Disney's 'Lightyear' Banned In Malaysia, Muslim Countries over Same-Sex Kissing Scene
New Age Islam News Bureau
18 June 2022
• Protecting the Beliefs and Rights of the People Is Now 2nd Phase of Jihad, Says Anas Haqqani of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
• Iran’s Qasem Soleimani Killed to Stop Plot against
500 Americans: Former US Secretary Of State
• British Columbia Imam Continues To Deliver
Anti-Semitic Sermons
• Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, Reacts as Lagos Loses
Hijab Battle at Supreme Court
Southeast
Asia
• Philippine Security Forces Detain Abu Sayyaf
Executioner Of Canadian Hostages
• Malaysia: Concerns of Rising Intolerance
• WTO strikes landmark deals package after marathon
talks
• Zahid pleads not guilty to another amended charge
--------
South
Asia
• A Delegation of Pakistani Clerics Arrives in Kabul
to Negotiate with the TTP
• The Taliban Arrests Six People for Allegedly
Excavating Historical Sites Illegally
• ‘No Choice’ Says Afghan Journalist Whose Photo On
Street Went Viral. Taliban Offers Him Job
• Myanmar, Bangladesh discuss repatriation of Muslim
refugees
• Afghanistan’s NRF claims shooting down Taliban’s
chopper in Panjshir province
• Attack on Sikh temple in Afghan capital Kabul wounds
two: Officials
• Casualties as explosion targets mosque in northern
Afghanistan
• One killed, several wounded in Kunduz mosque blast
--------
North
America
• US seeks close ties on human rights, Afghan refugees
• Man on plane grounded in Argentina a captain in Iran
terror force, says Paraguay intel chief
• US never carried out its obligations under JCPOA:
Analyst
--------
Europe
• Film tells of Bosnian Muslims and Jews saving one
another in wars
• Greek PM in Cyprus talks on latest war of words with
Turkey
• Türkiye, Bosnia Herzegovina to improve strong
relations: Bosnian Foreign Minister
• Sweden takes measures against PKK-related social
media posts in Stockholm
• Agreement with MP supporting YPG/PKK terrorists to expire
soon, says Swedish premier
--------
Africa
• 2023 presidency: PFN outlines actions it will take
against Muslim-Muslim ticket
• Head of Libya’s High Council of State set to meet UN
envoy in Egypt
• Somali military repulses al-Shabaab terrorist attack,
kills 47
--------
India
• India Slams China for Putting ‘Technical Hold’ On
Listing Pakistan-Based LeT Deputy Chief as ‘Global Terrorist’
• Jammu: Curfew in Bhaderwah Continues For Ninth Day,
Security Heightened Outside Mosques before Friday Prayers
• Hizb duo killed in Anantnag encounter
• Friday Namaz Passes off Peacefully in U.P.’S Agra,
Other Districts of Zone
• Friday Prayers Pass Off Peacefully In Prayagraj
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistan Remains On FATF ‘Grey List’ For Now, But
Nears Possible Exit
• No Change in Policy towards India, Bilawal's Remarks
on Re-Engagement 'Portrayed Incorrectly', Says Pakistan
• Pakistan launches diplomatic effort to get out off
FATF grey list: Report
• Karachi police register FIRs against Saad Rizvi,
Mustafa Kamal on terror charges over poll-related violence
• Pakistan seeks US support for IMF programme revival
• Pakistan's Ailing Musharraf Set To Return Home From
Dubai: Report
--------
Arab
World
• Saudi Crown Prince to Visit Turkey in First since Khashoggi
Murder
• UAE concerned by Iran nuclear program, seeks
reassurances
• Drone strike kills three in Iraqi Kurdistan:
Officials
• UAE minster attends St. Petersburg Forum
highlighting bilateral relations with Russia
• UN chief calls on Lebanon to respect Hague court’s
verdict on Hariri killing
• Iraq decries latest Turkish drone strike in
Kurdistan region, vows response after investigation
• Report: Russia warns to strike US-allied militants
in Syria’s al-Tanf region
--------
Mideast
• Israel PM Looks into Forming Alternative Gov’t with
Netanyahu
• President Rayeesi: Decision to Impose News Sanctions
on Iran Proves US Untrustworthiness
• Gaza rocket into Israel breaks two-month lull
• PKK terrorists dug cross-border tunnel between Iraq,
Syria, says official
• Amid Live Fire Training, US 'Begs' Israel to Halt
Violence during Biden Visit
• At least 78 Palestinians injured after Israeli
forces attack protests in West Bank
• Palestinians hold funeral of three young men killed
by Israeli forces
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/disney-lightyear-malaysia-muslim-same-sex/d/127272
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Disney's 'Lightyear' Banned In Malaysia, Muslim
Countries over Same-Sex Kissing Scene
June 17, 2022
Malaysia and other Muslim countries have banned
"Lightyear" from playing in theatres after Disney refused to cut a
same-sex kissing scene from the animated film.
The Disney Pixar film was released in theatres on June
17.
Malaysia's Film Censorship Board said it approved the
movie with parental guidance for those under 13 on the condition of
modifications. Scenes and dialogues that it "found to contain elements
promoting the LGBT lifestyle, which violate key aspects of the Guidelines on
the Film Censorship," were ordered to "be cut and muted."
"However, the film distributors did not agree to
comply with the instructions" and decided instead to cancel the screening,
the board said, adding that it would not compromise on any LGBTQ scenes.
The statement did not specify which scenes violated
censorship guidelines.
Authorities across much of the Muslim world have
barred "Lightyear" from being played at cinemas because it includes a
brief kiss between a lesbian couples.
Many Muslims consider gay and lesbian behaviour sinful
and many Muslim-majority nations criminalize same-sex relationships. The United
Arab Emirates also announced it would ban the Pixar animated feature from
showing in movie theatres because of the kiss.
The same-sex kiss occurs in the first 30 minutes of
the film. The moment occurs between the character Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba)
and her partner.
The scene has received criticism in the United States
as well.
"Lightyear" star Chris Evans called people
in the U.S. criticizing the scene "idiots" in a recent interview.
"The real truth is those people are idiots,"
Evans said during an interview with Reuters Television.
"There's always going to be people who are afraid
and unaware and trying to hold on to what was before. But those people die off
like dinosaurs. I think the goal is to pay them no mind, march forward and
embrace the growth that makes us human."
Source: Fox News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Protecting the Beliefs and Rights of the People Is Now
2nd Phase of Jihad, Says Anas Haqqani of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
The scion of Afghanistan’s feared Haqqani network Anas
Haqqani Photograph :( WION)
----
June 17, 2022
Anas Haqqani, a prominent member of the Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), said Friday that while the protection of the
current system was Jihad, the Islamic Emirate had not made sacrifices over the
years to attain a position of power, but rather to be in a position to protect
the beliefs and rights of the people.
Haqqani also said that the IEA is now in its “second
phase of Jihad” and that they need to “protect the system”.
Speaking to residents of Ghorband, during a visit to
Parwan province, Haqqani emphasized that sacrifices made by the IEA were made
to protect the beliefs, honor, religion, country and rights of the people, and
not to attain a position of power.
The Islamic Emirate must pay attention to and address
the needs of the Mujahideen so that they do not think the Islamic Emirate has
forgotten them, he said adding “because our joint goal is to protect and
practice Sharia.”
Haqqani said: “The goal of all the leaders of the
Islamic Emirate is to serve and protect the rights of Afghans in accordance
with Sharia.”
During his visit, Haqqani stressed the importance of
protecting the system as a Jihad against infidels.
He also said current officials do not consider
themselves superior to the people.
“Now that the Islamic Emirate has succeeded, we must
not forget our duty as a citizen. We must not forget and we must all roll up
our sleeves for the development of the country and not forget the sacrifices of
Jihad.”
Source: Ariana News
https://www.ariananews.af/protecting-system-is-now-2nd-phase-of-jihad-says-haqqani/
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Iran’s Qasem Soleimani Killed to Stop Plot against 500
Americans: Former US Secretary Of State
Iran’s former top military commander Qassem Soleimani
-----
Beyza Binnur Dönmez
18.06.2022
Iran's former top military commander Qassem Soleimani
was killed to stop a plot against 500 Americans, according to former US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
"General Soleimani was engaged in a plot to kill
another 500 Americans. We had the opportunity to take down that plot, and we
did," Pompeo said in an interview with Al Arabiya published Friday.
Asked about the circumstances behind the Soleimani’s
killing despite the warnings, he said: "Much like the warnings that said
if you want to withdraw from the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action -
Iran nuclear deal) there will be war, and much like the warnings that said if
the United States moves its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem there will be
war, there were warnings that said if you strike at General Soleimani there
will be war."
"Well, we didn't just do one of those or two of
those. We did each of those three things and there was no war," he said.
Asked whether it was a fast decision made by the
government, he said "we had been working to protect our assets in Iraq,
our people in Syria and in fact, Americans all across the world for an awfully
long time."
"We had been watching what the Quds Force was up
to," he said. "And so in that sense, it was a project that we had
been engaged in continuously and then we had this opportunity to stop what was
an imminent attack on US resources, US assets, US people and ... the president
made the decision to just do that."
Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike Jan. 3,
2020.
Iranian regime 'evil theocrats' aiming to destroy US,
Israel
Pompeo said the Iranian regime is made up of
"evil theocrats" who are aiming to destroy the US and Israel.
"We know who the Iranian regime is. These are
evil theocrats intent on the destruction of the nation of Israel and the United
States of America. We ought not to be negotiating to figure out how much money
to give them in exchange for an ephemeral promise for just a moment to slow
down their enrichment and weapons program," he said, regarding US
President Joe Biden's approach to Iran and a possible return to the Iran
nuclear deal.
Talks between Iran and world powers in Vienna to
salvage the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, have been stalled amid key
disagreements between Tehran and Washington.
The US walked out of the deal in May 2018 and
reinstated sanctions on Iran. In response, Tehran ramped up its uranium
enrichment process from 3.65% stipulated in the deal to 60%.
"We know they (Iran) lied about the history of
that program the first time. Why would we negotiate with someone who has lied
about their nuclear program is beyond me," said Pompeo.
Regarding a resolution adopted by the UN nuclear
agency urging Iran to fulfill its obligation to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Pompeo said it was "good"
but should have been done "months ago."
Iran has been "in violation of the NPT for an
awfully long time," he said. "The question isn’t what resolution
someone will sign at a cocktail party. It’s what is the enforcement mechanism
that one is prepared to use in order to ensure that Iran comes back into
compliance with the NPT."
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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British Columbia Imam Continues To Deliver
Anti-Semitic Sermons
Sheikh Younus Kathrada delivers a sermon at the Muslim
Youth of Victoria in British Columbia (YouTube screenshot)
-----
17.06.22
A Victoria, British Columbia imam has continued to
deliver extreme anti-Semitic sermons to followers in the city, even after
videos of his hateful rhetoric were published by a watchdog organization,
according to B’nai Brith Canada.
Younus Kathrada, the head of an organization called
Muslim Youth of Victoria, was recently exposed yet again by MEMRI TV “pray[ing]
for Allah to bring annihilation upon the criminal and plundering Jews.”
In a previous May 2021 video posted by MEMRI, Kathrada
said that Muslims’ “enmity towards the Jews is just and sensible” and said, “Oh
Allah, give strength to Islam and Muslims to humiliate the infidels and the
polytheists.”
B'nai Brith Canada recently submitted a formal
criminal complaint to the Victoria Police Department (VPD), regarding
Kathrada's latest hateful speech.
The VPD responded in an email to B’nai Brith, saying
that the video of Kathrada’s sermon will be reviewed by a specialized officer.
"The Victoria PD and several other agencies on
Vancouver Island are very much aware of Kathrada's statements and are
monitoring him,” the email said.
B’nai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn said: “It is
important that this extremist hate-monger is being vigorously investigated
after this latest hate incident. It's appalling that such noxious hate speech
against Jews is allowed to continue in Canada, and we hope Kathrada will now
face criminal charges."
B’nai Brith noted that Kathrada, who has been
denounced by the local Muslim community, has been the subject of criminal
complaints that they made to law enforcement in the past, starting in 2004.
The advocacy group listed other hateful incidents
involving Kathrada, including an October of 2019 speech in which he advised
congregants not to vote in the Canadian federal election, arguing that all
Jewish and Christian candidates were “filthy” and “evil.” In January of that
year, Kathrada suggested that wishing Christians a Merry Christmas was a sin
worse than murder.
This was followed by an April 2020 sermon, where he
called for the annihilation of atheists and victory for jihad.
In November 2020, Kathrada was reported to the police
by B'nai Brith for statements comparing Jews to monkey and pigs and calling for
their destruction. In August 2021, he described Christians and Jews as 'our
enemies' who were trying to "spend mountains of gold to drive us away from
Islam."
"The insults and the ruthless rhetoric that this
person has hurled at the Jewish people and others over the years transcend
acceptable behaviour, particularly for a religious leader, and is clearly
hate-motivated," Mostyn said. "Our country cannot allow any
individual or group preach with such venom."
Source: Israel National News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/355108
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Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, Reacts as Lagos Loses
Hijab Battle at Supreme Court
GETTY IMAGES/ BBC.com
----
June 17, 2022
By Don Silas
The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, on Friday hailed the
judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria for upholding the sanctity and
constitutionality of the hijab.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, the Supreme Court
approved the use of hijab in public schools in Lagos State.
