speaking at the ceremony, Raisi said efforts by the
enemies of the nation — a reference to the US and its allies — have sought to
“pressure Iran during the recent protests" but have met with failure.
Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on their foreign adversaries,
including the US and Israel.
“In recent riots, the arrogance (of the US and its
allies) was displayed in all its strength,” said Raisi, but “all pressures
against the Islamic Republic were doomed to fail.”
Earlier in December, Iran executed two prisoners, both
23 years old and charged in connection with the mass protests.
The first was Mohsen Shekari, accused by an Iranian
court of blocking a street in Tehran and attacking a member of the country’s
security forces with a machete.
The second was Majidreza Rahnavard, whose body was
left hanging from a construction crane as a gruesome warning to others.
Authorities alleged Rahnavard had stabbed two members of its paramilitary
force.
The executions prompted international outcry.
Reportedly, dozens of others remain on the list for executions.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Fireworks, Light Shows And Views Of Burj Khalifa:
Dubai’s Spectacular New Year Plan
28 December ,2022
Restaurants, bars, and nightclubs are gearing up for
New Year celebrations in Dubai, with residents and tourists set to benefit from
celebrity DJs, Australian singing sensation Kylie Minogue and a whole host of
other events.
Minogue – the highest-selling female Australian singer
of all time – is set to headline a show-stopping concert at Atlantis hotel on
The Palm in the final hours of 2022.
The Spinning Around singer will make a welcome return
to the resort, after performing at its grand opening party back in 2008. The
theme for this year’s gala is A Night with the Stars. In addition to the
performance from Minogue, guests will also have front-row seats to one of
Dubai’s biggest fireworks displays as the clock strikes midnight.
The Grammy Award winning star will bring an added
sprinkling of stardust to proceedings at the Asateer Tent when she will perform
at the special Gala Dinner to see in the New Year.
Other celebrations
Minogue isn’t the only person to bring some sparkle to
New Year celebrations in the country with plenty of events available.
Siddhartha, General Manager of Raddison Damac Hills,
told Al Arabiya English they have opened a new rooftop bar and restaurant in
time for the New Year celebrations.
“We are excited to be able to offer an outdoor rooftop
venue in ISSEI, our recently opened Peruvian-Japanese fusion concept,” he said.
“The unique flavors, combined with the amazing views
across the city of Dubai promise to make for a memorable evening. We also hope
that being on the 27th floor will give us the opportunity to view the firework displays
at Global Village, Town Square and the EXPO City site.”
Republic Adda Bar & Lounge in downtown Dubai is
also gearing up for celebrations and will host a “celebrity DJ,” with “special
acts” and dancing.
“We have an incredible view of the Burj Khalifa, which
is one of our biggest selling points,” Bhim Gupta, restaurant and bar manager
of the party-hub told Al Arabiya English.
The venue is expecting around 130 to 150 people and is
expected to be at full capacity at the evening.
Compared to the previous year the party venue has seen
a “positive hike” in numbers and has stocked up on an extra 30 percent of food
and alcohol to cope with the added demand.
The Premier Inn Ibn Battuta Mall is hosting a festive
barbecue-inspired buffet with unlimited free-flow beverages for their New
Year’s Eve Bash, with live music and an electric atmosphere until 2:00 a.m.
Other events happening in the emirate include a brunch
followed by an after party – set to last until 4:00 a.m. – at Paros in Jumeriah
Lake Towers (JLT) with music from DJ Cameo, fire performers, a drummer and
dancers.
People looking for something flashier can also watch a
show and have dinner at the Dubai Opera, go on a luxury dinner cruise through
Dubai Creek, Dubai Marina or the Dubai Water Canal.
For those who feel like celebrating the occasion in a
quieter fashion, staying in and opting for food takeaways is an option. Food
delivery services are expected to be used more than usual.
Deliverect – a service that helps restaurants manage
food deliveries – said it usually sees an increase of about 14 percent in
online ordering in the US in the last two weeks of December.
“Overall, there seems to be an increase in the number
of online orders placed this year, with a surge happening during the festive
season,” Naji Haddad, MENA General Manager at Deliverect told Al Arabiya
English.
NYE fireworks in Dubai
Dubai is also famed for its eclectic firework displays
to ring in the new year, with a host of pyrotechnic displays, dazzling
fireworks and drone shows, to entertain residents ringing in 2023.
Burj Khalifa - the tallest building on the planet –
will be at the center of celebrations with onlookers to experience a
cutting-edge laser light and fireworks show to illuminate the famed facade,
with the Dubai Fountain at the building’s base earmarked to dance in sync with
the show.
Residents can also be dazzled by night with the
sparkles and glitters of a huge, organized display at The Beach, opposite JBR
and Bluewaters, where visitors and residents can await the DSF Drones Light
Show.
Global Village on December 31 will mark the New Year
aligned with different time zones of the countries that have a presence at the
fair.
At The Pointe, visitors will be able to catch the
fireworks at Atlantis, the Palm; Palm West Beach and Club Vista Mare, plus be
treated to a cool fountain show, live entertainment and plenty of dining
options.
Source: Al Arabiya
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King Abdulaziz Festival boosts Saudi Arabia’s
camel-related heritage, says UK envoy
December 28, 2022
RIYADH: The seventh King Abdulaziz Camel Festival
enhances the camel-related cultural heritage of the Kingdom, according to
British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Neil Crompton.
His comments came as he visited the festival’s
headquarters in Sayahid, about 100 kilometers west of Riyadh, the Saudi Press
Agency reported on Tuesday.
“I read a lot about the significance of camels in the
Arab culture, whether in terms of culture or economy, and I was amazed at what
I saw of the wonderful organization in the festival and this remarkable
presence of fans of camel competitions,” he said.
“I invite all tourists in general, and the British in
particular, to visit the Kingdom and to attend the festival to learn more about
this wonderful cultural heritage.”
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2223106/saudi-arabia
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Southeast Asia
16 mosques participate in pilot investment programme
Aqil Hamzah
DEC 27, 2022
SINGAPORE – Sixteen mosques in the western part of
Singapore have signed up to participate in a pilot programme to invest their
reserves in order for them to be financially resilient.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Islamic Religious
Council of Singapore (Muis) said the mosques will invest their surplus funds in
syariah-compliant investment products through the Mosque-Wakaf Investment Plan.
The returns will be used to ensure that the mosques
can remain financially self-sustainable in the long run, with Muis acting as
the administrator for the investments.
For example, the mosques will be able to use the
income generated to pay for lease renewals, which are not covered under the
Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund – a community fund all working Muslims in
Singapore contribute to – Muis said.
It added that the initiative will be introduced to the
54 other mosques in Singapore in 2023.
A portion of the returns will also be channelled into
the Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura, which is an endowment fund that caters to the
Muslim community’s long-term needs.
Source: Straits Times
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/16-mosques-participate-in-pilot-investment-programme
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UN urges countries to help Rohingya at sea as hundreds
land in Indonesia
December 28, 2022
PIDIE: The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) urged
countries on Tuesday to help Rohingya Muslims stranded at sea as at least 20
reportedly died and hundreds more landed in Indonesia after weeks adrift in the
Indian Ocean.
Nearly 500 Rohingya have reached Indonesia in the past
six weeks while “many others did not act despite numerous pleas and appeals for
help”, the UNHCR said in a statement.
