‘Ex-Muslims of Kerala’, an outfit for ‘Ex-Muslims’ Celebrates January 9 As ‘Ex-Muslims Day’
New
Age Islam News Bureau
10
January 2022
On
selecting January 9 as Ex-Muslims Day, Liyakkathali said on the same day last
year there had been a debate between Islamic preacher M M Akbar and
Malappuram-based rationalist E A Jabbar on Islam.
-----
• Saudi
Leaks, The Rights Group Voices Concern Over ‘Enforced Disappearance’ Under
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman In Saudi Arabia
• Indonesia:
New Nahdlatul Ulama Chief Vows Not to Mix Religion with Politics
• Detained
Afghan Professor, Faizullah Jalal, Was Provoking People Against Islamic Emirate
Of Afghanistan: Zabiullah Mujahid
• Pakistani
Nation Must Stand Against Extremism: SAPM Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi
India
• The
Apps ‘Sulli Deals’ and Bulli Bai Made To Degrade And Humiliate Muslim Women, For
Being Outspoken About The Rising Tide Of Hindu Nationalism
• MP:
Retired DGP Removed From WhatsApp Group For Anti-Muslim Post
• Pakistan
Fishing Boat With 10 Crew Members Seized Off Gujarat Coast
• 2
militants killed in encounter in J&K's Kulgam
• Iran
ready to help India transport wheat to Afghanistan
• Sulli
Deals app creator arrested by Delhi Police
--------
Arab World
• Iraq's
Sadr says ‘no place for militias' in new government
• Syria
hands over 50 Daesh/ISIS militants to Iraq
• Iraq's
new parliament elects speaker in first step towards establishing a government
• Egypt
frees Coptic rights activist Ramy Kamel
• UAE
calls for immediate release of ship hijacked by Houthis
• Israel
begins buying aluminium from Bahrain, says envoy in interview
• Saudi-led
coalition ‘steals’ Iraq doc footage to accuse Yemen forces: Report
• Syrian
army forces block US occupation troops in Hasakah, force them to turn back
• Saudi
Arabia turns to Persian Gulf allies for resupply of depleted missiles
--------
Southeast Asia
• Cardinal
Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, Jakarta Archdiocese Declares 2022 As Year Of
Human Dignity
• Penang
Introduces Religious Exploration Campaign For Awareness, Tourism
• Hadi
Hits Out At Media For Blindly Following ‘Western Values’ Over Cases Of
Wrongdoing
• Indonesia
seeks life sentence for suspected mastermind of 2002 Bali bombing
--------
South Asia
• Afghan
Post, A Government Body Of Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan Made 46 Million
Afghanis From Posting Documents In Three Months
• Bangladesh
Rohingya refugee camp fire leaves thousands homeless
• Taliban
Has To Fulfil Promises If They Want Resources To Be Unfrozen: UN
• Taliban
FM visits Iran for talks on trade, border and refugees
--------
Pakistan
• Afghanistan’s
future hinges on Pakistan ties, western aid: reports
• Six
Islamic State men killed in Quetta: CTD
• Opposition
Senators seek debate on PTI funding disclosure
• Pakistan
asks IMF to delay 6th country review meeting to January-end
--------
Europe
• Fight
Against Terrorism ‘Greater Challenge’ Than Ever Before, Says UK Police Official
• 164
Dead, Nearly 6,000 Arrested In Week Of Protests In Kazakhstan
• Kazakhstan’s
largest city back online after clashes, blackout: Report
• Pope
Francis Calls For Dialogue, Justice To End Unrest In Kazakhstan
• Swiss
daily reveals torture of local man by PKK terrorists
• EU
foreign policy chief condemns violence in Kazakhstan
• UK
tells Syrian asylum seeker ‘safe’ to return home
--------
Mideast
• Iranian
Spokesman: Afghanistan Embassy Operating Based on 1961 Convention
• Israeli
Extremists A Threat To Christian Presence In Jerusalem, Says Church Leader
• Iran’s
Chief Negotiator: Talks on Outstanding Issues Continue in Vienna
• Mahmoud
Abbas begins 17th year as Palestinian president
• Over
1,170 Yemeni civilians killed or wounded in 2021
• Hamas
arrests suspect in academic’s killing in Malaysia
• Turkish
forces 'neutralize' 3 PKK/YPG terrorists in Syria, Iraq
--------
Africa
• Ex-Tunisian
President Calls For Civil Disobedience To Topple Saied
• Sudan
protest group rejects UN offer for talks with military
• Somali
military repulses al-Shabaab attack, kills 21 terrorists
• Second
protester in Sudan dies after injury in anti-military rule protest: Medics
• Ethiopia's
rebellious Tigray party accuses Eritrea of attacking its forces
• Tunisia
prosecutor rejects request to arrest Ennahda deputy chief: Adviser
• Qatar
welcomes launch of UN-facilitated dialogue in Sudan
--------
North America
• After
Tehran Sanctions Americans, US Vows To Deter And Respond To Any Attack By Iran
• US
Republican Rep. Jordan not to cooperate with Capitol attack probe
• US
sets up refinery in Syria’s Hasakah to increase country's oil theft
• US
military boosts forces at Syria oil fields in wake of rocket attacks
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/ex-muslims-kerala-liyakkathali-e-jabbar/d/126124
--------
‘Ex-Muslims
of Kerala’, an outfit for ‘Ex-Muslims’ celebrates January 9 as ‘Ex-Muslims Day’
On
selecting January 9 as Ex-Muslims Day, Liyakkathali said on the same day last
year there had been a debate between Islamic preacher M M Akbar and
Malappuram-based rationalist E A Jabbar on Islam.
-----
By
Shaju Philip | Thiruvananthapuram |
January
10, 2022
On
selecting January 9 as Ex-Muslims Day, Liyakkathali said on the same day last
year there had been a debate between Islamic preacher M M Akbar and
Malappuram-based rationalist E A Jabbar on Islam.
A
group of people “who abandoned their religion” have floated a new organisation
called ‘Ex-Muslims of Kerala’, offering a platform and support to those who
stopped practising Islam. The organization observed January 9 as ‘Ex-Muslims
Day’.
The
outfit’s president, Liyakkathali C M, said this is the first of its kind
organisation in India. “We have formed a 10-member executive committee and
membership campaign is on. Initially, we have identified 300 Muslims, who have
abandoned their religion over the years, who openly come out in support of the
organisation,” he said.
He
said the organisation aims to provide moral support to those who quit Islam.
“There are many Muslims who have abandoned their religion but are reluctant to
declare it openly as they fear repercussions from society. Many are forced to
live hiding their identity after abandoning religion. They fail to get support
from even family and are targeted in their places of work. We want to give
support and courage to people who are willing to come out of the religion.
Those who abandon religion should be allowed to live fearlessly,” he said.
On
selecting January 9 as Ex-Muslims Day, Liyakkathali said on the same day last
year there had been a debate between Islamic preacher M M Akbar and
Malappuram-based rationalist E A Jabbar on Islam. “This debate was widely
viewed in social media platforms and paved way for an open criticism on Islam
and prompted many to abandon the religion. Hence, we wanted January 9 to be
marked as the ex-Muslims day,’’ he said.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
Leaks, The Rights Group Voices Concern Over ‘Enforced Disappearance’ Under
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman In Saudi Arabia
Saudi
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
----
10
January 2022
A
human rights group has voiced concern over the unknown fate of dozens of
victims of enforced disappearance in Saudi Arabia, saying the kingdom is in a
dark era under the rule of the infamous Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“The
Saudi authority still ignores international condemnations and warnings and
continues its repressive and arbitrary policy against the people of the
country, in an effort to take away their freedom of opinion and expression,”
Saudi Leaks cited the Sanad Rights Foundation as saying on Sunday.
The
Sanad Rights Foundation noted that the enforced disappearance is one of the
“brutal repressive” methods adopted by Riyadh against prisoners of conscience,
describing it as a “black feature” of the era of Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the
de facto ruler of the kingdom.
According
to the rights group, Turki al-Jasser, Saud bin Ghosn, Ahmed al-Muzaini, Jabir
a-Amri, and Abdulrahman al-Sadhan are among the prominent victims of the
enforced disappearance of persons launched by Saudi authorities.
It
condemned Riyadh for hiding the prisoners of conscience in violation of legal
provisions, urging the Saudi regime to “review its policies and reveal the fate
of the innocent victims.”
Last
September, the group noted that the Saudi authorities have detained hundreds of
scholars, preachers, thinkers, researchers, writers, journalists, and activists
since the first campaign of arrests that took place in September 2017. Sanad
denounced the regime for turning a blind eye to the danger of the targeting of
prominent people who could play a role in the kingdom’s progress.
Salman
al-Ouda, Muhammad Musa al-Sharif, Awad al-Qarni, Hassan al-Maliki, Muhammad
al-Munajjid, and Essam al-Zamel were among other prominent figures detained in
September 2017.
The
group also noted that the female activists have also become a target of the
“brutal repression and enforced disappearance,” adding that there are more than
ten women whose fate is unknown, including Halimah al-Hewety, Sara al-Jabri,
and Mona al-Byali.
“The
Saudi authorities refrain from revealing the situation of prisoners of
conscience for fear of the exposure of the crimes of psychological and physical
torture that are being carried out against them,” Sanad said in September,
lamenting that the criminals enjoy impunity.
Ever
since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman became Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader in
2017, the kingdom has ramped up arrests of activists, bloggers, intellectuals,
and others perceived as political opponents, showing almost zero tolerance for
dissent even in the face of international condemnations of the crackdown.
Muslim
scholars have been executed and women’s rights campaigners have been put behind
bars and tortured as freedoms of expression, association, and belief continue
to be denied.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Indonesia:
New Nahdlatul Ulama Chief Vows Not to Mix Religion with Politics
Yahya
Cholil Staquf, the new chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest Muslim
organization
------
2022-01-07
The
new leader of Indonesia’s largest mass-Muslim organization says he doesn’t
intend to enter the political fray or be dragged into communal politics that
have divided people in the religiously diverse nation in recent years.
Yahya
Cholil Staquf, nicknamed “Gus Yahya,” was elected chairman of the influential
Nahdlatul Ulama group in late December, when he defeated two-term incumbent
Said Aqil Siradj and three other candidates in a vote during NU’s 34th
congress.
“I
have stated since the beginning that I do not want to be a presidential or
vice-presidential candidate, nor do I want someone from NU as a presidential or
a vice-presidential candidate. That way, NU will no longer be involved in
identity politics whatsoever,” Yahya told BenarNews in an interview last week.
By
“identity politics,” he was referring to a divisive communal streak that has lately
infiltrated politics in the Muslim-majority nation. Indonesia has long been
known for its moderate brand of Islam and general tolerance toward religious
minorities.
NU,
which claims to have 90 million members, for most of its existence, has been
reputed as a moderate and more progressive faith-based institution.
On
several occasions before the NU congress, Yahya expressed his determination to
restore to the group the idealism, spirit of inclusiveness and humanity
embodied by the late Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, who – as the centennial of
NU’s birth approaches – remains one of the most revered figures in its history.
Gus
Dur, a longtime chairman of NU, went on to serve as president of Indonesia,
Southeast Asia’s most populous nation, in 1999-2001, during the early years of
its transition to democracy after decades of authoritarian rule. Yahya, 55,
acted as the presidential spokesman under Gus Dur.
More
recently, Yahya stayed close to the seat of power when he was appointed as a
member of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) during President Joko
“Jokowi” Widodo’s first term.
In
his view, NU should play a role in healing the scars and polarization in
society that resulted from identity politics, which were on display in the
run-up to the 2019 presidential election.
Ma’ruf
Amin was Jokowi’s running mate in that election as is serving as vice
president.
But
in 2017, Ma’ruf was among those calling for the removal from office of Basuki
“Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, Jakarta’s governor who was a member of the
Chinese-Christian minority, over alleged blasphemous comments that Ahok made on
the campaign trail for reelection. Back in 2017, Ma’ruf was chairman of NU and
he sat on the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the nation’s leading body of
Islamic clerics and scholars.
A
year before the Jakarta gubernatorial election, the Islamic Defenders Front
(FPI), a conservative Muslim group that the central government has since
banned, led mass protests in the streets of the nation’s capital demanding the
arrest and prosecution of “Ahok” for the alleged blasphemy.
In
May 2017, a district court in Jakarta convicted Ahok of blasphemy and sentenced
him to two years’ imprisonment. Ahok subsequently lost the 2017 gubernatorial
election.
Some
Indonesians viewed the verdict as politically motivated and suspected that the
judges succumbed to pressure from conservative Islamic groups.
Yahya
said that fundamentalist Islamic groups such as FPI and Hizbut Tahrir, a
pan-Islamic political organization which was dissolved in 2018, were not
entirely at fault for wanting Indonesia, as the world’s most populous
Muslim-majority nation, to abide by the caliphate concept.
