Thirty Seven Families of the "Vasava Hindu" Community Made To Change Their Faith Using Funds Collected Abroad, Claims Gujarat Police
New Age Islam News Bureau
16 November 2021
Representative image of police. Photo: PTI.
----
• Jamaat-i-Islami Seeks Formation of Medical Board to
Recommend Gender Change Instead Of 'Self-Perceived Identity'
• India Genocide Watch, a Washington DC-based NGO
Organised Protest against Facebook for its Role in Anti-Muslim Violence in
India
• Taliban Target Daesh Hideouts in Afghanistan’s
Kandahar
• Turkey to Take Part in UN Meeting to Strengthen Help
for Palestinian Refugees
India
• Centre Extends UAPA Ban on Zakir Naik's NGO Islamic
Research Foundation by 5 Years
• Minority-owned shops targeted during bandh in
Amravati, 60 held: Police
• Delhi riots: ‘Police did its job with utmost
integrity, not on communal lines’, court pulls up lawyer
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistan Supreme Court Asks ETPB Chief to Explain
Sale of Hindu Property in Karachi
• Saudi Arabia Unveils Prestigious Mosques in
Mansehra, Muzaffarabad
• Sikh pilgrims arrives Pakistan for Guru Nanak’s
481st anniversary
--------
North America
• Pentagon says Iranian helicopter came close to US
warship in Gulf of Oman
• US nationals in Ethiopia warned: No Afghan-style
evacuation
--------
South Asia
• Move to stabilize Afghani, Taliban intends to
auction $10 million today
• Taliban arrests 11 Daesh suspects in central
Daikundi province
• Afghanistan hit with rapid surge in outbreak of
measles: WHO
• One million children suffering from malnutrition in
Afghanistan: officials
--------
Mideast
• President Rayeesi: Iran Ready to Increase
Anti-Terrorism Cooperation with Turkey
• Iran: No Way for Britain but Paying Off Debt
• Iran Welcomes Resumption of Syria Ties with Other
Arab States
• Iran Exports over $1bln Worth of Goods to
Afghanistan in 8 Months
• Iran invites UN nuclear watchdog chief to Tehran for
talks
--------
Africa
• Libya Elders Urge Boycott over Muammar Gaddafi’s Son
Presidential Bid
• Libya’s Elections Commission Says No Decision Taken
on Gaddafi’s Son Candidacy
• Gaddafi's Son Oversaw Libya’s Relations With Israel:
Israeli Media
• Terrorist involved in killing 148 students, 2 others
escape prison in Kenya
• Tanzania's president says peace restored along
border with Mozambique
• Libyan premier vows to announce decision on seeking
presidency 'at right time'
--------
Southeast Asia
• Just Like ‘Allah’, No Problem To Use Timah For
Whisky In Sarawak, Says Chief Minister
• When are you going to declare Islamic state, Mukhriz
asks Kedah govt
• Kedah's gambling ban plan stirs concerns among
Malaysia's non-Muslims
• PAS claim on non-Muslim rights now exposed as a
canard
--------
Arab World
• UAE Working To De-Escalate Tensions With Iran, No
Interest in Confrontation: Gargash
• UN Condemns Attempts To Discredit Iraq's Recent
Election
• Saudi defenses intercept Houthi drone launched
toward Khamis Mushait
• 2 civilians killed in regime attack in Syria’s
de-escalation zone
--------
Europe
• Liverpool Mosques, Muslim Groups Praises Cabbie for
Preventing Bigger Terror Attack
• Sit-in held in London to demand release of Bahraini
activists
• Tributes paid to young Muslim hero who died saving
old woman in UK
• UN calls for new talks on Yemen’s Hodeidah port as
frontlines shift
• Turkey rescues dozens of asylum seekers pushed back
by Greece
• EU adds 4 Assad regime ministers to blacklist
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/vasava-hindu-faith-gujarat-police/d/125780
--------
Thirty Seven Families of the "Vasava Hindu"
Community Made To Change Their Faith Using Funds Collected Abroad, Claims
Gujarat Police
Representative image of police. Photo: PTI.
----
November 16, 2021
Bharuch: A case was registered against nine persons,
including a local man currently living in London, for allegedly luring tribals
from a village in Gujarat's Bharuch district to convert them to Islam using
funds collected abroad, police said on Monday.
Over 100 tribals from 37 families of the "Vasava
Hindu" community, all residents of a village in Bharuch district, were
made to change their faith by offering them money and through other
allurements, a police station official said.
"The accused persons took advantage of the weak
economic condition and illiteracy among the members of the tribal community to
lure them into conversion to Islam over a long period," the official said.
Almost all the nine accused are local residents
barring one who is currently residing in London, and identified as Fefdawala
Haji Abdul, who collected funds from abroad for the purpose, he said.
"The illegal religious conversion activity by
Muslim fundamentalists using funds collected from abroad was going on for a
long time at the village. The accused persons lured the Vasava Hindu community
members by offering them money and other help to convert them fraudulently to
Islam by entering into a criminal conspiracy hatched to spread animosity
between members of two communities and affect peace," Bharuch police said
in a statement.
A native of Nabipur in the Bharuch district, who
currently resides in London, Fefdawala Haji Abdul, used to collect funds from
abroad for religious conversion, it said.
The nine persons were charged under the Gujarat
Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, as well as sections 120 (B) (criminal
conspiracy), 153 (B)(C) (act likely to cause disharmony), and 506 (2) (criminal
intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, police said.
Source: ND TV
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Jamaat-i-Islami Seeks Formation of Medical Board to
Recommend Gender Change Instead Of 'Self-Perceived Identity'
A file photo of transgender persons. — Dawn/File
-----
Nadir Guramani
November 15, 2021
The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Monday presented a bill in
the Senate seeking an amendment in the Transgender Persons (Protection of
Rights) Act, 2018, for the creation of a medical board that would recommend
whether a person's gender should change, instead of them seeking a reassignment
on the basis of their personal identity.
The law, in its current state, reads: "A person
recognised as transgender ... shall have [the] right to get himself or herself
registered as per self-perceived gender identity with all government
departments including, but not limited to, Nadra (National Database and
Registration Authority)."
Opposing this provision, the amendment bill presented
by Senator Mushtaq Ahmad calls for the formation of a gender reassigment board
to suggest to Nadra whether a person's gender should be reassigned.
It recommends the formation of such boards at the
district level after the approval of the prime minister and provincial chief
ministers, with each board comprising a professor doctor, a psychologist, a
male general surgeon, a female general surgeon, and a chief medical officer.
The proposed law seeks a prohibition of gender
reassignment surgeries or any other treatment to change genital features on the
basis of "any psychological disorder or gender dysphoria". It also
states that the law in its present form could lead to the "legalisation of
homosexual marriages".
Arguing that the current law violates the dignity of
Muslim women, it further states that deeming gender identity a personal matter
is contrary to the teachings of Islam.
As Senator Ahmad presented the bill in the upper house,
he too contended that under the current law, a person could get themselves
registered as a man or a woman not on the basis of their biology but their
"personal thoughts".
Quoting interior ministry data that stated that around
28,000 cases of gender change were processed over the past three years, he said
Nadra had been changing people's genders following a mere request by them.
This form of the law, he argued, was against the Holy
Quran and Sunnah.
Opposing the bill, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari
said the proposed amendment was aimed at "victimising" transgender
persons as the current law gave them the right to identity.
"Till date, not a single complaint has been
received regarding the misuse of this [existing] law," she added.
JI and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl senators protested
Mazari's remarks, following which Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani sent the bill
to the relevant standing committee for discussion.
Gender reassigment cases over 3 years
During last week's Senate session, Senator Ahmad had
sought information about the total number of applications received for issuance
of gender change certificates by Nadra from July 2018 to June 2021, with
original and intended gender-wise breakup of the applicants.
In a written reply to the question, Interior Minister
Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said gender change certificates were not issued by Nadra.
However, he said, gender was modified due to medical reasons or on submission
of an application.
According to data shared with the house, 16,530 cases
of gender change from male to female were processed, 12,154 cases of female to
male, 21 cases of transgender to male, nine cases of male to transgender and as
many cases of transgender to female.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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India Genocide Watch, a Washington DC-based NGO
Organised Protest against Facebook for its Role in Anti-Muslim Violence in
India
Protest against Facebook for enabling hatred against
Muslims, in Los Angeles California, USA. (Photo: Twitter)
-----
15th November 2021
India Genocide Watch, a Washington DC-based NGO, on
Sunday organized a protest against Facebook’s role in propelling anti-Muslim
violence and hate speech by Hindu extremist groups in India.
A large number of people from all walks of life
gathered across eight cities in the US over Saturday and Sunday, in view of the
increasing attacks on the Muslim community in India. The protest consisted of a
few speakers, who demanded that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg end his company’s
complicity in extreme Hindu right-wing incitement to violence, as exposed by
whistleblower Frances Haugen.
