ISIS Praises Ukraine War as 'Crusaders against Crusaders' and Says, It Is God's Punishment for Them, As Described In the Qur’an
New Age Islam News Bureau
10 March 2022
ISIS have praised the
Ukraine war as a 'divine punishment' for the West which it hopes will destroy
the 'enemies of Islam' (file image)
------
• Radical Cleric, Head of the Islamic Movement:
Israel's Judaisation of Al-Aqsa Mosque Is Doomed To Fail
• Islamic State Suicide Bomber of Peshawar Mosque That
Killed 64 People Was Afghan: Police
• Jakim Has Developed Plan to Tackle Growing LGBT
Issues, Says Minister
• Top EU Diplomat Compares Russian Tactics in Ukraine
To Those In Syria
North
America
• ‘Becoming Muslim’ Podcast Asks Converts, What
Happens After You See The Light?
• On ‘Syria’s Abyss,’ UN Commission Warns Of
Escalating Violence, Humanitarian Disaster
--------
Mideast
• Israeli president visits Turkey to ‘restart’ ties
• Iran Asks for Annihilation of US Chemical Weapons
Arsenal
• Iran Calls for Broadening of Cultural Ties with
Azerbaijan, Bolivia
--------
Pakistan
• Details of three militants involved in Peshawar
mosque attack emerge
• Peshawar Mosque Attack Handler among Three Killed In
Khyber
• PM Determined To Continue Jihad Against Corrupt:
Farrukh Habib
• Pakistani citizen among 17 foreign nationals rescued
by India from Sumy
• Pakistan PM Imran Khan seeks legal opinion on
no-confidence motion
--------
Southeast
Asia
• VP Emphasizes 4-Pronged Approach to Improve Sharia
Insurance Industry
• PPIM concerned over lack of SOP details for mosques
in endemic phase transition
• Activists seek Singapore clemency for disabled
Malaysian man on death row
--------
Europe
• German Chancellor Scholz to visit Turkiye amid
Russia-Ukraine war
• World focused on Turkey as Ankara mediates in talks
between warring Ukraine, Russia
• 4 convicted in Daesh killing of French priest
• Don’t let Ukraine become another Syria: UN investigators
--------
India
• "No Hindu-Muslim, We Worked For All": UP
Minister on BJP's Record Win
• Bulli Bai case: App creator sought photos of 100
famous women for 'auction', say police
• Terrorist killed in encounter with security forces
in J&K's Pulwama
• Seychelles & Indonesia detain 33 fishermen from
India for poaching
• Ukraine crisis: Not just Indians, Pakistan,
Bangladesh & Nepal students rescued too
• Hijab row: Rachakonda Police sends notice to Twitter
on journalist’s video
• BJP wins 20 Assam civic wards dominated by migrant
Muslims
-----
South
Asia
• Abdul Rahim Muslimdost, Co-founder of Afghan Daesh
Downplays Group’s Presence in Afghanistan
• Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan FM Amir Kham Mottaqi
Leaves For Turkey
• Taliban bar people from taking souvenir photos in
Afghanistan's Ghor
• ADB won’t facilitate in TAPI until Taliban
government gets recognized
--------
Arab
World
• Egypt’s Al-Sisi and Russia’s Putin Discuss
Developments In Ukraine: Presidency
• Saudi Arabia ends Thailand travel ban for citizens
• Saudi defences intercept Houthi drone aimed at Jizan
• Abu Dhabi Crown Prince discusses Ukraine with
Belarusian president
• UN dispatches 43 truckloads of humanitarian aid to
Idlib, Syria
• Coalition: Saudi defences destroy Houthi drone targeting
Jazan
• Lebanon central bank denies halting operations on
exchange platform
--------
Africa
• Arab League Summit To Hold First Annual Summit For
Three Years In Algeria
• Saudi Arabia e-visa app for Hajj, Umrah pilgrims now
available in Tunisia
• 7 million people in northern Ethiopia need urgent
help: UN
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/isis-ukraine-war-crusaders-quran-punishment/d/126543
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ISIS Praises Ukraine War as 'Crusaders against
Crusaders' and Says, It Is God's Punishment for Them, As Described In the
Qur’an
ISIS have praised the
Ukraine war as a 'divine punishment' for the West which it hopes will destroy
the 'enemies of Islam' (file image)
------
By Jack Newman for Mailonline
9 March 2022
ISIS have praised the Ukraine war as a 'divine
punishment' for the West which it hopes will destroy the 'enemies of Islam'.
The terror group labelled Russia's savage invasion of
its neighbour as 'crusaders against crusaders' in a full-page article in its
al-Naba newsletter.
They also said Muslims should not take sides in the
war and predicted that there would be 'major consequences' regardless of the
result.
The editorial said: 'What is happening today, the
direct bloody war between the Orthodox crusaders – Russia and Ukraine – is but
one example of God's punishment for them, as described in the Qu'ran.
'Whether long or short, this Russian-Ukrainian war is
but the beginning of the next wars between the Crusader countries, and the images
of destruction and death we see are but a small scene of the situation in which
the great wars begin.'
ISIS added the invasion was 'not surprising', saying
it was 'the state of the escalating competition between America and Russia to
control the countries of Eastern Europe, especially after the policy of
"support and containment" that America pursued'.
Islamic extremists have been debating which side to
take in the war.
Putin formed an alliance with Bashar al-Assad against
ISIS in the Syrian civil war and Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish and Ukraine is a
member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
ISIS have now made its position clear by hoping for
complete destruction on both sides which will unleash global chaos and bring
down the West.
The terrorists said the invasion was an 'amusing
punishment... upon them for their disbelief in God Almighty'.
The article added: 'The crusader versus crusader is
still in its infancy, so, O God, perpetuate their wars and break their
hearts.'
ISIS are also not backing Chechen Muslim forces which
have been drafted into the war by Putin.
They branded the fighters, led by Ramzan Kadyrov,
'apostate militias', and compared them to ex-Afghan president Hamid Karzai who
fought alongside George Bush and the US against the Taliban.
Last week, the Kremlin claimed the US was training up
ISIS Jihadis to fight alongside Ukraine in the war, as part of Putin's
misinformation campaign.
Russia's intelligence service said the US has trained
the terrorists in 'subversive and terrorist warfare methods with a focus on the
Donbass region'.
Source: Daily Mail
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10593271/ISIS-praises-Ukraine-war-crusaders-against-crusaders-destroy-enemies-Islam.html
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Radical Cleric, Head of the Islamic Movement: Israel's
Judaisation of Al-Aqsa Mosque Is Doomed To Fail
Sheikh Raed Salah
-----
Dalit Halevi
10.03.22
Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the northern branch of the
Islamic Movement, said on Wednesday that Israel's "Judaization" plans
at the Al-Aqsa Mosque are doomed to fail.
Salah claimed that Israel continues to strive to
exercise full sovereignty over the Al-Aqsa Mosque through increasing
Judaization measures aimed at gaining control of the site.
He warned against Israeli policy in Jerusalem and in
particular the "break-ins" by Jews into the Al-Aqsa Mosque under
police security, and religious worship in the mosque plaza.
"The Al-Aqsa Mosque is one of the permanent
things that cannot be changed in the history of the Muslims, and it is God's
promise in the Holy Qur'an that oppression cannot flourish in it, so the
occupation will end soon," Salah said.
Salah was jailed for incitement to terrorism and
served a 16-month prison sentence before being released in December.
Salah has been arrested by Israel several times in the
past on charges of incitement. The radical cleric served a nine-month jail
sentence after being convicted of encouraging violent attacks and inciting
racism in a 2007 sermon.
He has in the past labeled Israeli leaders
“terrorists” and “enemies of Allah” in a speech to Muslims in Be’er Sheva, and
was also jailed for five months in 2010 for spitting at an Israeli police
officer.
The Israeli government outlawed the northern branch of
the Islamic Movement, which Salah heads, in November of 2015.
Source: Israel National News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/323644
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Islamic State Suicide Bomber of Peshawar Mosque That
Killed 64 People Was Afghan: Police
Shiite Muslims take part
in a protest against the recent suicide bomb attack on a Shiite mosque in
Peshawar on March 6 Abdul MAJEED AFP
------
March 10, 2022
PESHAWAR:
An Islamic State (IS) suicide bomber who killed 64
people at a mosque in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa last week was an Afghan exile who
returned home to train for the attack, police said on Wednesday.
Two senior police officials told AFP that the suicide
bomber responsible for Peshawar blast had prepared the attack in Afghanistan.
It was claimed by IS.
The officials said the attacker was an Afghan national
in his 30s who moved to Pakistan with his family decades ago.
"The bomber went (back) to Afghanistan, trained
there and returned without informing his family," one of the senior police
officials told AFP.
"Islamic State-Khorasan is becoming a strong
threat for us, they are operating from Afghanistan but they have sleeping cells
here," he added.
Taliban officials did not immediately respond to
requests for comment.
Police said they had killed three
"facilitators" of the Peshawar attack in an overnight operation, and
arrested 20 others suspected of involvement.
IS also claimed responsibility for what it said was a
suicide blast on Tuesday that killed seven paramilitary troops near a site in
southwestern Pakistan where the president had visited less than half an hour
earlier.
Since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan,
Islamabad has acted as a key broker between the hardliners and the
international community.