In a statement by its Director, Professor Ishaq
Akintola, MURIC said, “The Supreme Court of Nigeria in its judgment yesterday,
Thursday, 16th June, 2022, approved the use of hijab by Muslim students. The
apex court dismissed the appeal by the Lagos State Government and upheld the
earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal which held that the ban on hijab was
discriminatory against Muslim students.
“The court upheld that the ban violated the Muslim
students’ rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, the dignity of
human persons, and freedom from discrimination guaranteed by the 1999
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Seven justices of the Supreme Court sat on the
matter. Five of them supported the judgment while two opposed it. The lead
judgment was read by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. Other justices on the panel
were Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Justice John Inyang Okoro, Justice Uwani Aji,
Justice Mohammed Garba, Justice Tijjani Abubakar, and Justice Emmanuel Agim.
“This is the moment of truth. Divine truth has
overwhelmed social truth. No matter how long, the truth will prevail in the
end. MURIC hails this judgment. We salute the courage of the honourable
justices who stood by the sanctity of the Constitution and the inviolability of
our font et origo.
“Once again, this pronouncement has infused hope in
the Nigerian judiciary. The justices have refused to be swayed by religious
sentiment. They stuck to the facts of the case and relied on the supremacy of
the Nigerian Constitution. This is evident in the constitution of the panel:
only three of them are Muslims while the remaining four are Christians. Yet
five of them were in favour.
“We call on the Lagos State Government (LASG) to
immediately implement the letter and spirit of this judgement. It becomes
imperative for LASG to issue a circular on the approval of hijab in all its
public schools without any delay. MURIC had earlier demanded the issuance of
this circular but LASG ignored our demand to date.
“But the highest court in the land has now spoken and
LASG cannot afford to delay it because this is a constitutional matter and an
issue of great public interest. Had it been freely given had been good, but it
has been delayed until the victims of oppression and persecution can no longer
express gratitude to LASG for having their Allah-given fundamental human rights
restored by the Supreme Court.
“Let this serve as an eye-opener and a warning to
religious fanatics and Muslim-haters wherever they may be, particularly those
who often snatch the hijab from the heads of female Muslim students in public,
those who have been humiliating our daughters, and those who have been beating
them mercilessly. Judgement day is here.
“We can see the doors of South West prisons opening to
admit culprits of contempt of this Supreme Court pronouncement. After all, it
is well known that there is no appeal for Supreme Court judgement. It is the
last bus stop. All public school authorities, hardliner principals, and
classroom teachers in Kwara, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, etc, are
advised to take note.
“We give thanks to Almighty Allah, the Most Powerful, the
Wisest, the Greatest, the Inimitable, the Indefatigable, the Invincible, the
Judge of all judges, King of all kings and Master of all masters. We reaffirm
our faith in the oneness of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad (Peace and
Mercy of Allah be upon him).
“MURIC congratulates Nigerian Muslims, particularly
all Islamic organisations in the country. Special encomiums go to the team of
Muslim lawyers who fought the case. They are our frontline soldiers. We salute
their tenacity. We pray that Allah will reward them in this world and in the
Hereafter. It has been a hard-won victory and a long road to triumph.
“Before we lift our fingers from the keyboard, we
dedicate this victory to the undisputed leader of Nigerian Muslims, the Sultan
of Sokoto and the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic
Affairs, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’d Abubakar for his wise counsel and his unwavering
belief in peaceful approach at all times. We thank Allah that this victory came
in his lifetime.”
Source: Daily Post Nigeria
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://dailypost.ng/2022/06/17/islamic-group-reacts-as-lagos-loses-hijab-battle-at-supreme-court/
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Southeast
Asia
Philippine
security forces detain Abu Sayyaf executioner of Canadian hostages
June
18, 2022
MANILA:
Two notorious militants from the Abu Sayyaf Group, including the executioner of
Canadian hostages, were detained on Friday after surrendering to the Philippine
security forces, the military said.
Ben
Quirino, alias Ben Tattoo, 41, and his brother Almujer Yadah, 55, were
sub-leaders of the militant outfit that operates in the country’s south, and
has gained notoriety for extortion, assassinations and kidnappings for ransom.
Both
men have been linked to several killings, including of two Canadian nationals
who were abducted from an upscale resort on Samal island in 2015 and taken
captive to the group’s stronghold in Jolo, Sulu province.
The
Canadians were killed in 2016 after a $6.4 million ransom was not paid. Tattoo
filmed himself beheading the captives.
He
was also involved in the kidnapping of Arab News Asia bureau chief Baker Atyani
in 2012.
Atyani,
who was working for Al-Arabiya News Channel at the time, was held captive by
ASG for 18 months.
Yadah
was responsible for ASG’s logistics and food supplies.
“We
consider these two as the most notorious ASG leaders to have surrendered
considering the number of cases that have been filed against them — from
kidnapping for ransom, murder and many more,” Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio,
commander of the 11th Infantry Division designated to fight militancy in Sulu,
told Arab News.
“They
got tired of running from pursuing military forces. Besides, they no longer
have the support of the local populace; their group has been badly decimated
and their brothers killed.”
Formed
in 1991, ASG emerged as a splinter group of the Moro National Liberation Front,
a movement seeking autonomy for Filipino Muslims in the south of the country.
It was initially influenced by Al-Qaeda, but since the early 2000s has been
involved mainly in criminal activity. In 2014, some of its factions pledged
allegiance to Daesh.
ASG’s
strength has been declining since 2018 when the Philippine military stepped up
a crackdown on Daesh affiliates. Data from the 11th Infantry Division shows
that the number of active militants in the group has fallen from about 300 in
2019 to an estimated 100.
Brig.
Gen. Benjamin Batara Jr., commander of the 1103rd Infantry Brigade, which has
jurisdiction over Tattoo and Yadah’s hometown of Patikul, told Arab News the
military has been tracking the pair since last year, with the help of police,
intelligence and local governments.
But
the key to how we were able to reach out to them was their families and
community leaders,” he said. “Apparently, they were already under pressure
because of continuous military and police operations, and a series of
surrenders of their fellow Abu Sayyaf members.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2105746/world
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Malaysia:
Concerns Of Rising Intolerance
June
18, 2022
By
Muzliza Mustafa
When
one of Malaysia’s powerful sultans recently slapped the religious affairs
minister with a rare rebuke for saying Muslims shouldn’t participate in a
Japanese cultural festival because it had un-Islamic elements, the incident
cast a spotlight on growing intolerance here.
“Hands
off,” the Sultan of Selangor indicated. “[U]nderstand the difference between
religion and culture,” he said via Facebook in publicly scolding Minister Idris
Ahmad, of the Islamic Party PAS, which is a partner in the country’s ruling
coalition.
A
potential diplomatic to-do was averted, but the incident has left observers
worrying about a climate of fundamentalism in this religiously and racially
mixed Islamic-majority nation. The mood in Malaysia is filled with a
pandemic-driven economic malaise as the country faces the prospect of a general
election months away or next year.
There
is cause for concern, says Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, deputy managing director
at market advisory firm Bower Group Asia.
“Malaysia
is regressing, and the intolerance that we see here is worrying. We are
becoming far too right [wing] nowadays,” Sani told BenarNews.
“In
Malaysia, religion and race are being used to gain political mileage by some
parties. … Today is about Bon Odori, what will be next?”
Malaysia
is nearly 64 percent Muslim and slightly more than half of the population is
ethnic Malays, who generally practice Islam. Other communities include ethnic
Chinese and Indian Malaysians.
Bon
Odori is a Japanese cultural event with roots in Buddhism, but experts quoted
in Malaysian media say the tradition, celebrated in Malaysia since the
mid-1970s, has shed its religious meaning. Celebrations of Bon Odori are
scheduled for next month in Shah Alam, Selangor state, and in Penang.
Earlier
this month, Minister Ahmad, from the conservative Malaysian Islamic Party
(PAS), advised Muslims to not join the festival because, he said, it contained
elements from other religions. Despite the Selangor sultan’s admonition to
Ahmad, his and PAS’ stance on Muslim attending the festival remains the same,
local media reported on Thursday.
‘Little
Napoleons’
In
some other cases, PAS has not even needed to step in, and fellow ideologues
have done the job. Take the case of Ramli Ibrahim, a Malay Muslim and renowned
practitioner of the Indian dance form Odissi, which conservative Muslims frown
upon as un-Islamic.
In
June 2021, the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia canceled Ramli’s talk on art
transcending race, after the campus’s Islamic Center advised against it.
The
dancer said the center was an arm of the federal Department of Islamic
Development (JAKIM), which plays a key role in the planning of Islamic affairs
and is part of the Prime Minister’s Office.
In
a Facebook post, Ramli lashed out at the center, known as Pusat Islam in Malay.
“The
Pusat Islam is the moral policing/vigilante body for many of the government and
even quasi-government institutions. They represent the effective arm of JAKIM
to control/define what is permitted to be ‘fed’ to the populist/students/staff
etc.,” he wrote.
“An
Islamic/fascist body, controlled by little Napoleons, it filters the level of
intelligence and what the rakyat [public]/students/audience can endeavor to be
exposed or strive to learn from.”
Political
analyst Bridget Welsh described JAKIM as having “an annual budget of
approximately $300 million and thousands of staff involved in monitoring social
behavior.”
The
academic with the University of Nottingham Malaysia and other critics say JAKIM
is responsible for creating religious schisms in Malay society.
“The
state’s administration of Islam has been seen to encroach on the rights of
non-Muslims and many Muslims, especially in Muslim minority sects that have
been targeted by state authorities,” Welsh wrote in an August 2020 publication
for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“At
the same time, the growth of the country’s religious bureaucracy has created a
constituency with a vested interest in promoting religion, particularly the
conservative interpretations of the faith predominant among state clerics…,”
she wrote.
Ramli
described the climate as a decline into medievalism.
“Malaysia
is regressing in certain aspects … This intolerance is worrying,” Ramli said.
“JAKIM
is controlling cultural activities of many educational institutions in Malaysia
and I find that also as a form of regression.”
Ramli
and Welsh both blame the state education system.
“In
public education, religious classes often take up almost half the school day,
and students are segregated by religion for these courses, creating
resentments,” Welsh wrote.
“The
number of Islamic religious schools has grown exponentially, with many students
growing up without friends from other communities.”
Source:
Eurasia Review
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.eurasiareview.com/18062022-malaysia-concerns-of-rising-intolerance-analysis/
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WTO
strikes landmark deals package after marathon talks
June
18, 2022
GENEVA:
The World Trade Organization concluded a landmark bundle of deals Friday
covering fishing subsidies, food insecurity and Covid-19 vaccines following
hectic round-the-clock talks.
WTO
director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said trade ministers had struck an
“unprecedented” number of agreements that would affect the lives of people
everywhere.
The
talks in Geneva began Sunday and had been due to wrap up on Wednesday.
But
instead, the WTO’s 164 members went through two straight nights before getting
the package over the line at around 5am Friday.
“DEAL!”
tweeted EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis after the conference went
nearly 36 hours into overtime.
The
WTO’s 12th ministerial conference (MC12) reeled in a deal to halt harmful
fisheries subsidies after more than two decades of negotiations, and also
reached agreements on e-commerce, responding to pandemics and reforming the
organisation itself.
“Not
in a long while has the WTO seen such a significant number of multilateral
outcomes,” Okonjo-Iweala said.
“The
package of agreements you have reached will make a difference to the lives of
people around the world.”
But
she acknowledged that “there were many moments when I feared we would come out
of MC12 with nothing at all”.
As
negotiations dragged on, delegates at one point had even danced to songs like
“I will survive” and “Final Countdown” to blow off steam, US ambassador Maria
Pagan told reporters.
Fish
deal netted
The
fisheries deal was the last one to get over the line, with negotiators
hammering out the final points into the early hours of Friday.
Talks
toward banning subsidies that encourage overfishing and threaten the
sustainability of the planet’s fish stocks had been going on at the WTO since
2001.
The
text was watered down significantly, but Okonjo-Iweala insisted it was better
to get an agreement rather than keep negotiating for years to come.
Dombrovskis
acknowledged to reporters that the agreement fell short of what the EU would
have wanted, but “we decided that taking this first step … was better than not
getting any agreement”.
US
trade representative Katherine Tai also hailed the agreement, as “a positive
step forward”, highlighting that countries had committed to continue talks
towards a more ambitious text.
Myron
Brilliant, head of international affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce,
highlighted the importance of moving forward on banning harmful fisheries
subsidies.
“This
is a rare case where trade rules could make a huge contribution to addressing a
major environmental problem,” he said.
Consensus
The
fisheries agreement marks the first large multilateral deal agreed at the WTO
in nearly a decade.
Okonjo-Iweala,
who took over in March 2021, hinged her leadership on breathing new life into
the sclerotic organisation.
She
wanted to prove that the organisation could still make itself relevant in
tackling the big global challenges.
The
former foreign and finance minister of Nigeria positioned herself as someone
who can bang heads together and get business done.
“I
prefer to talk less and do more,” she said Friday.
As
for why the discussions went on so long, some delegations accused India of
being intransigent on every topic under discussion at the WTO – where decisions
can only pass with the agreement of every member.
But
Indian Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal insisted: “India is not a
roadblock on anything… We were the ones who actually helped create the sole
consensus.”
Patents
waiver
The
second major issue on the table was the plan for a Covid-19 vaccine patents
waiver, aimed at providing more equitable access to the jabs.
After
months of wrangling, and talks going down to the wire this week to win over
some major players in pharmaceutical manufacturing to a compromise text, the US
and China finally clinched the deal by agreeing on which countries would
benefit from the waiver.
China
provided a binding commitment not to take advantage of the waiver.