It said on Monday said 2022 could be one of the
deadliest years at sea in almost a decade for the Rohingya with a growing
number of them fleeing desperate conditions in refugee camps in Bangladesh. One
boat carrying 180 people is believed to have sunk in early December, with all
on board presumed dead, according to rights groups.
The Rohingya have long been persecuted in
Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which borders Bangladesh. For years many have fled
to neighbouring states like Thailand and Bangladesh, and to Muslim-majority
Malaysia and Indonesia between November and April when seas are calmer.
Nearly 1 million live in crowded conditions in
Bangladesh, including many of the hundreds of thousands who fled a deadly
crackdown in 2017 by Myanmar’s military, which denies committing crimes against
humanity.
Rights groups have recorded a significant increase in
the number leaving the camps, from about 500 last year to an estimated 2,400
this year. It is not clear what is driving the larger exodus. Some activists
believe the lifting of Covid restrictions around Southeast Asia, a favoured
destination for the Rohingya, could be a factor.
’Dangerous voyages’
A boat washed ashore in Aceh province on the
Indonesian island of Sumatra on Monday carrying 174 Rohingya, most of them
dehydrated, fatigued and in need of urgent medical care after weeks at sea,
local disaster agency officials said. Some survivors recounted stories of
hunger and desperation, saying more than 20 of the passengers died on the way.
“We came here from the largest Bangladesh refugee camp
with the hope that the Indonesian people would give us the opportunity of
education,” said Umar Farukh, who spoke in a shelter crowded with Rohingya men,
women and children receiving care from Indonesian medics.
Thai authorities said after rescuing six people found
clinging to a water tank floating in the Andaman Sea that the survivors
reported their boat being denied access to Malaysia and turning back towards
Bangladesh. Malaysia’s Maritime Enforcement Ministry did not respond to
requests for comment.
Monday’s landing in Indonesia was the latest in a
series of Rohingya boat landings and rescues around the region in recent weeks,
prompting Bangladesh authorities to try and stop people from risking their
lives on boats to Southeast Asia.
Source: Dawn
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‘She thought she would die’: Rohingya refugees reach
Indonesia after weeks at sea
SHEANY YASUKO LAI
December 27, 2022
JAKARTA: More than 200 rescued Rohingya refugees were
receiving emergency health assistance in Indonesia, a UN agency said on
Tuesday, after they were saved by fishermen when calls on the regional
countries to assist them fell on deaf ears for weeks.
The International Organization for Migration has
confirmed that at least 174 Rohingya on a rickety wooden boat reached the
coastal village of Muara Tiga in Pidie district of northern Aceh province on
Monday.
The group of 36 men, 31 women and 107 children arrived
about a day after 57 Rohingya refugees landed in the province’s Aceh Besar
district.
“The group is in very poor health condition, with many
suffering severe dehydration and malnutrition,” the International Organization
for Migration said in a written response to Arab News.
“IOM’s medical team is currently conducting basic
health assessments.”
Eros Shidqy Putra, a member of Indonesia's National
Refugee Task Force, told Arab News that the refugees would be placed under the
care of the local government for the time being.
“After that, we will move them to a province which is
already housing refugees,” he said. “Aceh is not a province that shelters
refugees.”
At least five boats carrying hundreds of refugees had
left the coast of Cox’s Bazar, the largest Rohingya settlement in Bangladesh,
in late November, in an attempt to cross the Andaman Sea to another host
country.
One boat carrying 154 refugees was rescued by a
Vietnamese offshore company and handed over to the Myanmar Navy, while a vessel
carrying 104 people was rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy on Dec. 18.
The UN Refugee Agency previously said it had received
unconfirmed reports that a boat carrying 180 people had sunk.
International organizations and activists have urged
countries in the region for weeks to rescue the refugees stranded at sea, but
despite multiple appeals for help, no official assistance was dispatched.
Mohammed Rezuwan Khan, the brother of Hatamonesa, a
27-year-old woman who was with her five-year-old daughter onboard the boat that
arrived in Indonesia on Monday, spoke to his sister on Tuesday after more than
a month with no communication.
“We feel like we got a new world today,” Khan said.
“We could see their faces again. It’s really a moment of joy for all of us.”
During the call, Khan learned that his niece had
received treatment for dehydration because she had drunk salt water during the
journey. They did not eat for 13 days.
According to Hatamonesa, 20 people had died on the
boat and were thrown overboard.
“She thought that she would die in the voyage at sea,”
Khan said.
“She hoped that if she could leave to Malaysia, there
would be a better future for her daughters and for her.”
More than 730,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring
Bangladesh in 2017 following a brutal crackdown by the Myanmar military that
the UN said amounted to genocide.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2223011/world
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Pakistan
Strict Security Measures Introduced Amid Terror Attack
in Islamabad
By Nizamuddin Rezahi
December 27, 2022
Following the suicide bomb blast in the I-10
neighborhood in Islamabad last week, the police in the capital city has
increased security measures.
According to the media reports police in Islamabad has
introduced new plans to strengthen security measures in the capital after the
fatal suicide attack which took place a few days ago, causing the death of one
officer and injuring several others.
As per the new security plan, police authorities will
record through surveillance cameras entry points of the Red Zone housing
government and diplomatic facilities as well as conduct monitoring of Metrobus
passengers.
Furthermore, in order to minimize the risk of further
terrorist attacks on civilians and government organizations, Islamabad police
has installed 25 extra checkpoints in different locations across the capital.
Over the past couple of weeks, Pakistan has
experienced violent attacks, forcing the government to come up with a
comprehensive strategy to counter the threat to internal security and ensure
that insurgent groups shall not operate under their watch.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan
Liberation Army (BLA) are the two main insurgent groups posing threats to the
national security of Pakistan – (TTP) being the most notable threat which
called off a ceasefire with the security forces of Pakistan on November 28.
Meanwhile, the cross-border shelling which took place
between Pakistan and Afghan Taliban border security forces in the Chaman-Spin
Boldak area on December 11 and 15, leaving to the death and injuries of several
military and civilians from both sides indicates the worsening security
situation in both countries.
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/strict-security-measures-introduced-amid-terror-attack-in-islamabad/
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Audience interrupt Pakistan PM's speech, Shehbaz
Sharif says 'food will be served soon'
Dec 27, 2022
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's
said that the food will be served soon after being interrupted by an audience,
according to a video circulated by PTV news, the Urdu News channel.
While addressing the ceremony organized with regard to
the development projects for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, an audience stood up
and shouted during Sharif's speech, after which the PM said, "Please sit
down, the food will be served soon."
After a brief smile, Pakistan's PM resumed his speech,
according to the video.
Notably, PM Sharif was in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to lay
the foundation stones of different uplift communication, road, hydel, and power
infrastructure projects, Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
In the ceremony, the prime minister said, "These
challenges might be manifold but 220 million people of the country should not
get worried, the coalition government with the support of its partners will
steer the country out of the challenges."
He said for the achievement of progress and
prosperity, they would have to work hard with devotion. "Nations always
faced difficulties and the coalition government will put Pakistan on the path
of development only through hard work," he added.
The prime minister said that he had laid down the
foundations for the commencement of mega-development projects in the backward
areas of the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as per the Associated
Press of Pakistan report.
He mentioned that during his previous visits, these
areas were inundated with flood water and the people of the areas had faced
immense destruction, from Nowshera to Swat, Kalam, Kohistan, DIkhan and Tank
districts were badly affected by floods.
