Islamic State Group’s Khorasan Chapter Bigger Threat Than Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, says Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Chief
New
Age Islam News Bureau
21
January 2022
ISIS-KHORASAN
(ISIS-K)/ Valiram&Ravi IAS Study Centre
----
• Hindutva
Group Members of Allegedly RSS and Bajrang Dal 'Kill' Muslim Man Hours After
Giving Anti-Muslim Speech in Karnataka
• Malaysian
Islamic Groups Decry Call For Muslim Genocide In India
• Once
Fringe Force In Afghanistan, ISIS Renews Push For Islamic Caliphate: Analysts
• French
Parliament Officially Denounces China's ‘Genocide’ Against Uyghur Muslims
Pakistan
• Shia
Hazara minority protests killings in Pak terror attacks
• 3
killed, 20 injured in bomb blast at Lahore's Anarkali market
• PM
Imran blasts PML-N for ‘using unfair tactics’ to influence courts
• Terror
rearing head due to ‘flawed’ policies: Nawaz
--------
India
• Karnataka
Education Minister Calls Hijab 'Indiscipline' as Protesting Students Allege
'Torture'
• Udupi
College Hijab Ban: We Want Our Fundamental Rights, Say Students
• Hindu
seer Rishikumar Swami released on bail demands closure of Karnataka mosque,
stirs controversy
• Bulli
Bai case: Mumbai court refuses bail to all three accused
• Dharam
Sansad: Bail petitions of Dasna priest & Rizvi rejected
• Bulli
Bai case: Mumbai police arrest MBA graduate from Odisha
• Lashkar
terrorist arrested in Kashmir’s Budgam district
• Army
vice-chief warns Pakistan over terror use
--------
Southeast Asia
• Cryptocurrency
Is Haram, Tarjih Council and the Central Executive Tajdid of Indonesia Passes
Fatwa
• Indonesia
denies rumours of interaction with Israel
• US
Lawmakers Say Tesla’s Xinjiang Expansion ‘Misguided’
• Thai
Police Kill 2 Suspected Rebels in Pattani after Standoff Negotiations Fail
• Indonesian
Militant Gets 15 Years in Prison Over Bali Attacks
--------
South Asia
• Reopening
Schools For Girls Our Responsibility, Not World Pressure: Taliban
• Taliban
root cause of Afghanistan's troubles; people face most difficult scenario in
country's history: Expert
• UN
provides $32 million cash aid to Afghanistan
• EU
reopens embassy in Afghanistan: IEA
--------
Europe
• UK
Law Firm Seeks Arrest Of Top Indian Officials For Kashmir 'War Crimes' Under
The Universal Jurisdiction Principle
• UK
police arrest two men over Texas synagogue hostage-taking
• World
powers insist Iran deal still possible, but ‘time running out’
--------
Mideast
• All
Muslims Must Be Vigilant Against Danger Of Takfirism: Iranian President
• President
Rayeesi: Evil Alliance of US, Terrorist Groups Clear to World
• President
Rayeesi Calls for Increasing Iran's Share in Russian Market
• Iran
Warns of Deteriorating Situation in Occupied Palestinian Territories
• Iran,
Russia, China to stage Indian Ocean war games
• Israeli
army detains 7 Palestinians including disabled man
--------
Africa
• Sudan
Military Chief Burhan Announces Ministerial Appointments: Sovereign Council
• Thousands
protest in Sudan against coup killings
• Mali
revises its military agreements, signs new ones amid embargo
• Sudan
agrees with US on 4 points to resolve its political crisis
• 'Tunisia's
Supreme Judicial Council to keep working despite presidential decree'
--------
North America
• Council
On American-Islamic Relations Asks Pentagon Officials To Resign For Botched
Kabul Strike
• Not
possible to unite Afghanistan under one govt, says Biden
• Democratic
US lawmakers urge Biden to overhaul counterterror rules
--------
Arab World
• Saudi-Led
Coalition Starts Operation In Yemen To 'Paralyze Houthis Capabilities'
• ISIS
gunmen kill 11 soldiers in east Iraq: Military source
• ISIS
attacks Syria prison, freeing militants: Monitor
• Shelling
kills four people in Syria's Afrin
• Turkey,
Qatar reached pending deal on Kabul airport security: Reuters
• Saudi
Arabia’s Crown Prince meets Russian special envoy for Syrian settlement
• Egypt
denounces forced evictions of Palestinian families by Israel
• 4
civilians killed by YPG/PKK rockets on Syria’s Afrin
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
Islamic
State Group’s Khorasan Chapter Bigger Threat Than Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan,
says Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Chief
ISIS-KHORASAN
(ISIS-K)/ Valiram&Ravi IAS Study Centre
----
Manzoor
Ali
January
21, 2022
PESHAWAR:
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari has declared the militant
Islamic State group’s Khorasan chapter (IS-K) a bigger threat to peace in the
province than the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“I
see IS-K as a bigger threat to peace and security in the province compared to
the TTP in near future,” Ansari told Dawn.
The
police chief said both IS-K and TTP were involved in the recent acts of
terrorism in the provincial capital.
He,
however, said the IS-K’s hitmen were responsible for the recent spate of
targeted killings of the police personnel in the provincial capital.
Says
both militant outfits involved in recent terrorist acts in Peshawar
At
least three police personnel were martyred in different parts of the provincial
capital during the recent months of October and November.
Mr
Ansari said following the martyrdom of their personnel, the police busted a
cell of the IS-K in the capital on Dec 20 last year.
The
police had claimed that the terrorists, who were ‘neutralised’ in the limits of
Faqirabad police station, were involved in at least two incidents of targeted
killings of the police personnel and one of the killings of Sikh hakim Satnam
Singh near Charsadda Adda on Sept 30 last year.
However,
there was another attack targeting a police official in Faqirabad area in the
same evening. The three IS-K men were killed in the clash with police.
“These
[militant] outfits are operating in small groups and the neutralisation of one
cell does not end the possibility of another cell resorting to similar acts,”
he said.
Mr
Ansari said there had been security issues in North and South Waziristan tribal
districts but the police had acted swiftly to enforce the writ of the state.
Regarding
the terrorist outfits operating in the region, he said the Hafiz Gul Bahadar
Group was the major outfit in North Waziristan tribal district, while a mix of
militant groups was active in South Waziristan tribal district.
He
also said the TTP’s Gandapur Group was active in Dera Ismail Khan and other
areas.
The
police chief, however, said the groups were not very organised and mostly
operated in small cells and therefore, handling and tackling them required more
sustained efforts.
He
said terrorist groups were more transient in nature and their support base
changed loyalty from one group to another with the passage of time.
Mr
Ansari said at the same time, the provincial and federal governments were also
focusing on development of tribal areas and creating employment opportunities
for the youth.
“These
efforts will motivate the people to support government efforts for peace,” he
said.
The
police chief said his force had completed the training of 17,000 out of 27,000
Levies and Khasadar Force personnel of tribaldistricts after their absorption.
He
said the training of the remaining 10,000 personnel would be completed by June
this year.
Mr
Ansari said the vehicles, wireless sets and other equipment had been provided
to the police department in tribal districts.
He
said 53 police buildings were being put up at the cost of Rs4 billion across
tribal districts, while the police were extending the Special Branch and
counter-terrorism department’s setup to all parts of the region.
The
police chief, however, said the introduction of a robust structure for the
purpose would take at least two years.
He
said the main focus of the police’s efforts for putting a robust policing
infrastructure in place in the erstwhile Fata was to enable them to take over
the responsibility of internal security so that the military could be allowed
to concentrate on its responsibility of external defence.
Mr
Ansari said the CTD was working in close coordination with the armed forces for
bringing peace back to tribal areas and several notorious terrorists were
neutralised in several operations.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1670641/kp-police-chief-calls-is-k-bigger-threat-than-ttp
--------
Hindutva
Group Members of Allegedly RSS and Bajrang Dal 'Kill' Muslim Man Hours After
Giving Anti-Muslim Speech in Karnataka
The
arrested accused | Photo: Courtesy Gadag police
-----
Rabia
Shireen
Jan
21, 2022
Bengaluru:
Sameer Subhansaab Shahpur (20) and his friend Shamseer Khan Pathan (22), were
going to a barber shop on a bike when they were attacked, allegedly by members
of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bajrang Dal on Monday, January 17. The
alleged attack came only hours after the accused had delivered anti-Muslim
speeches in Karnataka’s Gadag district.
Ten
to 12 Hindutva workers in Nargund town allegedly stabbed Shahpur in the chest
with a knife and hit Pathan in the back with a knife as well as a rod.
Shahpur
succumbed to his injuries at the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS)
in Hubli at around 6 am on Tuesday while his friend, Pathan remains there in
critical condition.
On
Wednesday, Nargund Police released a press statement in which they said that
“communal conflicts” have been reported in the between Hindus and Muslims for
the past two months and that students have been “inciting” each other since.
‘Anti-Muslim
speech’
On
Monday morning, Bajrang Dal members had staged a protest in front of the
Nargund police station, demonstrating against the cases that were being filed
against their members for the communal clashes that had been taking place. Hate
speeches were allegedly being made during the course of their protests.
Videos
have surfaced online in which Bajrang Dal member Sanju Nalavadi is heard making
inciteful speeches against the minority community.
In
one of the videos, a police officer is also seen standing beside Nalavadi while
he speaks against Muslims and tells the gathering that the Hindutva
organisation would “protect them” and that even the police was “with them”.
Amid
chants of “Jai Shri Ram”, the Hindutva leader said, “If they attack us or you
(the police), we won’t leave those terrorists. The organisation which protects
you (police) is the Bajrang Dal.”
Police
sources in Nargund told The Wire that four persons have been arrested in the
case: Sanju Nalavadi, Mallikarjun Hiremath, Channabasappa Akki and Sakrappa
Kakanoor. “Several people are still absconding and the police are looking for
them,” the source said.
An
FIR has been registered against the accused under IPC Sections 143 (unlawful
assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 341
(wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing
hurt by dangerous weapons), 307 (attempt to murder) and 302 (murder).
Recordings
of CCTV footage have been making the rounds on WhatsApp which shows a group of
men waiting at the Nargund State Bank near Sangarwara where they stopped the
duo and attacked them.
‘My
brother had no enmity with anyone’
Talking
to The Wire, Shahpur’s brother Sahil said, “My brother had no enmity with
anyone. A few months ago, there were Hindu-Muslim fights between students in
the college. Some Hindus had slid knives in a Muslim student’s bag and later
accused Muslims of carrying knives. That time, Shamseer clicked pictures of the
incident; he was their target. My brother had nothing to do with it.”
While
Pathan works at a photo studio, the deceased worked at his uncle’s roadside
eatery with his two elder brothers, Sahil and Zubair.
“Sameer
left at around 6.30 pm from our uncle’s hotel, saying he’s going to a barber’s
shop. He stopped at Shamseer’s photo studio. They both closed the studio and
were going on bike to the barber when the Bajrang Dal men attacked them,” Sahil
said.
After
being stabbed, Shahpur called Zubair saying, “Please come immediately, I’ve
been stabbed.”
Zubair
then reached the spot and took his brother to a government hospital, Sahil
said, adding that Shahput got stitches on his chest where he was stabbed.
However, he had already lost too much blood. “There was blood all over him. His
shirt was soaked in blood,” Sahil said.
“When
I heard that Sameer, my little brother, was no more, I couldn’t believe what I
just heard. My brother was just going to a barber shop and this happened,”
Sahil said on the phone, breaking down. “More than my brother, he was my
friend.”
The
deceased’s family has filed an FIR with the Nargund police in the case.
“Whoever
killed my brother shouldn’t get bail. He must be punished. This shouldn’t
happen again in this town. Like I lost my brother, someone else’s brother
shouldn’t be lost,” Sahil said.
Meanwhile,
local activist Syed Sarfaraz told The Wire, “Shamseer’s family is in trauma and
they are scared to talk to the media.”
Speaking
to The Wire over the phone, Karnataka Minister of Public Works Department and
Nargund MLA C.C. Patil said, “RSS members are not like this, but it’s very
unfortunate that this incident happened. Police have arrested four people and
an investigation is going on.”