Tai
hailed the deal, saying it would “get more safe and effective vaccines to those
who need it most”.
This
agreement shows that we can work together to make the WTO more relevant to the
needs of regular people.
The
pharmaceutical industry organisation IFPMA however voiced “deep disappointment”
at the deal, warning that “dismantling” patent protections would strangle
innovation.
Public
interest groups meanwhile condemned the deal for not going far enough.
“It
is a technocratic fudge aimed at saving reputations, not lives,” said Max
Lawson of the People’s Vaccine Alliance, while the Doctors Without Borders
charity labelled it a “devastating global failure”.
WTO
members also agreed to help ease supply shortages that some countries faced
during the pandemic.
With
Russia’s war in Ukraine fuelling a global food security crisis, ministers
agreed on the importance of not imposing export restrictions.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Zahid
pleads not guilty to another amended charge
June
16, 2022
SHAH
ALAM: Former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi pleaded not guilty at the
High Court here to another amended charge of corruption over the foreign visa
(VLN) system.
Judge
Yazid Mustafa ordered the amended charge to be read out to Zahid, 69, after
allowing deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob’s application to amend the
third charge, which involved the change of currency from 15,000 in euros to
15,000 in Swiss francs.
As
soon as the amended charge was read out to him through an interpreter, Zahid
made the plea of not guilty.
According
to the amended charge, Zahid is charged as the home minister with obtaining for
himself 15,000 in Swiss francs from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) in connection
with his official work.
He
is alleged to have committed the offence at No. 389, Jalan Bayu Nyaman, Country
Heights, Kajang, in May 2016.
The
amended charge, framed under Section 165 of the Penal Code, carries
imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine or both, if convicted.
Zahid
is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million from UKSB
as an inducement for himself in his capacity as a civil servant and the then
home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the
One-Stop Centre in China and the VLN system as well as to maintain the
agreement to supply VLN integrated system paraphernalia to the company by the
ministry.
For
another seven counts, Zahid is charged as home minister to have obtained for
himself S$1.15 million, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs and US$15,000 in cash
from the same company in connection with his official work.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South
Asia
A
Delegation of Pakistani Clerics Arrives in Kabul to Negotiate with the TTP
By
Saqalain Eqbal
17
Jun 2022
According
to the Pakistani media, Pakistan is sending a 13-member religious scholar
delegation to Kabul to continue and accelerate the talks with the
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as, Pakistani Taliban.
The
Pakistani Express Tribune newspaper reports that the delegation will fly to
Kabul in the coming days.
Consistent
with the reports, the delegation will engage and negotiate with the Taliban
leaders to persuade them to extend the ceasefire mediated by the Taliban in
Afghanistan.
The
delegation to Kabul is said to finish the work of Pakistani tribal elders who
were unable to persuade Pakistani Taliban leaders to cooperate with the government.
According
to the Express Tribune, the delegation would try to persuade the TTP to
withdraw their demand for the rollback of previous FATA reforms that were
approved by Pakistan’s parliament and to abandon their claimed “jihad” against
the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has acknowledged the delegation’s visit, according
to the Express Tribune.
The
Afghan Taliban hosted the Pakistani government’s initiation of peace talks with
the Pakistani Taliban at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, which resulted in
a temporary ceasefire.
On
May 18, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Kabul has brokered a
temporary ceasefire between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Islamabad.
Zabihullah
Mujahid said that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Islamabad had agreed to a
temporary ceasefire after the Afghan interim administration mediated between
them.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
The
Taliban Arrests Six People for Allegedly Excavating Historical Sites Illegally
By
Saqalain Eqbal
17
Jun 2022
Six
people have been arrested in Badghis province on grounds of illegal excavation
of ancient sites and smuggling of historical relics, according to Taliban
provincial security officials.
The
men were arrested by Taliban intelligence forces on Wednesday, June 15, while
digging and excavating in the Kariz area of Badghis province’s Qadis district,
according to the Bakhtar news agency.
The
men had procured a weapon and two antiquities detectors, according to Baz
Mohammad Sarwari, the Taliban’s Director of Information and Culture in Badghis
province.
During
the initial interrogations, the detainees confessed to excavating and smuggling
artifacts, according to Sarwari.
The
Taliban arrested four persons in Badghis last week on charges of antiquities
excavating and trafficking.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
‘No
choice’ says Afghan journalist whose photo on street went viral. Taliban offers
him job
VANDANA
MENON
17
June, 2022
New
Delhi: A tweet showing former Afghan journalist Mosa Mohammadi selling food on
a pavement has gone viral, highlighting the state of journalism in Afghanistan.
The photo, posted by fellow journalist and activist Nilofar Ayoubi, is a stark
contrast to his days as a newsreader when he appeared before the camera clad in
a blazer and tie.
Forced
to work as a daily labourer after regime change in Afghanistan, Mohammedi has
turned his back on journalism. “I was
left with no other choice but to work whatever job I could get to be able to
provide for my family,” Mohammadi told ThePrint. “I tried [for jobs in] all
media sectors—even NGOs and the private sector, and got no response. So, I was
left with only one choice—daily labour.” He has been at home since the day his
pictures were posted on social media.
Mohammadi
has been in journalism since 2011, having worked as a news reader at several
Afghan media outlets like Arman FM, Radio Salam Watandar, Jahan TV, and Ayna
TV.
Financial
troubles
Mohammadi
had just started his new job at Ariana News, one of Afghanistan’s largest
independent news channels, when it began having financial trouble. Ariana News
broadcasts some of Afghanistan’s most popular programs, such as the
investigative political show Haqiqat (The Truth). It has also aired various
Indian soaps.
One
month into his new job, Mohammadi was laid off along with other colleagues. The
timing coincided with rising inflation and the Taliban coming to power. “I am married,
and I was jobless for 6-7 months at home,” Mohammadi said. Then things took a
turn for the worse when his mother’s health deteriorated. Already battling high
blood pressure and a heart condition, she had a fall and broke her leg, he
said. “Problems and difficulties piled up. A brother of mine is a government
employee—a clerk—and he couldn’t afford to help at home. I wasn’t able to
provide for my family and parents either, as I still have to pay off the debt I
incurred from marriage expenses,” said Mohammadi.
No
to journalism
As
Ayoubi’s tweet gained traction online, the Taliban’s Director General of
National Radio and Television, Ahmadullah Wasiq, had his say. He tweeted that
he would give Mohammadi a job but did not specify what the role would be.
Wasiq
also underscored the need for Afghan professionals in the tweet. He is
currently serving as the acting director for intelligence and deputy central
spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
In
response to whether he will consider the Taliban’s offer, Mohammadi told
ThePrint that he has decided to leave the industry and stop working in media.
He’s open to anything but working in journalism. However, he says he’s grateful
for Ayoubi’s support and her tweet, which went viral on 15 June.
“We
have many stories like this, but only some of them go viral,” said journalist
Ayoubi, who first put out the tweet while at the National Dialogues Conference
in Helsinki. She said she saw his story being shared on a Facebook group. “I
was upset and tweeted with full frustration,” she said.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Myanmar,
Bangladesh discuss repatriation of Muslim refugees
June
17, 2022
A
fifth meeting of the Myanmar-Bangladesh joint working group on repatriation of
Muslim refugees was held via video conferencing on Tuesday, according to
reports from the junta-run newspaper Myanma Alin.
Permanent
Secretary U Chan Aye of the regime’s Foreign Ministry and Secretary Masud Bin
Momen of the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry reportedly attended the meeting.
The
two sides discussed challenges in the verification process, and plans to start
repatriating those who have been verified by the Myanmar side. They also discussed plans for resettlement of
voluntary returnees, and trust-building, reported state-run media.
The
Myanmar side is said to have discussed measures to ensure security and rule of
law in Arakan State, including renovation of transit camps and houses in
villages where returnees will be resettled; plans to create jobs and provide
education and healthcare services to returnees; and cooperation with partner
countries, including ASEAN and UN agencies in the repatriation process, said
the report.
More
than 700,000 Muslims fled to Bangladesh as of September 2017, after the Myanmar
military launched disproprtionte “clearance operations” in response to attacks
by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on border guard police outposts in August
of that year.
The
now-ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) government led by Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi tried in vain to repatriate Muslim refugees in the years prior to its
ouster.
The
regime is planning to bring back 700 Muslims initially, repatriating 150 per
week. They will be accommodated at transit camps in Taungpyo Letwe, Nga Khuya,
and Hla Poe Kaung in Maungdaw, U Hla Thein, spokesman of the regime’s Arakan
State Administration Council, told DMG.
Source:
BNI Online
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/myanmar-bangladesh-discuss-repatriation-muslim-refugees
--------
Afghanistan’s
NRF claims shooting down Taliban’s chopper in Panjshir province
18
June, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], June 18 (ANI): Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front (NRF) on
Thursday claimed that it had shot down a Taliban helicopter and captured four
of the group’s members in the country’s Panjshir province, local media
reported.
Sibghatullah
Ahmadi, the Director of Strategic Communications and the spokesperson for the
NRF, confirmed the news of the shooting of the Taliban’s helicopter in Panjshir
province’s Arezoo valley, according to Khama Press.
Taking
to Twitter, Sibghatullah Ahmadi said, “The brave forces of the National
Resistance Front shot down a Taliban occupiers helicopter in the Arezoo valley
of Panjshir”.
NRF
also released pictures and videos of the helicopter in support of its claim,
which soon went viral on the internet, reported Khaama Press.
Ahmadi
further claimed that all the captured members of the “downed” helicopter are
“in good condition” and treated in accordance with “Islamic instructions and
humanitarian law”.
According
to sources, the NRF forces have killed two Taliban militants in the operation,
which is said to have included firing small and heavy bullets.
Although
several freelance journalists contend to have received the confirmation of the
Taliban officials on the matter, officials from the Taliban regime in Kabul
have yet to officially confirm or deny the incident.
The
NRF has reorganized its forces in Panjshir province in recent weeks and
launched attacks on Taliban positions.
Earlier,
on May 30, the National Resistance Front claimed that they have killed over 15
Taliban fighters in an ambush in Panjshir province.
Ali
Maysam Nazari, the National Resistance Front’s head of foreign relations, said
that their people have killed more than 15 Taliban fighters on the outskirts of
Panjshir.
The
Taliban have yet to make any comment on the resistance’s claim.
Earlier
in May, in a statement, Sebghatullah Ahmadi, a spokesman for the National
Resistance Front, claimed that 22 Taliban militants had been killed in battles
with the front, but local Taliban leaders in Panjshir refuted the claims,
saying that only three had been wounded, reported Khaama Press.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Casualties
as explosion targets mosque in northern Afghanistan
June
18, 2022
An
explosion has ripped through a mosque in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz
province, killing at least one worshipper and wounding seven others.
Dozens
of people had gathered inside the mosque in the district of Imam Sahib for
Friday prayers when an explosive device that had been planted there went off,
said Obaidullah Abedi, the Taliban-appointed spokesman for the Kunduz police
chief.
There
was no claim of responsibility for the attack and an investigation was
underway.
Lately,
the regional affiliate of the Daesh group, known as Daesh-Khorasan Province,
has increased attacks on mosques and minorities across the country.
Daesh
affiliate, which has been operating in Afghanistan since 2014, is seen as the
greatest security challenge facing the country’s new Taliban rulers.
Following
their takeover when they seized power in Kabul and elsewhere in the country
last August, the Taliban have launched a sweeping crackdown against the Daesh
headquarters in eastern Afghanistan.
Last
month, a similar attack at a mosque in the capital of Kabul killed at least
five people and wounded 22.
Source:
Trt World
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/casualties-as-explosion-targets-mosque-in-northern-afghanistan-58075
--------
One
killed, several wounded in Kunduz mosque blast
June
18, 2022
KABUL:
A bomb blast at a mosque in northern Afghanistan killed at least one worshipper
and wounded seven others during Friday prayers, police said.The explosion
occurred in the northern province of Kunduz in a district where dozens of
worshippers had been killed in April in a similar bomb attack.
Provincial
police spokesman Qari Obaidullah Abedi said one worshipper had been killed in
Friday's blast at the Alif Birdi mosque in the Imam Shahib district. “The
explosives were placed inside the mosque. The blast occurred when worshippers
were offering Friday prayers,” he told AFP.
Source:
The News Pakistan
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/967129-one-killed-several-wounded-in-kunduz-mosque-blast
--------
North
America
US
seeks close ties on human rights, Afghan refugees
Anwar
Iqbal
June
18, 2022
WASHINGTON:
US Under Secretary of State Uzra Zeya has said that Washington is looking
forward to a close partnership with Pakistan on human rights and support for
Afghan relocation efforts and refugees.
At
a State Department news briefing on Thursday afternoon, spokesperson Ned Price
expanded the horizon of this partnership, adding that Washington was looking to
“advance that partnership in a manner that serves our interest and our mutual
interests as well”.
Ms
Zeya, who looks after civilian security, democracy, and human rights at the
State Department, expressed these views at a meeting with Pakistan’s Ambassador
Masood Khan on Thursday.
She
said in a tweet that she had “constructive conversation” with Ambassador Khan
to “discuss human rights and Pakistan’s critical support for Afghan relocation
efforts and refugees”.
An
embassy statement said that both agreed to strengthen Pakistan-US relations in
diverse areas through frequent exchanges on issues of mutual interest.
Responding
to Ms Zeya’s tweet, Ambassador Khan said the two sides would work to promote
bilateral dialogue and cooperation to forge closer ties.
Ambassador
Khan also welcomed the OIC-State Department’s dialogue on 23-24 May, in Washington,
to promote dialogue between the United States and OIC nations.
