There Is No Constitution in Pakistan, It Should Be Governed By Sharia Law: Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Gave an Open Warning
New Age Islam News Bureau
28 July 2022
Photo: Newsday Express/
Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in Pakistan has once again warned the Pakistani Army
-----
• US Special Envoy Says No One in Tashkent Conference
Expressed Support for Taliban Recognition
• German FM Says ‘Every Human Right Has Been Taken
From Women and Girls in Afghanistan’
• Kanpur Muslims Decide Not to Take out Paiki
Procession in Muharram to Rule out Any Mischief
• Deputy PM of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Met
With a Number of Shia Scholars
Pakistan
• Fazlur Rehman announces ‘war’ against those
supporting Imran Khan’s politics
• Can Talk To TTP or Separatists, Not ‘Thieves’, Says
Imran
• Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah warns of
governor's rule in Opposition-ruled Punjab province
• Pak: Nawaz Sharif calls for early general election
after PML-N's heavy defeat in Punjab
--------
North America
• Senior US official admits Iran nuclear deal ‘highly
unlikely’: Report
--------
Europe
• EU foreign policy chief urges revival of Iran
nuclear deal
• Focus To Be On Partnerships during Saudi Crown
Prince's Visit to France
• The strategic partnership that underpins the
enduring Saudi-French relationship
--------
India
• Defying Threats from Fanatics, Muslim Trio, Brother,
Sister and a Lawyer Friend, Takes Part in Kanwar Yatra But Not Allowed To
Perform the Jalabhishek at Shivalaya
• T.J. Joseph Whose Hand Was Chopped Off By Radical
Islamists Wins Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
• No showering of petals on Muslims, they bulldoze our
houses: AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi
• Six Kashmiri Pandits killed by terrorists from 2020
till July 2022: Govt in Rajya Sabha
• 9 'civilian govt employees killed by terrorists in
J&K since Art 370 scrapped: MHA to Rajya Sabha
• Muslim tailors in Gorakhpur are busy stitching
clothes for Hindu ‘Kanwariyas’
-------
South Asia
• Taliban gets a promise of economic support from
Russia and Uzbekistan at the Tashkent conference
• Videos on social media show Taliban destroying
Pakistan-erected border signs: report
• Over 13 Million Afghan Children Need Humanitarian
Assistance: Save the Children Report
• US sanctions hindering Afghanistan’s progress:
Taliban
--------
Arab World
• Crown Prince’s Acropolis Visit Puts Saudi-Greek
Cultural Partnership in the Spotlight
• Iraq’s Shia Cleric Al-Sadr Likely to Veto New
Candidate, Mohammed al-Sudani, for Premiership
• Protesters enter Iraqi parliament, chant curses against
Iran
• UAE, Iran foreign ministers discuss ties, regional
security
• Deadlock gives Iraq record run without government,
hampering reforms
• Rockets target Turkish consulate in Iraq’s Mosul, no
casualties recorded
• Syrian, Russian militaries conduct joint air drills
• YPG/PKK continues to threaten safe zones in northern
Syria despite pledges from US, Russia
--------
Mideast
• Iran: UNSC's Inaction Emboldens Israel to Continue
Anti-Palestinian Crimes
• Israel Transfers Palestinian-French Lawyer To High-Risk
'Isolation' Prison for Writing To Macron
• Iran: Recently-Arrested Mossad Agents Planned to
Explode Sensitive Military Facility by Powerful Bombs
• Israel accuses Hamas of hiding weapons depots near
civilian buildings
• Iran's Khamenei says Western enemies stoking
anti-hijab protests
• Palestinians strive to stop Gaza shore erosion with
concrete and rubble
--------
Africa
• Palestinians Must Be Part of Regional Economic
Projects, Jordan King Tells Israel PM
• Bomb blasts in southern Somalia kill at least 20
• Terrorist attacks in Mali leave 66 dead
• Macron says France will equip Benin militarily
against terrorism
• 5 Tunisian parties reject results of constitutional
referendum
--------
Southeast Asia
• Don’t Let ‘Party-Hoppers’ Defend Their Seats, Says
Ahmad Maslan Of Malaysia
• Extending Sosma clause allows cops to better
maintain order, says IGP
• Dr M’s nephew denies receiving RM2.6mil from UKSB
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/constitution-pakistan-sharia-taliban-ttp/d/127591
--------
There Is No Constitution In Pakistan, It Should Be
Governed By Sharia Law: Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Gave an Open Warning
Photo: Newsday Express/
Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in Pakistan has once again warned the Pakistani Army
-----
By Bhagyashree
JULY 27, 2022
Islamabad/Kabul: The terrorists of Tehreek-e-Taliban
(TTP), who made the Pakistani army cry tears of blood, have given an open warning.
The TTP said that Pakistan’s leadership and army are not following the path
shown by Sharia law. The Pakistani military, judiciary and politicians
implement the Constitution rather than Sharia law. To persuade the TTP
terrorists, the Shahbaz Sharif government of Pakistan had sent a team of
Deobandi Ulema, which has been disappointed. These Ulema were sent by the
Pakistani army to Kabul by military aircraft but they did not get success.
A 13-member team of well-known Deobandi Ulema of
Pakistan met TTP Chief Mufti Noor Wali and other Taliban leaders. These Ulema
demanded the TTP to drop the demand of separating the tribal area Phata from
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The TTP rejected the request of the Pakistani
Ulema. This delegation was informed by the Pakistani Army about the demands of
the country. The Pakistani government wants the TTP leadership to give up
violence against the army, disband its organization and return to its
territory.
‘No trust in Ulema’s assurances in absence of army’
The Pakistani ulema, in their meeting, appealed to the
TTP leaders for Islam and the Quran and said that it is not religiously correct
to commit violence against the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In response, the
TTP said that it has made several demands from the Pakistani interlocutors. TTP
sources told Pakistani media that they have no faith in the assurances of the
Ulema in the absence of the army. They believe that the army is the real ruler
of Pakistan.
Sources said that the TTP leadership has put forward
8-point demands to stop the violence and has rejected the request of the Ulema.
This team of Pakistani Ulama will remain in Kabul till Wednesday and will make
a last effort to persuade the TTP. However, there is little hope of this. The
TTP said that Pakistan was formed on the basis of a treaty. This treaty is not
being implemented and the biggest obstacle in this is the military and
political leadership which is a legacy of colonialism.
TTP wants to rule FATA, the tribal area of Pakistan
Actually, TTP wants to rule over Fata, a tribal area
of Pakistan. His intention is that somehow the Pakistani army should be removed
from FATA and strikes will be launched all over Pakistan by making a launch pad
again. TTP says that Shahbaz Sharif’s government running in Pakistan is not
according to Sharia law. They want to implement a Sharia law like the Taliban
in Fata.
next articleShahbaz Sharif Hamza: Shahbaz Sharif
suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Imran Khan in Punjab, Nawaz-Zardari
trapped in Bajwa’s trap?
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Source: News Day Express
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
US Special Envoy Says No One in Tashkent Conference
Expressed Support for Taliban Recognition
Rina Amiri, the US Special
Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights in Afghanistan. Photo: The
Khaama Press
-----
By Saqalain Eqbal
27 Jul 2022
“No one” at the Tashkent international conference
pledged support for the Taliban’s recognition, according to Rina Amiri, the US
Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights in Afghanistan.
While at the conference, Rina Amiri stressed the
importance of upholding women’s rights, putting an end to abuse against all
religious and ethnic groups, and promoting an inclusive political process to
achieve security, economic strength, political prosperity, and peace.
Amiri disagreed with the assertion that Taliban
policies were influenced by Afghan culture. She has claimed that the majority
of Afghans seek prospects for jobs, education, and a better future for both
their sons and daughters.
She wrote that she was “heartened” by the
international community’s solidarity in promoting women’s rights to work and
the right of girls to an education, both of which are essential to
Afghanistan’s economic development.
“Whereas most called for an inclusive political
process, no one expressed support for Taliban recognition,” she wrote on
Twitter.
Before this, the Taliban’s acting foreign affairs
minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, stated on the opening day of the Tashkent
conference that the government of the Taliban is ready to interact with all countries
within the parameters of respect for one another.
He also urged the international community to ensure
better relations with them, galvanizing them to recognize their de facto
government.
The first official day of the Tashkent Conference on
Afghanistan started on July 26 in the capital of Uzbekistan. Attending the
conference are officials from more than 20 nations, including the US, and
international organizations.
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
German
FM Says ‘Every Human Right Has Been Taken From Women and Girls in Afghanistan’
Photo:
The Khaama Press: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
----
By
Saqalain Eqbal
27
Jul 2022
Under
Taliban rule, Afghanistan is experiencing the “biggest women’s rights
violations on Earth,” according to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
German
media reported on Tuesday, July 26, that Annalena Baerbock, the foreign
minister of Germany, had said that the Taliban’s rule over Afghanistan was a
unique instance of egregious human rights abuses.
She
also emphasized that women in Afghanistan are facing “the biggest violation of
women’s rights on the Earth,” and that a greater emphasis on Afghan women and
girls, whose lives “stopped” when the Taliban took power, is required.
Barred
from work and education, she expressed concern regarding the deteriorating
women’s rights in Afghanistan saying “every human right has been taken from
women and girls in Afghanistan.”
On
July 26, the German foreign minister told RFE/RL in Prague that the Western
pullout had been too quick, leaving the Afghan people “alone.”
Foreign
Minister Baerbock stated that providing military aid to the armed opposition to
the Taliban is “not on the agenda.”
She
stated that the country is in the grip of a humanitarian calamity and that
Germany is one of the greatest contributors of aid to help combat the crisis,
but she stated that there is no interaction with the Taliban-led
administration.
This
comes at a time when Afghanistan’s situation with regards to human rights and
women’s rights under the Taliban rule has worsened as girls are deprived of
attending school and women in the public sector are denied their right to work.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Kanpur
Muslims Decide Not To Take Out Paiki Procession In Muharram To Rule Out Any
Mischief
Muharram
procession
----
Jul
28, 2022
KANPUR:
With Kanpur still recovering from the June 3 violence and its after-effects,
members of the Muslim community in the city have decided not to take out the
Paiki procession this Muharram to rule out any mischief during the procession
which may end up in a law and order crisis.
The
procession continued uninterrupted for 225 years except in the past two years
due to Covid pandemic. This year, it was likely to resume.
Khalifa
Shakeel of Tanzeem Nishan-e-Paik Qasid-e-Husain and Achche Mian of
Tanzeem-Al-Paik Qasid-e-Hussein have been taking out the procession every year
with the help of donations from the people.
The
present in charge of the procession, Kafeel Qureshi (the successor of Achhe
Miyan), said Paiki procession won't be taken out this Muharram.
"Keeping
in mind the atmosphere of the city, it has been decided not to take out the
Paiki procession this year. We have pleaded with people to offer prayers at
their homes this Muharram and help maintain peace in the city," he said. A
similar decision has been taken by Khalifa Shakeel.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Deputy
PM of The Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan Met With A Number Of Shia Scholars
Deputy
to the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Mawlavi Abdul
Salam Hanafi, met with a number of Shia scholars, his office said in a
statement.
-----
July
28, 2022
KABUL:
Deputy to the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Mawlavi
Abdul Salam Hanafi, met with a number of Shia scholars here the other day, his
office said in a statement.
Representing
others Seyyed Mohammad Ali Jawid spoke about some social, cultural, security
and co-existence issues of Muslims and asked the officials of the Islamic
Emirate to pay serious attention to ensuring security during Muharram, said the
statement.
Deputy
Prime Minister Mawlavi Abdul Salam Hanafi welcomed Shia scholars to his office
and said the unity and sympathy between the followers of the religions and
sects of the Afghan nation is unique in our homeland and the enemies of Afghan
nation are trying to create gaps among the Afghan nation through fueling
insecurity, but the officials of the Islamic Emirate with the help of Allah
Almighty and the cooperation of the nation will not allow anyone to do such
things in the future, according to the statement. PM Hanafi asked Shia scholars
and elders to cooperate and coordinate with government authorities to provide
better security and play their positive role in the development of the country.
The Kabul Times
Source:
The Kabul Times
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://thekabultimes.gov.af/deputy-pm-hanafi-receives-shia-scholars/
--------
Pakistan
Fazlur
Rehman announces ‘war’ against those supporting Imran Khan’s politics
July
28, 2022
With
the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s coalition government losing in Punjab following
the Supreme Court’s verdict on Chaudhry Pervez Elahi’s election, the movement’s
chief has thrown down the gauntlet to his biggest opponent and critic, Imran
Khan, announcing a ‘war’ against his style of politics and those who support
him.
In
a briefing to journalists on Wednesday evening, Pakistan Democratic Movement
(PDM) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman took
aim at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his politics.
