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Islamic World News ( 29 Sept 2023, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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UP School Muslim Teacher Arrested For Asking Muslim Student To Slap Hindu Classmate as "Punishment”

New Age Islam News Bureau

29 September 2023

  

The police have arrested the accused teacher Shaista and have started the investigation, image via Hindustan

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India

·         Delhi Lynching Case: Minor Involved In Torture Of Specially-Abled Muslim Youth, Say Cops

·         Varanasi district court rejects plea to stop Archaeological Survey of India’s survey of Gyanvapi mosque premises

·         Provocative social media posts: Youth wing of Indian Union Muslim League seeks incitement action on Kerala BJP

·         Allahabad HC junks Anjuman Intezamia Masajid plea to name petitioner who sought transfer of Gyanvapi dispute

·         Make J&K terror free: Omar

·         New Delhi examining Afghan embassy's purported communication on closing down operations: Sources

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Pakistan

·         Joint Investigation Team Finds Imran ‘Mastermind’ Of May 9 Riots

·         Imran Khan’s Lawyer, PML-N Senator Engage In Fistfight On Live TV

·         India Involved In Genocide Of Muslims, President Alvi Tells a Delegation of UK Members Of Parliament

·         Leaders urge unity as nation celebrates Eid Miladun Nabi with religious zeal and fervour

·         PTI leader Farrukh Habib, eight others arrested in Gwadar

·         Four villagers killed as law enforcers’ raid turns deadly in Sakrand

·         Girl shot dead, mother wounded in Karachi’s Surjani Town

·         Pakistan condemns terrorist attack on Bahrain Defence Force

·         Aneeq Ahmad urges nation to follow footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (SAWW)

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North America

·         U.S. Treasury Sanctions Sudanese Islamist Leader, RSF Companies

·         CAIR Condemns Racist Neo-Nazi Vandalism Targeting D.C. Church

·         US raised Canada’s murder allegation with India – Reuters

·         US Senate Passes Dress Code Bill As Govt Shutdown Looms

·         US worried about worsening situation in Amhara, Blinken tells Ethiopia’s PM

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Africa

·         Terrorists On Motorbikes Kill At Least 12 Niger Republic Soldiers Near Mali, Burkina Faso Border

·         Floods in eastern Libya displaced over 16,000 children - UNICEF

·         UK: Sudanese man arrested after migrant's body found

·         At least ten Niger soldiers killed in militant attack

·         Nigerian govt acquires new ‘attack helicopters’

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Europe

·         'Very Dangerous And Very Clever' UK Student Built Kamikaze Drone For Islamic State In His Bedroom

·         Gunman goes on deadly shooting spree in EU city

·         French watchdog demands criminal charges for porn producers

·         Netherlands: Three dead after shooting incident in Rotterdad, suspect arrested

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Mideast

·         Iran Foils Serial Assassination Plot Against Clerics, Judges, IRGC Members: Iran's Intelligence Minister

·         Israeli Occupation Issues 2,618 Administrative Detention Orders Against Palestinians in 2023

·         Israel reopens Gaza crossings, lets Palestinians back to work after two weeks

·         Group: Israel has detained over 135,000 Palestinians since 2000

·         Palestinians Condemn US Congressional Hearing As Unfair And Misleading

·         Iraqis who fled Daesh blame political rot for tragic wedding fire

·         Israeli Occupation Arrests Two Palestinians from Gaza

·         Israeli Forces Clash with Palestinian Protesters in Beit Ummar, Leaving Two Injured

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South Asia

·         Afghan Taliban Arrest 200 Terrorists After ChitralAttack

·         Taliban in Talks on Loya Jirga Plan: Sarajudin Haqqani

·         Taliban issues 13 directives in 2 years, restricting information access: AFJC Report

·         Turkey rescues and detains 70 Afghan refugees

·         Afghanistan’s Embassy in India closed due to unprecedented circumstances

·         UN Deputy Sec-Gen Calls for Applying Pressure on Interim Afghan Government

·         Islamic Emirate Expresses Condolences Over Iraq Wedding Fire Tragedy

·         25 Afghan Nationals Released from Iraqi Jail and Repatriated

·         Washington values relationship with Dhaka: US State Department

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Arab World

·         Saudi Arabia’s Evolving Relations With Israel And Their Impact On The Palestinian Cause

·         Saudi Arabia, China sign transport agreement

·         Saudi human rights chief meets UK minister

·         Saudi, Bahraini FMs chair coordination meeting in Manama

·         Saudi Arabia’s transformation akin to Japan’s rise: Ambassador Iwai

·         Saudi Ambassador to Türkiye Abu Al-Nasr presents credentials to Erdogan

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Southeast Asia

·         PM Anwar: Tabung Haji Assets Parked Under Finance Ministry’s Special Purpose Vehicle To Be Returned To Fund

·         Number of flood evacuees in Kedah rises to 1,908, Perlis records 44 victims as of this morning

·         PM: Govt Doing Its Best To Help People Coping With Rising Prices Of Goods

·         Body of baby girl found in rubbish bin

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:    https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/up-muslim-teacher-slap-hindu/d/130786

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UP School Muslim Teacher Arrested For Asking Muslim Student To Slap Hindu Classmateas a "Punishment”

 

The police have arrested the accused teacher Shaista and have started the investigation, image via Hindustan

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FPJ Web Desk: September 29, 2023

Lucknow: In yet another shocking incident from a classroom in Uttar Pradesh, this time from Samhal district, a teacher at a private school allegedly ordered a Muslim student to slap a Hindu classmate as a "punishment" for not correctly answering a question. The incident took place on Thursday (September 28) and a video doing rounds on social media showed the child speaking on camera about the ordeal.

According to media reports, the victim student's father filed a complaint against the accused teacher identified as Shaista, who allegedly ordered the Muslim student in the class to slap the Hindu student.

The student's father registered a complaint against the teacher at the Asmoli police station under Sections 323 and 153-A (promoting enmity on the basis of religion) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The student is from class 5 and the Muslim student was told to slap the Hindu student at the behest of the teacher, the father of the victim student told police in his complaint. The father added that the incident had hurt the feelings of his child and appealed for action to be taken against the teacher.

Police said that a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and that action would be taken accordingly as per the investigations into the case.

Muzaffarnagar school incident

The incident also brings back ugly memories of Muzzafarnagar school (Neha Public School) where a teacher had ordered classmates of a Muslim student to slap him. The video of the incident had created a furore and the incident made headlines with demands for strict action to be taken against the teacher.

Source: freepressjournal.in

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https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/muzaffarnagar-rerun-up-school-teacher-arrested-for-asking-muslim-student-to-slap-hindu-classmate

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Muslim Man Beaten For Wearing Skull Cap Inside College Campus In Uttar Pradesh

 

Photo:  Khaama Press

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September 28, 2023

MEERUT : A young man was allegedly thrashed by a group of people here for wearing a skull cap in a college campus where he had gone to deposit his sister’s fee.

A video of the incident is now being widely circulated on social media.

In the video, the man can be seen taking off the cap after the miscreants tried to overpower him by grabbing his collar while another one picks up a brick.

According to police, the incident took place on Monday when Mohd Sahil, a resident of Lisari Gate locality, was standing in a queue at the fee counter.

Mohd Imran, Sahil’s brother who filed a police complaint, said, “Sahil was accompanied by our sister who is pursuing B.Sc at the college. Some youths began passing communal slurs. They objected to his skull cap and demanded it to be removed. Then they started slapping him. It was only after our sister screamed for help that they fled.”

Notably, the FIR does not mention the reason for the assault and the accused have been booked as “unknown” under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (provocation with an intention to breach peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

“We had clearly mentioned in our complaint that Sahil was assaulted for wearing a skull cap. We are in talks with the police and requesting them to include stringent sections in the FIR,” said Imran.

Police, however, said there was no “religious angle”.

SP (city) Piyush Kumar said, “Preliminary investigations have revealed that the victim was looking at his mobile phone and the youths attacked him thinking that he was filming them. A probe is underway.” — IANS

Source: muslimmirror.com

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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/uttar-pradesh-muslim-man-beaten-for-wearing-skull-cap-inside-college-campus/

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Senate Panel Okays Bill For Public Hanging Of Rapists In Pakistan

 

Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator Mohsin Aziz presides over a meeting of the committee at Parliament House Islamabad on Sept 28. — Senate website

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Jamal Shahid | Iftikhar A. Khan

September 29, 2023

ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Thursday passed a bill by majority vote with some amendments for publicly hanging rapists, despite opposition from the PPP, interior and foreign affairs ministries.

The bill, proposed by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of Jamaat-i-Islami, aims to amend sections 375, 375A, and 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Schedule-II of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrCP).

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior, chaired by Senator Mohsin Aziz, discussed these amendments to remove section D and introduce public hangings for rapists. The demand for public hangings gained momentum following the gang-rape incident on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway in September 2020.

Senator Sherry Rehman of PPP strongly opposed public hangings, preferring life sentences due to flawed verdicts and the lack of evidence linking deterrence to public executions. She emphasised that civilised societies have largely abolished executions as punishment.

Senator Rehman questioned the effectiveness and ethical implications of the proposed amendments, citing past use of capital punishment during Gen Ziaul Haq’s dictatorship. She argued that public hangings would not deter crime but increase societal brutality, especially among marginalised groups.

The committee also approved the “Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023”, moved by Senator Mumtaz Zehri, focusing on proper treatment and medical examination reports for rape victims through public and private hospitals.

They addressed the issue of private jails and passed the “Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023”, co-sponsored by Senators Mushtaq Ahmed and Samina Mumtaz Zehri to deter false imprisonment within residences.

Other bills were discussed during the session, including one temporarily rejected due to its sub judice status, and another was rejected.

The committee also passed the “Rain Water Harvesting Facility in Urban Areas, Bill 2023,” to efficiently utilise rainwater, supported by CDA representatives.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui raised concerns about a missing bill for almost 15 months and decided to request a detailed report on the matter from relevant officials.

The meeting was attended by various senators, including Saifullah Abro, Samina Mumtaz Zehri, and Sherry Rehman, as well as bill movers Senator Mushtaq Ahmed and Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan, along with government representatives.

Amendments to Sindh child labour laws

Separately, officials briefed a Senate committee, calling for amendments to the Sindh Child Prohibition Employment Act to discourage child domestic labour.

The Senate Human Rights Committee, led by Senator Walid Iqbal, discussed the tragic death of a nine-year-old girl in Ranipur, who worked as a minor housemaid and allegedly suffered torture and sexual abuse.

During the briefing, the human rights secretary stated that the incident occurred on August 16, 2023. The accused were arrested on the same day. He suggested amending the Sindh Child Prohibition Employment Act, adding that it lacked provisions for preventing child domestic labour. He emphasised the need for an inspection mechanism to monitor child domestic abuse effectively. Additionally, there was a need for a consistent definition of “child” nationwide.

Regarding concerns about alleged DNA sample tampering, officials denied the allegations and explained that samples were sent to Jamshoro and Karachi Institute first. Due to technology limitations and the case’s sensitivity, samples were later sent to Lahore, and the DNA report would be available in the coming days.

The committee expressed dissatisfaction with the Sindh Police for delaying the DNA report. Senator Iqbal remarked that evidence tampering was a significant factor leading to the avoidance of punishment in around 78 per cent of criminal cases.

Ayesha Raza Farooq, Chairperson of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child, mentioned that they had contacted the Sindh Child Protection Authority about rumours of another minor being held captive at the same location, but received no response.

The Sindh Social Welfare secretary reported the rescue of eight young girls from the site and a compensation of Rs1 million given to the deceased’s family. Senator Walid Iqbal recommended that all provinces enact legislation to prevent child domestic abuse and ensure justice in child abuse cases.

The committee also discussed the illegal arrest of Pastor Luke Vicktor and Ghazala Shafique in Jaranwala, Faisalabad. The committee instructed the RPO to submit the inquiry report once completed.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1778432/senate-panel-okays-bill-for-public-hanging-of-rapists

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Saudi-Israel Normalization ‘Impossible’ If Palestinian State Is Prerequisite: Pompeo

 

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (file photo by AP)

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 29 September 2023

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has ruled out the possibility of a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and the Israeli regime if such an agreement required the creation of an independent Palestinian state with the occupied al-Quds as its capital.

Pompeo made the comment in an interview with Israel's Jerusalem Post newspaper on Wednesday after Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Palestine Nayef bin Bandar al-Sudairi made an official visit to the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

During the visit, Sudairi underlined that creating a Palestinian state with the occupied al-Quds as its capital would be the “central point” of any prospective agreement with the illegal entity.

“It is impossible to imagine a two-state solution with the current Palestinian leadership,” Pompeo said, accusing the Palestinian Authority (PA) of "underwriting terrorism, taking money from Iran, paying citizens to kill Israelis,” without providing evidence for his claims.

The former US diplomat added, “It is very difficult to imagine how one would strike a deal with the very leaders that have rejected every reasonable offer with which they have been presented.”

Stressing that every US president, whether Democratic or Republican, would support a normalization agreement, Pompeo said it is in the US’s interest to have security relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia and between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Sudairi, who is also the Saudi ambassador to Jordan, was appointed last month as the kingdom's non-resident ambassador to Palestine and consul general in al-Quds.

Saudi Arabia’s newly appointed ambassador presents his credentials to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Israeli regime claims occupied al-Quds as its own capital, a status recognized by the United States under then-president Donald Trump in 2017 but not by other world countries. Israeli authorities bar Palestinian diplomatic activity in the city.

The Saudi ambassador’s appointment came amid reports that the Persian Gulf kingdom is considering the prospect of establishing formal diplomatic relations with Israel under US pressure.

In late July, the administration of US President Joe Biden announced that a deal for Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalize relations may be on the horizon following National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s talks with Saudi officials in Jeddah.

In order to sign a deal with Israel, Riyadh publicly asked Tel Aviv to implement the 2002 so-called Arab Peace Initiative, which conditions normalizing ties with Israel on the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.

However, members of the far-right Israeli regime, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, say they will not make any concession to the Palestinians as part of a potential deal for normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia.

An adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the road to normalizing with Saudi Arabia was “still long.”

Washington’s efforts to add Saudi Arabia to the list of Arab countries that have signed the Abraham Accords come at a critical time when Biden is seeking re-election and Washington has failed to pull the kingdom farther from China’s orbit and hamper Beijing’s efforts to expand its influence in West Asia.

The UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco signed US-brokered normalization agreements with Israel in 2020 under former hawkish President Donald Trump, drawing condemnations from Palestinians who censured the deals as “a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people.”

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/09/29/711723/Saudi-Israel-normalization-impossible-if-Palestinian-state-is-prerequisite-Pompeo-says

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Burkina Faso Suspends French Media "Jeune Afrique" Magazine

 

Senegalese burn a copy of the French magazine Jeune Afrique during a demonstration in Dakar on January 30, 2016.