Under
Secretary Zeya also represented the United States at the OIC-CFM Council of
Foreign Ministers Conference in Islamabad in late March.
In
her talks in Islamabad, she underlined the enduring ties and partnership
between Pakistan and the US and commended Pakistan for offering dignity and
safety to Afghan refugees for over 40 years.
At
the State Department briefing, spokesperson Price said US officials have had
several meetings with the representatives of the new setup since they came to
power in April.
One
important meeting, he said, was between Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari
and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York last month.
“Secretary
Blinken (met) his Pakistani counterpart face-to-face in his position for the
first time. It was a very good, constructive discussion regarding the full
range of issues, including the issue of food security,” he said. The two
leaders also discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its consequences, he
added.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1695403/us-seeks-close-ties-on-human-rights-afghan-refugees
--------
Man
on plane grounded in Argentina a captain in Iran terror force, says Paraguay
intel chief
June
18, 2022
ASUNCION,
Paraguay: Paraguay’s intelligence chief said Friday that one of the men aboard
a plane grounded near Buenos Aires since last week had ties to Iran’s Quds
Force, contradicting Argentina’s government.
Captain
Gholamreza Ghasemi did not merely share a name with a member of the Force — the
foreign operations arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards — but is in fact the same
man, intelligence chief Esteban Aquino told AFP.
The
Guards are listed as a terrorist organization by the United States.
Aquino
contradicted Argentina’s Security Minister Anibal Fernandez, who said this week
there were no Quds Force members on the plane, and Ghasemi merely shared a name
with someone on the wanted list.
A
Boeing 747 cargo plane, reportedly carrying car parts, has been held at an
Argentine airport since Wednesday of last week. Its 14 Venezuelan and five
Iranian crew members have been prevented from leaving the country pending
investigations.
On
Monday, Argentine officials raised suspicions of a link between the flight and
the Revolutionary Guards.
Paraguay
on Tuesday said it had information that seven crew on the plane, when it
stopped there in May, were Quds Force members.
The
plane belongs to Emtrasur, a subsidiary of Venezuela’s Conviasa, which is under
US sanctions.
Iran
has said the plane was sold by Iran’s Mahan Air to a Venezuelan company last
year.
Mahan
Air is accused by the United States of links with the Revolutionary Guards.
The
plane arrived in Argentina from Mexico on June 6. It tried to fly to Uruguay
two days later, but the country refused it entry and it returned to Argentina
where it has been grounded ever since.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2105766/world
--------
US
never carried out its obligations under JCPOA: Analyst
Friday,
17 June 2022
The
US administration never carried out its obligations under the 2015 Iran deal,
officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and failed
to submit the treaty for Senate ratification, according to an American
political analyst.
Charles
Dunaway made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Friday after Iranian
President Ebrahim Raeisi said the world must give Iran the right not to trust
the US because of its inconsistent actions.
"On
the one hand, the Americans are sending the message that they are ready to
negotiate, but on the other hand, they are adding to the sanctions. The world
should give us the right not to trust them," he told a group of people in
Tehran on Friday.
His
remarks came after the administration of US President Joe Biden on Thursday
imposed a new round of sanctions on Iranian petrochemical producers as well as
a network of Chinese, Emirati and Indian companies over what the US Treasury
described as facilitating the export of Iran's oil.
The
US Treasury Department said in a statement that the new restrictive measures
were aimed at piling up pressure on Iran amid stalled negotiations aimed at
reviving the 2015 Iran deal.
On
Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also reiterated
Tehran’s resolve to continue talks on the revival of the 2015 multilateral
agreement but called for an end to Washington’s “sanctions lunacy” and the
International Atomic Energy Agency’s “politicized approach” over the country’s
nuclear program.
Amir-Abdollahian
said the Iranian administration is abiding by a December 2020 parliamentary
law, which obligated the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to further
reduce the country’s nuclear commitments to the 2015 Iran deal in response to
the US withdrawal from the agreement.
“In
some ways the JCPOA represented a turning point in US diplomacy. Since the demise of the Soviet Union with the
US elites sensing their ‘unipolar moment’, the US primarily negotiated with
weak nations or nations whose governments were led by pro-US interests. In those cases, the US simply dictated terms,
issued threats, and demanded assent,” said Dunaway.
“With
Iran, a larger, more powerful and fiercely proud nation, that was not
possible. The Obama administration took
a different route: it agreed to some
Iranian demands in order to declare a diplomatic victory, but simply never
carried out its obligations under the treaty.
The Obama administration also failed to submit the treaty for Senate
ratification, thus removing any constitutional commitment to the agreement for
subsequent governments,” he added.
“President
Obama knew that the JCPOA would never be ratified by the Senate due to pressure
from the Zionist lobby. President
Biden’s team is aware that any new agreement cannot be ratified either. Therefore as a practical matter, no agreement
between the US and Iran can be guaranteed beyond January 2024, and it is highly
unlikely that the Zionist-dominated Congress would permit a serious reduction
in sanctions,” he stated.
“The
advanced age of President Biden means he is unlikely to be nominated for a second
term, and the Democratic Party has no plausible candidate to oppose the
Republicans, particularly if Donald Trump runs again. If the JCPOA were to be revived, it will be
killed in 2024,” he said.
“The
US simply cannot negotiate a lasting diplomatic agreement with any of its
designated ‘enemies’. The
neoconservatives dominate the leadership of both parties and they are committed
to total US hegemony over the world. Any
agreement with Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuela or Iran could not be ratified and
would likely be rejected by the next administration. The neoconservatives are also dedicated
Zionists and oppose any agreement with Iran that does not meet with the
approval of the Zionist regime,” Dunaway noted.
“As
the Russians have said, the US is not agreement-capable. The Biden administration only entered
negotiations to keep up appearances and stall for time while the Israeli regime
acts with ever-increasing belligerence and impunity against those who threaten
its apartheid regime. The recent murder
of Shireen Abu Akleh, the bombing of Damascus airport, the threat against the
residence of the Syrian President, and the increasing violence of the
occupation show that the Israeli regime has been given carte blanche by the US. The US is more likely to support a military
attack on Iran than a peace agreement,” the analyst said.
Source:
Press TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
Film
tells of Bosnian Muslims and Jews saving one another in wars
June
17, 2022
By
Daria Sito-sucic
SARAJEVO,
June 17 (Reuters) - In a traditional Muslim house in the old quarter of
Sarajevo, a film has revived two different periods of war during which Bosnian
Muslims saved Jews from Nazis and then 50 years later Jews rescued Muslims from
Bosnia's besieged capital.
Sabina
Vajraca, a U.S.-based film director who herself was a refugee from Bosnia's
1990s war, says she wants her short film to remind the world of the goodness of
ordinary people during times of conflict in Europe and the Middle East.
In
May, Vajraca's script won the Holocaust Film Contest held by the Claims
Conference, the Jewish organisation which secures compensation for Holocaust
survivors.
"Evil
keeps coming back over and over and wars keep happen over and over and the
whole message of this film is that when such an event happens, will you
remember your humanity and save others or will you become small and fearful and
only think of yourself," Vajraca said in an interview with Reuters.
The
film "Sevap/Mitzvah" (A Good Deed) is based on the true story of
Muslim woman Zejneba Hardaga and her family who hid the Jewish Kabiljo family
at their home, risking their own lives, and helped them escape Nazi-occupied
Sarajevo in the 1940s and then move to Israel.
The
Hardagas were recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by the Israeli
Holocaust museum Yad Vashem, based on testimony provided by the Kabiljo family.
The honorific is awarded to non-Jews who helped Jews escape persecution in the
Holocaust.
Fifty
years later, during the 1992-95 siege of Sarajevo by separatist Bosnian Serb
forces, the Jewish community helped the Hardagas leave Sarajevo using fake
Jewish identity cards and the Kabiljo family secured them a refuge in Israel.
"Zejneba
Hardaga is the first Muslim woman in the world who was recognised as Righteous
Among Nations," said Eli Tauber from the Sarajevo Jewish community.
Tauber,
who wrote a book about 54 Bosnians who were honoured as Righteous for saving
Jews during the World War Two, said that Zejneba Hardaga also helped his grandparents
to leave Sarajevo at that time.
"She
gave my grandmother a veil and pantaloons to disguise herself as a Muslim
woman... and gave my grandfather the money to buy tickets and run away from
Sarajevo," he recalled.
Source:
Reuters
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Greek
PM in Cyprus talks on latest war of words with Turkey
17
June, 2022
Greek
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Friday he preferred diplomacy to
rhetoric in handling long-running disputes with Turkey over airspace, maritime
borders and oil exploration in the Aegean Sea.
Mitsotakis
made his comments on a visit to close ally Cyprus, which has had no diplomatic
relations with Turkey since the aftermath of its 1974 occupation of the north
of the island.
Mitsotakis
said his talks with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades were intended to
coordinate “our action in the face of the recent unrest in the eastern
Mediterranean.”
He
said the best defenses for Greece and Cyprus “against any revisionist
sentiments” were international law, strong regional alliances and the “rules of
good diplomatic practice.”
Greece
and Turkey have been locked in an escalating war of words over Ankara’s claims
that Athens has been deploying troops to islands near their maritime border in
numbers that violate post-war peace treaties.
Mitsotakis
made no direct mention of Turkey in his comments but issued veiled criticism of
an announcement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier this month
that he would no longer hold bilateral meetings with Greek leaders as provided
for in a 2010 agreement between the two sides.
“We
will soon be able to return to calmer waters, always keeping open channels of
communication, which even in the most difficult times... should never be
closed,” the Greek premier said.
On
Thursday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had urged the two countries,
which are both alliance members, to resolve their differences in a “spirit of
trust.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Türkiye,
Bosnia Herzegovina to improve strong relations: Bosnian Foreign Minister
Mustafa
Talha Öztürk
18.06.2022
BELGRADE,
Serbia
Türkiye
and Bosnia and Herzegovina are constantly working to improve already strong
relations, Bosnian Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic said before an official
visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to Sarajevo.
Turkovic
told Anadolu Agency that Cavusoglu's visit is proof of cooperation and good
relations between the two countries.
"We
mutually nourish our relations strongly. We are constantly working to improve
our relations. We have many agreements signed with Turkey and we are very
pleased with it,” she said, adding that an agreement will be signed during the
visit.
Turkovic
expressed concerns about the crisis in Ukraine spreading to the Western
Balkans, saying that the war in Ukraine affected Bosnia and countries in the
region.
''Most
of the region is not a member of the EU or NATO. Bosnia and Herzegovina will
never be destroyed despite separatist rhetoric,'' she said.
Bosnian
leaders accept an agreement Sunday that ensures the country's functionality and
EU path.
The
document, Political agreement on principles for ensuring a functional Bosnia
and Herzegovina that advances on the European path, was accepted by 12
participants in a meeting, while two refrained.
"The
step taken is very important for Bosnia and Herzegovina to get candidate
status. Considering the situation in Ukraine spreading to the Western Balkans,
the EU membership path is a key factor for the stability and security of Bosnia
and Herzegovina,'' said Turkovic.
Political
dispute
Bosnia-Herzegovina
is currently embroiled in a political conflict between Bosniaks and Serbs
living in the country.
The
dispute erupted after Valentin Inzko, then-high representative, amended the
criminal code in July to ban the denial of genocide and the glorification of
war criminals.
Bosnian
Serb lawmakers in response said they would boycott the country's institutions.
Milorad
Dodik denounced the amendments and pushed for controversial separatist moves in
the Republika Srpska parliament.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Sweden
takes measures against PKK-related social media posts in Stockholm
Seda
Sevencan
18.06.2022
Sweden
has taken steps for posts on social media that picture the YPG/PKK terror
organization’s so-called flag and its convicted ringleader, Abdullah Ocalan,
that were projected onto buildings in Stockholm, according to the Foreign
Ministry.
“Messages
and images that we have reason to believe are manipulated have been circulating
on social media, asserting that Sweden supports PKK. Relevant measures have
been taken,” the ministry said in a statement.
“This
is a deliberate and malicious influence campaign with the clear aim of
obstructing Sweden’s accession to NATO,” it said.
Sweden
has denounced the PKK terror group and condemns terrorism in all its forms, it
noted.
Foreign
Minister Ann Linde has never expressed any support for the terror group and
strongly rejects the manipulated video and the PKK, it added.
YPG/PKK-linked
social media accounts shared images showing the organization's so-called flag
and its leader’s picture projected onto the historic City Hall in Stockholm.
The
accounts also posted the images on the wall of the Globen Avicii Arena Sports
Hall.
Türkiye’s
Ambassador to Stockholm, Hakki Emre Yunt, told Anadolu Agency that he confirmed
the incident during his morning meeting with the diplomatic police.
“Police
confirmed the image on the Globen Avicii Arena Sports Hall in Stockholm. Police
also stated that the image projected on the historic city hall in Stockholm is
most likely correct,” said Yunt.
Sweden
and Finland formally applied to join NATO last month -- a decision spurred by
Russia's war on Ukraine, which began Feb. 24.
But
Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, has voiced objections to the
membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting
terrorist groups.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
Agreement
with MP supporting YPG/PKK terrorists to expire soon, says Swedish premier
Atila
Altuntas
17.06.2022
STOCKHOLM
The
Swedish prime minister on Friday said that the agreement signed with an
independent deputy Amineh Kakabaveh, who is a supporter of the YPG/PKK
terrorist organization, will expire soon.