When
asked about anti-Muslim speeches delivered by Bajrang Dal members, the BJP
leader said, “Since many days such videos are circulating on social media. It
is very unfortunate, the police are looking into the matter. Inquiry will be
conducted fairly.”
On
Tuesday, Shahpur’s Namaz-e-Janaza (Muslim prayer for the deceased) and funeral
was attended by thousands of people in Gadag. Calls of “Ya Shaheed Assalam” (O
Martyr, peace to you), a slogan expressing grief, rang out from the procession.
Ashwan
Sadiq P., general secretary of the Campus Front of India issued a statement
saying, “The RSS have brutally murdered a Muslim youth in Karnataka last night.
This shows the necropolitical machinations of the Hindutva republic where
structural Islamophobia, manifested in genocidal attacks against Muslims, is
sanctioned by the state by creating a climate of impunity for criminals.”
For
the past few months, Karnataka has witnessed a rise in violence by Hindutva
organisations who target minorities, including Muslims and Christians.
Source:
The Wire
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Malaysian
Islamic Groups Decry Call For Muslim Genocide In India
Malaysian
Islamic Groups
-----
January
21, 2022
Kuala
Lumpur, January 21 (KMS): Members of Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic
Organizations (MAPIM) and other organisations have called upon Indian
government to prevent hate speeches and calls for the genocide of Muslims in
India.
MAPIM
submitted a memorandum to High Commissioner of India in Malaysia, B.N. Reddy,
to be forwarded to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the memorandum, they
called Indian authorities to prevent hate speeches and calls for the genocide
of Muslims in India.
The
delegation that met B. N.Reddy was accompanied by MAPIM President Mohammad Azmi
Abdul Hamid. In a video clip, shared on his Facebook account, he decried
growing hatred against Muslims in India.
A
three-day event was held between 17 and 19 December 2021 in Uttarakhand’s
Haridwar district. At the event, certain Hindu religious leaders called for the
ethnic cleansing of Muslims and urged members of the Hindu community to make
preparations for the same.
The
local police have registered a case and arrested two persons so far. The
arrested ones have been identified as Yati Narsinghanand and Jitender Narayan
Singh Tyagi. Both of them have been continuously been making insulting remarks
on Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him), his companions (RA) and
the Holy Quran.
Source:
KMS News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.kmsnews.org/kms/2022/01/21/malaysian-groups-decry-call-for-muslim-genocide.html
--------
Once
Fringe Force In Afghanistan, ISIS Renews Push For Islamic Caliphate: Analysts
The
Taliban say they recently sent 1,500 fighters to reinforce Jalalabad.
-----
January
21, 2022
Jalalabad,
Afghanistan: The Taliban promised to bring peace, but fear reigns above all in
the eastern city of Jalalabad, hit by ISIS group attacks and reprisals, and
with corpses appearing mysteriously in rivers.
In
the evening, the inhabitants of the trade hub in Afghanistan's Nangarhar
province hurry home before night falls and the shooting starts, fearing both
ISIS and the indiscriminate retaliation of the Taliban.
Once
a fringe force in Afghanistan, analysts say the local chapter of ISIS has been
increasingly active since the United States agreed to a deal in 2020 with the
Taliban to withdraw foreign troops from the country.
The
fundamentalist fighters, who are opposed to any compromise with the West, are
believed to have about 2,000 to 4,000 fighters in Afghanistan, against 80,000
Taliban.
The
biggest ideological difference between the two Islamist groups is that the
Taliban sought only an Afghanistan free of foreign forces, whereas IS wants an
Islamic caliphate stretching from Turkey to Pakistan and beyond.
The
latter group was "strengthened" as the Taliban took control of the
country and opened prisons, releasing many battle-hardened ISIS fighters, says
Ibraheem Bahiss, an Afghanistan specialist at the International Crisis Group.
Since
then, "violence against the Taliban has increased", even if they try
to play it down, Bahiss says.
Different
picture
At
his headquarters guarded by dozens of heavily armed Taliban, the much-feared
head of the Nangarhar intelligence services dismisses the threat.
ISIS
"no longer exists" in the city or rest of the province, says the
official, who goes by the name "Dr. Bashir".
But
in the streets of Jalalabad, his fighters paint a different picture.
"These
days, there is at least one attack a week," said Sajjad, a Taliban unit
leader, adding his men are on high alert "at all times".
The
attackers, he told AFP, "come in twos or threes... in a [motorised]
rickshaw... and shoot at us with Kalashnikovs or pistols".
According
to Abdul Sayed, an academic specialising in jihadist networks, the group is
responsible for nearly 100 attacks since mid-September -- some 85 per cent
aimed at the Taliban -- and Jalalabad is the front line.
The
bloodiest, however, was a suicide bomb blast at Kabul airport as tens of
thousands of Afghans clamoured to escape the country during a chaotic
evacuation.
More
than 200 people were killed in the August 26 attack, including 13 US service
members.
The
Taliban say they recently sent 1,500 fighters to reinforce Jalalabad.
"We
are tracking down the jihadists day and night," said Sajjad.
Some
400 ISIS members have been arrested in recent months, says Dr. Bashir, although
he adds he doesn't have a figure for those killed.
Dozens
of corpses
The
Taliban are accused of clandestinely eliminating their enemies, and the United
Nations attributes at least 72 murders to them, including 50 suspected IS
members in Nangarhar.
Macabre
discoveries feed the suspicion -- such as the bodies found last month along a
canal in the suburbs of Jalalabad.
A
little way from the village of Bakhtan, a rickshaw washer told AFP he had seen
"four or five" corpses recovered. A local entrepreneur says three
were found.
Several
sources across the province say up to 150 bodies have been found in rivers and
streams.
Nangarhar
has a strong Salafist bent -- an austere branch of Sunni Islam introduced to
the area by Saudi jihadists such as Osama bin Laden during the war against the
Soviet Union.
While
Salafist elders do not deny the community has been a source of recruits for IS,
they say they are now being collectively punished.
"Not
all Salafists are members of the Islamic State," one elder told AFP.
"Very
often, it is innocent people who are caught, and sometimes killed," says
analyst Bahiss, who warns that this indiscriminate Taliban crackdown on
Salafists risks strengthening rather than weakening ISIS.
And
while he says ISIS does not yet have the capacity to operate beyond Afghanistan
and Pakistan, "Western countries are watching the threat and taking it
seriously."
In
Jalalabad, the accusations against the Taliban have been silenced for fear of
reprisals -- especially since there is little evidence and the mutilated
corpses are not always identifiable.
The
Taliban are blamed for the killings, but few dare speak out -- especially since
the murder of activist Abdul Rahman Mawen in October.
"He
was leaving a wedding, driving in Jalalabad with his two children, and armed
men on a motorbike shot him dead", said a relative who asked not to be
named for fear of reprisal.
While
the attack was claimed by Islamic State, the relative has his doubts.
Local
journalists are just as scared.
One
posted on social media about an attack in Jalalabad, and shortly afterwards was
visited by the Taliban.
"There
would be no more warnings," he was told.
Source:
ND TV
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
French
Parliament Officially Denounces China's ‘Genocide’ Against Uyghur Muslims
In
this file photo taken on March 25, 2019, protesters of the French Uyghur
Community shout slogans and hold flags of East Turkestan (or Uighur flags)
during a demonstration over China's human rights record near the Eiffel Tower
during a state visit of the Chinese president. (AFP)
-----
20
January ,2022
The
lower house of France’s parliament adopted a resolution on Thursday that
denounced “genocide” by China against its Uyghur population, a minority Muslim
group in the Xinjiang region.
The non-binding
resolution, proposed by the opposition Socialists but also backed by President
Emmanuel Macron’s Republic on the Move party, was adopted almost unanimously
just a few days before the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
It
reads that the National Assembly “officially recognizes the violence
perpetrated by the People’s Republic of China against the Uyghurs as
constituting crimes against humanity and genocide.”
It
also calls on the French government to undertake “the necessary measures within
the international community and in its foreign policy towards the People’s
Republic of China” to stop Beijing’s actions.
“China
is a great power. We love Chinese people. But we refuse to submit to propaganda
from a regime that is banking on our cowardice and our avarice to perpetrate a
genocide in plain sight,” Socialist party chief Olivier Faure said.
He
recounted testimony to parliament from Uyghur survivors who told of conditions
inside internment camps where men and women were unable to lie down in cells, subjected
to rape and torture, as well as forced organ transplants.
China
denies genocide in Xinjiang and has accused Uyghurs testifying overseas about
conditions inside Xinjiang of being liars.
Beijing
has turned down repeated requests from the UN High Commission for Human Rights
to visit the region to investigate.
The
United States has slapped sanctions on a growing list of Chinese politicians
and companies over the treatment of the Uyghurs, as well as a diplomatic
boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Shia
Hazara minority protests killings in Pak terror attacks
January
21, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], January 21 (ANI): The Hazaras of Pakistan, a Shia minority regarded
by extreme Sunnis as non-Islamic and persecuted for decades, and the diaspora
in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia are
commemorating the victims of two terrorist attacks in 2013 and 2021 this month,
according to Bitter Winter, an online magazine.
Around
1,000 to 2,000 of the community people have been killed in Pakistan in the 21st
century.
The
history of Shia Hazaras is tragic and they called on the government of Pakistan
to defend their fundamental rights and protect them from daily acts of slander,
discrimination, beatings and killings.
On
January 10, 2013, a series of bombs in Quetta, Pakistan’s Balochistan province
capital, killed 100 people in a mostly Hazara neighbourhood.
The
total death toll was 130 since there were two bombings, the second of which
killed police officers, rescue workers, and journalists who had entered the
neighbourhood after the first, according to the magazine.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi,
a hardline Sunni Deobandi organisation that is part of a network of violent
anti-Shia activities, claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The
Hazaras are a Turkic people that settled in Afghanistan between the 16th and
17th centuries and embraced Shia Islam. They speak a Persian dialect.
In
1893, Afghan king Abdur Rahman Kang resolved to exterminate the Hazaras, both
because they were “heretics” in his eyes as a strict Sunni ruler and because
they campaigned for regional autonomy.
At
least 100,000 Hazaras were slain, accounting for 60 per cent of Afghanistan’s
Hazara population, while more than 10,000 were sold as slaves. Most historians
regard the events of 1893 as genocide, wrote Massimo Introvigne in an article
for the magazine.
Since
the late 19th century, many Hazaras have fled to British India as a result of
tyranny in Afghanistan, which persisted through the Taliban era and continues
today. Hazaras are now number one million in Pakistan. Afghanistan still has a
population of four million people.
Source:
Zee5
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.zee5.com/articles/shia-hazara-minority-protests-killings-in-pak-terror-attacks
--------
3
killed, 20 injured in bomb blast at Lahore's Anarkali market
Jan
20, 2022
LAHORE:
At least three people were killed and 20 others injured on Thursday in a
powerful blast at the Paan Mandi in Lahore's famous Anarkali market, where
Indian commodities are sold, police said.
Lahore
police spokesperson Rana Arif confirmed the death of three persons in the blast
that shattered windows of nearby shops and buildings, Dawn newspaper reported.
According
to police, the blast took place near the Paan Mandi, where Indian commodities
are sold.
No
group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.
"We
are ascertaining the nature of blast. Over 20 people have been injured in blast
and shifted to hospitals," Deputy Inspector General Police Operation Dr
Mohammad Abid told reporters at the site of the blast near Lahore's historic
Walled City.
Abid
did not rule out the possibility of a time device implanted in a motorcycle or
placed at the market.
"The
crater at the blast site indicated the possibility of a time device. However,
at this stage we can't confirm this," he said.
The
Counter Terrorism Department and Bomb Disposal Squad officials have reached the
spot and are examining the nature of the blast, he said.
According
to the Rescue 1122, the injured have been shifted to the Mayo Hospital where
two succumbed to their injuries.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PM
Imran blasts PML-N for ‘using unfair tactics’ to influence courts
Syed
Irfan Raza
January
21, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday lashed out at the main opposition
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for what he called “using unfair tactics”
to influence courts.