Copyright © africanews

MOUSSA SOW/AFP or licensors

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28 September, 2023

Burkina Faso announced on Monday evening the suspension of "all distribution media" of the French media JeuneAfrique, which includes a print newspaper and a website, after the publication of articles evoking tensions within the Burkinabe army.

The "transitional government" has "responsibly decided to suspend all JeuneAfrique distribution media in Burkina Faso until further notice, as of this Monday, September 25", wrote government spokesman and Communications Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo.

The government justifies its decision by the circulation of "a new misleading article on the website of the newspaper JeuneAfrique, entitled: "Au Burkina Faso, toujours des tensions au sein de l'armée" and published on Monday.

Announced on Monday September 25, the Burkinabe government's decision is yet another attack on press freedom.

"This publication follows an earlier article on the same site", published on Thursday, "in which JeuneAfrique alleged that 'in Burkina Faso, discontent is rising in the barracks'", adds the Minister.

According to the government, "these deliberate assertions, made without the slightest hint of proof, have the sole aim of discrediting the national armed forces and, by extension, all fighting forces".

Among those interviewed by AFP in Ouagadougou, some still have access to the website, while others reported difficulties in connecting.

Expulsion of journalists

This decision comes almost a year after Captain Ibrahim Traoré came to power in a coup d'état, his second in eight months.

Burkina Faso shares several of its borders with two other military-led countries that came to power in coups: Mali since 2020 and Niger since the end of July.

In June, the Burkina Faso authorities announced the suspension of the French TV channel LCI for three months, after expelling the correspondents of the French dailies Libération and Le Monde in April.

At the end of March, they ordered the sine die suspension of the France 24 television channel, after having suspended Radio France Internationale (RFI) in December 2022, French public media accused of relaying messages from jihadist leaders.

In August, Burkina Faso also suspended a national radio station for a month for interviewing an opponent of the military regime in Niger.

Source: africanews.com

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https://www.africanews.com/2023/09/28/burkina-faso-suspends-french-media-jeune-afrique-magazine/

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 India

Delhi lynching case: Minor involved in torture of specially-abled Muslim youth, say cops

29.09.23

A minor also took part in the torture of a specially-abled Muslim youth who was tied to an electricity pole with saffron cloth and beaten to death in the capital on Tuesday morning, Delhi police said on Thursday.

A police officer said there was no “communal angle” to the lynching but the relatives of the 26-year-old victim, Mohammed Isaar, suspect that he was killed on the suspicion of stealing prasad from a Ganesh Chaturthi stall.

Even among the six adults who have been arrested so far, three are teenagers. All the accused are aged below 25 — a telling piece of statistics at a time pupils in a school in Uttar Pradesh were asked to slap a Muslim child.

“The minor, aged 16, has been apprehended and he has been charged under the Juvenile Justice Act. He, along with six adults, had participated in the torture that resulted in Isaar’s death,” said a senior Delhi police officer. The law prohibits the identification of suspects aged below 18.

A police officer identified the six arrested adults as Kamal (23), who runs a DJ business; his brother Manoj (19), who owns a tailoring shop; Yunus (20), who works for Kamal as a DJ; Kishan (19) and Pappu (24), both labourers; and Lucky (19), who runs a momo stall.

All of them have been charged with murder. “The autopsy report showed blunt-force injuries all over Isaar’s body. The cause of death is shock and haemorrhage,” the police officer said.

The officer added: “The accused noticed the victim lurking around and took him to be a thief. Later, they caught him and tied him to a pole and beat him up. There was no communal angle to it.”

The officer did not identify the object or objects that the accused had suspected Isaar of trying to steal, sometime between 8am and 9am.

The victim’s father, Abdul Wahid, a 60-year-old fruit vendor in Northeast Delhi’s Sundar Nagri, said he believes that the murder of his son was a hate crime. The police said the lynching took place less than 500 metres from Isaar’s home.

“My son was mentally ill and he was lynched for eating prasad. Did he deserve to be beaten to death even if he stole some prasad? He was roaming around in the area and he could have been hungry. That’s why he may have picked up some prasad from the stall to eat,” Wahid told The Telegraph on Thursday.

“I believe they targeted him because of his religion and because he touched the prasad. Several people witnessed the horrific torture of my son but none came to Isaar’s rescue,” Wahid said.

“I want justice for my son. I am illiterate and do not know what the police are claiming. I'm sure that my son was brutally tortured and killed because of his religion,” he repeated.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/delhi-lynching-minor-involved-in-torture-of-specially-abled-youth-say-cops/cid/1969688

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Varanasi district court rejects plea to stop Archaeological Survey of India’s survey of Gyanvapi mosque premises

29.09.23

Piyush Srivastava

The Varanasi district court on Thursday rejected the Gyanvapi Masjid management’s plea to stop the Archaeological Survey of India’s survey of the mosque premises.

The court also observed that it had already ordered the district administration to preserve the “evidence” collected from the site by the ASI.

The case relates to a demand from Hindu individuals and organisations to hand over the mosque to Hindus on the ground that it had been built by demolishing parts of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, with which it shares its compound. The ASI survey is expected to settle the historical claim.

The Anjuman Intezamia Committee, which runs the mosque, had applied to district judge Ajay Krishna Vishwesha saying the ASI was violating the official norms for such surveys as well as Allahabad High Court’s order not to damage the structure.

Sunil Tripathi, a lawyer for the Hindu side, said on Thursday: “They want to stop the survey because it’s collecting evidence that it was a temple before being converted into a mosque during Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s time.”

The Muslim side has largely been reticent in public, citing the sub-judice status of the matter. However, a committee member told some reporters on the condition of anonymity that “we are in a position to prove that Gyanvapi was always a mosque”.

“At the moment, we haven’t much to say except that the ASI shouldn’t damage the mosque,” he said.

“The ASI told Allahabad High Court it wouldn’t inflict any injury to the structure but is doing so freely. We also reminded the district court that the ASI was not following the norm requiring it to pay a fee to the management of any historical building before it starts a survey there.”

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/varanasi-court-junks-plea-to-stop-archaeological-survey-of-indias-survey-of-gyanvapi-mosque-premises/cid/1969691

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Provocative social media posts: Youth wing of Indian Union Muslim League seeks incitement action on Kerala BJP

29.09.23

K.M. Rakesh

The youth wing of the Indian Union Muslim League has sought the registration of cases against BJP leaders who had made provocative social media posts after fake news broke about a soldier being attacked by the banned Muslim organisation Popular Front of India.

Army man Shine Kumar, 35, and his friend Joshi had falsely claimed that PFI members had attacked Kumar in Kollam district and painted “PFI” on his back. As local and national media widely covered the alleged incident, several BJP leaders cited it to label Kerala a safe haven for Islamic radicals.

However, grilled by the police, Kumar and Joshi allegedly confessed to having fabricated the story to earn the soldier a better posting. Both were arrested on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the state general secretary of the Muslim Youth League, P.K. Firos, sent a written complaint to the Kerala director-general of police seeking action against those who tried to “foment communal tension” over the matter.

Firos named BJP leader Anil K. Antony, party cyber warrior Pratheesh Vishwanath, the pro-BJP channel Janam TV and the online portal Karma News.

“We request you to book cases against all those who jumped to conclusions and took to social media... even before the facts were available, with the sole intention of fomenting communal tension,” he wrote.

BJP leader Anil, son of Congress veteran A.K. Antony, had on Monday written a post on X, saying: “A serving jawan was assaulted, his hands tied up, and PFI was painted on his back by anti social (sic) miscreants in Kollam, Kerala yesterday.

“Saddened and shocked that even our armed forces personnel who we owe much for their bravery and sacrifices find no safety in Kerala.” Anil alleged that under CPM rule, Kerala “is becoming a dangerous radical Islamist hotspot…”

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/youth-wing-of-indian-union-muslim-league-seeks-incitement-action-on-kerala-bjp/cid/1969685

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Allahabad HC junks Anjuman Intezamia Masajid plea to name petitioner who sought transfer of Gyanvapi dispute

 29th September 2023

By Namita BajpaiExpress News Service

LUCKNOW:  The Allahabad High Court chief justice has rejected an application filed by Anjuman Intezamia Masajid  (AIM), the management committee of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, urging the court to disclose the name of counsel or party who had moved an application for transferring Gyanvapi mosque title dispute case from the judge who had reserved judgment in the matter to another court.

In the same application, the AIM had also submitted that the present proceeding may not be restarted till disclosure of name in the interest of justice. Rejecting AIM’s application, chief justice PritinkerDiwaker termed it as ‘bereft of any merit’. He directed to list the bunch of cases relating to Gyanvpai title dispute on October 4, 2023 for further hearing. The chief justice observed that the identity of the applicant, who highlighted the procedural impropriety in hearing of the writ petitions, was not material.

“What is material and important is the sanctity of the court proceedings. The limited purpose served by the application dated July 27, 2023 is that the procedural impropriety arising in the proceedings got highlighted before the chief justice, on the administrative side, so that mandatory procedures for hearing of writ as per the rules of the court are complied with. It is otherwise open for any party to apply for inspection of records of the writ proceedings and ascertain the identity of the applicant who filed the said application dated July 27,” said justice Diwaker.

He added that filing of an application on the judicial side or making of prayer to defer the hearing in the matters, for such reasons, appeared to be uncalled for. In the present bunch of petitions filed by AIM and four others, the petitioners challenged the maintainability of the suit filed before a Varanasi court seeking restoration of a temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque exists. One petition, which is connected with these petitions, has also challenged a Varanasi court direction (dated April 8, 2021) to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a comprehensive survey of the entire premises of Gyanvapi mosque.

Identity of applicant was not material, says Diwaker

Rejecting AIM’s application, chief justice PritinkerDiwaker termed it as ‘bereft of any merit’. He said that the identity of the applicant, who highlighted the procedural impropriety in hearing of the writ petitions, was not material. The matter was listed for further hearing on October 4.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/sep/29/allahabad-hc-junks-plea-to-name-petitioner-who-sought-transfer-of-gyanvapi-dispute-2619216.html

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Make J&K terror free: Omar

29 September 2023

Mohit Kandhari | Jammu

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah Thursday threw a fresh challenge to the Union Territory administration to make J&K terror-free and then remove the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

Reacting to the recent statement of the Director General of Police Dilbag Singh about terror-free Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said his party will play its role in achieving this goal.

“Who can object to it, other than the terrorists? No one will say that the DGP has said anything wrong. Please make Jammu and Kashmir terror-free, we will also play whatever role we can in this regard. But nothing can be achieved by just making statements. How terror-free we are is evident from the Kokernag incident. After such a long time, losing a Colonel, a major, a DySP of JK Police and a jawan is not an ordinary incident,” he said.

“Your aim is to make (JK) terror-free, please do it. Let it be proved on the ground. Then remove the AFSPA. We will be the first ones to cheer for you,” he added.

Interacting with the media persons at the party headquarters in Srinagar Omar Abdullah also reiterated BJP does not want to hold any elections in Jammu and Kashmir as it knows that people will punish them through ballot.

“They (BJP) are not in a mood to hold elections because they know that people are not with them. Leave Kashmir aside, BJP will be at the receiving end from the people in Jammu as well. That’s why they do not have the courage to hold polls,” Abdullah added.

“The current dispensation does not seem to be in favor of even holding the local bodies and panchayat elections, which the government played up in the Supreme Court.

“Assembly is a far cry, perhaps they are not willing to hold local bodies and panchayat elections which they talked about a lot in the Supreme Court. The only election that we believe will be held is the one to Parliament. They might find it difficult to defer that. Other than that they don’t seem to be in a mood to hold any other election because the mood of the people is to punish them through votes,” he said.

In response to another question, Abdullah charged that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and some bureaucrats were the only people who did not want assembly elections to be held in Jammu and Kashmir.

“There is only one person and there may be a few officers around him who will be going from here when the LG leaves, who does not want elections. Ask anyone on the road. I am not saying they will vote for my party or a particular party but everyone wants elections. There are a few yes men who visit the Raj Bhawan to mislead the LG. I also headed a government for six years, these turncoats used to come to my office as well,” he added.

Abdullah was referring to a recent statement made by Sinha in which he claimed that 80 percent of people in Jammu and Kashmir were happy with the current dispensation and did not want any change.

Source: dailypioneer.com

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https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/india/make-j-k-terror-free--omar.html

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New Delhi examining Afghan embassy's purported communication on closing down operations: Sources

PTI New Delhi, 29.09.23

The Afghan embassy in India has purportedly come out with a communication on closing down its operations and New Delhi is examining its authenticity, sources have said.

The embassy has been headed by Ambassador Farid Mamundzay and it is learnt that he is currently in London. Mamundzay was appointed by the previous Ashraf Ghani government and he has been operating as the Afghan envoy even after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

The Afghan embassy in New Delhi has purportedly issued a communication on this issue, the sources in the Indian government said on reports of the embassy closing down its operations.

"The authenticity of the communication and its contents are being examined," one of the sources said.

"This is in the context of the ambassador being out of India for the past many months, a steady departure of diplomats to third countries reportedly after receiving asylum as well as reports of infighting amongst the embassy personnel," the source said.

It is learnt that the embassy has sent a communication to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on its decision to close down operations in the next couple of days. There was no immediate response from the embassy on the matter.

In April-May, the embassy was rocked by a power struggle in the wake of reports of the Taliban appointing a charge d'affaires to head the mission, replacing Mamundzay. Following the episode, the embassy came out with a statement that there was no change in its leadership.

The tussle for power had erupted after Qadir Shah, who was working as a trade councillor at the embassy since 2020, wrote to the MEA in late April claiming that he was appointed as the charge d'affaires at the embassy by the Taliban.

India is yet to recognise the Taliban set-up and has been pitching for the formation of a truly inclusive government in Kabul, besides insisting that Afghan soil must not be used for any terrorist activities against any country.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/new-delhi-examining-afghan-embassys-purported-communication-on-closing-down-operations-say-sources/cid/1969745

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Pakistan

 

Joint Investigation TeamFinds Imran ‘Mastermind’ Of May 9 Riots

Rana Yasif

September 29, 2023

LAHORE: The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on Thursday termed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan and the party’s central, provincial, and local leadership as the masterminds behind the May 9 incidents, declaring that the Jinnah House was attacked with their consensus.

The JIT, constituted to probe into the May 9 incidents under the supervision of DIG Investigation Imran Kishwar, prepared the finding report which was later submitted before an anti-terrorism court declaring Imran and the top PTI leadership guilty of May 9 incidents by inciting people through a fake stance.

“Imran, with the cooperation of central, provincial and local leaderships, constituted this plan to push Pakistan towards civil war and the public was incited throught fake and self-created stories,” the JIT report revealed.

The PTI used public power for its vested interests so that the then top military officers, federal, and provincial governments could be forced to tender their resignations.

Through a fake cipher story, the PTI chief incited the public against the then chief of army staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, saying the armed forces were doing political engineering to expel him from power.

Then the public was informed that Imran had tips that he might be gunned down like late Salmaan Taseer, the former Punjab governor.