“You
have always done politics with support from the establishment, support from the
judiciary, support from aliens and charity from the people of India,” Rehman
said.
“Any
power which thinks that we will support them, they should hear us that we are
announcing war against them.”
“Who
are they? Opportunists benefitting from happenstance?” he thundered.
Difference
of politics?
Accusing
Imran of spreading lies and misinformation, Rehman said that all of his claims
have proven to be false.
“We
buried your government,” the PDM chief said, advising Imran to “worry about
your politics.”
“Worry
about your government in Punjab, it may last for just a few days,” Rehman said
cryptically.
He
went on to accuse Imran of depending on crutches to do politics.
“You
did politics with support from the US, NGOs and institutions, he said, while
cursing the kind of politics played by PTI.
“We
will not allow such politics to prevail in Pakistan at any cost,” he said,
asserting that they will bury it.
He
continued that they had buried Imran Khan’s government and his style of
politics.
“We
have buried his bogus narrative [of regime change],” he said, adding “we will
not allow their narrative to thrive at any cost.”
On
Imran’s claims that his regime was subverted through conspiracy, Rehman said
that those whom he was accused of orchestrating the conspiracy were the ones
who had nurtured him.
“The
American consulate paid your rent for eight years,” Rehman said, adding that he
was groomed by them.
Litany
of complaints
Detailing
a list of complaints, Rehman said that he did not have any complaints with
state institutions.
“But
we do have some reservations with a section of the institution,” he said, as he
gave a hint of their identity by describing them as on the other side of
Attock.
He
added that he also had a list of complaints from the federal government.
“Foreign
funding case, Malam Jabba case, helicopter case, BRT case, why have these cases
not been decided yet,” Rehman asked.
Accept
resignations of PTI MNAs
Rehman
also suggested that the National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf complete
his investigations into the resignations submitted by the PTI members of the
national assembly.
“We
have asked the national assembly speaker to conduct an investigation and to
accept the resignations of PTI members,” he said.
“This
is the prerogative of the national assembly speaker when he accepts the
resignations,” he said, adding if there are any lacunae in the laws, then there
should be legislation to address them.
Meeting
with Shujaat
In
his meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Chief Chaudhry Shujaat
Hussain the other day, Rehman said that they discussed various issues of
national importance.
Source:
Samaa English
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.samaaenglish.tv/news/40013438
--------
Can
talk to TTP or separatists, not ‘thieves’, says Imran
Syed
Irfan Raza | Wajih Ahmad Sheikh
July
28, 2022
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE:
Expressing his gratitude to the nation for what he called “foiling an
international conspiracy” by supporting his candidate, Parvez Elahi, in the
recent Punjab chief minister’s election, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)
Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday ruled out any possibility of sitting down
for talks with the ruling coalition.
“I
can talk to the [Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan], the separatists of Balochistan
and Sindh, but not with thieves. Will you speak to someone who robs your home?”
he said in his address on Wednesday night, which was being celebrated as a
‘thanksgiving day’ on the call of his party.
“Throughout
my life, I have witnessed such enthusiasm only once before, and that was during
the 1965 war; at that time, everybody thought that the nation was fighting. And
now, I saw the same enthusiasm among the masses during the by-polls in the 20
constituencies of Punjab,” he said.
Insisting
that he wanted good relations, even with US — which he accuses of trying to
engineer his ouster from power through a conspiracy — but urged the nation to
prefer “death to slavery”.
“I
do not want bad relations with the US, where we export more than any other
country and where a large number of the Pakistani community resides. But death
is better than slavery and we have to live with self-respect,” he added.
Saying
that general elections were the sole solution to the prevailing crises facing
the country, brought on by the ineptitude of the government that was imposed on
the nation through foreign conspiracy, Mr Khan vowed that once he comes into
power again, he would put the country on its own feet and would only ask
overseas Pakistanis and not the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial
assistance.
In
his remarks, which sounded like an early election speech, Mr Khan once again
expressed a complete lack of trust in the incumbent Election Commission of
Pakistan (ECP) and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja. He
continued to allege that Mr Raja was involved in rigging in the recent
by-elections for 20 seats of the provincial assembly, where his party won the
bulk of seats.
During
his speech, he also vowed to resume the Sehat Card and Ehsas Ration—two
flagship schemes launched by his previous regime in the province, upon his
return to power.
The
PTI chairman’s pledge to resume two major schemes in Punjab seemed to negate
the impression that he may seek to dissolve the assemblies of Punjab and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, where the party is currently ruling, to pressurise the federal
government to step down and announce general elections.
The
former prime minister, while commenting on recent decision of the Supreme Court
that made Pervez Elahi chief minister Punjab and nullified the victory of Hamza
Sharif in the recent election for the slot, said it was clear in the
Constitution that the parliamentary leader, not the party head, could decide
which side the party will vote for in the polls.
“But
leaders of the ruling coalition bashed institutions and the judiciary when the
decision came against them,” he said.
LHC
moved against PM
In
a major move against the ruling coalition in the centre, the PTI has filed a
petition in the Lahore High Court seeking the disqualification of Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Interior
Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan.
PTI’s
former lawmaker Andleeb Abbas and Advocate Hassaan Khan Niazi jointly filed the
petition saying the prime minister misused his powers and violated the
Constitution by allowing his son Suleman and nephew Hussain Nawaz, both are
proclaimed offenders, to meet Saudi crown prince during an official visit.
The
petitioners further stated that the prime minister took his cabinet members to
London to meet former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former finance minister
Ishaq Dar, both proclaimed offenders before the courts of the country.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1701947/can-talk-to-ttp-or-separatists-not-thieves-says-imran
--------
Pakistan's
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah warns of governor's rule in Opposition-ruled
Punjab province
Jul
27, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday warned of imposing
governor's rule in Punjab if his entry into the province was restricted, a day
after the Supreme Court declared former premier Imran Khan-backed candidate
Chaudhry Pervez Elahi as the chief minister of the politically important
region.
His
remarks came after divisive political and judicial wrangling, Elahi was sworn
in as the chief minister of the largest province early Wednesday morning by
President Arif Alvi.
Sanaullah
said the Cabinet discussed the issue of clamping governor's rule in Punjab in
case any restriction was imposed by the new Punjab government on the interior
minister or any other government official.
Separately,
addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he revealed that his ministry had
already begun drafting an order for the governor's rule, which is being
prepared by the interior ministry.
"If
my entry is restricted, it will be grounds for governor's rule," he
asserted, after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers had suggested
prohibiting his entry to the Punjab province.
Elahi
took oath as the chief minister of Pakistan's Punjab province following the
apex court's verdict that saw Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Hamza
Shehbaz, son of the prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, losing his status of the
"trustee" chief minister.
"The
summary to impose governor's rule is being drafted, and I - personally - have
started work on it," Interior Minister Sanaullah said while addressing a
press conference in Islamabad.
In
the widely anticipated judgement on a petition filed by Pakistan Muslim
League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Elahi, the apex court on Tuesday declared Deputy
Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari's controversial decision to reject 10 votes in the
Punjab chief minister's election as "illegal", citing Article 63-A of
the Constitution.
"The
Deputy Speaker's ruling is illegal. There is no legal justification for his
ruling," the Supreme Court said.
Hamza
was earlier declared the winner in the election though his Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz (PML-N) party did not have a majority in the Assembly after key
by-elections held on July 17.
Sanaullah
said the Supreme Court's decision had "created complications and
destabilised the political situation" because of which the rupee was
plummeting against the US dollar and the economy in a tailspin.
"Even
a second-grader would interpret Article 63-A - which is related to the
disqualification of lawmakers over defection - as saying that the votes of
dissident lawmakers would be counted in the election," the minister said.
He
added that the apex court's verdict contradicted the Election Commission of
Pakistan's decision to de-seat 25 dissident PTI lawmakers who had voted for
Hamza in the April 16 election, which was, in turn, based on the Supreme Court
order.
Hamza
should have remained the chief minister since the votes of those 25 dissident
lawmakers would not be subtracted from his tally in the April election,
Sanaullah said.
"It
is my opinion that the interpretation of Article 63-A will not sustain. Any
lawyer will say it amounts to rewriting the Constitution. It is not the Supreme
Court's authority to rewrite the Constitution and we will defend the
parliament's authority," he explained.
"This
situation is unfortunate and we want to restrict our words [...] An
independent, uncontroversial and impartial judiciary is any country's basic
need. No country can progress without it," the minister said.
The
three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justices
Ijazul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar announced the decision after refusing to form a
full bench as demanded by the coalition government. Pakistan's federal
government on Tuesday boycotted the proceedings after the apex court rejected
its plea for full bench.
Punjab
is Pakistan's second-largest province and any party ruling the key province
controls the politics of the country.
For
the PML-N, losing Punjab means losing the Centre. Political pundits believe
that the ruling coalition is now vulnerable.
The
move is a major blow to the Sharif-led government, which is now confined only
to the capital Islamabad since the Opposition party, Khan's PTI now rules the
sensitive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Punjab through Elahi.
Tuesday's
outcome provides a "massive opportunity" to PTI chairman Khan to
build further pressure on the rulers to call for fresh elections and also
corner the PML-N in Punjab which is considered a stronghold of the Sharifs.
When
asked whether the PML-N-led coalition government in Islamabad would find it
difficult to continue after losing control of the Punjab province, Sanaullah
said: "The federal government has its own role. It is present
everywhere."
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pak:
Nawaz Sharif calls for early general election after PML-N's heavy defeat in
Punjab
Jul
27, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif has urged for early
general elections while he discusses with the senior party leadership about
quitting the government at the Centre, media reports said citing sources.
This
comes after Supreme Court declared Pervaiz Elahi as Punjab's Chief Minister in
a recent verdict against the ruling of Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost
Mohammed Mazari.
In
a massive defeat of Hamza Shehbaz after the Punjab by-elections, the
three-member Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice Atta Bandial and
Justices Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Muneeb Akhtar, removed Hamza Shehbaz as Punjab's
chief minister.
It
has put up a new scenario for the party where it has power in the Centre but
Punjab, which is often known as the battleground province for the Sharifs, will
be now ruled by Pervaiz Elahi with help from Imran Khan's Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Nawaz
Sharif has discussed this several times with top leaders of the party including
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and also with the Pakistan Democratic Movement
(PDM). He suggested that staying in the government any longer looked set to
create more problems than resolving the issues in the absence of genuine
support the government should have received from all state organs, said
sources.
They
said PDM leaders, including Asif Ali Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, have so
far resisted the idea of quitting the government but this comes as Supreme
Court declared Pervaiz Elahi as Punjab's Chief Minister in a recent verdict
against the ruling of Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammed Mazari.
Sources
shared that Nawaz Sharif has told his party leaders about the option of
quitting the government in the Centre, confirming that the likely date and time
of October and November have been discussed at a great length and Nawaz Sharif,
Shehbaz Sharif and the government stakeholders are aware of the nature of these
discussions, The News International reported.
The
senior party leaders have discussed Nawaz Sharif's return to Pakistan before
the next general elections and a message has been conveyed to him that his
presence in Pakistan was necessary, the sources added.
Pakistan's
President Arif Alvi in the wee hours of Wednesday at the Aiwan-e-Sadar
administered the oath to Pervez Elahi as the new Chief Minister of Punjab.
SC's
three-member bench -- comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial,
Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Muneeb Akhtar -- had initially ordered Punjab
Governor Baligh ur Rehman to administer the oath to Elahi, however, he refused
to perform his duties.
Notably,
Hamza Shehbaz, son of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had defeated
Pervez Elahi in the Punjab polls and Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Mazari had
dismissed PML-Q's 10 votes after party head Chaudhry Shujaat urged them to vote
in favour of Hamza.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
Senior
US official admits Iran nuclear deal ‘highly unlikely’: Report
27
July ,2022
A
senior Biden administration official has said that the US does not believe the
nuclear deal with Iran will be revived, according to an article published on
Wednesday.
Brett
McGurk, the White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, said
that reaching a deal with Tehran was now “highly unlikely,” as per US sources
quoted by Axios.
McGurk
reportedly made his comments during a call last week with members of an unnamed
think tank, blaming the lack of success in reviving the 2015 nuclear deal on
Iran.
The
US sources told Axios that McGurk relayed that Iran wanted to “add something to
the pot” in reference to a potential deal.
Iran
had previously demanded the removal of sanctions issued by the Trump
administration and wanted the terror designation lifted against the IRGC.
Despite US Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley reportedly agreeing to the latter,
President Joe Biden quickly shot down the idea after overwhelming bipartisan
opposition among Capitol Hill lawmakers.
Malley
is scheduled to provide a classified briefing to the House Foreign Affairs
Committee on Thursday about where indirect talks with the Iranians stand.