Talking
to a group of his spokespersons, he urged them to vehemently counter
“controversies” being created by opposition leaders, especially in media.
While
referring to the affidavit case of former chief justice of Gilgit-Baltistan
Rana Shamim, the prime minister said the PML-N generated the controversy of the
affidavit to pressurise the court which was hearing the case of its leaders
Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz.
A
participant of the meeting, while talking to Dawn, quoted the prime minister as
saying: “They [PML-N leaders] are mafias and they always influence courts when
they feel that they are about to decide their cases.”
Asks
his spokespersons to counter ‘controversies’ created by opposition
He
said the court has exposed the controversy hatched by the PML-N leaders by
exposing that the affidavit of Mr Shamim was prepared in the office of PML-N
supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Later,
while chairing a meeting on projects under the Ravi Urban Development and the
Central Business District, PM Khan said these projects would substantially
reduce the pollution level by featuring green spaces, waste management, clean
energy sources and eco-friendly international best practices.
Reviewing
progress on the projects, he emphasised that they are very important for the
country, particularly Lahore.
He
said the government has no self-interest, rather it is working for the welfare
of the citizens of Lahore.
The
prime minister said that the incumbent government has vitalised dead capital to
earn revenues and had initiated landmark construction projects that no previous
government had planned over the past two decades.
He
said disciplinary actions would be taken against officials who fail in
completing these projects on time. He directed the Punjab government to
actively pursue legal cases pending against these projects.
Earlier,
the meeting was briefed that green spaces had been reserved in all projects and
clean technologies would be used to ensure eco-friendly construction.
It
was informed that seven international groups have participated in establishment
of a waste treatment plant in the Ravi Urban Development project and agreements
had been finalised with international organisations, including UN-Habitat to
comply with international green standards.
The
meeting was also briefed on the components of Ravi Urban Development Authority
projects to be considered for inclusion in the China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor.
It
was informed that 1500 kanals Chaharbagh Residential project has been launched
with 3,000 apartments and 1,000 low-cost apartments for which 17,500
applications have been received and that balloting would be held next month.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1670659/pm-imran-blasts-pml-n-for-using-unfair-tactics-to-influence-courts
--------
Terror
rearing head due to ‘flawed’ policies: Nawaz
January
21, 2022
LAHORE:
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has said terrorism is again rearing its head
in the country because of ‘flawed’ policies of Imran Khan.
“I
condemn the Lahore blast and pray for the recovery of the injured. Owing to
wrong policies of (prime minister) Imran Khan terrorism has again reared its
head in the country,” the PML-N leader said in a tweet from London where he has
been living since November 2019.
PML-N
vice president Maryam Nawaz while condemning the blast and grieving over the
loss of life, said in a tweet: “Three died and dozens injured in a bomb blast
in Lhr today and guess what @ImranKhanPTI is talking about in his propaganda
cell meeting? Sharifs! What is next? Blaming the victims for the tragedy.”
“On a
day when Lahore mourns and grieves, more of heartlessness & apathy than
misplaced priorities,” she said while commenting on uploaded images of PM
Khan’s comments on the Sharifs on her Twitter account.
Opposition
leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz said he shared the grief of those lost
their lives and injured. He said it was unfortunate that terrorism was again
rearing its head in the country.
PPP
senior leader Rehman Malik condemned the terrorist act in Anarkali saying it
was typical style of TTP Pakistan & Daesh (the militant Islamic State
group). “Kabul must use its influence to ensure to stop the use of Afghan soil
against Pakistan,” he said and added that Haji Wali Noor, emir of TTP, and his
other hardcore terrorist commanders including Faqeer Mohammad should be handed
over to Pakistan without any delay.
“It
is in fact another act in Lahore after target killings in Islamabad. This is
the new terrorism wave in Pakistan like Kabul. We need to find out terrorist
sleeping cells in our country. It is not going to stop and hence we need to
resort to practical preventive measures.
We
condemn this heinous act and express regrets over the loss of precious lives in
the attack and condole with the families,” Malik said.
PPP:
The Pakistan Peoples Party has condemned the Anarkali blast and loss of
precious lives in the incident.
PPP
Punjab president Raja Parvez Ashraf has demanded that the government provide
the best possible treatment to those injured in the incident and offer
financial aid for the heirs of those who lost their lives.
He
said the National Action Plan should be implemented in letter and spirit for
containing the wave of extremism and terrorism.
PPP
General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza visited the injured at the Mayo Hospital
and prayed for their early recovery. He expressed his concern over the spread
of the terrorism wave as the terrorists hit Lahore after Peshawar and
Islamabad.
Former
Punjab chapter chief Qamar Zaman Kaira cautioned that if the government did not
curtail the wave of terrorism, it would cause irreparable loss to the country.
SACM:
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information and Tourism Hasaan
Khawar said it was yet too early to comment on the motives behind the tragic
blast at Anarkali.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1670604/terror-rearing-head-due-to-flawed-policies-nawaz
--------
India
Karnataka
Education Minister Calls Hijab 'Indiscipline' as Protesting Students Allege
'Torture'
JANUARY
21, 2022
Karnataka
Education Minister B C Nagesh has dubbed the protest of six Muslim women
against their institution’s “no hijab” rule as a “political" move and
called the norm of wearing a piece of cloth to cover the head as
“indiscipline”. The Government Girls Pre University College in Udupi of
Karnataka has denied permission to six women to classrooms for wearing hijab on
the premises.
Reacting
to the controversy, Nagesh said, “There are over a hundred Muslim children
studying in the institution who have no problems. Only these few students are
choosing to protest. Schools and colleges should not turn into religious
centres. Wearing hijab in the classroom would amount to indiscipline as other
students may expect similar concessions.”
Meanwhile,
the students have decided to continue their protest until they are allowed to
attend classes wearing hijab.
Eight
students of the college have been protesting for months in the college campus
for being denied entry into the classrooms for wearing hijab along with the
uniform. Five of them are studying in II PUC and three students are studying I
PUC.
The
students are turning down the demands of shunning hijab and are firm on their
stand that until the government gives them permission to wear hijab and attend
classes, they will sit outside the classrooms and continue to protest. They
maintain that it is their religious freedom and constitutional right to wear
hijab.
The
education minister stated that the decision had been taken by the School
Development and Management Committee in 1985 with regards to uniforms in the
campus. “So far, all children are following the rule. Whichever institution it
is, if they make a rule, the students who want to study must be obliging. All
these days the uniform rule was followed and why did they suddenly
change?" he asked.
“Where
has religious freedom all these days gone? It is political. What if others
start wearing dresses according to their wishes? Do we have to allow them, the
students will come in half dresses, do we have to allow them?" Nagesh
questioned.
“If
good things are implemented with a good thought we will support, if they are
doing the opposite how can it be supported? They weren’t aware of their
religious freedom as well as constitutional rights all these days? All of this
has been started just one year before the elections, We will take a decision at
the level of government regarding the issue," he said.
“Do
you want schools to be religious centres? There are more than 100 children
belonging to Islam religion studying without any problem. Only a few of them
have problems with wearing uniforms. School is not a place to preach the
religion," he maintained.
‘Students
Facing Mental Torture’
Masood
Manna, State Committee Member of Campus Front of India maintained that they are
waiting for the government order. “It is a violation of the right of education
and the right to practice religion. The students are not just fighting for
themselves, but they are also fighting for coming generations to wear hijab
while attending classes," he said.
“If
there is no solution given we will stage a protest. The students are facing
mental torture. They are asked to go out by themselves or else they will be
pushed out of classes if they attend classes wearing hijabs," he said.
“Assistant
Commissioner, Minority department officials and the Principal of the college
have held a meeting on Wednesday in this regard. They have asked the students
to come without hijabs. The protest will be staged under the banner of All
Students Union in Udupi," he explained.
Source:
News18
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Udupi
College Hijab Ban: We Want Our Fundamental Rights, Say Students
by
Kiran Parashar
January
21, 2022
For
nearly a month, a government college in Karnataka’s Udupi district has banned
students from wearing hijab inside the classroom. Seven of the college’s Muslim
students, who demanded that they be allowed to attend classes while wearing a
hijab, have been denied entry.
The
principal of the Government Women’s Pre-University College, Udupi, has said
that the ban was being enforced to maintain “uniformity”.
The
college, built in 1985, has around 700 students, including 70 Muslim students,
studying in the Science, Arts and Commerce branches.
Initially,
there were 12 Muslim students who had demanded that they be allowed to wear the
hijab during class hours, but the number has since reduced to seven. Those
still resisting the ban say the others gave in to the college’s threats of not
issuing hall tickets for final exams.
According
to college authorities, students are allowed to wear hijab until classes start.
Classes are held between 9.30 am and 4 pm.
A
protesting student, who did not want to be named, said, “We are asking for our
fundamental rights and nothing else. The college is trying to portray us in a
bad light for demanding our rights. We are not allowed inside the college till
we fall in line. It has been 20 days, and they have marked us absent.”
Speaking
to The Indian Express, Rudre Gowda, principal of the college, said, “The girls
are allowed to wear hijab and or burqa till they reach their desk, but once the
class starts, they must remove it. Though there is no uniform policy or
guidelines, it has been followed for the past 37 years. But now, these issues
are polluting the college environment.”
“We
have already discussed (the issue) in meetings with parents, and many of them
who have studied here were convinced. But students who are protesting did not
bring their parents, but came with their relatives or members of students’
organisations and continued it (the protest). This is not specifically a
problem of this college, but also of other colleges too. I have already sent a
report to the education department and have sought to bring a uniform policy,”
Gowda added.
Masood
Manna, of the students’ group Campus Front of India, said, “We have met the
Udupi DC in this regard… but it is only the college principal who is against it
(the entry of girls wearing hijab). He holds a meeting once in a while, which
is an eyewash. But what stops them from allowing girls to enter with hijab. It
is left to their choice.”
This
is not the first such incident in Karnataka in recent years. Similar incidents
have been reported in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Chikkamagaluru districts.
In
2018, Hindu students in a government first grade college of Balagadi village in
Chikkamagaluru district wore saffron scarves demanding that the college ban the
entry of students wearing burqa and hijab inside the classroom. The principal,
who held a meeting with parents, was able to convince them that hijab would be
allowed, but not burqa. Again, in late December last year, the issue cropped
up, but with the help of the local MLA and officials, it was resolved.
An
officer in the state’s Department Of Pre-University Education said the
department would now be coming out with a uniform policy for students. “It is…
disturbing the environment of the colleges. We will soon release the uniform
policy,” the official said.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Hindu
seer Rishikumar Swami released on bail demands closure of Karnataka mosque,
stirs controversy
21st
January 2022
MANDYA:
Rishikumar Swami of Kali Mutt, who was arrested for giving a call to demolish
the mosque of Srirangapatna town in Mandya district, has again kicked up a row
by stating that the mosque has to be closed until a decision on whether it is a
temple or a mosque is reached.
Rishikumar
Swamiji made the remarks after being released on bail late on Wednesday night.
"I
had visited Srirangapatna city many a times but had never near the mosque. But
one day when I stopped, I noticed the pillars. Even a Hindu child will get
provoked after seeing the pillars, platforms for Nag devtas. I am a sage. I was
pained to see the condition of my temple. I have full faith in the judiciary.
It's because of the judiciary that a Ram Mandir is being built in
Ayodhya."
"For
establishing the truth in case of Babri Masjid, the authorities had to dig
beneath the mosque. But, in this case the authorities just need documents of
the mosque. I request them to lock the mosque before next Hanuman Jayanthi. The
speakers have to be vacated until then," he stated.
Action
before has to be taken before any tragedy occurs. An affidavit has already been
filed in the local court to decide on whether the structure is a mosque or a
temple. Until the judgment comes, the mosque has to be closed and the status
quo maintained, he asserted.
The
issue is likely to be taken up by the ruling BJP which is striving hard to
establish its roots in south Karnataka. Srirangapatna town is located in Mandya
district, considered as the heartland of the dominant Vokkaliga community. It
is considered as the bastion of JD (S).