Talking about the Swat situation, PM said that the
destruction was mainly caused by the man-made structures erected in the middle
of the course of the river.
Sharif also criticized the provincial government of
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for its flawed policies.
The prime minister sarcastically referred that the PTI
provincial government always talked about the introduction of an efficient
system, but the people had witnessed the crumbling of that system whereas the
government's blunders in this regard could not be neglected, according to the
Associated Press of Pakistan.
Source: Times Of India
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JUI-F struggles for interest free banking bear fruit
December 28, 2022
Central Leader Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), Maulana,
Fazal- ur-Rehman (JUI-F) on Thursday said that the long struggle of JUI-F
leadership had resulted in interest free banking in the country for which the
government had withdrawn all the cases from the courts.
He expressed these views in the condolence conference
of the late Qazi Abdul Salam at the Technical College of Talash. He said that
Pakistan was constitutionally an Islamic Republic and and there was no interest
in Islam, adding that Islamic system provided life safety, wealth, security and
prosperity to each individual. Maulana said that the worst rigging in history
of elections took place in 2018 general elections as a result of which an
immature government sank the economic system of the country.—APP
Source: Pak Observer
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Return to assembly to avoid ‘being victimised’, PTI
told
M.B. Kalhoro | Syed Irfan Raza
December 28, 2022
GARHI KHUDA BUKHSH / ISLAMABAD: The leaders of two
major political parties on Tuesday urged Imran Khan to return to parliament,
saying that his and his party’s salvation lay in representing the citizens who
had elected them.
But in the same breath, both Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari
and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain warned Mr Khan that if he persisted on his
current course, they would neither be able to save him, nor would it benefit
the country.
In separate statements on Tuesday, both leaders
stressed the need for all parties to work together to rescue Pakistan from the
economic and political dire straits that the country finds itself in.
“You are a stranger to the house. Come back and play
your role in the parliament. Let’s talk about reforms, whether it is the
National Accountability Bureau or elections,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said during an
address at Garhi Khuda Bukhsh, adding that otherwise, the government would not
be able to stop those who wanted to “victimise you”.
“If he calls himself a politician and a democrat, he
has to sit in parliament and do his job.”
Meanwhile, speaking at an event in Islamabad, Chaudhry
Shujaat Hussain said that the constituents who had elected Mr Khan and his
party were observing the actions of their representatives, adding that not
coming to the assembly and collecting salaries and perks would not accomplish
anything.
Verification attempts
The remarks from both leaders came as Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers attempted to gain an audience with the National
Assembly speaker for the personal verification of their resignations from the
lower house of parliament.
However, since Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was in Garhi Khuda
Buksh to participate in the event held to mark the 15th death anniversary of
slain PPP leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, it was resolved that
a delegation of senior PTI leaders would call on the speaker soon after his
return.
A spokesperson for the NA Secretariat confirmed that
former PTI chief whip Malik Amir Dogar contacted the speaker via telephone on
Tuesday, a move that was hailed by the speaker, who welcomed the gesture and
said that “the dialogue process should continue”.
The spokesperson said Mr Dogar requested a formal
meeting to deliberate upon the issue of confirmation of resignations of 124 PTI
members of the National Assembly.
Mr Dogar told the NA speaker that a delegation of PTI
leaders consisting of Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pervez Khattak and others wanted to
meet him.
But PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry told journalists in
Lahore that when party leaders called on Mr Ashraf today, he was “nowhere to be
found”.
“[We were] told that the speaker has gone to Larkana,”
Fawad claimed. “We’re getting information that he’s going to Australia
afterwards.”
“I want to tell the speaker that tendering
resignations is our constitutional right,” the PTI leader said, adding that Mr
Ashraf should “accept the resignations and hold countrywide elections”.
‘PPP, not US, ousted Imran’
In a wide ranging speech delivered at an event held to
mark his mother’s death anniversary, Mr Bhutto-Zardari touched on a host of political
issues.
He refuted Mr Khan’s ‘foreign conspiracy’ mantra,
saying that it was his party, not Washington, that had engineered his ouster
through democratic means.
“We sent Imran home through the Constitution […] and
this was the first time the parliament ousted a prime minister. The ‘conspiracy
against the selected’ was not hatched behind closed doors, rather it happened
on the streets and in the parliament in plain sight.”
He went on to say that the military had made its
position clear, i.e. they were staying out of politics clear. “It is now time
to ensure that they fulfil their promise,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, adding that
this was the reason why “we are hearing screams from Bani Gala”.
Saying that his party had played its part in the
legislature for four years, the PPP leader said this was the PTI chief’s “last
warning” to play his role. “We will negotiate with you on electoral and NAB
reforms,” he said, adding that they did not want Mr Khan to go jail or face the
accountability body.
He also pointed towards the arrest of Mayam Nawaz and
Faryal Talpur during Mr Khan’s time in power, saying: “If you tamper with the
Constitution, something will happen”.
Separately, in his remarks at a dinner in Islamabad,
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain extolled the need to work “not for the interests of
parties, rather the interests of Pakistan”.
He said that political and economic stability are
crucial for the country and the general elections should be held on time.
“Only if we all come together for the sake of Pakistan
can we save it. In case we cannot set aside our differences, all will be lost,”
he said.
Chaudhry Shujaat also pointed to the economic crisis
plaguing the country, saying that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would
only extend its support if political parties could set aside their differences.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1728629/return-to-assembly-to-avoid-being-victimised-pti-told
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Trigger-happy policemen shoot ‘innocent’ youth to
death in Karachi
Imtiaz Ali
December 28, 2022
KARACHI: A young man was shot dead by police after a
chase as he allegedly refused to stop his motorbike during snap-checking and
tried to speed away in Gulistan-i-Jauhar on Tuesday, officials and hospital
sources said.
The manner with which two policemen of Shaheen Force
shot the man twice not on any road but inside an apartment complex cast doubts
over their side of story and put a big question mark over their training.
The incident sparked a public outcry on social media
that prompted Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to take notice of it.
DIG-East Muquddus Haider told Dawn that an inquiry
conducted by senior police officers proved that the “policemen killed an
innocent person”.
He added that three policemen were arrested on charges
of killing the citizen. An FIR under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the
Pakistan Penal Code was being registered against them.
Earlier, SSP-East Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi told Dawn
that three policemen of Shaheen Force, which was recently formed to counter
street criminals in the city, were arrested for shooting to death 26-year-old
Amir Hussain.
In their initial statement, the held policemen said
they signalled the motorcyclist to stop during snap-checking. He did not stop
upon which they chased him, started firing that led to his death, the SSP said.
The victim is said to be a son of an official of the
Sindh excise department.
His relatives told the media that the policemen chased
Amir and shot him on the stairs of Noman Avenue, a multi-storey apartment
complex, in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block-20. He suffered critical bullet wounds and
was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where doctors pronounced
him dead on arrival.
Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed said that the man
suffered two firearm injuries in the chest and foot.
She said both bullets stuck in the body and were
retrieved by doctors during a post-mortem examination. The same had been handed
over to police for further investigation, she said.
Meanwhile, Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah took notice of the
incident and directed the Karachi police chief to submit a detailed report
about the incident.
Robbers shoot man over resistance
A citizen was shot and wounded by two armed robbers
when he put up resistance in North Karachi, police said on Tuesday.