In a similar way, the top PTI leadership by design took this mission ahead. Efforts were made to divide armed forces by inciting low-ranked officers to not obey the orders of the seniors and sometimes the police officers were threatened by telling them that let the people decide whose government they wanted and if the police intervened, the PTI would treat them like a work of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

The media, social media, and other platforms were used for this purpose.

The people were presented fake pictures under the garb of true freedom and Jihad.

The people were incited to attack the state installations under the garb of protests. “There are substantial evidences which prove the guilt of PTI chief Imran Khan and his top leadership for incited people against the armed forces, putting the county at risk.”

The wave of protests stared when Imran was arrested on May 9, 2023 in Al-Qadir Trust case and the protests continued for three consecutive days.

The PTI workers on the direction of the PTI leadership attacked the Jinnah House, GHQ building, Core Headquarters, ISI offices, airbases, state installations, monuments of the martyred, Askari Tower, Military Library, residences of the armed forces officers, army selection centre, petrol pumps, set ablaze public properties and attacked several other sensitive places of the armed forces.

The top PTI leadership was on board either telephonically or through messages. The public was incited through social media messages and video clips, directing them to reach sensitive places, including the Jinnah House.

The geofencing of Dr Yasmin Rashid, Hammad Azhar, Mehmoodur Rasheed, Ijaz Chaudhry, Mian Alsam Iqbal and Murad Ras proved that they were engaged with the armed workers.

During investigation, it transpired that they were engaged before, after, and during attacks on the sensitive places.

The geofencing reports and CDRs showed that several accused who were earlier present at Zaman Park, were later found at Jinnah House at the time of attack.

Challans

After completing its investigation, the JIT submitted challans in 11 out of 14 total cases, declaring accused Umar Sarfraz Cheema, Mian Rasheed, Yasmin, media activists Khadija Shah, Sanam Javed, Tayaba Raja, Alia Hamza and others guilty.

Separate FIRs were registered against them under different charges, including creating a law and order situation, chaos, attacking Jinnah House, setting ablaze Askari Tower, Shadman police station and public properties in response to former prime minister Imran’s arrest.

Source: tribune.com.pk

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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2438407/jit-finds-imran-mastermind-of-may-9-riots

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Imran Khan’s lawyer, PML-N Senator engage in fistfight on live TV

 Sep 29, 2023

NEW DELHI: Pakistani news channels have once again become the talk of the town as the talk shows turned into a wrestling ring between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s lawyer Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, and Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) Senator AfnanUllah Khan.

In the video, the two were engaged in heated arguments that ended up using abusive language when all of a sudden lawyer Marwat attacked the senator. Eventually resorted to slaps and started punching each other.

After a few kicks and punches were exchanged before the duo, the TV crew present there had to intervene and separated them before any further damage could take place. Both leaders continued to verbally abuse each other even after being separated. This video clip of the studio fight went viral and later Senator shared the video on his X, formerly known as Twitter, account.

Sharing the video on X, AfnanUllah Khan said that he does not believe in violence but is a “soldier of Nawaz Sharif”.

"Marwat attacked me in the talk show yesterday, I believe in non-violence but I am Nawaz Sharif's soldier. The trick that has been put on Marwat is an important lesson for all PTI and especially for Imran Khan, they will not be able to see the shape, they will have to wear big black glasses," the senator said through his post on X.

Meanwhile, lawyer Sher Ali Khan Marwat in a post said that the TV show host was "spreading misinformation" about the "unpleasant incident".

"He is spreading rumours that my opponent was a superman. He is not telling the reality which is that AfnanUllah ran away from the studio and took shelter in a nearby room, which I came to know after watching his programme today," Marwat said. He also added that he plans to "initiate a defamation case and criminal complaint" the senator.

This is not the first time that such an incident has taken place on a talk show set.

In 2021, former PPP lawmaker Abdul Qadir Mandokhel and then-PTI leader Firdous Ashiq Awan, who has now joined the Istihkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), were involved in a fight, as per Geo News.

The incident’s video then went viral, in which the two could be seen getting into a heated verbal exchange on a television show.

In the verbal duel during the show, Mandokhel accused Awan of committing corruption.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/imran-khans-lawyer-pml-n-senator-engage-in-fistfight-on-live-tv/articleshow/104032133.cms

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India Involved In Genocide Of Muslims, President Alvi Tells a Delegation ofUK Members Of Parliament

September 29, 2023

Syed Irfan Raza

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has said that India is involved in the genocide of Muslims, persecution and suppression of minorities, burning and destroying churches in Manipur, and extra-judicial killings of leaders of minority communities regionally and internationally.

The president was talking to a delegation UK’s members of parliament, who called on President Alvi at the Aiwan-i-Sadr on Thursday, says a press release issued by the presidency. Representatives of Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora in the UK also attended the meeting.

The president and members of the UK’s parliament expressed deep concern over the human rights violations in India-held Kashmir and the persecution of minorities in India.

The British parliament’s delegation was led by Shadow Minister Andrew Gwynne. The meeting stressed the need for action by the international community to put pressure on India to stop its human rights abuses in India-held Kashmir.

The president told the UK team that the psyche of India was changing as it had been influenced by the extremist Hindutva ideology, which aimed to marginalise minorities, particularly the Muslims.

The president said that Pakistan was committed to safeguarding the rights of its minorities and it always took prompt action if any injustice was done to them.

Dr Alvi also mentioned India’s efforts to change the demographic structure of India-held Kashmir in order to turn the Kashmiris into a minority on their own land.

He urged the world to put pressure on India to reverse its illegal demographic changes in occupied Kashmir.

UK Shadow Minister Andrew Gwynne on his part expressed grave concern over the human rights violations and denial of rights to the people of India-held Kashmir.

“The torture and brutalities being committed by India are unacceptable,” the UK minister was quoted as saying by the press release.

Gwynne mentioned the support for the Kashmiri cause in the British parliament and underscored the need for putting pressure on India to hold plebiscite in India-held Kashmir to grant the people of Jammu and Kashmir their right to self-determination.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1778427/india-involved-in-genocide-of-muslims-president-alvi-tells-uk-members-of-parliament

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Leaders urge unity as nation celebrates Eid Miladun Nabi with religious zeal and fervour

September 29, 2023

As Eid Miladun Nabi (peace be upon him) was being celebrated with religious zeal and fervour across the country on Friday, political leaders cited the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) example and called upon the nation to promote unity.

The day dawned with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and 21-gun salutes in all the provincial capitals, Radio Pakistan reported. The report said that special prayers for the unity of the Muslim Ummah and the progress and prosperity of the country were offered in mosques after Fajr prayers.

Special conferences, events, and Mehfil-e-Milad have been arranged to pay respect to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and highlight his life and teachings.

In the days leading up to Eid Miladun Nabi, buildings, streets, roads, mosques, and houses were decorated with colourful lights.

‘Should give importance to diversity’

In a message on the occasion, President Arif Alvi termed the arrival of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) as good tidings for relieving the suffering of humanity.

He said the arrival of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was the greatest and the most blessed event in history, adding that humanity was honoured with the reward of guidance and mercy from God due to the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) arrival.

The president said Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was brought to this world as the “mercy for all the worlds” and that his life was an embodiment of obedience to God, justice, compassion, and love towards human beings.

President Alvi said the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) teachings were a universal and undying source of guidance for mankind that presented solutions to uncountable challenges being faced today and to be faced till the doomsday.

“In the whole life of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), we find a perfect model not only for faith and worship but also for all aspects of life.” President Alvi said, emphasising that his teachings reflected the comprehensiveness and universality of the message of Islam.

He said Pakistan was a country with different cultures and religious diversity, adding that, “We should give importance to this diversity and should work diligently for the promotion of unity and better understanding among the fellow citizens.”

The President urged us to ponder over the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) teachings and to promote these good values in our daily lives. He called upon every Pakistani to pray to Allah to shower His blessings on the nation and the whole world.

Separately, Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar urged the nation to obey the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) teachings of brotherhood and compassion besides following his message of unity to become an example of tolerance and coexistence.

The premier extended his greetings to the nation as well as the Muslim world. He said the Muslims were fortunate to be the followers of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) who was the embodiment of all traits being imitable for every human being.

‘Shining example of tolerance and compassion’

Kakar said the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) life was a shining example of compassion, tolerance and love, with his character teaching kindness, justice and mercy to become a ray of hope in today’s divided world.

The prime minister called for turning to the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) teachings, particularly at a time when Pakistan was faced with different challenges.

He also called for compassion for the poor and needy as emphasised by the Holy Prophet (PBUH). “Let us come together to help those who are struggling, become a supporting hand for those in need, and build a better and more equal society for all,” he remarked.

The prime minister said the Eid Miladun Nabi was also a moment to renew the pledge to inculcate the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) values in our personal lives.

He prayed to Allah to make Pakistan a cradle for peace, progress and brotherhood and enable his countrymen to follow the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) teachings both collectively and individually.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1778508/leaders-urge-unity-as-nation-celebrates-eid-miladun-nabi-with-religious-zeal-and-fervour

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PTI leader Farrukh Habib, eight others arrested in Gwadar

 September 29, 2023

Behram Baloch

GWADAR/QUETTA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s central leader Farrukh Habib, along with eight other people, was arrested in Gwadar by security forces.

Balochistan Caretaker Minister for Information Jan Achakzai confirmed to Dawn the arrest of the PTI leader with eight other people.

Officials said that Mr Habib reached Gwadar and was staying in a local hotel. On a tip-off about the presence of the PTI leader, who was minister of state for information in the PTI government and president of PTI’s western Punjab wing, security personnel in plain clothes conducted the raid and arrested Mr Habib and eight other people.

Those arrested in the raid include the brother and father-in-law of Mr Habib, who were taken to an unknown place after their arrest.

Party strongly condemns ‘enforced disappearance’

“The PTI leader reached Gwadar along with his brother, father-in-law and six other people to cross into Iran from Gwadar,” MrAchakzai told Dawn.

After shifting Mr Habib, his brother and father-in-law to an unknown place, six other people were handed over to Gwadar police. However, the police, after initial investigation, released all the six people on bail.

Those released on bail were: Jawad Ehsan Raza, Muhammad Mohsin, Abdul Jabbar, Muhammad Nadeem, Muham­mad Saqib Nasim and Mudassir. They belong to Lahore, Karachi and Bahawalpur.

PTI condemns enforced disappearance

Strongly reacting to the development, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf condemned what it called the abduction of PTI west Punjab’s president and former Minister of State Farrukh Habib and urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take immediate notice of the “shameful efforts of promoting lawlessness by the state kidnappers in the country so as to rein in the rising fascism and inhuman practice in the country”.

According to PTI’s Media Cell, a PTI spokesperson strongly condemned the enforced disappearance of Mr Habib and said that the alarming upsurge in the state operation and repression against the PTI ahead of the forthcoming general elections was a shameful attempt to push the PTI, the only federal political party, out of the electoral race.

The PTI spokesperson said that every tactic of cruelty, coercion and brutality was being used under the infamous plan to keep PTI Chairman Imran Khan and PTI out of the electoral arena because they were petrified of the PTI leader’s rising popularity in the country.

He said that after getting relief from the courts in fake and fabricated cases based on political revenge, the state machinery had resorted to shameful practice of enforced disappearances and abductions of PTI leaders and workers to render the courts ineffective.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1778481/pti-leader-farrukh-habib-eight-others-arrested-in-gwadar

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Four villagers killed as law enforcers’ raid turns deadly in Sakrand

September 29, 2023

Mohammad Hussain Khan

HYDERABAD: Four villagers were killed and nine others, including four Rangers personnel, wounded in an operation carried out by law enforcement agencies in a Sakrand village to nab militants belonging to the outlawed Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) on Thurs­day, officials said.

Without providing details, a Rangers spokesman said in a statement that an intelligence-based operation was launch­­ed against high-value targets. Upon seeing Rangers and police, “miscreants attacked the raiding team causing injuries to four Rangers personnel” and killing of three “attackers”, he calimed.

Confirming the killing of four villagers, Benazirabad SSP Hyder Raza identified the wounded Rangers personnel as Abdul Rasheed, Mohammad Awais, Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Owais Asghar and policeman Mohammad Asif.

He claimed that the operation was carried out to nab SRA militants.

However, Sindh United Party (SUP) secretary general Roshan Burriro said that those killed were supporters.

He said that a protest demonstration was underway on a section of the National Highway and villagers were carrying coffins of the four persons killed in the operation in Sakrand.

Giving details about the raid, he said 24-year-old Liaquat Jalbani, who was a student of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sakrand, was in the custody of law enforcers since Thursday morning. “Law enforcers had brought him to the house of AllahdadJalbani in Mari Jalbani village where villagers, including women and children, gathered and tried to get Liaquat freed.”

He said that this led to a scuffle between security forces and villagers and the situation escalated when law enforcers fired shots leading to the death of four villagers and injury to as many.

SUP Benazirabad district president Mujeeb Maachi identified the dead as Akhan Ali and his brother Nizamuddin, Mehaar, and Sajawal. He said Allahdad and his other son Imamuddin suffered critical injuries.

He said that Liaquat Jalbani also suffered injuries, but was discharged from hospital as he didn’t receive any bullet injury.

Police sources told Dawn that Rangers along with a team of the Sindh police and intelligence agency personnel entered the village for an operation, but met with stiff resistance as around 100 to 200 villagers gathered there to question their move.

The police force left the place on the ground that it would not be viable to continue their action, but other law enforcers did not retreat, the sources added.

In a statement, SUP president Zain Shah termed the incident “a gift of caretaker government” which, he said, people of Sindh would not accept.

He accused the Pakistan Peoples Party of taking vindictive actions before general elections, and said that unarmed voters of SUP were targeted by police.

He urged the Supreme Court to take notice of the incident and order a judicial inquiry.

Other nationalist parties, including Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party, Jeay Sindh Mahaz (Chandio) and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz also condemned the incident and asked for the judicial investigation of the matter.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1778409/four-villagers-killed-as-law-enforcers-raid-turns-deadly-in-sakrand

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Girl shot dead, mother wounded in Karachi’s Surjani Town

 September 29, 2023

KARACHI: A three-year-old girl was shot dead while her mother wounded in Surjani Town on Thursday, police said.

The deceased girl was identified as Jannat Amir and her mother as Meerub Amir, 22. They were targeted in Khuda ki Basti.

The suspect, Sheikh Saud, who attacked the mother and daughter, managed to escape from the crime scene. Police said the alleged killer was a relative of the victims and attributed some personal dispute behind the incident.

Two suspects shot dead by police, citizens

Two suspected robbers were shot dead while another wounded by citizens and police jointly in an encounter in Shah Latif Town on Thursday.

Police said six robbers entered a house in Gulshan-i-Benazir. They held the owners hostage at gunpoint and looted Rs1.6 million, one laptop, one cell phone and one licensed pistol from them.

As they were fleeing after the robbery, the victims raised alarm, alerting the neighbours and area residents who chased the suspects and opened fire on them.