“We
know they have political reasons for their choices to be radical or to be
fundamental. We have to engage them, we have to try to make them realize that
their political choices are no longer realistic,” he told BenarNews during a
45-minute interview by phone on Dec. 31.
“We
can no longer impose a universal caliphate in the context of today’s modern
reality.”
He
also expressed optimism that NU could serve as a mediator by seeking a common
framework to curtail, if not withhold, radicalism and fundamentalism in the
country.
“Obviously
the way to do it is to persevere and campaign as hard as possible to prevent
identity politics. We must encourage political stakeholders to build consensus
that they would not capitalize on identity, especially religious identity, as a
political weapon,” Yahya said.
Israel
controversy
In
2018, Yahya stirred public controversy at home when he accepted an invitation
from the Israel Council on Foreign Relations (ICFR) to give a speech in
Jerusalem on the solution to religious conflicts.
At
the time, Yahya was still a member of Wantimpres. The Indonesian public
criticized him over the invitation because he was perceived as having put a
dent in Indonesia’s support for the Palestinian people.
But
Yahya said he went on the trip in a personal capacity and as a regular Muslim
who longed for the Palestine-Israel conflict to end, and not as a
representative of the government or NU.
In
early 2020, during a meeting of leaders from different faiths at the Vatican,
Yahya said the world’s religious leaders had agreed to come together to think
about how religion functions and responds to conflict in the 21st century.
“Religion
must also find its new function. This is the first and this requires a separate
process,” he told BenarNews.
As he
put it, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict needs to be resolved fundamentally,
namely through clarifying territorial boundaries in accordance with
international law. As long as boundaries are not made clear, it will be
difficult for Israel to gain political recognition, including establishing
diplomatic ties with Indonesia, he said.
“A
lot of these territorial boundaries are just unilateral claims by both Israel
and the surrounding Arab and Islamic countries. This must be resolved first. So
if, for example, Indonesia says it is normalizing relations with Israel, which
[Israel] is it? The boundaries must be clear so as not to cause new problems,”
he said.
The
interview with the new NU chairman took place days after news reports emerged
saying that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during meetings with
Indonesian officials in Jakarta last month, had discussed the prospect of
Indonesia normalizing ties with the Jewish State.
Yahya
also has a proven track record in the international community.
In
2014, he was listed as one of the founders of Bayt Ar-Rahmah, a
California-based religious institute which promotes the primary message of Islam
as a source of universal love and compassion.
He
was entrusted to be a member in the panel of experts who formulate policies in
the U.S.-Indonesia Interfaith Executive Council, which was set up after an
agreement signed between President Barack Obama and Jokowi in October 2015.
Yahya
was also appointed as the envoy of Nahdlatul Ulama’s youth movement and the
National Awakening Party (PKB), NU’s political vehicle, to forge political
networks in the international community and in Europe.
He
said he believes that Indonesia must contribute to develop the world order in
accordance with its 1945 constitutional mandate. He also voiced hope that his
activities could project the image of a peaceful and moderate Islam in
Indonesia.
“I
think the Indonesian government should take a bolder action with a concrete
agenda in solving existing problems, to penetrate the international politics,”
he said.
“[T]o
defend anyone who is treated unfairly, to seek a better future for everyone,
including our brothers in Palestine or our brothers [the] Uyghurs in China. It
even includes non-Muslim groups who also suffer from persecution in
Muslim-majority societies.”
Yahya
said even though he is now NU chairman, Bayt Ar-Rahmah will keep operating as
usual, because he still needs to carry on with its Islamic humanitarian
mission, which includes campaigning to eliminate the use of the term “kafir”
(infidel) in modern Islamic doctrine.
“The
non-Muslims or infidel status is a symbolic object for hostility,
discrimination and persecution,” he said.
“We
can no longer tolerate or allow such vulnerability because the world has become
one, integrated neighborhood, and we have to live side by side with each
other,” Yahya told BenarNews.
‘Needs
to be supported’
Syafiq
Hakim, a lecturer in Islamic studies at the Indonesian International Islamic
University, welcomed Yahya’s stated intention to revive Gus Dur’s visions and
missions, but said this would require support from all parties.
“If
he doesn’t want to be involved in politics by being a presidential or a vice
presidential candidate, it seems that he really wants to reinstate Gus Dur’s
values. But of course, we don’t know if it would be applicable with NU. Because
when it comes to NU, it has so many layers and not all scholars have an open
perspective,” Syafiq told BenarNews on Thursday.
According
to Syafiq, if Yahya succeeds in reviving NU’s old progressive values, other
mass organizations with diverse perspectives and endeavors will likely follow
suit, including Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim organization in
Indonesia.
“That
is a working agenda that I think is challenging and needs support, though I
have no idea how it will turn out. However, I strongly agree with Gus Yahya’s
proposed agenda, and he must put it forward, as a leader of the largest mass
organization that protects minority groups,” he said.
PKB,
the political party associated with Nahdlatul Ulama, was established to voice
the organization’s aspirations in responding to a political crisis during the
reform era, which began in 1998 with the downfall of President Suharto, the
longtime dictator.
Gus
Dur initially refused the idea because he didn’t want NU to leave its “khittah”
(original pledge) by mixing religious affairs with politics. However, Gus Dur
finally relented because he saw this as the only way to fight Golkar, the party
associated with Suharto, the authoritarian ruler and former military chief.
According
to another observer, it is appropriate for Yahya to want to keep NU out of
politics in Indonesia. Yon Machmudi, an Islamic politics expert at the
University of Indonesia, said he hoped Yahya would not be steered into
mobilizing NU’s large mass following in any political contest.
“If
he remains on track with his agenda, it will be a major breakthrough … by
returning to NU’s foundational mandate as a religious Islamic organization
beyond the struggle for political power,” Yon told BenarNews.
If NU
is forced to become involved in politics, this would diminish the
organization’s core values and mission in helping to strengthen society, he
said.
“I
think his statement that he would steer NU away from politics is good and
important, so that he can make decisions wisely on political choices without
having to become a presidential or a vice presidential candidate, which could
potentially cause friction at the grassroots level. I think this is an ideal
situation,” Yon said.
Source:
Benar News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/indonesian/leader-speaks-01072022154105.html
--------
Detained
Afghan Professor, Faizullah Jalal, Was Provoking People Against Islamic Emirate
Of Afghanistan: Zabiullah Mujahid
Faizullah
Jalal, a professor at Kabul University and a known critic of the Taliban
government
----
09
Jan 2022
Deputy
Minister of information and culture and spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan Zabiullah Mujahid said that university lecturer Faizullah Jalal was
provoking people against the political system thus, he was arrested.
Clarifying
the arrest of Faizullah Jalal, Zabiullah Mujahid said that Jalal was a “bigot”
person and he is arrested to clarify his recent remarks and pieces of writing
on social media.
Mujahid
said that Jalal’s recent posts on social media are sheer “bullshit”.
Faizullah
Jalal in his last Twitter post said that Durand Line is an official border
between Afghanistan and Pakistan and that Pashtoon leaders have signed the Line
several times.
“Faizullah
Jalal was arrested so that other people misusing names of university lecturer
not disrespect people and do not post bullshit.” Reads a Twitter post of
Mujahid.
Faizullah
Jalal was arrested in Kabul on Saturday, January, 1, 2022.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/detained-faizullah-jalal-was-provoking-people-against-iea-mujahid-457457/
--------
Pakistani
Nation Must Stand Against Extremism: SAPM Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi
Special
Assistant to Prime Minister on Interfaith Harmony Allama Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi
----
January
10, 2022
MULTAN:
Special
Assistant to Prime Minister on Interfaith Harmony Allama Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi
on Sunday said that the government believes in resolving issues through
dialogue, and the nation must stand against extremism.
He
said this while addressing a ceremony held for the promotion of interfaith
harmony under the auspices of the South Punjab Multi-Stakeholder Working Group
and Signify organisation.
During
the ceremony, the SAPM also spoke about the Murree calamity, where stranded
tourists passed away in their cars. He regretted the incident and appealed to
the people to avoid sharing the pictures of the deceased on social media,
hinting at punishment for those who express negligence in this regard.
Ashrafi
also paid tribute to the Pakistan Army for rendering swift services to those
stranded in extreme weather in the hill station.
The
SAPM also lauded the gesture shown by different religious seminaries to serve
the people. He added that seminaries would be linked to the Ministry of
Education.
Ashrafi
also hailed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers’
meeting in Islamabad, terming it as a huge success of the federal government
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the whole Muslim Ummah stood united on
the issue of Afghanistan.
Regarding
forced marriages, he categorically stated that there is no concept of forced
marriage in Islam, adding that the religion gives women right to contract
marriage of their own choice.
Read
More: Lawmakers urge end to child marriages
He
further said that the main message of Paigham-e-Pakistan is peace and one
should not interfere in others’ creed. He said that the recommendations of
Paigham-e-Pakistan would be made part of the Constitution of Pakistan, and in
this regard, Adviser to Prime Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan is
working on converting them into a legal shape.
Responding
to a question about government’s viewpoint about Madinah Masjid, the SAPM said
that the government, through the attorney general, presented its viewpoint. He,
however, hinted that mosques and graveyards could not be demolished with any
“Sharie” reason.
During
the ceremony, Federal Parliamentary Secretary on Finance Zain Qureshi praised
the South Punjab Multi-Stakeholder Group for its efforts to promote peace in
the region.
The
ceremony was also addressed by Paigham-e-Pakistan Director General Dr Muhammad
Ziaul Haq, Provincial Parliamentary Secretary on Information and Culture Nadeem
Qureshi, Women University Vice Chancellor Uzma Qureshi, and others, who
supported continuing struggle for interfaith harmony.
Source:
Tribune Pakistan
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2337950/pakistani-nation-must-stand-against-extremism-sapm
--------
India
The
Apps ‘Sulli Deals’ and Bulli Bai Made To Degrade And Humiliate Muslim Women,
For Being Outspoken About The Rising Tide Of Hindu Nationalism
10th
January 2022
Police
in India have arrested a man suspected of creating an app that put up photos of
more than 80 Muslim women for "sale" online last year.
The
open source app - Sulli Deals - had been hosted on web platform GitHub in July
2021.
The
25-year-old was arrested days after a similar app - Bulli Bai - uploaded photos
of more than 100 Muslim women.
Four
students, including a 21-year-old student who allegedly created the second app,
were arrested.
In
both cases, there was no actual sale, but the purpose was to degrade and
humiliate Muslim women, many of whom have been outspoken about the rising tide
of Hindu nationalism under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Sulli"
is a derogatory Hindi slang term right-wing Hindu trolls use for Muslim women,
and "bulli" is also pejorative.
After
the Bulli Bai app generated outrage online, one of the women who had filed a
police complaint in July alleged that police in national capital Delhi had not
taken any action yet.
On
Sunday, police arrested Aumkareshwar Thakur from Indore city in the central
Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Police
told BBC Marathi that Mr Thakur's name came up while Neeraj Bishnoi, the
alleged creator of the Bulli Bai app, was being interrogated.
Mr
Thakur's devices are being analysed, KPS Malhotra, the deputy commissioner of
the Delhi Police's cyber crime team, told the BBC.
The
"Sulli Deals" app had taken publicly available pictures of women and
created profiles, describing the women as "deals of the day".
Those
who featured on the app were all vocal Muslims, including journalists,
activists, artists or researchers.
One
of the women, a commercial pilot, told the BBC's Geeta Pandey in July 2021 that
she felt "chills" go down her spine when she heard about the app.
The
Bulli Bai app also generated similar reactions from the women whose photos were
uploaded without their permission - this included several journalists, a
Bollywood actor and the 65-year-old mother of a disappeared Indian student.
Source:
BBC News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-59933029
--------
MP:
Retired DGP removed from WhatsApp group for anti-Muslim post
9th
January 2022
Bhopal:
A retired Director General of Police (DGP) was removed from a WhatsApp group of
IPS officers after the current DGP of Madhya Pradesh Vivek Johri took issue
with the Islamophobic content being posted by the former. The situation was
made worse by the retired man’s unwillingness to delete the content.
According
to an Indian Express report, Ex special DGP, Maithili Sharan Gupta, shared a
youtube channel link in the group, along with a text.
The
text read, “Those who voted for Muslim League, instead of going to Pakistan,
they stayed back in India. Post-Independence, our black Britishers let them sit
on the heads of Hindus. They were given more rights under the law and this is
the root cause of all problems. They were made education ministers,
subsequently, they changed your history.” He also asked all group members to
subscribe to the YouTube channel.”
DGP
Johri responded to him, “Such political/communal posts should have no place in
this group. Please delete.” But when Gupta didn’t see the message, the current
DGP contacted the group admin to call him and ask him to delete the post. But
the call was an exercise in futility as Gupta refused to delete the post.