The Sir Syed police said Shakir Aziz, 45, was
intercepted by the robbers near Mohammed Shah Graveyard, held him at gunpoint
and demanded cell phone and cash. As he offered resistance, they shot him and
tried to escape.
However, area people gathered there and managed to
overpower one of the robbers and gave him severe beating. However, police
managed to save him from the wrath of the people.
He was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for
treatment.
Meanwhile, a suspected robber was shot and wounded in
an alleged encounter in Sohrab Goth on Tuesday evening.
Source: Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1728587/trigger-happy-policemen-shoot-innocent-youth-to-death-in-karachi
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Siraj blames establishment, PDM-PPP-PTI troika for
political, economic turmoil
December 27, 2022
LAHORE: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan, Sirajul
Haq held the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the Pakistan People’s Party
(PPP), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI0 troika and the establishment equally
responsible for the prevailing political and economic crises.
While addressing the Islamic Lawyers Movement at
Mansoorah on Tuesday, he said, “All sides are using each other to protect
self-interests and stay in power, unconcerned about the plight of the public.”
There are two Pakistanis now, one for the ruling elite
and the other for the poor, Sirajul Haq said, adding that poverty, inequality
and injustice became permanent perils, and they were due to bad governance and
ill-devised policies of the perpetual governments.
He said that the dictators had destroyed 35 years of
the country, and the rest were damaged by the so-called hybrid regimes. The
country, he said, was moving ahead directionless and most important
institutions like judiciary and bureaucracy failed to deliver. How could
Pakistan go forwards without the rule of law and justice, he questioned, saying
the poor could not get justice all their life while the powerful made a mockery
of the law.
Land grabbers, mafias and corrupt have ruled the
country for decades, the JI chief said.
He said Pakistan was deprived of the Islamic system
under a conspiracy. The country’s rulers, he said, were the agents of
Washington. He said the time had reached to get rid of the status quo forces
and establish a truely democratic and Islamic system. For this, he said, people
had to reject the tested parties and vote for the JI.
Siraj condemned the police crackdown on the Gwadar
sit-in, termed it a cruel, unconstitutional and undemocratic act of the
provincial government and announced protest demonstrations at provincial
headquarters against violence on peaceful protestors Wednesday. He said the
countrywide rallies would be taken out in solidarity with the people of Gwadar
on Friday.
Source: Pakistan Today
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Maulana Tariq Jamil hospitalized after cardiac arrest
in Canada
December 27, 2022
ISLAMABAD: Renowned religious scholar Maulana Tariq
Jamil was hospitalized in Canada on Tuesday after he suffered heart stroke.
According to details, Yousaf Jamil s/o Maulana Tariq
Jamil confirmed that his father present in Canada suffered heart attack was
shifted to hospital.
Yousaf Jamil in a tweet appealed to pray for health of
his father.
Source: Pakistan Today
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‘2023 Happy Chinese New Year Press Conference’
organized by Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Pakistan
December 27, 2022
Islamabad: Cultural Office of the Embassy of the
People’s Republic of China and China Cultural Center in Pakistan organized a
live 2023 Happy Chinese New Year Press Conference which was attended by the
senior journalists from renowned Pakistani media groups, newspapers and TV
Channels at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Islamabad.
The 2023 Happy Chinese New Year Press Conference was
held in Beijing. Gao Zheng, Director General, the International Exchange and
Cooperation Bureau, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China,
vice-president and secretary-general of the China International Culture Association;
Zhao Cong, head of China National Traditional Orchestra, and well-known pianist
Lang Lang, cultural ambassador of the 2023 Happy Chinese New Year, attended the
conference, introducing the 2023 Happy Chinese New Year activities.
Gao said the Happy Chinese New Year, an annual brand
activity held to celebrate Spring Festival, has taken off in recent years and
is increasingly becoming an important platform for China to share Chinese
culture with people from all over the world. The 2023 Happy Chinese New Year
will be guided by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China and hosted by
China International Culture Association. Various online and offline activities,
including music concerts, temple fairs and parades, will cover the globe.
The press conference also released the mascot of 2023
Happy Chinese New Year. As the coming Chinese New Year is the Year of the
Rabbit, the mascot, designed by Central Academy of Fine Arts, is a cute rabbit
with long ears based on the shape of a lucky bag.
China will be celebrating 2023 traditional Chinese New
Year, generally known as “Chinese Spring Festival” on Sunday, January 22nd,
2023 and lasting until February 9th, 2023. It is one of the most important and
biggest festivals in traditional Chinese culture, and one of the longest
holidays, lasting up to 7 days.
Chinese New year is celebrating in China as well as
neighboring countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines,
South Korea, and all around the world where there are Chinese communities. In
Pakistan, there are thousands of Chinese who have lived there for various
periods of time. They will also be celebrating the festival in its full
cultural and traditional spirit. Many similarities exist between Chinese New
Year and Pakistan’s traditional “Eid” Festival. Both are based on the lunar
calendar and are one of the most important and biggest festivals in their
societies and both are family-centric festivals.
Mr. Xing Lijun, the Second Secretary, the Cultural
Office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Pakistan briefed to
the Pakistani media about 2023 Happy Chinese New Year and upcoming events in
connection with celebration of Chinese Spring Festival. He also highlighted the
Pak China Cultural exchange programs with Pakistani journalists community.He
informed that the year 2023 is a year of Rabbit as per Chinese Lunar calendar.
Further more, Xing said The cultural bonds existing between the two nations is
strong enough to support our everlasting friendship. This relationship will
expand into all domains of Pakistani life and grow further with the passing of
each day. The media interaction were ended by the question answer session.
Source: Pakistan Today
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Sharif remembers Bhutto’s vibrancy on killing
anniversary — ‘crusader for rights’
December 27, 2022
ISLAMABAD: The prime minister on Tuesday paid tribute
to slain Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto on the 15th
anniversary of her assassination, saying the former prime minister was a
“crusader for human rights and democracy”.
Shehbaz Sharif said Bhutto left an indelible mark on
Pakistan’s politics and the void left by her tragic death has widened over the
years.
Bhutto, a charismatic and controversial politician who
served twice as prime minister between 1988 and 1997, was killed in a shooting
and bomb attack as she left a political rally in Rawalpindi in December 2007,
two months after she returned from exile to contest the national elections.
The PPP government of Sindh has declared December 27
as a public holiday to mark the event, according to a notification issued by
the province earlier this month.
In his statement, the prime minister said the “black
day [of her death] is unforgettable”.
“Benazir Bhutto is a shining example of democratic and
political struggle who sacrificed her life while fighting for the rights of
people,” he said.
As the first woman prime minister of the Islamic
world, hers was a fascinating story of the lifelong struggle, Sharif said. “We
pay tribute to the historical services of Benazir Bhutto for the country,
people, and democracy.”
The prime minister also recalled that the supreme leader
of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, and Bhutto gave the
nation the “historical gift” of the so-called charter of democracy that he
claimed started a new era in the country’s politics.
The two agreed to the document in 2006 which set out
constitutional amendments and other reforms aimed at enshrining democracy to
rid politics of the old military-bureaucratic establishment.
Bhutto and Sharif were bitter rivals in the 1990s when
they alternated as prime ministers. Both were accused of corruption and served
two terms over a tumultuous period that ended when then-army chief Pervez
Musharraf ousted Sharif in a bloodless 1999 coup.