Protest demonstrations, which also included women and
children, were held in Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles, San
Diego, Seattle, and San Francisco’s Menlo Park, where Facebook is
headquartered. A few of the protesters stated that they can not return to India
and have their families in India who are vulnerable to state-sponsored
violence.
MS Education Academy
Speakers Condemn Facebook Inaction on Hate Speech
Condemning Facebook’s inability to curb the use of the
platform for promotion of hate speeches, Rasheed Ahmed, Executive Director of
the Indian American Muslim Council, stated, “We demand that Facebook be
designated as dangerous for ignoring the hate spread by organizations such as
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, its Nazi-inspired
ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamasevak Sangh and their armed affiliates,
Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal.”
zavid Ali, the representative of Bay Muslims for Human
Rights, said, “Facebook deliberately and knowingly refused to block
Islamophobic hate enabling fascist violence against India’s Muslims. Facebook
has blood on its hands.” added Karthic of Ambedkar King Study Circle, “The
algorithms used in Facebook are biased against the religious minorities and the
socially oppressed. We condemn Facebook for failing to fix these proven
issues.”
The organizers also alleged that political parties in
India were using the platform to spread hate speech, which could be understood
from facebook’s ex-employee and whistleblower who raised questions over
facebook’s role in the rising hate crime against minorities in India. It is to
be noted that, Frances Haugen and Facebook’s own internal documents have
revealed, the vast RSS-BJP network is running fake pages and deliberately
spreading misinformation, hate speech, and incitement to violence, abetted by
Facebook’s algorithms.
It is also be noted that India is also the largest
market for Facebook, including 340 million Facebook accounts and 400 million
WhatsApp users. The social media giant has increasingly prioritized business
interests in India, failing to act against the tsunami of hate and violence
enabled by its platforms.
According to reports from various reputed newspapers,
including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times among others
alleged that Facebook was stalling India’s report, regarding the country’s
actions against hate speech being spread on the platform.
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
Source: Daily Siasat
https://www.siasat.com/india-genocide-watch-facebook-complicit-in-promoting-hindutva-2225467/
--------
Taliban target Daesh hideouts in Afghanistan’s
Kandahar
The Taliban say they have killed a number of Daesh
operatives (Photo: Pars Today)
----
November 16, 2021
The Taliban say they have killed a number of Daesh
operatives during an operation against the Takfiri terrorist group's hideouts
in southern Afghanistan.
Taliban provincial police chief Abdul Ghafar Mohammadi
said on Monday that at least four Takfiri terrorists were killed and 10 others
arrested during the crackdown across various districts of Kandahar province
over the past 24 hours.
“So far, four Daesh fighters have been killed and ten
arrested... one of them blew himself up inside a house,” he added.
A Taliban official later said two civilians were also
"martyred" in the crossfire.
The new operation follows a bout of terrorist attacks
claimed by Daesh across Afghanistan.
In the most recent incident of violence, local media
quoting a Taliban official, reported there had also been a blast in a western
suburb of Kabul on Monday morning.
Daesh on Sunday claimed responsibility for a bomb that
destroyed a minibus in the capital Kabul at the weekend. The bomb blast hit a
vehicle near a Taliban checkpoint in a mainly Shia neighborhood, leaving an
unknown number of casualties.
Media reports said a well-known local journalist and
up to two others were killed in the explosion. Dasht-e Barchi is a Kabul suburb
dominated by members of the mostly Shia Hazara community.
Earlier this month, Daesh terrorists raided the city's
National Military Hospital, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than
50 others. The group also targeted mosques in a series of bombings that killed
scores of Shia Muslim worshipers.
Nangarhar is considered as the heartland of Daesh in
Afghanistan.
The Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001,
took power again on August 15 as the US was in the middle of a chaotic troop
withdrawal. The group announced the formation of a caretaker government on
September 7. No country has yet recognized their rule.
Taliban's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi
said on Monday that the United States and NATO failed to bring peace and
security to Afghanistan despite their presence in the country for two decades.
Afghanistan is facing what the UN agencies have
described as “one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.” Western
countries have cut off aid to the country since the Taliban laid siege to
Kabul.
Source: ABNA24
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Turkey To Take Part In UN Meeting To Strengthen Help
For Palestinian Refugees
Deputy Turkish Foreign Minister Sedat Onal
-----
Beyza Binnur Donmez
15.11.2021
Turkey will take part this week in a UN gathering to
strengthen protection for Palestinian refugees and aid their human development,
it announced Monday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal will participate
virtually in the conference – co-convened by Jordan and Sweden – which is set
to take place Tuesday in Brussels, said a Foreign Ministry statement.
The conference is meant to strengthen the mutual
responsibility of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East (UNRWA) and the international community “to protect the rights and
enhance the human development of the Palestine refugees, by providing the
Agency with the financial stability and predictability of funding it requires
to fully and effectively implement its United Nations General Assembly
mandate," the UN agency said.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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India
Centre extends UAPA ban on Zakir Naik's NGO Islamic Research Foundation by 5 years
Nov 16, 2021
NEW DELHI: The home ministry on Monday extended the
ban on Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), an NGO founded by fugitive Islamic
evangelist Zakir Naik, for a further five years, saying that if the activities
of the "unlawful association" were not curbed, it would continue its
subversive activities and reorganise its absconding activists to create
communal disharmony, propagate anti-national sentiments and support militancy.
IRF was termed as an "unlawful association"
under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on November 17, 2016 for a
period of five years. The ban was due to expire on Tuesday.
An MHA notification extending the ban said that the
Central government is of the opinion that the IRF and its members, particularly,
its founder and president, Zakir Abdul Karim Naik alias Zakir Naik, has been
encouraging and aiding its followers to promote or attempt to promote, on
grounds of religion, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will
between different religious communities and groups which are prejudicial to the
integrity and security of the country. It referred to his statements and
speeches saying that they were objectionable and subversive, and added that
Naik, through such speeches and statements, was inspiring youths of a
particular religion in India and abroad, to commit terrorist acts.
It further noted that Naik had made radical statements
and speeches to millions of people worldwide through international satellite
TV, internet, print and social media.
The notification stated that if the unlawful
activities of IRF were not curbed and controlled immediately, it will take the
opportunity to continue its subversive activities and re-organise its activists
who are still absconding; disrupt the secular fabric of the country by
polluting the minds of the people by creating communal disharmony; propagate
anti-national sentiments; escalate secessionism by supporting militancy; and
undertake activities which are prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity and
security of the country.
Source: Times of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Minority-owned shops targeted during bandh in
Amravati, 60 held: Police
by Jayprakash S Naidu
November 15, 2021
Shops owned by the minority Muslim community were
targeted for arson and destruction during a bandh called by the BJP in this
city, 150 km west of Nagpur in central Maharashtra, officials told The Indian
Express.
In the Kotwali area, where the violence took place,
police officials said they were outnumbered by a massive gathering of activists
of the BJP, Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
“They gathered at Rajkamal Chowk. A section of this
crowd turned violent, burnt two shops, damaged some other shops, burnt
vehicles. Almost all the victims are from the minority community. It appears
that the violence had been planned a day in advance in retaliation for the
violence on Friday by some members of the minority community,” said a police
official.
Two shops and three two-wheelers parked outside one of
these shops were burnt. One other shop was damaged, and the shop owner’s
vehicle also burnt. Two shrines were also damaged.
On Friday, a massive protest march called by Raza
Academy, a Muslim organisation, against the anti-Muslim violence in Tripura,
had passed through the Kotwali area and stones were thrown at the house of
local BJP leader Pravin Pote, breaking a window. One person was injured in the
stone-pelting elsewhere. By police estimates, some 25,000 people participated
in this protest.
The BJP called Saturday’s bandh in response, and,
according to local police estimates, around 6,000 workers of the party and
other allied organisations came out to enforce the closure, which is when the
violence erupted. Pote was seen in a video urging BJP workers to gather at
Rajkamal Chowk. He also instructed that there should be no violence.
In all, the police have registered 26 FIRs, 15 of them
for Saturday’s violence and 11 for Friday’s incidents, at various police
stations across the city, and arrested 60 people.
“All those involved have been booked for both Friday’s
and Saturday’s violence,” a senior police official in Amravati said.
A senior police official in Mumbai said the force was
taken by surprise by the violence. “But we are sending out a strong message
that this cannot happen again,” he said.
Several top police officers were despatched here from
Mumbai on Saturday as the situation threatened to spin out of control. There
are likely to be more arrests.
Despite the heavy police presence, there were minor
clashes on Saturday night too between the two communities near the Kholapuri
gate, where stone-pelting took place. The area comprises populations from both
communities who live on opposite sides of the gate.