Source:
New Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bulli
Bai case: Mumbai court refuses bail to all three accused
Jan
20, 2022
A
Mumbai court on Thursday rejected the bail applications of Vishal Kumar Jha,
Shweta Singh, and Mayank Rawat – all three of who were accused in the
controversial ‘Bulli Bai’ case and arrested by the Mumbai Police in connection
with the matter.
Earlier
this week, the cyber cell of the Mumbai Police had opposed the bail pleas of
the three, stating that the investigation suggested the accused were also
involved in the ‘Sulli Deals’ app case.
The
Bulli Bai app, which triggered an uproar across social media earlier this month
for putting up photos of Muslim women online for a mock ‘auction’, is hosted on
the code-sharing platform GitHub and is currently being investigated by the
Mumbai Police. The app itself was named after derogatory references to the
Muslim community and came one year after a similar fiasco involving another
targeted harassment app, Sulli Deals, hit the headlines.
Hundreds
of Muslim women, including vocal activists and top professionals, were listed
for “auction” and had their photographs doctored and sourced without
permission. While there was no actual “auction” or “sale”, the purpose of the
app seemed to be to humiliate and intimidate the targeted women, many of whom
are active social media users.
The
police investigating the case, have linked the creators of the contentious app
to alt-right groups. They made four arrests in the matter – Vishal Kumar Jha
(in Bengaluru), Shweta Singh (in Uttarakhand), Mayank Rawal (in Uttarakhand),
and Niraj Bishnoi (in Assam's Jorhat), all of them being college students who
allegedly came together to create the app.
A
fifth person was also arrested from Odisha on Thursday, reports said. Identified
as Neeraj Singh, the latest person to be accused in the case is said to be an
MBA degree holder and was involved in the planning of the app with the main
culprits.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Dharam
Sansad: Bail petitions of Dasna priest & Rizvi rejected
Sheo
S Jaiswal
Jan
21, 2022
HARIDWAR:
The bail application of Jitendra Narayan Tyagi, formerly Waseem Rizvi, one of
the accused in the Dharam Sansad hate speech case, was rejected by a local
court on Thursday.
The
chief judicial magistrate had earlier in the day turned down the bail
application of Dasna temple priest Yati Narasinghanand in the same case. Yati
was one of the organisers of the Dharam Sansad in Haridwar recently. The case
against Tyagi came up for hearing on Thursday morning and the verdict was
announced late in the evening. On January 15, too, Tyagi's bail plea was
rejected by chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Mukesh Chandra Arya.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bulli
Bai case: Mumbai police arrest MBA graduate from Odisha
V
Narayan
Jan
21, 2022
MUMBAI:
The Mumbai cybercrime police on Thursday arrested an MBA graduate from
Jharsuguda district in Odisha in connection with the Bulli Bai app case, which
targeted Muslim women by putting up their images online for
"auction". The accused, Neeraj Singh, is the fourth person to be
arrested by Mumbai police, and the fifth overall.
Police
claimed that he was involved in both Bulli Bai and Sulli Deals cases, and had
planned and executed the two apps along with the creators, Neeraj Bishnoi (21)
and Aumkareshwar Thakur (25). Singh was working in a private company in Noida
before shifting to his hometown recently owing to the Covid pandemic.
On
Thursday, Bishnoi and Thakur were produced before the Bandra court, which
remanded them in police custody till January 27. The court also rejected the
bail applications of Vishal Kumar Jha (21), a Bihar youth studying engineering
in Bengaluru; and Uttarakhand residents Shweta Singh (18), a class XII passout,
and Mayank Rawat (21), a BSc student, arrested in the Bulli Bai case.
A
police officer said Neeraj Singh's name cropped up during the interrogation of
Jha, Singh and Rawat. DCP (Mumbai cyber) Rashmi Karandikar confirmed Singh's
arrest, but declined to comment further saying they have got his transit remand
and will soon bring him to Mumbai.
Three
days ago, Mumbai police were tipped off about Singh's presence in Bhubaneswar.
They raided the place, but he was untraceable. Speculation is rife about Singh
having worked in the office of a woman politician in Bhubaneswar. However,
Singh's family said he was falsely implicated in the case. "The Mumbai
police informed us that my brother was a member of the group that created the
Bulli Bai app. But we know that he is innocent," Singh's brother, Nikesh
(24) said. Singh's father runs a transport business.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Lashkar
terrorist arrested in Kashmir’s Budgam district
M
Saleem Pandit
Jan
21, 2022
SRINAGAR:
Police on Thursday arrested an active terrorist affiliated with Lashkar-i-Taiba
in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
In a
statement, the Jammu and Kashmir police said that they arrested an active
terrorist of outfit LeT and recovered arms, ammunition and other incriminating
materials from his possession.
Police
said acting on specific information regarding the presence of a terrorist in
Chadoora area of Budgam district, police along with the Army's 53 RR and 181
Battalion and CRPF launched a search operation in Gamander area of Chadoora.
During
the search operation, an active terrorist affiliated with LeT was arrested. He
has been identified as Jehangir Ahmad Naikoo, a resident of Memandar village in
Shopian, he said.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Army
vice-chief warns Pakistan over terror use
Jan
21, 2022
NEW
DELHI: Countries with ‘regressive thinking’ like Pakistan, which use terrorism
as a political tool, need to understand that terrorism is an equally big threat
for them, said Army vice-chief Lt General C P Mohanty on Thursday.
“While
terrorism in all its dimensions must be condemned equally, there is nothing as
despicable as state-sponsored terror. We are taking necessary steps to address
the elaborate nexus — the sources of radicalisation, those that propound
ideological hatred, the complex web of finance, the communication network as
also sanctuaries,” he said. “When sources of terror receive state support, the
consequences for the world are ominous. It is not entirely a coincidence, for
example, that the world’s foremost terrorist, Osama bin Laden, found sanctuary
with our western neighbour,” he added, addressing an international
counter-terrorism conference organised by GCTC.
He
dwelt extensively upon how terrorism was one of the most potent threats to
global peace and security with advances in technology especially in the cyber
domain, facilitating indoctrination and recruitment, real-time secure
communications, and the flow of funds.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
Cryptocurrency
Is Haram, Tarjih Council and the Central Executive Tajdid of Indonesia Passes
Fatwa
Jan
21, 2022
Islamic
group says crypto is haram.
Group
gives two primary reasons why crypto use is forbidden for Muslims.
Govt.
position clear on crypto, maintains crypto is legal in Indonesia.
The
Tarjih Council and the Central Executive Tajdid (PP), an Islamic group based in
Indonesia, has proclaimed that the use of cryptocurrency both as an investment
tool and as a medium of exchange is haram (forbidden).
Tarih
Muhammadiyah is the third Islamic organization to issue such fatwa against the
use of cryptocurrencies in Indonesia.
Why
crypto use is haram for Muslims – Indonesia group
CNBC
Indonesia reports that in the new fatwa, the group holds that crypto use is
haram basically for two reasons.
One
is that digital assets like Bitcoin are speculative and highly volatile. Also,
these currencies are not backed by any other assets such as gold and are
believed to be “obscure,” thereby making them unlawful under Islamic laws.
The
group gave the second reason to be that digital currencies do not follow Sharia
tenets for barter system or medium of exchange laws which need them to be legal
tender and approved by the state, or in this case – the central bank, hence
they don’t pass as a lawful currency.
Amidst
multiple fatwas, crypto legal in Indonesia
As
said previously, Tarjih Muhammadiyah isn’t the first Islamic group to pass a
fatwa against cryptocurrencies in the Asian country.
However,
despite previous preachings against digital assets in the country with the
highest Muslim population globally, digital assets were legalized in September
2018. Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade approved the trading of crypto assets as
commodities.
Despite
its legal status, fatwa’s against the currency cannot be totally written off,
especially with the dominance of Muslims in all nooks and cranny of the
country. Decisions made by Muslim groups are not an official decree, nor do
they imply an outright prohibition on cryptocurrency trading. But its
far-reaching consequences in the Muslim country can not be ignored.
Source:
Cryptopolitan
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.cryptopolitan.com/cryptocurrency-is-haram-indonesian-group/
--------
Indonesia
denies rumours of interaction with Israel
January
20, 2022
JAKARTA:
The Indonesian government on Thursday denied reports by Israeli media that
officials from the two countries had recently held meetings in Tel Aviv.
Home
to the world’s largest Muslim population, Indonesia has no formal ties with
Israel and has repeatedly called for an end to the Israeli occupation of
Palestinian territories and for a two-state solution based on borders before
the 1967 war.
Israel’s
Army Radio reported on Monday that a delegation of Indonesian officials had
visited Tel Aviv to discuss strategies related to the coronavirus pandemic but
gave no details about when the meeting had taken place.
Addressing
a virtual press conference, Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman,
Teuku Faizasyah, said: “What we can emphasize here is that there was no
interaction between officials of the two countries, because we do not have
diplomatic relations.”
He
pointed out that despite the lack of formal ties, people-to-people interactions
had taken place, including Indonesian pilgrims visiting religious sites in
Jerusalem.
“But
between governments, let me emphasize there are no formal interactions,” he
added. “Please differentiate things that are official in nature and business
relations or people-to-people, which are out of the government’s hands.”
Faizasyah
said Indonesia’s stance on the Palestinian issue remained unchanged and its
government was actively working “for Palestinian independence under the frame
of a two-state solution.”
Last
year, the Israeli ambassador to Singapore said Tel Aviv would be willing to
work toward establishing ties with southeast Asia’s Muslim-majority nations —
Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei — in the wake of the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and
Morocco agreeing to normalize relations with Israel under US-brokered deals.
During
a visit to Jakarta last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed
with Indonesian officials the possibility of normalization, a move Indonesia
said it had declined to take.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2008721/world
--------
US
lawmakers say Tesla’s Xinjiang expansion ‘misguided’
January
21, 2022
WASHINGTON:
The chairmen of two congressional panels on oversight and trade today assailed
Tesla’s expansion in China’s far-western Xinjiang region, where detention camps
have drawn heavy criticism, and asked the electric carmaker about its Chinese
product sourcing.
“Your
misguided expansion into the Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region sets a poor
example and further empowers the (Chinese government),” Democrats Bill Pascrell
and Earl Blumenauer, who head two House of Representatives ways and means
subcommittees, wrote in a joint letter to Tesla chief executive Elon Musk.
Tesla
made a New Year’s Eve announcement that it opened a showroom in Xinjiang,
becoming the latest foreign business caught up in tensions related to the
region.
Xinjiang
has become a significant point of conflict between western governments and
China in recent years.
UN
experts and rights groups estimate that more than a million people, mainly
Uighurs and members of other Muslim minorities, have been detained in camps
there.
The
Chinese Embassy in Washington and Tesla did not immediately respond to requests
for comment.
Pascrell
and Blumenauer in the letter asked Musk whether Tesla sources any goods made or
manufactured in Xinjiang and, if so, to identify them.
They
also asked whether Tesla has any financial relationships with companies
connected to Xinjiang and whether Tesla plans to expand into other regions in
China.
The
company operates a factory in Shanghai and is ramping up production there amid
surging sales in China.
China
has also become an export hub for Teslas bound for Europe and other markets.
President
Joe Biden and US lawmakers have stepped up pressure on companies to distance
themselves from Xinjiang.
Biden
signed a law on Dec 23 barring imports of goods made in the region.
The
two lawmakers said the questions to Musk were in part to “better understand
Tesla’s compliance” with the new law and other US trade regulations.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Thai
Police Kill 2 Suspected Rebels in Pattani after Standoff Negotiations Fail
2022-01-20
Two
suspected rebels were killed and a Thai soldier was injured in a gunfight after
negotiations failed during a standoff between insurgents and government
authorities in Thailand’s Deep South, the police commander in Pattani province
said Thursday.
The
incident occurred days after the Thai government and Barisan Revolusi Nasional
(BRN), the main rebel group fighting a separatist insurgency in the
Muslim-majority southern border region, resumed in-person peace talks in
Malaysia for the first time in nearly two years.