It was the first time in Pakistan’s history that the
two main parties had come together.
Sharif termed the document a landmark achievement of
the political vision of Pakistan’s leaders which ushered in a new political
culture and tradition in Pakistan.
He said Bhutto took a bold and clear stand against
militancy and her assassination showed the nation’s determination against the
menace.
She also rendered immense services for the
strengthening of national defence, constitutional institutions and for social
welfare, he added.
Source: Pakistan Today
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South Asia
Afghanistan Towards Becoming Leading Exporters of
Dried Fruits Globally
By Arif Ahmadi
December 27, 2022
KABUL, Afghanistan – Over the course of nine months
under the Taliban leadership, Afghanistan exported dried fruits worth of $270
million, said the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC).
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) said
the country witnessed increase in exports and imports of Afghan products
through air corridors more recently.
The ministry of commerce vows to provide better
facilities for Afghan traders in order to increase export of dried fruits to
foreign countries.
The dry fruits that have been sent to various
countries include pine nuts, pistachio and raisins – product Afghanistan is
known for among the regional countries.
“We have had several shipments of export,” said
Akhundzada Abdul Salam, a spokesman for the MoIC, as TOLOnews quoted. “We had
exports to Europe, Canada and Australia which showed a sharp rise compared to
the previous year.”
While the country continues to stabilize its dwindling
economy since the takeover last August, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and
Investment (ACCI) said the local products are still being exported at high
costs, but efforts are underway to decrease the costs.
ccording to ACCI, Afghan dried fruits have been
exported to the US and Europe.
“We want to provide further facilities and ways of
exporting our fruits through the air corridor and other options,” said Mohammad
Yunus Mohmand, the acting head of the ACCI.
Meanwhile, Afghan investors and local traders urged
the Taliban leadership to resume air corridors so they could export more
products outside the country.
“Unfortunately, today, our export with many countries
has been facing a lot of problems including lack of business relations, banking
system, and even challenges within air corridor,” said Zalmay Azimi, an
investor, as local media quoted.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) said
the country witnessed increase in exports and imports of Afghan products
through air corridors more recently.
Ahmad Wali Haqmal, a spokesman for the MoF, said that
Afghanistan imported commodities worth 7.8 billion Afs over the past 15 months,
as TOLOnews reported.
According to Haqmal, more than 4.3 billion Afghani
worth of commodities has been imported into Afghanistan in over a year, making
around 950 million Afghanis in revenue.
“Within the past 15 months, commodities worth 7.8
billion Afs have been imported to Afghanistan via air corridor,” he said, as
local media quoted. “The Finance Ministry made 950 million in revenue from it.”
Highlighting on the types of goods exported via the
air corridors, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) said that the
commodities included carpets, pine nuts, and handmade crafts – products
Afghanistan is known for.
A spokesman for the MoIC, Ahundzada Abdul Salam Jawad,
said the exports have been made to China and India.
“Over the past eight months, our exports have been to
China and India via air corridor,” he said, as local media quoted.
“We have had around 600 tons of exports via air
corridor to China. We had around 200 tons of exports to India via a private
airline company and also to other countries via Dubai, UAE,” he elaborated.
Meanwhile, Afghan traders expressed hope for the
future of Afghan products in the international markets, saying exporting local
product to Asian and European countries will help grow Afghanistan economy.
“The air corridor is one of the main parts of
business. More exports via air corridor to India, China and the Gulf countries,
as well as the EU and US, will benefit us,” said Zalmai Azimi, a trader.
Based on the statistics of the Afghanistan Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, more than 5,000 tons of pine nuts have been exported via
air corridor in the year 1400.
In Afghanistan, exports account for around 20 percent
of GDP. Afghanistan main exports are carpets and rugs (45 percent of total
exports); dried fruits (31 percent) and medicinal plants (12 percent).
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-towards-becoming-leading-exporters-of-dried-fruits-globally/
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Afghanistan: IS claims to have killed Taliban police
chief
27.12.22
The so-called "Islamic State" (IS) on Monday
claimed to have assassinated a top Taliban police official.
According to the militant group's propaganda
mouthpiece Amaq, the Taliban's senior police official in the province of
Badakhshan, Abdul Haq Abu Omar, was killed in a car bomb.
Taliban say two others also killed
A video showing the moment of the purported bombing
near the provincial police chief's headquarters was released.
IS issued a brief statement claiming to have parked a
car laden with explosives on a road used by the police chief to get to work.
The Taliban's Interior Ministry spokesman, Abdul Nafi
Takor, said that another two people were killed and two others were wounded in
the blast.
Four suspects were arrested in connection with the
incident, according to the spokesman for the Taliban.
'Islamic State' ramps up attacks
There have been numerous attacks on the Taliban since
the group took power in Afghanistan in August 2021. The Islamic State –
Khorasan Province, a local affiliate of IS, has claimed responsibility for many
of the attacks.
The attacks often target religious and ethnic
minorities, and Taliban leaders.
Earlier in December, the group claimed responsibility
for an attack on a Chinese-owned hotel in Kabul. Three of the militant group's
fighters were killed.
The group also claimed responsibility for targeting
the Pakistani Embassy in the capital. A guard was injured and some damage was
done to the building. The group had been targeting the ambassador, who escaped
unhurt.
Source: Telegraph India
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Pakistan faces disappointment on bilateral deals with
the new regime in Afghanistan
December 28, 2022
Recent events on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border make
it clear that Pakistan’s decades old Afghanistan policy has failed. On 11
December 2022, Taliban forces in Afghanistan shelled a town just across the
border in Pakistan, killing seven Pakistani civilians. Pakistan retaliated,
killing one Taliban fighter and injuring ten Afghans. Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif condemned the “unprovoked shelling” by Afghan forces. On 15 December,
the two sides exchanged artillery fire across the border, killing at least one
Pakistani civilian and wounding 15 others. Both countries are today on the
verge of war! These developments signal a turn in ties between Pakistan and
Afghanistan and signals Pakistan’s loss of control over the Afghan Taliban,
which is today a government in power.
While the world’s attention is on Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine, violence in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan has
gone unnoticed, even though the potential for a serious catastrophe persists
and grows by the day. Pakistan summoned an Afghan diplomat over “unprovoked”
artillery fire at their border. “Afghan Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad was
called to the foreign ministry and Pakistan’s strong condemnation was conveyed
over recent incidents of unprovoked cross-border shelling resulting in a loss
of life, injuries and damage to property,” the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign
Affairs said in a statement, as Aljazeera quoted. The deadly clash is believed
to have erupted over the construction of a border checkpoint by Pakistan, which
has been trying to fence its porous border with Afghanistan, as Aljazeera
wrote. Pakistan said it remained committed to “maintaining fraternal relations
with Afghanistan” and described quiet borders as “intrinsic” to that objective.
The conflict has episodically occurred ever since the
Taliban takeover of Kabul on 15 August last year. The deep state in Pakistan,
once believed the Taliban would help them build “strategic depth” in
Afghanistan. Yet the same Afghan Taliban, once hailed as a “strategic asset”
has today turned into a foe. Developments since last year, when the Taliban
took control of Afghanistan, in violation of the Doha pact with the US, Imran
Khan, then PM of Pakistan, declared triumphantly that the Taliban had broken
“the shackles of slavery.”Many other Pakistanis also celebrated. Today, they
are rueing their statements!
