US-Taliban Deal Biggest Factor In Collapse Of Afghan Forces, Watchdog Says
New Age Islam News Bureau
18 May 2022
The Taliban overran
Afghanistan in August 2021 as the former Western-backed government collapsed
with surprising speed and and the last US troops withdrew.
----
• Temples Not Razed, But Turned Into Mosques By
Converts, That Adopted Islam: Tauqeer Raza, Millat Council
• The Taliban Orders the UN Female Staff in
Afghanistan to Wear Hijab
• Egyptian Grand Mufti), Shawki Allam, Launches ‘Fatwa
Pro’ Mobile App During Speech before the British House of Commons and Lords
• Cross-Voting Against Party Fiat Can’t Be Counted As
Vote: Pak SC
North
America
• US Offers Strong Support To Rebuild Pakistan’s
Economy
• Pentagon finds no wrongdoing in 2019 Syria strike
that killed civilians
• India intends to operate S-400 missile system to
defend against threats from Pak, China: Pentagon
• US holding up energy deal between Egypt and Lebanon:
Ambassador
• Turkiye wants to resolve issues with US: Cavusoglu
• Turkish foreign minister to hold talks, attend
meetings in New York
--------
India
• Gyanvapi Officials: Structure Inside Tank Is A
Fountain
• Congress Asks BJP Not To Break India On Religious
Lines
• Gyanvapi Mosque Row: AIMPLB Legal Team to Extend
Assistance to Muslim Side
• Varanasi court sacks survey chief Ajay Kumar Mishra
over leak
• Plea Seeks Muslims Be Stopped From Offering Prayers
At Mathura Mosque
• Petition Seeking ‘Puja-Archana’ Of ‘Shivling’ Found
In Gyanvapi Mosque Filed
• Karnataka: Muslim leaders propose limiting use of
loudspeakers for Azaan
--------
South
Asia
• Key Taliban Leader Haqqani Seeks Good Relations With
US, International Community
• Islamic Emirate Reacts to CSTO’s Statement
• Pakistan views Afghan Taliban as ‘strategic asset’:
Top US intelligence official
--------
Arab
World
• Hezbollah, allies lose parliamentary majority in
Lebanon polls
• Qatar to invest $5 billion in Spain’s EU-funded
recovery
• MPs charged over Beirut blast re-elected, troubling
families of victims
• Lebanon cenbank says to continue selling dollars at
Sayrafa rate ‘without amendment’
• Saudi deputy defense minister meets US national
security adviser
• Son of Egypt’s former president Mubarak says family
clear of corruption charges
• Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government arrests members
of PKK-linked group
• UAE Development Under President Sheikh Khalifa Bin
Zayed Al Nahyan 'Example for Islamic World'
--------
Pakistan
• Two Pakistani Taliban Commanders are Killed in
Pakistan’s Northwest Region
• Pakistani military says shootout kills 2 Taliban
commanders
• Pakistani man from minority Ahmadi community stabbed
to death over faith: Police
• Fazl suggests Nawaz should return home, participate
in politics
• ECP to announce verdict on disqualification
references against 25 dissident PTI MPAs today
Pakistan-IMF talks begin in Qatar
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Militant Suspects Held in Indonesia Pledged Islamic
State Loyalty - Police
• Perlis Govt, State Islamic Religious And Malay
Customs Council, Object To Single Mum’s Application To Challenge Children’s
Conversion To Islam
• ‘Tiny’ Usno could be the catalyst of big changes in
Sabah
• Singapore denies ‘extremist’ Indonesian cleric entry
• Indonesian clerical body 'sorry' for false apostasy
claims
--------
Mideast
• Yemeni Minister Claims Iran-Backed Houthis
Undermining Peace Efforts
• Iran working on new underground centrifuges: Israel
defence minister
• Algerian lawmakers seek to criminalize normalization
with Israel
• Iran, Russia Open Joint Technology Centre in St.
Petersburg
• Ship carrying smuggled fuel seized in Iran, crew
detained: Iranian media
• Iran protests spread to major central province;
unofficial death toll rises to six
--------
Africa
• African Union, Somali Troops Retake Strategic Town
From Al-Shabaab Terrorists
• Turkiye has touched minds and hearts of Somalis:
Somalia's new president
• Tunisia military court jails four lawmakers from
dissolved parliament: Lawyer
• Incoming Somali president meets with predecessor for
1st time since election
• Libya's Bashagha says his government to start
working from Sirte
--------
Europe
• Talks Can Resolve Turkiye’s Reservations On Sweden,
Finland Joining NATO: Finnish President
• Germany says Turkiye’s concerns over Sweden,
Finland’s NATO bid should be taken seriously
• UN Human Rights office concerned over pending
Swedish-Iranian’s execution
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/us-taliban-afghan-forces/d/127035
--------
US-Taliban Deal Biggest Factor In Collapse Of Afghan Forces,
Watchdog Says
The Taliban overran
Afghanistan in August 2021 as the former Western-backed government collapsed
with surprising speed and and the last US troops withdrew.