On
Thursday, police on the Deep South received a tip that a group of rebels was planning
an ambush in Sai Buri district, authorities said. They asked government
officials, religious leaders and community elders to help negotiate a
surrender, said Maj. Gen. Narin Busaman, the Pattani provincial police chief.
“The
negotiation went for more than four hours, but failed,” he told BenarNews.
“When the rebels left the house, they started firing at people who had gathered
outside. In the ensuing gunbattle, Capt. Suriya Binyawang was shot in his left
bottom, while the two insurgents were killed.
“We
chose to negotiate, and the protocol strictly followed law and human rights
principles,” Kiattisak told reporters.
“Because
the rebels opened fire, the officials were forced to respond. In the end, the
criminals were killed at the scene.”
He
said the captain was sent to a local hospital and was out of danger.
Col.
Kiattisak Neewong, spokesman for the border region’s Internal Security
Operations Command (ISOC-4), said the suspects were top-level insurgents.
“Since
2006, they have repeatedly committed crimes,” he said, “killing and injuring a
great number of people.”
He
blamed them for the deaths of the Kittiprapanan family in April 2021. A
businessman, his daughter, and his nephew died when attackers sprayed their
truck with bullets and then set it aflame in Pattani province.
Officials
at the time claimed the attack was retaliation for the killing of a suspected
insurgent and the arrest of two others.
‘Fighters
of God’
A
relative of one of the dead men told BenarNews that officials could have taken
them into custody, but chose to kill them.
“We
are always forced to accept the consequences. We always have to endure the
injustice and oppression,” said the relative who spoke on condition of
anonymity over safety concerns.
“We
did the ceremony and buried our fighters. They are fighters of God. They will
be recognized by God,” the relative said.
“There
were many people who came to the ceremony. Some we know and do not know – I
don’t know where they’re from.”
Last
week at a hotel near Kuala Lumpur, representatives of the BRN rebels and Thai
government officials agreed to form a Joint Working Group to find a peaceful
solution to the decades-long insurgency in the Deep South.
A
Malaysian official facilitated the meeting in Kuala Lumpur where the two sides
discussed a three-point plan to reduce violence, allow for political
participation and to establish a discussion mechanism in the Deep South.
Backlash
over prisoner handover
On
day two of the talks, Malaysian immigration authorities handed over three
suspected Thai insurgents hiding in the country, the first official prisoner
transfer related to the insurgency in about 25 years.
A
Deep South civil society leader said the handover of the three suspected
combatants had “raised doubt over Malaysia’s role as an honest broker … at the
negotiating table.
“The
country risks becoming irrelevant in a role that requires them to be neutral
and impartial,” Artef Sohko, president of The Patani, a civil society group
based in southern Thailand, said in a statement on Saturday.
On
Thursday, Malaysian facilitator Rahim Noor said the handover of the three
suspected rebels would not affect the peace talks. He said troops arrested the
three who were handed over to immigration officials to be processed and
deported to Thailand.
“I
was not aware of the arrest. I only heard about it recently. BRN
representatives also did not contact me to ask about it, nor did the Thai
officials,” Rahim Noor told BenarNews, adding, “This will not affect the
discussion and my role as facilitator.”
“That
was what I heard. It is within the Immigration Department’s jurisdiction. Do
not ask me about their work, and they don’t need to inform me about it,” he
said.
BenarNews
was unable to reach BRN for comment on the prisoner handover.
Artef
said that while no one had established a link between the peace talks and the
handover, “one cannot deny the fact that the timing of the handover does not
make Malaysia look good.”
Source:
Benar News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/thai/negotiations-fail-01202022154320.html
--------
Indonesian
Militant Gets 15 Years in Prison Over Bali Attacks
By
Niniek Karmini
January
20, 2022
An
Islamic militant who eluded capture for 18 years was sentenced to 15 years in
prison on Wednesday after an Indonesian court found him guilty of hiding
information about the 2002 Bali bombings from authorities and harboring other
suspects.
Prosecutors
previously demanded a life sentence for Aris Sumarsono, 58, whose real name is
Arif Sunarso but is better known as Zulkarnaen, for his role in the October
2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists including 88
Australians and seven Americans.
However,
the panel of three judges in East Jakarta District Court said they ignored the
prosecutors’ first charge because the prosecution period had expired, and they
sentenced Zulkarnaen to 15 years in jail for harboring other suspects,
including bomb-maker Upik Lawanga, and for hiding information from authorities
about the deadly attacks.
Indonesia’s
Criminal Code stipulates that the authority to prosecute criminals is abolished
after 18 years.
“The
accused is found guilty in a legal and convincing manner of carrying out an act
of terrorism of third charge,” the presiding judge told the court in a session
that was held remotely due to the pandemic, adding that Zulkarnaen knew about
the terrorism attacks but “did not inform authorities; instead, he harbored a
terror suspect.”
Zulkarnaen
has been detained since December 10, 2020. The judges ordered that the time he
has already served be deducted from his sentence.
Prosecutors
said they would appeal to a higher court, while Zulkarnaen said he accepted the
ruling and would not appeal.
Police
and prosecutors say Zulkarnaen is the former military commander of Jemaah
Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian militant group with ties to al-Qaida. The group is
widely blamed for the October 2002 nightclub bombings on the Indonesian resort
island of Bali and attacks in the Philippines.
Zulkarnaen
had eluded capture for 18 years after being named a suspect in the 2002 suicide
bombings of Paddy’s Pub and the Sari Club in Bali. He was arrested in 2020 in
the same southern town on Sumatra island where Lawanga, a bomb-maker for the
Jemaah Islamiyah network who eluded capture for 16 years, was arrested by
counterterrorism police a week earlier. Lawanga was sentenced to life in prison
last month.
Police
were tipped off to their hideout after interrogating several suspected
militants arrested in earlier raids.
Zulkarnaen
argued that although he was a leader of the network’s military wing, he was not
involved in the operation of the Bali bombings, as he was focused on organizing
his squad for sectarian conflicts in Ambon and Poso and in the southern
Philippines.
“I
didn’t even know when the Bali bombings would take place,” Zulkarnaen told the
court in his plea last week.
During
his trial, which began in September, other convicted militants in the 2002 Bali
bombings, including Umar Patek and Ali Imron, who were sentenced to 20 years
and life in jail, respectively, supported Zulkarnaen’s claim, saying he knew
about the plot but did not play a role in its operation.
Police
previously said Zulkarnaen masterminded church attacks that occurred
simultaneously in many Indonesian regions on Christmas and New Year’s Eve in
2000 that killed more than 20 people. He was also the mastermind of a bomb
attack on the official residence of the Philippine ambassador in Jakarta in
2000 that killed two people, and the architect of sectarian conflict in Ambon
and Poso from 1998 to 2000.
Conflicts
between Christians and Muslims in Ambon, the provincial capital of the Molluca
islands, left more than 5,000 people dead and half a million displaced. The
Muslim-Christian conflict in Poso, known as a hotbed of Islamic militancy on
Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, killed at least 1,000 people from 1998 to 2002.
Zulkarnaen
was among the first Indonesian militants to go to Afghanistan in the 1980s for
training. He later became an instructor at a military academy there for seven
years, Indonesian police said.
Since
May 2005, Zulkarnaen has been named on an al-Qaida sanctions list by the U.N.
Security Council for being associated with Osama bin Laden or the Taliban.
The
Security Council said that Zulkarnaen, who became an expert in sabotage, was
one of al-Qaida’s representatives in Southeast Asia and one of the few people
in Indonesia who had had direct contact with bin Laden’s network.
It
said that Zulkarnaen led a squad of fighters known as the Laskar Khos, or
Special Force, whose members were recruited from among some 300 Indonesians who
trained in Afghanistan and the Philippines.
Zulkarnaen
was appointed the head of Camp Saddah, a military academy in the southern
Philippines established for fighters from Southeast Asia, the Security Council
said. He spent a decade at the camp training other Jemaah Islamiyah members.
Source:
The Diplomat
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://thediplomat.com/2022/01/indonesian-militant-gets-15-years-in-prison-over-bali-attacks/
--------
South Asia
Reopening
schools for girls our responsibility, not world pressure: Taliban
Jan
21, 2022
KABUL:
The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has said that reopening schools for
girls across the country was their responsibility and not due to world
pressure.
The
remarks were made by Acting Minister Maulaee Noorullah Muneer during his
meeting with Deborah Lyons, the UN General-Secretary's special representative
to Afghanistan, here on Thursday, Khaama Press reported.
Muneer
said that getting an education is the right of girls and the Taliban government
has the responsibility to provide it.
Taliban
officials have announced that higher schools for girls and public universities
for boys and girls will be reopened in the next educational year that begins in
March.
At
least 150 public universities for boys and girls and all public higher schools
for girls have remained closed since the country's takeover by the Taliban in
August 2021.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
root cause of Afghanistan's troubles; people face most difficult scenario in
country's history: Expert
Jan
21, 2022
KABUL:
As people residing in Afghanistan face the horrors of Taliban atrocities since
the fall of Kabul, an expert believes that the Taliban are the root cause of
all of Afghanistan's troubles and under their rule people are facing the most
difficult scenario in the country's history.
Red
Lantern Analytica on Thursday hosted a webinar titled "Regional and Global
Implications of Taliban Rule: Afghan Voices." The Red Lantern Analytica
organized a panel featuring specialists in the fields of human rights,
security, and geopolitics of South Asia.
Kabir
Haqmal, an ex-spokesperson for the office of the National Security Council
said, "The Taliban regime has brought upon a crisis which is a
humanitarian crisis, a national crisis, as well as an economic crisis and a
political crisis. This has been brought upon by the Taliban, which is backed by
regional and some international powers."
Haqmal
said that there is no conflict that may kill millions, but ordinary Afghans are
forced to leave the nation while millions live below the poverty line. Also,
millions of women lack access to education, and the Afghan community lacks
trust in the Taliban regime.
He
added that the Taliban's actions are backed by ISI operatives and the Pakistani
and Chinese governments. Every day, women and members of Afghanistan's ethnic
communities march on the streets, refusing to accept Taliban authority.
The
Taliban's return has set the path for another catastrophe unprecedented in the
country's history, necessitating another revolution. The Taliban are unwilling
to work democratically because they reject public opinion and deny elections
and media coverage, among many other things, Haqmal noted.
He
further stated that the Taliban are the "root cause" of all of
Afghanistan's troubles, and Afghans under their rule are facing the most
difficult scenario in the country's history.
Talking
about the humanitarian assistance provided to Afghanistan, Haqmal said that
several foreign groups and organizations are attempting to provide assistance
worth millions of dollars, but their efforts have proven largely ineffective.
"When
a government that has operated democratically for two decades abruptly
relinquishes power, these organizations cannot simply fulfil their
responsibilities by infusing money into the country at a time when the Afghan
administrative system has completely crumbled," he added.
According
to Haqmal, the ideal form of help for Afghanistan would be for the
international community to pressure the Taliban regime into accepting a
"loya jorga" system (elections) for a certain term in order to
construct a favourable administrative system for Afghans.
Afghans
should have the right to vote, and the country should hold legitimate
democratic elections. If fair elections were held, the Afghans would have
ousted the Taliban, he added.
In
response to a question on whether he could discuss Pakistan's involvement in
causing the Taliban crisis, Haqmal stated that Pakistan is the "primary
element" driving Taliban rule.
Major
Amit Bansal, who addressed an Indian perspective on Afghanistan's violence and
anarchy, as well as the Doha Agreement Factor, which was a big blunder in the
making, stated the deal did not take the opinions of the Afghan people into
consideration, and the agreement struck between the US and Afghanistan was a
watershed moment.
Bansal
continued discussing how the greatest threat to Afghanistan throughout the
social spectrum is the humanitarian food crisis, which will only worsen as it
spreads to the country's most marginalized parts.
He
also discussed how Pakistan has been a significant impediment and has been
responsible for building barriers in the movement of supplies and imports via
its shared border with Afghanistan.
Bansal
concluded by stating that the "only way to resolve these issues is for the
Afghan people to take action. Rather than fighting and fleeing the country, the
people must find a solution and unify through democratic protests."