Within just a few days of their victory, the new
rulers of Kabul released members of the Pakistani Taliban (known as the
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP) who had been imprisoned in Afghan jails —
the same people who have spent years waging war on the government in Islamabad.
The new government in Kabul has also pointedly refused to accept the
Pakistan-Afghanistan border, known as the Durand Line, drawn by the British
over a century ago. Pakistan was well aware that the Taliban planned to
gradually take over Afghanistan, but chose not to tell the US, which at the end
of the day had to beat a hasty retreat as it had done in Vietnam. Even after
the fall of Kabul, Pakistan tried to maintain its support for the Afghan
Taliban while simultaneously keeping the US happy, an ambiguous policy that
left no one happy at the end of the day.
In fact, Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, then DG ISI went above
his then Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa and flew to Kabul in mid-2021 to
support Taliban’s efforts against the Panjshir fighters in Northern
Afghanistan. Pak Army SSG fought alongside the Taliban at this time. This was
also the time when many TTP leaders were released by Pakistan. Lt. Gen. Hameed
visited Kabul again this year to persuade the Afghan Taliban to broker a peace
deal with the TTP. He failed in this mission also. The consequences of this
flawed policy are there for all to see; the TTP is back in Pakistan (KPK and
northern Balochistan) in full force. Terrorist attacks in Pakistan have
increased by 51 percent since the Afghan Taliban seized power.
The killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in
Kabul in July 2022 by a US drone sent already tense relations between the
Afghans and the Pakistanis to a new low. The Taliban blamed Islamabad for
al-Zawahiri’s death, which in a way was not incorrect as Pakistan allowed the
US to use its airspace to launch the strike. Pakistan’s incumbent Foreign
Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has visited many countries; but he is yet to
visit Kabul! He sent his Deputy, Hina Rabbani Khar to Kabul. She was the first
female minister to attempt to hold talks with the Taliban. But the Taliban
Defence Minister (the oldest son of Afghan Taliban leader Mohammad Omar)
refused to meet her.
The current situation on the border arose subsequent
to General Asim Munir taking over as the new Chief of the Pakistani army. The
next day, four civilians were killed in a suicide bombing in Pakistan; the TTP
claimed responsibility. General Asim Munir presided over a meeting of senior
generals at General Headquarters (GHQs) in Rawalpindi soon after taking over.
It was decided to launch military operations against the TTP in KPK and
northern Balochistan. The decision to launch the military operation followed
the attack on the Pakistani embassy in Kabul earlier in December 2022 and the
Afghan Border Forces attack on the Chaman Border that resulted in the deaths of
six Pakistani civilians.
Source: Khaama Press
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Afghan Refugee Boy Dies in U.S. After Falling Into the
Frozen Water
By Nizamuddin Rezahi
December 28, 2022
Police have reported that a 19-year-old boy was found
dead in Falls Church after falling through the ice at a Haymarket pond.
An Afghan national named, Shahzada Zadran and his
friend were on the ice at the Piedmont Club golf course off Erinblair Loop when
the ice broke and they fell into the frozen body of water.
The other man was able to get himself out of the water
and tried to locate Zadran, but he could find him, Prince William County Police
Master Officer Renee Carr said.
After the police was contacted, the 20-year-old boy
was taken to the hospital and he had no serious injuries.
However, Zadran was found dead when the fire crew
pulled him out of the icy water and took him to the hospital. According to
officials the neighborhood barely produces thick enough ice necessary for outdoor
recreation.
“Ice that forms where water levels change frequently,
or where the water is moving, such as stormwater ponds, rivers, and streams is
especially dangerous because its thickness will vary with the conditions and
may contain cracks,” Prince William County Fire and Rescue said in a news
release.
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/afghan-refugee-boy-dies-in-u-s-after-falling-into-the-frozen-water/
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Africa
Alaran Organises Special Muslim Prayer For Ariwoola,
Raji, Alege, Others
By Kazeem Awojoodu
Dec 28, 2022
IBADAN – The former Chairman Of Iseyin local
government and deputy governorship candidate on the platform of African
Democratic Congress in the 2019 election, Alhaji Saheed Alaran, on Tuesday,
organized a special Muslim prayer for the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN),
Kayode Ariwoola in Iseyin.
The focus of the prayer which had the Chief Imam of
Iseyin local government, Alhaji Akeem Babatunde Olajori, and members of the
Iseyin League of Imam and Alfas in attendance, was for God’s guidance and
protection over the CJN in his national duties.
The prayer point was also centered on prominent sons
and daughters of Iseyin community like Raji Ahmed SAN, who Alaran described as
a strong pillar for the development of Oyo State, Oke-Ogun and Iseyin
community.
Others that were prayed for on the occasion were the
Nigerian envoy to Ukraine, Ambassador Shina Alege, Jelili Owonikoko SAN, Bimbo
Atilola, among many others.
In his words, Alaran said the prayer was important as
the CJN has a national calling to rebuild the judicial system in Nigeria, so as
to make justice available to all without segregation, adding that the
distraction that followed his elevation was from elements that forgot that
Nigeria remained a country that could only survive its current challenges by
working on the unity of its tribal sections.
“The prayer is important because our brother who has
assumed a national position upon which our country’s judicial system is
anchored for survival and rebirth, he has gotten all that is needed to achieve
the height and he has gotten there, what remains is for God Almighty to guide,
protect and support him in all his doings.
“Also, we are here to pray for our brother who is the
face of Oke-Ogun and Iseyin, a respected legal practitioner and philanthropist
per excellence, Alhaji Ahmed Raji SAN, Oke- Ogun and Iseyin need him more now
that development has started coming our way, may he never misstep, may all God
continue to replenish him with wisdom and capabilities to do more for the
people.
“So did we pray for others like Ambassador Shina Alege,
Barrister Jelili Owonikoko and other sons and daughters of this community at
home and abroad that are making us proud in their different endeavours.”
Source: Independent Nigeria
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https://independent.ng/alaran-organises-special-muslim-prayer-for-ariwoola-raji-alege-others/
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Over 50 people killed in new communal violence in
South Sudan
Benjamin Takpiny
27.12.2022
JUBA, South Sudan
A fresh communal violence has killed 56 civilians in
South Sudan, a local official said on Tuesday.
The conflict erupted in the Greater Pibor
administrative area between groups of armed youth from Greater Pibor and the
neighboring Jonglei state.
“The conflict started yesterday (on Monday) in the
Gumuruk and Kongor towns of Pibor. It ended in the evening time,” Abraham
Kelang Jiji, Greater Pibor’s information minister, told Anadolu Agency over the
phone.
He also said 17 people were injured in the fighting,
which restarted in early Tuesday morning.
The government has deployed soldiers to protect
civilians, Jiji said, though situation is still worse.
“The attackers are still continuing fighting youth,
but civilians, mostly women and children, are under the protection of the
government,” he said.
Jiji added that the attackers stole several cattle
herds.
“They also attacked government facilities. Yesterday,
they attacked military barracks and killed one soldier and injured 17 others,”
he said.
The government of Jonglei state condemned the attack
on civilians by suspected youth from Jonglei.
“We are saddened and shocked by the report of a
barbaric attack on the Gumuruk town of Greater Pibor administrative area by
armed criminals suspected to be from our state” John Samuel Manyuon,
information and communication minister of Jonglei state, said in a statement on
Tuesday.