But Sunday, the first day of curfew and internet
suspension in Amravati city, passed without incidents. A heavy police presence
on the ground implemented the curfew strictly. The city wore a deserted look
and only essential services like chemist shops were allowed to operate.
“The situation is completely under control. We took
out a flag march on Sunday in the city,” said Rajender Singh, additional
director general of police, law and order, Maharashtra, who was in Amravati to
take stock of the situation.
The Kotwali area, where the arson and attacks on shops
took place, is being heavily policed.
This is the first incident of communal violence in
recent memory in Amravati. Namuna is an area where communities have lived
peacefully for over two decades. Local residents said the incident has ruined
this peace.
“The last time a minor violence was witnessed in
Namuna was in the 1990s,” said Asif Khan, 54, who runs an automobile repair
business and has been born and brought up here.
Feroze Ahmed, 37, whose two-wheeler repair shop was
gutted, told The Indian Express, “I started from scratch and put in decades of
efforts to take a shop on rent to run my own business two years ago. The
pandemic had hurt my business, but this mindless rioting has ended everything
for me. The police were watching as my shop burnt. I have lost property worth
Rs 8 lakh. They also burnt three vehicles of my customers parked in front of my
shop. How will I pay for all this and care of my family? I am the sole
breadwinner. I blame politician Pravin Pote for it. I told police to make him
an accused in the case. He was the one who organised the morcha. I want the
government to pay for my losses and punish the guilty.”
Shadab Khan, 36, whose shop established in 1970 for
repairing electronic items was gutted too, fought back tears as he counted his
losses. “Due to Covid-19 my business was badly affected and I had to let go
five workers. Now that my shop is gone, I have suffered a loss of Rs 13 lakh
and lost my life’s earnings. The mob also stole electronic items from my shop.”
Arshad Khan, 49, whose snacks shops and house were
damaged and his vehicle was gutted in the fire, said, “Kuch jahil galat kaam
karte hai aur hume bhugadna padta hai (Some stupid people do wrong things and
innocents like us are left to suffer). What happened on Friday was wrong and
what happened on Saturday was wrong too. I was born and brought up here, and
never imagined I would see this day. My college-going children could not sleep
at night. My daughter is among the toppers in college. The mob pelted stones at
our shop even though we kept our shops shut.”
Source: Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Delhi riots: ‘Police did its job with utmost
integrity, not on communal lines’, court pulls up lawyer
by Anand Mohan J
November 15, 2021
Observing that the police did its job with utmost
integrity, a Delhi court has pulled up a lawyer, who had argued that only
Muslims were targeted during the northeast Delhi riots of 2020.
Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhat, in an order
passed on November 11, pulled up advocate Mehmood Pracha, who was hearing the
bail plea of the accused Arif. His bail was denied after the court noted that
an eye witness may be threatened by the accused.
The case relates to the murder of one Alok Tiwari, who
sustained several blunt and sharp injuries near Shiv Vihar Tiraha on February
25, 2020.
As per the postmortem report, the deceased had
received 13 injuries by sharp edged and blunt objects. The accused is also
under investigation in two seperate murder cases which took place during the
riots.
Pracha argued that the northeast Delhi riots were “not
actually communal riots.”
He submitted that the “riots had taken place at the
instance of certain political vested interests to derail the peaceful protest
which was going on against the newly promulgated CAA/NRC by the Parliament of
India.”
Pracha argued that “only the persons belonging to
Muslim community, like the applicant were targeted by the police in the
aftermath of the riots and were arraigned in false criminal cases.”
The court said that Pracha’s arguments were “certainly
not in good taste.”
“These are noted with immense disgust repugnance and
strong disapproval, ” the court said, adding that Pracha had not pointed out
any material on record to substantiate his claims.
The court said that it was Pracha himself who was
“painting the entire Delhi Police with a communal brush by saying that the
criminal cases related to the riots have been fastened upon the members of
Muslim community alone.”
“The statement of counsel is not only highly
irresponsible but also patently false. This court, while dealing with the cases
related to the riots, has noticed that members of both the communities have
been arraigned as an accused and have been chargesheeted by the police,” the
court said.
Source: Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Pakistan
Pakistan Supreme Court Asks ETPB Chief to Explain Sale
Of Hindu Property In Karachi
Nasir Iqbal
November 16, 2021
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has asked the chairman of
the Evacuee Trust Property Board to appear before it on Tuesday (today) to
explain the alleged sale of a Hindu property in Karachi.
“Under what law the properties belonging to the
minorities are being sold,” wondered Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed during the
hearing of a petition submitted by Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani complaining that
the apex court’s directives about the protection of properties belonging to
minority communities were not being implemented. Dr Vankwani is the patron of
the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC).
He approached the court with a plea to ensure the
implementation of a 2014 judgement which spelt out guidelines for the
government to promote religious and cultural tolerance in society by developing
curricula for schools and colleges.
The judgement had proposed a task force for promoting
tolerance and establishing a police unit to protect the minorities’ places of
worship.
The petitioner claimed an inquiry had found that the
ETPB had forged documents to prove the Sindh Heritage Department issued a no
objection certificate (NOC) for the demolition of a Dharamshala – a shelter for
Hindu pilgrims – in Karachi. The piece of land, spread over 716 square yards,
was then handed over to a builder for the construction of a shopping centre.
On June 11, the Supreme Court had ordered the Sindh
government’s Heritage Department and the ETPB not to demolish any part of the
Dharamshala, in Karachi’s Saddar.
The apex court had directed Karachi’s commissioner to
take over the building so that no person trespassed upon the premises.
In his application, Dr Vankwani requested the apex
court to transfer control of the premises to the management of the nearby
Baghani Temple. He called for an inquiry by the Federal Investigation Agency
(FIA) into the alleged forging of documents and demolition of the heritage
property by the ETPB.
The applicant said the Evacuee Trust Property Board
had not complied with the court’s directive that the ETPB release an amount of
Rs38 million to the (PHC), which it had incurred on the construction and
restoration of the Samadhi (shrine) of Shri Paramhans Dayal Ji Maharaj (Teri
temple) in Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The KP government had given a grant of Rs 2 million to
the PHC for the restoration work, which cost a total of Rs40 million.
“But unfortunately ETPB has not paid the balance amount
of Rs38 million to PHC even though eight months have elapsed since the issuance
of the order (on Feb 8),” Dr Vankwani alleged.
He urged the Supreme Court to issue a fresh directive
to ETPB for payment of Rs 38 million to PHC and to initiate contempt proceedings
against the organisation.
The applicant informed the court that a total of 1,831
temples and Gurdwaras were under the ETPB’s jurisdiction, but only 31 of them
were being used for worship these days. The remaining have either been closed
down, encroached upon or given on lease to a third party.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1658351/sc-asks-etpb-chief-to-explain-sale-of-hindu-property-in-karachi
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Saudi Arabia unveils prestigious mosques in Mansehra,
Muzaffarabad
November 15, 2021
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia government Monday unveiled two
prestigious mosques it constructed and handed over in Mansehra and Muzaffarabad
cities to Pakistani and Azad Kashmir authorities.
“The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
presents the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the King Abdul Aziz Mosque and
King Fahd Mosque,” says an official statement issued here by Saudi Arabian
Embassy.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by its
embassy in Islamabad, donated the King Abdul Aziz Mosque in the city of
Manserah and the King Fahd Mosque in the city Muzaffarabad to the Pakistani
government and the brotherly Pakistani people, in the presence of the Minister
of Religious Affairs Mr. Noor-ul-Haq Qadri,” the statement said.
The King Abdul-Aziz Mosque can accommodate more than
10,000 thousand worshipers and King Fahd Mosque in Muzaffarabad would host more
than 6000 worshipers. The mosques contain spacious courtyards and distinct
designs inspired by the two mosques in the Great Mosque in Mecca and the
Prophet’s Mosque.
Source: Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Sikh pilgrims arrives Pakistan for Guru Nanak’s 481st
anniversary
November 15, 2021
ISLAMABAD: Over 8,000 Sikh yatrees (pilgrims) from
across the world are visiting Pakistan to celebrate the birth anniversary of
Baba Guru Nanak.
Pakistan has given special permission to the Sikh
pilgrims from India, US, UK, Afghanistan and Canada among other counties to
attend the celebrations from November 17 to 26.
It has been reported that Sikhs from Afghanistan have
arrived through the Torkham border while Indian yatrees will be arriving on
November 17 through the Wagah border. During the celebrations, Sikh pilgrims
will also visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.
Last week, Pakistan issued around 3,000 visas to the
Indian Sikh pilgrims on the eve of the 552nd birth anniversary of Baba Guru
Nanak, a statement from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi said.