Magdalena
Andersson told SVD newspaper that Kakabaveh's parliamentary term would end in
three months, thus the agreement with her would lose its validity.
"This
is an agreement between the Social Democratic Party and an MP. This agreement
will expire when Kakabaveh's parliamentary term expires soon,” Andersson said.
There
will be no negotiations with Kakabaveh in the additional budget talks which
were postponed to next week, she added.
Andersson
needed 175 out of 349 parliamentary deputies to form a government and was
elected prime minister on Nov. 24 by one vote, including Kakabaveh’s. In return
for this vote, an agreement was signed between the ruling Social Democratic
Party and Kakabaveh to support the YPG/PKK terror group.
Evaluating
the arms embargo against Türkiye, she said decisions are made on a case-by-case
basis.
There
is currently no arms embargo on Türkiye from Sweden, she claimed, and said that
they are in constant contact with Türkiye to resolve some questions about how
her country is working to fight terrorism.
Opposition
parties accused the Social Democratic government of jeopardizing the NATO process
by continuing the deal with Kakabaveh.
On
June 15, Kakabaveh called on the Swedish government not to export arms to
Türkiye, saying that otherwise, she would vote against the government in the
budget negotiations.
Sweden
and Finland formally applied to join NATO last month – a decision spurred by
Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24.
But
Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, has voiced objections to the
membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting
terrorist groups.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Africa
2023
presidency: PFN outlines actions it will take against Muslim-Muslim ticket
June
17, 2022
By
Nsikak Nseyen
The
Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, has warned against a Muslim-Muslim
ticket ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
National
President of PFN, Wale Oke, who gave the warning, vowed to mobilize its members
against voting for any party with Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 election.
Declaring
Sunday, June 26, 2022 a PVC Day in all its churches nationwide, Oke after the
National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Lagos, on Thursday, said members
would be made mandated to show their PVCs before entering the church and those
without PVC would be directed to go out and get theirs before the deadline.
Oke
further stated that PFN is not kicking against Muslim-Muslim ticket due to
religion but on the basis of fairness and equity.
According
to him, the 2023 election carries the potential to unite Nigeria across ethnic
and religious lines and can scatter the nation if things are not done properly.
“A
Christian-Christian and Muslim-Muslim ticket will not work for Nigeria.
Muslim-Muslim ticket is unfair, it means over 54 percent of the Christian
populace will be marginalized.
“If
all that the church has said and a party did not listen to our counsel, they
will meet us at the poll, we will be waiting for them,” he warned.
“The
voters’ apathy that has been the issue will not count in this election. After
PVC Sunday, we will deliberate and provide a clear direction for the church in
collaboration with CAN so that we can deliver block votes to a candidate that
will unite this nation, a party that will not encourage the killing of Deborah.
“We
will give all parties a fair chance. We are setting a high-powered member
committee to meet with all parties on how they will deal with insecurity and
others.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
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Head
of Libya’s High Council of State set to meet UN envoy in Egypt
Muhammed
Artima
17.06.2022
TRIPOLI,
Libya
Head
of Libya’s High Council of State Khalid Al-Mishri will meet with UN special
adviser on Libya, Stephanie Williams, in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on
Friday, according to a Libyan source.
Al-Mishri
“will meet with Williams and the outcome of the talks will determine his
meeting with (Parliament Speaker Aguila) Saleh,” said the source in the joint
constitutional committee between the two assemblies.
The
source, who preferred anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media,
said al-Mishri and Williams will discuss "controversial articles that were
not agreed upon by the two sides."
The
High Council of State, which acts as a senate, is a rival to east Libya-based
House of Representative (parliament).
The
two sides are still at odds over a number of constitutional articles, including
allowing military personnel and dual nationals to run in elections.
On
Thursday, Al-Mishri said he was invited by Williams to hold talks with Saleh in
Cairo.
The
third and last UN-sponsored Libya talks kicked off in Cairo on Sunday in an
effort to reach consensus on the constitutional framework to hold long-awaited
elections in the North African nation.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Somali
military repulses al-Shabaab terrorist attack, kills 47
Mohammed
Dhaysane
17.06.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Somali
forces backed by Galmudug regional forces on Friday repulsed an attack by
al-Shabaab terrorist organization on a major military base in central Somalia.
A
total of 47 terrorists were killed in the operation, Somali military radio said
quoting officials.
Al-Qaeda-backed
al-Shabaab launched the attack in Bahdo, a small town located 632 kilometers
(392 miles) from the capital Mogadishu.
Residents
told Anadolu Agency loud explosions were heard and the fight went on for hours.
"Both
sides used heavy weaponry and I saw dead soldiers as well as civilians. This
attack was the fiercest," said a resident and eyewitness who spoke to
Anadolu Agency over the phone on condition of anonymity.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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India
India
slams China for putting ‘technical hold’ on listing Pakistan-based LeT deputy
chief as ‘global terrorist’
Jun
18, 2022
NEW
DELHI: India slammed China for double standards on the fight against terrorism
as the latter blocked a joint India-US proposal to list Pakistan-based terrorist
Abdul Rehman Makki under the UNSC Al-Qaeda (Dae’sh) and ISIL Sanctions
Committee, also known as the UNSC 1267 Committee. India and the US have already
listed Makki, deputy chief of UN-proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a
terrorist under their domestic laws.
As
official sources said, this isn't the first time that China has used its veto
to put on "technical hold" the proposed listing of a well known
terrorist. In the past, it had repeatedly blocked proposals to designate as
‘global terrorist’ Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan-based and
UN-proscribed terrorist entity Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
Government
sources described the decision by China as “extremely unfortunate” given the
overwhelming evidence against Makki. Moreover, it runs counter to China’s
claims of combating terrorism, they said.
"China
should reflect on its response that signals double standards on combating
terrorism. Protecting well known terrorists from sanctioning in this manner
will only undermine its credibility and risk exposing even itself more to the
growing threat of terrorism," said a source.
India
and the US jointly proposed on June 1 to list Makki. According to Indian
authorities, Makki is the deputy Amir/chief and head of the Political Affairs
of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) /Jamat ud-Dawa (JuD), which itself is a UN-proscribed
terrorist entity.
Regrettably,
on June 16, as official sources said, China placed a “technical hold” on the
proposal to list Makki and this measure (which can last for up to 6 months at a
time) blocks the adoption of the listing proposal till the hold is withdrawn.
Makki
is also said to have served as head of LeT’s foreign relations department and
is a member of Shura (governing body) as well as member of JuD’s central and
proselytising teams. "He is the brother-in-law of LeT/JuD chief Hafiz
Muhammad Saeed, who is a UN-proscribed terrorist," said the source.
Makki
in the past has been involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalising
youth and planning attacks in India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.
"While
Makki was holding leadership positions in LeT and JuD, LeT has been responsible
for and had involvement in prominent attacks in India such as the 26/11 Mumbai
terror attack, Red Fort attack on December 22, 2000, Rampur CRPF Camp attack on
January 1 , 2008, Khanpora (Baramulla) attack on May 30, 2018, Srinagar attack
on June 14, 2018 and Gurez/Bandipora attack on August 7, 2018," added the
source.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Jammu:
Curfew in Bhaderwah continues for ninth day, security heightened outside
mosques before Friday prayers
June
17, 2022
Bhaderwah:
Curfew continues in Bhaderwah town of Jammu and Kashmir's Doda for the ninth
straight day as additional forces have been deployed outside mosques across the
district before the Friday prayers as a precautionary measure, officials said.
The
curfew in Bhaderwah town was imposed on 9 June following communal tension in
the wake of protests over the controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad by
now-removed BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and some social posts by local
right-wing activists in her support.
The
curfew was relaxed twice for a total of five hours in the town - from 9 am to
12 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm - on Thursday and this period passed off peacefully
without any untoward incident, police said.
Officials
said senior police and civil officers reviewed the situation and decided to
continue the curfew without any relaxation in the town to ward off any trouble
during the Friday prayers.
"A
decision to relax the curfew will be taken later in the day after the peaceful
culmination of the Friday prayers," an official said, adding additional
forces were deployed outside mosques across Doda district as a precautionary
measure to maintain law and order.
One
person was arrested and nine others detained for creating communal tension over
the past week following registration of three FIRs at the local police station.
A
lookout notice was also pasted at the house of an accused who is evading arrest
despite raids at several places in Bhaderwah, the officials said.
Assuring
full cooperation to the administration, Anjuman-e-Islamia sought the arrest of
all those behind fanning communal hatred.
"People
from only one community were arrested or detained so far but those belonging to
other communities, who provoked the people through social media posts, have
been let off. One among them has sought an anticipatory bail," an
office-bearer of the religious group said.
Meanwhile,
in Jammu district, too, policemen were deployed in strength outside mosques
with a direction to not allow any street protest after the Friday prayers,
officials said.
Source:
Firstpost
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Hizb
duo killed in Anantnag encounter
Jun
18, 2022
SRINAGAR:
Two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists — one of them involved in killing a sarpanch
and his wife in Anantnag last year — were shot dead in an overnight anti-terror
operation in Hangalgund area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Friday.
The
slain terrorists were identified as Junaid Ahmed Bhat and Basit Ahmed Wani,
both from Anantnag. Junaid had been active since June 10, 2018, while Basit had
been operating since August 18 2021, IGP (Kashmir Range) Vijay Kumar said.
Basit was involved in the murder of sarpanch Ghulam Rasool Dar and his wife, a
panch, on September 9, 2021, in Anantnag, added the IGP.
A
joint team of the Army, CRPF and J&K Police laid a cordon in the area on
Thursday afternoon and was evacuating civilians when holed-up terrorists opened
fire and lobbed grenades at the security forces around 4.15pm, said a defence
spokesperson.
Source:
Times Of India
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Friday
namaz passes off peacefully in U.P.’s Agra, other districts of zone
By
Hemendra Chaturvedi
Jun
17, 2022
Friday
namaz passed off peacefully in eight districts of Agra zone. Besides adequate
security arrangements, special efforts were made at sensitive districts,
including Aligarh, Firozabad and Hathras, which had witnessed protests after
Friday namaz last week.
In
the week following June 10, police and administrative officials in these
districts had held meetings with peace committees and Muslim clerics to ensure
peace. The day began early this Friday as police force in the eight districts
of Agra zone were mobilised to ensure peace during and after namaz.
In
Agra, around 350 civil policemen and recruits undertook a parade at the police
lines under supervision of Agra SSP Sudhir Kumar Singh. Later, they moved for
foot patrolling in sensitive areas within limits of Mantola, Rakabganj, Sadar,
Shahganj and Shahganj police station of Agra city under the SSP.
“We
are happy that assurances given by elderly Muslims and religious heads for
cooperation were fulfilled. Those coming for namaz at various mosques,
including Jama Masjid in Agra, returned after offering prayers and there was no
report of any protest in the district,” said senior superintendent of police
(SSP), Agra, Sudhir Kumar Singh who was himself present at Jama Masjid.
In
a late-night development on Thursday, the Shahar Mufti of Aligarh made a
videographed appeal to Muslims to return to their homes after offering Friday
prayers. People took note of his appeal and the lock city remained peaceful.
Likewise,
Firozabad police were much relieved after peaceful conduct of Friday ‘namaz’.
SSP Firozabad Ashish Tiwari thanked all, including Muslim clerics,
representatives of political parties, community policing, factory owners and
district administration.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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--------
Friday
prayers pass off peacefully in Prayagraj
Jun
18, 2022
PRAYAGRAJ:
Friday prayers passed off peacefully in the Old City areas of Atala and
adjoining localities like Kareli, Noorullah Road and Roshanbagh that were like
a fortress. Amidst heavy police presence, Muslims started arriving at the
mosques in an orderly manner and preferred to leave immediately after prayers.
“The
Friday prayers passed off peacefully and no untoward incident was reported from
anywhere. The situation is to be normal and security personnel on the alert,”
said district magistrate (DM) of Prayagraj Sanjay Kumar Khatri. Accompanied by
senior superintendent of police (SSP) j Ajay Kumar, the DM patrolled the Old
City with heavy police force.
Most
mosques including Masjid Abu Bakr, Munna Masjid, Wasiulla Masjid and Umar
Masjid saw slightly lower turnout as compared to regular Friday prayers.
“Most
mosques witnessed only around 80% to 85% attendance as many people opted to
offer the prayers at home. Immediately after prayers, people left for their
homes,” said Moinuddin Ansari, corporator of Atala area.
Caretaker
of Atala Badi Masjid Rizwan Ansari said there were seven mosques in Atala area
alone and prayers were offered in all of them except Ansar Masjid. “Around 10
to 20 volunteers were deployed at all mosques. They ensured that the namazis
did not assemble outside after the prayers and returned to their homes and
shops immediately after prayers. The volunteers also kept an eye on outsiders
offering prayers at local mosques in Atala. After prayers, the namazis
performed dua for peace in Prayagraj and other places and people were urged not
to believe in rumours and take part in any protests etc,” he said.
To
note, Atala Badi Masjid Imam Ali Ahmad was arrested by police for being
involved in inciting the youths for violence
Earlier,
locals woke up to heavy presence of policemen backed by provincial armed
constabulary (PAC) and rapid action force (RAF) personnel in riot gear manning
all the main streets of the area and even patrolling the narrow by-lanes to
check unnecessary gatherings that could lead to problems.
With
prohibitory orders under section 144 that prevent any large gatherings in the
area, most shops in the Shaukat Ali road of Muslim-dominated Atala area
continued to remain closed for the seventh consecutive day with residents also
preferring to remain indoors, waiting for time of the Friday prayers to draw
near before heading towards the mosques.