He urged suspected attackers to immediately withdraw
from the territories of Greater Pibor, calling such acts unacceptable and
intolerable, and said those who will be found to have carried it out will be
dealt with accordingly.
“We are calling on the National Government to
intervene and be part of the solution into ending this cycle of inter-communal
violence of killing …,” the official said.
The attack came a few days after the UN mission in
South Sudan warned of violence following mobilization and preparation for an
attack by armed youth and militia groups from the two areas.
Cattle raids, child abduction and revenge attacks have
been the main sources of conflict between the rival armed youth in South Sudan
for years.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Nigerian cyclist’s two-year journey to Saudi Arabia
for Umrah
RASHID HASSAN
December 27, 2022
RIYADH: A young Nigerian cyclist has reached Saudi
Arabia after two years to perform Umrah in Makkah and visit the Prophet’s
Mosque in Madinah.
Aliyu Abdullahi Bala, who arrived in Jeddah on Dec. 8,
was warmly welcomed by officials from the Consulate General in Jeddah on behalf
of Nigerian Ambassador Yahaya Lawal.
Lawal told Arab News: “He was given all possible
consular assistance, guidance and encouragement. The consulate facilitated his
onward journey on his bicycle to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.”
The Nigerian Embassy also said in a statement:
“Nigerian Mission warmly welcomes the bicycle man from Nigeria into the
Kingdom, who left Jos, Plateau State in February 2021, for Umrah in Makkah and
a visit to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, and arrived in the Kingdom safely
in the fulfillment of his vow and mission.”
Later, the ambassador met the Nigerian cyclist when he
returned to Jeddah after visiting the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.
Talking to Arab News by phone, arranged by the
ambassador, an emotional Bala said: “This was like my journey of a lifetime, it
was my dream coming true, all thanks to the Almighty Allah for giving me the
courage to perform the important religious rituals, no matter how difficult it
was to drive through the holy cities from the western African coast. I am also
thankful to the Nigerian Embassy and the Consulate for all the support and
moral encouragement.”
Bala, who is the first person to undertake such a
journey from Nigeria in modern times, has been in high spirits since he arrived
in the Kingdom.
The cycling enthusiast survived numerous obstacles and
dangers on his arduous journey that began in Nigeria on the western coast of
Africa and passed through Niger, Chad and Sudan before arriving at his
destination.
He encountered threats from insurgents, bandits who
took his mobile phone, and wild animals.
However, Bala was gifted a new mobile phone by the
generous people from a small town in Sudan after he shared his horrifying
experience about the bandits.
Bala, who often slept in bushes, also pushed his
bicycle for kilometers when he had a flat tire.
He was treated as a role model by many on his way.
Bala said: “I was given a hero’s welcome in all the cities and towns I passed
through,” receiving donations and support from people.
After completing his rituals, Bala took a flight home.
Earlier this year, British pilgrim Adam Mohammed
walked from Wolverhampton, England to Makkah to perform Hajj.
He walked through the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech
Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkiye, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan to
reach Saudi Arabia.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2223001/saudi-arabia
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North America
How the G77 group of developing nations helped advance
the cause of climate justice under Pakistan’s presidency
EPHREM KOSSAIFY
December 27, 2022
NEW YORK CITY: Developing countries made history at
the UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh in November
when they secured a new “loss and damage” fund to support victims of climate
disasters.
This key breakthrough, which encourages wealthy
nations to provide financial assistance to developing countries grappling with
the climate crisis, was hailed as a historic victory, crowning a decades-long
struggle.
“This is a significant achievement,” Bilawal Bhutto
Zardari, Pakistan’s foreign minister, told Arab News in an exclusive interview
in New York City, having just concluded his country’s G77 presidency and passed
the torch to Cuba.
“This is something that climate activists have been
struggling for for 30 years and I am proud of the fact that it was under
Pakistan’s chairmanship of the G77 that we managed to achieve that aim.”
Pakistan, as the 2022 chair of the G77 group of 134
developing nations, has led the charge in the global fight for climate
assistance to the developing world.
Many of these countries contribute relatively little
to global greenhouse gas emissions, yet are themselves often the most
vulnerable to climate catastrophes, such as rising sea levels, prolonged heat
waves, desertification, ocean acidification, extreme weather, bush fires, loss
of biodiversity, and crop failures.
Prior to COP27, Islamabad had succeeded in putting the
issue of “loss and damage” on the summit agenda. This was no easy feat.
For decades, wealthy, industrialized countries, which
produce the most greenhouse gas emissions, resisted the idea of such a fund,
citing fears of continuous demands for compensation on the part of the
low-income countries.
Their change of heart was likely influenced by
Pakistan’s own unprecedented climate disaster.
Between June and October, intense monsoon rains
resulted in catastrophic flooding, which many scientists and Pakistani
officials believe was the result of man-made climate change.
Flood waters submerged one-third of the country,
covering an area equivalent to the size of the UK. More than 1,400 people were
killed and thousands more injured. Around 33 million people were directly
impacted, including 6 million left destitute.
The floods destroyed 1.7 million homes, 12,000 km of
road, 375 bridges, and 5 million acres of crops, costing Pakistan an estimated
$40 billion in damages, while amply demonstrating why a loss and damage fund
was so urgently needed.
Indeed, Pakistan is responsible for less than 1
percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, and yet, like many vulnerable
nations, predominantly in the global south, appears to be carrying the burden
of man-made climate change.
“Success is always the result of compromise,” Bhutto
Zardari told Arab News.
“And I feel that we’ve managed to achieve some common
ground through the language incorporated in loss and damage.
“We need to look at this, not just as the developed
world needing to give compensation or reparations to the developing world, but
as a more practical approach, a more realistic approach, that we have to work
together.
“The global south and the global north have to work
together. The developing world and the developed world have to work together.
“Climate justice, climate catastrophe, knows no
boundaries, does not care whether you’re rich or poor, whether you contributed
to climate change much or you didn’t.
“It is devastating lives in Pakistan. It is
devastating lives here in the US, where recently you had Hurricane Ian. In
China, the heat wave. Drought and forest fires in South Africa. In Europe,
floods.
“Wherever we look we see climate catastrophes catching
up to us and we have to work together to address this issue.
“Obviously, there are different perspectives. The
developing world feels that their carbon footprint is smaller, they haven’t
contributed as much as the developed world has to the crisis.
“They haven’t benefited in the same way the developed
world has from industrialization. And therefore we have to find the middle
ground between the two to address this issue.”
Pakistan is a founding member of the G77, which was
established in 1964 and is the largest intergovernmental grouping of developing
countries in the UN system. It provides a platform for developing nations to
advocate their common economic interests within the international body.
Islamabad had assumed the presidency of the group —
its third tenure since the group was founded — armed with a list of priorities
it intended to address.
The UN has repeatedly stressed that global challenges
such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of climate change, and a lack of
progress on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals are
disproportionately falling on the shoulders of the world’s poorest.
The discrepancy in vaccination rates around the world
alone was a shocking illustration of the widening gap between low-income and
rich nations.
According to Our World in Data figures, as of July
2022, just 15.8 percent of people in low-income countries were fully
vaccinated, compared with 55 percent in lower-middle income countries, 73.5
percent in high-income countries, and 78.7 percent in upper-middle income
countries.
Closing these chronic gaps between rich and poor and
recalibrating the strategic power dynamic has been the raison d’etre of the G77
since its creation.