As
for more concessions from the US, McGurk was quoted by Axios as saying: “We are
not going to do that.”
Moving
forward, and if no deal is reached, the US official said sanctions and
diplomatic isolation would be ramped up. According to McGurk, the use of any
force would be the last resort.
National
Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby said the Biden administration remained
committed to seeing that Iran never has nuclear weapons capabilities.
Kirby
told reporters that the negotiations were “pretty well complete… and it’s on
the table and the onus is now on Iran.”
He
added that Biden still believed diplomacy would be the best way forward to
ensuring Iran did not get a nuclear weapon.
But
the US would continue to make sure it had the ability to defend itself and its
allies “against the range of other Iranian threatening behavior,” Kirby said.
He mentioned Iran’s “burgeoning ballistic missile capability, which continues
to improve their support for terrorist groups, their threats in the maritime
environment.”
The
State Department and other Biden administration officials who have been
proponents of outreach to Iran still believe a deal is within reach and in the
best interest of the US.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
EU
foreign policy chief urges revival of Iran nuclear deal
Agnes
Szucs
27.07.2022
BRUSSELS
The
EU foreign policy chief on Wednesday urged parties to the Iran nuclear deal to
accept his latest proposal to revive the agreement.
In
a guest opinion piece in Britain’s Financial Times, Josep Borrell argued that
it is high time to restore the Iran nuclear deal in today’s current “turbulent
times.”
Over
the past 15 months of negotiations, “space for additional significant
compromises has been exhausted,” he argued.
Borrell
said his latest proposal offers “the best possible deal” since it addresses the
question of “sanctions lifting as well as the nuclear steps needed to restore”
the treaty.
Concluding
an agreement now would bring significant economic and financial dividends for
Iran once the US sanctions are lifted, he said.
It
would also “strengthen regional and global security” by contributing to
non-proliferation if Iran returns to compliance with the deal, he added.
The
Iran nuclear deal – officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA) – was signed in 2015 by Iran, the US, China, Russia, France, the UK,
Germany, and the EU.
Under
the agreement, Tehran committed to limit its nuclear activity to civilian
purposes and in return, world powers agreed to drop their economic sanctions on
Iran.
The
US, under then-President Donald Trump, unilaterally withdrew from the agreement
in 2018 and re-imposed the sanctions, prompting Iran to stop complying with the
deal.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/eu-foreign-policy-chief-urges-revival-of-iran-nuclear-deal/2646739
--------
Focus
To Be On Partnerships during Saudi Crown Prince's Visit to France
July
28, 2022
PARIS:
The visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Paris and his anticipated
meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron is a sign of the strength of
Saudi Arabia’s relationship with France and of the depth of the bonds of their
friendship.
The
most significant element of the visit is the timing, amid a turbulent
international and regional climate and only a few days after US President Joe
Biden’s trip to the Gulf.
The
crown prince’s visit illustrates the desire expressed by a number of nations,
including Saudi Arabia, to diversify cooperation with the rest of the world,
even in areas traditionally reserved for America.
In
this context, France holds a special place, given the regular and sustained
relations between Macron and the crown prince, as evidenced by the trip made by
the French leader to the Kingdom as part of his January tour of the Gulf.
In
Paris, while addressing various aspects of bilateral relations, the two leaders
will review the economic partnership and ways to strengthen it in sectors of
mutual interest.
During
their meeting in January, they agreed to strengthen the participation of the
private sector in economic exchanges, as well as the sharing of expertise and
the development of skills.
Vision
2030, initiated by the Saudi crown prince, and the France 2030 economic plan,
are vectors of opportunities and convergence.
The
respective commitments in the field of environmental and biodiversity
protection will also be on the agenda.
Macron
and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will once again emphasize the importance
of commitment to the fight against climate change on the basis of the Paris
Agreement. And the Kingdom’s own ambitious twin Saudi Green and Middle East
Green initiatives are firmly supported by France.
The
visit will also provide an opportunity to discuss cultural relations between
the two countries, an area in which Paris and Riyadh have succeeded in
establishing a fruitful cooperation for the development of the AlUla region.
The two leaders aim to grow the collaboration, particularly in the development
of museums, the preservation of heritage, and film production.
On
a more strategic level, energy security, in the context of the Russian invasion
of Ukraine, will be high on the agenda. A source suggested the Saudi crown
prince would give assurances to Macron over the Kingdom’s efforts to mitigate
the crisis.
France
will be looking to present itself as a major partner in view of the American
disengagement from the Middle East, and the Saudi desire to diversify partners
both on a military and economic level.
Talks
on the Palestinian issue are a certainty and the same goes for Lebanon, a
country mired in an endemic political crisis and inertia that has prevented
even its closest partners from coming to its aid.
The
other focus of discussions will be on the Iranian nuclear issue and its
regional repercussions. Macron has maintained that the solution to the impasse
involves a return as soon as possible to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
nuclear deal signed with Tehran in 2015.
In
this context, the meeting with the crown prince will give Macron the chance to
reaffirm to Saudi Arabia, and other countries in the region, that France is
ready to participate in the development of the outline of a new partnership.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2131061/saudi-arabia
--------
The
strategic partnership that underpins the enduring Saudi-French relationship
LAMA
ALHAMAWI
July
28, 2022
RIYADH:
The arrival of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in France on a
state visit continues a tradition of frequent high-level exchanges between the
two friendly countries.
The
strength of the political ties and strategic partnership between France and
Saudi Arabia is evident in the large number of visits undertaken by their
leaders and officials in recent years.
Since
2017, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has visited France once. During the same
period, France’s foreign minister has visited Saudi Arabia three times, while
French President Emmanuel Macron has visited the Kingdom once.
The
last official diplomatic visit occurred in December 2021, when President Macron
met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah as part of a tour of Gulf
countries.
Formal
relations between France and the Arabian Peninsula can be traced back to 1839,
when the former opened a consulate in Jeddah — its first diplomatic post in the
region.
Prince
Faisal bin Abdulaziz, the future king of Saudi Arabia, was the first member of
the royal family to pay an official visit to France in 1919. Full diplomatic
relations began when France recognized the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd, the
forerunner to the unified Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, established in 1932.
In
his role as foreign minister, Prince Faisal again visited Paris after France
became one of the first countries to recognize the kingdom.
In
1967, King Faisal visited French President Charles de Gaulle in Paris — his
first state visit as ruler of the Kingdom. Since then, the relationship between
the two countries has flourished and become closer than ever.
Numerous
agreements have been signed between them, from military assistance and advanced
technology to economy and cultural cooperation.
The
Kingdom’s relations with France are built on the common interests of
“preserving security in a troubled region, a common commitment to combating
terrorism, and a convergence of views on regional crises,” according to the
French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’s website.
Saudi
Arabia and France have robust business ties, as shown both by the economic history
and total trade volume between the two. In 2021, France imported $3.8 billion
worth of Saudi goods, while it exported $3.23 billion to the Kingdom, according
to the UN’s Comtrade international trade database.
Banque
Saudi Fransi is a Saudi joint stock company established by a Saudi royal decree
in 1977, and is associated with the French Credit Agricole Corporate and
Investment Bank. The bank now boasts more than 100 branches across the Kingdom
and more internationally.
The
Saudi-French Business Council, established in 2003, has held dozens of sessions
to discuss bilateral trade and investment.
The
two countries have not just engaged in economic relations with one another, but
have come together to assist other nations by providing joint economic relief.
In
April this year, Saudi Arabia and France announced a joint development fund to
provide $76 million for the development of food safety, health, education,
energy, water, and internal security forces in crisis-stricken Lebanon.
Perhaps
no sector of Saudi-French relations is sturdier or more readily observed than
that of joint cultural and artistic ventures. In 2018, Prince Badr bin Abdullah
bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia’s minister of culture, and Jean-Yves Le Drian, the
French foreign minister, signed an intergovernmental agreement to collaborate
on the development of the cultural and tourism destination AlUla.
Since
this agreement, France and Saudi Arabia have worked closely and intensely on
AlUla’s development. Also in 2018, the Royal Commission for AlUla signed an
agreement with Campus France to train 68 Saudi hospitality employees to work at
AlUla, and the next year, it was announced that the site would be home to a
luxury resort designed by award-winning French architect Jean Nouvel.
Ludovic
Pouille, the current French ambassador to the Kingdom, spoke to Arab News
earlier this month about the continuing cultural cooperation.
“In
2002, the very first Franco-Saudi archaeological excavation, led by the French
archaeologist Laila Nehme, was launched in Mada’in Saleh,” he told Arab News.
“This
year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of this cooperation, which has expanded
with no less than 16 Franco-Saudi archaeological missions in the Kingdom.”
He
noted that several agreements had been signed in recent years to open training
centers for Saudi youth in collaboration with the French Football Federation.
This
year in May, the Saudi-French Business Council hosted a high-level French
delegation representing the entertainment sector to discuss potential French
investment in the Kingdom’s flourishing entertainment industry.
Campus
France’s initiative is far from the only joint educational venture between
France and the Kingdom. In 2021, at a dinner in Riyadh, Bertrand Besancenot,
the then-French ambassador to Saudi Arabia, stated that 1,500 Saudi students
were studying at French universities, and that many of these universities
signed agreements aiming to boost the number of Saudi students in the country.
The
two states, both G20 members, also have clear visions for progress and
modernization. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched Saudi Vision 2030 in
2016, while France launched its own French Vision 2030 a few months ago. The
goals of both plans include energy transition to renewables, digital
transitions, and sustained economic growth.
France
has long stood in solidarity with the Kingdom in the face of military and
militant attacks on Saudi Arabia. In December 1979, France sent advisers from
its elite GIGN special police and trained members of the Saudi General Intelligence
Directorate who ended the siege of the Grand Mosque in Makkah by armed
fanatics.
In
March this year, France condemned attacks carried out on Saudi territory by the
Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi militia.
France
is also a major provider of defense equipment and technologies to Saudi Arabia,
a relationship underscored by the $12 billion in deals signed between the two
countries in 2015.
In
2019, Saudi Arabian Military Industries announced at a military exhibition in
Abu Dhabi that the Kingdom had signed an agreement with France’s Naval Group to
build warships in Saudi Arabia. Two years later, SAMI announced joint
investments with the French Airbus and Figeac Aero companies.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2131146/world
--------
India
Defying
Threats from Fanatics, Muslim Trio, Brother, Sister and a Lawyer Friend, Takes
Part in Kanwar Yatra But Not Allowed To Perform the Jalabhishek at Shivalaya
28th
July 2022
By
Narendra Sethi
DEHRADUN: Defying threats from Muslim fundamentalists
and warnings from the police not to take part in the Jal Abhishek
Mahashivaratri, a Muslim man named Aslam Rana, 32, has set an example of
communal harmony.
He
also vowed to keep taking part in the festival after he took a holy bath in
Haridwar.
However,
the devotion of Rana, his sister Kehkashan and lawyer friend Hina couldn’t be
fulfilled completely as they were not allowed to perform the Jalabhishek
(offering holy water) at Shivalaya.
The
police prevented them amid threats from fanatics.
“As
soon as word spread about our plan, a dozen policemen barged into our house at
night to make enquiries. But it didn’t dampen our spirits,” Aslam told this
newspaper.
The
trio had to return with Gangajal without offering Jal at Haridwar. They then
visited the temple at their village, Maanki.
Source:
New Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
T.J.
Joseph whose hand was chopped off by radical Islamists wins Kerala Sahitya
Akademi award
July
27, 2022
The
autobiography of professor T.J. Joseph, whose hand was chopped off by activists
of Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) for alleged blasphemy, has won
the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award-2021.
Joseph's
'Attupokatha Ormakal', a chilling account of the religious extremism and the
ordeal he underwent after the shocking incident in his life, shared the award
with M. Kunjaman's 'Ethiru' in the category of autobiography.
The
award was announced here on Wednesday by K. Satchidanandan, president of the
Akademi, and prof C.P. Aboobacker, its secretary. R. Rajashree and Vinoy Thomas
shared the award for best novel. Anwar Ali won the award for poetry. Devdas
V.M. won the award in the category of short story. Writers Vaisakhan and
professor K.P. Sankaran were selected for the Distinguished Membership of the
Akademi.
A
former lecturer of Malayalam literature at Newman College in Thodupuzha, Joseph
was attacked and his right hand was chopped off allegedly by activists of the
Popular Front of India in July 2010 while he, along with his mother and sister,
was returning home from church.
The
attackers told him that he was being punished for the alleged sacrilegious
undertones of one of the questions he had framed.
The
case was investigated by NIA and a special NIA court in 2015 had convicted 13
people, owing allegiance to the PFI.