During their stay in Pakistan, the statement added,
the Sikh pilgrims would pay obeisance at different Gurdwaras including Gurdwara
Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
“Visas to the Sikh pilgrims have been issued under the
Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, which provides
for the visit of 3,000 Sikh pilgrims from India for the birthday celebrations
of Baba Guru Nanak. Thousands of Sikh pilgrims residing in countries other than
India would also be visiting Pakistan to attend the event,” it added.
Source: Pakistan Today
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North America
Pentagon says Iranian helicopter came close to US
warship in Gulf of Oman
16 November ,2021
An Iranian navy helicopter came close to a US Navy
warship in the Gulf of Oman and circled it three times without impacting US
operations, the Pentagon said on Monday.
“An Iranian helicopter approached the USS Essex in the
Gulf of Oman. It operated in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, flying
approximately 25 yards (22.9 meters) off the port side of the Essex. At one
point, as low as about 10 feet (3 meters) off the surface of the ocean,”
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said.
“It circled the ship three times… The crew of the
Essex took the appropriate protection measures, and they acted their course in
accordance with international law. There was no impact ultimately to the Essex
transit or their operations,” he added.
“Tehran needs to be pressed on why they thought this
was a prudent use of their pilots and their aircraft to fly so dangerously
close to a US warship… The questions really should be asked of Tehran and the
Iranian navy,” Kirby said.
Incidents between the US and Iran in the Gulf have
been reported over the past few years as tensions between Washington and Tehran
have escalated.
The Iranian regime considers US military presence in
the Middle East a threat to Iran’s security.
Source: Al Arabiya
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US nationals in Ethiopia warned: No Afghan-style
evacuation
16 November ,2021
The US urged its nationals once again Monday to leave
war-torn Ethiopia immediately on their own, warning that there will be no
Afghanistan-style military evacuation from the country.
The US embassy has been calling on US citizens for
several days to take commercial flights to leave the country, where rebel
groups no longer rule out marching on the capital Addis Ababa. The embassy
offers loans to those who are unable to purchase a ticket immediately.
“We are doing that not because we are pessimistic
about the prospects for peace, but because we are practical,” said State
Department spokesman Ned Price.
He said he feared a “misperception” among the public
“that what we saw in Afghanistan is something that the US government can
undertake anywhere and everywhere in the world.”
In mid-August, when the Taliban captured Kabul before
the US military had completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, Washington sent
thousands of soldiers back to the capital's airport to improvise an
unprecedented evacuation operation.
In just over two weeks, with the help of its allies,
the US military set up an airlift and evacuated more than 123,000 people -
Americans and other foreigners, but also thousands of Afghans who feared
reprisals from the country's new Islamist masters, especially those who had
worked with Westerners in the past.
However, the government of President Joe Biden was
criticized for failing to plan ahead more for the operation, and for leaving
some Americans behind after the withdrawal of foreign forces.
Source: Al Arabiya
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South Asia
Move to stabilize Afghani, Taliban intends to auction
$10 million today
16 Nov 2021
As Afghanistan has been dealing with western sanctions
and no foreign aid, the local currency-Afghani- hit the lowest level against US
dollar in the past twenty years, with 1$ trading for 95 Afghani.
To prevent the plummeting move of the local currency,
ten central banks of Afghanistan-De Afghanistan Bank- announced to be
auctioning $10 million on Tuesday, November 16.
In a statement released by the bank, private banks and
forex traders were asked to participate in the bidding.
The bidders will be paying Afghani for the amount of
dollars they buy in the auction.
In the meantime, economic analysts suspect that the
auction will not be beneficial as the dollars will be trafficked abroad and
will have less impact on the value of the local currency.
It is worth mentioning that the previous Afghan government
would auction this amount of dollars every week but did not impact the local
currency due to vast corruption.
Source: Khaama Press
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Taliban arrests 11 Daesh suspects in central Daikundi
province
16 Nov 2021
Provincial officials in central Daikundi province said
that their intelligence personnel arrested 11 people who are suspected to be
ISIS-K affiliates.
The officials said that the suspects are from Helmand,
Ghazni, and Urozgan provinces but added that further investigations have been
started.
The Taliban have also seized weapons with the
suspects.
It comes a day after the Taliban fighters in
large-scale operations in four districts of Kandahar province arrested ten
ISIS-K affiliates and killed three more.
Provincial officials of Kandahar province said that
four hideouts of the terror group have been eliminated in the province.
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/taliban-arrests-11-daesh-suspects-in-central-daikundi-province-346457/
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Afghanistan hit with rapid surge in outbreak of
measles: WHO
Nov 15, 2021
KABUL: The World Health Organization (WHO) said that
due to lack of vaccine, Afghanistan has been hit with a rapid surge in the
outbreak of measles.
A spokesperson for the WHO, Margaret Harris, told the
journalists in Geneva via zoom that at least 87 children have died due to
measles this year and the problem is getting worse in absence of vaccines,
reported Tolo News.
"Sadly, we've had 87 deaths reported,"
Harris said. "We will see so many more if we don't move on this
quickly."
"For malnourished children, measles is a death
sentence," the WHO spokesperson said.
She emphasized the urgent need to ramp up testing for
the outbreak of the disease in the country, adding that despite sufficient
monitoring the outbreak is still raging.
Officials at the Indira Gandhi Children Hospital said
that the number of measles deaths will rise if the WHO cannot provide the
vaccine as quickly as possible, reported Tolo News.
"The outbreak is rising day by day. Lack of
vaccine is the main reason for the rise of the outbreak," said Abdulsamad
Tasal, a doctor at the hospital.
According to health officials, measles is a highly
contagious disease that infects children aged one to five. The disease is only
prevented with vaccination.
"Measles has surged compared to the previous years
and due to the challenges in the health sector, access to vaccines, for
different diseases, have decreased," said Soheil Meherzad.
Fahim, whose two-and-a-half-year-old child has been
infected with measles, said that he has taken his child to medical centers
several times for vaccination, but due to the lack of vaccine, he has not been
able to vaccinate his child.
Fahim, the patient's father, said: "At the
beginning, my child had a fever. We did not know what has was suffering from.
Then we brought him to this hospital and the doctors after an examination said
he is infected with measles."
Source: Times of India
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One million children suffering from malnutrition in
Afghanistan: officials
15 Nov 2021
Officials of the Ministry of Public Health of
Afghanistan said that there are three million Afghan children suffering from
different diseases among them one million who are malnourished.
The officials also said that there are still 700,000
Afghan women who are suffering from malnutrition along with the children.
Deputy Minister of Public Health doctor Abdul Bari
Omar who was briefing journalists about the ministry’s three-month achievements
said that all the hospitals and clinics have been reopened and female health
workers are back to their jobs.
“All big and small clinics have been reactivated and
male and female health workers are asked to return to their jobs so that they
raise international aids.” Said Omar.
The Deputy Minister further said that they will soon
launch capacity-building programs for male and female doctors across the
country.
Source: Khaama Press
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Mideast
President Rayeesi: Iran Ready to Increase
Anti-Terrorism Cooperation with Turkey
2021-November-15
During the meeting in Tehran on Monday, President
Rayeesi stressed that development of relations between the two countries,
specially in trade and economic fields, is in the interest of the two nations,
and added, “Iran and Turkey should be ready to improve relations from the
current level to all-out cooperation by finalizing the roadmap for improving
cooperation.”
He called close relations between the two neighbors
beneficial to peace and stability in the region, and said, "Regional
cooperation between the two countries should be turned into international
cooperation, and this type of interaction can be effective in global equations,
given the important position of the two countries."
Elsewhere, Rayeesi referred to the Islamic Republic's
view on the ability of the countries in the region to resolve their problems
without foreign interference, and said, "The presence of foreigners brings
nothing but insecurity and tension among the regional nations and governments;
as the twenty-year-long US presence in Afghanistan resulted in nothing but
murder, bloodshed and destruction, and it became clear that Afghanistan's
problems could be solved by its people and with the help of its neighbors.”
Rayeesi also described ISIL's acts as detrimental to
all countries in the region, saying, "The ISIL was made by the US
officials and, naturally, it moves upon the Americans’ order and kills and
sheds blood as a proxy for the US in various countries."
He noted that presence of the terrorist group anywhere
in the region is to the detriment of nations, and said, "The fight against
terrorism and organized crimes can be one of the pillars of cooperation between
Tehran and Ankara, and Iran is ready to enhance the level of cooperation in
this field."
Rayeesi referred to the Turkish foreign minister’s
comments on joint cooperation with Iran to create stability and develop trade
relations in the South Caucasus, and said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran
has a deep and long-standing religious and cultural bond with the Republic of
Azerbaijan and Turkey and we should not allow certain foreign moves to damage
relations."
Çavuşoğlu, for his part, stressed that his country
seeks to enhance the level of relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and
said, "Turkey considers the new Iranian government to be a result-oriented
government and is determined to increase the level of cooperation with Tehran
as much as possible."