“The agenda, or the aspiration of the G77, is exactly
that. We represent the aspirations of the developing world,” said Bhutto
Zardari. “It is one of the largest forums at the UN.
“To say at the end of our one-year term that we
managed to fundamentally alter the dynamics between the developing world, the
global south and the global north, would not be correct. There is a lot of work
to be done.
“But I do believe we’ve managed to highlight some of
these discrepancies, some of these predictions and particularly within the
context of COP27, the success of G77 to get loss and damage onto its agenda
goes a long way to address this discrepancy.”
Beyond the climate crisis, the pandemic, and regional
conflicts, developing nations have also borne the brunt of inflationary
pressures resulting from the war in Ukraine, which have caused food and fuel
prices to skyrocket over the course of the past year.
Combined, these challenges have hampered the
implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals — a collection of 17
interlinked objectives formulated in 2015 to serve as a shared blueprint for
peace and prosperity for people and the planet to be achieved by 2030.
“I believe as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and a
whole host of other factors, including the Ukraine war, we have not been able
to make the necessary progress on SDGs,” said Bhutto Zardari.
“If we do want to achieve that goal then it requires
quite an ambitious reform agenda that would endorse many of the suggestions of
Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, who also calls for reforms of
international financial institutions in order for us to be able to deliver on
SDGs.”
To overcome these concurrent crises, restore
economies, achieve the SDGs, and address the “unequal and unjust” international
economic system, Bhutto Zardari used his G77 presidency handover speech on Dec.
15 to call for emergency measures and structural changes.
These include mobilizing urgent humanitarian support
for more than 50 countries in economic distress, providing emergency food
supplies through the UN to the 250 million people who are food insecure,
boosting food production and supplies to moderate prices, and facilitating
farmers’ access to seeds, fertilizers and finance.
Bhutto Zardari also urged the international community
to ensure developing countries had sufficient access to energy, to mobilize $1
trillion per year to invest in sustainable infrastructure, and for “systemic
and structural reforms” to address the inequalities of the international
financial system.
Loss and damage was a rare point of policy convergence
in South Asia and a demonstration of developing nations wielding collective
strength when they have common cause. “I think we were very successful in
creating that consensus,” Bhutto Zardari told Arab News.
“Time and time again, the G77 has come together to
take unanimous decisions, consensus decisions. Every meeting that we chaired
here has had an outcome document.
“I don’t think it would have been possible to insist
on loss and damage being part of the agenda or ultimately agreeing to get the
loss and damage fund in financial arrangements… without consensus and unity
across the board at G77.
“In the past year, we managed to sustain that
consensus and it’s incredibly encouraging.”
He added: “The art of diplomacy, of politics, is being
able to find mutual ground. I am a strong believer. I think the politics
domestically in my country and internationally tend to be politics of division.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2222936/world
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UN Security Council denounces Taliban bans on women in Afghanistan
December 27, 2022
UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council on Tuesday
called for the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in
Afghanistan, denouncing a ban by the Taliban-led administration on women
attending universities or working for humanitarian aid groups.
In the latest blow to women’s rights in Afghanistan
since the Taliban reclaimed power last year, on Saturday the hard-line Islamist
rulers banned women from working in non-governmental organizations, sparking
international outcry.
The Taliban have already suspended university
education for women and secondary schooling for girls.
The 15-member UN Security Council said in a statement
agreed by consensus it was “deeply alarmed” by the increasing restrictions on
women’s education, calling for “the full, equal, and meaningful participation
of women and girls in Afghanistan.”
It urged the Taliban “to reopen schools and swiftly
reverse these policies and practices, which represents an increasing erosion
for the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
In its statement, the Council also condemned the ban
on women working for NGOs, adding to warnings of the detrimental impact on aid
operations in a country where millions rely on them.
“These restrictions contradict the commitments made by
the Taliban to the Afghan people as well as the expectations of the
international community,” it said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Twitter
on Tuesday that the restrictions were “unjustifiable human rights violations
and must be revoked.” He added: “Actions to exclude and silence women and girls
continue to cause immense suffering and major setbacks to the potential of the
Afghan people.”
The university ban on women was announced as the
Security Council in New York met on Afghanistan last week. Girls have been
banned from high school since March.
The council said a ban on female humanitarian workers,
announced on Saturday, “would have a significant and immediate impact for
humanitarian operations in country,” including those of the UN.
“These restrictions contradict the commitments made by
the Taliban to the Afghan people as well as the expectations of the
international community,” said the Security Council, which also expressed its
full support for the UN political mission in Afghanistan, known as UNAMA.
Four major global aid groups, whose humanitarian
efforts have reached millions of Afghans, said on Sunday that they were
suspending operations because they were unable to run their programs without
female staff.
UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told the Security
Council last week that 97 percent of Afghans live in poverty, two-thirds of the
population need aid to survive, 20 million people face acute hunger and 1.1
million teenage girls were banned from school.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2222976/world
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Syria: Expelling US occupation forces not out of reach
28 December 2022
Syria's foreign ministry says expelling the US
occupation forces from the country's soil is not out of reach, especially given
the Syrian popular forces' ongoing successful resistance operations.
"Syrian people in the northeast of the country
are writing their story of heroism and struggle against the US occupation
forces and their tools," the ministry tweeted on Tuesday.
"The expulsion of foreign occupation from Syrian
territories never seem to be too far," it added.
The ministry considered the resistance forces'
"rejection of the occupation forces [to be] guarantor of the liberation of
the land and restoration of [the Syrian people's] rights," saying the
prospect of the country's ridding itself of the foreign forces was
"approaching fast."
The United States and its allies invaded Syria in 2014
under the pretext of fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group. The terrorist
outfit had emerged as Washington was running out of excuses to extend its
regional meddling or enlarge it in scale.
The US retains the presence, although, Syria and its
allies defeated Daesh in late 2017.
Throughout the past several years, the US military has
stationed its forces and equipment in northeastern Syria, with the Pentagon
claiming that the deployment is aimed at preventing the oilfields in the area
from falling into the hands of the Daesh terrorists.
Damascus, however, maintains that the deployment is
meant to plunder the Arab country’s natural resources.
Source: Press TV
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/12/28/695266/Syria-occupation-forces-expulsion
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US occupation convoy confronted by Syrian troops,
forced back in oil-rich Hasakah
27 December 2022
Syrian government troops have confronted a US military
convoy in northeastern province of Hasakah as the occupation forces were
attempting to pass through a community in the energy-rich region.
Amid an increasing public anger over the presence of
American occupation forces, Syrian army troops stationed at a checkpoint at the
entrance to the village of Tell Dahab, which lies south of the city of
Qamishli, blocked and expelled the convoy of several armored vehicles,
according to Syria’s official SANA news agency.
The convoy was forced to turn around and return in the
direction it had come from.
The development came days after US occupation forces
in northeastern Syria sent 95 tankers of stolen Syrian oil to Iraq in two
separate convoys.
The batches of stolen oil were sent from the Jazira
and Eastern regions in Syria’s Hasakah province to northern Iraq through the
illegal Mahmoudiya and al-Waleed border crossings late on December 22.
The US military has for long stationed its forces and
equipment in northeastern Syria, with the Pentagon claiming that the deployment
is aimed at preventing the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of
Daesh terrorists.
Source: Press TV
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