Meanwhile,
Nilofar Ayoubi, an Afghan journalist who touched briefly on the issues of women
in Afghanistan, said that both the regional as well as the international
community have turned a blind eye towards the plight of Afghan women.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
provides $32 million cash aid to Afghanistan
Jan
21, 2022
KABUL:
The United Nations has provided $32 million humanitarian aid in cash to
Afghanistan on Thursday which was delivered to Afghanistan International Bank
(AIB), local media reported.
Central
Bank of Afghanistan-Da Afghanistan Bank- said that UN aid to Afghanistan is
going on and they received $32 million in cash, Khaama Press reported.
Da
Afghanistan Bank in a statement said that the amount of money was delivered to
Afghanistan International Bank (AIB).
According
to the statement, they welcome all those humanitarian aids efforts that bring
positive changes in the lives of people in most need.
The
amount of money is part of the process based on which the UN provides to
Afghanistan $20 million weekly until March 2022.
The
Taliban took over control of Kabul on August 15 and following this the country
has been battered by deepening economic, humanitarian and security crisis.
A
combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government
assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban, have plunged a country
already suffering from high poverty levels into a full-blown economic crisis.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
EU
reopens embassy in Afghanistan: IEA
21
Jan 2022
Foreign
Ministry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on Thursday, January 20
announced that European Union officially reopened its diplomatic office in
Kabul.
Spokesman
of the Ministry Abdul Qahar Balkhi on the Twitter post said that the EU’s
diplomatic office has officially resumed its operations in Afghanistan.
“Following
consecutive meetings and reaching an understanding with EU representatives, the
European Union officially opened its embassy with a permanent presence in Kabul
and practically commenced operations.” Reads the Twitter post.
In
the meantime, Abdul Qahar Balkhi said that the EU announced 268 million euro
additional assistance apart from the 220 million euro humanitarian aid to
Afghanistan.
He
added that a portion of the money will be used for teachers and their salaries
which he welcomed.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/eu-reopens-embasy-in-afghanistan-iea-86856/
--------
Europe
UK
Law Firm Seeks Arrest Of Top Indian Officials For Kashmir 'War Crimes' Under
The Universal Jurisdiction Principle
Ahmet
Gurhan Kartal
20.01.2022
LONDON
A
UK-based legal investigation firm on Wednesday filed an application calling on
the British police to arrest Indian government officials for “war crimes” in
Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
“A
legal appeal for the arrest of two Indian government officials under the
Universal Jurisdiction principle has been made to London’s Metropolitan Police,
following the release of a report which accuses the individuals of war crimes
against Kashmiri Muslims,” law firm Stoke White said in a statement.
India’s
army chief Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane and Home Minister Amit Shah “could be
liable for arrest by the Metropolitan Police’s War Crimes Unit … on alleged war
crimes in Jammu and Kashmir,” the firm said.
A
report by the law firm into alleged war crimes in the disputed Himalayan region
suggests that “Indian security forces, headed by Naravane and Shah, have been
responsible for the torture, kidnapping and extrajudicial killing of activists,
journalists, and other innocent civilians, particularly targeting Muslims.”
“This
report is dedicated to the families who have lost loved ones without a trace,
and who experience daily threats when trying to attain justice,” said Khalil
Dewan, the author of the report and head of Stoke White Investigations.
Hakan
Camuz, director of Stoke White, said: “The fact that Kashmiri Muslims have only
international law to turn to after decades of seeking justice in their own
country and only being subjected to further violence for doing so, means Stoke
White must begin the process of justice on their behalf, in a country that we
understand respects the rule of law.”
Camuz
said in a press release that the application to the UK Met Police’s war crimes
unit is a “launchpad to investigate prime minister Narendra Modi’s government
ministers for war crimes.”
Speaking
to Anadolu Agency, Camuz said: “This is the first legal action against (Indian
Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and his government officials and military
officials for the war crimes committed in Kashmir.
“Our
investigation is still ongoing and more information is coming out of atrocities
taking place in. We will pursue justice as for the victims.”
Indian
authorities are yet to comment on the issue to Anadolu Agency.
Disputed
region
Kashmir,
a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and
claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.
Since
they were partitioned in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought three wars – in
1948, 1965 and 1971 – two of them over Kashmir.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UK
police arrest two men over Texas synagogue hostage-taking
January
21, 2022
LONDON:
British police said on Thursday they have arrested two people in connection
with a hostage-taking at a synagogue in Texas.
Counter
Terrorism Police North West said one man was arrested on Thursday in
Birmingham, central England, and another in the northern English city of
Manchester. They are being held for questioning and have not yet been charged.
The
force said it was continuing to support US authorities with their investigation
into Saturday’s hostage incident. Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British
citizen, took four people hostage at a Texas synagogue in a 10-hour standoff
that ended in his death. All four hostages were unharmed.
Police
did not disclose details about the two people detained on Thursday. British
police do not release names and details of detainees until they are charged. On
Sunday, police arrested British teenagers in Manchester as part of the
investigation. They were later released without charge.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1670624/uk-police-arrest-two-men-over-texas-synagogue-hostage-taking
--------
World
powers insist Iran deal still possible, but ‘time running out’
January
21, 2022
BERLIN:
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and European allies insisted it was still
possible to revive the Iran nuclear deal but said “time is running out”, after
talks in Berlin on Thursday.
Blinken
told reporters that negotiators working in Vienna to salvage the 2015 accord
with Tehran had seen “modest progress in the last couple weeks” but were taking
nothing for granted.
“My
own assessment, talking to all of our colleagues, is that returning to mutual
compliance, it remains possible,” Blinken said.
Speaking
at a joint news conference, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said
“urgent progress” was needed in talks aimed at rescuing the deal.
“The
window for finding a solution is closing,” she said.
“The
negotiations are in a decisive phase. We need urgent, urgent progress,
otherwise we will not be successful in reaching a joint accord.”
Her
French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, also in Berlin for talks focused
primarily on the Ukraine crisis, warned that “the negotiations cannot go on so
slowly” with Tehran.
He
complained that the progress in the meetings was “partial, timid and slow”,
adding it was crucial to now “pick up the pace” or risk failure.
Blinken
agreed it was a “decisive moment” in the negotiations, adding “time is running
out” to reach a deal.
Their
comments came a day after US President Joe Biden said it was “not time to give
up” on the talks with Iran, insisting “there is some progress being made”.
Negotiations
to restore the landmark accord between Tehran and world powers — the United
States, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany — began last year but
stopped in June as Iran elected ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi.
The
talks on the accord known as the JCPOA resumed in November.
Blinken
last week said there were only “a few weeks left” to save the deal and that the
US was ready to look at “other options” if the talks collapse.
The
deal offered Iran much-needed relief from sanctions that have crippled its
economy, in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1670627/world-powers-insist-iran-deal-still-possible-but-time-running-out
--------
Mideast
All
Muslims Must Be Vigilant Against Danger Of Takfirism: Iranian President
Jan
20, 2022
Speaking
on Thursday during a meeting with Rawil Gaynutdin, Chairman of the Council of
Muftis of Russia, Ebrahim Raiesi referred to the good relations between Iran
and Russia, and said, "This trip will be a turning point in economic,
political and especially cultural relations between the two countries".
The
President added, "Relations with the Muslims of Russia are of special
importance for the Islamic Republic of Iran".
Raisi
pointed out, "One of the characteristics of Russia is that the followers
of the divine and Abrahamic religions live together with their beliefs".
Raeisi
emphasized the high position of the mosque in Islam, noting, "Mosques are
the center of communication between Muslims, the centre of worship of God, a
place to inform people about issues and a place to create hope".
He
stated, "What we should be worried about today along with atheism is the
issue of extremism. Extremism and takfir are detrimental to Muslims".
The
President noted, "Some people have damaged the religion of God in the name
of Islam, and we must be sensitive to the takfiri movement".
"Our position and that of Russia in Syria
was not against the infidels, but against the agent of the Arrogance and the
Zionist Regime", he added.
Raeisi
also accepted the invitation of the Chairman of the Russian Mufti Council to
visit the Moscow Grand Mosque and stressed the need to prevent deviation among
Muslims.
Source:
Mehr News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/183100/All-Muslims-must-be-vigilant-against-danger-of-takfirism
--------
President
Rayeesi: Evil Alliance of US, Terrorist Groups Clear to World
2022-January-20
The
“evil alliance” of the US with terrorists is clear to the world, especially to
the nations of West Asia, from Syria to Afghanistan, Rayeesi said, addressing a
meeting of Russia’s State Duma in Moscow on Thursday.
He
warned of complex plots aimed at sending Takfiri terrorists on “new missions
from the Caucasus to Central Asia”, adding, “Experience has shown that it is
pure Islamic thought that can prevent the formation of extremism and Takfiri
terrorism.”
The
Iranian president emphasized that the resistance of nations is the main cause
of the failure of the policy of military occupation and the United States’
escape from Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The
idea of resistance serves the independence of countries. In modern times, the
concept of resistance plays a central role in deterrence equations,” he stated.
He,
meantime, said that the US is in the weakest position it has ever been, and
that its “strategy of domination” is in disarray thanks to the “resistance” of
independent nations such as Iran and Russia.
“The
strategy of domination has now failed, and the United States is in its weakest
position, and the power of independent nations is experiencing its historic
growth,” Rayeesi said.
“The
important thing in this age, which requires vigilance, is that the desires for
domination have not disappeared and new forms of domination are on the agenda,”
he added.
Rayeesi
said the new forms of domination are meant to weaken independent countries,
particularly through economic sanctions, and promote instability and
insecurity. “In such a way that they try to change the place of the oppressor
and the oppressed in public opinion,” he said.
The
president added that an international system based on domination has yielded no
result but war, violence, insecurity and division among nations.
Rayeesi
said Iran is determined to promote “maximum interaction” with all countries
around the world, specially its neighbors and allies.
“The
purpose and basis of this cooperation and interaction is the mutual interests
of nations and the increasing formation of a ‘civilized global community,” he
added, noting that such a goal can be achieved through cooperation among
“independent countries with high cultures and attention to the principles of
justice, morality and spirituality”.
He
said Iran’s policy of maximum interactions with independent states are
“original and will continue regardless of the developments in the international
environment”.
Reiterating
Iran’s will and readiness to expand relations with Russia, Rayeesi said there
are very clear horizons for cooperation between Tehran and Moscow at bilateral,
regional and international levels.
“Strengthening
Iran-Russia relations in bilateral and multilateral forms will boost the
economies of the two nations and strengthen regional and international
security,” the Iranian president added,
He
said economic and trade capacities of Iran and Russia along with their power
and influence in the geographical areas can strengthen the convergence between
the regions.
He
added that Iran and Russia have had a “successful” model of cooperation in
Syria which has also “ensured the independence of the countries and the
consolidation of regional security in the continuation of the resistance of the
Syrian people and government”.
Elsewhere
in his address, Rayeesi said imposing sanctions on nations is a common form of
new domination, stressing the importance of cooperation among independent
states and a collective response to counter such a policy.
“Otherwise,
sanctions will affect all countries, even US allies, under various pretexts,”
he added.
He
noted that the United States claimed that it has imposed sanctions on Iran over
the Islamic Republic’s nuclear activities, although it is clear to all that
Tehran’s nuclear program is legal and under the constant supervision of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“But
the reality is that in different historical periods of Iran’s development,
whenever our nation has raised the banner of nationalism, independence, or
scientific development, it has faced sanctions and pressures of the Iranian
nation's enemies,” Rayeesi said.
In
accordance with the fatwa of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed
Ali Khamenei, Iran does not look for a nuclear weapon, he added, emphasizing,
“Such weapons have no place in our defense strategy”.
The
chief executive warned that the US seeks to oppose the Iranian nation’s rights,
saying, “Our philosophy is also clear: ‘We do not relinquish the rights of our
nation.’”
“We
are not satisfied with anything less than our rights. The Islamic Republic of
Iran is serious about reaching an agreement if the other parties are serious
about lifting the sanctions effectively and operationally,” Rayeesi said.
Iran,
Rayeesi said, is the winner of two battlefields; one against terrorism and the
other against the American campaign of maximum economic pressure.