He referred to the importance of Iran's cooperation
and participation in the development of stability and trade in the South
Caucasus, and said, "We seek to establish and strengthen joint cooperation
with the Islamic Republic of Iran to increase stability and trade relations in
the South Caucasus."
Çavuşoğlu also pointed to the developments in the
region, and called for cooperation with Iran in the fight against terrorism and
the establishment of stability and tranquility in the region.
The Turkish foreign minister arrived in Tehran on
Monday to meet and hold talks with the Iranian officials.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in a
joint press conference with Çavuşoğlu in
Tehran on Monday stressed good relations between Tehran and Ankara, saying that
Iran does not see any major obstacle to the further expansion of ties and
cooperation with Turkey.
He expressed the hope that the two countries would
finalize the roadmap for long-term mutual cooperation during the future visit
of Turkish President Recep Teyyip Erdogan to Iran.
"We agreed to start our diplomatic talks on the
provisions of the roadmap for long-term cooperation between the two countries,
and we hope that this document will be signed in the presence of the two
presidents during the forthcoming visit of Turkish President Erdogan to
Tehran," Amir Abdollahian said.
He noted that the two sides had useful discussions on
a variety of regional and international issues in the meeting, adding,
"Latest developments in Afghanistan, the need for expansion of stability,
security and peace in the West Asian region and neighborhood policy of the two
countries of Iran and Turkey were among the topics discussed during the
meeting."
The two administrations based in Tehran and Ankara are
pragmatic, the Iranian top diplomat said, adding that they should quickly
remove any possible obstacles to the two countries' relations.
Amir Abdollahian also pointed to the age-old and
friendly relation between Iran and Turkey, saying, "Development of
economic and trade cooperation, increase in cooperation in the field of energy,
facilitation of transit traffic, strengthening of cross-border trade and
consular issues were discussed in the meeting, and we do not see any serious
obstacles to accelerate the cooperation."
Çavuşoğlu, for his part, said that the two sides
discussed the preparation of the 7th High Cooperation Council meeting between
Iran and Turkey, adding that based on the proposal of the Iranian side, a
long-term roadmap between the two countries will be prepared and signed on the
sidelines of this meeting.
Source: Fars News Agency
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Iran: No Way for Britain but Paying Off Debt
2021-November-15
The issue of paying off Iran’s debt by the British
government is one of the permanent topics of negotiations between Iran and the
UK, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters in a press
conference in Tehran.
Several times this issue has been postponed under any
pretexts, however, it must be paid off by the British government, he
underlined.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in a
phone conversation with his British counterpart Liz Truss last Monday also
called on London to pay its debt to Tehran which has been delayed for over 40
years.
Britain owes Iran roughly 400 million pounds for
Chieftain tanks, which it sold to Tehran in the 1970s but never delivered.
The debt is related to the purchase contract of tanks
in 1971 signed by the British Ministry of Defense and the Pahlavi regime according
to which the Britain was supposed to deliver 1,500 tanks and armored vehicles
to Iran.
Source: Fars News Agency
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https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000824000422/Iran-N-Way-fr-Briain-b-Paying-Off-Deb
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Iran Welcomes Resumption of Syria Ties with Other Arab
States
2021-November-15
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh
underlined Syria’s role as one of the important actors in the Arab world,
saying that today, certain countries have accepted the fact that normalization
of relations with Syria are in the interest of all nations in the region.
Iran not only welcomes this process but also makes
every effort to accelerate the resumption of relations between Syria and other
Arab countries in the region, he added.
His comments came after the UAE foreign minister met
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus last Tuesday.
UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed
al-Nahyan is the most senior Emirati dignitary to visit Syria in the decade
since the eruption of a war in which several Arab states backed terrorist
groups against Damascus.
"President Assad received UAE Foreign Minister
Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan" and an accompanying delegation, Syrian state
news agency SANA said.
"They discussed bilateral relations between the
two brotherly countries and ways to develop cooperation in different sectors
that are of common interest," it added.
Source: Fars News Agency
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https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000824000479/Iran-Welcmes-Resmpin-f-Syria-Ties-wih-Oher-Arab-Saes
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Iran Exports over $1bln Worth of Goods to Afghanistan
in 8 Months
2021-November-15
"Afghan merchants have imported more than $1
billion worth of goods from Iran since Norouz," Deputy head of
Afghanistan's Chamber of Commerce and Investment Younis Momand said.
He, meantime, said that Afghanistan has exported $800
million worth of goods to Iran in the same period.
Momand said that Afghan businessmen mostly export
precious stones, dried fruits, hides, cotton, apricots and some other fresh
fruits to Iran.
The Afghan economic official added that the Afghan
merchants mostly import electrical appliances, raw materials for production,
petroleum products and foodstuffs from Iran.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000824000345/Iran-Exprs-ver-$bln-Wrh-f-Gds-Afghanisan-in-Mnhs
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Iran invites UN nuclear watchdog chief to Tehran for
talks
15 November ,2021
Iran has invited the head of the International Atomic
Energy Agency for talks after the UN official expressed concern over a lack of
contact with Iranian authorities, Tehran said Monday.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News
channel online or via the app.
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi “has been
invited” to Tehran and a visit date has been put forward, foreign ministry
spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, without providing specifics on the possible
timing of the trip.
Grossi is expected to meet with Iran’s foreign
minister and the country’s atomic energy chief, Khatibzadeh told journalists,
adding, “we await his response”.
Grossi had been hoping to visit Iran before the next
meeting of the IAEA’s Board of Governors starts on November 22, but on Friday
described a lack of contact with the Iranian government as “astonishing”.
“There’s a long list of things we need to discuss,” he
said.
Grossi last visited Tehran in September, where he
clinched a deal over access to surveillance equipment at Iran’s nuclear
facilities.
Days after that visit, the IAEA complained that it had
been denied “indispensable” access to a centrifuge component manufacturing
workshop where it needed to service equipment.
The invitation comes as talks are expected to resume
on November 29 in Vienna aiming to revive a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and
world powers.
The deal, which offered Tehran relief from sanctions
in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program, was torpedoed when the US
unilaterally pulled out in 2018.
Talks have been on hold since June following the
election of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Africa
Libya Elders Urge Boycott over Muammar Gaddafi’s Son
Presidential Bid
15 November ,2021
Elders from several cities called for a boycott of
presidential elections and protesters shut voting stations in western Libya on
Monday after former president Muammar Gaddafi’s son registered to run.
Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, whose whereabouts have been
secret for years, on Sunday became the first heavyweight candidate to sign up
for the December 24 poll.
But an influential council of elders from Misrata, a
city which played a key role in the 2011 uprising that toppled his father,
called for an election boycott.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News
channel online or via the app.
The council rejects “the candidacy of those who used
excessive force against the Libyan people’s uprising and who are the target of
arrest warrants from Libyan courts and the International Criminal Court,” it
said in a statement.
It urged “free patriots” to protest against the
election taking place before a constitutional basis was agreed.
A member of the electoral commission, the HNEC, told
AFP that “residents protesting at the candidacy of Seif al-Islam Gaddafi in
presidential elections closed down several polling stations” in the west.
The official, who asked not to be named, said there
had been no violence and voting stations had not been damaged.
Libya first ever direct presidential poll comes as the
United Nations seeks to end a decade of violence since a revolt that toppled
his father in 2011.
Seif al-Islam is wanted by the International Criminal
Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the
NATO-backed uprising.
But the HNEC said he had “completed all the required
legal conditions” to run.
On Sunday, prominent figures in the western city of
Zawiya “categorically rejected” presidential runs by both Gaddafi and eastern
military general Khalifa Haftar, who is also widely expected to announce a bid.
A key part of a United Nations-led political process
building on a ceasefire in October last year, the elections are opposed by some
who argue there has been no agreement on their legal basis and the powers the
winner would take.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Libya’s
Elections Commission Says No Decision Taken on Gaddafi’s Son Candidacy
Mucahit
Aydemir
15.11.2021
TRIPOLI,
Libya
Libya’s
elections commission on Monday denied reports about rejecting the candidacy
application of Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan ruler Muammar
Gaddafi.
Commission
spokesman Khaled el-Mennai told Anadolu Agency that the official website and
social media accounts of the electoral commission were hit by “cyberattacks”.
He
explained that websites that published reports about rejecting the candidate
application of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi removed them shortly afterwards.
“There
was no decision (taken by the commission) regarding Saif al-Islam’s candidacy,”
el-Mennai said.
On
Sunday, Saif al-Islam submitted his application to run in Libya’s upcoming
presidential election.
Libya’s
presidential and parliamentary elections are set to take place on Dec. 24 under
an UN-sponsored agreement reached by Libyan political rivals during meetings in
Tunisia on Nov. 15, 2020.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Gaddafi's
son oversaw Libya’s relations with Israel: Israeli media
15.11.2021
JERUSALEM
Israeli
media said Monday Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan ruler Muammar
Gaddafi, oversaw relations between his father's regime and Israel.