Source:
The Week
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
No
showering of petals on Muslims, they bulldoze our houses: AIMIM leader
Asaduddin Owaisi
Jul
27, 2022
NEW
DELHI: AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi hit out at the BJP on Wednesday over the
showering of flower petals on Kanwariyas in Uttar Pradesh, saying this warmth
is not for Muslims, whose houses are bulldozed.
Talking
to reporters in the Parliament complex, the Hyderabad MP said all communities should
be treated equally.
"The
BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government is showering flower petals on Kanwariyas using
public money. We want them to treat everyone equally. They do not shower
flowers on us (Muslims). Instead, they bulldoze our houses. If you love one
community, you cannot hate another. If you have faith, then others also have
faith," the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief said.
Sharing
several news reports on Twitter on Tuesday about the Kanwar Yatra, Owaisi said,
"If a Muslim offers prayers in an open place even for a few minutes, it
leads to a row. Muslims are facing police bullets, custodial clashes, NSA,
UAPA, lynchings, bulldozers just for being Muslims."
Earlier
this month, senior officials showered flower petals on Kanwariyas in Uttar
Pradesh's Meerut.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Six
Kashmiri Pandits killed by terrorists from 2020 till July 2022: Govt in Rajya
Sabha
Jul
28, 2022
NEW
DELHI: As many as 6 Kashmiri Pandits were killed by terrorists in Jammu and
Kashmir during 2020, 2021 and 2022, the minister of state for home affairs,
Nityanand Rai told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
In
a written reply presented in the Upper House, Rai also shared details of the
deaths. He said 4 Kashmiri Pandits lost their lives in 2021, in encounters that
happened in Kulgam, Pulwama and the main city of Srinagar.
As
per latest available records, a total of 6,514 Kashmiri Pandits were residing
in the Valley till July 20, 2022.
As
per the data, maximum of 2,639 Kashmiri Pandits are residing in Kulgam
district, followed by 1,204 in Budgam, 808 in Anantnag, 579 in Pulwama, 455 in
Srinagar, 320 in Shopian, 294 in Baramulla, 66 in Bandipora and 19 in Kupwara.
This
information is significant at a time when several people, including many
Kashmiri Pandits, have been a victim of targeted killings in the Valley since
last year. There have also been reports of Kashmiri Pandits leaving the Union
Territory.
The
minister further added that "no Kashmiri Pandit has left the Kashmir
Valley during 2022".
In
a separate reply, he informed the Upper House that since the repeal of Article
370 in August 2019, a total of nine government employees, including one
Kashmiri Pandit lost their lives in terror-related incidents in J&K.
Rai
also said that the central government has a policy of zero tolerance against
terrorism and the security situation has improved significantly in the Union
territory.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
9
'civilian govt employees killed by terrorists in J&K since Art 370
scrapped: MHA to Rajya Sabha
Jul
27, 2022
NEW
DELHI: The government on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that 9 civilians
employed with the government, including a Kashmiri Pandit, were killed in
terror-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since the nullification of
Article 370 in 2019, even as terrorist attacks in the UT dipped to 229 in 2021
from 417 in 2018.
MoS
Nityanand Rai said one Kashmiri Pandit each was killed by terrorists in J&K
in 2020 and till July 20 this year, while 2021 saw 4 Kashmiri Pandits getting
killed.
In
reply to another question, Rai said no Kashmiri Pandit has left Kashmir Valley
during 2022 and, in fact, their numbers in the UT have grown from 6,432 in 2019
to 6,514 as on 20.07.2022.
The
MoS clarified that Kashmiri Pandits employed under the Kashmir Migrants
(Special Drive) Recruitment Rules, 2009 notified on December 30, 2009, are
required to work within Kashmir Valley and are not eligible for transfer
outside the Valley under any circumstances.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Muslim
tailors in Gorakhpur are busy stitching clothes for Hindu ‘Kanwariyas’
Syed
Ali Mujtaba
27th
July 2022
There
are numerous tales of communal harmony to be told from India in the torrid
times when Hindu- Muslim polarization is constructed on the Indo- Gangetic
plains to erect the edifice of the Hindu Rashtra.
This
story comes from Gorakhpur, UP, where many Muslim families right now are
engaged in making clothes and bags for
the ‘Kanwariyas’ who go on pilgrimage to
worship Lord Shiva during the monsoon to Sultanganj in Bihar.
The
Kanwariyas travel hundreds of miles to fetch holy water from the Ganga and
retake the journey back to make offerings at different local shrines of Lord
Shiva.
The
annual pilgrimage is made in July which coincides with the “Sawan” month of the
Hindu calendar. The Kanwariyas travel on their pilgrimage wears saffron-color
attire in their long devotional journey.
There
are many Muslim families in Gorakhpur that start preparation for ‘Kanwariyas,’
stitching the clothes and bags, months before the start of the pilgrim season.
The Muslim families first soak the white cloth into an orange that has Shiva in
ocher and then go on to sew these clothes. The cloth bags are also decorated
with printed images of Lord Shiva on them.
These
Muslim families make the clothing ready in their homes for the middlemen to
pick them up and sell in the market. These are sold in the adjoining districts
of Gorakhpur and are even sent to Bihar.
The
Muslim families living in Gorakhpur’s Piprapur, Rasulpur, Zafar Colony, and
Elahibagh locality earn three to four lakhs rupees every season stitching the
‘Kanwariyas’ clothing. This is a major source of their income and covers the
daily expenses of their livelihood for the entire year.
The
Covid 19 had a serious impact on the business of those families that survived
stitching saffron garments. There were restrictions on the ‘Kanwariyas’
movement since 2020, and as a result, the Muslim families of Gorakhpur had to
suffer due to the loss of orders. However, thanks to the changed situation in
2022, the ‘Kanwariyas’ pilgrimage once again started. So the demand for orange
clothes and bags has once again increased, giving work to the Muslim families
of Gorakhpur.
This
year the Muslim tailoring communities are happy that their business has revived
after facing troubling times. They feel this has happened due to divine
blessings. They are offering special discounts to the ‘Kanwariyas,’ as they see
some spiritual connection between the pilgrims and their activity. The Muslim
cloth makers feel that if they can do something good for the devotees of Shiva,
they may be rewarded with more opportunities to earn their livelihood.
There
is a reason for such belief. Some 13 years ago when a poor ‘Kanwariya’
approached Mohammad Kaleem, a tailor at Zafar Colony in Tiwaripur locality of
Gorakhpur to make a dress and a bag for him to go for the ‘Bol Bum’ pilgrimage,
Kaleem made for him but when he asked for money he got none. Kaleem gave the
stitched cloth to this poor ‘Kanwariya’ free of cost. To his surprise, the next
day this man came with a dozen ‘Kanwariyas’ for their dresses and they all paid
Kaleem the due amount. Kaleem and his entire community since then remain busy
making dresses for ‘Kanwariyas’ every monsoon season.
Every
year, thousands of ‘Kanwariyas’ travel from Gorakhpur to Sultanganj in Bihar to
collect water from the holy Ganges river in vessels placed in decorated
‘Kanwar’. They wear special saffron apparel and also carry saffron cloth bags
stitched by the Muslim tailors of Gorakhpur.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Taliban
gets a promise of economic support from Russia and Uzbekistan at the Tashkent
conference
Jul
27 202
By
Rahul Kumar
New
Delhi, Jul 27: The Taliban government heading the Islamic Emirates of
Afghanistan, which is still struggling for international recognition, got a
boost after Russia decided to cancel duties on Afghan imports and also resume
supply of oil and grain to the country.
News
agency UNI reports that Zamir Kabulov, the Russian Special Envoy for
Afghanistan, announced this at the 'Afghanistan: Security and Economic
Development' organised by Uzbekistan to discuss the security and humanitarian
situation in its conflict-ridden neighbour. Nearly 20 countries including India
attended the two-day conference.
UNI
reported that Russia said that as humanitarian aid was not enough to support
Afghanistan, it was ready to develop economic relations and trade with
Afghanistan.
The
Taliban delegation led by acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi got the
support it was looking for as Uzbekistan gave a call for unfreezing
Afghanistan's blocked foreign reserves.
Afghan
news agency Pajhwok reported that Uzbek Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov also
appealed for unblocking Afghanistan's foreign reserves which would enable the
country to restart its economy.
Appealing
to the Taliban delegation to heed calls for the formation of an inclusive
government, Pajhwok quoted the minister as saying: "Afghanistan should no
longer pose a threat to the region's countries and to the international
community as a whole."
Participating
countries at the conference, which include Special Representative for
Afghanistan Thomas West and Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human
Rights Rina Amiri, seek an assurance from the Taliban that the Afghan soil will
not be used by terror groups against its neighbours. They are also keen that
the Taliban government include minorities and women in the government to make
it more inclusive.
India
was represented by JP Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, in
charge of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
Last
month, India deployed a "technical team" at its embassy in Kabul
after having withdrawn its officials in August 2021 after the takeover by the
Taliban. New Delhi, however, held several meetings with the Taliban starting with
Qatar talks as far back as August 2021 itself. India has been sending
humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in the form of food and medical supplies.
India
also delivered emergency relief to the country in the wake of the June
earthquake that killed over 1,000 people.
The
Tashkent conference took place even as a social media campaign "Ban
Taliban" raged on Twitter the past three days. The hashtag
"BanTaliban" was the top trend on Twitter in Afghanistan along with
Pakistan, India, the US and many other countries. The campaign followed Meta,
earlier called Facebook, banning Taliban-related content on its platform which
prompted Afghans to launch the "Ban Taliban" campaign on Twitter.
The
Taliban will complete one year of the takeover of Afghanistan after it toppled
the Ashraf Ghani government on August 15, 2021. Since then, the Taliban has
banned girls from education and have cracked down on former soldiers and
minorities, igniting fears in the neighbourhood that the country may once again
see a spill over of terror into the region.
Source:
Daiji World
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=983252
--------
Videos
on social media show Taliban destroying Pakistan-erected border signs: report
27
July, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], July 27 (ANI): A number of new videos have surfaced on social
media showing the members of the Taliban destroying the border signs along the
Durand Line in Wakhan and Badakhshan, a media report said amid the rising
tension over the border dispute.
In
another video, one person can be heard saying Pakistan is apparently trying to
capture the only source of water in the region, TOLOnews reported without
confirming the exact recording time and location of these videos.
The
ties between Taliban-led Afghanistan and Pakistan have been frosty of late and
matters have been exacerbated by recent border tensions. These videos have
emerged amid an ongoing standoff on the border between the Balochistan and
Nimroz Provinces of the two countries.
“Both
sides refused to move from their respective positions and the Taliban commander
of Zakir Camp Qari Hamidullah informed the Pakistan Army that he was under
instructions not to negotiate and demanded the removal of poles intended for
fencing on the Durand Line,” said Toronto-based think tank International Forum
For Rights And Security (IFFRAS).
“This
event is the latest in a series of incidents on the border. In response,
Pakistan refused to remove the poles and also threatened to destroy Zakir Camp
if Afghanistan maintained an aggressive posture,” it added.
Earlier
this month, Taliban-appointed Afghan Defence Minister said that the country
will not allow any other country to act aggressively against Afghanistan.
The
refusal to accept the status of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan by
the Taliban regime has clearly shown the cracks in the relationship between the
two countries.
During
his visit to the Durand Line in Paktia province, Mawalwi Mohammad Yaqoob
Mujahid said the Taliban wants good ties with all neighbouring countries and
expects the same from them.
Regional
analysts believe that Pakistan has committed a strategic blunder in thinking that
the Taliban, which the country helped in fighting a US-backed Afghanistan for
over two decades, will fulfil Islamabad’s wishes.
After
Pakistan backed the Taliban for over two decades to gain Afghanistan’s control
back, it seemed like a legitimate expectation of Islamabad that the Taliban
will show some gratitude and accede to Pakistan’s wish list on a range of
issues.
However,
the Taliban have so far not shown any signs of acceding to these wishes.
Rather, on several occasions, rejected Pakistan’s demands including the one to
recognize the Durand Line.
According
to the Canadian think tank, ‘borders’ that have remained porous for centuries
have suddenly been shut down, dividing clans and families.
Source:
The Print
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Over
13 Million Afghan Children Need Humanitarian Assistance: Save the Children
Report
By
Saqalain Eqbal
28
Jul 2022
A
Save the Children report suggests that 24.4 million people in Afghanistan,
including 13 million children, are in immediate need of humanitarian aid.
According
to a study from the Save the Children organization released today, Wednesday,
July 27, 18.9 million people, including 9.2 million children in Afghanistan,
are anticipated to experience an emergency or critical food insecurity between
June and November 2022.
Save
the Children’s report cited the United Nations Development Program stating that
97% of the Afghan population faces the prospect of living in poverty and
falling below the poverty line.