In the meantime, a police patrol also reached on the spot and chased the suspects. In an ensuing exchange of gunfire, two unknown suspects were gunned down and another arrested in wounded condition. Their three accomplices managed to escape.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1778406/girl-shot-dead-mother-wounded-in-karachis-surjani-town

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Pakistan condemns terrorist attack on Bahrain Defense Force

September 28, 2023

Pakistan has condemned the terrorist attack on Bahrain Defense Force position on the southern border of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which resulted in the martyrdom of two Bahraini personnel and injured others.

 In a statement on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said we extend deepest condolences to the Kingdom of Bahrain, its brotherly people and families of the martyrs.

She said we pray for full recovery of the injured members of the Bahrain Defense Force. 

Source: radio.gov.pk

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https://www.radio.gov.pk/28-09-2023/pakistan-condemns-terrorist-attack-on-bahrain-defense-force-in-ksa

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Aneeq Ahmad urges nation to follow footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (SAWW)

September 28, 2023

Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs Aneeq Ahmad has urged the nation to follow the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) to grab the success in this world and life hereafter.

Addressing the National Seerat-un-Nabi [Peace Be Upon Him] Conference in Islamabad today, he said the glorious life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is a role model for entire humanity and it is necessary to acquaint ourselves with the character and teachings of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SAW).

Extending his congratulations to the entire Muslim world on the auspicious occasion of Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH, he said our actions should represent those teachings which have been taught by our Prophet (PBUH).

Quoting the verses from Holy Quran, the Minister urged the Muslims to build up their characters by following the Sunnah.

Source: radio.gov.pk

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https://www.radio.gov.pk/28-09-2023/aneeq-ahmad-urges-nation-to-follow-footsteps-of-prophet-muhammad-saww

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North America

 

U.S. Treasury sanctions Sudanese Islamist leader, RSF companies

 28 September 2023

September 28, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Friday imposed sanctions on Ali Karti, a Sudanese Islamist leader, and two companies, one belonging to the paramilitary forces and the other is a Russian-based firm.

The sanctions are aimed at holding accountable those who have undercut efforts to find a peaceful, democratic solution in Sudan.

Karti, a foreign minister under former Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir, has been designated for being responsible for, or complicit in, or having directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in, actions or policies that threaten Sudan’s peace, security, or stability.

OFAC said Karti has led efforts to derail Sudan’s progress toward a full democratic transition, including by undermining the former civilian-led transitional government and the Framework Political Agreement process, which contributed to the outbreak of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, 2023.

The two designated companies are RSF-affiliated companies generating revenue from and contributing to the conflict in Sudan.

GSK Advance Company Ltd (GSK) is ostensibly a Sudan-based information technology and security company run by influential members of Sudanese security forces. In fact, GSK has been used as a procurement channel for the RSF, one of the main aggressors in the current conflict in Sudan.

Aviatrade LLC is a Russia-based military supply company that has worked with GSK to arrange the procurement of parts and supplies, as well as training, for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) previously purchased by the RSF.

GSK and Aviatrade LLC were both designated for being responsible for, or complicit in, or having directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in actions or policies that threaten Sudan’s peace, security, or stability.

The sanctions freeze all assets of the designated individuals and entities subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with them.

The sanctions are the latest effort by the U.S. to pressure the warring parties in Sudan to stop fighting and reach a peaceful settlement.

Source: sudantribune.com

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https://sudantribune.com/article277758/

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CAIR Condemns Racist Neo-Nazi Vandalism Targeting D.C. Church

Ismail Allison

September 28, 2023

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/28/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned racist neo-Nazi vandalism targeting a Washington, D.C., church’s Black Lives Matter sign.

That sign at the Metropolitan AME Church was defaced with images of Nazi swastikas.

In a statement, CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said:

“Houses of worship should be safe spaces for all faiths, not targets of racism and hatred. We call on community leaders and public officials to speak out strongly against the rising bigotry in our nation that inevitably results in such acts of hate.”

Earlier this year, CAIR welcomed legal action in the cases of vandalism targeting churches in Washington, D.C., and Maryland.

He said CAIR is urging religious institutions nationwide to take extra security precautions by using advice offered in CAIR’s booklet, “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety.”  The advice in the booklet is applicable to institutions of all faiths.

Washington, D.C., based CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry. 

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.             

La misión de CAIR esproteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.  

Source: cair.com

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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-racist-neo-nazi-vandalism-targeting-d-c-church/

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US raised Canada’s murder allegation with India – Reuters

29 Sep, 2023

The United States has encouraged India to cooperate with Canada's investigation into the murder of a Sikh separatist leader, amid growing tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa, Reuters has reported, citing an unnamed US official.

Neither side publicly mentioned that the issue was discussed at a meeting between the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Washington on Thursday.

Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the “possible” involvement of the Indian government in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar – without providing evidence.

While India has dismissed the claim, Canada’s partners in the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing alliance, which also includes US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand, have voiced their “concerns,” and the US has stated its support for Canada.

"Reports that Canada asked the US to publicly condemn the murder and that we refused are false and we would strongly push back on the rumors that we were reluctant to speak publicly about this," a senior US administration official told CBC News last week.

The Indian foreign minister said earlier this week that New Delhi was open to looking into any "specific" information that Canada provides, while insisting that it has not been done yet.

"One, we told the Canadians that this [extrajudicial killings] is not the government of India's policy," Jaishankar said at an event in New York ahead of his address to the UN General Assembly. "Two, we told the Canadians that look, if you have something specific, if you have something relevant, let us know – we are open to looking at it”.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead outside a temple in British Columbia in June. He had been designated a terrorist by India in 2020.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking on Thursday,  said he was certain that Blinken would raise the issue with Jaishankar.

“The Americans have been with us in speaking to the Indian government about how important it is that they be involved in following up on the credible allegations that agents of the Indian government killed a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil,” Trudeau said at a press conference in Quebec. US officials have previously publicly encouraged the Indian government to cooperate with the Canadian investigation.

Indian media on Friday quoted Jaishankar as saying he had “exchanged notes on global developments” with Blinken, pointing out that both sides “kept mum” about the Canada row.

The State Department’s readout said the two ministers had discussed “a full range of issues,” including a new potential trade route – the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) – announced during the G20 Summit in New Delhi this month, along with cooperation in defense, space and clean energy.

Jaishankar and Blinken also discussed cooperation ahead of the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, which New Delhi is set to host in the first half of November.  Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are expected to be at the 2+2 gathering, with Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh representing India.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/india/583747-blinken-jaishankar-talks-canada-allegations/

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US Senate passes dress code bill as govt shutdown looms

28 Sep, 2023

The US Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan resolution on Wednesday to restore a longstanding dress code requirement that male senators wear long pants. Democratic Senator John Fetterman’s gym-shorts-and-hoodie uniform was believed to be the target of the resolution.

Senate Resolution 376, the SHow Our Respect to the Senate (SHORTS) Act, was introduced by Democrat Senator Joe Manchin, co-sponsored by Republican Senator Mitt Romney, and sailed through Wednesday’s vote without vocal pushback from a single senator, even as disagreements between and within both parties delay the passage of spending bills required to keep the government from shutting down at the end of September.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced earlier this month that the chamber’s traditional dress code – policed by the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms but apparently not written anywhere into the rules or laws governing official business – would no longer be enforced for senators.

While Schumer himself pledged to “continue to wear a suit” despite demolishing the “business attire” standard that Senate aides were still required to observe, several dozen Republican senators and even Schumer’s fellow Democrat Manchin immediately spoke out against the move.

“Allowing casual clothing on the Senate floor disrespects the institution we serve and the American families we represent,” an open letter to Schumer signed by 46 of his colleagues insisted, urging the New York Democrat to “immediately reverse this misguided action.”

Fetterman became known for his hoodie-and-gym-shorts uniform while serving as lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania before coming to Washington last year. While he initially wore a suit on the Senate floor, since emerging from a prolonged hospitalization for clinical depression earlier this year, he has made the most of the opportunity extended by Schumer to resume wearing his preferred casual clothing for work, causing some of his colleagues great consternation. Before the dress code was repealed, those in violation were required to cast their votes from outside the chamber.

Fetterman’s detractors have long accused him of choosing his self-described “slob” uniform to prop up a phony working-class persona, pointing out that it was his privileged background – with parents who financially supported him into his 40s – that allowed him to go into politics in the first place, taking a $150/year job as mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania.

While the Senate was triumphing over sartorial anarchy, the House remained divided over the funding bills required to keep the lights on in Washington past Saturday. Republicans in the lower chamber have rejected the Senate’s shutdown-avoidance proposal, which would only fund the government through November 17, and instead hope to pass a series of spending bills of their own on Thursday and Friday.

Source: rt.com

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US worried about worsening situation in Amhara, Blinken tells Ethiopia’s PM

September 29, 2023

WASHINGTON: The United States is worried about the situation in the region of Amhara, where the United Nations has spoken of ongoing human rights violations, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Thursday.

“(He) underscored the need to promote peaceful resolution through political dialogue and protection of human rights,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a readout of their telephone conversation.

Earlier, a UN-backed international commission of human rights experts on Ethiopia warned that “violent confrontations are now at a near-national scale, with alarming reports of violations against civilians in the Amhara region and ongoing atrocities in Tigray.”

Ethiopia announced a state of emergency in the Amhara region last month, and the experts cited reports of “mass arbitrary detention of Amhara civilians,” including at least one drone strike carried by government forces.

Organizers of a prominent peace forum in Ethiopia also said the event has been postponed as clashes between the federal government and fighters from a major ethnic group continue to destabilize the region.

The Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa said in a statement last week that the annual gathering of African leaders, set for October, has been pushed back to April 2024 “due to unforeseen circumstances.”

The forum takes place in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, which has experienced months of clashes as the federal government tries to disarm local fighters who had been its allies in a recent two-year conflict in the neighboring Tigray region.

The Tana forum describes itself as a platform for “African-led solutions to the continent’s most pressing security challenges.” In recent years, some of those challenges have occurred in the forum’s backyard as the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed struggles to contain ethnic groups that defy efforts to centralize power.

There are frequent reports from Amhara, Ethiopia’s second most populous region, of deadly drone strikes, shelling and other violence in regional towns including Lalibela. Fighting has also occurred in the town of Bahir Dar, where the peace forum takes place. Bahir Dar residents told The Associated Press last month they could hear military aircraft overhead and gunfire in the streets.

Calls to the Tana forum went unanswered on Friday. The non-governmental organization’s key partners include Ethiopia’s government, the Ethiopia-based African Union and the United Nations.

Ethiopia announced a state of emergency in the Amhara region last month, and the experts cited reports of “mass arbitrary detention of Amhara civilians,” including at least one drone strike carried by government forces.

Ethiopia’s government often tries to cover up the extent of such violence and crackdowns, barring the UN-backed experts, human rights researchers and journalists from Tigray and other affected areas. The experts described the government’s attempt at a justice process for victims as flawed, rushed and not trusted by many, including those targeted by federal authorities and combatants.

Now Ethiopia’s government wants to end the mandate of the UN-backed inquiry, following the quiet end to a separate investigation backed by the African Union. The UN Human Rights Council is set to decide early next month whether to extend it.

On Sept. 21, some African countries spoke up at the UN council in support of Ethiopia’s belief that it can deliver justice on its own.

Source: arabnews.com

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Africa

 

Terrorists On Motorbikes Kill At Least 12 Niger Republic Soldiers Near Mali, Burkina Faso Border

September 29, 2023

At least a dozen soldiers in Niger Republic have been killed following an attack by hundreds of armed insurgents on motorbikes in the country's southwest on Thursday morning.

According to a statement by the defense ministry on Thursday, Seven soldiers were killed in combat while five others died in an accident while driving to reinforce the unit that had come under attack.

The attack took place about 190 km from the capital Niamey in Kandadji, near the tri-border zone of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger that has been the epicenter of Islamist insurgencies in the Sahel region in the last few years.

Earlier on Thursday, three sources including a senior military officer, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media, that at least ten soldiers were killed, Reuters reports.

Neither the sources nor the defence ministry say which group was responsible. Local affiliates of al Qaeda and Islamic State are active in the region and wage frequent attacks on soldiers and civilians.

The defence ministry statement said around a hundred insurgents were killed and their motorbikes and arms were destroyed. It gave no further details.

Two security sources said the army responded to the attack with ground troops as well as helicopters, one of which was hit but was able to return to its base.

Niger is run by a military junta that seized power in a coup in July, partly out of discontent at the worsening security situation. Neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso have each had two coups in the last three years.

At least 17 soldiers were killed in another attack in southwestern Niger in mid-August.

France said on Sunday it would withdraw its 1,500 troops from Niger before the end of the year, after weeks of pressure from the junta and popular demonstrations against the former colonial ruler, which had forces there to fight the insurgents.

On Thursday, several hundred pro-junta supporters gathered again in front of the French military base in Niamey to demand that the troops leave.

Source: saharareporters.com

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Floods in eastern Libya displaced over 16,000 children - UNICEF

September 29, 2023

The deadly floods that devasted eastern Libya on September 10 displaced over 16,000 children UNICEF warned on Thursday (Sep. 28).

Many more are affected due to lack of essential services, such as health and safe water supply, the UN's children agency added.

Storm Daniel swept across cities including Derna, Albayda, Soussa, Al-Marj, Shahat, Taknis, Battah, Tolmeita, Bersis, Tokra and Al-Abyar.

While the number of children among the casualties is still unconfirmed, UNICEF fears hundreds perished in the disaster, given that children account for about 40 per cent of the population.

In the hit region, out of 117 impacted schools, 4 were destroyed and 80 partially damaged. This means children risk further disruption to their learning.

Some of the displaced families are hosted in schools.

Waterborne illnesses are a growing concern due to water supply issues, significant damage to water sources and sewer networks, and the risk of contamination of the ground water. In Derna alone,50 per cent of water systems are estimated to have been damaged.

"UNICEF has been working with authorities and partners since the beginning of the tragedy to respond to the urgent needs of children and families in the affected areas," said Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director in the Middle East and North Africa, who has just returned from a visit to Al Bayda and Derna.

Khodr also sounded the alarm on the psychological burden children bear.

UNICEF is revising its humanitarian response appeal of US$6.5 million to integrate initial recovery efforts with a focus on education, health and water. To date, the body has received about 25 per cent of these funds.

UNICEF has been supported the children in eastern Libya "since day two of the crisis."

Sixty-five metric tonnes of relief supplies have been delivered to affected areas, including medical supplies for 50,000 people for three months, family hygiene kits for almost 17,000 people, 500 children’s winter clothing sets, 200 school-in-a-box kits and 32,000 water purification tablets.

UNICEF has also dispatched mobile child protection and psychosocial support teams to help children cope with the emotional toll of the disaster.