Haaretz
newspaper said while his father was a staunch supporter of the Palestinian
cause and factions, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi had publicly met with Israelis in
favor of his father's regime.
The
daily said although there were no official ties between the two countries, the
Gaddafi regime and Israel were in contact over "diplomatic and
humanitarian issues."
It
claimed that such ties and contacts were managed via Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and
Jewish businessmen of Libyan origin, including Walter Arbib whose business is
run from Canada.
The
newspaper said Israel showed interest in Libya due to its strategic location
near the borders with Egypt and the big Jewish community of Libyan origin in
Israel.
On
Sunday, Saif al-Islam submitted his application to run in Libya’s upcoming
presidential election.
Libya’s
presidential and parliamentary elections are set to take place on Dec. 24 under
an UN-sponsored agreement reached by Libyan political rivals during meetings in
Tunisia on Nov. 15, 2020.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Terrorist
involved in killing 148 students, 2 others escape prison in Kenya
Andrew
Wasike
16.11.2021
NAIROBI,
Kenya
A
terrorist involved in the one of the worst terror attacks in Kenyan history was
among three al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab terrorists who on Monday escaped
from prison in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
“A
reward of 60 Million shillings ($535,236) will be offered to anyone with
information that may lead to the arrest of the following three terror suspects,
who escaped from Kamiti Maximum Security Prison today at 1 am,” the Directorate
of Criminal Investigations said in a statement late Monday.
A
bounty of 20 million Kenya shillings ($178,000) has been offered for
information aiding in the capture of Mohamed Ali Abikar, who was serving a
41-year sentence for his involvement in the April 2015 terror attack at Garissa
University, which claimed the lives of over 148 students.
Musharaf
Abdalla Akhulunga, alias Zarkawi, another escapee, was arrested in 2012 for his
participation in a failed terrorist attack on parliament buildings in Nairobi,
and was arrested with explosives, ammunition, and firearms.
Joseph
Juma Odhiambo, alias Yusuf, was arrested in November 2019 in Somalia while
attempting to enlist with the al-Shabaab terror group.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Tanzania's
president says peace restored along border with Mozambique
Kizito
Makoye
15.11.2021
DAR
ES SALAAM, Tanzania
Tanzania’s
president Monday said peace has been restored along Tanzania’s border with
Mozambique, and militants from Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province, who have
been wreaking havoc in the southern Mtwara villages, have been neutralized.
This
is the first time Samia Suluhu Hassan publicly talked about the threat posed by
terror groups from Mozambique and a protracted military operation on the
southern border.
According
to a statement from the presidency, the president also urged the top military
commanders to include terrorism in their agenda.
Addressing
the military commanders at the Lugalo military base in Dar es Salaam, President
Hassan, dressed in military fatigues, said: “In the recent months, peace and
security on our borders, especially in the southern parts of the country, were
threatened by a terrorist group from Cabo Delgado Province in Mozambique. This
group has been attempting to carry out attacks in our villages of Mtwara,
causing deaths, injuries, and destruction of property. But our special forces
deployed along the border have helped strengthen security and restore
tranquility in the troubled region.”
More
than 300 heavily-armed terrorists believed to be affiliated with Daesh/ISIS
group, raided Kitaya village on the bank of Ruvuma River in October 2020, razing
homes, and killing people.
The
terrorists sneaked into the country by sea and launched attacks after crossing
the Ruvuma River on the border of Tanzania and Mozambique, police had said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Libyan
premier vows to announce decision on seeking presidency 'at right time'
Walid
Abdullah
15.11.2021
TRIPOLI,
Libya
Libya’s
prime minister said Monday that he will announce his position on running for
the presidential elections at the "appropriate moment."
Speaking
to students at the new National Youth Council in the capital Tripoli, Abdul
Hamid Dbeibeh said his decision to run for the country’s top office will be
determined by the will of young people.
He
also rejected electoral laws passed last month by the eastern-based House of
Representatives, saying they are meant to suit some people.
Critics
say the new election laws would allow warlord Khalifa Haftar, the putschist
retired general who controls the majority of Libya’s east, to seek the
presidency.
The
self-proclaimed "commander-in-chief of the Libyan National Army” has
contributed greatly to the decade-long turmoil in Libya after leading an
unsuccessful military offensive, with the support of foreign powers, to topple
the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in the west.
“We
want a fair parliament that serves all Libyans, and a fair election law that
Libyans agree on,” Dbeibeh said.
On
March 16, Dbeibeh became the oil-rich country’s premier following a
breakthrough in February in which rival Libyan sides agreed to a new executive
authority which also saw Mohammad Menfi chosen as the head of a three-member
Presidential Council.
Libya’s
presidential and parliamentary elections are set to take place on Dec. 24 under
an UN-sponsored agreement reached by Libyan political rivals during meetings
last November in Tunisia.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Southeast Asia
Just
like ‘Allah’, no problem to use Timah for whisky in Sarawak, says chief
minister
15
Nov 2021
BY
SULOK TAWIE
MIRI,
Nov 15 — Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg maintained that his
state government does not have an issue with naming a made-in-Malaysia whisky
Timah.
The
name has drawn deep lines in the peninsula, with ruling Islamist party PAS
asserting its objection to the use of the Malay word despite the Cabinet’s
approval.
“We
don’t want to fight over trivial and petty issues,” Abang Johari said at the
opening of the Miri City Hall here today.
He
said he does not know why the name of the liquor has become sensitive.
“You
know Timah... just because the name is Timah, it has become a problem. Timah is
the name of a lady, but it is also the Malay word for tin,” he said.
He
said it is also the same when the state government has no issue with the
Sarawakian Christians using the word “Allah” to call their God.
“It
is between you and your God. Why worry? What for you create unnecessary
problems?” he asked.
The
chief minister suggested that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s
choice of the Sarawak capital, Kuching, as the platform to launch his Keluarga
Malaysia initiative was not by accident.
“Why?
Sarawak is indeed a Keluarga Malaysia platform,” he said.
Abang
Johari has repeatedly upheld the hornbill state as an exemplary model of
religious, racial harmony.
He
added that it would be a major problem for the state if religious and racial
extremists were allowed to gain a foothold in Sarawak through the coming state
election.
“So
I told the federal leaders to let the Sarawak election be confined among
Sarawakians.
“I
told them because Sarawak problems can only be handled by Sarawakians,” he
said.
PAS
leaders continued to voice its Opposition today to naming the local whisky
Timah even though its lawmakers are members of federal government.
Source:
Malay Mail
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When
are you going to declare Islamic state, Mukhriz asks Kedah govt
Predeep
Nambiar
November
15, 2021
ALOR
SETAR: Mukhriz Mahathir (Pejuang-Jitra) today sarcastically asked the Kedah
government if it was planning to declare an Islamic state, following its
announcement that it will not renew the business licences of four-digit lottery
outlets.
The
former menteri besar raised the question after a backbencher hailed the state
government’s decision to effectively ban gaming oulets and to restrict alcohol
sales.
Mohd
Azam Abdul Samad (PAS-Sungai Limau) had earlier said “any right-thinking
Muslim” in the Kedah assembly would support such a move “as Allah had decreed
it”.
He
then recited a Quranic verse and asked Muslims in the assembly to rise in
support of the ban.
All
on the government benches rose from their seats, and were joined by two
opposition assemblymen – Ismail Salleh (PH-Pengkalan Kundor) and Mohd Asmirul
Anuar Aris (PH-Kubang Rotan). They are both from Amanah.
Mukhriz
then interjected and “congratulated” the PAS backbencher and the state
government for coming up with the ban.
“I
would like to ask, is the state government planning to announce that Kedah is
now an Islamic state and it’s exclusively for Muslims?” he asked.
Azam
responded by saying a multiracial society was the “basis” of the Kedah and
federal constitutions.
“I’m
not sure if gambling is allowed by other religions or if the non-Muslim
community feels that gambling is good for them (but) we all know that it leads
to social ills,” he said.
Tan
Kok Yew (PH-Derga) then asked Azam if statistics showed that gaming outlets had
led to social ills in the state, to which he said the latter should wait for
the relevant state executive councillor’s response.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Kedah's
gambling ban plan stirs concerns among Malaysia's non-Muslims
Ram
Anand
NOV
15, 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR - Malaysia's northern Kedah state is set to effectively ban all licensed
gambling operators in the state, raising concern among critics that non-Muslim
activities are being subjected to moral policing.
The
state, which is governed by Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) said it would not
renew licences for gambling operators there, just a week after the authorities
in the capital Kuala Lumpur imposed a limited ban on liquor sales in stores in
the territory.