However,
much to the relief of the locals, small shops in by-lanes opened later to allow
people to make essential purchases.
To
ensure peace, the old city areas of Prayagraj had been divided in to 20 zones
and 50 sectors. Besides security personnel, a total of 20 zonal magistrates,
including five for each of the four police stations of the Old City, including
Kareli, Khuldabad, Kotwali and Shahganj, besides 12 sector magistrates for
every police station of the area too remained stationed. Two additional sector
magistrates kept an eye on the outlying areas ready to act if needed. “We had a
total of 50 sector magistrates are on duty, informed the DM.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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--------
Pakistan
Pakistan
remains on FATF ‘grey list’ for now, but nears possible exit
Jun
18, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
In a possible reprieve for Pakistan, the global terror watchdog, FATF, has
approved an on-site visit to Pakistan to verify its action against terrorist-financing
and money laundering. Pakistan will for now remain on the grey or increased
monitoring list even though the on-site visit is seen as the first step towards
removal from the same.
Members
of former Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) claimed
credit for the FATF's announcement on Friday that Pakistan had met all 34 items
on two separate action plans paving the way for the country’s possible exit
from the grey list of the watchdog.
The
global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog said in its statement
that Pakistan will be taken off the grey list if it successfully passes the
on-site visit.
"Pakistan’s
continued political commitment to combating both terrorist financing and money
laundering has led to significant progress. In particular, Pakistan
demonstrated that TF (terrorist financing) investigations and prosecutions
target senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups and that
there is a positive upward trend in the number of ML (money laundering)
investigations and prosecutions being pursued in Pakistan, in line with
Pakistan’s risk profile. In addition, Pakistan also largely addressed its 2021
action plan ahead of the set times," said the global body in a statement.
There was no response from the Indian government to the development.
Following
the development, former PM Imran Khan said “FATF repeatedly praised the work
and political will my govt demonstrated”.
He
said when PTI’s government came to power in 2018, it faced the “direct prospect
of blacklisting” by the body, adding that the country's compliance history with
the FATF was also not favourable.
“I
constituted a FATF coordination committee headed by key minister Hammad Azhar.
The committee had representation from all government departments and security
agencies relevant to our FATF action plan. The officers worked day and night in
the first instance to avoid blacklisting,” Khan said.
“FATF
repeatedly praised the work and the political will my government demonstrated.
We not only averted blacklisting, but also completed 32 out of 34 action items.
We submitted a compliance report on the remaining two items in April based on
which FATF has now declared Pakistan's Action Plan as completed,” he added.
Hammad
Azhar shared a picture of himself standing with officers, saying that
Pakistan’s hard work on completing the 34-action items was a result of the
“teamwork of officers that worked day and night in different government
departments. They are the real heroes!”
Former
finance minister Shaukat Tarin said the “removal” was another feather in the
cap of Hammad Azhar, who was the former energy minister and also the
government’s top coordinator for efforts on anti-money laundering and
counter-terror financing.
When
minister of state for foreign affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, who represented
Pakistan’s team at FATF’s latest plenary session in Berlin, was asked on how
much credit she would give to the previous government, she replied: “Whoever
wants to take credit can do so. Our job is to work for Pakistan, we will
continue to work and we don't care about who gets the credit and who doesn’t.”
Source:
Times Of India
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--------
No
change in policy towards India, Bilawal's remarks on re-engagement 'portrayed
incorrectly', says Pakistan
Jun
17, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Friday said there was no change in its policy towards India, as it
sought to clarify Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's strong pitch for
re-engaging with New Delhi, asserting that his remarks were "portrayed
incorrectly".
Bilawal
on Thursday said cutting ties with India would not serve Pakistan's interests
as Islamabad was already “internationally isolated and disengaged”.
Responding
to media queries and press reports on Bilawal's remarks, the Foreign Office in
a statement said, "There is no change in Pakistan's policy on India on
which there is national consensus. Pakistan has always desired cooperative
relations with all its neighbours, including India. We have consistently
advocated constructive engagement and result-oriented dialogue to resolve all
outstanding issues, including the core Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”
Bilawal's
remarks, the statement said, were "interpreted out of context" and
"portrayed incorrectly".
Addressing
the Founding Day ceremony at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad,
Bilawal had said that engaging with India and especially with its people was in
the interest of Pakistan, which was apparently a feeler to test Indian response
as Islamabad has been insisting that it would not talk to New Delhi until it
reversed its unilateral steps in Kashmir.
“We
have our issues with India. Pakistan and India have a long history of war,
conflict. Today, where we have serious disputes, the events of August 2019
cannot be taken lightly,” he had said.
The
ties between India and Pakistan nose-dived after New Delhi abrogated Article
370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on
August 5, 2019.
India's
decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic
ties and expelled the Indian envoy.
The
Foreign Office statement said the onus "remains on India to take the
necessary steps to create an enabling environment conducive for meaningful and
result-oriented dialogue”.
The
statement said the foreign minister clearly articulated his perspective on
India's actions in Kashmir since August 5, 2019.
His
remarks are better understood in the overall context of his key message of
conflict resolution that he emphasised in his address at the think-tank event,
it said.
On
the Kashmir issue, Bilawal in his address had said it has formed a “cornerstone
of any conversation that I've had since becoming the foreign minister”.
Bilawal,
33, assumed charge as Pakistan foreign minister in April.
“In
May, we had the delimitation commission and then just recently, the
Islamophobic remarks of officials create an environment in which engagement is
very difficult for Pakistan, if not impossible,” the minister said, referring
to re-engaging with India.
Bilawal
asked those present at the think tank event whether cutting ties with India was
serving Pakistan's interests, be it on Kashmir, be it on the rising
Islamaphobia or the emphasis on Hindutva narrative in India.
"That
I, as foreign minister of Pakistan, as the representative of my country, not
only don't speak to the Indian government but I also don't speak to the Indian
people. Is that the best way to communicate or achieve Pakistan's objective?”
the minister explained.
India
has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir "was, is and shall
forever" remain an integral part of the country.
Source:
Times Of India
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--------
Pakistan
launches diplomatic effort to get out off FATF grey list: Report
Jun
17, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has launched a massive diplomatic effort to get off the grey list of
global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog FATF, a media report
said on Tuesday.
Pakistan
has been on the grey list of the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
since June 2018 for failing to check money laundering, leading to terror
financing, and was given a plan of action to complete it by October 2019.
Since
then, the country continues to be on that list due to its failure to comply
with the FATF mandates.
Pakistan
needs the votes of Turkey, China, and Malaysia to get off the list, and all
three countries have assured the Pakistani authorities of full support for the
purpose, the News International reported.
The
decision on Pakistan's status on the list will be taken during the current
meeting being held from June 14 to 17 in Berlin, Germany, official sources were
quoted by The News International on Tuesday.
According
to sources, during the recent visits of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign
Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina
Rabbani Khar to different countries, important discussions took place regarding
FATF.
Pakistan
has implemented almost all points of the FATF Action Plan, except for the
penalties, and Pakistan has made prosecutions and all relevant legal
amendments, the report added.
The
FATF meeting in Berlin will continue until June 17 and on the final day of the
meeting, the forum will decide whether or not to keep various countries on its
black and grey lists.
With
Pakistan's continuation on the grey list, it is increasingly becoming difficult
for Islamabad to get financial aid from the IMF, the World Bank, the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) and the European Union, thus further enhancing problems
for the country.
Pakistan
has so far avoided being on the black list with the help of close allies like
China, Turkey and Malaysia.
The
FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money
laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the
international financial system.
Source:
Times Of India
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Karachi
police register FIRs against Saad Rizvi, Mustafa Kamal on terror charges over
poll-related violence
Imtiaz
Ali
June
17, 2022
Karachi
police on Friday registered at least four cases against Pak Sarzameen Party
(PSP) Chairman Mustafa Kamal and head of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Saad
Hussain Rizvi, and hundreds of their party activists under murder and terror
charges, a day after violent clashes between the political parties during
NA-240 by-elections.
One
person was shot dead and 10 others were injured as violence erupted in Karachi
on Thursday during the NA-240 (Korangi Karachi II) by-election, with competing
political parties pointing fingers at each other.
The
PSP had accused TLP workers of firing at its party chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal
during a media talk, adding that the party's central leaders were also injured.
According
to police, the party heads had been nominated in the FIRs for causing violence
during the by-poll on Thursday. They said two of the cases were registered on
complaints of presiding officers of the Election Commission of Pakistan while
the remaining were filed on behalf of the state at Landhi and Korangi police
stations.
“Police
have detained 258 suspects including some security guards present during the
violence,” a spokesperson of the Karachi police said.
Landhi
police have registered a case on terror charges against the PSP and TLP chiefs
and others over the killing of a 65-year-old man identified as Saifuddin.
SHO
Landhi Police Station, Mohammed Amin Mughal, in his complaint, said he was
patrolling an area in Landhi when the clashes between the PSP and TLP workers
erupted.
At
5pm, armed TLP workers led by Saad Rizvi came to Landhi no.6 area where the PSP
workers were already gathered. "The TLP workers resorted to firing,
resulting in the killing of a passerby and injuries to others."
He
said the firing triggered panic and chaos in the area. "In the meantime,
the PSP workers led by Mustafa Kamal also resorted to firing, causing injuries
to some persons standing nearby who were later shifted to different
hospitals."
Landhi
police also registered another FIR on the complaint of ECP's presiding officer,
Shahid Ali, against the PSP chief and over 50 people on terror and other
charges.
The
FIR said around 50 to 60 workers led by Kamal arrived at the polling station in
Landhi no. 6 and roughed up the election staff and subjected him to verbal
abuse.
They
also tore apart election material and beat up people standing outside the
police station and resorted to firing as well.m, according to the report.
In
another FIR registered at the Landhi Police Station on the complaint of
presiding officer Ghulam Hashim, around 400-500 PSP workers have been booked
over terror and other charges.
The
complainant said he was performing his duty at PS-51 in Landhi when around 400
to 500 PSP workers arrived there at 4:30pm.
“They
beat me up and also thrashed other staff and tore apart election material,”
said the PO, adding that it created fear. He said the violence caused by the
PSP workers also halted the election process briefly.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
seeks US support for IMF programme revival
June
18, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has sought support from the United States for the revival of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme as the global lender has not yet
agreed to a staff-level pact despite the tough measures by the government.
According
to details, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and Minister of State for Finance
Ayesha Pasha met with US Ambassador Donald Blome and sought Washington’s
support for the revival of the IMF programme.
Blome
was apprised that the government has proposed fiscal consolidation equal to 2.2
percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in difficult circumstances.
The
US ambassador was informed that despite three rounds of talks and several
virtual contacts, the IMF did not even share the draft of the Memorandum for
Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) with Pakistan.
The
US is the largest shareholder in the IMF and has in the past too played a role
in helping Islamabad complete the fund’s programme reviews. The Ministry of
Finance did not officially comment on the article.
Officials
have claimed that the memorandum forms the basis of any staff-level agreement
and without finalization of the MEFP no formal staff-level agreement can be
signed.
Pakistani
officials further said that after the increase in petroleum prices and
electricity tariffs, it was hoped that the global lender would be ready for
staff-level negotiations.
“However,
the IMF is now demanding to withdraw tax incentives and collection of Rs150
billion additional revenue from the salaried class,” the officials added. The
government has already massively increased fuel prices and abolished all
subsidies.
PML-N-led
coalition government on Wednesday has jacked up petrol price by Rs24 per litre.
The announcement was made by Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, citing government
was not in a position to bear more subsidies anymore.
Last
week, the IMF country head said that “an important principle underpinning these
(power sector) reforms is that all stakeholders contribute in an equitable
manner to reduce the circular debt, between the government, IPPs and consumers,
while protecting the most vulnerable consumers”.
She
had also said that Pakistani authorities “should be cognizant of the limited
fiscal space available to clear any outstanding arrears of the sector
stakeholders, and thus there should be a trade-off between this and other
government priorities, and the potential to unlock lower capacity payments for
electricity as part of the aforementioned burden sharing across stakeholders”.
Pakistan
owes around Rs300 billion to the Chinese IPPs and the IMF was keeping track of
every payment made to them.
The
government is making all-out efforts to revive the programme and has taken many
unpopular steps, but still remains short of the IMF’s expectations, said a
senior Pakistani negotiator.
The
sources said that if no breakthrough is achieved in the next couple of days,
the Secretary Finance and the Minister for Finance may dash to the United
States to meet the top management of the IMF.
The
coalition government had hoped that after increasing the petroleum products
prices and starting the process for approval of increase in electricity prices,
the IMF may agree to reach a staff level agreement.
However,
the IMF also wants not only a reversal of cut in the income tax rates for the
salaried class but is seeking to pass on an additional burden of Rs125 billion
on the salaried people. The government has now worked out a new proposal that
entails reversing Rs47 billion tax relief and then passing on additional burden
of Rs18 billion to the salaried class, the sources added.
The
previous government had committed to increase the taxes on the salaried class
with effect from July and also agreed to share the draft of the personal income
tax reforms with the IMF by end of February 2022. The PTI did not fulfill its
commitments.
The
government has already massively increased the fuel prices and abolished all
subsidies. But the IMF is now seeking reintroduction of the petroleum levy and
sales tax over and above the existing prices, said the sources.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/06/18/pakistan-seeks-us-support-for-imf-programme-revival/
--------
Pakistan's
Ailing Musharraf Set To Return Home From Dubai: Report
June
18, 2022
Dubai:
Pakistan's former military leader Pervez Musharraf, who has been living in
Dubai since 2016, is expected to return to Pakistan soon.