The
president said the country has “extensive economic potential, especially in the
fields of energy, trade, agriculture, industry and technology, which pave the
way for beneficial cooperation for any bilateral or multilateral interaction
with different countries”.
He
noted that basic agreements which have been signed between Tehran and Moscow
would set the stage for a significant leap in bilateral economic relations,
serve both nations’ interests and promote peace and stability of nations in
different regions.
“The
privileged geographical location of Iran, especially the north-south corridor,
can make trade from India to Russia and Europe less expensive and more
prosperous,” Rayeesi said.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
President
Rayeesi Calls for Increasing Iran's Share in Russian Market
2022-January-20
Addressing
the Iranian traders residing in Russia, President Rayeesi stressed the need to
reduce barriers to issuing export licenses, saying that Iran's share in the
Russian market can definitely be improved.
After
a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday,
President Rayeesi delivered a speech in a ceremony held in the presence of the
Iranian traders residing in Russia.
Travel
for Iranian citizens and students abroad should be facilitated and their
problems should be resolved, he said in this ceremony, calling on the Ministry
of Health and Medical Education and Ministry of Science, Research and
Technology to address the problems of the Iranian students.
All
Iranians in any part of the world should do their best to achieve growth and
development for their country, he also said, adding, "Great Iranian men
and women in the fields of science, culture, and art, as well as the
Resistance, made history that we can be proud of."
"If
we want to introduce the hero of the fight against terrorism to the world,
Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani is the figure that we would name,"
President Rayeesi stressed.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, he referred to his meeting with Putin, saying that common
issues in the fields of economy, the strong role of Iran and Russia in the
region, and the development of relations were discussed in the meeting.
Referring
to the possible ways for creating a suitable platform for Iranian goods in the
Russian markets, he said, "The Russian President also said that Iran's
share in the Russian market can definitely be improved."
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Warns of Deteriorating Situation in Occupied Palestinian Territories
2022-January-20
Addressing
a Security Council meeting on “the situation in the Middle East including
Question of Palestine”, Takht Ravanchi condemned the UNSC’s refusal to take the
Israeli regime to task over its war crimes and crimes against humanity
targeting the Palestinian people.
He
catalogued a litany of the regime’s criminal activities targeting the
Palestinians and others in the region over the past year, before lambasting the
Council’s inertia concerning Tel Aviv.
“The
situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory continues to deteriorate,
posing a threat to international peace and security,” Takht Ravanchi said.
The
official noted how the regime has slain as many as 341 Palestinians, including
86 children, across the Palestinian territories, adding that the number of the
minors, who had perished as a result of the regime’s brutality last year, was
the highest since 2014.
“These
measures constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, for which the
perpetrators of such crimes must be brought to justice,” Takht Ravanchi
asserted.
The
regime had also razed down 894 Palestinian-owned structures in 2021, which
resulted in displacing 1,179 people, he stated.
However,
it was “the inaction of the Security Council [that] has emboldened the Israeli
regime to continue its crimes against the oppressed people of Palestine,” the
envoy stated.
The
Security Council must oblige the Israeli regime to put an immediate end to its
systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, Takht Ravanchi underlined.
In
relevant remarks in December, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian
in a phone talk with Politburo Chief of Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas
Ismail Haniyeh underlined that the fake regime of Israel is the root cause of
the region’s entire difficulties and problems.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran,
Russia, China to stage Indian Ocean war games
20
January ,2022
Iran,
Russia and China will begin on Friday joint naval drills for three days in the
Indian Ocean, seeking to reinforce “common security”, an Iranian naval official
said Thursday.
The
announcement of the manoeuvres coincides with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's
official visit to Moscow, where he said Tehran has “no limits for expanding
ties with Russia”.
The
drills also come during talks in Vienna aimed at salvaging a 2015 nuclear deal
between Iran and world powers, including Russia and China. That agreement had
offered Tehran relief from crippling international sanctions in return for deep
curbs to its nuclear program.
Then-US
president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from the pact in 2018
and reimposed sanctions, leading Tehran to begin reneging on its commitments.
The
spokesman for the exercises, Admiral Mustafa Tajeddini, told state television
that they would include “the participation of 11 naval units from the armed
forces of Iran, three units from the Revolutionary Guards' navy, three units
from Russia and two units from China”.
He
added that they would take place over an area of 17,000 square kilometres
(almost 6,600 square miles) in the northern Indian Ocean.
Tajeddini
said they aim to “enhance capabilities and combat readiness, strengthen
military ties between the Iranian, Russian and Chinese navies, ensure common
security and counter maritime terrorism”.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Israeli
army detains 7 Palestinians including disabled man
Awad
Rajoub
20.01.2022
RAMALLAH,
Palestine
Israeli
army on Thursday detained seven Palestinians, including a disabled man.
According
to the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS), an NGO, the arrests took place in
the West Bank city of Jenin and Jerusalem.
Eyewitnesses
told Anadolu Agency that the army arrested a disabled man in Qabatiya town in
Jenin.
“The
Israeli army detained Abdul-Kader Khuzaymah, who is in his 60s and disabled. He
was arrested with his son,” eyewitnesses said.
The
Israeli army often arbitrarily detains Palestinians in the occupied West Bank
and East Jerusalem.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Africa
Sudan
military chief Burhan announces ministerial appointments: Sovereign council
20
January ,2022
Sudan's
military chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan appointed 15 ministers in the
government, a statement from the Sovereign Council said on Thursday.
Burhan's
appointments include Ali Sadek Ali for the foreign ministry and Mohammed
Abdallah Mahmoud for the energy portfolio.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Thousands
protest in Sudan against coup killings
20
January ,2022
Thousands
of Sudanese took to the streets Thursday in the capital to protest against the
killings of dozens in a crackdown since last year's military coup, an AFP
correspondent said.
The
demonstrations, largely in Khartoum, were the latest since the October 25 coup
led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, which derailed a civilian-military
power-sharing deal painstakingly negotiated in the wake of the 2019 ouster of
autocrat Omar al-Bashir.
The
latest protests come as the US has sought to bolster UN-led efforts to end the
violence and resume dialogue aimed at reviving a transition to full civilian
rule.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
On
Wednesday, US Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee and special envoy for the
Horn of Africa, David Satterfield, held meetings with the bereaved families of
people killed during the protests.
Protesters
converged on Thursday from several parts of the capital onto a main artery in
east Khartoum, according to the AFP correspondent.
At
least 72 people have been killed -- including many by live rounds -- during the
ongoing crackdown, according to a count by a pro-democracy group of medics.
Sudan's
authorities have repeatedly denied using live ammunition against demonstrators,
and insist scores of security personnel have been wounded during protests.
A
police general was stabbed to death a week ago.
The
coup has been met with wide international condemnation.
At
least seven protesters were killed on Monday alone, the medics said, in one of
the bloodiest days of anti-coup rallies.
Pro-democracy
activists launched calls for civil disobedience which saw many shops closed,
streets barricaded, and hundreds rallying across Sudan.
Prosecutors,
judges, university professors, and doctors have also joined in the civil
disobedience campaign, according to separate statements.
Phee
and Satterfield met with members of the Sudanese Professionals Association
(SPA), an umbrella of unions which were instrumental in the protests leading up
to the ouster of Bashir in April 2019.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Mali
revises its military agreements, signs new ones amid embargo
Aurore
Bonny
21.01.2022
DOUALA,
Cameroon
Mali’s
Interim President Assimi Goita discussed major reforms undertaken within the
army while speaking at its 61st anniversary Thursday in Kati, a town hosting
one of the country's largest military camps.
"New
agreements have been signed, always with the essential objective of securing
Malians and their property," said Goita, the head of the ruling junta.
The
transitional authorities have also requested a review of certain military
cooperation agreements, he said, without elaborating further.
Prime
Minister Choguel Maiga made a similar announcement earlier this month in an
interview on Malian state television, citing the need to review military
cooperation agreements between Mali and France.
"We
want to reread the unbalanced agreements that make us a state that cannot even
fly over its territory without authorization from France," he said.
The
announcements come at a time when the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) has placed member country Mali under an embargo by imposing border
closures and economic sanctions.
Even
the European Union has suspended its budgetary support to the Malian government
and has aligned itself with ECOWAS.
These
blocs blame the junta, which has been in power since August 2020, for wanting
to extend the transition period by five years, even though various related
agreements provide for elections in February 2022.
The
transition's leaders, in a country plagued by terrorism, have decided to take
matters into their own hands without relying on certain partners, notably
through these military adjustments.
Mali
also refused to allow a German military transport plane to fly over its
territory on its way to Niger, the German air force said Thursday on Twitter.
Maiga
previously said that the country is looking for a partner and has turned to
Russia, which provided 80% of its military equipment.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Sudan
agrees with US on 4 points to resolve its political crisis
Mohammed
Amin
21.01.2022
KHARTOUM,
Sudan
Sudan
and the US agreed on four points to resolve the North African country’s
political crisis, the Sudanese Sovereign Council said Thursday.
The
development came after US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
Molly Phee and David Satterfield, the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa,
met with the head of the Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The
four points include the commencement of an inclusive dialogue between all
Sudanese political parties in order to reach a national consensus to resolve
the crisis, the formation of a civilian-led government, amendments to the
transitional constitution and the conducting of free and fair elections by the
end of the transitional period, the Sovereign Council said in a statement.
The
US embassy in Khartoum said the two diplomats warned that Washington would
impose punitive measures on those who obstruct the realization of the agreed
points.
“The
assistant secretary and special envoy made it clear that the United States will
consider measures to hold accountable those responsible for failure to move
forward on these goals,” the US embassy’s statement read in part.
They
also underscored that the US will not resume paused assistance to the Sudanese
government “absent and end to violence and a restoration of a civilian-led
government that reflects the will of the people of Sudan.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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'Tunisia's
Supreme Judicial Council to keep working despite presidential decree'
Yosra
Ouanes
20.01.2022
TUNIS,
Tunisia
Tunisia's
Supreme Judicial Council announced that its members will "continue to
carry out their duties regardless" of President Kais Saied's decree to end
their privileges.
The
statement comes following a decree by Saied on Wednesday evening to "put
an end to the grants and privileges" granted to members of the Supreme
Judicial Council, a constitutional body monitoring the proper functioning of
the judiciary.
"We
hope that this presidential order will not be a means of putting pressure on
the Supreme Judicial Council," the head of the council, Youssef Bouzacher,
said in a statement to local Shams FM radio, noting that the constitution
grants the council “self-management”.
Bouzacher
said the council “will present its opinion on the decree” that “the
constitutional structure of the judiciary cannot be compromised."
Concerns
have been raised in Tunisia recently regarding the independence of the
judiciary in light of Saied’s statements that the judiciary is “a function of
the state,” and his allusion to the dissolution of the Supreme Judicial
Council.
On
July 25, Saied deposed the government, suspended parliament, and assumed
executive authority.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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North America
Council
On American-Islamic Relations Asks Pentagon Officials To Resign For Botched
Kabul Strike
20
January ,2022
Any
Pentagon official directly involved in a botched air strike in Afghanistan last
year should resign, including US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, a
Muslim-American advocacy group has demanded.
The
US-based Muslim body Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also called
for the resignation of "any military officials who had a direct role in
approving the drone strike that killed 10 civilians" in August.
CAIR
National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said the video shows "the
Pentagon launched a reckless attack that was guaranteed to kill innocent people
in a densely-packed neighbourhood."
"This
attack was not simply an honest mistake or a rare occurrence; it was the latest
in a long line of reckless drone strikes that have killed innocent people at
homes, weddings and funerals in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and
elsewhere," said Mitchell.
Pentagon
releases video
The
demand came a day after the Pentagon released a video of the attack.
The
New York Times obtained the footage through a Freedom of Information Act
lawsuit against US Central Command, which then posted the imagery to its
website on Thursday.
It
marks the first public release of video footage of the August 29 strike, which
the Pentagon initially defended but later called a tragic mistake.
The
videos include about 25 minutes of footage from what the Times reported were
two MQ-9 Reaper drones.
The
footage shows the scene of the strike prior to, during and after a missile
struck a civilian car in a courtyard on a residential street.