Kedah
Menteri Besar Sanusi Md Nor made the announcement on Sunday (Nov 14), saying he
wanted Kedah to be "free of gambling" and that gamblers who would
like to purchase lottery tickets should instead head to neighbouring state
Penang.
Kedah
would also ban the sale of alcohol in its rural parts, he said.
Kedah
is one of three Malaysian states governed by Islamist party PAS, but unlike the
other two states of Kelantan and Terengganu, it has a sizeable non-Muslim
community comprising more than 20 per cent of the two million population. Malay
Muslims form the majority community in Malaysia.
Datuk
Seri Sanusi has sparked controversy before. Earlier this year, he cancelled the
Thaipusam public holiday for ethnic Indians in Kedah, citing the ongoing
national lockdown for Covid-19.
Mr
Sanusi's latest announcement comes just over a week after Kuala Lumpur City
Hall imposed a ban on liquor sales in grocery shops, Chinese medicine shops and
convenience stores in the federal territory.
Beer
is also allowed to be sold only until 9pm according to the new guidelines.
Both
the Malaysian Indian Congress and the Malaysian Chinese Association - the Indian
and Chinese-based parties that partner PAS in the federal administration - have
criticised Mr Sanusi's move as "illogical".
The
opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) has questioned the validity of Mr
Sanusi's declaration.
Mr
Sanusi has ordered all Kedah local councils not to renew the licences of Kedah
gaming shops, however DAP legal bureau chief Ramkarpal Singh on Sunday said
that such refusals should be issued only when businesses fail to comply with
operating regulations, and not used to impose arbitrary blanket bans.
DAP
secretary-general Lim Guan Eng on Monday labelled the move as an
"extremist" policy by PAS.
Former
prime minister Mahathir Mohamad on Monday said that a government led by his
party, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air will guarantee the privileges that non-Malays
enjoy.
"A
Pejuang dominated government will uphold democratic principles and the rule of
law," Tun Dr Mahathir said in a blog post on Monday. Pejuang is a
Malay-based party that currently serves as part of the opposition bloc in
Parliament.
Source:
Straits Times
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PAS
claim on non-Muslim rights now exposed as a canard
November
16, 2021
All
these years, while pushing their agenda of Islamisation of the laws of the
country, PAS took care to tell non-Muslims that they had no cause to fear for
their rights as citizens.
Non-Muslims
were leery of these assurances.
Proponents
of the PAS agenda would at times look genuinely offended when their earnest
disclaimers of intent to infringe the rights of non-Muslims were met with
scepticism.
Whatever
PAS was selling via the rhetoric of their shariah exponents, their non-Muslim
listeners were not buying.
It
appeared PAS rhetoricians had not heard of the saying that the road to a
religious hell in Malaysia for non-Muslims is paved with the good intentions of
exponents of shariah law touting its inapplicability to the Nons.
In
recent days, two moves by the authorities in Kuala Lumpur and Kedah confirmed
the fears of non-Muslims that despite protestations to the contrary, Muslim
enforcers don’t care a fig for the rights of others when applying their bans on
alcohol and gambling.
On
Nov 1, Kuala Lumpur City Hall banned all sales of beer and alcohol in grocery
stores, convenience stores and Chinese medical halls within the city. These
premises have long had a policy of not selling beer and alcohol to Muslims.
Their sales of the stuff were confined to non-Muslims.
But
under new rules that came into effect on Nov 1, grocery stores, convenience
stores and medical halls are barred from stocking beer and alcohol for sale to
non-Muslims, thus forfeiting some RM50 million worth of business a year.
This
potential forfeiture comes on the heels of a slump in sales caused by a
just-ended span of 20 months of Covid-19 induced lockdowns and slowdowns.
A
double whammy is about the worst thing that these newly resurgent businesses
would want at this time.
It
was as if a thump on the solar plexus of these business outlets caused by the
restrictions brought on by the pandemic was followed up by a punch in their
stomachs by the KL City Hall ban on beer and alcohol sales.
Business
owners and non-Muslim consumers were irate at this infringement of their right
to conduct a legitimate business and enjoy their tipples, as beer and alcohol
are not under any strictures to adherents of non-Muslim systems of belief.
Barely
had non-Muslims in KL recovered from this frustrating constraint on their
rights when Kedah menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor announced that 4-digit
gaming outlets in the state will not have their licences renewed by local
district councils.
A
KL ban on the grog has been followed up by a Kedah severance of gambling.
Political
observers would not be surprised by the action of the Kedah menteri besar. A
stormy petrel of Malaysian politics, PAS politician Sanusi has been picking
fights with Penang over the latter’s rights to draw water from the Muda River
for its needs.
In
recent weeks, Sanusi shifted from being a thorn in Penang’s flesh to an ulcer
in its mouth by demanding a higher annual payment from Penang for the alleged
lease of the territory from Kedah.
Now,
to add insult to injury, Sanusi has advised aggrieved 4-digit punters in Kedah,
soon to be deprived of their weekly fix, to buy their gaming tickets in
neighbouring Penang.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Arab World
UAE
working to de-escalate tensions with Iran, no interest in confrontation:
Gargash
16
November ,2021
The
UAE is working to de-escalate tensions with Iran in a move towards diplomacy
and a step away from confrontation, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the
UAE President, said on Monday.
“We
remain deeply concerned about Iran’s behavior in the region, including its
ongoing interference in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon,” he told the Abu Dhabi
Strategic Debate conference.
“Despite
this, we have taken steps to deescalate tensions, as we have no interest in a
confrontation. The whole region would pay the price of such a confrontation for
decades to come,” Gargash added.
The
UAE, along with other Gulf countries, have long said Iran needed to stop its
malign activities in the region through providing financial and military
support to its network of proxy militias across the Middle East.
The
Gulf countries have also condemned Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran says is
for peaceful purposes.
Iran’s
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in September that Tehran and Abu
Dhabi could take “big steps” in cooperation and diplomacy after meeting with
UAE's Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and
Ruler of Dubai, on the sidelines of a summit in Baghdad.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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UN
condemns attempts to discredit Iraq's recent election
16
November ,2021
The
UN Security Council on Monday condemned attempts to discredit Iraq’s election
and deplored the use of violence to settle election-related grievances.
The
UN’s most powerful body congratulated the Iraqi government and the Independent
High Electoral Commission for conducting “a technically well-managed and
generally peaceful election” on Oct. 10. It welcomed the findings of the
commission and the UN political mission in Iraq that partial manual recounts of
votes in polling stations matched the reported electronic results.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
In
the press statement approved by all 15 members, the Security Council reiterated
its condemnation of the Nov. 7 assassination attempt on Iraqi Prime Minister
Mustafa al-Kadhimi and “the persistent threats of violence” against the UN
mission, the electoral commission and others.
Al-Kadhimi
was lightly injured and seven of his security guards were wounded in the attack
on his Baghdad home using at least two armed drones.
There
was no claim of responsibility, but suspicion immediately fell on Iran-backed
militias that were the biggest losers in last month’s parliamentary elections.
Supporters of the militias have protested to demand a vote recount, and at
least one was killed in clashes with security forces. Many of the faction
leaders blame the prime minister for the violence.
Some
analysts said the attack aimed to cut off the path to a second term for
al-Kadhimi. Iranian militias had been blamed for previous attacks on the Green
Zone where the prime minister lives and which also houses foreign embassies.
The
Security Council reiterated UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call to all
political parties, candidates and other stakeholders “to exercise patience and
address any outstanding concerns through established legal channels, and to
create a post-electoral environment that fosters mutual understanding and national
unity through peaceful and constructive dialogue.”
Council
members called for “a peaceful and independent judicial review of electoral
appeals,” saying UN personnel “will continue to monitor any unlawful attempts
to undermine the election process.”
Members
said they “look forward to the peaceful formation of an inclusive government
which would deliver meaningful reforms to address the needs and aspiration of
all Iraqis, including women, youth and marginalized communities.”
In
the election, Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr who set himself apart from the
Iran-backed militias by taking a more nationalistic approach, picked up to 20
additional seats, consolidating its status as the single largest bloc in the
329-member parliament. A Sunni faction headed by Parliament Speaker Mohamed
al-Halbousi came in second — a spot the Iranian-backed militias gained in 2018.
Months
of negotiations are expected before a coalition representing at least 165
members of parliament can be formed and elect a prime minister.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
defenses intercept Houthi drone launched toward Khamis Mushait
15
November ,2021
Saudi
Arabia’s air defenses have intercepted an explosive drone launched by the Iran-backed
Houthi militia toward Khamis Mushait in the Kingdom, according to an Arab
Coalition statement.
The
Iran-backed Houthis have continued their attempts to target civilians and
economic infrastructures in the Kingdom in efforts that drew condemnation from
several Arab and Western countries.