Source: Tribune Pakistan
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2347252/is-suicide-bomber-of-peshawar-mosque-was-afghan-police
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Jakim Has Developed Plan to Tackle Growing LGBT Issues,
Says Minister
Photo: Bernama
-----
10 Mar 2022
KUALA LUMPUR: A plan has been developed by the Islamic
Development Department (Jakim) to address social problems in the Muslim
community such as the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) culture,
says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Idris Ahmad.
The Minister in charge of religious affairs said the
implementation of the Islamic Social Action Plan (PTSI) 2019-2025 by Jakim also
addresses other societal issues such as drug addiction, teenage pregnancy,
abortion, divorce, homelessness, HIV/AIDS transmission, alcohol addiction, free
sex, incest, juvenile crime and more.
Idris said the government takes the LGBT issue
seriously and that it has become increasingly concerning as of late, adding
that homosexuality is also illegal under both the Islamic syariah law and civil
law.
“As a nation adhering to Islam as the religion of the
Federation and one that holds onto moral values that are based on custom,
culture and religion that have been long-practiced by the local society, LBGT
goes against the grain of Malaysia’s faith, moral and culture," he said.
“Under Section 377 of the Penal Code, it is an offense
for anyone to have carnal intercourse against the order of nature,” he said in
a written reply in Parliament on Thursday (March 10).
This was in response to a question by Che Alias Hamid
(PN-Kemaman), who asked the Prime Minister to state the government's plan to
formulate a special policy to eradicate the spread of the LGBTQ culture, which
he claimed is increasingly prevalent in the country.
He also said that the government had made its stance
on the LGBT issue known on the global stage, with former Prime Minister Tun Dr
Mahathir Mohamad insisting in his statement on June 16, 2019 at Cambridge
Union, United Kingdom, that Malaysia will not give in to any pressure to accept
the LGBT practices.
Idris said Mahathir had also stressed that Malaysia
should stand firm on moral values based on custom, culture and religion which
has long been practiced among the local community.
“Therefore, the government hopes that social issues
involving this LGBT group can be given attention by all parties including
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the general public,” he said.
Idris added that the implementation of the PTSI by
Jakim is also in line with the National Social Policy under the Women, Family
and Community Development Ministry.
Source: The Star
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Top EU Diplomat Compares Russian Tactics In Ukraine To
Those In Syria
Josep Borrell
----
Agnes Szucs
09.03.2022
BRUSSELS
EU foreign policy Chief Josep Borrell said on
Wednesday that the Russian army is bombing Ukrainian cities regardless of
civilian casualties like it did in Syria and Chechnya.
Speaking to the plenary session of the European
Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Borrell said the Russia-Ukraine war will end
but “will leave a mark on history.”
He explained that the Russian leadership had planned
to quickly take over Kyiv and other cities and believed that “Ukraine is weak
and servile,” but the “strong resistance” stopped them.
“In response, the Russian army is doing the only thing
it knows. It is bombing as it did in Aleppo, across all of Syria and in
Chechnya,” Borrell noted, saying Russia will carry out its operation “without
any concern for the civilian casualties.”
According to Borrell, the war in Ukraine is a “wake-up
call from our dream of development and prosperity” and Europeans have to
understand that “our way of life comes indeed with a cost.”
Borrell noted that the bloc has to raise its defense
spending and “break the energy ties that paralyze us” and should not allow Russia
to “weaponize interdependency.”
He also said that after the illegal annexation of
Crimea, the EU should have permanently reduced energy imports from Russia, but
it did the contrary.
Now, it needs a “collective commitment” from Europeans
to consume less energy and to invest in renewables.
Besides sanctions, the war on Ukraine has drawn
international condemnation and spurred an exodus of global companies from
Russia.
The EU earlier adopted three sanctions packages
against Russia, targeting among others President Russian Vladimir Putin, top
diplomat Sergey Lavrov, removing seven Russian banks from the SWIFT
international banking system, and banning broadcasting activities of Sputnik
and RT media outlets.
The European Commission proposed on Tuesday a plan to
replace two-thirds of Russian gas imports until the end of the year by
accelerating the bloc’s energy transition to renewables and diversifying the
EU’s gas supply.
At least 474 civilians have been killed and 864 others
injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24, according to UN
figures.
Over 2.1 million people have also fled Ukraine to
neighboring countries, data by the UN refugee agency showed.
Moscow retaliated to the sanctions by issuing a list
of states and territories that took “unfriendly actions against Russia, its
companies, and citizens.” According to the decree, overseas creditors in these
countries can be paid in rubles instead of foreign currencies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also ordered the
government to draft a list of imports to be banned or restricted.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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North
America
‘Becoming Muslim’ podcast asks converts, what happens
after you see the light?
March 9, 2022
By Bob Smietana
(RNS) — Conversion stories are an American tradition.
The stories are often the same, no matter what
religion is involved. Someone was lost, then they were found. Or they were
wandering in the dark and then, as Hank Williams Sr. once put it, they saw the
light.
But what happens next? On the day after? And the day
after that? And the year after that?
That’s the question journalist Hana Baba set out to
answer a few years ago, when she began reporting on the stories of Muslim
converts for public radio station KALW in San Francisco. Baba, who grew up in a
Sudanese American Muslim family, wanted to know what it was like for people who
choose a religion for their own — how they adapt and how a spiritual
transformation plays out in real life.
She found some unexpected answers in a series of
stories titled “Becoming Muslim” told on the latest season of “The Spiritual
Edge,” a radio program and podcast from KALW. The series relays the inspiring,
challenging and sometimes messy conversion stories of ordinary American Muslims.
Among them: an older Black man who found Islam during the civil rights era, an
aspiring comedian and single mom, the founder of one of the first mosques led
by women in the United States and a pair of Hispanic converts, one who found
acceptance and community in Islam, the other still struggling to do so.
Baba said she’d heard conversion stories while going
to services at mosques and had seen people take their shahada, the confession
of faith in Islam and declaration that Muhammad is a prophet. But what she
discovered while working on the podcast series is often that simple act of
faith came with profound consequences. All of a sudden, she said, people find
themselves in a new religion with new rules and expectations that are shaped by
culture as much as by faith.
One of the most moving stories in the series features
Rabi’a Keeble, who began attending prayer services in the 1990s and struggled
to find her place in the community. As a new convert, she had many questions
about Islam and how to apply its teaching to her day-to-day life. At the end of
Friday, the imam would answer questions from congregation members but when she
tried to talk him she was rebuffed.
“I just got very frustrated with it,” she said in the
podcast. “The idea that because I’m a female, I can’t talk in God’s house.”
Keeble eventually became convinced the restrictions
she faced were more cultural than religious and ended up starting Qalbu Maryam,
a mosque where women could learn how to pray and practice their faith.
Another episode tells the story of Abdul Raoof, who
became part of the Nation of Islam in the 1960s, an experience that changed his
life. He later left the Nation to become a Sunni Muslim. The episode wraps
Raoof’s experience within the larger story of Black Muslims in the United
States.
Sofie Lovern, an aspiring comedian and mother of
three, tells the story of her conversion, which was followed by marriage to a
Muslim man she barely knew — a marriage her imam at the time helped arrange.
The marriage went poorly in part because the couple came from such different
cultures and in part because they were poorly matched. During the episode, the
imam now says he had assumed that because both Lovern and her husband were
Muslim, things would work — an assumption he now regrets.
Despite her struggles, Lovern describes the way Islam
changed her life.
“You know, they say that when you convert, when you
take your shahada, that all your sins are forgiven,” she said in the episode.
“If I could tell you, that at that moment you can feel it. You can feel it
happening. It’s like being washed — not with water, but with light.”
Diana Demchenko, who converted to Islam as a college
student, described her conversion and then her decision to study Islam
overseas, hoping to find a purer form of the faith in the Middle East. She
eventually realized that being an American Muslim meant learning how to
practice the faith in her home context.
“I really have to understand that I’m not going to get
closer to God just because I’m in Damascus,” she said on the podcast. “I have
to be able to feel close to God in Detroit, too.”
Baba — who spent years developing “Becoming Muslim,”
along with Judy Silber, executive editor of “The Spiritual Edge” — hosted the
podcast series and reported the episodes with help from colleagues. She said
that working on the series helped her better understand her own experience of
Islam. Her parents came to the United States in the 1970s, and growing up, Baba
said, her family was always navigating two worlds in American Islam — one made
up mostly of Middle Eastern immigrants, the other of Black Muslims The two
worlds rarely mixed, she said.
Because of that, she wanted to make sure the series
told the stories of Black Muslims, who have often been overlooked, especially
in the years after the Sept. 11 attacks — when Islam was often seen as the
religion of outsiders. As a result, Black or Hispanic Muslims and Muslims who
are not immigrants felt erased.
“We wanted to focus on the Americanness of these
stories,” she said.
One of themes in the series is that converts often
feel alone after becoming Muslim. Some of the converts in the story recalled
being congratulated when they gave their shahada and feeling loved and embrace
in that moment. And then, said Baba, “crickets.”
“There are stories and stories of feeling isolated,”
she said.
That led some of the people profiled in the series to
be “un-mosqued” — practicing Islam on their own because they had not been able
to find a Muslim community where they felt at home. Mosques face many of the same
challenges of building community and integrating newcomers that congregations
of other faiths face — and for some converts, life at the mosque just has not
worked.
“They feel like they don’t fit,” said Baba.
Growing up Muslim, Baba said she has at times taken
her faith for granted. Working on the series, she said, has reenergized her own
spirituality and given her a newfound appreciation for Islam.