As
per sources, Musharraf is expected to return to Pakistan via an air ambulance
and his treatment will continue in the country after the ex-dictator's health
deteriorated last week, reported Geo News.
The
sources also confirmed that Musharraf's family are on-board regarding the
decision. His family has decided to shift him to Pakistan.
The
former president has been in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the last six
years getting medical treatment.
After
the news of Musharraf's ill health, Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), a
major stakeholder in the coalition government, and the military leadership had
said that the former president should be brought to the country if he wants to
come back, reported Geo News.
PML-N
supremo Nawaz Sharif last week asked the coalition government to facilitate
Musharraf if he wishes to return to Pakistan, adding that he does not have any
"personal enmity or tussle" with the ex-dictator.
"I
have no personal enmity or tussle with Pervez Musharraf. I do not want anyone
else to suffer the traumas that I have to endure for my loved ones," the
three-time prime minister stated on Twitter.
Director-General
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar also said
the military leadership believes that the former army chief should return to
Pakistan.
"In
such a situation the institution and leadership's stance is that Pervez
Musharraf should return," said DG ISPR during an interview with a private
television channel.
Earlier,
Musharraf expressed his desire to spend the "rest of his life" in his
home country, local media reported.
Source:
ND TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab
World
Saudi
crown prince to visit Turkey in first since Khashoggi murder
Jun
17, 2022
ISTANBUL:
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Turkey next week, a Turkish
official said Friday, as Ankara and Riyadh heal a bitter rift following the
2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.
It
is Prince Mohammed's first visit to Turkey since the brutal killing of Saudi
insider-turned-critic Khashoggi inside the kingdom's consulate, which shocked
the world and dealt a heavy blow to ties between the regional rivals.
The
kingdom's de facto ruler is expected to visit the capital Ankara on June 22 but
details of the trip will be announced "over the weekend", a senior
Turkish official told AFP.
The
two countries will sign several agreements during his trip as Turkey looks to
non-Western partners for financial support as soaring inflation bites.
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had already paid his visit in late April to
Saudi Arabia since the murder, where he met the prince before travelling to
Mecca.
Saudi
agents killed and dismembered Khashoggi, who wrote for the Washington Post, in
October 2018. His remains have never been found.
Turkey
angered Saudi Arabia by vigorously pursuing the case at the time, opening an
investigation and briefing international media about the lurid details of the
murder.
Erdogan
previously said the "highest levels" of the Saudi government ordered
the killing, although he has never blamed the crown prince directly.
But
with ties on the mend, an Istanbul court halted the trial in absentia of 26
Saudi suspects linked to Khashoggi's death, transferring the case to Riyadh in
April.
Turkey
already had strained relations with Saudi Arabia because of its support to
Qatar during the 2017 Riyadh-led blockade on the Gulf state but relations were
frozen for more than three years after Khashoggi's killing.
Saudi
Arabia responded at the time with an unofficial boycott of Turkish imports,
putting pressure on Turkey's economy.
Turkish
exporters complained their goods were stuck at Saudi customs for longer than
was necessary.
Now
with inflation reaching 73.5 percent in May and a cost-of-living crisis a year
before a presidential election, Erdogan needs backing from Gulf countries,
experts say.
"Turkey's
main concern would be getting Saudi funding to resupply central bank coffers
that are dangerously low," Asli Aydintasbas, a fellow at the European
Council on Foreign Relations, told AFP.
The
Turkish lira lost 44 percent of its value against the dollar in 2021, while the
central bank has pumped billions of dollars to prop up the currency.
In
the past 18 months, Turkey has also sought to repair relations with powerful
countries in the region like Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
For
the Saudi crown prince, the pariah status in the West after Khashoggi appears
to be a thing of the past with US President Joe Biden heading to the Middle
East next month and an expected stop in Saudi Arabia where the two men will
meet.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UAE
concerned by Iran nuclear program, seeks reassurances
17
June, 2022
The
United Arab Emirates urged Iran on Friday to provide reassurances on the
peaceful nature of its nuclear program after the International Atomic Energy
Agency denounced Tehran’s lack of cooperation.
“There
are concerns,” said the permanent representative of the UAE to the IAEA, Hamad
al-Kaabi.
In
response to an AFP question during a press conference on the Emirates’ own
nuclear program, he called on Iran to “closely cooperate with the IAEA” and
“provide reassurances to regional and international countries regarding the
peacefulness of its nuclear program.”
Iran
has a nuclear power plant outside the coastal city of Bushehr, as well as a
controversial uranium enrichment program.
Kaabi’s
statements come after Iran disconnected some IAEA cameras monitoring its
nuclear sites this month, shortly after the US and its European allies pushed
through a resolution at the UN agency denouncing Tehran’s lack of cooperation.
A
2015 deal with world powers gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for
guarantees that it could not develop a nuclear weapon - something Tehran has
always denied wanting to do.
The
United States unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018 under
then-president Donald Trump, before imposing biting sanctions on the Islamic
republic. Iran in turn began reneging on its own commitments.
US
President Joe Biden has said he is ready to again embrace the deal so long as
Iran also respects its own pledges under it.
Washington’s
Secretary of State Antony Blinken in April said the “breakout time” for Iran to
develop a nuclear bomb, if it so chooses, is “down to a matter of weeks” after
the deal had pushed it beyond a year.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Drone
strike kills three in Iraqi Kurdistan: Officials
17 June,
2022
Three
people were killed on Friday in an unclaimed drone strike on a vehicle in
Iraq's autonomous northern region of Kurdistan, medical and security officials
said.
The
drone “targeted a civilian car” in the city of Kalar in southeastern Kurdistan,
said the security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Three
people were killed and a fourth, a Kurd from Syria, was seriously wounded,”
said the source, who was unable to further identify the victims.
A
medical official at Kalar's hospital gave the same number of casualties.
There
was no immediate claim of responsibility for the drone strike.
The
attack comes two months after Turkey launched an air and ground offensive in
northern Iraq targeting separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) bases and
training camps.
Designated
as a terrorist group by Ankara and its Western allies, the PKK has been waging
an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 that has claimed tens of
thousands of lives.
Following
the Kalar drone attack, Turkey's defence ministry said it had neutralised “six
PKK terrorists” in the area where its military operation is taking place.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UAE
minster attends St. Petersburg Forum highlighting bilateral relations with
Russia
17 June,
2022
The
UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy
attended the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum where bilateral
relations between the Gulf country and Russia were highlighted, the official
Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Friday.
Minister
Omar bin Sultan al-Olama attended the 25th session of SPIEF, which is smaller
in size this year due to the Ukraine war and the barrage of sanctions against
Russia.
The
UAE, however, has remained neutral in face of the rising sanctions over
Russia’s invasion, with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying that the
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will not join the West in imposing
sanctions on Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine during a meeting with the
group in June.
Gulf
countries continue to call for a political solution, with the UAE calling for
an immediate halt to the fighting as early as February.
During
the event, al-Olama highlighted the “depth and width of the UAE-Russia
relations and the importance of strengthening ties towards more joint
cooperation in the economic fields,” WAM reported.
Al-Olama
also reportedly met with several Russian ministers and officials to explore and
review strengthening economic cooperation.
Additionally,
an agreement of intent was signed to “organize UAE’s participation as the guest
of honor at the forum’s next edition in 2023,” WAM reported noting the SPIEF’s
capacity to open up wider trade development and investment partnerships between
the two countries.
A
new MoU between the UAE and the Eurasian Economic Commission will see
cooperation in customs, financial markets, transportation, agro-industrial
sector, industry, intellectual property, information and communication
technology, in addition to digital transformation of the economy, WAM reported.
The
trade minister from the UAE is expected to attend the four-day event according
to a report by the Associated Press on Wednesday.
As
of early June, about 2,700 business representatives from 90 countries were
expected to attend, the AP reported, far below the 13,500 participants from 140
countries reported last year.
The
forum, often characterized as Russia’s analogue of the World Economic Forum in
Davos, Switzerland, aims to portray the country as orderly and full of
attractive opportunities for clever and adventurous investors.
This
year’s program carries the theme to an extent that is overly optimistic for
Russia’s straitened circumstances.
While
some of the speakers are from China, Denis Pushilin, leader of the Ukrainian
separatist Donetsk People’s Republic also announced he planned to attend.
A
Taliban representative was also expected, although Russia formally designates
the Taliban as a terrorist group.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
chief calls on Lebanon to respect Hague court’s verdict on Hariri killing
June
18, 2022
NEW
YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on authorities in Beirut
to respect the decision of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which on Thursday
imposed life sentences on two members of Hezbollah for involvement in the 2005
bombing that claimed the life of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.
Hariri
was killed on Feb. 14, 2005, by a suicide bomber who targeted his armored
convoy on the Beirut waterfront. The blast killed 21 other people and injured
226.
The
attack triggered nationwide protests that drove Syrian troops out of Lebanon
after almost 30 years of military deployment in the country.
Salim
Ayyash was convicted by the STL in 2020 and sentenced to life imprisonment for
his part in the assassination, but the tribunal ruled that there was
insufficient evidence to convict Habib Merhi and Hussein Oneissi. Prosecutors
appealed against the acquittal and in March both men were found guilty.
All
three men were tried, convicted and sentenced in their absence. They remain at
large and are unlikely to serve any time in jail because Hassan Nasrallah, the
leader of Iran-backed Hezbollah, does not recognize the authority of the court
and refuses to hand them over.
Guterres
said his thoughts “are with the victims of the Feb. 14 attack, and their
families.” He also expressed his “deep appreciation for the dedication and hard
work of the judges and staff involved in this case throughout the years.”
Noting
“the independence and impartiality of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” he
called on Lebanese authorities “to respect the decision of the Tribunal.”
Farhan
Haq, a spokesperson for the UN in New York, told Arab News that the
organization “welcomed the progress and the work being done by the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon and we believe that this is a case where the people of
Lebanon deserve justice.”
The
STL was established at The Hague in the Netherlands in 2009 in line with a UN
Security Council resolution. It eventually tried four suspects in absentia, one
of whom, Assad Sabra, was acquitted.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2105701/middle-east
--------
Iraq
decries latest Turkish drone strike in Kurdistan region, vows response after
investigation
18
June 2022
Baghdad
has condemned Turkey for its deadly drone strike in Iraq's semi-autonomous
Kurdistan region, pledging "necessary steps" in response to the
attack.
The
Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that such actions
“represent violation of Iraq's sovereignty and a threat to the security of
ordinary people, several of whom lost their lives and sustained injuries as a
result of the attack.”
“This
attack undermines the security of Iraq and stability of its people, and
requires a unified stance to be confronted,” the statement added.
The
ministry also pledged “necessary steps after completion of a thorough
investigation into the attack.”
On
Wednesday, a Turkish drone struck a security base belonging to the Protection
Force of Ezidxan, which is aligned with the so-called Kurdistan Communities
Union and backed by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group, in the
Snune sub-district of Sinjar in the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
According
to the Kurdish-language Kurdistan 24 television news network, the attack left
at least six people dead and injured several others. However, some other media
outlets put the death toll at four.
Turkish
military base in northern Iraq comes under rocket attack
Meanwhile,
a number of BM-21 Grad rockets have reportedly targeted a military base in
Iraq’s northern province of Nineveh, which houses Turkish forces involved in
ongoing military operations against purported PKK positions in the
semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
Lebanon’s
Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network reported that the
projectiles hit Zilkan base in northern Iraq’s Bashiqa region early on
Saturday.
Sabereen
News, a Telegram news channel associated with Iraqi anti-terror Popular
Mobilization Units – better known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi –
reported that five 122mm Grad rockets had slammed into the base.
Turkey
launched a new cross-border incursion into Iraq, codenamed Operation Claw-Lock,
in April. The air-and-ground military attacks target suspected PKK positions in
the Zab, Basiyan, Avasheen, and Korajiwar districts in the Kurdistan region.
In
response, Baghdad summoned Turkish ambassador Ali Riza Guney and handed him a
"strongly worded" protest note, calling the operation a blatant
violation of Iraq's sovereignty.
Ankara
summoned the Iraqi charge d'affaires too, informing the official that those
military operations will continue if Baghdad doesn't take action against PKK
members.
Militants
of the PKK — designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and
European Union — regularly clash with Turkish forces in the Kurdish-dominated
southeast of Turkey attached to northern Iraq.
A
shaky ceasefire between the PKK and the Turkish government collapsed in July
2015. Attacks on Turkish security forces have soared ever since.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Report:
Russia warns to strike US-allied militants in Syria’s al-Tanf region
17
June 2022
Russia
has reportedly warned American occupation forces that it is going to conduct
airstrikes against Washington-allied Takfiri terrorists in southeastern Syria
after a roadside bomb targeted Russian military forces in the country.
Two
unnamed US defense officials were quoted as saying by CNN that the warning,
which came earlier this week, led the US to quickly call on the militants to
move their positions and to ensure that no American forces were in close
proximity.
The
Russians achieved their goal of “sending a message” to the United States that
they can strike without being worried about retaliation, one official said.
The
incident happened in the vicinity of the strategic al-Tanf region, near the
borders of Iraq and Jordan.
The
strikes were conducted against positions where the US-backed so-called Maghawir
al-Thawra terrorists were operating. There were no immediate reports of
casualties, but the property is believed to have been damaged.
Last
month, the foreign intelligence service of the Russian Federation (SVR RF) said
US occupation forces deployed in Syria’s al-Tanf region were providing military
support to Takfiri Daesh terrorists and training them for field operations in
Ukraine.