Source: africanews.com

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UK: Sudanese man arrested after migrant's body found

28 September, 2023

British officers have arrested a man as part of an investigation into the death of a woman who is believed to have perished while attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat, the UK's National Crime Agency said on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Sudanese man was arrested for illegal entry and facilitating illegal immigration in the southern English port city of Dover. The man, who is in police custody, is suspected of piloting a boat that reached British waters on Tuesday.

The arrest came after authorities in Calais, northern France, discovered the body of a woman on a local beach on Tuesday.

The Pas-de-Calais regional administration said the woman, believed to be a 24-year-old Eritrean migrant, was found on a beach in the French town of Blériot-Plage after apparently falling from a boat attempting to cross the English Channel.

The UK's National Crime Agency said French authorities were investigating the death, with support from British police.

The two countries are working together "to identify those responsible for this tragic death", said Craig Turner, deputy director of the National Crime Agency.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative government has adopted an increasingly punitive approach to those who arrive in the UK to report a crime.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative government has adopted an increasingly punitive approach to people arriving by unauthorized means, such as unseaworthy small boats crossing the English Channel. More than 45,000 people arrived in Britain by boat from northern France in 2022, compared with 28,000 in 2021 and 8,500 in 2020.

Nearly 24,000 migrants have arrived on British shores in small boats since January.

Source: africanews.com

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At least ten Niger soldiers killed in militant attack

September 29, 2023

NIAMEY: At least ten Niger soldiers were killed in an attack by militants in the country’s southwest on Thursday morning, three security sources told Reuters.

The attack took place about 190 km (118 miles) from the capital Niamey in Kandadji, near the tri-border zone of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger that has been the epicenter of Islamist insurgencies in the Sahel region in the last few years.

The sources including a senior military officer, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media, did not say which group was responsible. Local affiliates of Al-Qaeda and Islamic State are active in the region and wage frequent attacks on soldiers and civilians.

Two security sources said the army responded to the attack with ground troops as well as helicopters, one of which was hit but was able to return to its base.

Niger is run by a military junta that seized power in a coup in July, partly out of discontent at the worsening security situation. Neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso have each had two coups in the last three years.

However, security analysts say attacks had been falling in Niger under ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, who had tried to engage with Islamists and the rural communities where they are rooted.

At least 17 soldiers were killed in another attack in southwestern Niger in mid-August.

France said on Sunday it would withdraw its 1,500 troops from Niger before the end of the year, after weeks of pressure from the junta and popular demonstrations against the former colonial ruler, which had forces there to fight the insurgents.

On Thursday, several hundred pro-junta supporters gathered again in front of the French military base in the capital Niamey to demand that the troops leave.

Source: arabnews.com

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Nigerian govt acquires new ‘attack helicopters’

AbdulkareemMojeed

September 29, 2023

MD Helicopters (MDH), a top aircraft manufacturing company, has announced a new contract deal to deliver new “attack helicopters” to Nigeria.

The aircraft is known as 12 MD 530F Cayuse Warrior Plus.

The aircraft company announced the deal in a statement issued and shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday.

“MD Helicopters (MDH) closed a contract with the Nigerian federal government for 12 MD 530F Cayuse Warrior Plus Scout/Attack helicopters during a signing ceremony in Nigeria,” the statement by the agency said.

According to the statement, the aircraft will be operated by the Nigerian Army Aviation to effectively tackle the security challenges in the country.

It said the acquisition of the new attack helicopters is part of ongoing efforts by the federal government to enhance the capacity of the Nigerian Army Aviation towards achieving constitutional responsibilities in a joint environment.

The latest development came about three months after MDH in June announced that the production of the first three of 12 Cayuse Warrior Plus Scout/Attack helicopters selected by the Nigerian government earlier this year is underway at their facility in Arizona.

At the time, the company said the helicopters were chosen to support counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in Nigeria and are scheduled to be delivered over the next two years.

On Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the maiden Nigerian Army Aviation Seminar in Abuja, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), TaoreedLagbaja, hinted that the new aircraft would operationalise the Nigerian Army aviation unit, which was set up to improve ground troops’ agility, responsiveness, and efficacy during operations.

While stating that President Bola Tinubu has approved payment for the procurement of 12 attack helicopters for the Nigerian Army, MrLagbaja said the new aircraft would also contribute to the overall operational success of joint and coalition troops.

On his part, MD Helicopters President and Chief Executive Officer, Brad Pedersen, said: “MD Helicopters is grateful for the trust of the Nigerian government, and we’re excited to showcase this purpose-built, best value solution to Nigeria and the world.”

Delivery

The company said they would commence delivering the aircraft to Nigeria in the fourth quarter of this year.

“The Cayuse Warrior is a proven tactical scout and light attack aircraft built from the MD 530F design and valued for its unmatched power, safety, speed, agility, and unparalleled confined area capabilities,” the statement said.

It said the ‘Plus’ version features mission enhancements that include the weapons system, avionics improvements, armour, and increased power performance and that the Nigerian selection includes a complete ILS package, spares, pilot and maintainer training, and a simulator.

Specifications

According to the aircraft manufacturers, the Cayuse Warrior is one of the few single-engine light/attack scout aircraft recently exercised successfully in combat.

With more than 60 years of proven combat effectiveness and reliability, MDH said the aircraft has a highly demonstrated operational readiness rate and is valued for its unparalleled power, safety, speed, agility, and confined area capabilities.

“This smaller, lighter, uncomplicated workhorse features the lowest Direct Operating Costs in its class. The ‘Plus’ version features mission enhancements that include the precision weapons system, avionics improvements, and armour for protection of its operators,” the company said in June.

Source: premiumtimesng.com

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Europe

 

'Very dangerous and very clever' UK student built kamikaze drone for Islamic State in his bedroom

29 September 2023

Mohamad Al Bared, 27, was found guilty of building the weapon at his home in Coventry and is facing a life sentence.

The Birmingham University laser drilling specialist denied being an IS supporter and said he built the bomb for his own research.

But prosecutors said his online conversations made it obvious he was a radical who supported the terror group - and had even filled out his own application form to join them.

After his conviction, Judge Paul Farrer KC told Al Bared: "The court is going to have to consider whether the appropriate sentence is one of life imprisonment.

"You have been convicted of an offence of the utmost gravity.

"A long prison sentence is the inevitable consequence of that but the length and nature of that sentence is a matter for careful consideration, and the court will take that decision having received input from the Probation Service."

Al Bared was arrested in January this year, when police found the drone at his house on Kare Road. He was convicted of a single count of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts to benefit a proscribed terrorist organisation.

Opening the Crown's case in August, at the start of a five-week trial, prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC told the court: "Police found a drone. They also found material suggesting this defendant supported Islamic State, a terrorist organisation."

The court heard Al Bared, who lived with his parents, was arrested while driving at the same time as the raid took place, and had a mobile phone which police also seized.

After showing the drone, which was contained in a large see-through plastic bag, to the jury, the prosecutor said it was of a type which has landing gear and a small digital camera.

"It had all the components required for it to fly," MsHeeley added. "We suggest it was being manufactured to deliver a bomb ... to fly into IS enemy territory and deliver a chemical weapon or some other kind of device."

During the opening day of the trial, MsHeeley also told how Al Bared had filled in an IS application form and set up a UK-registered company to help plans for future foreign travel.

Written material saying the idea for the drone was "somewhat inspired by the design of the Tomahawk missile" was also put before the jury, in what the Crown said was Al Bared describing his build process.

MsHeeley said of the evidence found on an electronic device, which also included references to fuses, mechanical detonators and an "explosive" head: "He is literally reporting back to someone about what it is that he is doing.

"What drone for legitimate use needs an explosive head?

"What does need an explosive head is a drone that has been designed on a missile."

Al Bared's barrister, Alistair Webster KC, also made an opening speech, claiming his client had studied IS-linked material, including video of beheadings, because he wanted to "debate" against the terror group's views.

Mr Webster said: "He accepts that he is fascinated by Islamic State and its mindset, but rather than supporting it he wanted to argue against it, in the mosque, online."

But Al Bared was described by anti-terror officers as someone with an extremist mindset who intended to cause mass casualties.

Commenting on the investigation, Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Payne, the commander of the West Midlands Counter-Terrorism Unit, said of Al Bared: "He has built in his home address, using a 3D printer, a drone.

"He has then researched chemicals including sarin and ricin and mustard gas.

"It is our clear view that this man was very, very dangerous, that he was building something that was a weapon to be used to deliver chemicals to cause harm to people who didn't share his extremist views.

"This is clearly somebody who had a terrorist mindset."

DCS Payne said the inquiry had established that Al Bared - a "very, very intelligent" student - was planning to travel abroad to Turkey, and probably onwards.

"We also found an application form for Islamic State on his devices," the officer said.

"And that alongside all the other evidence that we had gives us a really clear picture of somebody who was intent on working with a terrorist organisation to cause mass harm, and probably fatalities to innocent people."

Source: lbc.co.uk

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Gunman goes on deadly shooting spree in EU city

28 Sep, 2023

A 32-year-old medical student has been apprehended by Rotterdam police after allegedly gunning down three people at an apartment and a downtown hospital, marking one of the deadliest shooting incidents in a country where such violence is uncommon.

The shooting spree began on Thursday afternoon at an apartment building near the suspect’s residence, where he shot a 39-year-old woman and her 14-year-old daughter, police said. The woman died at the scene, while the girl passed away after being rushed to a hospital.

The gunman, who wore a bulletproof vest and combat fatigues, then shot and killed a 43-year-old professor in a classroom at the Erasmus Medical Center, where he was a student, Rotterdam Police Chief Fred Westerbeke told reporters. The shooter then allegedly set fires at both crime scenes and was eventually captured by police under the hospital’s helipad. Police have neither identified the suspect nor have they speculated on his motive.

“We see his act as a targeted action, but it requires further research to gain clarity about how and why,” Westerbeke said. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte posted a statement saying there was “great dismay after the dramatic events in Rotterdam.” Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb called the turn of events “a black day.”

The shootings led to chaotic scenes in the Dutch port city, including people fleeing the hospital and wheeling patients out of the building on beds while others barricaded themselves inside. Footage posted on social media shows people running and screaming at the sound of a loud bang. Another clip shows a man – possibly the suspect – apparently being detained by police with his hands cuffed behind his back and a blindfold placed over his eyes.

Dutch police fire ‘targeted shots’ at protesting farmersREAD MORE: Dutch police fire ‘targeted shots’ at protesting farmers

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima issued a statement expressing sympathy for family members and friends of the shooting victims. “We also think of everybody who lived in fear during these terrible actions,” they said.

A shooting last year at a Dutch day care center for disabled children left two people dead and two injured. In 2011, a gunman murdered five people and wounded 17 before killing himself at a mall south of Amsterdam.

Source: rt.com

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French watchdog demands criminal charges for porn producers

28 Sep, 2023

France’s government-appointed High Council for Gender Equality has called for criminal charges to be filed against porn producers, in a report released Wednesday.

As much as 90% of explicit online adult content depicts verbal, physical, and sexual violence against women, the watchdog’s report, titled “Pornocriminality: putting an end to the impunity of the porn industry,” stated. Much of that content is not only insulting and dehumanizing but rises to the level of torture, constituting an egregious violation of French law, it continued, demanding legal reforms that would allow producers to be more easily punished for recorded acts of brutality.

Contracts signed by the actresses in such films must be declared legally null and void since it is impossible in France to consent to torture, trafficking, or sexual exploitation, the watchdog argued, accusing the government of “inaction,” denial, and coddling the industry’s alleged evildoers with “complete impunity.”

The 230-page report also called for Pharos, the country’s internet content police, to expand its remit to include violence against women. Pharos agents are tasked with investigating reports of illegal content, including fraud, terrorism, and child porn, and forwarding substantiated examples to the relevant authorities for punishment.

Several court cases against porn producers are reportedly underway within the French justice system, with charges that include rape, human trafficking, and torture. However, the report insisted that such piecemeal retribution was not enough.

“For the few dozen victims whose cases make it to the justice system, there are millions of unchecked videos circulating, thriving on misogynistic violence and hatred, to the general indifference,” the report explained.

Sylvie Pierre-Brossolette, director of the gender equality group, doubled down on the report’s conclusions to France Inter radio on Wednesday, denouncing the adult film industry as “a factory for future rapists, future killers of women,” that must be shut down. There is “no justification in 2023 for tolerating these unlawful acts of unbearable torment,” especially where they could be seen by minors, she added.

The report cited figures recently released by regulator Arcom showing just over half (51%) of 12-year-old French boys access porn on a monthly basis, while a third of French girls have seen such content. This, it said, perpetuates a culture of sexual violence that “chews up women.”

Advocating a program of sex education for minors to include multiple sessions on the evils of pornography, the group also called for banning minors from accessing such platforms altogether as well as imposing steep fines and content blocks on sites without effective age controls.

Source: rt.com

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Netherlands: Three dead after shooting incident in Rotterdad, suspect arrested

 Sep 29, 2023

AMSTERDAM: A 32-year-old student was arrested after a "targeted" shooting rampage in the Dutch city of Rotterdam left three people dead on Thursday, CNN reported citing local authorities.

According to police spokesman Fred Westerbeke, the shooting first erupted in a private home on the city's Heiman Dullaert square.

The suspected gunman fatally shot a 39-year-old woman and "seriously injured" her 14-year-old daughter, before setting the house on fire. The teenager was hospitalized but later succumbed to her injuries, CNN reported.

The suspect later went into a classroom at the prestigious Erasmus University Medical Center nearby, where he fatally shot a 46-year-old doctor.

The alleged gunman - who studied at Erasmus University - was ultimately arrested under the hospital's helipad, Westerbeke said.

"After this, the shooter went to another part of the EMC. He also set a fire there. The suspect was then arrested under the helicopter deck of the EMC by the arrest team, the special interventions service," CNN quoted the police spokesperson as saying.

The authorities believe that the suspected gunman acted alone.

"We see his act as a targeted action, but it requires further research to gain clarity about how and why," Westerbeke added.

The social media posts by local police described the suspect as tall with black hair, wearing "combat-style" clothes and carrying a backpack. He had a gun in his pocket and was wearing a bullet-proof vest when he was detained, CNN reported citing Westerbeke.

CNN affiliate NOS reported that the suspect has a criminal record, including being convicted of animal abuse in 2021.

Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Thursday afternoon expressed his "great dismay" after the two shootings.

"My thoughts are with the victims of the violence, their loved ones and all those who have been in great fear. Many thanks to the people of the services for their actions and assistance at the scene," the PM posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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Mideast

 

Iran Foils Serial Assassination Plot Against Clerics, Judges, IRGC Members: Iran's Intelligence Minister

 28 September 2023

Iran's intelligence minister has announced that the country has managed to foil a plot aimed at the serial assassination of several Sunni clerics, judges, and members of the country's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

Esmail Khatib made the remarks during a speech in the holy city of Mashhad on Thursday.

The plot, which had been devised for implementation "on September 30," had been hatched towards "fueling ethnic and religious differences" in the country, he said.