After
which the DGP informed the admin that “If he (Gupta) is not prepared to delete the
communal post, he need not be in his group.”
Gupta
speaks to the Indian Express, said that he found nothing objectionable in the
post and refused to delete it. “Later I don’t really know what happened, I
haven’t checked the groups, but some reporters called me, seeking my comment,
informing me that the DGP has removed me from the group.”
Gupta
said he did not mind being removed from the group. “These things are smaller
issues, but it is important to draw the attention of the public to the
sufferings of Hindus,” he added.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/mp-retired-dgp-removed-from-whatsapp-group-for-anti-muslim-post-2255501/
--------
Pakistan
fishing boat with 10 crew members seized off Gujarat coast
TNN /
Jan 10, 2022
NEW
DELHI: A Pakistani fishing boat, with 10 crew members, was seized in Indian
territorial waters off the coast of Gujarat by the Coast Guard on Saturday
night.
The
Pakistani boat named ‘Yaseen’ was around six to seven miles inside Indian
waters in the Arabian Sea when it was intercepted by Coast Guard patrol vessel
Ankit, officials said on Sunday.
“The
boat initially tried to flee on spotting the approaching Coast Guard vessel.
The crew could not explain the boat’s presence in Indian waters. During the
initial boarding of Yaseen, which is registered at Ketibandar, around 2,000 kg
of fish and 600 litres of petrol was found,” an official said.
“The
boat is being towed to Porbandar for further investigation and interrogation of
the crew members. There has been a sharp increase in attempts to smuggle
narcotics like heroin from Pakistan to the Indian coast in recent months,” he
added.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
2
militants killed in encounter in J&K's Kulgam
Jan
10, 2022
SRINAGAR:
Two unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in
Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, police said.
Security
forces launched a cordon and search operation in Hassanpora village of Kulgam
district following information about the presence of militants there, a police
spokesperson said.
He
said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants opened fire
on the security forces.
Two
ultras were killed in the exchange of fire with the security forces, the
spokesperson said, adding the identity and group affiliation of the slain
militants is being ascertained.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
ready to help India transport wheat to Afghanistan
Sachin
Parashar
Jan
10, 2022
Even
as India continues to discuss modalities for transporting 50,000 MT to
Afghanistan through the land route, Iran Saturday offered to help India deliver
humanitarian aid including wheat to the country under Taliban rule.
Government
sources said though that delivery of wheat via the Attari-Wagah border was
still being considered and that help will be sought from Iran only if this
option falls through. India has already shared details of Afghan contractors
and drivers who will ferry the wheat to Afghanistan and Pakistan media, quoting
local sources, reported late last month that India and Pakistan were close to
finalising an agreement for the supply of 50,000 MT of Indian wheat to
Afghanistan.
The
Iranian offer to India came in a conversation that foreign minister S
Jaishankar had with his counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian Saturday in which
the 2 leaders discussed key bilateral and regional issues.
"Regarding
Afghanistan, @Amirabdolahian stressed the need to form an inclusive government
in the country. He also referred to India's humanitarian aid to #Afghanistan,
announcing measures and cooperation by Iran to transfer this aid in the form of
wheat, medicine... to the country," tweeted the Iranian foreign ministry
on Sunday.
Significantly,
the Iranian offer also came on a day the Taliban foreign minister, Amir
Muttaqi, arrived in Tehran for discussions on "economic, transit and
refugee issues". India though always had the option of transporting the
wheat through the Chabahar wheat it has helped develop in Iran. The government,
in fact, had supplied 75,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan through the same port
in 2020. However, India has so far not contemplated the Chabahar option
apparently because it remains unsure about the security of the route in Afghanistan
that will likely be used in that case.
While
India has already sent 3 consignments of aid to Afghanistan, comprising mostly
life-saving medicines, it's the promise of wheat that the Taliban dispensation
in Kabul, crippled by an acute food shortage, has been looking forward to the
most from India. The Taliban foreign minister had even raised the need for
Pakistan to quickly approve India's proposal for delivery of wheat to
Afghanistan during his meeting with Pakistan PM Imran Khan in Islamabad in November.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Sulli
Deals app creator arrested by Delhi Police
Imran
Ahmed Siddiqui
10.01.22
Delhi
police on Sunday arrested a 25-year-old “IT expert” from Indore on the charge
of creating the Sulli Deals app last July that tried to humiliate articulate
Muslim women by uploading their pictures and putting them up for a mock
auction.
Aumkareshwar
Thakur is the first suspect to be arrested in the six-month-old case, which has
returned to the spotlight after a copycat app, Bulli Bai, repeated the act
against about 100 Muslim women on New Year's Day.
Officers
said that Neeraj Bishnoi, a 21-year-old arrested from Jorhat in Assam last week
in the Bulli Bai case, had provided the clue that led them to Thakur’s doorstep
in Indore’s Newyork City township.
Both
apps were hosted on GitHub, which offers anonymity to creators.
Delhi
police’s cyber cell had registered a case about the Sulli Deals app on a
complaint last July.
The
complainant recently alleged that police inaction in the case had emboldened
those who created Bulli Bai six months later.
Last
week, Mumbai police made the first arrests in the Bulli Bai case. They picked
up teenaged Shweta Singh and 21-year-old BSc student Mayank Rawat from
Uttarakhand and engineering student Vishal Kumar Jha, 21, from Bangalore.
Delhi
police had arrested Neeraj, a second-year BTech student at an institute in
Bhopal and alleged mastermind behind the Bulli Bai app.
Thakur
has admitted that “he was a member of a ‘trad’group on Twitter and the idea to
defame and troll Muslim women was shared there”, deputy commissioner of police
K.P.S. Malhotra (cyber cell) said in Delhi.
“He
was the mastermind and developed the code on GitHub. All members of the group
had access to GitHub. He had shared the app on his Twitter account. Group
members uploaded the photos of the (about 80) Muslim women.”
Thakur's
father Akhilesh told reporters in Indore that his son was an “IT expert” and
was being “framed” on the basis of the claims of an arrested youth.
Investigations
have revealed that Thakur joined the Twitter group, Tradmahasabha, in January
2020 using the handle @gangescion, the police said.
“During
various group discussions, the members talked about trolling Muslim women….
After the uproar over the Sulli Deals app, he deleted all his social media
footprints,” Malhotra said.
Source:
Telegraph India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/sulli-deals-app-creator-held/cid/1846881
--------
Arab World
Iraq's
Sadr says ‘no place for militias' in new government
Ali
Jawad
08.01.2022
BAGHDAD
Iraqi
Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Saturday said that there will be no place for
militias in the country’s new government.
His
statements came on the eve of the first session of Iraq’s new parliament
following the Oct. 10 parliamentary elections, in which his bloc emerged
winner.
"Today,
there is no place for sectarianism or ethnicity, but a national majority
government where the Shias will defend the rights of minorities, the Sunnis and
Kurds," al-Sadr said on Twitter.
"There
is no room for corruption, all [Iraq's] sects shall be supportive to
reform," al-Sadr said, adding that "everyone will support the army,
police and security forces."
Al-Sadr
is known for his opposition to Shia armed groups operating outside the rule of
law in Iraq.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/iraqs-sadr-says-no-place-for-militias-in-new-government/2468857
--------
Syria
hands over 50 Daesh/ISIS militants to Iraq
Ibrahim
Saleh
08.01.2022
BAGHDAD
Fifty
Iraqi members of the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group were handed over to Baghdad
from Syria on Saturday, according to Iraqi authorities.
In a
statement, the Iraqi Defense Ministry said the Iraqi suspects were arrested
inside Syrian territories and were handed over to Iraq through the Rabi’a
border crossing with Syria.
In
June 2014, the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group captured Mosul, Salahuddin and Anbar
provinces and parts of Diyala and Kirkuk, which were recaptured from the group
in late 2017 by the Iraqi forces with support from a US-led coalition.
Thousands
of Daesh/ISIS members fled to neighboring Syria after the defeat of the terror
group.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/syria-hands-over-50-daesh-isis-militants-to-iraq/2468854
--------
Iraq's
new parliament elects speaker in first step towards establishing a government
10
January ,2022
Iraq's
new parliament elected Sunni lawmaker Mohammed al-Halbousi as speaker on
Sunday, marking an important step towards establishing a new government three
months after a national election.
The
first session of parliament since the Oct. 10 election, however, was disrupted
earlier in the day as competing political Shia blocs each claimed to hold a
parliamentary majority and as the acting speaker, Mahmoud al-Mashahadani,
suddenly fell ill and was taken to hospital, forcing the session to be briefly
adjourned.
When
the session resumed Halbousi was elected for a second term as speaker,
defeating Mashahadani, a former speaker of the first parliament set in 2006.
Halbousi won with 200 votes, according to a statement from 329-seat parliament.
Mashahadani
was in hospital under surveillance for fatigue but was discharged after a couple
of hours, parliament's office said in a statement.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Parliament
now has 30 days from the first session to elect the country's new president,
who will then ask the largest bloc in parliament to form a government.
There
were heated debates and shouting among lawmakers over which party had the most
number of seats.
Iran-backed
Shia political coalition Fatah and the State of Law coalition, which is led by
former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, submitted a document to the acting
speaker requesting that their coalition be the largest bloc in parliament.
Lawmakers
from Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's party, which came first in the October
election, strongly objected to the request, defending their position as the
largest bloc.
“The
debate between Shia parties over which bloc is the largest in parliament has
disrupted the session and forced a brief delay,” said Jamal Kojar, a Kurdish
lawmaker.
Sadr
is a populist who has positioned himself as a staunch opponent of both Iran and
the US. His bloc, already the biggest in parliament before the October
election, will expand to 73 seats from 54. Its main rival for years, the Fatah
bloc of factions linked to pro-Tehran militia, saw its parliamentary
representation collapse in the election to just 17 seats from 48.
However,
some lawmakers could yet switch factions and parliament's presidency will
ultimately decide which is the biggest faction.
Hakim
al-Zamili, who ran for Sadr’s party, was elected as Halbousi’s first deputy
speaker. Shakhwan Abdulla from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), was voted
for as a second deputy.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Egypt
frees Coptic rights activist Ramy Kamel
09
January ,2022
Egyptian
authorities have released Coptic rights activist Ramy Kamel after more than two
years spent in pre-trial detention, his family said Saturday.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Kamel
is a founding member of the Maspero Youth Union, a Coptic human rights
organization born in the wake of the January 2011 protests that toppled Egypt’s
longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak.
“Rami
is among his family... time to celebrate!” his sister Bossi Kamel wrote on
Facebook.
Kamel
was arrested in November 2019, accused of joining a terror group, receiving
foreign funding and spreading false information.
His
supporters said he had been sharing footage of sectarian violence in southern
Egypt on social media, for which he had received a warning from authorities.
His
arrest was condemned at the time by human rights organizations, which have
repeatedly called for his release.
In a
November 2021 report, the United States Commission on International Religious
Freedom (USCIRF) said the charges against Kamel were “spurious” and that he had
“neither been offered release on bail nor granted an actual trial -- only
periodic sham hearings that perpetually extend his detention”.
Kamel’s
arrest was likely a bid to prevent him speaking about the persecution of
religious minorities at a United Nations conference, USCIRF said in the report.
USCIRF
and others have raised concerns about the activist’s mental and physical
health, saying he has been kept in solitary confinement and suffers from acute
asthma which has worsened in detention.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UAE
calls for immediate release of ship hijacked by Houthis
10
January ,2022
The
United Arab Emirates government on Monday called for the release of the ship
Rwabee and its crew, which were hijacked by the Iran-backed Houthi militia on
January 3.
A
letter to the UN Security Council signed by Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, said the
ship was carrying medical equipment for a field hospital on Socotra Island.
It
added that 11 people of different nationalities are onboard Rwabee.
The
letter stated that the Houthis had previously targeted at least 13 commercial
ships with explosive-laden boats and mines and had hijacked at least three in
the Red Sea.
The
UAE delegate emphasized that Houthi piracy raises real concerns for the freedom
and security of navigation and international trade in the Red Sea.
Rwabee
was hijacked by the Houthis on the night of January 3, 25 nautical miles west
of the Yemeni ports of Salif and Hodeidah.
The
tracking system on board the ship was suspended at a distance of 18 nautical
miles from Salif port several hours later.
The
ship was on its way from Socotra Island in Yemen to the port of Jazan in Saudi
Arabia, carrying equipment leased by a Saudi company used in a field hospital
on the island, the letter said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
begins buying aluminium from Bahrain, says envoy in interview
09
January ,2022
Israel
began importing aluminium from Bahrain, Manama-based newspaper al-Ayam reported
on Sunday, citing an interview with Eitan Na’eh, the Israeli ambassador to the
Gulf monarchy.