Acute
malnutrition affects 1.1 million Afghan children under the age of five,
according to the report.
Covid-19,
measles, acute watery diarrhea (AWD), and dengue fever are among the numerous
disease emergencies Afghanistan is currently dealing with.
A
significant contraction of the economy, rising poverty, and financial
instability, as well as high unemployment and high food and agricultural input
prices, have been caused by the rapid drop in international grant support, loss
of access to offshore assets, and disruption of financial links.
In
addition, the Ukraine crisis has had a significant impact on how much food
costs rise and become out of reach for many Afghans.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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US
sanctions hindering Afghanistan’s progress: Taliban
27
July, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], July 27 (ANI): Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan
Muttaqi said that the US-imposed sanctions have hindered the progress of the
country and asked the United States government to release Afghanistan’s Central
Bank assets.
Speaking
at the Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan on Tuesday, Muttaqi claimed that the
ongoing US sanctions and decades-long war are the main reasons for the poverty
in the country. He added that the Islamic Emirate government is now ready to
engage with the world based on mutual interest, Khaama Press reported.
“The
20-year war affected our country, our economic system is under US economic
sanctions,” Muttaqi said, reported TOLOnews.
“This
action has not only prevented the transaction of money but also diminished the
activities of our government which benefits only the people,” he added.
According
to Muttaqi, if the economic sanctions were lifted then it would be the best way
to normalize the relationship between the two countries, and the move would
leave a positive impact on the mind of the Afghan people.
“We
call on the US to release Afghanistan’s Central Bank assets without any
conditions and lift economic sanctions on Afghanistan,” he said. “This is the
main step for normalization of relations. This will have a positive impact on
the minds of the Afghans toward the US.”
Meanwhile,
Anas Haqqani, a senior member of the Islamic Emirate, also a part of the
delegation, said that the world saw Afghanistan as a necessity.
He
further said that countries like China, Russia and others have raised their
voice to defend Afghanistan and have also asked for the release of the
country’s assets, reported Khaama Press.
Meanwhile,
the Deputy National Security Adviser of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov stressed
the need for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, saying a
joint venture is needed to eradicate terrorism in Afghanistan.
“The
formation of an inclusive government means the inclusion of all tribes in
Afghanistan particularly women,” he said. “This can help in the betterment of
the current situation. We should cooperate with each other in countering the
terrorism in Afghanistan.”
The
Tashkent conference on Afghanistan comes at a time when the Taliban government
is continuing to push for formal recognition. But so far no country has granted
it, though diplomats of Pakistan, Iran, China and Russia – including a number
of other international countries – are operating in Afghanistan.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/us-sanctions-hindering-afghanistans-progress-taliban/1057524/
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Arab World
Crown
prince’s Acropolis visit puts Saudi-Greek cultural partnership in the spotlight
July
28, 2022
RIYADH:
When Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman paid a visit on Tuesday
night to the archaeological site of the Acropolis in Athens, the purpose was
more than to take in the greatest architectural and artistic complex bequeathed
by Greek antiquity to the world.
The
crown prince went to the Acropolis Museum, where he and Kyriakos Mitsotakis,
the Greek prime minister, witnessed the signing of a memorandum of
understanding between Saudi Arabia and Greece for cooperation in the cultural
field.
The
agreement was signed from the Saudi side by Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan
Al-Saud, the Kingdom’s culture minister, who previously visited Athens in May
2021 to discuss aspects of cultural cooperation.
During
his visit to the Acropolis, the crown prince, who was accompanied by Prime
Minister Mitsotakis and Dr. Lina Mendoni, minister of culture and sports of
Greece, was briefed on the ancient buildings, areas and theaters contained
within the archaeological site.
Those
include the Erechtheion, the Belvedere, the Parthenon, the Theater of Dionysus,
and the ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus theater.
Later
in the evening, the crown prince was honored with a dinner banquet at the
Acropolis Museum hosted by Mitsotakis. Opened to the public in 2009, the
world-famous archaeological Acropolis Museum houses Bronze Age, Roman and
Byzantine artifacts discovered at the site of the Acropolis.
Hosting
the agreement-signing ceremony at this venue was rich in symbolism. “This has
never happened before,” Adonis Georgiadis, the Greek minister for development
and investment, told Arab News on Tuesday ahead of the Saudi crown prince’s
arrival in Athens.
“We
have never signed an MoU with any other country in the world in the Acropolis
Museum. And this is just a (message) from our prime minister to the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia to show how we feel, that you are something very exceptional to
us.”
The
Saudi-Greece annual trade relationship of almost $1 billion includes the
exchange of cultural goods, services and skills. One of the main initiatives to
come out of a strengthened Saudi-Greek cultural relationship are “Cultural
Weeks” to be held in both countries.
These
events could facilitate collaborative outcomes such as cultural heritage
exchanges, art exhibitions and festivals
During
Prince Badr’s previous visit, both Greece and Saudi Arabia pledged to work
together to protect tangible and intangible heritage, counter illicit
trafficking of cultural property and manage the impacts of climate change.
“As
Saudi Arabia’s cultural transformation continues at pace, we welcome closer relations
with our Greek friends,” Prince Badr had said after meetings with Mendoni.
“Both
our countries have a deep and rich heritage, stretching back millennia, and a
shared outlook on the positive power of cultural exchange, and the need for its
protection and preservation. As the Kingdom looks to share its culture with the
world, Greece’s insight and experience has much to offer us.”
In
the run-up to the Saudi crown prince’s visit, Alexis Konstantopoulos, Greek
ambassador to Saudi Arabia, told Arab News: “We have deep-rooted ancient
civilizations and tourism, because people-to-people relations are extremely
important and Greece is a very touristic country.
“On
culture, hopefully we’ll be able to do groundbreaking things together. We can
explore the possibilities to do archaeological excavations and the setting up
of museums together.”
Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s delegation included the ministers of energy,
sports, foreign affairs, culture, trade, investment, telecommunications and
information technology, as well as the national security adviser.
The
official engagements on Tuesday evening began with a formal reception ceremony
for the crown prince at Maximos Mansion, the official seat and residence of the
prime minister of Greece.
Afterward,
the two leaders held a bilateral meeting, during which Mitsotakis welcomed the
crown prince and wished him and the Saudi delegation a pleasant stay.
Later,
Mitsotakis and the crown prince held an expanded meeting in the presence of the
delegations of the two countries.
The
two leaders witnessed the signing of the agreement to establish the Saudi-Greek
Strategic Partnership Council, besides the exchange of a number of bilateral
agreements and memoranda of understanding between the two countries.
The
deals sealed by the two sides included:
an
agreement in the field of energy
an
MoU for cooperation in the field of sports
an
agreement on cooperation in the fight against crime
an
agreement to protect and encourage investment between the two countries
an
MoU for cooperation in the health field
an
agreement for cooperation in the military field
an
MoU in the field of scientific and technical cooperation
a
technical cooperation program in the fields of standards and quality
an
agreement of cooperation in the field of documents and archiving, and
a
submarine cable agreement.
The
agreement in the field of energy, signed between Saudi Minister of Energy
Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Nikolaos Dendias, the Greek minister of foreign
affairs, sets a framework for cooperation in the fields of renewable energy,
electrical interconnection, exporting electricity to Greece and Europe, and
clean hydrogen and its transfer to Europe, according to a Saudi Press Agency
report.
The
agreement will also look at working together in the areas of energy efficiency
and the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, while adopting the circular
economy approach to carbon and technologies to reduce the effects of climate
change.
Both
countries will explore the scope of reusing, transporting and storing the gas,
as well as capturing carbon directly from the air.
As
for the submarine cable agreement, it is designed to promote digital
transformation and innovation in the fields of energy, including cybersecurity,
while working to develop qualitative partnerships to localize materials,
products and services related to all energy sectors and their associated supply
chains, and technologies.
Concurrently,
a strategic partnership was announced between the private sectors in the two
countries to build a data cable project linking East and West, in a way that
would ensure the smooth digital supply of data globally at a time when the
world is witnessing an annual growth rate in data traffic of more than 30
percent.
Another
high point of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit was the Saudi-Greek
Investment Forum, held in Athens on Wednesday and attended by ministers and
representatives of the private sector from both sides.
The
forum discussed ways to enhance investment and economic cooperation between the
two countries in all sectors. Dialogue sessions were held to discuss various
topics, including communications, transport, logistics and energy.
Khalid
Al-Falih, the Saudi minister of Investment, attended a meeting of private
sector representatives, alongside Minister of Communications and Information
Technology Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha and Minister of Commerce and Acting
Minister of Media Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi.
The
meeting culminated in the signing of 21 investment agreements in the fields of
logistics, transportation, defense, renewable energies, manufacturing,
environment services, aquaculture, import and export, engineering and
agriculture.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2131006/world
--------
Iraq’s
Shia Cleric Al-Sadr Likely to Veto New Candidate, Mohammed al-Sudani, for
Premiership
Haydar
Karaalp
27.07.2022
BAGHDAD
Iraq’s
firebrand Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and leader of the Sadrist Movement is
likely to thwart the nomination of Mohammed al-Sudani as Iraq’s new prime
minister, analysts say.
Al-Sudani,
52, was selected by the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Shia groups
close to Iran, as a candidate for Iraq’s premiership. Concerns, however, grow
that al-Sadr, whose movement won last year’s general elections, might veto his
nomination.
Al-Sadr
has already announced that he will not accept al-Sudani to form a new
government, leaving him at the risk of a possible veto.
-Supporters
of Al-Sudani
Al-Sudani,
a former Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, was elected a member of
parliament for three consecutive elections under former Prime Minister Nouri
Al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition.
He
enjoys the support of former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi as well as Ammar
al-Hakim, the head the National Wisdom Movement and Qais Khazali, the leader of
Asaib Ahl al-Haq - a powerful Shia faction.
The
political wing of Iraqi Hezbollah and other militia leaders also showed their
support for al-Sudani’s nomination for premiership.
The
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) also voiced support for the new prime
minister candidate while the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by Masoud
Barzani and the Sovereignty Alliance, the largest Sunni bloc in Parliament,
have not yet expressed their position on al-Sudani’s nomination.
Kurdish
presidential dispute
Although
an agreement has been reached among Iraq’s political forces regarding the prime
minister candidate, there is still uncertainty about the presidency.
According
to Iraq’s quota system, a Kurd is elected for the presidential post.
Arafat
Karam, KDP Secretary General, has reiterated that Rebar Ahmed is their
candidate for Iraq’s presidency. This statement shows that the Kurds have not
yet agreed on a single candidate for the post.
Although
some sources state that the KDP and PUK can agree on a common candidate, there
are speculations that the PUK still insists on Barham Salih for the presidency.
If
the Kurds field two separate candidates for a parliamentary vote, the scenario
of 2018 may eventuate. At that time, KDP and PUK participated in the
presidential race with separate candidates, and PUK's candidate, Barham Salih,
won the race and became president.
Doomed
to failure
"Prime
Minister candidate al-Sudani will fail to form a government even if he does not
face a veto from al-Sadr,” Iraqi political analyst Ahmet Yasiri told Anadolu
Agency.
Yasiri
attributed the prospected failure to a rift within the Coordination Framework
that led to announcing al-Sudani as a candidate.
“The
tripartite alliance comprising al-Sadr, KDP and Sunnis had prepared a program
to form a government.
However,
the Coordination Framework will need to negotiate a government program with the
political groups by giving everyone a share in the Cabinet in order to be able
to form a government,” Yasiri said.
Yasiri
also pointed out that al-Sadr could also call his supporters to stage mass
protests against al-Sudani, which could lead to street clashes.
In
2019, the Sadrist bloc staged mass demonstrations that led then Prime Minister
Adel Abdul Mahdi to eventually resign.
"Even
if al-Sudani’s government survives for one year, it will be overthrown by the
street like Mahdi," the political analyst asserted.
Iraq’s
to-be-elected president will assign the new prime minister with forming the
government. The prime minister is obliged to present his Cabinet lineup to the
Parliament within 30 days.
A
quota was set up in Iraq by Paul Bremer, who was appointed head of the
Coalition Provisional Authority (Iraq’s post-invasion U.S.-led interim
government) in 2004.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Protesters
enter Iraqi parliament, chant curses against Iran
Jul
27, 2022
BAGHDAD:
Hundreds of Iraqi protesters breached Baghdad's parliament Wednesday, chanting
curses against Iran, in a protest against the selection of a nominee for prime
minister by Iran-backed parties. Many protesters were followers of an influential
cleric. Some were seen walking on tables and waving Iraqi flags.
No
lawmakers were present. Only security forces were inside the building and they
appeared to allow the protesters in with relative ease.