Indistinct
images show individuals moving in or near the attack zone.
"Any
Pentagon leaders who played a direct role in approving the horrific massacre of
these innocent people – including seven children – should take responsibility
by stepping down. If secretary Austin was directly involved in approving the
strike, he should resign," Mitchell added.
Source:
Trt World
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Not
possible to unite Afghanistan under one govt, says Biden
Anwar
Iqbal
January
21, 2022
WASHINGTON:
US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that he withdrew his troops from
Afghanistan because it’s not possible to unify the war-torn country under one
single government.
At a
White House news conference, Mr Biden also said that the United States was
“spending a billion dollars a week in Afghanistan for 20 years” and could not
afford to do so indefinitely.
The
Biden administration started pulling out troops from Afghanistan in August last
year, leaving behind a vacuum, filled by the Taliban. Taliban troops entered
Kabul on Aug 15 and replaced the US-backed government with their own. Since
then Taliban have ignored US appeals to include other political forces into the
government and to protect the rights of Afghan women and religious minorities
guaranteed in the US-backed Afghan constitution.
“Let’s
take Afghanistan. I know you all would like to focus on that, which is
legitimate,” said President Biden while responding to his government’s alleged
incompetence.
“Raise
your hand if you think anyone was going to be able to unify Afghanistan under
one single government,” he said. “It’s been the graveyard of empires for a
solid reason: It is not susceptible to unity.”
He
said when he took over the government in January last year he had to decide
whether to “continue spending that much money per week in the state of
Afghanistan, knowing that the idea that being able to succeed — other than
sending more body bags back home — is highly, highly unusual.” So, he decided
to leave Afghanistan, he added.
However,
opinion surveys conducted since the US withdrawal indicate that most Americans
are unhappy with the decision. A recent survey showed that “two-thirds of all
Americans and more than 7 in 10 veterans” were unhappy with the decision.
According
to the Brookings Institution, there are about 775,000 Afghan war veterans in
America, many with multiple tours of duty. “They are angry about the
withdrawal, 73 per cent feel betrayed, and 67 per cent feel humiliated,” the
Brookings added.
Reaching
out to those upset with his decision, President Biden said that there was no
way to get out of Afghanistan easily after 20 years. “Not possible no matter
when you did it. And I make no apologies for what I did,” he added.
Source:
Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1670623/not-possible-to-unite-afghanistan-under-one-govt-says-biden
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Democratic
US lawmakers urge Biden to overhaul counterterror rules
Michael
Gabriel Hernandez
21.01.2022
WASHINGTON
A
bicameral group of Democratic lawmakers urged President Joe Biden on Thursday
to overhaul the US' international counterterrorism operations, including its
drone targeting criteria, as he carries out a policy review.
"We
strongly urge your Administration to review and overhaul U.S. counterterrorism
policy to center human rights and the protection of civilians, align with U.S.
and international law, prioritize non-lethal tools to address conflict and
fragility, and only use force when it is lawful and as a last resort," the
lawmakers said in a letter to the president.
The
group of 11 senators and 39 from the House of Representatives who penned the
letter includes a wide swathe of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, including
Independent Senator Bernie Sanders who caucuses with the Democrats. The effort
was led by congressman Ro Khanna and senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris
Murphy.
The
letter said the Biden's administration has "an opportunity to end" a
repeated pattern of "civilian casualties arising from secretive and
unaccountable lethal operations" that has spanned multiple administrations
for the past two decades.
Instead,
they wrote, Biden should pursue a "rights- based counterterrorism strategy
that emphasizes the rule of law, with sufficient controls and limitations on
the use of targeted strikes; leads with diplomacy, peacebuilding, and human
rights; prioritizes the protection of civilians; and only uses lethal force
when it is lawful and as a last resort."
"The
continuation of status quo policies that have flouted Executive and
Congressional oversight and resulted in devastatingly high numbers of civilian
casualties would run contrary to the Biden Administration’s commitments to end
our forever wars, and promote human rights and our core democratic
values," they said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Arab World
Saudi-led
coalition starts operation in Yemen to 'paralyze Houthis capabilities'
20.01.2022
The
Saudi-led Arab Coalition in Yemen on Thursday announced a large-scale military
operation against Houthi rebels, state-run media said.
According
to the official Saudi Press Agency, the coalition has launched a
"widespread operation to paralyze the capabilities of the Houthis in a
number of (Yemeni) provinces."
It
said the military operation is being carried out in response to "the
threat and the principle of military necessity to protect civilians from
attacks."
The
news agency added that the coalition is also "tracking the terrorist
leaders responsible for targeting civilians," referring to Houthi leaders
and commanders.
Meanwhile,
the Houthi-run Saba News Agency said the coalition carried out four attacks on
al-Hudaydah city in western Yemen, as well as six more on Sanaa.
The
development comes days after the Iranian-backed Houthis claimed responsibility
for a deadly drone attack in Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE, a member of the
Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting the rebels since 2015.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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ISIS
gunmen kill 11 soldiers in east Iraq: Military source
21
January ,2022
Gunmen
from the ISIS extremist group attacked an army barrack in a mountainous area
north of Baghdad on Thursday, killing 11 soldiers as they slept, Iraqi security
officials said.
The
officials said the attack occurred in the al-Azim district, an open area north
of of Baqouba in the Diyala province.
he
circumstances of the attack were not immediately clear, but two officials who
spoke to The Associated Press said ISIS gunmen broke into the barracks at 3
a.m. local time and shot dead the soldiers.
The
officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorized to issue
official statements.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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ISIS
attacks Syria prison, freeing militants: Monitor
20
January ,2022
ISIS
attacked a Kurdish-run jail in northeast Syria on Thursday, freeing fellow
militants, a war monitor reported without specifying how many escaped.
A car
bomb hit the entrance of the Ghwayran prison and a second blast went off in the
vicinity before ISIS militants attacked Kurdish security forces manning the
facility, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
“A
number of prisoners managed to escape,” said the Observatory which relies on a
network of sources inside Syria. It did not specify how they managed to break
out.
Ghwayran
is one of the largest facilities housing ISIS fighters in northeast Syria,
Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman told AFP.
The
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the rare attack in a statement
but did not mention any prisoners fleeing.
“A
new insurgence and attempted escape by Daesh terrorists detained in Ghwayran
prison in al-Hasaka in conjunction with an explosion of a car bomb,” it said,
using an Arabic acronym for ISIS.
It
blamed the attack on “Daesh sleeper cells, who infiltrated from the surrounding
neighborhoods and clashed with the internal Security Forces.”
The
Observatory said the SDF has dispatched reinforcements to the prison and
cordoned off the area.
Aircraft
belonging to the US-led international coalition battling ISIS hovered over the
facility and dropped flares in its vicinity, the monitor added.
The
coalition was not immediately available for comment.
The
ISIS group’s self-declared caliphate, established from 2014, once stretched
across vast parts of Syria and Iraq and administered millions of inhabitants.
A
long and deadly military fightback led by Syrian and Iraqi forces with backing
from the United States and other powers eventually defeated the jihadist
proto-state in March 2019.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Shelling
kills four people in Syria's Afrin
20
January ,2022
At
least four people were killed and more than a dozen injured in shelling on the
Syrian city of Afrin and a separate rocket attack on its outskirts on Thursday,
medics at a local hospital and civil defense rescue workers said.
They
were the latest in years of attacks on the northwestern enclave controlled by
Turkey and the Syrian rebels it backs. There was no immediate claim of
responsibility for the assaults.
Turkey
has blamed previous attacks there on the Syrian Kurdish YPG group, which held
the Afrin area until Turkish forces seized the region in a cross-border
military operation in 2018.
The
shelling on Afrin city killed three people and wounded a dozen more people, the
medics and rescue workers said.
The
separate rocket attack on a car killed a woman and wounded three more people in
the town of Maryamayn on the ouskirts of Afrin, they added.
Turkish
forces responded by shelling Kurdish-held areas, media controlled by
Turkey-aligned rebels reported.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Turkey,
Qatar reached pending deal on Kabul airport security: Reuters
20
January ,2022
Turkey
and Qatar have reached an agreement on ensuring security at Kabul's main
airport should they be awarded the mission amid ongoing talks with the Taliban
government, Turkish diplomatic sources said on Thursday.
Kabul's
international airport is landlocked Afghanistan's main air link to the world.
Following the August takeover of Afghanistan by the hardline Taliban, Turkey
has said it would be open to operating it with Qatar but only if its security
demands are met.
Reuters
has reported that the United Arab Emirates also held talks with the Taliban to
keep the airport operational.
The
sources told reporters on Thursday that Ankara and Doha had agreed on a
security framework for the airport mission, but added talks continued on other
aspects such as financing.
“It
is expected for the Taliban to ensure security outside, and for whoever runs the
airport to ensure it inside,” one of the sources said. “The process is
continuing constructively,” the person said on condition of anonymity.
They
added that a delegation of Turkish and Qatari officials were holding talks on
the issue in Kabul this week.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Arabia’s Crown Prince meets Russian special envoy for Syrian settlement
20
January ,2022
Saudi
Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has received Russian special envoy
for Syrian settlement Alexander Lavrentiev, the official Saudi Press Agency
(SPA) reported on Thursday.
The
two reviewed the latest developments in Syria, as well bilateral relations
between the two countries, according to SPA.
“The
Russian envoy conveyed the greetings of [Russian] President Vladimir Putin to
His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Defense, while [the Crown Prince] conveyed his
greetings to [Putin],” SPA reported.
Minister
of State, Cabinet Member and National Security Adviser, Dr. Musaed bin Muhammad
al-Aiban and the Chief of General Intelligence Khalid bin Ali al-Humaidan also
attended the meeting.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Egypt
denounces forced evictions of Palestinian families by Israel
Diana
Shalhub
20.01.2022
Egypt
on Thursday expressed its "strong rejection" of the forced evictions
of Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah
neighborhood by Israeli authorities.
Egypt’s
Foreign Ministry denounced "Israeli authorities' demolition of a house and
a building in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood," terming the Jewish state's
"current attempts" to evict Palestinian families as "a violation
of the decisions of international legitimacy and international humanitarian
law, and a continuation of the policy of forced displacement of
Palestinians."
The
statement came after Israeli forces went to the home of the al-Salhiya family
on Wednesday, assaulted its occupants and demolished the house after a forced
evacuation.
The
family said they had been living in the home since 1948 after they were
expelled from the Ein Karen neighborhood.
Egypt
reiterated its "steadfast position on rejecting the settlement policy in
the Palestinian territories, whether through building new settlements or
expanding existing ones, (as well as) confiscating lands and displacing
Palestinians."
Cairo
warned that the continuation of Israel’s "unilateral measures undermines
the chances of reaching a two-state solution, and contributes to disturbing any
desired atmosphere for the establishment of a comprehensive and just peace in
the region."
The
Turkish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned the eviction of the al-Salhiya
family and other Palestinian families from their homes as contravening
international law and human rights.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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4 civilians
killed by YPG/PKK rockets on Syria’s Afrin
Ömer
Koparan, Ethem Emre Özcan
20.01.2022
AFRIN,
Syria
Four
civilians were killed and 10 others injured in rocket attacks by YPG/PKK
terrorist group on Thursday in the Afrin district in northern Syria.
The
terrorist organization staged its attacks from the Tal Rifaat city, which it
continues to occupy.
One
civilian was killed and two others injured when the terrorist group targeted
their car in the Maryamin village of Afrin.
The
attack was followed by six rockets targeting the streets of the Political
Boulevard, Ziyadiye, and Raju in Afrin district center. According to initial
reports, three civilians lost their lives and eight others were injured.
Since
the liberation of Afrin, the terrorist group has continued to target it from
Tal Rifaat, where a Turkish-Russian agreement signed in October 2019 requires
its withdrawal.
In
March 2018, the Turkish forces and the Syrian National Army managed, through
Operation Olive Branch, to liberate the Afrin region from the grip of YPG/PKK
terrorists after controlling it for six years.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/4-civilians-killed-by-ypg-pkk-rockets-on-syria-s-afrin/2480777
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