Na’eh
was appointed as Israel's first ambassador to Bahrain in 2021, a year after the
two states agreed to normalize relations. Aluminium Bahrain is one the largest
smelters in the Middle East region.
The
envoy did not specify the quantities or the value of Israel’s aluminium imports
from Bahrain.
Israel’s
airline El Al should start flights to Manama soon, Na’eh said, according to the
newspaper. Bahrain’s Gulf Air in September announced the launch of direct
flights to Tel Aviv.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Saudi-led
coalition ‘steals’ Iraq doc footage to accuse Yemen forces: Report
10
January 2022
The
Saudi-led coalition attacking Yemen since 2015 has “stolen” excerpts from a
documentary about Iraq to try to accuse Yemeni defense forces of “militarizing”
Yemen’s key port city, a report says.
The
report by Yemen’s al-Masirah television network came on Sunday, a day after the
coalition’s spokesman Turki al-Maliki displayed the footage during an event,
alleging that the Yemeni forces were using the al-Hudaydah port to stockpile
missiles.
“The
scenes that al-Maliki claimed were missiles in the port of al-Hudaidah were
extracted from a documentary film called ‘Severe Clear,’ filmed in 2003 at the
beginning of the American invasion of Iraq,” the network wrote.
The
documentary essentially “presented the memoirs of First Lieutenant Mike Scotty
in addition to videos that he and his colleagues from the first battalion
filmed for the Marines,” it added.
The
network further found it “ironic” that the spokesman had alleged during the
presentation that the exact location of the missiles “cannot be disclosed.”
Leading
several of its allies, the Saudi kingdom launched a war against the Arab
world’s already poorest nation in March 2015. The war has been seeking to
restore power in Yemen to the country’s former Riyadh-allied officials.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/01/10/674408/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-coalition-al-Hudaydah
--------
Syrian
army forces block US occupation troops in Hasakah, force them to turn back
09 January
2022
Syrian
government troops have intercepted a US military convoy in the country’s
northeastern province of Hasakah as the occupation forces were attempting to
pass through a community in the energy-rich region.
Local
sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Syria’s official news agency
SANA that Syrian army soldiers blocked the convoy of four armored vehicles on
Saturday evening as it was trying to enter the village of Qubur al-Gharajneh,
which lies north of Tell Tamer toen, on Saturday evening.
The
American troops were subsequently forced to turn around and go back in the
direction they came from. There were no reports of clashes or injuries.
The
development came two days after US forces brought in reinforcements from
neighboring Iraq into areas in northeastern Syria.
The
Arabic service of Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency reported that a convoy
of nearly 30 military vehicles, carrying High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled
Vehicles (Humvees), battles tanks, bulldozers as well as crates of ammunition
and missiles, entered the Syrian territories through al-Waleed border crossing
between Iraq and Syria on Thursday.
The
report, citing local Syrian sources who preferred not to be named, reported
that two US military helicopters flew overhead as American forces brought in
the military hardware.
The
sources added that vehicles belonging to the Kurdish militants from the
People's Protection Units (YPG) escorted the US military convoy.
The
convoy initially moved to al-Shaddadi town in the southern flank of Hasakah
province, before being deployed to al-Omar oil field in the neighboring Dayr
al-Zawr province where American occupation troops run a military base.
The
US military has stationed forces and equipment in eastern and northeastern
Syria, with the Pentagon claiming that the deployment is aimed at preventing
the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists.
Damascus,
however, says the unlawful deployment is meant to plunder the country’s
resources.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
Arabia turns to Persian Gulf allies for resupply of depleted missiles
09
January 2022
Saudi
Arabia had pleaded with Persian Gulf countries to help the kingdom get
interceptor missiles for its US-made Patriot systems amid increasing rocket and
drone strikes by Yemeni forces in retaliation for the Riyadh-led bombing
campaign, a report says.
A
senior US official said the administration of President Joe Biden supported
Saudi Arabia’s moves to source missiles from regional states given concerns
that the kingdom’s Patriot stocks could run out in “months” due to the current
rate of attacks by the Yemeni army, The Financial Times reported.
“It’s
an urgent situation,” the official said. “There are other places in the Persian
Gulf they can get them from, and we are trying work on that. It may be the
faster alternative [to US arms sales].”
Another
official from the Biden administration said Washington was “working closely
with the Saudis and other partner countries to ensure there is no gap in
coverage.”
A
third American official said the Yemenis stepped up their retaliatory attacks
last year, launching 375 strikes, many of which targeted Saudi oil
infrastructure, airports and cities.
“Responding
to those attacks using those kind of interceptors means that they’re going to
have a burn rate that is faster than they may have anticipated before,” he
added. “That is something that we have to deal with and the answer to that is
not only more interceptors, but the answer to that is ultimately a diplomatic
solution to the crisis in Yemen.”
Meanwhile,
two people briefed on talks between Saudi Arabia and its neighbors confirmed
that Riyadh had pleaded for interceptors.
“There
is an interceptor shortage. Saudi Arabia has asked its friends for loans, but
there are not many to be had,” one of the informed people said.
A
second person said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hinted at the issue
during a Persian Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] summit in Riyadh in December
and subsequently contacted regional countries directly.
In
December 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported that Riyadh had fallen
drastically short in the face of Yemen’s determined retaliation campaign,
beseeching the US for help.
The
Saudi government requested to purchase 280 missiles and 596 missile-rail
launchers to neutralize the counterstrikes, the daily wrote. Riyadh has also
approached its European and regional allies to help it resupply its arsenal.
Saudi
Arabia launched the devastating war on its southern neighbor in March 2015 in
collaboration with a number of its allied states.
The
aim was to return to power the former Riyadh-backed regime and crush the
popular Ansarullah movement which has been running state affairs in the absence
of an effective government in Yemen.
The
war has stopped well shy of all of its goals, despite killing tens of thousands
of Yemenis and turning entire Yemen into the scene of the world’s worst
humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile,
Yemeni forces have in recent months gone from strength to strength against the
Saudi-led invaders and left Riyadh and its allies bogged down in Yemen.
Throughout
the course of the war, the United States has supported and armed Saudi Arabia.
Despite his promise to end “all American support for offensive operations in
the war in Yemen, including relevant arms sales,” Biden last year approved the
sale of 280 air-to-air missiles valued at up to $650 million to Saudi Arabia.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/01/09/674364/Saudi-Arabia-interceptor-missiles-Yemen
--------
Southeast Asia
Cardinal
Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, Jakarta Archdiocese Declares 2022 As Year Of
Human Dignity
Katharina
Reny
January
10, 2022
Cardinal
Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo of Jakarta has declared 2022 as the Year of
Human Dignity and called on Indonesian Catholics to show the caring face of God
throughout the next 12 months.
He
announced the special year during a homily at a livestreamed evening
concelebrated Mass on Jan. 8 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral Church in
Jakarta.
The
Year of Human Dignity kicked off Jakarta Archdiocese’s new five-year basic
pastoral direction program. Under the slogan “Loving, Caring, Being A Witness,”
the archdiocese with 67 parishes wants Catholics to enliven the call to love
and to care.
“Together
with all churches, today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. And
on this day, we, Catholics of the Archdiocese of Jakarta, will also start the
journey of our faith for the next five years based on basic pastoral
directions,” the prelate said.
“We
want to explore Catholic social teaching and to find creative ways to
materialize our faith in a more contextual way.”
He
said Catholic social teaching could be divided in a simple way into five
important points: respecting human dignity, striving for the common good,
maintaining and promoting solidarity, paying attention to the less fortunate,
and caring for God’s creation as the common home.
“These
points relate to one another. To uphold human dignity, the common good must be
materialized. To materialize the common good, the spirit of solidarity must be
maintained,” he said.
“While
we strive for the common good, there are always the less fortunate whom we need
to pay more attention to. And we can do all this if we commit to preserving
God’s creation as our common home.”
Source:
UCA News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.ucanews.com/news/jakarta-archdiocese-declares-2022-as-year-of-human-dignity/95657
--------
Penang
introduces religious exploration campaign for awareness, tourism
10
Jan 2022
BY
OPALYN MOK
GEORGE
TOWN, Jan 10 — Penang will be introducing a cultural religious campaign that
kicks off in March to promote the cultural history of local communities and
houses of worship.
Penang
Harmony Corporation Sdn Bhd (Harmonico) will be leading the campaign to produce
over 20 videos to showcase temples, churches, mosques and the communities
living around it.
Harmonico
manager Paul Au said the videos will tell the stories of the community in a
chosen area and the various houses of worship in the area.
“The
first video on the Streets of Harmony in George Town is expected to be released
in March to kickstart this campaign,” he told reporters here today after
visiting the 200-year-old Khye Sian Ong Temple with state executive councillors
Chong Eng, Yeoh Soon Hin, Penang Global Tourism (PGT) chief executive officer
Ooi Chok Yan and George Town World Heritage Incorporated general manager Ang
Ming Chee.
Au
said Harmonico is working with Think City to repackage the Streets of Harmony
under the cultural religious campaign.
They
are also working with other agencies such as PGT to promote the sites they
showcased as a cultural heritage tourism site.
“We
can create a niche market for visitors in future, similar to what Thailand is
doing, in which they promote tours to their famous historical temples,” he
said.
He
said the campaign will focus on old temples, churches and some mosques and the
stories of the local communities around it.
Using
the Khye Sian Ong Temple in Jelutong as an example, Au said it has a history of
over 200 years and there were other similarly interesting sites in Jelutong
which includes a century-old Hindu temple.
He
said the over 20 videos will capture different sites on both the island and the
mainland.
Additionally,
to encourage houses of worship to take part in this campaign, the state
government will be allocating RM3,000 each to eligible houses of worship to
participate in the campaign.
He
said this will encourage them to document the history of their site and this
could later be used to tell the story of the place.
According
to Chong, who is also Social Development and Non-Islamic Religious Affair
committee chairman, Penang has a lot of houses of worship that can be featured.
“Many
people don’t know the history of the temples they go to so this campaign is
important to record the history of these places,” she said.
She
added that the campaign will also allow others to discover and learn about
different religions and practices.
“This
can create awareness and cultivate understanding and respect among people of
different religions,” she said.
She
said well documented places can become attractions to visitors.
Harmonico
is government body incorporated under the Chief Minister’s Incorporated to
implement and oversee matters pertaining to religions other than Islam.
The
Khye Sian Ong Temple was built in 1820 on land that was gifted by a successful
Malay businessman.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Hadi
hits out at media for blindly following ‘western values’ over cases of
wrongdoing
09
Jan 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Reporting on wrongdoing involving public officials is a form of free
speech practised by the West and Malaysians should not blindly follow western
values, says PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang.
Without
naming names, Abdul Hadi was believed to be referring to the share trading
scandal involving MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.
Abdul
Hadi said the media freedom practised by western countries was akin to putting
the people’s voice on a pedestal.
“Should
all western creations be carelessly followed by the people? It could form
conflicting perceptions and create a wrong narrative to confuse the already
confused,” Abdul Hadi said in a Facebook post on Sunday (Jan 9).
“Therefore,
the media’s role in dragging this matter (out in) public in order to punish an
accused individual is very sinful,” he said.
Abdul
Hadi, who spoke on Islam at length in his Facebook post, stressed that a
person’s dignity must always be respected, as it is a sin to disrespect a
guilty person.
“The
sin is even bigger for those who are innocent,” said Abdul Hadi.
Abdul
Hadi then trained his guns on the West, saying that secular societies do not
understand the concept of dosa (sins) and pahala (blessings).
“Do
we want to be corrupted in the world or thrown into hell when Judgment Day is
here?" he wrote.
Abdul
Hadi also said Islam stressed that an individual accused of a crime must not be
presumed guilty until he faces the legal process.
“It
is catastrophic for humans to (adopt) an approach that drags... people to do
something wrong.
“In
doing so, it disturbs leaders and civil servants who are genuinely carrying out
tasks entrusted to them by Allah SWT,” he wrote.
On
Thursday (Jan 6), Azam had told The Star that he would cooperate with the
Securities Commission in the matter and the parties are expected to meet next
week.
Azam
also maintained that he did not commit any wrongdoing, adding that action will
be taken against those who had tarnished his reputation and that of the MACC.
In
explaining the issue last Wednesday (Jan 5), Azam said his brother had borrowed
his trading account to buy shares in the open market and financed the purchases
on his own.
It
involved substantial amounts of shares bought from Gets Global Bhd and Excel
Force MSC Bhd between 2015 and 2016 when Azam was the MACC director of
investigations.
Azam
had said he informed his superiors about the transactions back in 2015 and he
did not have any interest in the acquired shares.
Source:
The Star
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Indonesia
seeks life sentence for suspected mastermind of 2002 Bali bombing
January
5, 2022
Indonesian
prosecutors on Wednesday demanded a life sentence for a top terror suspect who
eluded capture for 18 years and accused him of masterminding a series of deadly
attacks in the world’s most populous Muslim nation.