Source: Religion News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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On ‘Syria’s abyss,’ UN commission warns of escalating
violence, humanitarian disaster
09.03.2022
GENEVA
Escalating violence, a plunging economy, and a
devastating humanitarian crisis are inflicting new hardship and suffering on
Syria’s people, after 10 years of conflict, according to a new report by the UN
Syria Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday.
With more than half the pre-war population displaced
and over 90% living in poverty, Syrians are staring into “a new abyss,” with 12
million people facing food insecurity and 14.6 million need humanitarian aid,
said the report.
Military skirmishes, bombardments, abductions, and
killings away from the conflict zones are increasing, it added.
“While parts of Syria are no longer subject to active
fighting, make no mistake that violence against civilians continues across the
country,” commission chair Paulo Pinheiro said.
He said these range from bombardment in the northwest,
north, and northeast, to targeted killings, unlawful detention, and torture.
“Some of you may be asking what lessons can be learned
from the Syria crisis – in particular the role of Russia – when we look at what
is happening in Ukraine today,” said Pinheiro at a UN news conference.
“Warring parties’ attempts to resolve the Syrian
conflict militarily over the past decade have enabled the violation of nearly
every core human right, the commission of almost every crime against humanity
listed in the Rome statute, and nearly every war crime,” he said.
“We can only hope that world leaders are doing
everything they can to avoid a similar fate for Ukraine.”
Parallels with Ukraine?
The three commissioners were asked if they saw any
parallels between the 10-year-old Syrian conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war.
“The conflict may be different in that, the Russian
Federation is in Syria, to assist the government. Whereas in Ukraine, they're
there to remove it,” said Hanny Megally, one of the commissioners.
“They're using more airpower in Syria, less people on
the ground.”
At least 474 civilians have been killed and 864 others
injured in Ukraine since Russia launched a war against its neighbor, according
to UN figures, with the real toll feared to be higher.
More than 2.1 million people have fled Ukraine to
neighboring countries, according to the UN refugee agency.
The Syria report also said the failure to respect
human rights and international humanitarian law in Syria has eroded the respect
for fundamental norms.
It has “exposed a deadly cynicism by armed actors,
where might makes right and denial and obfuscation are employed to deflect
blame or criticism and undermine accountability.”
Pinheiro said the Syrian population everywhere is
enduring crushing poverty which is hitting particularly the internally
displaced.
“These are the abysses faced by the Syrian people,
caught between warring parties and everywhere being repressed and exploited by
armed actors,” he said.
Beyond the active frontlines, daily life for Syrian
women, men, and children gets more difficult and dangerous, noted the report.
Some 12 million people are food insecure, and an
unprecedented 14.6 million in need of humanitarian assistance.
Violations for monetary gain exacerbate the
increasingly desperate economic situation, the report also noted.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Mideast
Israeli president visits Turkey to ‘restart’ ties
March 10, 2022
ANKARA: Israel’s president met Turkish leader Recep
Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday, in the first visit by an Israeli head of
state to Turkey since 2007, as the countries seek to mend fractured ties.
President Isaac Herzog’s trip to the Turkish capital
and Istanbul was planned weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, but the conflict
could feature at the talks, with both Israel and Turkey playing mediation roles
in recent days.
But bilateral issues may dominate following more than
a decade of diplomatic rupture between the Jewish state and Turkey, which is a
vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause.
“We will not agree on everything, and the relationship
between Israel and Turkey has certainly known ups and downs and not-so-simple
moments in recent years,” Herzog said before departing.
“But we shall try to restart our relations and build
them in a measured and cautious manner,” he added, before a boarding a plane
with “peace and cooperation” written in Turkish on its side.
After landing Herzog and Erdogan proceeded through an
honour guard at the Mustafa Kemal Ataturk mausoleum, with Herzog writing an
inscription that praised Turkey’s first president as a “visionary leader” for
choosing “the path of collaboration.”
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1679218/israeli-president-visits-turkey-to-restart-ties
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Iran Asks for Annihilation of US Chemical Weapons
Arsenal
2022-March-9
Permanent Representative of Iran to the Organization
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Alireza Kazemi Abadi made the
remarks on Tuesday, addressing the 99th Session of the Executive Council of the
OPCW.
The official stressed that the US as a sole holder of
chemical weapons must use all its capabilities to destroy its arsenal of
chemical weapons in the shortest possible time in accordance with its undertakings
based on the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Expressing satisfaction with Syria's constructive
cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, he
emphasized the need for the organization to pay attention to the rights of the
Syrian government,
Kazemi Abadi also called for resolving the remaining
issues between the two sides.
The 99th Session of the Executive Council of the
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons kicked off on Tuesday,
March 8 at the headquarters of the Organization in the Hague, the Netherlands,
and will continue until Thursday, March 10.
In relevant remarks in January, Deputy Permanent
Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Zahra
Ershadi reiterated her country's principled position on the need for
destruction of all chemical weapons in the world.
Elimination of all chemical weapons worldwide was the
prime objective of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and that this goal
could be realized only through the treaty’s full, balanced, effective and
non-discriminatory implementation, as well as its universality.
It is therefore a source of serious concern that due
to non-compliance by the United States, this objective has yet to be realized,
Ershadi said, addressing the Security Council briefing on chemical weapons in
Syria.
She also stressed that the Israeli regime must be
compelled to join the CWC without any precondition or further delay
Warning against the serious impact of politicization
on the CWC’s credibility, the Iranian envoy called for de-politicization of the
work of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Iran reiterates is long-standing and principled
position on the need to strongly condemn the use of chemical weapons by anyone,
anywhere and under any circumstances, she said.
The only absolute guarantee that chemical weapons will
not be used again is the total destruction of all chemical weapons across the
globe, Ershadi said, adding that all necessary measures should be taken to
ensure that such weapons will not be produced and used in the future.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001218000804/Iran-Asks-fr-Annihilain-f-US-Chemical-Weapns-Arsenal
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Iran Calls for Broadening of Cultural Ties with
Azerbaijan, Bolivia
2022-March-9
During the meeting with Azerbaijan's Ambassador in
Tehran Ali Alizadeh, the Iranian culture minister stressed the importance of
making efforts to upgrade and revive mutual agreements on cultural cooperation.
"Iran and Azerbaijan enjoy long-lasting relations
in the cultural fields," he added.
Referring to Nowruz celebrations as common heritage of
the two countries, the minister said Tehran has invited its Northern neighbor
to take part in the New Year feast in Iran.
Alizadeh, for his part, said Baku is after fostering
cultural ties along with political and economic relations with Iran.
Further, Alizadeh thanked Iran for hosting Fajr
international theatre and film festivals where Azerbaijan was also present.
At the end, the Azeri ambassador called for promoting
Baku-Tehran media cooperation in order to truly reflect the news.
During his meeting with Bolivian Ambassador to Iran
Romina Guadalupe Pérez Ramos, Esmaili said that Iran’s Islamic Revolution has a
cultural nature and the Iranian leaders have always stressed cultural issues.
Ramos, for her part, said that Bolivia is after
developing relations with Iran within the framework of signing cultural agreements.
She referred to agreements with the Islamic Republic
of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), and said, "These agreements are aimed at
promoting Iranian culture in Bolivia."
Ramos went on to say that Western media are seeking to
wage psychological war and media campaign against Iran and are trying to
tarnish Iran’s image.
She expressed readiness for holding cultural events
aiming to introduce Iran’s culture.
Ramos stressed joint cooperation in films, plays, and
training courses courses.
She suggested establishing Iran-Bolivia friendship
houses to teach language, cultural, and artistic topics.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Pakistan
Details of three militants involved in Peshawar mosque
attack emerge
March 9, 2022
PESHAWAR: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has
identified three terrorists who masterminded the Peshawar attack that resulted
in the deaths of 62 people.
According to details shared by CTD, a militant, Abdul
Wahid alias Ghazi Usman, was involved in the terror act.
“Abdul Wahid has been involved in multiple terror acts
including direct involvement in Peshawar blast, murders of ASI Imtiaz Alam and
Satnam Singh,” it said.
Another terrorist part of the network has been
identified as Muzaffar Shah alias Khalid, who was previously involved in
multiple target killings.
“The third terrorist has also been identified as was
killed in an operation Silence last night,” the CTD said and added that all
three of them are involved in the Peshawar attack.
Two days back, law enforcement authorities (LEAs)
identified the suicide attacker and one of the handlers involved in the suicide
attack at a Peshawar mosque.
According to sources privy to the development, the
suicide bomber has been identified with his alias of Abdullah as he frequently
used to change his name.
Source: Pakistan Today
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Peshawar mosque attack handler among three killed in
Khyber
March 10, 2022
PESHAWAR: Law enforcement agencies have killed three
suspected terrorists, including the main handler behind the gun-and-suicide
attack on a Shia mosque in Peshawar, during an operation in a remote area of
Khyber district, sources told Dawn on Wednesday.
Sixty-four worshippers lost their lives and more than
190 others were injured when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest
inside the Koocha Risaldar mosque on Friday last week. The militant Islamic
State group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Officials said personnel of the Counter-Terrorism
Department, police and intelligence agencies had raided a house in the Ghureza
area of Jamrud tehsil late on Tuesday night. They said a terrorist present
inside the house opened fire on law enforcement personnel.
“Three terrorists, identified as Abdul Wajid, Muzaffar
Shah and Muhammad Tariq, were killed in the exchange of fire with police, while
four others, including two handlers, managed to escape from the scene,” the
officials said.