----
May 18, 2022
WASHINGTON: The biggest factor that led to the collapse
of the Afghan military in August last year was the US decision to withdraw
forces and contractors from Afghanistan through an agreement with the Taliban
signed by the Trump administration and executed by the Biden administration, a
US watchdog report concluded.
The withdrawal “destroyed” the morale of the Afghan
military as it was dependent on US military support, according to an assessment
by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR,
which was made public late Tuesday.
“SIGAR found that the single most important factor in
the ANDSF’s (Afghan National Defense and Security Forces) collapse in August
2021 was the US decision to withdraw military forces and contractors from
Afghanistan through signing the US-Taliban agreement in February 2020 under the
Trump administration, followed by President Biden’s withdrawal announcement in
April 2021,” the report said.
Under US President Joe Biden’s Republican predecessor
Donald Trump, the United States made a deal with the Islamist Taliban to
withdraw all American forces.
After the signing of the deal, the US military support
to Afghan forces came down, which also included a drop in air strikes in 2020
after a record high level in the previous year, the report added.
“Limiting airstrikes after the signing of the
US-Taliban agreement the following year left the ANDSF without a key advantage
in keeping the Taliban at bay,” John Sopko, the Special Inspector General for
Afghanistan Reconstruction, said.
The Taliban overran Afghanistan in August as the
former Western-backed government collapsed with surprising speed and the last
US troops withdrew.
Biden had argued the war in Afghanistan needed to be
brought to a close after 20 years of fighting that had cost American lives,
drained resources and distracted from greater strategic priorities.
The US Congress created the office of SIGAR to provide
an oversight of reconstruction projects and activities during the war in
Afghanistan.
“Many Afghans thought the US-Taliban agreement was an
act of bad faith and a signal that the US was handing over Afghanistan to the
enemy as it rushed to exit the country,” Sopko said.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2084421/world
--------
Temples Not Razed, But Turned Into Mosques By
Converts, That Adopted Islam: Tauqeer Raza, Millat Council
PTI photo
----
May 18, 2022
BAREILLY: A large number of people “converted their
places of worship to mosques when they adopted Islam” and such mosques
“shouldn’t be touched”, said Tauqeer Raza, the head of Ittehad Millat Council,
on Tuesday.
Speaking on the Gyanvapi mosque issue, he said,
“Calling what was found in the Gyanvapi mosque a Shiv Ling is actually making a
mockery of Hinduism. There are many mosques in the country where there were
temples before. Those temples were not razed... just converted (into mosques)
when people adopted Islam. The mosques shouldn’t be touched, and if anything is
done forcefully, Muslims will oppose the government.”
He added: “Muslims don’t need any legal fight as they
have seen the judgment in the Babri Mosque case. This time, we won’t appeal in
any court. Hatemongers will find a shivling at every mosque in the country with
a fountain. If they have their way, they will encroach all of them. I would
like to see where these people will stop. Muslims have remained quiet to ensure
peace in the country.”
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
The
Taliban Orders the UN Female Staff in Afghanistan to Wear Hijab
Representative Image
-----
By
Saqalain Eqbal
17
May 2022
The
Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has
ordered female staff members of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
(UNAMA) to wear the hijab.
On
Monday, the 16th of May, the organization shared the Taliban’s directive to
wear the hijab with its employees.
“Taliban
claim new women’s dress rules are ‘advice’ but are imposing them as
mandatory—including on Afghan women working at UN.” Heather Barr, Associate
Director of the Women’s Rights division at Human Rights Watch, tweeted.
Despite
Taliban rules, Barr called upon UNAMA on “how will [it] protect [its] colleagues’
safety & freedom?”.
According
to a UNAMA statement, a delegation of Taliban officials from the Ministry of
Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice told the UN that female employees
should consider wearing the hijab, while reporting to duties.
The
statement also notes that the personnel of the Ministry will stand outside the
UN office to “monitor if hijab is used or not”. In an event if the personnel
finds a female staff member without hijab, they will talk to her “politely” to
wear it as wearing hijab is mandatory outside.
In
addition to that, outside the UN office, the Ministry has also placed a poster
calling on women to wear the “hijab.” Barr tweeted a photo of the poster, which
shows a black layered Niqab and a bright blue Burqa (Chadari), as examples of
hijab.
The
Ministry, which had recently ordered that the hijab was mandatory, said the
best type of hijab in the directive was Chadari or Burqa.
The
Taliban had warned that if the women disobeyed the order, their parents would
be punished and imprisoned.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/the-taliban-orders-the-un-female-staff-in-afghanistan-to-wear-hijab57483/
--------
Egyptian
Grand Mufti), Shawki Allam, Launches ‘Fatwa Pro’ Mobile App During Speech
before the British House of Commons and Lords
Photo: Egypt Independent
----
May
17, 2022
The
Egyptian Grand Mufti, Head of the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities
Worldwide (GSFOW), Shawki Allam, launched the initiative of Fatwa Pro mobile
app during his historic speech before the British House of Commons and Lord’s.