The
latest attack comes after the Arab Coalition carried out 26 separate operations
targeting of Houthi militias in Marib and al-Bayda within the past 24 hours.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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2
civilians killed in regime attack in Syria’s de-escalation zone
Ahmed
Kara Ahmed
15.11.2021
DAMASCUS,
Syria
Two
civilians were killed in artillery shelling by Syrian regime forces and
Iranian-allied forces in Syria’s northern Aleppo province, according to Syria
Civil Defense (White Helmets) on Monday.
Four
civilians were also injured in the attack on the Kafr Noran village in the
countryside of Aleppo, sources with the civil defense group told Anadolu
Agency.
The
latest attack was in breach of a truce reached in May 2017 between Turkey,
Russia, and Iran when the trio agreed to establish a de-escalation zone in
Idlib, as part of the Astana meetings on the Syrian crisis.
Syrian
regime forces and their supporters, however, continue sporadic attacks, in
violation of a cease-fire agreement signed in March 2020.
In
a previous report, the Syrian Human Rights Network, which documents human
rights violations against Syrians, stated that the attacks by the Syrian regime
and Russia on the de-escalation zone had killed at least 843 civilians during
the period from April 26 to August 19, 2021.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Europe
Liverpool
mosques, Muslim groups praises cabbie for preventing bigger terror attack
November
16, 2021
Britain’s
biggest Muslim umbrella group has praised David Perry, the Liverpool taxi
driver “whose swift response” to a terror attack this Sunday “may have
prevented a wider atrocity in the city.”
“Nothing
justifies this reprehensible act, and we praise the quick action of David Perry
who prevented a terrorist attack,” said Zara Mohammed, secretary general of the
Muslim Council of Britain, in a statement Monday.
She
said Sunday’s attack took the form of an explosion outside Liverpool Women’s
Hospital, “which holds a special place for the people of Liverpool.”
“Many
Muslims work at the hospital and the institution is a neighbour to one of the
city’s largest mosques,” Muhammed added.
“This
is an attack on all of us and the values we all hold dear. We thank the
emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to the attack.”
Muhammed
said that the city “has a special place in the history of the British Muslims,
being home to one of the earliest Muslim communities in Victorian England.”
“We
join Liverpool’s mosques and Islamic centres as they pray for peace and calm in
the city.”
In
a separate statement, mosques and Muslim organizations in Liverpool said the
attack “has shocked all of us.”
Describing
the attack as “cowardly and heinous,” they condemned it with “strongest
possible terms.”
According
to police, Perry’s taxi burned down outside the hospital after a device brought
into the taxi by a passenger exploded.
Suspicious
of the passenger, Perry reportedly locked him in before he could get inside the
hospital with the explosive device.
The
passenger died in the incident.
“Remarkably,
the taxi driver escaped from the cab, he’s being treated for injuries he
sustained and is now released from hospital,” police said.
Source:
ABNA24
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Sit-in
held in London to demand release of Bahraini activists
November
16, 2021
A
sit-in has been held in front of the Bahraini embassy in London, Britain, to
demand the release of political activists and revolution leaders from the
Manama regime’s prisons.
Ali
Mushaima, son of jailed secretary-general of Bahrain’s opposition Haq Movement,
Hasan Mushaima, is among those taking part in the sit-in, which began on Monday
morning.
Ali
said he would also begin a hunger strike to draw attention to the conditions of
political prisoners in Bahrain and demand their release.
Hasan
Mushaima, 73, is suffering from cancer and a number of other chronic diseases.
His
family has frequently condemned the prison officials of neglecting his health
conditions, saying they hold the Al Khalifa regime responsible for his health.
Mushaima
has been jailed for life on charge of trying to overthrow the regime and for
his role in the 2011 anti-regime protests.
The
Persian Gulf kingdom has seen anti-regime protests over the past ten years.
Source:
ABNA24
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of the original story:
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Tributes
paid to young Muslim hero who died saving old woman in UK
Ahmet
Gürhan Kartal
15.11.2021
LONDON
A
young Somali man who died trying to prevent the “attempted murder” of an
82-year-old British woman in London has been hailed as a hero.
Ali
Abucar Ali, 20, was stabbed by the attacker last Friday in Brentford as he
tried to stop him from attacking Betty Walsh, who was also stabbed during the
incident and taken to hospital.
Walsh
remains in hospital with a serious but not life-threatening condition,
according to a police statement.
“We
send our deepest, sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones
of Ali Abucar Ali,” Tell Mama, a group registering hate crime in the UK, said
in a statement on Monday.
“His
heroism and kindness are truly, truly remarkable. It’s a deep, tragic loss.”
Marie
and James Walsh wrote on a GoFundMe page for Ali that he was a “hero – he died
trying to save our mum/mother-in-law.”
Norris
Henry, 37, was arrested following the incident on suspicion of the murder of
Ali and attempted murder of Walsh and later charged with both.
Reaction
to lack of coverage
Meanwhile,
the coverage of the incident by the British mainstream media, especially
ignoring the Somalian origin of the hero victim, has been criticized mainly on
social media.
“When
the killing of (MP) David Amess took place, the word Somali was heavily
emphasized in all news reports,” Kareem Dennis, better known by his stage name
Lowkey, wrote on Twitter.
“Less
than a month later, Ali Abucar Ali saves an 84-year-old woman and is killed in
the process. The word Somali is not being mentioned at all let alone emphasized
anywhere,” the London-based musician and peace activist wrote.
Khaled
Beydoun, a prominent academic whose researches include Islamophobia also joined
the criticism of the lack of coverage by the mainstream media.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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UN
calls for new talks on Yemen’s Hodeidah port as frontlines shift
15
November ,2021
A
UN monitoring mission on Monday called on Yemen’s warring parties to hold new
talks over Hodeidah as the Arab Coalition strafed areas south of the port city,
where Iran-backed Houthi fighters advanced in the wake of withdrawing coalition
forces.
The
airstrikes, which began on Sunday, were the first since late 2018 when the
internationally recognized government and the Houthis agreed a UN-sponsored
pact for a truce in Hodeidah and a troop redeployment by both sides that never
materialized.
The
coalition said on Monday it carried out 11 operations “outside the areas
covered under the Stockholm pact” to support west coast forces, Saudi state
media reported.
Houthi
fighters clashed with Yemeni coalition forces in Hays district, south of
Houthi-held Hodeidah city, two military sources said, following fighting in Al
Faza on Sunday.
The
UN mission overseeing the pact, UNMHA, said the withdrawal of joint Yemeni
forces from Hodeidah city, al-Durayhimi, Bayt al Faqih and parts of al-Tahita
and subsequent Houthi takeover was “a major shift” in frontlines that warranted
discussions between parties to the agreement.
The
United Nations said the shifting frontlines led some 700 families to leave for
Al-Khokhah and some 180 families further south to Al-Mokha, both under
coalition control.
The
Red Sea coast Tihama fighters condemned the withdrawal as “unjustified.”
It
was not clear if the pullback was linked to what the Arab Coalition had
described as a redeployment in south Yemen, where sources said the Saudi
military had left a main base in Aden, the interim seat of government.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Turkey
rescues dozens of asylum seekers pushed back by Greece
Miraç
Kaya
16.11.2021
BALIKESIR,
Turkey
Turkish
coast guard units rescued dozens of asylum seekers pushed back by Greek forces
late Monday.
A
total of 45 asylum seekers were rescued from a rubber boat off the coast of Ayvalik
district in Turkey's northwestern province of Balikesir, the Turkish Coast
Guard said in a statement.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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EU
adds 4 Assad regime ministers to blacklist
Agnes
Szucs
15.11.2021
BRUSSELS
The
European Union on Monday added four Assad regime ministers to its blacklist
targeting those responsible for the repression of the Syrian people.
EU
foreign ministers updated the bloc’s sanctions list against the regime with
four recently appointed ministers, the Council of the EU announced.
Amr
Salem, minister of internal trade, Boutros al-Hallaq, minister of information,
Mohammed Seifeddine, minister of labor, and Diala Barakat, minister of state,
were all added to the blacklist for sharing “responsibility for the Syrian
regime’s violent repression of the civilian population,” according to a
decision published in the EU Official Journal.
With
the additions, the EU targets 287 people in total, including government
officials and businessmen profiting from the war economy, with travel bans and
asset freezes.
The
blacklist also forbids EU operators from making funds available for 70
entities, including the Syrian central bank.
The
sanctions regime also includes a ban on oil imports and restrictions on
investments and exports of equipment and technology.
The
EU introduced its sanctions regime fully a decade ago, in 2011, to pressure the
Assad regime to stop the repression of its own people and to enter negotiations
about a political solution for the civil war.
“There
will be no end to sanctions, no normalizations, no support for reconstruction
until a political transition is underway,” EU foreign policy chief Josep
Borrell said this April, on the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the war.
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-adds-4-assad-regime-ministers-to-blacklist/2421517
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