The
breach came amid the biggest protest since Iraqi elections were held in
October. The demonstrators were protesting the recent nomination of Mohammed
al-Sudani as the official nominee of the Coordination Framework bloc, a
coalition led by Iran-backed Shiite parties and their allies.
Earlier
Wednesday, demonstrators, many among them the followers of an influential
cleric, breached Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone to protest the
selection of a nominee for prime minister by Iran-backed parties.
Riot
police used water cannons to repel demonstrators pulling down cement blast
walls. But many breached the gates to the area, which houses government
buildings and foreign embassies.
The
demonstrators walked down the zone's main thoroughfare, with dozens gathering
outside the doors to the parliament building.
Riot
police assembled at the doors to the main gates. Demonstrators crowded around
two entrances to the Green Zone, with some scaling the cement wall and
chanting, "Sudani, out!"
Caretaker
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called for calm and restraint, and for
protesters to "immediately withdraw" from the area.
The
demonstrators were largely followers of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada
al-Sadr, who recently stepped down from the political process despite having
won the most seats in the October federal election. Protesters carried
portraits of the cleric.
In
2016, al-Sadr supporters stormed the parliament in a similar fashion. They
staged a sit-in and issued demands for political reform after then-Prime
Minister Haidar al-Abadi sought to replace party-affiliated ministers with
technocrats in an anti-corruption drive.
Al-Sudani
was selected by State of Law leader and former premier Nouri al-Maliki. Before
al-Sudani can face parliament to be seated officially as premier-designate,
parties must first select a president.
Al-Sadr
exited government formation talks after he was not able to corral enough
lawmakers to get the majority required to elect Iraq's next president.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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UAE,
Iran foreign ministers discuss ties, regional security
27
July ,2022
The
UAE foreign minister and his Iranian counterpart discussed boosting bilateral
ties and areas of cooperation during a phone call on Wedensday.
According
to the official Emirates News Agency WAM, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian “exchanged views on a number of international and regional
issues of common concern.”
Sheikh
Abdullah reportedly highlighted the UAE’s desire to enhance the security and
stability of the region.
Iran’s
state-run IRNA news agency reported that its foreign minister “assured [Sheikh
Abdullah] about the seriousness of both Tehran and the EU in the negotiations
to remove the sanctions.”
Amir-Abdollahian
added that “the EU is continuing its efforts aimed at the success of the talks,
and Iran, too, is seriously pursuing efforts aimed at reaching a good and
sustainable result,” according to IRNA.
Earlier
in July, the UAE President’s diplomatic adviser said the country is working to
send an ambassador to Tehran as it seeks to rebuild bridges with Iran, adding
that the idea of a confrontational approach to Iran was not something Abu Dhabi
supported, Reuters reported.
The
UAE started engaging with Iran in 2019 following attacks on tankers off Gulf
waters and on Saudi energy infrastructure and has held direct talks ever since.
Last
month, after the UAE voiced concerns over Iran’s nuclear program, the Iranian
foreign minister “pointed to the priority of neighbors in Iran’s foreign policy
and called for more consultation ... to expand bilateral ties,” Reuters
reported, citing state media.
As
for the nuclear deal, the EU’s foreign policy chief said Tuesday he has
submitted a draft text of a deal on Iran’s nuclear program, urging parties to
accept it or “risk a dangerous nuclear crisis.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Deadlock
gives Iraq record run without government, hampering reforms
27
July ,2022
Iraq
marked its longest post-election deadlock on Wednesday as infighting among Shia
and Kurdish groups in particular prevents the formation of a government,
hampering reforms needed as the country struggles to recover from decades of
conflict.
More
than nine months since an October election, lawmakers tasked with choosing a
president and prime minister looked no closer to an agreement, bringing the
country to a record 290 days without a head of state or cabinet.
The
last longest deadlock was in 2010, when after 289 days Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki got a second term.
The
outgoing government of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi continues to run the
country. If parties cannot agree on a new government, Kadhimi might stay on as
caretaker until new elections can be held.
The
paralysis has left Iraq without a budget for 2022, holding up spending on
much-needed infrastructure projects and economic reform.
Iraqis
say the situation is exacerbating a lack of services and jobs even as Baghdad
earns record oil income because of high crude prices and has seen no major wars
since the defeat of Islamic State five years ago.
“There's
no government, so there's no budget, streets remain potholed, power and water
are scarce and there's poor healthcare and education,” said Mohammed Mohammed,
a 68-year-old retired civil servant from the southern city of Nassiriya.
The
same conditions Mohammed described fuelled mass protests across Baghdad and
southern Iraq in 2019.
Demonstrators
demanded the removal of parties that have been in power since the 2003 US-led
invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, accusing them of rampant
corruption that has stopped Iraq moving forward. Security forces and militiamen
killed hundreds of protesters and the protests fizzled out in 2020.
Kadhimi
took office as a compromise candidate in response to the demonstrations,
promising to punish killers of protesters and hold an early election which was
held on Oct. 10.
Most
of those who protested have given up hope for change.
“Whatever
government forms, it'll be made up of the people and parties who killed our
friends,” said Ali al-Khayali, an anti-government activist who participated in
the demonstrations.
Squabbling
parties
Iraqi
government formation often takes months and requires the buy-in of all main
political parties.
Since
Saddam was toppled, Shia parties which represent the country's demographic
majority have held the post of prime minister, Kurds the presidency and Sunnis
the role of parliament speaker.
Sharpening
divisions within those groups have made this process especially long.
In
the Shia camp, the biggest October vote winner, populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr
withdrew his 74 lawmakers from parliament last month after he failed to form a
government that would exclude his Shia rivals, most of whom who are backed by
Iran and have heavily-armed paramilitary wings.
Sadr's
withdrawal ceded dozens of seats to those parties, but he has indicated he
could stir up unrest among his millions-strong popular base - and his own
militia - if they try to form a government he disapproves of.
A
few hundred Sadr supporters pulled down a concrete barrier and entered the
Green Zone, home to government buildings, on Wednesday. There were no clashes
but a water cannon was used to try to disperse them.
Sadr
this month effectively vetoed the candidacy of his arch-rival Maliki, accusing
the former premier of corruption in a Tweet.
Sadr's
rivals have floated another candidate, Mohammed Shiya al-Sudani, for prime
minister, but Sadr might also oppose his candidacy because he is an ally of
Maliki.
“Sudani
is just a shadow of Maliki,” said a member of Sadr's political party, who spoke
on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to give statements to
the media.
Disagreement
among the main Kurdish parties that run the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in
northern Iraq meanwhile prevents the selection of a president - who, once
chosen by parliament, names a prime minister.
The
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party has held the presidency since 2003.
Their
rivals, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which claimed the largest number
of Kurdish votes by far, are insisting on their own candidate for president.
Neither side appears willing to budge.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Rockets
target Turkish consulate in Iraq’s Mosul, no casualties recorded
27
July ,2022
Rockets
hit the vicinity of the Turkish consulate in Iraq’s main northern city of Mosul
causing damage but no casualties, Iraqi and Turkish sources said Wednesday.
The
overnight fire came after deadly shelling blamed on the Turkish army killed
nine civilians last week, prompting anti-Turkish protests in cities across
Iraq.
Four
rockets hit, causing damage to cars parked in the street near the consulate,
provincial lawmaker Shirwan Dobardani told AFP.
There
was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Turkey,
which denied its forces were behind last week’s artillery bombardment and
instead blamed the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), condemned the overnight
rocket fire.
“We
condemn this attack, in which no casualties were reported, in the strongest
terms,” the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.
“We
firmly request from the Iraqi authorities to fulfil their responsibilities in
protecting diplomatic and consular missions.”
The
ministry said it was a “grave and noteworthy development that this attack was carried
out during the UN Security Council meeting, which was held upon the call of the
Iraqi authorities.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Syrian,
Russian militaries conduct joint air drills
27
July ,2022
Syria’s
defense ministry on Tuesday released footage of its army’s air force conducting
joint drills with key ally Russia.
Moscow
is a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, and the Russian army played a key
role in pushing back armed opposition groups from overthrowing his government
in Damascus over the past 11 years.
It
since boasts a formidable military presence in the war-torn country, where
hundreds of thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the conflict.
This
is the third documented joint drill between the two countries since Russia
invaded Ukraine earlier this year.
Syrian
paratroopers trained in coordination with Russian trainers.
Earlier
this month, Syrian and Russian military pilots conducted drills across the
country, including near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
In
February, the two countries conducted a drill a week before Russia began its
invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow
sent long-range nuclear-capable bombers and fighter jets with hypersonic
missiles to Syria to conduct naval drills in the Mediterranean Sea.
Though
much of the fighting has subsided in government-held Syrian territories.
Israel
has conducted hundreds of airstrikes over the years, though it rarely
acknowledges or discusses such operations.
When
it does, it says it is targeting bases of Iran-backed militias that have
supported the Assad government, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and arms
shipments reportedly belonging to them.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
YPG/PKK
continues to threaten safe zones in northern Syria despite pledges from US,
Russia
Ethem
Emre Ozcan and Omer Koparan
27.07.2022
Despite
the US and Russian assurances, the YPG/PKK terror group still threatens safe zones
in northern Syria near Türkiye’s border.
The
terror group, which has its base in Aleppo's Tal Rifat district, remains a
threat to northern Syria's safe zones.
Besides
that, for the past six years, YPG/PKK terrorists have occupied Tal Rifat, which
is located 18 kilometers (about 11 miles) from the Turkish border.
Since
2016, the YPG/PKK has killed hundreds of civilians, mainly by targeting
hospitals, schools, and crowded civilian settlements in its attacks.
Meanwhile,
the YPG/PKK terrorists often target Turkish security forces providing security
in the areas of Operation Euphrates Shield, and Olive Branch, and try to
infiltrate positions of Syrian opposition fighters from Tal Rifat that the
terror group was supposed to withdraw from the areas under agreements with the
US and Russia.
Terrorists
are also using heavy weapons in their attacks in the Tal Rifat district and
villages, including Sheikh Issa, Ayn Daqnah, Kafr Khasher, Taanah, and Menagh.
The
YPG/PKK terrorism caused the displacement of approximately 250,000 civilians in
Tal Rifat in 2016, forcing them to seek refuge in areas close to the Turkish
border.
Since
2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across
its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and
enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive
Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Mideast
Iran:
UNSC's Inaction Emboldens Israel to Continue Anti-Palestinian Crimes
2022-July-27
"The
Security Council to force the Israeli regime to immediately cease its
systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,"
Ershadi said while addressing a meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday.
"The
Security Council’s inaction has emboldened the Israeli regime to continue its
crimes against the oppressed Palestinian people as well as its aggressions and
malicious activities against the regional countries. The lack of accountability
for such serious violations contributes to this impunity,” she added.
The
the full text of Ershadi's speech before the UN Security Council is as follows:
Mr.
President
The
situation in occupied Palestine remains dire, as the Israeli regime's brutality
and grave and systematic violations of human rights against the Palestinian
people continue unabated.
According
to the UN report, the Israeli regime continues to kill innocent people, including
women and children, seize and demolish Palestinian homes, and forcibly evict
Palestinians from their homes. At the same time, in blatant violation of
international law as well as pertinent UN resolutions, the establishment of
settlements in occupied Palestine continues.
The
recent assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh, a veteran Palestinian journalist,
was in line with Israel's long-running, well-documented campaign of harassment,
intimidation, and violence against journalists with the ultimate goal of obscuring
the atrocities committed by the Israeli regime against Palestinians.
Meanwhile,
the UN annual report on the Protection of Children in Armed Conflicts revealed
that the Israeli regime continues to commit the most systematic and flagrant
violation of children's rights in the Middle East. This regime murdered 86
Palestinian children and imprisoned 637 more in 2021.
Mr.
President,
The
humanitarian situation in Gaza is tragic. According to the UN report, nearly 2
million Palestinians are 'locked in,' with the vast majority unable to access
the rest of occupied Palestine or the outside world. Longstanding Israeli
policy on access restrictions against Gaza has egregiously impacted its
economy, resulting in high unemployment, food insecurity, and reliance on aid.
As
a collective punishment against all its inhabitants, the continued blockade of
Gaza constitutes a clear manifestation of war crime and crime against humanity.
In accordance with international law, the blockade must be lifted immediately
and completely.
Furthermore,
the Israeli regime's destabilizing activities against regional countries are
continuing. The regime continues to violate Syria's sovereignty and territorial
integrity through its prolonged occupation of the Syrian Golan, as well as numerous
attacks against civilian targets and civilian infrastructure within Syria,
including the recent terrorist attacks against Damascus International Airport
on June 10, 2022.