According to them, Abdul Wajid belonged to the Warsak
Road area and Muzaffar Shah to the Bhdabher area of Peshawar, while Muhammad
Tariq hailed from Bara tehsil of Khyber district.
They said the investigators identified the mosque
suicide bomber as Ihsanullah alias Abdullah, an Afghan national hailing from
Babu Ghari locality and living in Aabshar Colony of the provincial capital.
The officials said the bomber’s family had
fraudulently obtained Pakistani documents. Two handlers of the suicide bomber
were identified as Hassan Shah, a resident of the Godar area of Jamrud tehsil,
and Tariq alias Khalid.
Police sources said that following the investigation
the father of the suicide bomber and a rickshaw driver who drove him to Koocha
Risaldar were taken into protective custody.
The bomber’s father told the investigators that his
son had studied at Rauzat-ul-Atfal School in Babu Ghari up to primary level.
According to him, Ihsanullah later got admission in FG
School near Garrison Park, where he studied till 9th grade. During that time,
he came into contact with Wajid and Muzaffar.
The father told police that his son had left for
Afghanistan about 18 months ago.
Source: Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1679202/mosque-attack-handler-among-three-killed-in-khyber
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PM Determined To Continue Jihad Against Corrupt:
Farrukh Habib
Mar 10, 2022
ISLAMABAD
– Minister of State for
Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib Wednesday said Prime Minister Imran
Khan was determined to continue Jihad against the looters, who had plundered
the national wealth while in power.
Responding to the press conference of PML-N’s Marriyum
Aurangzeb, he said in a statement that three corrupt persons had entered a
blind alley by submitting a no-confidence motion against the prime minister.
Today the prime minister had fully exposed their true nature, and now there
would be more screaming on their part, he added. If Shehbaz Sharif had not
committed any corruption then why he was hampering the process of being
charge-sheeted, Farrukh questioned, adding frequent requests for the money
laundering case adjournment on his part did indicate the other side of the
story.
“The thieves trio, including Shehbaz Sharif, will have
to face the consequences for ruthlessly looting the national wealth as their
final destination is prison,” he added. He said it was questionable as to how
many foreign diplomats had met the PML-N leadership in a month and what had
transpired in those meetings. He highlighted the opposition’s duplicity its
stance on IMF programme. Earlier, when the current government was not going to
the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the opposition was critical of the
delay, but now it was again criticizing the government for giving relief to the
people, portraying that the latter was exiting the the IMF programme, which was
total contradictory, he added. “The opposition leader are, in fact, uncrowned
kings of hypocrisy, they have always resorted to telling lies and deception,”
he said. He said the 40-year record of inflation had been broken in the United
States and Europe but PM Khan was working day and night to provide relief to
the people.
The past corrupt rulers had caused massive damage to
the national treasury through their corrupt practices and the present
government had to take new loans to pay interest on the debts taken by previous
regimes, he added.
Farrukh said all the allied parties stood firm with
the PTI and despite offers of huge money from the opposition, all the PTI
members were steadfast in their support
for the PM.
Source: Nation Pakistan
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https://nation.com.pk/2022/03/10/pm-determined-to-continue-jihad-against-corrupt-farrukh-habib/
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Pakistani citizen among 17 foreign nationals rescued
by India from Sumy
Mar 9, 2022
NEW DELHI: A Pakistani citizen was among 17 foreign
nationals who were rescued by India from Sumy in Ukraine where they were stuck
for about a fortnight amid continuous bombing by Russia.
Official sources said besides the Pakistani woman,
Asma Shafique, a Nepalese citizen, two Tunisian and 13 Bangladeshi nationals
were rescued by India, along with nearly 700 Indian citizens.
All these people were evacuated from Sumy on Tuesday
by the Indian Embassy with help from the International Committee of Red Cross,
after Russia and Ukraine agreed to create a humanitarian corridor following
separate telephonic conversations Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with Russian
President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Besides the students, about 20 Indians working in Sumy
and their family members were also rescued by India.
These evacuees have boarded a special train from
Poltava and are likely to board a flight to India from Poland on Thursday.
The train will take the students to Lviv in western
Ukraine, from where they will be taken to Poland in buses, Anshad Ali, a
student coordinator, informed.
The distance between Poltava and Lviv is around 888
km.
Covering hundreds of miles across Ukraine, using
multiple means of transport, the students are being evacuated from the war-hit
east European country after their two weeks of excruciating stay in beleaguered
Sumy.
Source: Times Of India
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Pakistan PM Imran Khan seeks legal opinion on
no-confidence motion
March 10, 2022
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has met the
Attorney General and sought legal opinion on the no-confidence motion submitted
by the Opposition parties which have held his government responsible for the
uncontrolled inflation.
According to the Dawn newspaper, the government is
anxious and making all attempts to foil the Opposition's move to oust the
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) regime led by Khan, who has already claimed that
the powerful Pakistan Army is backing him.
The no-confidence motion, signed by about 100
lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples
Party (PPP), was submitted with the National Assembly Secretariat on Tuesday.
Khan, 69, is heading a coalition government and he can
be removed if some of the partners decide to switch sides, which is not unusual
in parliamentary democracies.
The report said that besides meeting Punjab Chief
Minister Usman Buzdar, whose removal has been sought by the Prime Minister's
(former) closest confidants in the party, Prime Minister Khan also met Attorney
General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan and sought his legal opinion on
the no-confidence motion.
The prime minister is scheduled to meet leaders of the
PTI's allies, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Grand Demo¬cratic
Alliance and party leaders in Sindh, it said.
Opposition parties blame Khan's government for
uncontrolled inflation that has broken the back of poor people of the country,
while Khan accuses them of trying to remove as he was not willing to condone
the alleged corruption by the leading Opposition leaders.
Soon after the Opposition submitted its no-confidence
motion in the National Assembly (NA) Secretariat, Khan said that he was going
nowhere and that he did not fear the Opposition's move.
“The government will not be ousted, and will emerge
stronger,” Khan was quoted as saying.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the
prime minister was quite confident that the Opposition would face
disappointment and the government would become stronger after he regained
confidence in the NA.
Khan also said that he was happy this would be the
Opposition's ‘last attempt' to oust him.
“We will defeat them in such a way that they will not
be able to recover from it until 2028,” he said, indicating that he would be
reelected in 2023 for another 5-year term.
Khan, a former cricketer, came to power in 2018 and
elections are to be held in 2023 if he succeeded to ward off the challenge of
no-trust move.
The prime minister also said that there were “multiple
foreign hands” backing the Opposition, adding he was completely prepared to
handle the political situation.
“A Captain doesn't reveal his strategy all at once,”
he said.
He also alleged that lawmakers were offered bribes of
Rs 180 million (USD 1 million).
He reiterated that the Pakistan Army would never
support “these thieves” (Opposition leaders).
“The Opposition does not have the support of the
people so they say the establishment is with us.
“What will happen if the no-trust move does not
succeed? A mind game is being played, and I am the master of mind games,” Khan
added.
On Tuesday, PML-N president and Leader of the
Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, who was flanked by former president and PPP
co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, told a press conference that “We have taken this
decision for the people of Pakistan and not for ourselves".
As per rules, signatures of at least 68 Members of
Parliament were required to force the Speaker to summon a session, which should
be convened between three to seven days to conduct a vote on a no-confidence
motion.
In the house of 342, the Opposition needed the support
of 172 members to remove the Prime Minister and his Cabinet.
The Speaker of the National Assembly is expected to
call the lower house in session by March 22, while voting on the no-confidence
motion must take place between March 26 and March 30, the Dawn report said.
Reacting to the Opposition move, Prime Minister Khan
said that the country's powerful Army was with him and he was confident that
the government was not going anywhere.
The powerful Army, which has ruled Pakistan for more
than half of its 73 plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable
power in the matters of security and foreign policy.
Last year, Khan received 178 votes when he had decided
to seek a vote of confidence after a candidate supported by his party lost the
Senate election.
On paper, Khan still enjoys that support, comprising
155 members of his PTI and 23 from coalition partners, including seven from
Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), five each from Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and
Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), three from Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), one
each from Awami Muslim League (AML) and Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) and one
independent member.
Source: Business Standard
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Southeast
Asia
VP emphasizes 4-pronged approach to improve sharia
insurance industry
March 10, 2022
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Sharia insurance assets grew amid
economic instability due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the sharia life
insurance industry's assets reaching Rp589.8 trillion at the end of 2021, Vice
President Ma'ruf Amin stated on Wednesday.
Amin laid emphasis on four specific strategies for the
sharia insurance industry to improve its performance in future.
"First, strengthen product innovation and expand
the market share. Sharia insurance products must be developed to become more
competitive," Amin noted at the opening of the 2022 Indonesian Sharia
Insurance Association's (AASI's) annual working meeting on Wednesday.
On account of the huge potential of the halal
industry, the vice president reminded that literacy related to the benefits of
sharia insurance can be further improved, especially for sharia Micro, Small,
and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) players.
"We must continue to explore the market niche for
the halal industry, so that the sharia insurance industry grows and is also
integrated into the halal industry ecosystem that is being built," he
affirmed.
Secondly, the vice president accentuated the
importance of strengthening industrial exposure through cross-sectoral
collaboration, such as with sharia fintech and other sectors.
"In addition, we must accelerate the promotion
and positioning of sharia insurance through various media channels," he
remarked.