Aris
Sumarsono, 58, whose real name is Arif Sunarso but is better known as
Zulkarnaen, sat impassively as the prosecution announced the sentencing demand
before a panel of three judges in East Jakarta District Court in a session that
was held remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Police
and prosecutors say Zulkarnaen is the former military commander of Jemaah
Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian militant group with ties to al-Qaida. The group is
widely blamed for attacks including the 2002 bombings on the Indonesian resort
island of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists, as well as
attacks in the Philippines.
Zulkarnaen
had eluded capture for 18 years after being named a suspect in the October 2002
suicide bombings of Paddy’s Pub and the Sari Club in Bali. He was arrested last
year in Lampung, a province on the southern tip of Sumatra. Police were tipped
off to his hideout after interrogating several suspected militants arrested in
earlier raids.
Zulkarnaen
argued that he was a leader of the network’s military wing but was not involved
in the operation of the Bali bombings, as he was focused on organizing his
squad for sectarian conflicts in Ambon and Poso and in the southern
Philippines.
During
his trial, which began in September, other convicted militants in the 2002 Bali
bombings, including Umar Patek and Ali Imron, who were sentenced to 20 years
and life in jail, respectively, supported Zulkarnaen’s claim, saying he knew
about the plot but did not play a role in its operation.
The
sentencing demand was initially scheduled for Nov. 24 but was postponed several
times.
State
prosecutor Agus Tri told the court that Zulkarnaen’s acts had resulted in
deaths and injuries and that there was no reason for leniency.
“The
defendant was involved in the Bali bombings plan,” he told the court. “He also
instructed his group’s special forces led by him to save Jemaah Islamiyah’s
assets, including weapons and explosives.”
Police
previously said Zulkarnaen masterminded church attacks that occurred
simultaneously in many Indonesian regions on Christmas and New Year’s Eve in
2000 that killed more than 20 people. He was also the mastermind of a bomb
attack on the official residence of the Philippine ambassador in Jakarta in
2000 that killed two people, and the architect of sectarian conflict in Ambon
and Poso from 1998 to 2000.
Conflicts
between Christians and Muslims in Ambon, the provincial capital of the Molluca
islands, left more than 5,000 people dead and half a million displaced. The
Muslim-Christian conflict in Poso, known as a hotbed of Islamic militancy on
Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, killed at least 1,000 people from 1998 to 2002.
Zulkarnaen,
a biologist who was among the first Indonesian militants to go to Afghanistan
in the 1980s for training, was an instructor at a military academy there for
seven years, Indonesian police said.
Since
May 2005, Zulkarnaen has been listed on an al-Qaida sanctions list by the U.N.
Security Council for being associated with Osama bin Laden or the Taliban.
The
Security Council said that Zulkarnaen, who became an expert in sabotage, was
one of al-Qaida’s representatives in Southeast Asia and one of the few people
in Indonesia who had had direct contact with bin Laden’s network.
It
said that Zulkarnaen led a squad of fighters known as the Laskar Khos, or
Special Force, whose members were recruited from among some 300 Indonesians who
trained in Afghanistan and the Philippines.
Source:
Global News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://globalnews.ca/news/8489223/bali-bombing-2002-court-zulkarnaen/
--------
South Asia
Afghan
Post, A Government Body Of Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan Made 46 Million
Afghanis From Posting Documents In Three Months
09
Jan 2022
Ministry
of Information and Technology of the interim government of the Islamic Emirate
of Afghanistan said that Afghan Post- a government body of the ministry- has
made up to 46 million, three hundred thousand, and 91 thousand Afghanis in the
past three months.
The
spokesperson of the ministry Enayatullah Alokozy said that the money has been
made from posting E-IDs, passports, and other official and non-official
documents to people and government ministries.
Statement
of Afghan Post reads that the documents have been posted through post offices
across Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bangladesh
Rohingya refugee camp fire leaves thousands homeless
9 Jan
2022
Thousands
of Rohingya have been left homeless after a fire gutted parts of their refugee
camp in southeastern Bangladesh, police said.
About
850,000 of the persecuted mostly Muslim minority, many of whom escaped a 2017
military crackdown in Myanmar that the United Nations investigators concluded
was executed with “genocidal intent”, live in a network of camps in
Bangladesh’s border district of Cox’s Bazar.
“About
1,200 houses were burnt in the fire,” said Kamran Hossain, a spokesman for the
Armed Police Battalion, which heads security in the camp, on Sunday.
The
fire started at Camp 16 and raced through shelters made of bamboo and tarpaulin,
leaving more than 5,000 people homeless, he said.
“The
fire started at 4:40pm [10:40 GMT] and was brought under control at around 6:30
pm,” he told the AFP news agency.
Mohammed
Shamsud Douza, a Bangladesh government official in charge of refugees, said
emergency workers had brought the fire under control. The cause of the blaze
has not been established, he added.
‘I
lost my dream’
Abdur
Rashid, 22, said the fire was so big that he ran for safety as his house and
furniture were engulfed in flames.
“Everything
in my house was burned. My baby and wife were out. There were a lot of things
in the house,” he told AFP.
“I
saved 30,000 taka [350 dollars] from working as a day labourer. The money was
burned in the fire.”
“I am
now under open sky. I lost my dream.”
In
March last year, 15 people died and about 50,000 were left homeless in
Bangladesh after a huge fire destroyed Rohingya homes in the world’s biggest
refugee settlement.
Mohammad
Yasin, 29, bemoaned the lack of fire safety equipment in the camps.
“Fire
occurs here frequently. There was no way we could put out the fire. There was
no water. My home is burned. Many documents, which I brought from Myanmar, are
also burned. And it is cold here,” he said.
Another
blaze tore through a COVID-19 treatment centre for refugees in another refugee
camp in the district last Sunday, causing no casualties.
Bangladesh
has been praised for taking in refugees who fled across the border from
Myanmar, but has had little success finding them permanent homes.
Rohingya
refugees from Myanmar have for years sailed to countries such as Malaysia,
Thailand and Indonesia to look for refuge.
Source:
Al Jazeera
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/9/fire-at-bangladesh-rohingya-camp-leaves-thousands-homeless
--------
Taliban
has to fulfil promises if they want resources to be unfrozen: UN
January
10, 2022
The
UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) High Commissioner Filippo Grandi has said that the
Taliban has to fulfil some promises if they want their financial resources to
be unfrozen.
The
UN commissioner for refugees further said that Afghan women and girls must be
allowed to attend schools, and minorities must be represented, reported Tolo
News.
Meanwhile,
he also told the Washington Post that it is important to maintain dialogue with
the Islamic Emirate, saying that this will ensure that Afghanistan is
"viable", reported Tolo News.
"But
in the end, in the end, it is important to maintain that dialogue with the
Taliban, because all these systems will be temporary in nature, and how to
ensure that Afghanistan is viable, is a viable country able to support its people,
I think will only be achieved through dialogue between the international
community and the Taliban themselves," said Grandi.
Grandi
added that he delivered the same message to the Islamic Emirate when he was
visiting Kabul that the "Taliban" has to fulfil some promises if they
want their financial resources to be unfrozen, reported Tolo News.
"When
I was in Kabul, and when my colleagues were there, we all told the Taliban the
same message. If you want your resources to be unfrozen, if you want the country
to enjoy again substantive development support by the international community,
you also have to take steps in their direction. It's--it goes both ways, but it
is a dialogue. It cannot be a wall-to-wall situation, said Grandi.
Source:
Business Standard
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
FM visits Iran for talks on trade, border and refugees
January
09, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
A delegation led by the Taliban foreign minister is in Iran to discuss border,
economic and refugee issues, a senior foreign ministry official in Kabul said
on Sunday.
It is
the first time that a high-profile delegation from Kabul is visiting the
neighboring country after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August
last year.
Taliban
Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is accompanied by the ministers of economy
and commerce, as well as the governor of Afghanistan’s central bank.
The
delegation arrived in Tehran on Saturday, on the invitation of the Iranian
government.
“During
this visit, very important issues, including the border and crossing points,
refugees, the economy and strengthening political relations with Iran will be
discussed,” Waliullah Shaheen, director of the Institute of Strategic Studies
at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul, told Arab News.
“We
at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan believe that Iran is an
important neighbor for Afghanistan, especially at this time.”
Iran,
like other nations, has so far not recognized the interim government of
Afghanistan, formed by the Taliban in September last year.
Since
the fall of Kabul’s Western-backed administration on Aug. 15, billions of
dollars in foreign assistance to Afghanistan’s aid-dependent economy have been
suspended and some $9.5 billion of Afghan Central Bank assets parked overseas
have been frozen.
With
aid suspended, its new rulers unrecognized, and the financial system paralyzed,
Afghanistan is facing a looming humanitarian crisis.
Iran
is a key trade partner to Afghanistan and host to millions of Afghan refugees.
Tensions
on its 900-kilometer border with Afghanistan, an active smuggling and human
trafficking route, have been a long-standing issue.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2001046/middle-east
--------
Pakistan
Afghanistan’s
future hinges on Pakistan ties, western aid: reports
Anwar
IqbalP
January
10, 2022
WASHINGTON:
Funding by the United States and other nations and the Taliban regime’s
relations with Pakistan will shape Afghanistan’s future, say two recent reports
by a US federal institution.
In
these reports, the Washington-based US Institute of Peace (USIP) reminds the
United States and its allies that humanitarian aid alone cannot prevent an
economic collapse in Afghanistan.
USIP
released the two reports this week as part of a larger report summarising the
studies it conducted during 2021 on Afghanistan and other issues.
Positive
relationship with Islamabad could help foster stability, development
Elizabeth
Threlkeld, the author, believes that the aid given by the United States and
partner nations to the Afghan government from now onwards would shape the
country’s future.
According
to her, the extent of support the Taliban receive from external sources, mainly
Pakistan, would also be a deciding factor in determining Afghanistan’s future.
Based
on interviews with Afghan and Pakistani experts, one of the reports identifies
key drivers of conflict and connection between the two countries while
explaining how the bilateral relationship could affect future outcomes in
Afghanistan.
The
report points out that under current circumstances, “a positive relationship
with Pakistan could go a long way in fostering stability and development”. The
report, however, warns that the “opposite is a much likelier outcome, given the
deeply held grievances on both sides”.
By
addressing one another’s security and sovereignty concerns through dialogue,
“Afghanistan and Pakistan stand the best chance of building on their
cross-border ties for the benefit of regional stability and the well-being of
their citizens”, the author argues.
One
of the key issues is the dispute over the Durand Line, which led to clashes
between Pakistan and Taliban border guards this week. Pakistan wants
Afghanistan to recognise the line as the international border while the
Taliban, like previous Afghan governments, are not willing to do so.
The
report claims that the relationship between the two countries will continue to
be shaped by tensions that have characterised it for more than a century. Five
recurring drivers of these tensions, according to the report, are: sovereignty
concerns, security interests, geopolitical dynamics, cross-border ties, and
connectivity and trade.
“Together,
these dynamics will shape future prospects for stability in Afghanistan and the
broader region,” the report adds.
In
the other report — “How to Mitigate Afghanistan’s Economic and Humanitarian
Crises — author Dr William Byrd writes that the primary economic shock to
Afghanistan was the abrupt cut-off of aid — about $8 billion a year — and the
freezing of Afghanistan’s $9bn of foreign exchange reserves. He also notes that
recently both the United Nations and the United States took several measures to
ease their sanctions on the Taliban.
But
Dr Byrd warns that providing humanitarian aid alone cannot salvage the Afghan
economy and suggests “expanding sanctions relief to encompass private business
and commercial transactions”.
He
argues that the risk this relief “will materially support the Taliban in a
substantial way is acceptably low compared to the costs of a continued economic
implosion”.
Dr
Byrd also suggests paying the salaries of health workers, teachers and other
essential-service providers, using a combination of Afghan revenues and aid
funding.
He
also suggests releasing $900 million of Afghanistan’s foreign exchange reserves
to the country’s banks, arguing that “this would shore up the banking system
and forestall its imminent collapse”.
Dr
Byrd also suggests gradual release of additional foreign exchange reserves over
time to cushion the economic shock and support the balance of payments, facilitating
the Afghan economy’s adjustment.
He
argues that reserves could also be used for specific purposes not directly
involving the Taliban, such as paying bills for electricity imports from
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and servicing sovereign debts owed to international
financial institutions incurred by the previous government.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1668598/afghanistans-future-hinges-on-pakistan-ties-western-aid-reports
--------
Six
Islamic State men killed in Quetta: CTD
Saleem
Shahid
January
10, 2022
QUETTA:
At least six suspected terrorists belonging to the militant Islamic State (IS)
group were killed during an operation conducted by the counterterrorism
department (CTD) in the Eastern Bypass area here on Saturday night.