The
Israeli regime also continues to occupy and violate Lebanese territory in a
flagrant violation of international law and the relevant UN resolutions,
particularly Security Council resolution 1701.
We
strongly condemn such grave violations and malevolent and destabilizing
activities, which clearly threaten the peace and security of the region.
The
Security Council's inaction has emboldened the Israeli regime to continue its
crimes against the oppressed Palestinian people as well as its aggressions and
malicious activities against the regional countries. The lack of accountability
for such serious violations contributes to this impunity.
The
Security Council must uphold its Charter obligation to maintain international
peace and security. The Council is expected to implement its own resolutions
and compel the Israeli regime to immediately cease its systematic violations of
human rights and international humanitarian law.
Finally,
The Israeli regime's representative has once more abused this forum and made
false accusations against my country, all of which are categorically rejected.
These unfounded allegations are intended to distract attention from the
continuous atrocities and violation of international law committed by the
Israeli regime in occupied Palestine and other countries in the region.
The
weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Israeli regime have made this
regime even more dangerous for the entire region.
This
regime's nuclear arsenal, according to multiple reports, comprises 400 hundred
warheads, including thermonuclear weapons. It has access to all weapons of mass
destruction delivery systems. The Israeli regime has even threatened nuclear
annihilation against the countries in the region. It has refused to adhere to
any weapons of mass destruction disarmament or control regimes, as well as the
repeated international calls to join the NPT, accept the Comprehensive
Safeguard Agreement, and submit its nuclear programs to the IAEA inspections.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
transfers Palestinian-French lawyer to high-risk 'isolation' prison for writing
to Macron
28
July 2022
The
Israeli regime has transferred Palestinian-French human rights defender and
lawyer Salah Hammouri to a higher-risk isolation prison facility following his
recent letter to French President Emmanuel Macron.
Hammouri
was classified as a prisoner “with a high degree of danger” and transferred to
an Israeli isolation prison facility called “Hadarim” as a punishment for
writing to the French president, Palestine's official Wafa news agency reported
on Wednesday, citing the Justice for Salah Campaign.
“In
the past 10 days, the Israeli occupation prison administration classified HRD
and lawyer Salah Hammouri as ‘Sagav’, which means a prisoner with a high degree
of danger. This entails excessive harassment with the use of hand- and foot
cuffs in addition to repeated night raids to the prisoner’s cell where forces
turn everything upside-down,” the campaign said in a statement.
The
statement added that the Israeli regime had taken the punitive measure after
Salah’s letter to Macron, “addressing him as a fellow French citizen, reminding
him of his obligations as head of state to ensure his immediate release and end
of persecution.”
“Arbitrary
classification and transfer are yet another measure of persecution against
Salah and against anyone who tries to get their sounds heard,” the statement
stated.
Hammouri,
37, was arrested in March 2017. An Israeli military court sentenced him to
administrative detention for defending Palestinian rights and accused him of
endangering "security in the region."
He
has spent nearly nine years in Israeli jails in separate arrests. Hammouri was
denied entry into the occupied city of West Bank for more than two years.
In
November 2021, the Irish-based rights organization Front Line Defenders, also
known as the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights
Defenders, said in a report that six devices used by Palestinian rights
activists “were hacked with NSO Group's Pegasus spyware.” Hammouri was one of
the six targeted individuals.
In
April, Hammouri and rights groups filed a complaint in France against
surveillance firm NSO Group for having "illegally infiltrated" his
mobile phone.
Earlier
last month, Israel extended the detention of the Palestinian lawyer for 3 more
months, just one day before his planned release, pressing ahead with its
so-called policy of administrative detention to keep Palestinians behind bars.
There
are reportedly more than 7,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Hundreds of
the inmates have been incarcerated under the practice of administrative
detention. Some prisoners have been held without a charge for up to 11 years.
Palestinians
and human rights groups say "administrative detention" violates the
right to due process since the evidence is withheld from prisoners while they
are held for lengthy periods without being charged, tried, or convicted.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran:
Recently-Arrested Mossad Agents Planned to Explode Sensitive Military Facility
by Powerful Bombs
2022-July-27
On
Saturday, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry announced that members of a
terrorist group affiliated with Mossad were identified and arrested by the
country's security forces before they could take any action to carry out acts
of sabotage.
The
intelligence ministry issued another statement on Wednesday giving more details
of the operation that foiled the terror attack inside Iran by the Zionist
regime’s notorious spy agency Mossad.
The
statement said "the Mossad terrorists wanted to blow up a sensitive
military site in Iran".
"Those
who were supposed to carry out this plot were members of the anti-Iran
terrorist group Komoleh which now works as a mercenary and proxy group for
Mossad," it added.
The
intelligence ministry noted that "its agents, after arresting the
terrorists, let them to remain in touch with Mossad’s officers in order to
identify and apprehend other members of this terror ring".
The
ministry achieved its goal and captured the other members of the cell, the
statement said.
"The
terrorists had so many weapons and pieces of equipment that they had to inset
them into appliances carried by human porters across the border," it
added.
"These
weapons included 8 highly powerful bombs for the detonation of the main target
and 8 smaller bombs for destruction of the equipment the terrorist ring was
carrying after completing their mission," the statement read.
A
number of firearms with silencers and also makeup tools as well as a large
amount of foreign currencies were seized from the terrorists. Other items
confiscated from them were fake Iranian and foreign ID documents, it announced.
The
intelligence ministry stated in its statement that despite the fact that the
plot was foiled, it reserves the right to respond to this conspiracy by the
Zionist regime.
Iran:
Terrorists Unable to Achieve Goals by Assassinating
Scientistshttps://t.co/smPoM68Ip7 pic.twitter.com/jvHlw8UK70
—
Fars News Agency (@EnglishFars) July 23, 2022
Iranian
nuclear scientists and sites have been the target of the Western and Israeli
spy agencies' terror and sabotage attacks in recent years, but, Iranian
intelligence bodies say they have managed to thwart a large number of these
plots.
Back
in June, a plot by Mossad to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists was defused
after security forces arrested three agents of the spy agency.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
accuses Hamas of hiding weapons depots near civilian buildings
27
July ,2022
Israel
published images on Wednesday which officials said showed weapons depots and
tunnels in Gaza near a school, a Pepsi factory and other buildings and accused
the Palestinian militant group Hamas of deliberately hiding them in civilian
areas.
The
military’s Southern Command released drone footage and coordinates which it said
showed tunnels and weapons production sites in densely populated civilian areas
including near al-Shifa hospital and the Islamic University of Gaza.
Other
sites included a UN-run school, a medical clinic, a library and mosques.
“Hamas
launches attacks from within population centers and targets population centers
– the world must be aware of this crime against humanity and must exact a heavy
price from Hamas,” Defense Minister Benny Gantz said.
He
said Israel would act with “precision and force” to defend its citizens.
Hamas,
the radical group which governs the Gaza Strip, rejected the statement.
“These
are lies the occupation is circulating to justify its crimes against innocent
civilians during the wars it conducted against Gaza,” said Hamas spokesman Hazem
Qassem.
“We
warn that these lies may be a pretext to commit more crimes against civilians,”
he said.
Gaza,
a densely populated strip of land where some 2.3 million people live on a patch
of 365 square kilometers (140 square miles) has been a constant point of
conflict ever since Hamas took control of the area in 2007.
Israel
has fought five conflicts with Gaza since 2009, the most recent an 11-day war
in May 2021, when Hamas fired thousands of rockets into Israel and Israel
pounded the strip with airstrikes.
At
least 256 Palestinians were killed and almost 2,000 wounded in Gaza during the
conflict, while 13 people were killed in Israel, according to figures cited by
the United Nations.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran's
Khamenei says Western enemies stoking anti-hijab protests
27
July ,2022
Iran's
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Western adversaries on Wednesday
of being behind a movement among Iranian women activists to challenge the
government's obligatory Islamic dress code.
On
July 12, Iranian rights activists urged women to publicly remove their veils on
the government's “National Day of Hijab and Chastity”, risking arrest for
defying the Islamic dress code as the country's hardline rulers crack down
harder on “immoral behavior”.
“Recently,
on the pretext of hijab, they have raised the case of women again...Suddenly,
the propaganda machine and the...media of the US and Britain and some other
places, and their mercenaries and followers, go on the attack,” Khamenei said
in remarks carried by state media.
“The
enemies' goal is to spread doubt among the people... and shake their faith,
which is the main factor in maintaining the country and the Islamic system,”
Khamenei said in a speech to Friday prayers imams.
Following
the calls for anti-hijab protests, videos posted on social media showed cases
of what appeared to be heavy-handed action by “morality police” units against
women who had removed their hijab.
A
video that went viral showed a mother begging morality police to release her
daughter due to her illness and trying to stop a police van by standing in
front of it. The footage prompted Iranian authorities to announce that the
police squad in question would be disciplined.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Palestinians
strive to stop Gaza shore erosion with concrete and rubble
27
July ,2022
Authorities
in Gaza have ordered giant concrete blocks to be dropped along the shoreline as
increasingly heavy seas eat into beaches that provide residents of the densely
populated strip with a rare public space for relaxation.
The
blocks, placed on beaches and offshore, are aimed at countering waves that have
grown in force, eating away the foundations of some seaside cafes and
buildings.
But
officials, residents of beach areas and experts fear the concrete barricades
may not stand another stormy winter and that high waves could cause the collapse
of the coastal road and threaten homes.
Nasser
Thabit, an official in the territory’s Hamas-run Ministry of Public Works and
Housing, said waves that reached up to six meters last year as the effects of
climate change have become more pronounced had begun to nibble at the edges of
the road.
“There
are several fragile areas in Gaza Strip that would be impacted directly from a
rising sea. There is a fear that should the waves get higher it may cause a
catastrophe, and drown many of those residential areas,” he said.
Thabit
said proper long-lasting intervention - vertical wave breakers and retaining
walls along all or at least the most at risk parts of the coast - could cost
around $150 million and called for help from international donors.
Measuring
375 square kilometer (145 square miles), Gaza is one of the most densely
populated areas in the world, with a population of 2.3 million Palestinians,
most of them live in refugee camps, some facing the ocean.
In
the Beach refugee camp in Gaza City, home to 90,000 people, residents have
watched over recent years as rising seas have eroded the beach completely.
Broken fridges, large tires and bricks have all been thrown along the shore to
hold back the sea to no effect.
“The
refugee camp has no beach, there is no place for people to sit, therefore,
people are forced to pay to go north or (south),” said Abdel-Karim Zaqout, a
history teacher, whose house in the camp borders the ocean.
With
Gaza’s land borders tightly controlled by neighboring Israel and Egypt, the
seaside is a precious resource for people looking to escape their day-to-day
stresses.
In
Central Gaza Strip, Radwan al-Shantaf, from al-Zahra city municipality, said
the authorities had used large quantities of the rubble of houses destroyed in
the May 2021 Israeli bombardment to barricade beaches.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Africa
Palestinians
must be part of regional economic projects, Jordan King tells Israel PM
27
July ,2022
Jordan’s
King Abdullah on Wednesday told Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in Amman that
Palestinians should be part of US-sponsored regional economic projects to
underpin stability in the Middle East.
He
also told Lapid, in the first meeting after US President Joe Biden’s visit to
the region earlier this month, that the creation of a Palestinian state was
essential to reach lasting peace between Arabs and Israelis.
A
statement from the office of Israeli interim premier Yair Lapid said he and
King Abdullah discussed recent regional changes, an apparent reference to ties
that have improved between Israel and several Arab nations in recent years.
They
also talked about how to deepen cooperation between the two countries,
including in renewable energy projects, tourism, food security and agriculture,
according to Lapid’s office.
King
Abdullah “stressed the need to find a political horizon to achieve a just,
comprehensive and lasting peace” with the Palestinians, according to a
statement from the Jordanian Royal Court.
He
also asked that Israel work to maintain calm in Jerusalem and its holy sites, a
frequent flashpoint for violence with the Palestinians.
Israel
and Jordan made peace in 1994 and maintain close security ties, but relations soured
in recent years amid persistent tensions at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in
Jerusalem, which is a key holy site to both Muslims and Jews, as well as
Israel’s expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and the lack
of any progress in the long-moribund peace process.
The
countries also fell out over a shooting incident by a guard at Israel’s embassy
in Amman.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bomb
blasts in southern Somalia kill at least 20
Mohammed
Dhaysane
28.07.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
At
least 20 people were killed and several wounded in separate bomb attacks
Wednesday in southern Somalia, police said.
A
police officer in the town of Marka in the Lower Shabelle region told Anadolu
Agency by phone that a suicide bomber killed 13 people, including the town’s
mayor, Abdullahi Ali Wafow, as well as security guards and civilians.