"The enemies are after afflicting the country's eastern borders with insecurity," Khatib noted, urging vigilance on the part of Shia and Sunni clerics as well as relevant authorities.

The remarks came after the Intelligence Ministry released a statement, announcing that its agents had managed to frustrate a plot aimed at triggering as many as "30 simultaneous explosions" throughout the capital Tehran.

Twenty-eight terrorists were arrested in connection with the plot, which had sought to target the city's "populous centers," the statement noted.

The explosions in question had sought to send across a false image of the prevalence of insecurity in the country, sow despair and fear across the society, and trigger chaos and protest, the ministry said.

The plot had been designed for implementation on the anniversary of last year's foreign-backed riots throughout the country, it stated.

The riots spread out throughout the country last September following the unfortunate death that month of a young girl named Mahsa Amini.

Amini fainted at a police station and was pronounced dead days later at a Tehran hospital. An investigation attributed her death to a medical condition, dismissing allegations that she had been beaten by police forces.

Iran says the 2022 riots were the result of foreign-backed elements exploiting the incident.

Dozens of terrorists affiliated with the Zionist regime and anti-revolution groups have also been detained.

Also recently, the Intelligence Ministry managed to discover 400 bombs, dozens of which had been planned to be set off across religious gatherings across the nation.

Addressing the issue of the foiled bombing plots, Khatib recently said, "We receive many reports saying that they (the enemies) are trying to take advantage of another [wave of] fabricated riots. During this time, we collected about 400 bombs, including more than 40 which were supposed to be set off in mourning congregations of the first 10 days of [the lunar calendar month of] Muharram."

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/09/28/711708/Iran-foils-plot-serial-assassination-Intelligence-Ministry

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Israeli Occupation Issues 2,618 Administrative Detention Orders Against Palestinians in 2023

September 28, 2023

The Commission of Palestinian Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs reported on Thursday, September 28, 2023, that Israeli occupation authorities have issued 2,618 administrative detention orders against Palestinians since the beginning of 2023 until the end of last month, September.

In a statement released today, the Commission explained that in the past month of September, Israeli military courts issued 296 administrative detention orders against Palestinians, including 176 new orders and 120 renewal orders.

It also revealed that the number of appeals filed by the Commission against administrative detention decisions, which were considered, reached 42 appeal cases, and the Israeli occupation courts rejected them without providing any legal reasons.

Administrative detention involves arresting individuals without charges or trial, and without allowing the detainees or their lawyers to examine the specific evidence, as Israeli authorities claim that administrative detainees have secret files that cannot be disclosed.

Source: daysofpalestine.ps

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Israel reopens Gaza crossings, lets Palestinians back to work after two weeks

 Sep 29, 2023

GAZA: Israel reopened crossing points with Gaza on Thursday, allowing thousands of Palestinian workers to get to their jobs in Israel and the West Bank, after nearly two weeks of closure prompted by violent protests along the border.

Around 18,000 Gazans have permits from Israeli authorities to work outside the blockaded enclave, providing an injection of cash amounting to some $2 million a day to the impoverished territory's economy.

The move comes amid stepped-up international efforts by Egypt and the United Nations to defuse tensions and prevent a new round of armed conflict in the enclave.

Qatar, one of the main donors for Gaza, also helped with mediation efforts, said Qatari envoy Mohammed Al-Emadi, who oversees Qatar's relief projects in Gaza.

For around two weeks, protesters throwing stones and explosive devices have faced off against Israeli troops who have responded with live fire, killing at least one man and wounding dozens more.

Protests on Wednesday were less intense, and so was the Israeli response. A Palestinian official familiar with mediation efforts told Reuters the development came "upon the request of mediators to de-escalate tensions".

Desperate to go back to their jobs, workers began to flock to the Palestinian side of the crossing soon after Israel made the announcement late on Wednesday.

"We want to go to work and earn a living for our children because the situation was too bad for us the past two weeks," said Khaled Zurub, 57, who works in construction in Israel.

Cogat, the Israeli Defence Ministry agency that coordinates with the Palestinians, said security assessments would determine whether the border remained open.

In an apparent sign of easing tensions, the so-called "Revolutionary Youths" group, which has organised the protests in past weeks, said in a statement it was suspending the demonstrations after securing promises from mediators that Israel would stop provocative measures in Jerusalem and in prisons and ease up the Gaza blockades.

Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for the armed Islamist Hamas group that rules Gaza and opposes peace deals with Israel, said Israel was constantly violating Gazans' fundamental right to freedom of movement with repeated border closures and the blockade of Gaza.

Israel blocks many goods from entering Gaza with Egyptian backing, citing security concerns, and also reserves the right to restrict exports.

According to IMF figures, per capita income in Gaza is only a quarter of that of Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The World Bank says unemployment is nearly 50%.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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Group: Israel has detained over 135,000 Palestinians since 2000

28 September 2023

A prisoner advocacy group has said that the Israeli regime has detained more than 135,000 Palestinians since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000.

The Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs Commission said in a report on Wednesday that the Israeli regime has persisted in detaining Palestinians from all segments of the society.

It further noted that almost 21,000 children and more than 2,600 girls and women had been among those detained by Israeli forces during that span of time. Four women had to give birth in prison under very difficult conditions.

The commission added that of the members of the Palestinian parliament, a number of ministers and hundreds of academics, journalists, and staff from civil society and international organizations had been arrested.

It also pointed out that half of the members of the Palestinian parliament were detained and several ministers, as well as hundreds of academics, journalists and national and international NGO workers.

The report recorded a remarkable increase in administrative detentions, citing more than 32,000 such detention orders since 2000.

Elsewhere in the report, the commission said that there are around 5,200 Palestinian prisoners currently held by Israel.

The number includes 38 women, around 170 children, more than 1,250 administrative detainees, and 700 sick prisoners suffering from various health issues, including 24 with cancer.

There are thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Human rights organizations say Israel violates all the rights and freedoms granted to prisoners by the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Palestinian prisoners are held for lengthy periods without being charged, tried, or convicted, which is in sheer violation of human rights. Advocacy groups describe Israel’s use of detention as a “bankrupt tactic” and have long called on Israel to end its use.

According to the Palestine Detainees Studies Center, about 60% of the Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails suffer from chronic diseases, a number of whom died in detention or after being released due to the severity of their cases.

The campaign to free the persecuted Palestinian prisoners -- a prelude to the liberation of occupied Palestinian territories -- has grown louder.

UN says Israel using lethal weaponry

In a recent speech before the UN Security Council, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, also confirmed that Israel is holding 1,264 Palestinians in administrative detention.

He further expressed grave concern over “the intensification of violence in the Occupied West Bank and Israel – at levels not seen in decades – and the use of increasingly lethal weaponry, including in densely populated areas.”

 “Israeli security forces carried out 1,042 search-and-arrest operations in the occupied West Bank, resulting in 1,504 Palestinians arrested, including 88 children.”

During the reporting period, extending from 15 July to 19 September, Israeli security forces killed 68 Palestinians, including 18 children, during demonstrations, clashes, security operations, attacks or alleged attacks against Israelis, and other incidents.

The UN envoy confirmed that a total of 2,830 Palestinians, including 30 women and 559 children, were injured, including 271 by live ammunition and 2,119 by tear gas inhalation.

Wennesland said settlements further entrench the occupation, fuel violence, impede Palestinian access to their land and resources and systematically erode the viability of a Palestinian State as part of a two-state solution.

Data shows that as many as 206 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the beginning of this year.

A human rights group says it has documented several cases of Israeli soldiers gunning Palestinians across the occupied territories and peaceful Palestinian protesters along the besieged Gaza Strip. Palestinians stress that such cases must be taken to international courts and Israelis must be held accountable for their atrocities.

Source: presstv.ir

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Palestinians condemn US congressional hearing as unfair and misleading

September 29, 2023

ALI YOUNES

WASHINGTON: Palestinian officials in Ramallah on Thursday described a US congressional hearing that accused the Palestinian Authority of supporting violence against Israelis in the occupied West Bank as “misleading and unfair.”

Only supporters of Israel were invited to attend the hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia on Wednesday, which discussed the implementation of the Taylor Force Act, a 2018 law that bans the provision of US financial aid to the PA on the grounds that the authority “rewards Palestinians to murder Israeli citizens.”

Palestinian officials told the Arab News that the organizers of the hearing failed to invite them to present the views, and in doing so had revealed its “bias” in favor of Israel and the anti-Palestinian sentiments of some members of Congress.

The hearing was led by Joe Wilson, a Republican member of the House of Representatives who chairs the subcommittee. He accused the Palestinian government of operating a system of “pay to slay,” in which Palestinians are rewarded for killing Israelis, an allegation Palestinian officials vehemently denied in comments to Arab News.

Eliot Abrams, a pro-Israel former deputy assistant to the president and national security adviser, and several other members of the subcommittee also accused the PA of participating in a system that “honors and rewards terrorists.” Several representatives of right-wing, pro-Israel US organizations who spoke during the hearing made similar claims and called on US President Joe Biden to halt financial aid to Palestinians.

Palestinian officials said such allegations are “totally untrue” and “misleading.” Qaddura Fares, the Palestinian minister of detainees’ affairs, told Arab News that such US hearings treat Israel and its supporters in the US as the only sources of information about issues involving the Palestinians or their cause.

He described the hearing as “misleading and one-sided” given that Palestinians were not invited to present their side of the story or even consulted. The subcommittee should have asked Palestinian officials or their representatives to participate, he added, in the interests of balance and fairness.

Fares said the welfare-payment system to families of people killed or imprisoned by Israel, which lies at the heart of the “pay to slay” allegations, operates in accordance with Palestinian law, under which the government is obliged to provide financial support to any family that loses its breadwinner as a result of Israel’s actions as an occupying state.

Wasel Abu Yousef, a senior Palestine Liberation Organization official, told Arab News that successive US administrations and Congress have often engaged in “covering up for the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people” instead of supporting the peace and security of both sides.

“The issue of financial and moral support for the families of martyrs who were killed by the Israeli occupation forces, and those who were detained by it, cannot be neglected or bypassed by any Palestinian official,” he added

According to Abu Yousef, 260 Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli actions so far this year, and about 220 were killed last year.

Fares, whose ministry helps to support the families of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails, said there are about 5,200 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, including about 1,200 administrative detainees who are being held without charge or trial, and 170 children under the age of 18.

Israeli authorities imprison thousands of Palestinians each year, he added, for nonviolent actions such as raising a Palestinian flag, participating in anti-occupation protests, or political activism on college campuses.

He said only 10 percent of Palestinian prisoners, about 500 in total, are serving life sentences in Israeli jails, indicating that they were convicted of involvement in the killing of Israeli citizens. In accordance with Palestinian law, Fares said, the families of those people should not have to suffer, be held responsible for their relative’s crimes, or be deprived of social support services provided by the government.

JibrilRajoub, a senior Fatah official, told Arab News the issue of Palestinian support for the families of martyrs and detainees will only end when the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land ends.

“It appears that some members of the US Congress only care about supporting the continuation of Israeli occupation, not an equitable peace between the two peoples,” he said.

“This issue is very sensitive for the Palestinian people because it touches the core of their existence and their struggles to free their country and end the Israeli occupation.”

Source: arabnews.com

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Iraqis who fled Daesh blame political rot for tragic wedding fire

September 28, 2023

HAMDANIYA, Iraq: Iraqi Christians once driven from their village by Daesh are blaming another enemy for an inferno that killed more than 100 of their friends and relatives at a wedding this week: chronic political rot and lax governance.

After returning from years of exile during Iraq’s war with the extremist forces, residents rebuilding their lives in their hometown of Hamdaniya said that where the vanquished terrorists had failed to kill them, corruption succeeded.

Daesh “didn’t kill us, this catastrophe killed us,” Priest Boutros Shito said, speaking at a local church hall while mourners buried the remains of their loved ones.

Shito lost both his parents, two of his sisters and two nephews to the fire, which tore through a packed wedding hall in Hamdaniya, also called Qaraqosh, on Wednesday. More than 100 people died, government officials said.

“In this country, we always wait until a disaster occurs and then deal with the results,” Shito said.

“Our home is now empty of family because of greed and corruption.”

Government officials have announced the arrest of 14 people over Tuesday night’s fire, including the owners of the events hall, and promised a swift investigation with results announced within 72 hours.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani visited victims of the blaze at two local hospitals on Thursday and said he directed that the strictest-possible legal penalties be imposed “on those who were negligent and responsible for the tragic fire incident.”

Witnesses said the blaze began about an hour into the event when flares set fire to a ceiling decoration.

They said the hall had no visible fire extinguishers and few emergency exits and that it took firefighters half an hour to get there.

It is the latest in a series of tragic accidents across Iraq that have killed hundreds of people in the last few years, including a fire at a Baghdad hospital in 2021 and a capsized river ferry in Mosul in 2019.

All the accidents have been blamed on negligence, lax regulations and corruption.

Criticism of a lax approach to public safety is common in Iraq, a country where the state has been weakened by recurring conflict since the 2003 US invasion, and where services are impaired by pervasive corruption.

After decades of dictatorship and internal oppression, the 2003 invasion unleashed violence and civil war that fueled extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda.

In 2014, in a spillover from the Syrian civil war next door, Al-Qaeda successor Daesh marauded into northern Iraq and took over a third of the country.

Majority-Christian Hamdaniya was among the scores of towns and cities Daesh fighters captured after declaring an Islamic caliphate from nearby Mosul, Iraq’s second-biggest city.

Most of Hamdaniya’s inhabitants fled, fearing persecution and death at the hands of the extremists.

Iraqi and international forces expelled the terrorists from Hamdaniya in 2016 during a campaign to defeat the group in Iraq and Syria. Many residents have since returned with the Daesh threat gone.

But after the wedding fire this week, some say any hopes for a better future are being crushed by the reality of a haphazard and dysfunctional effort to rebuild their homeland. The events hall where the fire took place this week was built in 2016 right after the Hamdaniya was recaptured as a way to encourage the return of normal life.

Source: arabnews.com

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Israeli Occupation Arrests Two Palestinians from Gaza

September 28, 2023

The Israeli occupation forces announced on Thursday the apprehension of two Palestinians who were allegedly attempting to cross the security fence from the northern Gaza Strip. This comes amidst escalating tensions in the region following recent Israeli actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque and against Palestinian prisoners.

In an official statement, the Israeli occupation stated that the two detainees were apprehended while trying to breach the security fence, and they have subsequently been transferred for investigation. The details of their identities and motives remain undisclosed at this time, as Israeli authorities continue to probe the incident.

Over the past several days, the security fence area in the eastern Gaza Strip has become a focal point for daily protests. Palestinian demonstrators have gathered to express their outrage over Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners.

Tensions initially flared when Israeli forces clash with Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque on a daily basis. The clashes triggered international concern and condemnation. Palestinian leaders have accused the Israeli occupation of encroaching on the religious freedom of Muslims and violating the status quo at the holy site.