According
to a report published by Russia’s Arabic-language RT Arabic television news
network, approximately 500 Daesh terrorists and militants from the Caucasus and
Central Asian countries were undergoing training at the camp to carry out acts
of sabotage and terrorist attacks against units of the Russian armed forces,
both inside Syria and in the east European country.
A
number of captured Daesh terrorists have already confessed to close cooperation
with US military forces stationed at al-Tanf base in the central Syrian
province of Homs in carrying out various acts of terror and sabotage.
During
confessions broadcast on Syria’s state-run television network in May 2020,
several terrorists revealed that they were instructed by American forces to
target Syrian government troops in and around the ancient city of Palmyra, the
Tiyas Military Airbase – also known as the T-4 Airbase, the Shaer gas field as
well as nearby oil wells.
Syria’s
official news agency SANA, citing local sources on condition of anonymity,
reported last April that a number of Daesh terrorists were being trained at the
US military base in the al-Shaddadi town of Syria’s northeastern province of
Hasakah on how to fire rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), shoulder-launched
rockets as well as anti-armor and anti-aircraft missiles.
Source:
Press TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Israel
PM looks into forming alternative gov’t with Netanyahu
Abdelraouf
Arna'out
17.06.2022
JERUSALEM
Israeli
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is considering the possibility of forming an
alternate government with opposition leader and former premier Benjamin
Netanyahu, according to local media on Friday.
Bennett
met late Thursday with his political advisers, including Aron Shaviv in the
headquarters of the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv.
The
Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) said the meeting discussed the
possibility of forming an alternate government between Bennett and Netanyahu.
Bennett's
office confirmed the meeting but denied discussing the topic of forming an
alternate government.
Bennett's
government has lost its parliamentary majority following withdrawals of
lawmakers from the coalition that formed the government last year.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
President
Rayeesi: Decision to Impose News Sanctions on Iran Proves US Untrustworthiness
2022-June-17
"Sanctions
must be neutralized; I wonder about why the Americans on the one hand send a
message that telling they are ready for an agreement, but on the other hand,
they add to the the list of sanctions," the Iranian president said on
Friday.
"We
do not trust America; they break their promises," he added.
President
Rayeesi said that when the Americans officially declare that they have
scandalously failed in the Maximum Pressure Campaign against Iran, it means
that the Islamic Revolution is stepping on the path towards victory and
progress.
"When
we declare that we do not trust America, the world must admit that we are right
when we say the Americans do not stick to their promises," the Iranian
president further said.
President
Rayeesi's remarks came after Washington threatened Tehran with more sanctions
if the JCPOA revival talks fail.
Last
Wednesday, the US and three European countries of Britain, Germany, and France
offered an anti-Iran draft resolution to the IAEA Board of Governors based on
allegations made by the Zionist regime on Iranian nuclear activities.
The
anti-Iran resolution was approved with 30 votes in favor, two votes against
(Russia and China), and three abstentions (India, Libya, and Pakistan).
In
reaction to the approval of the resolution, Iran halted certain collaborations
with the IAEA, which were beyond safeguard agreements and were conducted by
Iranians to show their good faith.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Gaza
rocket into Israel breaks two-month lull
18
June, 2022
Palestinian
militants fired a rocket into southern Israel early Saturday, shattering a
two-month lull that prevailed along Gaza-Israel fence in contrast to soaring
tensions in the West Bank.
The
Israeli military said aerial defense systems intercepted the projectile, which
activated warning sirens in the southern coastal city of Ashkelon. There were
no reports of casualties.
No
Palestinian group claimed responsibility for the rocket fire. Israel usually
blames the militant Hamas group for any violence emanating from the coastal
enclave it controls.
An
Israeli military raid in the West Bank early Friday, in which three Palestinian
militants were killed and eight wounded, could have triggered the rocket attack
from Gaza.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PKK
terrorists dug cross-border tunnel between Iraq, Syria, says official
17.06.2022
ERBIL,
Iraq
The
PKK terrorist organization has dug a tunnel under the northern Iraq-Syria
border to transport weapons, explosives, and members, according to an Iraqi
Kurdish official.
Some
300,000 concrete blocks were used in the construction of the tunnel that
stretches from under the Sinjar region in northwestern Iraq to Hasakah in
Syria, said Halef Halil, an official of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
"The
PKK dug a 12-kilometer (7.4 miles) tunnel between the valley of the mountainous
Bare region of Sinjar and the al-Hol region of Syria's Hasakah province,"
he told Anadolu Agency.
Halil
went on to say that the terrorist organization was preparing to send a large
number of militants to Syria, adding that pro-government Hashd al-Shaabi
militias were aware of the PKK's activities but has not interfered.
"The
Hashd al-Shaabi and the PKK are both linked to a state in the region ... Both
are making efforts to prevent the deal on Sinjar between Erbil and Baghdad from
being implemented," he noted.
In
October 2020, the Iraqi federal government and Kurdish Regional Government
(KRG) in northern Iraq signed an agreement to preserve security in Sinjar by
the Iraqi federal security forces in coordination with the KRG Peshmerga
forces.
Halil
also asserted that the Hashd al-Shaabi provide military and food for the PKK
terrorists, as well as their monthly salary.
Haydar
Shesho, an Ezidi military commander in northern Iraq, also pointed out the
close cooperation between the two groups.
The
PKK cannot use any road in the region without the approval of the Hashd
al-Shaabi, said Shesho, adding that the militia knew of the PKK's cross-border
tunneling.
He
also underlined that the PKK had dug 300-400 meters (about 985-1,310 feet) of
tunnels under Sinjar's mountainous regions.
The
PKK terrorist organization managed to establish a foothold in Sinjar in 2014
under the pretext of protecting the Ezidi community from Daesh/ISIS terrorists.
Sinjar
has a strategic position as it is some 120 kilometers (74 miles) from Mosul, a
regional urban center, and is also near the Turkish-Syrian border.
The
terror group aims to create a corridor between PKK/YPG terrorists in northern
Syria and Iraq's northern Qandil region.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Amid
live fire training, US 'begs' Israel to halt violence during Biden visit
18
June 2022
Palestinian
activists in the US have blasted a White House request that Israel avoid any
provocative actions in the occupied West Bank ahead of President Joe Biden’s
visit next month.
This
came on Friday after the Axios news website reported that Washington had asked
Israel to halt home demolitions, evictions of Palestinians and any decisions on
illegal settlement building "until after Biden's visit" in mid-July.
“The
Biden administration doesn't want us to create any crisis in the West Bank...
They want quiet and calm," Axios quoted a senior Israeli official as
saying.
The
activists said the request highlights the "magnitude of this
administration's weakness" and its inability to come up with a coherent
policy towards Palestinians.
Several
Palestinian-Americans told Middle East Eye that the plea was not a surprise and
cemented in their view how the Biden administration and previous US governments
view Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.
"If
these comments indicate anything, it's that the Biden administration has
neither a vision nor a plan to deal with the situation in the occupied
Palestinian territories," Osama Abuirshaid, executive director of American
Muslims for Palestine (AMP), told MEE.
Abuirshaid
underlined that Biden appears to be "begging for some kind of Israeli calm
… so as not to cause him any embarrassment.”
Axios
said despite the reported request, Israeli leaders could not make any such
promises, citing "the domestic political complexities of halting such
actions.”
"Unfortunately,
even this humiliating plea may fall on deaf ears. The Israeli government is
fully aware of the magnitude of this administration's weakness and can care
less about the US president's embarrassment or loss of political capital
despite unfettered US support to Israel," Abuirshaid said.
The
Palestinian activists also told the Middle East Eye about decades of unfruitful
US-led negotiations around their future, saying they do not see tangible policy
being pursued by the Biden administration in relation to the occupied
Palestinian territories.
"Until
now, it has not been possible to talk about a political approach by the Biden
administration towards the Palestinians," Abuirshaid said.
"This
administration has yet to offer Palestinians a new horizon. Instead, it demands
Palestinians to preserve Israel's security and ensure calm, while continuing to
willingly turn a blind eye to Israel's crimes and provocations."
Iyad
el-Baghdadi, a Palestinian human rights campaigner, censured Biden in a post on
his Twitter handle as a "deeply racist man who cares more about having a
pleasant trip to an apartheid regime than about Palestinian human rights."
Since
Biden came into office, as the UN data show, Israel has demolished more than
1,200 Palestinian-owned structures in the occupied West Bank and rendered more
than 1,600 Palestinians homeless.
More
than 20,000 Palestinian-owned housing units are at risk of demolition in the
occupied al-Quds.
Israel
has already occupied thousands of acres of Palestinian agricultural lands to
construct and expand new illegal settler units in various areas in the West
Bank.
The
Tel Aviv regime also plans to force out Palestinian families from the Sheikh
Jarrah neighborhood in an attempt to replace them with settlers. That plan
sparked days of fighting between Gaza-based Hamas and the Israeli regime in May
last year.
More
than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli
occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and al-Quds.
All
Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. The United Nations
Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied
territories in several resolutions.
Palestinians
want the West Bank as part of a future independent state, with East al-Quds as
its capital.
Israel
to begin live fire training during Palestinians’ forced expulsion
The
Israeli occupation forces said on Friday that they would conduct a live-fire
military exercise in the south of al-Khalil (Hebron) in the occupied West Bank
starting next week, with the Palestinian residents saying the move was as an
attempt to force them out of their homeland.
The
drills, which will include light arms training, are scheduled to take place
from Monday until Wednesday in Masafer Yatta, a Palestinian community where
more than 1,000 Palestinian are facing imminent expulsion.
Palestinians
living in Masafer Yatta said the use of live fire — the first in the area after
20 years — is a scare tactic to facilitate their eviction by pushing them out.
"This
will not be the only military training they conduct, they will do it constantly
and move from one location to another," Palestinian activist Jamal Juma
told Middle East Eye.
"So
this is a way they think is a smart way, instead of loading these people in
trucks and throwing them outside. They destroy the Palestinian resources, take
it over so the Palestinians will be blocked in a densely populated area,
isolated in ghettos, another [manifestation] of the apartheid system."
Source:
Press TV
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At
least 78 Palestinians injured after Israeli forces attack protests in West Bank
17
June 2022
At
least 78 people were injured after Israeli forces attacked protest rallies
against the regime’s settler-colonial activities in the northern part of the
occupied West Bank on Friday.
The
protests, which have become a weekly affair, erupted in and around the West
Bank city of Nablus after Friday prayers, with Israeli regime forces using
indiscriminate force to quell them.
The
Palestine Red Crescent Society, a humanitarian organization working under the
aegis of the International Red Cross, said at least 78 protesters were injured,
including international solidarity activists.
Reports
said protests took place in the villages of Beit Dajan, Qaryut, and Kafr
Qaddum, and the neighboring governorate of Qalqilia.
According
to the Palestinian Information Center, Palestinians marched through the
villages in support of their cause of liberation from the Israeli occupation
and aggression.
Israeli
forces, it said, confronted the protesters with live bullets, tear gas
canisters, and sound grenades.
Elsewhere
in the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers, who were
tilling their land.
A
64-year-old farmer was reportedly injured as a result of the settlers’ savagery
east of the city of al-Khalil (Hebron) in the southern part of West Bank.
It
came after three young men were killed by Israeli forces in an attack on the
Jenin refugee camp in the northern part of the West Bank in the wee hours of
Friday morning.
Palestinians
marched through the refugee camp after the raid, carrying the bodies of the
slain men and calling for undaunted resistance against the occupying regime.
The
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, reacting to the latest Israeli raid,
warned that the Tel Aviv regime “will pay for its crimes” and that Jenin “will
remain unbreakable.”
Later
in the day, hundreds of Palestinians took part in funeral ceremonies of the
three slain men.
The
Israeli regime occupied the West Bank in 1967 in a Western-backed war. Ever
since it has dotted the territory with hundreds of settlements that are deemed
illegal by the international community.
Israeli
reconnaissance balloon falls in Gaza
An
Israeli reconnaissance balloon fell over Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip
on Friday afternoon, with reports claiming that the Israeli forces attacked the
area shortly afterward.
The
Palestinian resistance fighters seized the balloon, reports said, amid
speculation that it could result in a significant information breach.
Some
reports suggested that the balloon had been shot down by the resistance
fighters Palestinians, forcing the Israeli military to fire warning shots.
Israeli
forces then infiltrated Gaza’s border with the occupied territories to
“restore” the balloon, but were forced to retreat after resistance fighters
confronted them with live fire, Quds News Network said.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/06/17/684088/Israel-attack-protest-Nablus
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Palestinians
hold funeral of three young men killed by Israeli forces
17
June 2022
Hundreds
of Palestinians have held the funeral of three young men killed by Israeli
forces in an attack on the Jenin refugee camp in the northern part of the West
Bank.
The
Friday aggression came amid growing tensions in the occupied territories.
Palestinian
medical sources identified the victims as 23-year-old Youssef Nasser Salah,
Baraa Kamal Lahlouh, 24, and Laith Salah Abu Srour, the same age.
Palestinians
marched through the refugee camp after the Friday raid, carrying the bodies of
the slain men and calling for undaunted resistance until full liberation of all
Palestinian territories, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian
state with East al-Quds as its capital.
The
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, reacting to the latest Israeli raid,
warned that the Tel Aviv regime “will pay for its crimes” and that Jenin “will
remain unbreakable.”
Hamas
said such attacks will only strengthen the resolve of Palestinians to keep
resistance against the Israeli occupation.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/06/17/684080/Funeral-Palestinians-West-Bank-Israel
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