In a
statement issued on Sunday, a CTD spokesman said there was a heavy exchange of
fire during the intelligence-based operation conducted on information about the
presence in the area of the militants. The CTD also seized arms, ammunition and
explosive material from a house being used by the members of the banned outfit
as their hideout.
A
“huge terrorism plan” of IS had been averted in Quetta, the spokesman said. The
operation was conducted by Balochistan’s CTD in Quetta district in the
jurisdiction of Manzoor Shaheed police station, he added.
The
CTD said it acted on information provided by a source that an IS member named,
Asghar Samalani, having head money of Rs2 million in the department’s Red Book,
was present along with other militants in the general area of QDA graveyard on
Quetta’s Eastern Bypass. “They were moving to attack a sensitive installation
in Quetta. On receiving the information, a CTD team reached the place and
intercepted the terrorists,” the spokesman said.
The
militants were asked to surrender by the CTD personnel, but they started firing
indiscriminately and lobbed grenades. A shootout ensued in which six IS men,
including Sumalani, were killed while four to five others managed to escape
taking the benefit of darkness.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1668601/six-islamic-state-men-killed-in-quetta-ctd
--------
Opposition
Senators seek debate on PTI funding disclosure
Iftikhar
A. Khan
January
9, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
As many as 11 opposition Senators have submitted an adjournment motion seeking
discussion on the disclosures made by the Election Commission of Pakistan’s
scrutiny committee about foreign funding of the ruling Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf.
Senator
Irfan Siddiqui of the Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (PML-N) told Dawn that a
calling attention notice on the issue had also been moved.
The
notice seeks to include the issue in the agenda for an immediate discussion by
the Senate.
Hidayat
Ullah (Awami National Party), Tahir Bizenjo (National Party), Irfan Siddiqui,
Rana Maqbool and Dr Afnan Ullah Khan (PML-N), Rukhsana Zuberi and Palwasha Khan
(Pakistan Peoples Party), Sajid Mir (Jamiat Ahle Hadith), Sardar Shafiq Tarin
(Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party), Maulana Faiz Mohammad (Jamiat
Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl) and Mushtaq Ahmad (Jamaat-i-Islami) have signed the notice.
Report
on Finance (Supplementary) Bill is also on the agenda though house committee is
yet to conclude discussion
Irfan
Siddiqui said the PTI’s claim about transparency in its funds stood exposed
with the revelation that it not only concealed its bank accounts and
under-reported its income but also received donations from prohibited sources,
including foreign companies and nationals.
The
issue has, however not been included in the Monday’s agenda, which is a private
members’ day.
According
to the agenda, Leader of the House in the Senate Dr Shahzad Wasim will move a
motion seeking to suspend the routine business for discussion on the
mini-budget.
Surprisingly,
the presentation of report on the finance (supplementary) bill by Senate
Standing Committee on Finance chairman Talha Mehmood (JUI-F) is also on the
agenda while the panel is yet to conclude discussion.
“The
government is in a haste to impose more taxes through the money bill, but I
fail to understand why the JUI-F is also in a hurry,” a PPP lawmaker said.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1668409/opposition-senators-seek-debate-on-pti-funding-disclosure
--------
Pakistan
asks IMF to delay 6th country review meeting to January-end
Jan
10, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has requested the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to delay a board
meeting meant to consider the country's sixth review to the end of January, the
finance ministry said.
The
meeting was meant to take place this week on Jan. 12 to review the
recommendation to release $1 billion of Pakistan's $6 billion, three-year
programme.
Pakistan
is meant to pass a mid-year budget to complete IMF-recommended fiscal
tightening.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
Fight
against terrorism ‘greater challenge’ than ever before, says UK police official
January
09, 2022
LONDON:
Britain’s fight against terrorism has become more challenging than ever before,
a senior police official has told The Independent newspaper.
Changing
methods in planning, targeting and execution meant that authorities were
struggling to detect potential attacks, said Dean Haydon, senior national
coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing.
Lone
attackers have carried out the majority of terror incidents in Britain since
2017.
And
although the majority of incidents, including failed attacks, are carried out
by Islamists, a growth in the number of far-right terrorists has concerned
police.
“The
main threat we currently see is from people within this country that are being
self-radicalised,” he added. “The timelines have been shortened. You can go out
and buy a kitchen knife in a supermarket and decide, ‘This afternoon I’m going
to commit an attack’ in the name of whatever ideology, and it’s a terrorist
attack.
“Would
we see that coming? That’s really difficult to detect. Our collective challenge
is far more difficult than it has ever been. The profile of a terrorist has
completely changed, and that comes back to how the threat has changed.”
He
said the radicalization leading up to an attack had altered significantly since
the 1990s. Then, it was terrorists typically allied with a single group or
individual. But now radicals “mix and match” content from a range of sources,
Haydon said.
“You’ve
got no command and control, mostly, so you’ve got people in their head who have
decided, after looking at material, that ‘I’m going to go and commit an
attack.’ They’re not waiting for some kind of direction or approval from above.
“People
can access literally anything online. Where previously you had to go to a
training camp in a desert somewhere, now you just have to look online to make
an IED.”
These
changes, as well as the reduced costs of carrying out attacks, had made it more
difficult for authorities to detect potential attacks.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2001051/world
--------
164
dead, nearly 6,000 arrested in week of protests in Kazakhstan
Jan
10, 2022
MOSCOW:
Kazakhstan’s health ministry said on Sunday that 164 people have been killed in
protests that have rocked the country over the past week. The figures reported
on the state news channel Khabar-24 are a significant rise from previous
tallies.
It is
not clear if the deaths refer only to civilians or if law-enforcement deaths
are included. Most of the deaths — 103 — were in Almaty, the country’s largest
city, according to the ministry.
The
country’s ombudswoman for children’s rights said that three of those killed
were minors, including a 4-year-old girl. The ministry earlier reported more
than 2,200 people sought treatment for injuries, and the interior ministry said
about 1,300 security officers were injured. The office of Kazakhstan’s
president said that about 5,800 people were detained by police during the
protests.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Kazakhstan’s
largest city back online after clashes, blackout: Report
10
January ,2022
The
internet returned to Kazakhstan’s largest city Monday after a five-day blackout
as deadly clashes left dozens dead and the financial hub of 1.8 million people
reeling, an AFP correspondent reported.
Almaty,
Kazakhstan’s former capital, had been nearly completely offline since
Wednesday, but local and foreign websites were accessible again Monday, which
was declared a day of mourning following the worst unrest in the ex-Soviet
republic’s independent history.
Kazakhstan
has framed the violence in Almaty as an attack by “terrorist groups” and
expressed displeasure at foreign media coverage of the events that began with
protests over a fuel price hike in the west of the country on January 2.
But
the authoritarian government has also struggled to firm up its own narrative of
events.
On
Sunday evening the information ministry retracted a statement that appeared in
an officially run Telegram channel earlier in the day saying that more than 164
people had died across the country during the violence.
The
information ministry told two private websites that reported the news that the
statement was the result of a “technical mistake”, the websites reported.
In a
statement sent to media on Monday, the foreign ministry said foreign media
reports had created “the false impression that the Kazakhstan government has
been targeting peaceful protestors. Our security forces have been engaging with
violent mobs who were committing brazen acts of terror.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pope
Francis calls for dialogue, justice to end unrest in Kazakhstan
09
January ,2022
Pope
Francis called on Sunday for dialogue and justice to put an end to violent
unrest in Kazakhstan, adding he was saddened by news about deaths occurred in
the country.
“I
have learned with sorrow that there have been victims during the protests that
have broken out in recent days in Kazakhstan,” the pope told hundreds of people
in St. Peter’s Square for his noon blessing and address.
“I
pray for them and for their families, and I hope that social harmony will be
restored as soon as possible through the search for dialogue, justice and the
common good,” the pope said.
Kazakhstan
authorities said on Sunday they had stabilized the situation across the country
after the deadliest outbreak of violence in 30 years of independence, and
troops from a Russian-led military alliance were guarding “strategic
facilities.”
Russia’s
Sputnik news agency cited Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry as saying a total of 164
people, including two children, were killed in Kazakhstan over the last week.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Swiss
daily reveals torture of local man by PKK terrorists
Bayram
Altug
09.01.2022
GENEVA
Members
of the PKK terror group in Switzerland have subjected a local man to
"torture," and "cruel treatment" over suspicions that he
was informing Turkish authorities of their connections, according to a local
daily on Sunday.
The
victim, who changed his name to Aydin K. and works in a pizzeria in the town of
Biel just northwest of the capital Bern, was interrogated for more than six
hours by six PKK members, who threatened to kill him, said the Berner Zeitung
report by journalist Kurt Pelda.
An
indictment prepared by the prosecution said the six PKK members committed
crimes including "cruel treatment," "torture," "forced
confession," and "beating" in the restaurant's cellar in May
2019, said the report which also touched on alleged complicity between Swiss
authorities and the PKK.
The
PKK members reportedly accused Aydin K. of providing Turkish authorities with
the name of the pizzeria's owner, who was detained in Turkiye for alleged links
to the PKK -- a claim the victim denies.
They
allegedly locked a barefoot Aydin K. in the restaurant's freezer room twice for
about 10 minutes each, the report said, citing the indictment. It added that
they repeatedly threatened to "break all his bones, dismember him, and
leave him in the freezer until the next morning."
According
to the report, the PKK members also showed him photos of his children and
threatened to harm his family.
2 of
6 suspects fled Switzerland
Deniz
D., a so-called senior member of the terror group in Switzerland, threatened
Aydin K. in a bid to manipulate him to confess to their accusations and cooperate.
Also
the head of its so-called "torture unit," Deniz D. reportedly
brandished a knife that he said he would use on the victim, who one of the
suspects injured with a stab in the calf.
Four
of the six suspects who took part in the torture were put on trial, while Deniz
D. and one more unidentified person fled the country.
Describing
the measures taken by Swiss authorities in the case as
"questionable," the report blamed officials for the escape of Deniz
D. and the other fugitive, who is also thought to be one of the terrorist
organization's so-called top members.
Saying
their escape was "not a coincidence," journalist Pelda said:
"Outraged by the incident in the pizzeria, a federal authority contacted
the Swiss PKK leadership and issued a warning. Then, Deniz D. quickly packed
his bags and disappeared abroad."
"The
responsible public prosecutor from Biel initially only ordered a nationwide
manhunt, and so Deniz D. was able to escape. There are many signs that the
authorities did not want to expose the PKK too openly," said the report.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/swiss-daily-reveals-torture-of-local-man-by-pkk-terrorists/2469590
--------
EU
foreign policy chief condemns violence in Kazakhstan
Agnes
Szucs
09.01.2022
BRUSSELS
EU
foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the violence in Kazakhstan on
Saturday and offered help in finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Borrell
expressed concerns about the situation in Kazakhstan in a statement released on
behalf of the European Union.
“We
deeply regret the loss of life and strongly condemn the widespread acts of
violence,” he said, stressing that further escalation, incitement to violence
and exploitation of the unrest should be avoided.
Borrell
said the bloc was ready to assist and called Kazakhstan and “important partner
to the European Union.”
He
urged Kazakh authorities to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and
underlined that “outside military support should respect the sovereignty and
independence of Kazakhstan.”
Protests
against the increased prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) have grown into
massive riots across Kazakhstan in the past week.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
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--------
UK
tells Syrian asylum seeker ‘safe’ to return home
January
09, 2022
LONDON:
A Syrian refugee seeking asylum in Britain has been told by the UK Home Office
that he is safe to return to his war-torn country, The Guardian reported on
Sunday.
The
25-year-old refugee sought sanctuary in the UK in May 2020 after fleeing
mandatory enlistment into Syrian President Bashar Assad’s army in 2017. “He
said that if he is forced back to Syria, he will be targeted as a draft evader,
arrested, detained and killed,” the newspaper reported.
It
would be the first time that the UK returns a refugee to Syria, which the UN
Refugee Agency said in October was still “unsafe.”
The
agency reiterated an appeal from Human Rights Watch that “all countries should
protect Syrians from being returned to face violence and torture, and halt any
forced returns to Syria.”
A
refusal letter sent to the asylum seeker by the Home Office last month said: “I
am not satisfied to a reasonable degree of likelihood that you have a
well-founded fear of persecution.
“It
is not accepted that you will face a risk of persecution or real risk of
serious harm on return to the Syrian Arab Republic due to your imputed
political opinion as a draft evader.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2001086/world
--------
Mideast
Iranian
Spokesman: Afghanistan Embassy Operating Based on 1961 Convention
2022-January-9
"The
diplomatic activities of the Afghan Embassy in Tehran, like all foreign
embassies, are in accordance to the principles and rules stipulated by the 1961
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and no change has been made beyond
the convention," Khatibzadeh said.