Thirdly, Amin deemed it important to improve corporate
governance by adopting best practices in developed countries.
“One of the steps is by utilizing technology and
implementing digitalization in all sectors. Breakthroughs are needed to
increase efficiency as well as overcome capital challenges," Amin noted.
According to the last strategy, as a reflection of the
company's image, the vice president urged AASI's human resources to improve
their quality and quantity through certification.
"AASI needs to optimize the role of the Sharia
Insurance Professional Certification Institute to create more qualified sharia
insurance industry players and be actively committed to developing the industry
and building public trust," Amin stated.
Source: Antara News
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PPIM concerned over lack of SOP details for mosques in
endemic phase transition
Suraya Ali
March 10, 2022
JOHOR BARU: The Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association
(PPIM) is concerned about the lack of details on standard operating procedures
(SOP) to enter mosques and surau following the Endemic Phase Transition in
Malaysia come April 1.
“There is no clear statement or directive regarding
the need for Covid-19 vaccination or booster shots as a condition to enter
mosques and surau,“ he said.
Nadzim added that in addition to the relaxation of
physical distancing SOP, the government has also relaxed mandatory conditions
to use the MySejahtera application in public places except areas with high
density of visitors.
“Simplify the affairs of Muslims who want to perform
prayers, if they are very afraid of Covid-19, perhaps the mosque and surau
committee can provide an alternative like a prayer space separately for those
who are not fully vaccinated,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
(Religious Affairs) Senator Datuk Idris Ahmad welcomed the Prime Minister’s
announcement on the Endemic Phase Transition in Malaysia come April 1.
In a statement, he said the move showed the
government’s efforts to address the Covid-19 health crisis.
“Besides that, the announcement by Datuk Seri Ismail
Sabri Yaakob regarding congregational prayer activities in mosque or surau can
be implemented without social distancing is something that is highly
anticipated by Muslims,“ he said.
Source: The Sun Daily
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Activists seek Singapore clemency for disabled
Malaysian man on death row
KAMLES KUMAR
March 09, 2022
KUALA LUMPUR: Rights groups on Wednesday made a
clemency plea for a Malaysian man facing execution in Singapore for drug
offenses, after an appeal court last week reserved a ruling in the case that
has drawn international attention over his mental disability.
Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, 34, was arrested in 2009
for trafficking 43 grams of heroin into Singapore, which has some of the
world’s strictest drug laws. He was handed the death sentence in 2010.
Dharmalingam was to be executed by hanging in
November, but it was stayed after mounting pressure from international rights
groups, Malaysia’s prime minister, and the EU.
The clemency appeal was made by rights groups based in
Malaysia — including the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network, and Amnesty
International — to Singapore President Halimah Yacob through the city state’s
embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
ADPAN said in the petition that Dharmalingam was
suffering from “psychosocial and intellectual disabilities,” and pointed out
that executing such a person would be against international law and put a
“stain” on Singapore’s global reputation.
“To show Nagaenthran mercy would be an act that will
not only uplift many souls during these troubled times but also provide proof
that this is a city where change for the better is possible,” ADPAN added.
Dharmalingam’s Singaporean lawyer, Violet Netto, had
pleaded with the Singapore Court of Appeal last week to show “mercy” by
allowing him to undergo an independent psychiatric assessment. The court has
yet to issue its ruling.
“From the hearing last week, the judiciary’s reserved
judgment suggests Singapore is silently figuring out how to deal with a person
of reduced mental capacity,” ADPAN executive director Dobby Chew told Arab
News.
Advocates argued that Dharmalingam had been coerced
into the non-violent crime. His lawyers said that with an IQ of 69 — a level
recognized as a disability — he was not capable of making any intellectual
decision. The case put a spotlight on Singapore’s use of capital punishment,
triggering international condemnation. If Dharmalingam was hanged, it would be
the first execution in Singapore since 2019.
“He should not be executed, and the next course of
action is through clemency. They have to act; they cannot sit behind the law
and have no action. The Singapore Cabinet has to act soon on this,” Chew said.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2039446/world
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Europe
German Chancellor Scholz to visit Turkiye amid
Russia-Ukraine war
Ayhan Simsek
09.03.2022
BERLIN
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will make his first
official visit to Turkiye next week, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday.
Scholz is scheduled to meet Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, and talks will focus on bilateral ties, regional
issues, and diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, according to the
sources.
Scholz replaced longtime Chancellor Angela Merkel in
December and has carried out intensive talks in recent weeks to bring about a
diplomatic solution to the conflict between the West and Russia over Ukraine.
Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has
drawn international condemnation and led to severe financial sanctions on
Moscow.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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World focused on Turkey as Ankara mediates in talks
between warring Ukraine, Russia
March 10, 2022
ANKARA: The world’s attention will on Thursday be
focused on a meeting due to take place in Turkey’s southern resort town of
Antalya at which the Turkish, Ukrainian, and Russian foreign ministers will
discuss the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe and look at ways to defuse
tensions and find middle ground for a peaceful resolution.
Sharing a maritime border with Russia and Ukraine, Turkey
has long tried to act as a neutral and balanced mediator between the two
countries by upgrading its importance to NATO and at the same time not
antagonizing Russia.
Ankara also closed the Bosphorus and Dardanelles
straits under the 1936 Montreux pact, allowing it to stop some Russian ships
from crossing the Black Sea but also limiting Western forces’ access to the
zone.
The meeting, to be held on the sidelines of the
Istanbul Mediation Conference, will be the first high-level, face-to-face talks
between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart
Dmitry Kuleba since Feb. 24 when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
In a phone call on March 6 between Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Turkey’s
leader expressed his concerns over growing anti-Russian feeling around the
world and offered to mediate in peace talks.
On Tuesday, the Turkish and Russian defense ministers
also spoke by phone and during their conversation the Kremlin was asked to help
secure safe passage to Turkey of Turkish commercial ships loaded with sunflower
oil and wheat currently waiting in the Sea of Azov. Later, four ships were
allowed to reach Turkey.
Prof. Emre Ersen, an expert on Turkey-Russia relations
from Marmara University in Istanbul, told Arab News that Turkey, as one of the
few countries that enjoyed close relations with both Ukraine and Russia, had
been genuinely trying to play the role of an active mediator between the two
countries.
“This meeting also gives the governments of Ukraine
and Russia the opportunity to demonstrate to the world that they are still open
to diplomatic negotiations with each other,” he said.
Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish research
program at The Washington Institute, described Turkey’s Russia-Ukraine policy
as “pro-Ukraine neutrality” at this stage, as Ankara sold drones to Ukraine
while not sanctioning Russia to balance its economic benefits on both sides.
On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov
pointed out that the Antalya meeting between Lavrov and Kuleba was crucial for
the negotiation process between Moscow and Kyiv.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and wait for the
meeting,” he said.
However, experts were not expecting ground-breaking
results from the talks.
Cagaptay told Arab News: “I do not anticipate a
breakthrough regarding the ongoing war because Putin is not ready for that. But
it is still a significant accomplishment for Turkish diplomats because they can
get the foreign ministers of the warring parties together around a table. It is
quite impressive to gather them in Turkey.”
Ersen said: “The Russian and Ukrainian delegations
have already met several times in the last few weeks, and it is still very
difficult to reconcile the positions of the two sides regarding thorny issues
like the status of Crimea, Donbas, and Ukraine’s future relations with NATO.
“Nevertheless, Turkey will likely continue its policy
of supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity in a powerful way without
alienating Russia.”
On Monday, a humanitarian corridor was opened on the
personal request of French President Emmanuel Macron to allow civilians to
leave a number of Ukrainian cities. However, the Ukraine government criticized
Russia’s announcement of new evacuation routes as some of them would pass
through active conflict zones.
Cagaptay noted that the best outcome from Thursday’s
meeting in Antalya would be a short-term ceasefire to allow the evacuation of
new groups of civilians in Ukraine after recent agreements were violated.
He said: “President Erdogan is quite eager to have the
war ended ahead of Turkey’s 2023 elections because he doesn’t want to put the
country’s already fragile economic growth at further risk. He needs robust
economic growth. Any confrontation with Russia could trigger sanctions on trade
and tourism fronts and they could jeopardize growth targets, and that would be
a real nightmare for Erdogan.”
On the Bayraktar combat drones that Turkey had
provided to Ukraine, Ankara said they were supplied following an agreement
between the Ukrainian government and a private Turkish firm.
Meanwhile, pro-government Turkish businessman, Ethem
Sancak, recently visited Moscow and spoke to Russian media claiming that the
real culprit of the Ukrainian war was NATO, adding that Ankara was unaware that
Bayraktar drones would be used against Russians. He also underlined the
importance of keeping strong ties between Turkey and Russia.
Russia is Turkey’s top source of natural gas and
wheat, and a second source of oil.
The approaching summer season that is expected to
bring in tourism income to narrow the current account deficit is also a factor
that is being taken into consideration by politicians in Turkey when carefully
assessing relations with the Kremlin. Last year, 4.7 million Russians visited
Turkey, accounting for one-fifth of the country’s international visitors in
2021.
During his phone call with Putin, Erdogan said Turkey
and Russia could conduct trade in national currencies as an alternative method
of making payments after several Russian banks were removed from the Swift
international payments network.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2039581/world
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4 convicted in Daesh killing of French priest
March 09, 2022
LYON, France: Four men were convicted in Paris
Wednesday of terrorist conspiracy after the murder of a Catholic priest in a
Normandy church in 2016, an attack claimed by the Daesh group.