Additionally, Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention facilities have been a contentious issue, with accusations to the Israeli occupation of mistreatment and human rights abuses. Activists and organizations have called for the release of these prisoners.

Source: daysofpalestine.ps

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 https://daysofpalestine.ps/israeli-occupation-arrests-two-palestinians-from-gaza/

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Israeli Forces Clash with Palestinian Protesters in Beit Ummar, Leaving Two Injured

September 28, 2023

Israeli occupation forces injured two young Palestinians following intense clashes that erupted with Israeli occupation forces on Thursday evening in the town of Beit Ummar, situated north of Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank.

Local sources reported that the confrontations flared up when Israeli occupation forces forcefully entered the Al-Dhahr area, which is adjacent to the “CarmeiTzur” settlement. During the incursion, Israeli occupation soldiers resorted to the use of live ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas canisters, and sound grenades to disperse the protesting Palestinians.

The clashes resulted in the injury of two young men who were struck by live bullets in the foot and knee. Both injured individuals were swiftly transported to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment. Additionally, several other protesters suffered from suffocation due to tear gas inhalation and received immediate care on-site.

The tense situation in Beit Ummar underscores the ongoing Israeli violations in the region, as Palestinians continue to resist Israeli occupation and settlements.

Source: daysofpalestine.ps

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South Asia

 

Afghan Taliban arrest 200 terrorists after Chitral attack

September 29, 2023

Kamran Yousaf

ISLAMABAD:Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Thursday confirmed that the Afghan Taliban made certain arrests following the Chitral cross-border terrorist attacks, saying Pakistan would protect its sovereignty at all costs.

“Our delegation recently visited (Kabul) and they were informed about the arrests,” Jilani told a news conference here when he was asked to confirm reports that the Afghan Taliban arrested around 200 terrorists of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

He, however, would not say if those arrested were Pakistani nationals.

“We want the Afghan Taliban to proceed against them according to the law,” he replied to another question about the possible extradition of the detained terrorists.

The Afghan Taliban informed the Pakistani delegation, which recently visited Kabul, about the arrest of the TTP terrorists for their involvement in the Chitral attack. However, this was the first time the top Pakistani diplomat confirmed the development and the first such instance when the Afghan Taliban took action against the TTP.

There was no official confirmation or statement issued by the Afghan Taliban about the development.

Jilani said the visit of the Pakistani delegation led by Ambassador Asif Durrani was “very productive”. He further said Pakistan was concerned over the increase in cross-border terrorist attacks.

“The entire world also has expressed concerns,” he added.

The Afghan Taliban not only made bilateral commitments but at a trilateral meeting among Pakistan, Afghanistan and China in May. They also pledged not to allow their soil to be used against any country.

“I am hopeful that the Afghan Taliban government would fulfil those commitments and the kind of cross-border attacks that happened over the past few weeks would not happen again,” he said.

Jilani also said Pakistan would use all the options on the table to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty, indicating the possibility of cross-border strikes if the TTP threat was not eliminated.

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been running high in recent weeks because of the TTP.

On Sept 6, hundreds of TTP terrorists launched an attack from across the border in Chitral.

The same day Pakistan and the Afghan border forces exchanged fire at Torkham. The key border crossing remained closed for nine days.

The visit of Durrani was seen as an effort by Pakistan to convey a clear message that no more cross-border terrorist attacks would be tolerated.

It seems that Pakistan’s hardened stance may have worked as the Afghan Taliban made certain arrests to pacify the anger.

Jilani also confirmed the cabinet’s decision to evict illegal Afghans living in Pakistan. However, he claimed the policy was not country specific but against all nationals living in the country illegally.

The cabinet, through the circulation of a summary recently, approved a crackdown against 1.1 million Afghans living in Pakistan illegally.

“We will implement that policy strictly,” the foreign minister added.

On Israel, the foreign minister made it clear that there was no change in Pakistan’s policy.

He said Pakistan’s position was clear that the issue of Palestine had to be resolved as per the aspirations of the people of Palestine with pre-1967 borders and al-Quds al Sharif as its capital.

“There is no change in our policy,” he insisted, rejecting the impression Pakistan would follow Arab countries in establishing ties with Israel.

“We will not follow any other country’s policy.”

There have been reports that Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries were inching closer to establishing ties with Israel with concerns that Pakistan might come under pressure to bring a shift in its policy.

Source: tribune.com.pk

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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2438270/afghan-taliban-arrest-200-terrorists-after-chitral-attack

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Taliban in Talks on Loya Jirga Plan: Sarajuddin Haqqani

Fidel Rahmati

September 28, 2023

 In a newsletter, the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Afghanistan announced on Thursday that Sarajuddin Haqqani had engaged in discussions with media figures and political activists about the current issues and their potential solutions.

In this meeting, the Taliban Interior Minister emphasized that differences of opinion and challenges should be resolved through consultation and coordination to avoid missed opportunities.

The Taliban Interior Minister, Haqqani, said they are ready to conduct consultations and dialogue about a Loya Jirga to gain legitimacy.

Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, no nation has officially recognized their government as legitimate.

Meanwhile, he conveyed to experts and political activists that the current problems stem from the gap between modern education and religious teachings.

Since returning to power, the Taliban have heavily focused on religious education, and according to reports, they have reduced the academic content of the curriculum.

According to a statement released by the Taliban Ministry of Interior Affairs, Sarajuddin Haqqani spoke about the group’s relations with the region and the world, stating that the government of the Taliban has “no problem with anyone.” He claimed that the Taliban have upheld their promises in the Doha Agreement.

While the Taliban Interior Minister talks about understanding and consultation, critics argue that the group’s government has not provided space for the activities of different intellectual movements. They point out that women’s rights activists, the Taliban detain journalists and former security personnel daily.

Furthermore, they curtailed women’s access to education and employment, confining them to their homes.

Source: khaama.com

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Taliban issues 13 directives in 2 years, restricting information access: AFJC Report

Fidel Rahmati

September 28, 2023

Over the last two years, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has meticulously documented a concerning trend: the Taliban has consistently and deliberately issued 13 directives. These directives have a clear and alarming objective — to systematically restrict media freedom and curtail access to vital information within the country.

To mark the International Day for Universal Access to Information, the AFJC issued a statement on Thursday, emphasizing the Taliban’s “disregard” for Afghanistan’s Access to Information Law.

Over the past two years, Afghanistan has witnessed a notable decline in media activities and an “unprecedented regression in the realm of access to information,” as stated by the organization. The Taliban’s directives, detailed in the Afghanistan Journalists Center’s

statement, encompassing various measures.

The first guideline issued by the Taliban is the prevention of women working in radio and television, such as the ban on female employees of the state-owned National Television in Kabul. Prohibiting media coverage of protests and civil demonstrations is another directive imposed by the Taliban on the media.

Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Interior swiftly imposed a ban on all forms of demonstrations, making it clear that any incidents resulting from these protests would be the responsibility of the violators.

Restrictions on access to information are among the other guidelines outlined by the Taliban. The Taliban’s media authority issued these regulations in 11 articles in September 2021.

Meanwhile, the group prohibiting the publication of content conflicting with Islam, insulting national figures, violating national and personal sanctities, and publishing reports under the supervision of the Taliban’s media centre are some rules imposed by the Taliban on the media.

Furthermore, compelling the recognition of the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan under the title of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” is another restriction imposed by the Taliban on the media. So far, no country has officially recognized this group.

The prohibition on broadcasting women’s voices in some cities is another restriction imposed by the Taliban. Based on this, the Taliban’s Information and Culture Department in Helmand warned that under no circumstances should women’s voices be broadcast.

The Taliban also deemed gender segregation in the media mandatory, requiring male and female hosts to appear in separate environments and with separate programs.

In addition to the above, the Taliban’s Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice declared it forbidden to hold interviews with opponents and critics of the Taliban in the media.

Based on this, the heads of four private television networks in Kabul, including Tolo News, 1TV, Ariana, and Shamshad, were summoned to the Taliban’s Information and Culture Department.

Broadcasting programs on international television channels in Afghanistan, including Voice of America, BBC, and Deutsche, have also been prohibited. The ban on working with “banned” media is another aspect highlighted by the Taliban.

Restrictions on publishing commercial advertisements with political, security, and social content are among other regulations imposed by the Taliban on the media.

The Afghan Journalists Center has raised concerns and pointed out that these restrictions have severely hampered media operations, causing an unprecedented setback.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/taliban-issues-13-directives-in-2-years-restricting-information-access-afjc-report/

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Turkey rescues and detains 70 Afghan refugees

Fidel Rahmati

September 28, 2023

 Turkish media reports that the coastal guards of this country have rescued 70 Afghan refugees in the Çanakkale area and detained 41 other “illegal” immigrants.

On Wednesday, Turkish Anadolu Agency cited Turkish coastal guard forces reporting that these individuals were detained and rescued from the Ayvacık town, also known as “Canakkale.”

According to reports, some of these refugees were aboard a rubber boat, which the Turkish coastal guards identified and apprehended.

The news bulletin states that 70 illegal immigrants of Afghan nationality, who had been driven into Turkish territorial waters by Greek forces on a rubber boat, were rescued and brought to the shore.

It should be noted that these individuals were transferred to the migration office of the Canakkale district in Turkey after going through legal procedures.

Previously, Turkish security forces had reported the detention of over a hundred “illegal” refugees, including Afghan citizens, in Edirne.

According to reports, Turkey has detained at least four thousand Afghan refugees from various cities since the beginning of this year.

This comes when the Turkish government has emphasized its efforts to combat illegal immigration.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/turkey-rescues-and-detains-70-afghan-refugees/

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Afghanistan’s Embassy in India closed due to unprecedented circumstances

Fidel Rahmati

 September 28, 2023

The Embassy of Afghanistan in New Delhi has announced that it is compelled to cease its operations due to unprecedented circumstances. In a statement, the Embassy said that this decision was taken due to the lack of support from the Indian government.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has not yet commented on this matter.

The Afghan Embassy in New Delhi has emphasized that its operations are being suspended due to the lack of diplomatic attention from the Indian government. The statement mentioned that over the past six months, the Afghan Embassy had sent several diplomatic notes to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. However, none of these valid requests, including the Strategic Partnership Agreement and other bilateral agreements, received attention.

The statement further stressed, “Despite numerous requests regarding key concerns about the diplomatic mission’s situation, educational initiatives, and support for consular services, humanitarian aid coordination, and commercial assistance to Afghan traders, necessary actions were not taken, or minimal support was provided by the relevant authorities,” cited by Afghanistan International.

Before diplomatic relations resumed between India and the Taliban in June of last year, the Embassy did not receive Indian government support in diplomatic matters.

After the Indian Embassy in Kabul reopened, India consistently ignored the Afghan Embassy in Delhi.

In February of this year, Farid Mamundzai, the Afghan Ambassador to New Delhi, stated that after the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Embassy in Delhi no longer had any political relations with Kabul; however, it continued to provide services to Afghan citizens in India.

In August last year, the Indian Foreign Minister announced that some Indian diplomats, excluding the Ambassador, had returned from Afghanistan.

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar assured Afghan embassy staff of resuming their duties and salary payments. Despite the Taliban’s takeover, India kept its Kabul embassy without an ambassador.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/afghanistans-embassy-in-india-closed-due-to-unprecedented-circumstances/

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UN Deputy Sec-Gen Calls for Applying Pressure on Interim Afghan Government

 September 28, 2023

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed once again called for pressure on the current Afghan government to ensure the women’s and girls’ rights to education and work in Afghanistan.

Speaking at the press conference, Mohammed said that the situation of women and girls is getting worse day by day in Afghanistan.

“There is a Women in Islam conference that is coming up that will be taking on some of these issues, you will know that the OIC had sent a mission recently to Afghanistan so we think the neighborhood's important as well (to) create that pressure and that momentum, they're part of the international community and they've got to put pressure to make sure that women's rights are back where they should be in Afghanistan,” the UN Deputy Secretary-General said.

According to some women’s rights activists, the Islamic Emirate should provide the rights of employment and education to women and girls, in order to attract the trust of the world.

"The Islamic Emirate government must first establish credibility at the national level if it hopes to earn credibility at the international level. How long they would continue to disregard women and how far they would go to violate their rights,” said Tafsir Seyaposh, a women’s rights activist.

"It is the responsibility of the world and the current authorities of Afghanistan to pay serious attention to the alarming situation that Afghan women have and the situation that has isolated Afghanistan,” said Suraya Paikan, a women’s rights activist.

Although the Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on the remarks of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, it has previously denied the violation of women’s and girls’ rights saying that their rights are ensured in Afghanistan in accordance with the Islamic principles.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185300

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Islamic Emirate Expresses Condolences Over Iraq Wedding Fire Tragedy

2023-09-28

KABUL (BNA): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has expressed its deepest condolences to the people and government of Iraq following a tragic fire incident in the city of Hamdaniya.

The incident, which resulted in numerous casualties, has deeply affected the nation.

As reported by international media, a devastating fire broke out at a wedding party in the Hamdaniya region of Nineveh province, located in northwestern Iraq, on Wednesday night. The incident led to the unfortunate loss of 114 lives and left 150 others injured.

The wedding hall was filled with over a thousand guests when the incident occurred, adding to the magnitude of the tragedy.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan stands in solidarity with Iraq during this difficult time.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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https://bakhtarnews.af/en/islamic-emirate-expresses-condolences-over-iraq-wedding-fire-tragedy/

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25 Afghan Nationals Released from Iraqi Jail and Repatriated

2023-09-28

KABUL (BNA): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has successfully facilitated the release and repatriation of 25 Afghan nationals from an Iraqi jail.

These individuals were incarcerated due to a lack of legal residency documents.

Hafez Zia Ahmad, the Deputy Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed in a statement that the release was made possible through the concerted efforts of the Ministry and the Embassy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Baghdad.

The necessary documents were issued to ensure their safe return to Afghanistan.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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Washington values relationship with Dhaka: US State Department

 Sep 29, 2023

The United States has said it expects that the government of Bangladesh will take all necessary actions to maintain the safety and security of all foreign missions and personnel in the country, including those from the US.

"The United States values its relationship with Bangladesh," US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at a regular briefing on Thursday, September 28.

He, however, said he is not going to discuss specific details around security at the US embassy or the personnel that work in Bangladesh.

"I will say that of course the safety and security of our diplomatic personnel is of the utmost importance to us. And as per the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, every host country must uphold its obligations to ensure the protection of all diplomatic mission premises and take all diplomatic steps to prevent any attack on personnel," Miller said while responding to a question.

Asked about US Embassy's remarks on visa restrictions on media, Miller again refrained from mentioning media.

"I'm not going to announce specific steps, preview steps that we might take from the podium," he said.

The spokesperson said they have taken steps to impose restrictions under the secretary's authority against members of law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition who we believe to be responsible for or complicit in undermining free and fair elections in Bangladesh.