His
comments came after certain media reports claiming that the situation of Afghan
embassy in Tehran has changed as the Taliban acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan
Mottaqi visits Iran.
The
media claimed that the Iranian government was handing over the Afghan embassy
in Tehran to the Taliban and that the former Afghan ambassador to Tehran had
left Iran for a European country.
Heading
a delegation of the Taliban government authorities, acting foreign minister
Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Saturday night.
In a
statement issued on Sunday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that the country
has always stressed the need to maintain economic and trade relations with
Afghanistan.
In
relevant remarks last month, Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi underlined
the need for the formation of an all-inclusive government in Afghanistan with the
partnership of all groups.
"All
the efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran are towards establishing a
government in Afghanistan that embraces all ethnic groups," President
Rayeesi said.
He
reiterated that Afghanistan's security is Iran's security and insecurity in
that country is equal to insecurity in Iran.
"All
our efforts are for a government in Afghanistan that people feel belongs to all
Afghan groups and ethnics and assures peace in the country," the Iranian
president added.
Around
300,000 Afghan migrants have entered Iran following the collapse of the Kabul
government and the Taliban’s takeover.
Afghanistan
is facing what UN agencies have described as “one of the world’s worst
humanitarian disasters” since the collapse of Kabul in mid-August.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israeli
extremists a threat to Christian presence in Jerusalem, says church leader
January
10, 2022
JERUSALEM:
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem has accused radical Israeli groups of
threatening the presence of Christians in the holy city, in remarks that
Israeli officials rejected as baseless.
In a
column in the Times of London on Saturday, Theophilos III said he believed the
aim was to drive the Christian community from Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel
captured East Jerusalem, including the Old City, along with the West Bank and
Gaza Strip, in a 1967 war. It annexed East Jerusalem after the war in a move
that has not won international recognition.
“Our
presence in Jerusalem is under threat,” the patriarch wrote in the article,
published a day after the Greek Orthodox celebration of Christmas.
“Our
churches are threatened by Israeli radical fringe groups. At the hands of these
Zionist extremists the Christian community in Jerusalem is suffering greatly,”
he said.
“Our
brothers and sisters are the victims of hate crimes. Our churches are regularly
desecrated and vandalised. Our clergy are subject to frequent intimidation.”
By
singling out extremists as Israeli, Theophilos’s criticism was more personal
and trenchant than that of a collective statement issued by the heads of other
churches in Jerusalem before Christmas.
Their
statement spoke of “frequent and sustained attacks by fringe radical groups”,
but stopped short of identifying them as Israeli. A US State Department report
published last year on religious freedom around the world said Christian clergy
and pilgrims continued to report instances of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem
harassing or spitting on them.
Church
groups have for some time reported attacks of vandalism at religious sites in
the city.
Theophilos
did not accuse any radical groups by name or cite specific incidents. He did
not provide evidence that they were Israeli, or that their goal was to drive
Christians from the city.
Source:
Dawn
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--------
Iran’s
Chief Negotiator: Talks on Outstanding Issues Continue in Vienna
2022-January-9
Iran
and the five remaining signatories to the 2015 nuclear agreement are resolving
the outstanding issues, Baqeri Kani told reporters in Vienna on Saturday after
meetings with representatives of the G4+1 group of countries (Britain, France,
Germany, Russia and China).
He
added that the talks aimed at removing the US sanctions are advancing and
moving forward.
Following
talks with the Iranian lead negotiator, diplomats of the G4+1 countries
reportedly held a meeting with the US representative and discussed the latest
developments pertaining to the Vienna talks.
Tehran’s
chief negotiator told reporters on Wednesday that the Vienna talks are
“positive and forward-moving” and emphasized that efforts were underway to
achieve results from the talks.
Also,
last Monday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said during sanctions
removal talks in Vienna, Tehran seeks guarantees that no further sanctions will
be imposed on the country once they are removed.
“We
seek removal of sanctions that were imposed on Iran by (former US President
Donald) Trump, especially those sanctions that are at odds with the (2015)
nuclear deal," Iran’s foreign minister said.
“We also want guarantees that no new sanctions
are imposed and that the existing sanctions would not be reimposed once they
are removed,” he added.
Also,
Russian chief negotiator to the Vienna talks Mikhail Ulyanov said in a tweet
that the talks between Iran and the five countries are moving forward not fast
but incrementally.
In
another tweet, the Russian diplomat said the working group on sanctions lifting
also held talks earlier in the day to assess the current state of affairs in
the Vienna talks.
Iran
and the G4+1 group of countries resumed talks in Vienna on Monday after the
parties took a three-day break for the New Year. The US is not allowed to
directly attend the talks due to its pullout in 2018 from the landmark deal
with Iran.
The
eighth round of the Vienna talks began on December 27 with a focus on the
removal of all US sanctions. The US is not allowed to directly attend the talks
due to its pullout in 2018 from the landmark deal with Iran.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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--------
Mahmoud
Abbas begins 17th year as Palestinian president
Salam
AbuSharar
10.01.2022
RAMALLAH,
Palestine
Palestine's
veteran President Mahmoud Abbas is starting his 17th year in office amid
political difficulties and waning prospects for Palestinian reconciliation.
In
January 2005, Abbas was elected as president of the Palestinian Authority with
a 62.52% majority to succeed the late Yasser Arafat.
Abbas
was born in 1935 in Safad, a city about 210 kilometers (130 miles) north of
Jerusalem, 13 years before he and his family, along with hundreds of thousands
of other Palestinians, were forcefully evicted from their homes and lands in a
tragedy Palestinians refer to as the "Nakba," or Catastrophe.
As a
result of the 1948 exodus, Abbas and his family went to Syria, where he began
his political activities in the 1960s, contacting the nascent Fatah movement.
He
assumed several political positions through the 1970s until he became the
leader of the secret negotiations delegation in 1989 that established a peace
process with Israel and coordinated the negotiations during the 1991 Madrid
Conference.
"Abbas
was a critical player in the Oslo Project, which gave the occupation
recognition and gave it a place and authority over Palestine, and he continued
this policy until today. This reflects on the high settlers' activities and the
security coordination," said Palestinian political analyst Mustafa Sawaf.
Through
his career as president, Abbas has worked to quell armed resistance against
Israel in the West Bank and expressed willingness for a two-state solution with
Israel despite the opposition of other factions, particularly those that engage
in armed resistance, like Hamas.
In
2003, Abbas became prime minister for four months before he resigned amid
disputes with then-President Arafat due to differing ideas on peace with
Israel, as well as the second Palestinian Intifada.
Mustafa
Barghouti, one of Abbas's opponents in the last presidential elections in 2005,
emphasized during his campaign that the Oslo Process had collapsed and that the
Palestinians had to adopt another route with Israel basedon the national unity,
popular resistance and stop believing in a political solution through Oslo
accords with Israel.
Barghouti
believes Oslo was a political trap and that it involved major errors, while not
containing a clear view of final resolution and not recognizing a Palestinian
state.
"The
Palestinian politicians must announce that they are relinquishing those accords
and stop security coordination with Israel," he said.
During
Abbas' presidency, negotiations with Israel reached an impasse, rendering
Palestinians unable to improve their condition.
"The
Palestinian strategy must be based on an approach of struggle as an alternative
to the negotiations that have proved unsuccessful," added Barghouti.
Some
political experts argue that Abbas's years as president also produced
complications related to the democratic process, public freedoms, and armed
resistance, as well as internal conflicts within Fatah that lead to
factionalism in the party.
"Since
the latest elections in 2006, Abbas consolidated the political divisions both
with Hamas and inside Fatah, and any speech about national unity has been a
fantasy," Sawaf told Anadolu Agency.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/mahmoud-abbas-begins-17th-year-as-palestinian-president/2469645
--------
Over
1,170 Yemeni civilians killed or wounded in 2021
Hamdi
Yıldız
10.01.2022
ADEN,
Yemen
A
total of 1,171 civilians in Yemen were either killed or wounded last year, a
commission said Sunday.
The
National Commission of Inquiry said in a statement that there was a significant
increase in direct and indirect attacks against civilians in 2021.
It
said 403 civilians, including 30 women and 48 children, lost their lives in
such attacks during the period and 768 civilians were wounded, including 85
women and 167 children.
While
noting that 296 civilians died due to the explosion of mines and explosive
materials, the statement did not include further information on who was
responsible for the attacks.
Yemen
has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned
Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/over-1-170-yemeni-civilians-killed-or-wounded-in-2021/2469641
--------
Hamas
arrests suspect in academic’s killing in Malaysia
Nour
Abu Eisha
09.01.2022
GAZA
CITY, Palestine
A
suspect was arrested in connection with the 2018 killing of a Palestinian
academic in Malaysia, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry said on Sunday.
In
April 2018, Fadi al-Batsh, a research engineer thought to be linked to Hamas,
was gunned down near his home in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, by two
gunmen who fled the scene.
While
his family has accused Israeli spy agency Mossad of having carried out the
assassination, then-Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman denied Israel’s
involvement in the killing.
Interior
Ministry spokesman Iyad al-Buzom told a press conference in Gaza City that the
suspect had confessed that he was recruited by Mossad.
Israeli
media had described al-Batsh as “a Hamas engineer and an expert in
drone-making”, hinting at the possibility that the Mossad had played a role in
his death.
Israel
is widely believed to have killed numerous Palestinian activists in the past,
many of them overseas.
In
1997, Mossad agents tried — and failed — to kill Hamas political chief Khaled
Meshaal in Jordan by spraying poison into his ear.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
Turkish
forces 'neutralize' 3 PKK/YPG terrorists in Syria, Iraq
Beyza
Binnur Dönmez
09.01.2022
Turkish
security forces "neutralized" three YPG/PKK terrorists in northern
Syria and Iraq, the Turkish National Defense Ministry announced on Sunday.
“Our
fight against terrorism continues effectively and decisively!” the ministry
said on Twitter, adding two PKK terrorists in the Operation Pence-Simsek region
in northern Iraq and one PKK/YPG terrorist who attempted to attack the
Operation Peace Spring region were neutralized.
Turkish
authorities use the term “neutralize” to imply the terrorists in question
surrendered or were killed or captured.
The
PKK terror group often uses bases in northern Iraq just across Turkiye's
southern border to hide and plot terror attacks in Turkiye.
Since
2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across
its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and
enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive
Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
Africa
Ex-Tunisian
president calls for civil disobedience to topple Saied
Yamena
Salemi
09.01.2022
TUNIS,
Tunisia
Former
Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki has called for civil disobedience in the
North African nation to topple incumbent President Kais Saied.
In a
statement posted on his Facebook page, Marzouki accused Saied of pushing the
country to "an unprecedented level of problems."
"In
less than a year, Tunisia drifted to division, economic collapse, threats
against judges and grave violations of human rights,” Marzouki said.
Saied
ousted the government on July 25, 2021, suspended parliament and assumed
executive authority. While he insists that his "exceptional measures"
are meant to "save" the country, critics have accused him of
orchestrating a coup.
Last
month, Saied called a referendum on Tunisia’s ruling system on July 25, 2022
and early parliamentary polls on Dec. 17.
But
Marzouki termed Saied’s call as a referendum on a “dictatorial constitution”,
calling on Tunisians to participate in planned demonstrations in Tunisia on
Jan. 14.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
Sudan
protest group rejects UN offer for talks with military
09
January ,2022
A
leading Sudanese protest group on Sunday rejected a United Nations initiative
to hold talks with the military aimed at restoring the country’s democratic
transition following an October coup.
The
move suggests Sudan's political deadlock and relentless street protests are
likely to continue, with at least 60 people killed since the military takeover.
The
UN offer Saturday came a week after embattled Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok
resigned, citing a failure to reach compromise between the generals and the
pro-democracy movement.
The
Oct. 25 coup scuttled hopes of a peaceful transition, over two years after a
popular uprising forced the military overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar
al-Bashir and his Islamist government.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
In a
statement, the Sudanese Professionals’ Association, which led the upraising
against al-Bashir, said the “only way” out of the ongoing crisis is through the
removal of the generals from power. It seeks a fully civilian government to
lead the transition, underlined by the motto “No negotiations, no compromise,
no power-sharing” with the military.
The
SPA has been the backbone of anti-coup protests, alongside youth groups known
as the Resistance Committees.
Protesters
continued their marches in Khartoum on Sunday, with security forces firing tear
gas in at least one location to disperse demonstrators, according to activist
Nazim Sirag. There were no immediate reports of causalities.
Volker
Perthes, the UN envoy for Sudan, said that the talks would be inclusive to try
to reach a “sustainable path forward towards democracy and peace” in the
country.
“It
is time to end the violence and enter into a constructive process. This process
will be inclusive,” he said.