The four were handed sentences of between eight years
and life in prison over the attack on Father Jacques Hamel, 85, who was stabbed
in his church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray by two 19-year-olds as he finished
Mass.
Two nuns and an elderly couple were held hostage
before the assailants slashed the priest’s throat and seriously injured another
elderly churchgoer.
The two attackers, Abdel Malik Petitjean and Adel
Kermiche, were killed by police as they left the church.
The four men on trial were accused of having helped or
encouraged the attack.
The archbishop for the region welcomed the verdict,
and the lawyer for the injured man described an unusual spirit of
“spirituality” at the trial. Families of victims held hands with the defendants,
and the injured man testified that he forgave them, the lawyer said.
Only three defendants were present at the trial, and
the other was convicted in absentia.
The three present did not play a role in carrying out
the attack, but were part of the attackers’ entourage. During the trial, they
asked for forgiveness and admitted that they voluntarily associated with
individuals who were preparing to commit terrorist crimes. But they argued that
wasn’t enough to mark them as terrorists, too.
Prosecutors disagreed, and the judges found all of
them guilty of criminal association with terrorists.
Jean-Philippe Steven Jean-Louis, 25, was sentenced to
13 years in prison for trying to go to Syria with one of the attackers, and for
his Islamic proselytism on Telegram.
A cousin of one of the attackers, Farid Khelil, was
sentenced to 10 years. Prosecutors said he was informed of the attack plan and
that he had supported it. He testified at the trial that he is bisexual,
non-religious and spent his time drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis, in an
apparent effort to distance himself from the religious extremists.
Yassine Sebaihia was sentenced to eight years, after
he had crossed France to join one of the attackers for “religion lessons.”
The biggest punishment was handed to the absent
defendant: Rachid Kassim, a Frenchman who was a notorious Daesh recruiter, was
sentenced to life in prison. Kassim, believed to have been killed in a drone
strike in 2017 in Iraq, is suspected of having used social media to encourage the
attack on the priest. Kassim had already received a life sentence in absentia
in 2019 for having ordered a failed attack near Notre Dame Cathedral.
The Archbishop of Rouen said in a statement: “Justice
was served. ... (the court) had to convict these men for the good of society.”
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2039476/world
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Don’t let Ukraine become another Syria: UN
investigators
March 09, 2022
GENEVA: United Nations investigators on Wednesday
urged world leaders to do everything they could to avoid Ukraine becoming
another Syria, a country “destroyed” by 11 years of conflict.
Russian forces have been involved in the Syrian civil
war since 2015 and the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said it hoped the
disregard for civilian casualties would not be repeated in Moscow’s invasion of
Ukraine.
Rather than winding down, the investigators said the
war in Syria was heating up again and warned that its participants may take
advantage of world attention turning away toward Ukraine.
Commission chair Paulo Pinheiro spoke of the millions
of people displaced, the more than 100,000 people missing or forcibly disappeared,
the poverty rate at an unprecedented 90 percent, human rights violations and
crimes against humanity.
“We can only hope that world leaders are doing
everything now that they can avoid a similar fate for Ukraine,” he told
reporters.
Syrian and Russian forces “operating side by side have
continued to indiscriminately bomb densely populated areas in the northwest,”
he said.
“Civilians have also been attacked with sophisticated
precision-guided weapons and airstrikes — including in strikes where Russian
fixed-wing aircraft were identified flying over targeted areas.”
Pinheiro also said Russia and Syria were insisting on
humanitarian aid being delivered from Damascus rather than across the border,
but “their attacks in the northwest occur along the very road where such
humanitarian aid would travel.”
He added: “We are seeing since 2015 similar practices
by the Russian Federation in the conflict that we are seeing in another country
today.”
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on
Syria was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate and record all
violations of international law since March 2011 in the country.
Hanny Megally, one of the three commissioners, said
Russian forces were in Syria to help the government, while they were in Ukraine
“to remove it.”
Another difference, he said, was that the Russians
were using more air power in Syria, rather than the large number of ground
forces seen in Ukraine.
Citing indiscriminate attacks on civilians and
targeted attacks on medical facilities, he said: “The disregard for civilian
casualties is one of our biggest concerns in Syria and I would hope that’s not
being repeated in Ukraine.”
The Commission of Inquiry’s latest report covers the
second half of 2021.
Megally said regular fighting had increased over the
last six to nine months, with increased shelling and aerial attacks by
President Bashar Assad’s regime and his Russian allies.
“Our worry is that it’s not a war that’s coming to an
end; it’s actually on the uptick again,” said Megally.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2039351/world
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India
"No Hindu-Muslim, We Worked For All": UP
Minister on BJP's Record Win
March 10, 2022
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Minister Satish Mahana on
Thursday said the BJP's landslide win in the state elections showed the party's
appeal went beyond its vote base of the Hindu majority and that its schemes had
worked for all communities regardless of their religion.
"This result for our party is because of the
leadership of [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi ji and [Chief Minister] Yogi
[Adityanath] ji. Yes, we have increased our vote share as numbers suggest. This
is because of the trust people have in Yogi ji's leadership. He has delivered
on promises and has made UP mafia-free," Satish Mahana said.
"We will now move ahead with development and make
UP a leading state in India, especially in manufacturing. From IT to
electronics, we have big plans for UP. We have a lot of work to do and we now
have a mandate which gives us that support we need to continue with our good
work and hard work," he said.
"We stand for everyone - Hindus, Muslims, all...
Our schemes are for everyone. We do not distinguish and differentiate on basis
of Hindu-Muslim. We work for all and we take everyone along. Under Modi ji and
Yogi ji's leadership, everyone benefits and we work for," Mr Mahana added.
Yogi Adityanath is all set to return as Chief Minister
of Uttar Pradesh with the BJP taking an unassailable lead over rivals in
India's politically most vital state, as counting of votes entered its fourth
hour on Thursday.
Shortly before 9:30 am, NDTV called the election for
the BJP, projecting more than 250 seats for the party out of the state's 403.
By 10 am, the BJP, it seemed, could cross 300 - the ambitious target set by the
party for itself.
Source: ND TV
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Bulli Bai case: App creator sought photos of 100
famous women for 'auction', say police
Mar 9, 2022
MUMBAI: Neeraj Bishnoi, the alleged creator of the
Bulli Bai app, had asked a co-accused to send photographs of 100 "famous
non-BJP Muslim women" for putting them up for 'auction', Mumbai police has
said in its charge sheet.
The city police's cyber cell filed an over 2,000-page
charge sheet in the suburban Bandra magistrate's court here last week. Its copy
was made available on Wednesday.
The police has so far arrested six people in the case.
Citing a statement given by Niraj Singh, one of the
arrested accused, the police claimed that in June 2020 iGiyu (Bishnoi's user
id) had told Singh that he was planning to do something big on their social
media group.
Bishnoi then asked people in the group to send photos
of "100 famous non-BJP Muslim women in India", following which he was
sent links and screenshots of several women's Twitter handles.
As per the charge sheet, Bishnoi told them that after
a few days, the application or app would be ready and no one would be able to
copy or crack it.
Two or three days later, Singh found out from social
media that a case had been registered against the app's creators. He then asked
all group members to delete their Twitter accounts and posts on the group and
stay away from social media for a few days, the charge sheet stated.
The police have also alleged that the accused were
asked to spread the word about the so-called auction on social media.
The accused deliberately used words related to Sikhism
to make it appear as though the app, which targeted Muslim women, was created
by persons belonging to the Sikh community, the charge sheet said.
This was done to create a rift between the two
communities and the timely arrest of the accused prevented law and order
issues, it said.
The accused allegedly tracked down the accounts of
Muslim women who were active on social media, downloaded their photographs
without their consent, and conspired to sell them online for "immoral and
obscene purposes," the charge sheet stated.
All the accused were tech savvy and each of them had
more than one Twitter, Instagram and Gmail accounts.
Source: Times Of India
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Terrorist killed in encounter with security forces in
J&K's Pulwama
Mar 10, 2022
SRINAGAR: An unidentified terrorist was killed in an
encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on
Thursday, police said.
Acting on specific inputs about the presence of
terrorists in Naina Batpora area of the south Kashmir district, security forces
launched a cordon and search operation there, a police official said.
The search operation turned into an encounter after
the terrorists fired upon the forces, drawing retaliation.
Source: Times Of India
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Seychelles & Indonesia detain 33 fishermen from
India for poaching
Mar 10, 2022
NAGERCOIL: Authorities of Seychelles and Indonesia
have detained 33 and eight fishermen respectively, hailing from Kanyakumari
district of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Kerala for illegal fishing, official
sources here said on Wednesday.
In three mechanised fishing boats registered in Tamil
Nadu, 33 crew members had ventured for fishing from Kochi on February 22 and
they were detained on March 7 by Seychelles’ authorities, sources said. Of the
33, one of them reportedly belongs to Thiruvananthapuram, 70km from here.
Source: Times Of India
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Ukraine crisis: Not just Indians, Pakistan, Bangladesh
& Nepal students rescued too
Mar 10, 2022
NEW DELHI: “Hi I’m Asma Shafique from Pakistan and
want to thank the Indian embassy of Kyiv for supporting us all the way here as
we were stuck in a very difficult situation and I also want to thank the Prime
Minister of India for supporting us. Hope we get home safely because of the
Indian embassy,” Asma, a Pakistani student at Sumy State Medical College said
in a video post on Wednesday after her safe evacuation along with Indians and a
few more from other countries.