Several
others who were wounded were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Marka,
90 kilometers (55 miles) from the Somali capital Mogadishu, is a major town
that houses several African Union peacekeeping mission contingents. The attack
took place near the Marka administration headquarters.
Abdiaziz
Laftagareen, president of the Southwest State, condemned the suicide bombing
and the killing of the mayor, calling him "one of the best civil
servants" in the country.
The
Al-Shabaab terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.
In
the same region, a landmine explosion rocked a busy livestock market in the
town of Afgoye, killing at least seven people and wounding more than 14 others,
according to regional security officials in Lower Shabelle.
The
attack in Afgoye also devastated nearby buildings and shops, according to
Mohamed Hassan, an eyewitness who spoke to Anadolu Agency by phone.
Afgoye
is located 30 kilometers (18 miles) southwest of Mogadishu.
Ankara
condemns attack
Türkiye
strongly condemned the deadly terrorist attacks in Somalia.
“We
are deeply saddened to learn that many people, including officials and
civilians, lost their lives or were injured in the terrorist attacks that took
place today” in Afgoye and Marka, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a
statement.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/bomb-blasts-in-southern-somalia-kill-at-least-20/2647411
--------
Terrorist
attacks in Mali leave 66 dead
Aurore
Bonny
28.07.2022
DOUALA,
Cameroon
At
least 66 people were killed in terrorist attacks Wednesday in several towns in
Mali, according to security sources.
"The
Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) repelled terrorist attacks targeting positions in
Savare, Sokolo and Kalumba early this Wednesday, July 27. The response, carried
out with energy and professionalism, has enabled the attackers to be routed and
pursued," Colonel Souleymane Dembele, the army’s director of information
and public relations, said in a statement.
A
report on the fighting showed 54 dead, including six soldiers, and 25 soldiers
wounded, including five seriously, in Sokolo in the region of Segou in
south-central Mali, where a coordinated response was orchestrated against the
attackers, who were routed.
The
same source also reported 12 dead "on the friendly side," including
three civilians from a road construction company, following a "vigorously
repelled" terrorist attack in Kalumba in the Nara region near the
Mauritanian border.
The
sweep and assessment of the attack is still ongoing, according to the military
authorities.
"The
aerial pursuit made it possible to attack terrorist logistical bases under
cover of vegetation in the vicinity, thus reducing the enemy’s potential,"
Dembele added.
On
the central Mopti side, infiltration attempts targeted one of the checkpoints
of a military camp as well as air force installations without success as
suspicious movements were contained by FAMa.
The
attacks are part of a series that have targeted Malian army posts recently.
On
July 21, three soldiers and three terrorists were killed in simultaneous
complex attacks in several locations.
The
following day, one soldier and seven terrorists were killed in a car bomb
attack on the facility of the Directorate of Material, Hydrocarbons and
Transport of the Armed Forces (DMHTA) in Kati near the capital Bamako.
The
attacks confirm the signals and clues previously detected and identified by the
competent services and materialize the agony of the armed terrorist groups in
Mali, according to military staff.
"These
armed groups are actually demonstrating their overall weakening by carrying out
desperate actions of kamikaze attacks, actions on civilians, and the planting
of improvised explosive devices," Dembele said.
The
military communication from the West African country, one of the most plagued
by terrorist attacks in the Sahel for years, does not name the attacking
terrorist group.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/terrorist-attacks-in-mali-leave-66-dead/2647408
--------
Macron
says France will equip Benin militarily against terrorism
27.07.2022
DOUALA,
Cameroon
France
will provide military equipment to the French-speaking West African nation
Benin to support its efforts to fight terrorism, President Emmanuel Macron said
on Tuesday.
The
French leader's pledge came in a news conference with his Beninese counterpart
Patrice Talon in the second stop of his three-nation tour of West African
states.
Both
presidents agreed on France's support in Benin for security, culture, and
education.
Talon
deplored the lack of supply of military equipment and materials requested from
France.
"We
have the financial means to acquire this equipment but with the tensions in the
world, it is becoming problematic. You have made a commitment to do what it
takes," he said.
Macron,
for his part, said the acquisition of the equipment does not only depend on
France, whose army does not sell it, but it also requires a prior structuring
from Benin.
The
West African country "is not structured to buy and does not have the
function that we have structured in France with a general delegation for armaments,"
he said, pledging that the equipment will be delivered through France in the
short term and that technical cooperation will help Benin to structure the
equivalent of a general delegation for armaments.
France
will always stand by Benin and its authorities to fight terrorism by responding
to the requests of the Beninese authorities, Macron said.
Economy,
education, culture
On
a working visit to Benin, Macron held a one-on-one meeting with Talon, who
received his French counterpart at the Marina Palace, the presidential
compound.
The
leaders' meeting was followed by a working session between the Beninese and
French authorities, and a visit to a diptych exhibition at the Museum of Royal
Treasures and Contemporary Arts of Benin.
During
their address, Macron and Talon hailed the quality of bilateral ties between
the two countries.
"If
I have to describe our relations in recent times, I would say that they are
relaxed and free from the burdens of the past," said the Beninese
president, giving credit to his French counterpart.
Talon
expressed a desire to see more French investments in Benin, praising the
development of an "unparalleled" economic cooperation between the two
countries over the past two years.
France
has been economically supportive outside the bond market while the economic
relations have reached "an unhoped-for level never approached before, more
than 10 times their volume on a five-year average over the last 30 years,"
Talon said.
He
announced the signing of a new strategic partnership agreement for the
2022-2026 period which will take relations to a new level.
Separately,
an agreement on the Beninese education system was signed. The West African
country has decided to focus on technical vocational training and expects the
European Union to provide significant support.
"We
hope that France will support us with the EU so that this can be achieved
quickly," said Talon, who also asked for direct support from France in
terms of deploying trainers in Benin.
Macron's
visit was also an opportunity to visit the 26 artworks that France returned to
Benin in February. These treasures of Beninese culture had been looted in 1892
by French colonial troops from the Royal Palaces of Abomey in south-central
Benin.
They
are currently on special display in Benin and are, according to Talon, proof of
the "good relations, unencumbered and free of the burdens of the
past" between the countries.
Macron
reiterated the restitution of art pieces in accordance with French rules
protecting works of art.
"We
want to make the framework of this restitution simpler," he said, adding
that academic work is underway for it.
This
restitution is "neither a gift nor a political gesture" but
corresponds to "very scientifically established criteria on the conditions
of exit, reception and conservation" of these, the French president said.
Benin
and France have also committed to supporting each other in cultural
projects.
Political
prisoners
Asked
about the political exiles and detainees in Benin during the recent political
upheavals, including his second reelection, Talon said no one in the country is
detained for their political views.
No
one has also been expelled from Benin, he said, speaking of the exiles who,
according to Talon, should return to the country to be cleared by justice.
"For
me, there is no such thing as a valid claim that concerns perpetrators of
crimes and misdemeanors. They must face up to what they have done," he
added.
During
the meeting, Macron also spoke about the Russia-Ukraine war, mentioning the
Russian involvement and behavior, which he said was "imperial and
colonial."
"Russia
decided to invade a neighboring country to defend its interests. When you see
them poking their heads out at you, don't see anything else, even if they tell
you the opposite," he said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
5
Tunisian parties reject results of constitutional referendum
Adel
Al-Thabti
27.07.2022
TUNIS,
Tunisia
Five
Tunisian parties on Wednesday rejected the results of a referendum on the
country’s new constitution.
This
came in a press conference held in the capital Tunis by the National Campaign
to Overthrow the Referendum, a coalition of five Tunisian parties.
Members
of the coalition are the Republican Party the Democratic Current, the
Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties, the Workers Party, and the Qutb
Party.
According
to Tunisia’s electoral commission, 94.6 percent of voters backed the new
constitution during Monday’s referendum with a voter turnout of 30.5 percent.
“Around
75 percent of Tunisian voters did not participate in the referendum,” Issam
Chebbi, Secretary-General of the Republican Party, told the press
conference.
He
termed the low voter turnout as a “slap to anyone who wanted to obtain an
allegiance."
Chebbi
accused the Electoral Commission of "altering the voter turnout from 27.5
percent to 30.5 percent by adding 400,000 voters who participated after the
polls were closed."
There
was no comment from the commission on the accusation.
Riad
bin Fadl, the coordinator of the Al-Qutb Party, said the regime of President
Kais Saied “will fall much sooner than anticipated."
Tunisia
has been in the throes of a deep political crisis that aggravated the country's
economic conditions since Saied ousted the government, suspended parliament and
assumed executive authority in July 2021. He later dissolved the assembly after
lawmakers held a session to challenge his measures.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
Don’t
Let ‘Party-Hoppers’ Defend Their Seats, Says Ahmad Maslan Of Malaysia
Dineskumar
Ragu
July
27, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: MPs who trigger a by-election when they switch to another party should
be barred from defending their seats, says Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian).
While
debating the anti-hopping bill in the Dewan Rakyat, he said he had been pushing
for this since 2018 when he spoke in favour of the anti-hopping law.
Under
the bill tabled by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob earlier today, any MP who
decides to switch allegiance after being elected will automatically have their
seat vacated, triggering a by-election.
“However
it seems like we are allowing the party-hoppers to contest again in this
(constitutional) amendment,” said Ahmad.
“I
think it is not right since we need to punish those who have hopped. Therefore,
we should not allow them to contest in the by-elections.”
He
also pointed out that there was a lack of clarity in the bill with regard to
party-hopping among component parties of a coalition.
“Let’s
say if an MP from the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma) defects to Umno,
would he be considered as a party-hopper?
“There
would be two opinions on this matter, where some would say that he hopped to
another party, while others would argue that he did not hop since he is still
in the coalition,” he added.
In
stating his support for the bill, Ahmad said it was needed to ensure political
stability in Malaysia, but maintained that the infamous “Sheraton Move” that
led to the downfall of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government was not an act of
massive party-hopping.
“The
Sheraton Move happened because we did not have a prime minister then. Langkawi
(Dr Mahathir Mohamad) had resigned. Therefore, it was not (a form) of
betrayal.”
His
statement prompted Mukhriz Mahathir (Pejuang-Jerlun) to interject, saying: “You
might want to look at the chronology of events first. Which one happened first,
the Sheraton Move or (Mahathir)’s resignation?”
The
much-awaited anti-hopping bill is being debated in the Dewan Rakyat after it
was tabled for its second reading by Ismail.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Extending
Sosma clause allows cops to better maintain order, says IGP
July
28, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: The decision to extend a provision under the Security Offences (Special
Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) will allow the police to maintain public order and
safety more efficiently.
Inspector-general
of police (IGP) Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said police welcomed the decision and
appreciated the home minister’s effort in re-tabling the motion.
“The
ministry and MPs’ commitment in approving the motion to extend sub-section 4(5)
of the Sosma Act and the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) Bill 2020
is a huge support to law enforcement in Malaysia.
“The
development involving the extension of sub-section 4(5) of Sosma will provide
an opportunity for the police to carry out their responsibilities more
efficiently for the wellbeing of the people,” he said.
Acryl
Sani also said that police welcomed the government’s efforts toward the
establishment of the IPCC in order to restore public confidence in the force.
Yesterday,
the Dewan Rakyat passed the motion to extend sub-section 4(5) of Sosma for
another five years from July 31.
The
motion, re-tabled by home minister Hamzah Zainudin, was passed after bloc
voting in which 111 MPs voted in support and 88 MPs against. A total of 21 MPs
were absent.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Dr
M’s nephew denies receiving RM2.6mil from UKSB
July
27, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s nephew has denied that he received RM2.6 million,
on behalf of the former prime minister, from a company in the centre of Ahmad
Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial.
Rahmat
Abu Bakar said he was appointed as chairman and adviser of Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd
(UKSB) in July 2018, but he resigned in November the same year following advice
from former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Abu Kassim
Mohamed.
Rahmat
said he had also returned the RM1.3 million cash paid to him for his services
as he had doubts over the source of the funds.
On
Tuesday, a witness in Zahid’s trial testified that RM2.6 million in political
donations was given to Bersatu, the party which was formerly chaired by
Mahathir.
David
Tan, UKSB’s former administrative manager, said the sum was passed to Rahmat
after Pakatan Harapan (PH) won the 2018 general election and Mahathir was
appointed the prime minister for the second time.
Rahmat
said in a statement that the witness’ testimony was false and defamatory. He
said he would take action if Tan did not withdraw his claim.
However,
under civil law, witnesses have absolute privilege over statements made in the
course of their testimony.
Mahathir
has since denied the allegation.
Rahmat
said Mahathir was not aware of his UKSB links.
“Neither
was Tun Dr Mahathir involved.”
UKSB
was appointed by the government in 2016 to handle the foreign visa system for
Chinese tourists.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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