"And as we made clear when we announced this policy on May 24th - that's when we announced the policy, not the imposition of sanctions on specific individuals - but when we announced that policy, that it could be applied to any Bangladeshi individual who we believe was responsible for or complicit in undermining the democratic process," Miller said.

"So, we retain the option to impose sanctions on other individuals if and when we believe it's appropriate," he added.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/addressing-air-quality-crucial-dhakas-sustainability-haas-3430181

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Arab World

 

Saudi Arabia’s evolving relations with Israel and their impact on the Palestinian cause

September 28, 2023

Firoz Osman

Saudi Arabia’s normalizing relations with the Zionist colonial entity Israel is a fait accompli and is redolent of the its treacherous history of collaboration with the British that led to the fragmentation of the Ottoman Khalifate.

Then, on February 1945 US President F D Roosevelt met with King Abdul Aziz al Saud resulting with the USA providing military protection in exchange for oil in U.S. dollars.

It was as early as in 2002 that the Saudi regime proposed the Arab Peace Initiative calling for two states in Palestine, one for Jews in the lands occupied in 1948 and the other for the Palestinians in the land occupied in 1967, in return for normalised relations. Israel rejected this proposal as it did all other subsequent peace overtures.

The Saudis were thus willing to abandon more than two-thirds of historic Palestine and essentially condone the ethnic cleansing of the land from pre-1948 to today.

Israel has never made any concessions on territorial or other issues in more than 75 years. And it continues to usurp more Palestinian land under the smokescreen of the so-called “peace process”.

In the meantime, the de facto American and Israeli-backed ruler of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad Bin Salman (MBS) embarked on an unprecedented wave of arrests that rocked the House of Saud, entrenching his rule, imprisoning and killing a number of leading religious leaders, royal family members that opposed him, and Palestinian activists.

MBS told Fox News that, “every day we get closer” to normalising ties with Israel. “We don’t look at Israel as an enemy, we look to them as a potential ally with many interests that we can pursue together”.

MBS’s appalling litany of crimes continues unabated

The brutal dismemberment of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi  at its embassy in Istanbul, sawing his body into pieces and dissolving it in acid, shocked the world.

The Saudis propped up the military in a coup against Egypt’s first ever democratically elected president Muhammad Morsi and aided the persecution of the Ikhwan al Muslimeen (Muslim Brotherhood).

They pulverised to smithereens the poorest Arab country Yemen. The Saudis have committed egregious war crimes, impoverished and decimated this country, devastating the land and leaving twenty of its 28 million people near-starvation, with thousands killed.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri was pressurised by the Saudis to resign with the intention of destabilising Lebanon.

The Saudis imposed a strangulating siege on Qatar attempting to restrict its sovereignty, bullied other members of the Gulf Coordinating Council (GCC), proscribed Al Jazeera television and pushed for a regime change in Doha.

MBS, having lost the war in Syria with its proxies being resoundingly defeated, has attempted with its American and Israeli allies, to confront Hizbullah and Iran.

Moreover, he has imposed severe restrictions on charities operating in the occupied Palestinian territories and the transfer of donations from Saudi citizens for the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Anyone showing any kind of support for the Palestinian cause can expect to be imprisoned or worse.

During the crippling Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, Saudi Arabia has basically abandoned the Palestinians living there. Saudi Imams are banned from praying for the Palestinians or mentioning them in their supplications in mosques across the Kingdom, especially in Makkah and Madinah.

The Saudi regime has spent millions of dollars to reverse the popularity of the resistance movements and demonise as “terrorists” the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Ansarullah and Hizbullah, often using the sectarian card to vilify Iran of having a “shia” agenda.

Palestinian intellectuals opine that any project with apartheid Israel that is not based within a resistance framework serves to normalize relations.

This resistance framework should be based on recognition of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people and on the commitment to resist all forms of oppression against Palestinians ending the occupation, establishing full and equal rights for Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promoting and advocating for the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

So long as Israelʼs oppression continues, any engagement with Israelis (individuals or institutions) that is not within the resistance framework, serves to underline the normality of Israeli occupation, colonialism and apartheid in the lives of people in the world. It is, therefore, imperative that people in the world shun all relations with Israelis, unless based on co-resistance.

It is the collaboration of these treacherous Arab regimes with Israel and the West that has made Gaza into a disaster zone, starving its two million people and caused its economy, health sector and infrastructure to collapse.

International supporters of Palestine must refrain from participating in any event that morally or politically equates the oppressor and oppressed and presents the relationship between Palestinians and Israelis as symmetrical .

Such an event should be boycotted because it normalizes Israelʼs colonial domination over Palestinians and ignores the power structures and relations embedded in the oppression.

The example of South Africa elucidates this point perfectly, where reconciliation, dialogue and forgiveness came after the end of apartheid, not before.

The sham of a “ two-state solution, peace-process, reconciliation and normalization”  that does not aim to end Zionist Israeli apartheid, occupation and oppression, is an injustice that prolongs the oppression of the Palestinians.

Perhaps the most perfidious than Saudi treachery is the Palestinian Authority (PA), whose octogenarian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, openly connives with the Zionist Israeli entity to oppress his own people. He unashamedly declared that the PA’s association with Israeli intelligence is “sacred”.

The Saudi custodians of the two holy sanctuaries in Makkah and Medina, viewed by many as illegitimate, normalizing with a brutal racist settler colonial entity that illegally occupies the third sanctuary al Aqsa in Jerusalem, could further destabilize the volatile region.

Firoz Osman is a medical doctor by profession and a highly-respected South African commentator on the Zionist occupation of Palestine. A founding member and executive member of Media Review Network, he has a special interest in Palestinian political and resistance movements, Zionism, and Islamophobia

Source: muslimmirror.com

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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/saudi-arabias-evolving-relations-with-israel-and-their-impact-on-the-palestinian-cause/

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Saudi Arabia, China sign transport agreement

September 29, 2023

RIYADH: The transport ministers of Saudi Arabia and China — Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser and Li Xiaopeng — signed an agreement on Wednesday to enhance cooperation between the two countries.

The agreement aims to see an exchange of expertise in modern transport methods, including the use of high-tech methods to enhance roads, build autonomous vehicles, and improve shipping and the running of ports.

During his visit to China, Al-Jasser attended the World Forum on Sustainable Transport in Beijing, and met with senior government officials, as well as leaders of transport and logistics companies.

Al-Jasser highlighted the importance of mutual cooperation and investments, saying Saudi Arabia had ambitious plans for the industry as part of a national strategy for transport and logistics.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2382601/saudi-arabia

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Saudi human rights chief meets UK minister

September 29, 2023

RIYADH: Hala Al-Tuwaijri, Saudi human rights commission president, met with Lord Tariq Ahmad, UK minister for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and the UN.

On a state visit to the UK, Al-Tuwaijri reviewed the Kingdom’s historic legislative reforms and developments in the field of human rights since the adoption of Saudi Vision 2030, stressing the keenness of the Saudi leadership to enhance and protect human rights, the HRC said.

The HRC president also visited the Slynn Foundation, discussing with officials there ways to enhance cooperation and exchange expertise in the field of human rights.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2382426/saudi-arabia

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Saudi, Bahraini FMs chair coordination meeting in Manama

September 28, 2023

MANAMA: RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani chaired the second meeting of the political coordination committee of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council on Thursday in Manama.

The two sides reviewed bilateral relations, and discussed ways to enhance them and boost cooperation, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Faisal and Al-Zayani also presided over the first meeting of the council’s preparatory committee, which evaluated the progress made in the work of the subcommittees, and the initiatives launched during the council’s second meeting in 2021.

They also reviewed new initiatives that will be introduced during the council’s third meeting, as well as draft agreements and memorandums of understanding that will be signed between the two sides.

The meetings are part of Prince Faisal’s visit to Manama, where he met with Bahrain’s King Hamad and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2382386/saudi-arabia

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Saudi Arabia’s transformation akin to Japan’s rise: Ambassador Iwai

September 29, 2023

Saudi Arabia’s remarkable economic and social transformation now underway is much like the rise of Japan several decades ago, according to Tokyo’s envoy Fumio Iwai.

Japan’s ambassador made the comments in a lecture on Sept. 28 titled “Experience of Japan through Meiji Restoration” at Abdulrahman Al-Sudairy Cultural Center in Sakaka, Jouf province.

Iwai said there were considerable similarities between the two nations including the developments in industry, culture, job creation, and the passion of the people.

He also exchanged opinions with members of the audience during a question-and-answer session.

Prior to the lecture, Iwai met with Prince Faisal bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, the governor of Jouf.

He had earlier met with Jouf University’s president Dr. Mohammed bin Mufrij Al-Huwaiti, and visited the local chamber of commerce, as well as the Nawwaf Al-Rashed Heritage Museum.

In a post on X, Iwai said the visit was a “fun experience, but at the same time very difficult, especially in the question-and-answer session.”

“I once again realized the limitations of my listening and understanding skills in Arabic,” he added.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2382511/saudi-arabia

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Saudi Ambassador to Türkiye Abu Al-Nasr presents credentials to Erdogan

September 28, 2023

ANKARA — Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Turkiye Fahd bin Asaad Abu Al-Nasr presented his credentials to Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a reception at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Wednesday. Some members of the Saudi embassy and Al-Nasr’s family also attended the reception.

Abu Al-Nasr, who served earlier as deputy minister for public diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, took oath of office before Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on August 1 after appointing as ambassador-designate to Turkiye.

Before joining the ministry, Abu Al-Nasr served as director general of King Abdullah International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), based in Vienna, Austria. Holder of bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degree in comparative politics from the American University in Washington DC, Abu Al-Nasr was a founding member and CEO of Al-Aghar Group.

Source: saudigazette.com.sa

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https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/636287/SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-Ambassador-to-T-uumlrkiye-Abu-Al-Nasr-presents-credentials-to-Erdogan

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Southeast Asia

 

PM Anwar: Tabung Haji assets parked under Finance Ministry’s special purpose vehicle to be returned to fund

By ShathanaKasinathan

29 Sep 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said that the Tabung Haji assets that were handed over to a special purpose vehicle (SPV) under the Ministry of Finance (MoF) will be returned to the Tabung Haji board.

Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said that the move comes as Tabung Haji, which manages the Haj pilgrimage fund, has overcome its previous financial challenges and is now under more efficient management.

“I told you from the beginning when I took over this position, once Tabung Haji is being well managed, then the MoF will start discussions to hand over all the assets that are currently entrusted to the SPV to Tabung Haji,” he said during the launch of Tabung Haji’s 60th anniversary celebration here, today.

Anwar also said that the transfer of assets temporarily held by MoF is to restore confidence in Tabung Haji including fending off the various accusations and slander hurled by irresponsible parties.

“The return of these assets is also to disprove the claim of certain parties that TH assets placed under the SPV were handed over to non-Muslim ownership, which is not true at all.

“This is also to put an end to the slander against the finance minister at the time who allegedly transferred these assets to non-Muslims,” he said referring to Lim Guan Eng who held the position during the previous PakatanHarapan administration.

When asked whether all the assets will be returned, Anwar answered in the affirmative without specifying an exact figure.

“I have spoken to my officers about it and the return of the assets might be done in stages,” he said.

In 2018, it was reported that Tabung Haji transferred its underperforming assets amounting to nearly RM19.9 billion to the SPV as part of its financial turnaround plan.

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/09/29/pm-anwar-tabung-haji-assets-parked-under-finance-ministrys-special-purpose-vehicle-to-be-returned-to-fund/93475

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Number of flood evacuees in Kedah rises to 1,908, Perlis records 44 victims as of this morning

 29 Sep 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 ― The number of flood victims at relief centres (PPS) in Kedah recorded an increase, while in Perlis, it showed a drop this morning.

In Kedah, the number of flood victims increased to 1,908 people from 576 families this morning, compared to 1,813 people from 530 families last night.

Head of the Kedah Disaster Management Secretariat of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) Major (PA) Muhammad SuhaimiMohd Zain said the evacuees are accommodated at 15 PPS in the KubangPasu (three), Pokok Sena (three), Baling (four) and Kota Setar (five) districts.

The PPS in KubangPasu are at SekolahMenengahKebangsaan (SMK) Changlun, SekolahKebangsaan (SK) Malau and Dewan PPK LubukBatu, while in Pokok Sena, they are at SK Bukit Hijau, MaahadTarbiyahDerang and SK PermatangLimau.

In Baling, the PPS are at SK Iboi, SMK Jerai, SK KampungKeda and SurauAnnur, while the five PPS in Kota Setar are at SK Taman Aman, SMK Kepala Batas, SK Seri Gunung, SK Titi Gajah and SMK AlorMerah.

In Perlis, the number of flood evacuees dropped to 44 people from 48 people yesterday.

Perlis APM director Lieutenant Colonel (PA) MohdIzaimiMd Daud said the evacuees, involving 16 families, are accommodated at the PPS at SK Kubang Gajah hall.

They are from KampungKubang Gajah and Alor Ara. he said when contacted by Bernama. ― Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/09/29/number-of-flood-evacuees-in-kedah-rises-to-1908-perlis-records-44-victims-as-of-this-morning/93471

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PM: Govt doing its best to help people coping with rising prices of goods

29-09- 2023

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government is doing its best to help the people cope with rising prices of essential goods.

Anwar acknowledged that problems existed, and said that he had asked Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) acting minister Datuk ArmizanMohd Ali and deputy minister Datuk FuziahSalleh to pay attention to the matter.

He said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi also focused on the issue in the National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL) Committee meeting.

“There is indeed a problem, I admit the problem with the (rising) prices of goods and necessities. We also saw that some countries experienced major social unrest due to restrictions on rice exports, and the increase in onion export taxes, all of which have an impact on the economy and (prices of) goods.

“However, we will try to resolve it. Whenever the Ministry of Finance has to assist, then we will do it,” he told reporters after launching Tabung Haji’s 60th anniversary celebration at Menara TH.

Asked if his weekly audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah scheduled for today will touch on the Cabinet reshuffle, he said it was just a weekly audience he usually had with His Majesty.

“Perhaps, I’ll think about it later. There is no urgent need because there is only one vacancy,” said the Prime Minister.

Currently, the vacant position of KPDN Minister following the death of the incumbent, the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub last July, has yet to be filled.

The media previously reported the possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle in the near future, with several ministers predicted to be dropped and the alleged reshuffle will only take place after the Pelangai state by-election on Oct 7.-Bernama

Source: thesundaily.my

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/pm-govt-doing-its-best-to-help-people-coping-with-rising-prices-of-goods-AA11553388

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Body of baby girl found in rubbish bin

28-09- 2023

GEORGE TOWN: The body of a baby girl, with the umbilical cord still attached, was found in a rubbish bin of the flats in Farlim, here today.

Timur Laut police chief ACP SoffianSantong said the naked body was found by a group of cleaners at about 10 am.

He said the body of the baby had been sent to the Penang Hospital.

Soffian appealed to people who had information on the matter to contact the police.-Bernama

Source: thesundaily.my

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/body-of-baby-girl-found-in-rubbish-bin-DA11552067

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