While en route to western Ukraine with fellow
batchmates for further evacuation from the country, Asma’s remarks came on the
same day that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thanked PM Modi for
evacuating students of her country along with those from India under “Operation
Ganga”.
“PM of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina thanks PM Modi for
rescuing its 13 nationals from Ukraine under ‘Operation Ganga’. Nepalese,
Tunisian students were also rescued under this operation,” government sources said.
The 13 Bangladeshi nationals, who had been stuck in northeastern city Sumy,
were evacuated along with 694 Indians brought to Poltava city in Ukraine. Two
Tunisians and a Nepalese were also among those evacuated by the Indian
authorities.
Sources said they will be brought back to India along
with the other Indian nationals from Poland. On Tuesday, the Indian authorities
started evacuating its stranded students from Sumy to Poltava after Russia
announced a temporary ceasefire from 10 am providing humanitarian corridors in
Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol.
The human corridor in Sumy was announced after Prime
Minister Modi spoke to the Presidents of Ukraine and Russia to provide a safe
passage to evacuate the remaining Indian students who were stuck in Sumy.
According to sources, Prime Minister Modi had asked
the relevant officials including the four Union ministers deployed to lead the
evacuation exercise to expand the ambit of the evacuation under “Operation
Ganga”. “The PM had instructed that anyone from south Asia stuck in the war
zone should be evacuated. The exercise witnessed evacuation of two Tunisians
also,” a source said.
Source: Times Of India
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Hijab row: Rachakonda Police sends notice to Twitter
on journalist’s video
Syeda Faiza Kirmani
9th March 2022
Hyderabad: Alt news co-founder, journalist, Mohammed
Zubair received an email from Twitter on Wednesday notifying him of a request
from Cyber Crime Rachakonda for the removal of a tweet, they deemed as
“sensitive”.
Zubair shared a screenshot of Twitter’s notification
over his tweet and also added the video of the hijab-clad girl Muskan retaliating
with chants of AllahuAkbar against saffron-clad bullies who heckled her
screaming slogans of “Jai Shree Ram“.
When contacted by Siasat.com, Assistant Commissioner
of Police Cyber Crimes, Rachakonda, S.Harinath said that the police took the
action based on a complaint received by the IT cell.
“The complaint was received over WhatsApp. We hold
nothing against the journalist, but we received a complaint about the sensitive
content of the video. This was after protests by students of the Unani Medical
College at Charminar (against the Hijab controversy in Karnataka), where
students held placards of ‘Hijab is my right’, pictures of which surfaced on
social media.
“It’s people’s right to protest..I agree..but the
disturbance of peace and harmony in such a sensitive city would lead to
precipitation of events,” he added.
Speaking about the atmosphere of the city, he further
added, “Hyderabad is a sensitive city that strictly follows law and order, and
to prevent communal unrest, we sent a notification to Twitter asking them for
the removal of the video which may precipitate public unrest.”
The Hijab Row:
The Karnataka High Court bench on February 25
concluded hearing petitions seeking the right to wear a hijab while attending
classes and asked all counsel to submit written submissions as it reserved its
verdict.
The three-judge bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj
Awasthi, Justices Krishna S. Dixit, and J.M. Khazi heard arguments and
counter-arguments for 11 days on a day-to-day basis considering the urgency and
sensitivity of the matter.
Counsel appearing for petitioners who are college
students maintained that the government order issued in this regard does not
have any legal standing and it violated their fundamental right to practice
religion and thereby denied the right to education which is paramount. They
also argued that the constitution of the College Development Committee (CDC),
and the School Development and Management Committee (SDMC) do not have legal
sanctity.
The row erupted towards the end of last year after
Muslim students of Udupi Government Pre-University College were prohibited from
attending classes wearing hijab.
Source: Siasat Daily
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BJP wins 20 Assam civic wards dominated by migrant
Muslims
Mar 9, 2022
GUWAHATI: Winning a number of Congress-held municipal
boards, and some of those where migrant Muslims are in the majority, has been a
major success for the ruling BJP in Assam ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election,
said Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita.
The Congress on the other hand had to bite the dust in
the municipal board areas that are represented by its big leaders, state PCC
president Bhupen Borah (Bihpuria), leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia
(Nazira) and former Assam Congress president Ripun Bora (Gohpur).
Kalita said the BJP thumped victory in nearly 20
municipal wards, where migrant Muslims are in “dominance”. “The BJP has
snatched around 10 municipal boards, including Karimganj, Lala, Dhing and
Golaghat from the Congress. Migrant Muslims dominated municipal boards like
Dhing and Rangia but now the BJP is in majority there,” he said.
The BJP won in Sarbhog and Barpeta municipal boards,
where the CPM had a stronghold. “The results of the urban polls have given the
BJP a new level of electoral acceptability. People have voted in favour of
development,” he added.
The saffron party’s performance in the migrant Muslim
inhabited areas was dismal in last year’s assembly election, following which
the party had dissolved its minority wing. Incidentally, the BJP has made a
comeback in the municipal elections in these areas.
Kalita said, “The reason behind the comeback is
development. Moreover, the urban voters always extend support to the BJP. That
is why the BJP was never worried about the results.”
The Congress has conceded defeat and said the electors
voted in favour of the ruling party which is at the helm of power in the state
and the Centre. Assam PCC general secretary (administration) Apurba Kumar
Bhattacharjee said, “We have the support of two independent candidates in
Narayanpur and will form the municipal board there,” he said.
Bhattacharjee felt the results were not shocking. “The
second successive government headed by the BJP was installed just eight months
ago. Bhattacharjee said people still have faith in the Congress and thus, in
all the 80 municipal boards Congress candidates fought against the BJP and its
allies.
Source: Times Of India
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South
Asia
Abdul Rahim Muslimdost, Co-founder of Afghan Daesh
Downplays Group’s Presence in Afghanistan
March 10, 2022
Abdul Rahim Muslimdost, one of the founders of the
Daesh group in Afghanistan who recently renounced the group and joined the
Islamic Emirate, says that Daesh has been suppressed in the country.
In an interview with TOLOnews, Muslimdost suggested
that after the withdrawal of foreign troops there was no longer a reason to
continue war in Afghanistan, and, therefore, he joined the Islamic Emirate.
“When the media gives reports, those media are being
paid by the regional intelligence groups, there are not many people, a few of
them remained,” he said.
Muslimdost also said he joined the Islamic Emirate
because of the wrong ideology of the Daesh group.
“I tried to refrain from wrongdoing and violence—they
didn’t accept it. They didn’t let me display a good image of Islam to the
people, they didn’t accept it,” Muslimdost said.
Welcoming Muslimdost’s renouncement of Daesh, the
Islamic Emirate called on others to take advantage of the general amnesty
announced by the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate, Mawlawi Hebatullah
Akhundzada.
“He (Muslimdost) admits that if he remained in Daesh,
he would deviate from Islam,” said Dr. Basheer, head of the Nangarhar
intelligence department.
When the Islamic Emirate swept into power, the Daesh
group claimed responsibility for many deadly attacks in several provinces.
The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly deemphasized
Daesh’s presence, saying that the group is incapable of posing a serious threat
to the country.
Meanwhile, eighteen Daesh members accompanied by 24
women and 31 children surrendered to Afghan forces on Friday in Achin district,
Nangarhar province, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
The total number of Daesh militants and family members
who have surrendered to Afghan forces in the past two weeks is “over 615,”
according to the Defense Ministry, which attributes the recent mass surrenders
to increased operations against “terrorists” by security forces.
On Thursday, 82 Daesh fighters handed over their
weapons and surrendered to Afghan security forces in Achin district of
Nangarhar, and were accompanied by 51 women and 96 children.
On Wednesday, ‘at least 300’ Daesh members, including
women and children, surrendered to Afghan Special Forces in Nangarhar,
according to Commander Waliullah, the Army Special Forces commander in Achin
district.
According to Abdulhaq Omeri, a TOLOnews reporter, a
number of those 300 Daesh members are Pakistani citizens. But interviews with
Daesh members indicate that fighters come from a variety of countries.
Source: Pak Observer
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https://pakobserver.net/co-founder-of-afghan-daesh-downplays-groups-presence/
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Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan FM Amir Kham Mottaqi
Leaves For Turkey
09 Mar 2022
Acting Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan Amir Khan Mottaqi heading a delegation left Kabul for Turkey on
Wednesday, March 9, 2022.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister in a statement said
that Mottaqi has officially been invited by his Turkish counterpart to take
part in the diplomatic forum of Antalya.
Amir Khan Mottaqi is supposed to deliver a speech to
the forum.
Spokesperson of Afghanistan’s FM Abdul Qahar Balkhi in
a series of Twitter posts said the acting foreign minister is supposed to meet
with leaders of different countries.
“The forum would be inaugurated and addressed by the
Turkish President H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and to be followed by remarks and
discussions on various issues by Foreign Ministers and senior delegations from
other countries.” Reads a Twitter post.
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/fm-amir-kham-mottaqi-leaves-for-turkey-897568965/
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Taliban bar people from taking souvenir photos in
Afghanistan's Ghor
March 10, 2022
Taliban has barred people from taking souvenir photos
in Afghanistan's Ghor province.
Taliban's press office in Ghor province issued a
statement on Tuesday, saying that no one was allowed to take a souvenir photo
under the new order, according to the Afghan media.