Though
the envoy has yet to offer details of the U.N.-facilitated political process,
the SPA's rejection deals a blow to his efforts to bring the generals and the
pro-democracy movement to the negotiating table.
Perthes
is planning to offer more details in a news conference in Khartoum on Monday.
The
SPA said Perthes’ moves have been “controversial,” citing his efforts in supporting
a deal Hamdok stuck with the military in November that reinstated him but
sidelined the pro-democracy movement.
“He
has to listen carefully to the aims of our proud people and their revolutionary
forces in establishing a fully civilian, national rule,” it said.
World
and regional powers welcomed the UN initiative.
The
United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
urged all Sudanese players to “seize this opportunity to restore the country’s
transition to civilian democracy” in accordance with the 2019 constructional
document that establishing the transitional government.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Somali
military repulses al-Shabaab attack, kills 21 terrorists
Mohammed
Dhaysane
10.01.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
The
Somali National Army and forces from the country’s Galmudug region repulsed an
attack by the al-Shabaab terrorist group Sunday, killing at least 21 of its
members, officials said.
An intense
firefight broke out in the town of Adakibir in the country's Galgadud region
after an attack by heavily armed al-Shabaab terrorists, according to a military
official and residents who spoke to Anadolu Agency by phone.
"The
fighting lasted over an hour and heavy weapons were used by both sides. Thank
Allah there were no civilian casualties reported, but the bodies of al-Shabaab
militants were everywhere," the military official said on condition of
anonymity.
"Somali
National Army and Galmudug regional forces have gallantly repulsed attack by
#Alshabab on #Adakibir town in #Galgadud region, killing 21 terrorists. Four
SNA heroes including the Commander of 13th Battalion of 21st Division, Ali
Cagaweyn, martyred in the fighting,” Somali national television (SNTV) reported
on its Twitter account.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
Second
protester in Sudan dies after injury in anti-military rule protest: Medics
10
January ,2022
A
second protester in Sudan has died after being hit in the head with a tear gas
canister in anti-military rule protests, medics said on Monday.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
This
brings the death toll from Sunday’s protest to two, and from protests since an
October military coup to 63.
The
other protester died after being impacted by a tear gas canister in the neck,
said the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors which is aligned with the
protest movement.
Sudanese
police said in a statement on Monday that they “dealt with security breaches
with the appropriate amount of force” and that one death of a citizen had been
recorded, and eight injuries.
They
also said that 22 policemen had been injured and that 86 suspects had been
arrested.
Security
forces fired tear gas at protesters who were marching in solidarity with the
city of Omdurman, which has seen the bulk of violence in recent days.
Protesters
were able to march from Omdurman to the city of Bahri but were stopped with
tear gas before they were able to cross a bridge to the capital Khartoum, where
protesters also faced heavy tear gas.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Ethiopia's
rebellious Tigray party accuses Eritrea of attacking its forces
10
January ,2022
The
Tigray People's Liberation Front, the party that controls most of the northern
Ethiopia region of Tigray, on Sunday accused Eritrea of attacking its troops.
In
another development in the conflict, aid organizations suspended their
operations in an area of northwest Tigray where 56 civilians were killed by an
air strike over the weekend, the U.N. agency for humanitarian affairs (UNOCHA)
said.
“The
Eritrean military launched fresh attacks against our forces yesterday in Sigem
Kofolo... located in Northwestern Tigray close to Sheraro town,” TPLF spokesman
Getachew Reda wrote on Twitter.
Reuters
could not verify the alleged attack as the communication network is down in the
area.
Eritrean
Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel did not immediately respond to requests
for comment.
Ethiopia's
military spokesman Colonel Getnet Adane and government spokesman Legesse Tulu
did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's
spokeswoman Billene Seyoum also did not respond to a request for comment.
A
lack of medicines, fuel and other essential commodities was “disrupting the
response to the injured,” UNOCHA said in a statement announcing suspension of
operations following the air strike that hit a camp for internally displaced
people late on Friday.
“Humanitarian
partners suspended activities in the area due the ongoing threats of drone
strikes,” the agency told Reuters, without giving further details.
War
broke out in the mountainous region of 5 million people 14 months ago, pitting
Tigrayan forces against federal troops backed by their Eritrean counterparts.
Eritrean
President Isaias Afwerki told the state-run Eri-TV on Saturday that his troops
would strive to prevent Tigrayan forces from attacking his country, or
threatening the stability of Ethiopia.
Eritrean
forces have fought against Tigrayan forces since the start of the war in
support of Abiy's troops, but both nations spent the first five months of the
conflict denying the Eritrean presence.
The
Eritrean troops withdrew from most of the region in June, the same month that
Ethiopian federal troops also withdrew.
Last
month, Tigrayan forces withdrew from neighboring regions they had invaded in
July, in a step toward a potential ceasefire.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Tunisia
prosecutor rejects request to arrest Ennahda deputy chief: Adviser
Yamena
Salemi
09.01.2022
TUNIS,
Tunisia
Tunisia’s
public prosecutor has rejected a request by President Kais Saied to arrest
Ennahda deputy leader Noureddine Bhairi, a Tunisian adviser said Sunday.
Bhairi
has been placed under house arrest for his alleged involvement in
terrorism-related activities.
In a
Facebook post, Riadh Chaibi, an adviser to Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi,
said the Tunisian president had asked the country’s public prosecutor to issue
an arrest warrant for Bhairi.
“But
the public prosecutor rejected the request due to lack of evidence,” he said.
There
was no comment from Tunisian authorities on the claim.
On
Monday, Interior Minister Taoufik Charfeddine placed Bhairi and a ministry
official under house arrest over accusations of issuing false identity
documents to a Syrian couple while he was serving as justice minister, with one
of the individuals previously linked to terrorist cases committed outside
Tunisian territory.
Ennahda
party, the largest party in the now suspended Tunisian parliament, termed the
accusations against Bhairi as "politicized" and called for his
immediate release.
Bhairi,
63, was transferred to Habib Bougatfa Hospital in the northern city of Bizerte
after his health deteriorated due to his hunger strike in protest of his
detention.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Qatar
welcomes launch of UN-facilitated dialogue in Sudan
Said
İbicioğlu
09.01.2022
Qatar
welcomed a UN-facilitated intra-Sudanese political process in Sudan on
Saturday.
The Foreign
Ministry said in a statement that consultations would pave the way for reaching
a consensual formula that would represent all spectrums of the Sudanese people
and achieve their aspirations for freedom, peace and justice.
The
statement reiterated Qatar's full support for the unity, sovereignty and
stability of Sudan.
The
UN mission in Sudan launched the process Saturday to salvage the country’s
transition to democracy.
The
move came one day after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with Sudanese
army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and stressed the need to form a civilian
government.
Sudan
has been in turmoil since Oct. 25 when the military dismissed Prime Minister
Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declared a state of emergency.
Prior
to the military takeover, Sudan was governed by a sovereign council of military
and civilian officials tasked with overseeing the transition period until
elections in 2023.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/qatar-welcomes-launch-of-un-facilitated-dialogue-in-sudan/2469027
--------
North America
After
Tehran sanctions Americans, US vows to deter and respond to any attack by Iran
09
January ,2022
The
US and its allies will defend itself and its citizens against any attacks
carried out by Iran, the White House said on Sunday, a day after Tehran
sanctioned 52 Americans over the 2020 killing of General Qassem Soleimani.
“Make
no mistake: the US will protect and defend its citizens. This includes those
serving the US now and those who formerly served. As Americans, we have our
disagreements on politics. We have our disagreements on Iran policy. But we are
united in our resolve against threats and provocations,” National Security
Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.
He
added: “We will work with our allies and partners to deter and respond to any
attacks carried out by Iran. Should Iran attack any of our nationals, including
any of the 52 people named yesterday, it will face severe consequences.”
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
sanctioned list includes former and active US officials, both diplomatic and
military, including US General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, former White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien, and former
US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley.
The
Iranian regime’s sanctions are likely symbolic in nature as they simply allow
the government to seize the assets of any of those sanctioned so long as those
assets are in Iran.
And
the Iranian regime’s announcement coincided with two-year anniversary of the US
assassination of Iranian top general Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of
the Quds Force, the overseas arm of the IRGC, who was killed in a drone strike
in Iraq on January 3, 2020, along with Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi
al-Muhandis.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
US
Republican Rep. Jordan not to cooperate with Capitol attack probe
10
January ,2022
US
Republican Representative Jim Jordan, a close confidante of former President
Donald Trump, said on Sunday he would not cooperate with a US House committee
investigating last year’s attack on the Capitol.
The
panel had asked Jordan to disclose conversations he had with Trump on Jan. 6,
2021, the day of the attack by Trump supporters aiming to stop Congress from
formally certifying the presidential election victory of Democrat Joe Biden.
“This
request is far outside the bounds of any legitimate inquiry, violates core
constitutional principles and would serve to further erode legislative norms,”
Jordan said in a letter to committee chairman, Democrat Bennie Thompson.
His
rejoinder came after the panel requested an interview with Jordan last month.
Jordan
was one of Trump’s main defenders during his two impeachment trials, the second
on a charge of inciting the Capitol riot. Both times, Trump was acquitted by
the Senate, then controlled by Republicans.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
US
sets up refinery in Syria’s Hasakah to increase country's oil theft
09
January 2022
US
occupation forces have set up an oil refinery in the northeastern Syrian city
of Hasakah, as US military trucks continue to smuggle crude oil from the
energy-rich region to Iraqi territory.
Syria’s
official news agency SANA, citing local sources, reported on Sunday that US
forces and the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have installed the oil
refinery in the oilfields of Rmelan town.
The
SDF, a US-backed alliance of Kurdish militants operating against Damascus,
currently controls areas in northern and eastern Syria.
A
source at Directorate of Rmelan fields told SANA that the oil refinery has a
capacity to refine 3,000 barrels per day, adding that there will be a large
increase in stealing and looting the Syrian oil from the area by American
troops and the SDF militants following the installation of the oil refinery.
Meanwhile,
local sources have said a US military convoy of 79 vehicles, including tankers
carrying stolen Syrian oil, headed to northern Iraq through the illegal
al-Waleed border crossing on Saturday evening.
The
sources added that four armored vehicles belonging to the US military escorted
the convoy,
In
recent months, US military convoys laden with stolen Syrian oil have entered
the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq after crossing al-Waleed
border crossing, as Washington continues to loot energy resources in the
war-ravaged country.
However,
several villages in Hasakah have in coordination with government forces
prevented a number of US military convoys from passing through their
communities and have forced them to turn around and head back in the direction
they came from.
The
US military has stationed forces and equipment in eastern and northeastern
Syria, with the Pentagon claiming that the deployment is aimed at preventing
the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of the Daesh terrorists.
Damascus,
however, says the unlawful deployment is meant to plunder the country’s
resources.
Former
US president Donald Trump admitted on several occasions that American forces
were in Syria for its oil.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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US
military boosts forces at Syria oil fields in wake of rocket attacks
09
January 2022
The
US military has reportedly deployed reinforcements to the bases its has
occupied near the oil fields in Eastern Syria, days after they again came under
rocket attacks, local sources said.
"American
forces based in Iraq sent military reinforcements consisting of 30 trucks
carrying armored vehicles, tanks and bulldozers," the sources disclosed as
quoted in a report by Turkey’s Anadolu state news agency on Friday.
According
to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, further stated that two
American helicopters escorted the military reinforcements overhead, along with
US-backed Kurdish militants affiliated with the PKK and YPG terrorist groups,
the report added.
They
further noted that the reinforcements included boxes believed to hold various
munitions and rockets.
The
military reinforcements, the report added, came from US military bases in Iraq
and entered Syria on Thursday, arriving in Al-Hasakah and then transported to
Al-Omar oil field in Syria’s eastern Dayr al-Zawr province.
According
to the report, nearly 10 rockets targeted US bases last week from the Syrian
city of al-Mayadin, where local anti-terror resistance fighters are based.
It
further added that US-led forces in the area targeted suspected rocket launch
pads near al-Mayadin.
The
development also came a day after a military facility housing US occupation
forces in al-Omar oil fields in Dayr al-Zawr came under rocket attacks from
nearby areas, according to a Sabereen News channel, associated with Iraq’s
Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).
The
latest rocket attack also marked a sharp rise in targeting US-run bases in
Syria’s oil-rich eastern regions in recent months.
Last
December, local sources also reported that four successive explosions were
heard after several rockets targeted the US military base at al-Omar oil field.
The
US military has illegally stationed forces and equipment in eastern and
northeastern Syria, with the Pentagon claiming that the deployment is aimed at
preventing the oil fields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh
terrorists.
The
Syrian government, however, insists the unlawful deployment is intended to
plunder the country’s resources.
Former
US president Donald Trump admitted on several occasions that American forces
were in Syria for its oil.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/01/09/674346/US-military-new-reinforcements-Syria-oil-fields-
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