As per the order, no one is allowed to cut or shave
their beard and take a souvenir photo.
Taliban reportedly also demanded full observance of
the hijab and warns that violators will be dealt with seriously.
Over the past six months, the Taliban's Ministry has
imposed harsh restrictions, especially on women, which have provoked strong
reactions.
Meanwhile, reports say that killings, kidnappings of
businessmen have increased in Afghanistan.
A senior adviser to the Afghanistan Chamber of
Commerce and Investment was killed at his home in the capital city of Kabul.
According to reports, unidentified people shot him dead on March 8.
Apart from it, media reports indicate that Taliban
have severely tortured a local journalist named Malouf Ashrafi.
The media survey comes as journalists have been
accusing the Taliban of censoring, beating, intimidating, and threatening them
while covering stories especially outdoor ones, reported The Khaama Press.
Source: Business Standard
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ADB won’t facilitate in TAPI until Taliban government
gets recognized
09 Mar 2022
Asian Development Bank has recently announced that
they have postponed all activities in the TAPI project that have been on hold
and will not be resumed until the de facto authorities get legitimization from
the United Nations and world economic powers.
ADB that was acting as the facilitator and coordinator
of the project has paused the project has put the fate of the gas line in
limbo.
The news was confirmed by Turkman officials during a
meeting between Turkmenistan official delegations headed by the Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs Vepa Hajiyev with Pakistani officials headed by Energy
Minister Hammad Azhar in Islamabad on January 31st.
In the meantime, a spokesman of ADB confirmed the
development saying that the bank’s assistance has been placed on hold.
“ADB has paused its TAPI project due diligence and
processing activities until further notice.” Said the spokesperson.
Economic analysts in Afghanistan suggest that the
projects form the backbone of the economy of Afghanistan thus; the Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan should make all its efforts so that the project not is
wasted.
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/adb-wont-facilitate-in-tapi-until-taliban-government-gets-recognized-7657657/
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Arab
World
Egypt’s al-Sisi and Russia’s Putin discuss
developments in Ukraine: Presidency
09 March ,2022
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Russian
counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke on Wednesday, the Egyptian presidency said, to
discuss the latest developments in Ukraine.
Al-Sisi and Putin also discussed enhancing strategic
cooperation frameworks between their countries through joint development
projects confirming “historic ties” between them.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Saudi Arabia ends Thailand travel ban for citizens
10 March ,2022
Saudi Arabia announced the end of a travel ban for
nationals wanting to visit Thailand, the official Saudi Press agency reported
on Wednesday, citing the Kingdom’s General Directorate of Passports.
The governing body also stated that those holding Thai
passports will be allowed entry into the Kingdom, according to the SPA report.
The move comes less than two months after Saudi Arabia
and Thailand agreed to fully restore diplomatic ties and prepared to exchange
ambassadors following a formal meeting between Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman and Thailand’s Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha on January
25.
It marked the first government level visit in more
than 30 years between the two countries.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Saudi defences intercept Houthi drone aimed at Jizan
10 March ,2022
Saudi Arabia’s defense forces intercepted a drone
launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia towards the southern city of Jizan,
the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported early on Thursday morning.
Shrapnel from the destroyed drone fell onto civilian
areas, but did not cause damage, SPA said.
The drone was reportedly launched from the Hodeidah
Governate. The Saudi authorities have previously accused the Houthis of
launching attacks from a civilian port in the area.
The attempted attack followed the conclusion of the
inaugural World Defense Show on the outskirts of Riyadh.
At the exhibition, the Saudi government signed
contracts worth $1.8 billion with Chinese, South Korean, and local defense
companies.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 plan
includes a provision to localize 50 percent of defense spending by the start of
the next decade.
The state-owned Saudi Arabian Military Industries
(SAMI) announced on Sunday that it planned to build a Saudi-made drone, al-Ekhbariya
reported.
Drone and missile attacks by the Houthis have become a
common occurrence in the years-long conflict in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia has been regularly targeted since it
intervened in its southern neighbor’s civil war in 2015, after fighting broke
out the previous year.
In January, the Houthis also launched unprecedented
attacks on the United Arab Emirates, which is part of the Arab Coalition
fighting the militia.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Abu Dhabi Crown Prince discusses Ukraine with
Belarusian president
09 March ,2022
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed
discussed the recent developments in Ukraine during a phone call with
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, state news agency (WAM) reported on
Wednesday.
Sheikh Mohammed and Lukashenko discussed the Ukraine
conflict, its humanitarian repercussions and effects on international security
and peace.
According to the report, Sheikh Mohammed voiced the
importance of intensifying international efforts to ease the humanitarian
situation resulting from the crisis, to facilitate the delivery of aid and
preserve the life of civilians.
He reaffirmed his support for peaceful and diplomatic
efforts to resolve conflicts and disputes among countries, noting that dialogue
must prevail to reach a consensus that guarantees everyone’s interests and
serves regional peace and stability.
WAM also reported that Sheikh Mohammed discussed
strategic relations between the UAE and Germany during a phone call with German
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Source: Al Arabiya
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UN dispatches 43 truckloads of humanitarian aid to
Idlib, Syria
Ecevit Cemiloğlu
09.03.2022
The UN on Wednesday sent a total of 43 trucks loaded
with humanitarian aid to the northwestern Idlib city of war-weary Syria.
The trucks crossed into the region via the Cilvegozu
Border Gate of Turkiye’s southern Hatay province.
The humanitarian aid materials will be distributed
among needy Syrians in central Idlib and rural areas.
Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since
early 2011, when the regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Coalition: Saudi defences destroy Houthi drone
targeting Jazan
March 09, 2022
RIYADH: Saudi air defenses destroyed a Houthi drone
targeting Jazan, the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy said on Wednesday.
Shrapnel from the drone, launched from Yemen’s Hodeidah
province, scattered over civilian objects but did not cause damage, the
coalition said.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2039531/saudi-arabia
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Lebanon central bank denies halting operations on
exchange platform
09 March ,2022
Lebanon’s central bank on Wednesday denied its
official foreign exchange platform had halted operations, after the value of
the country’s pound sank on the parallel market.
The bank said it was continuing to supply dollars
without a ceiling at the official rate announced on the platform. It has
intervened to keep the pound broadly stable near that rate since mid-January.
The currency was changing hands at 22,000/22,500 to
the dollar on the parallel market, a market participant said, compared to the
20,200 declared by the central bank’s Sayrafa platform on Tuesday. It earlier
went as low at 23,000.
Lebanon’s currency has lost more than 90 percent of
its value since Lebanon descended into a financial crisis in 2019. It had
fallen as low as 34,000 before the central bank intervention began.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Africa
Arab League summit to hold first annual summit for
three years in Algeria
09 March ,2022
The Arab League will hold its first annual summit for
three years in November in Algeria, the bloc said on Wednesday, after the
pandemic forced the meetings’ suspension.
The two-day summit is usually held in March and was
originally slated for later this month, but will now be held in Algiers
starting on November 1, the organization’s chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said.
The last summit was held in Tunis in March 2019.
A meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo on
Wednesday discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, citing “the need to reach a
diplomatic solution” in a final statement.
But Aboul Gheit warned that the war “must not let us
forget the Arab crises that are not over.”
Conflict and crises persist in several Arab countries.
Yemen has been mired in war since 2014. The UN has
estimated the conflict killed 377,000 people by the end of 2021, both directly
and indirectly through hunger and disease, while millions have been displaced.
Sudan is reeling after a military coup in October that
derailed a fragile transition to civilian rule, following the 2019 toppling of
longtime strongman Omar al-Bashir.
Libya now finds itself with two rival prime ministers
vying for power, in a standoff that threatens a return to violence after a year
and a half of relative stability.
Arab countries are also divided over the issue of a
return of Syria to the Arab League, following its suspension in 2011 after the
brutal repression of peaceful protests spiraled into a complex civil war.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Saudi Arabia e-visa app for Hajj, Umrah pilgrims now
available in Tunisia
10 March ,2022
The Saudi Visa bio smartphone application, an
electronic visa processing app for pilgrims planning to perform Hajj and Umrah
in the Kingdom to self-register their biometric data, has been launched in
Tunisia, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday.
Upon their arrival in Saudi Arabia, the pilgrims will
only have to match their data at passport control without the need to register
their biometric data again, enabling a swift entry procedure.
The Kingdom is the first country to use an application
for the self-registration of biometric data for visa application via a
smartphone.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministries of Interior, Hajj and Umrah,
Tourism, and Communications and Information Technology as well as Presidency of
State Security, National Cybersecurity Authority, Saudi Data and Artificial
Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), Digital Government Authority and several Hajj
and Umrah offices were involved in the launch.
Source: Al Arabiya
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7 million people in northern Ethiopia need urgent
help: UN
Faruk Zorlu
10.03.2022
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said
Thursday that 7 million people in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region need urgent
help.
"For more than a year, a de facto blockade has
deprived 7 million people in Tigray of urgently needed health care, and access
to food. People are dying," WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said
on Twitter.
Calling on Ethiopia and Eritrea to guarantee immediate
and safe access, he said: "Life is precious - everywhere."
A report released by the World Food Programme warns
that an estimated 13 million people across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia are facing
severe hunger due to the driest conditions recorded since 1981.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/7-million-people-in-northern-ethiopia-need-urgent-help-un/2529830
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/isis-ukraine-war-crusaders-quran-punishment/d/126543