This
was part of his visit to the United
Kingdom, which began on Sunday.
The
Grand Mufti explained to members of the British Parliament the application,
which the Egyptian Dar al-Ifta initiated on smartphones, and is dedicated to
Muslims in the West, using English, French and German.
Allam
added that the application aims to provide all fatwas of interest to Muslims
and answer their questions within Islamic societies.
It
is also an aid to provide religious guidance to Muslims to ensure that they
preserve their Islamic identity and prevent them from falling into the clutches
of extremist ideology and subsequently terrorist groups.
He
explained that the Egyptian Dar al-Iftaa realized early on the importance of
technology and modern means in conveying its message to the whole world.
Confronting
extremist and terrorist groups and answering many of the issues that occupy the
minds of Muslims and non-Muslims in Western societies about Islam and its
teachings.
The
Mufti described Fatwa Pro as a moderate, permanent, and available mufti at any time
for Muslims in the West.
He
pointed out that this application provides fatwas in different languages,
answered by a group of specialized and qualified muftis to carry out this task.
It
is also seen mainly as a quick source of providing fatwas of interest to
Muslims in Western societies in various disciplines, as well as protecting
Muslims in these societies from extremist or atheistic thought, and controlling
Fatwa discourse.
Source:
Egypt Independent
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Cross-Voting
Against Party Fiat Can’t Be Counted As Vote: Pak SC
Representative Image
-----
May
18, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Votes of Pakistani lawmakers against their party’s directives in Parliament
will not be counted, the nation’s Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday in a case
filed by President Arif Alvi on March 21 seeking interpretation of the
Constitution’s Article 63-A related to dissenting parliamentarians after an
alliance sought to remove then PM Imran Khan through a no-trust vote.
In
a 3:2 split decision, a larger five-member SC bench led by Chief Justice Umar
Ata Bandial ruled on the presidential reference. The verdict appears to have no
effect on the National Assembly—the country’s Parliament—but it can create a
crisis in Punjab, where if votes of rebel lawmakers are disregarded then new CM
Hamza Shehbaz loses majority in the provincial assembly. In such a scenario,
the election of the CM will have to be held again.
Khan’s
government had sought a lifetime disqualification on lawmakers attempting to
deviate from the party’s voting direction. His government, which was eventually
ousted, had feared that party’s lawmakers would cross-vote. On the voting day,
PTI’s rebel members abstained from voting and Khan was instead removed with the
support of his government’s allies.
In
a short order, the SC said defections were “one of the most pernicious ways” in
which political parties could be destabilised, noting that they could also
delegitimise parliamentary democracy. “Defections rightly stand condemned as a
cancer afflicting the body politic. They cannot be countenanced,” the order
said.
Will
defected MPs’ vote be given equal weightage? On this query, the bench ruled
that in its “view” an MP’s vote cast contrary to party directions “cannot be
counted and must be disregarded”. “This is so regardless of whether the party
head, subsequent to such vote, proceeds to take, or refrains from taking, an
action that would result in a declaration of defection,” the court said.
In
response to another question regarding the disqualification of members, the top
court rejected the PTI’s plea, saving the lawmakers from permanently being
barred from Parliament.
The
bench said a “declaration of defection” can be dealt with by the “appropriate
law made by Parliament”.
Reacting
to the verdict, former information minister and PTI member Fawad Chaudhry said
PM Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab’s CM have lost their majority after the SC
decision and their governments have practically ended.
“I
request the President that now no one has a majority in the assembly and
assembly should be dissolved and new elections should be held,” Chaudhry said.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
North America
US offers strong support to rebuild Pakistan’s economy
Anwar
Iqbal | Baqir Sajjad Syed
May
18, 2022
WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD:
Hours after Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari arrived in New York on
Tuesday for a series of meetings with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, a
State Department spokesperson assured Pakistan of strong US support for their
efforts to rebuild the Pakistani economy.
The
United States “will continue to work bilaterally on ways to grow investment and
trade opportunities to build a prosperous and stable Pakistan,” the
spokesperson told Dawn in Washington.
The
United States also “welcomes the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF)
deliberations with Pakistan,” the spokesperson added.
Also,
IMF sources in Washington confirmed that Pakistan and the IMF would start their
review talks in Doha on Wednesday (today) to strike a staff-level agreement for
the release of a $1 billion tranche under an Extended Fund Facility (EFF).
The
week-long review will be an opportunity for Pakistan to convince the IMF to
revive a stalled $6bn package for stabilising its cash-starved economy.
A
public expression of US support would boost Islamabad’s efforts to revive the
programme and could smooth bullish market trends as well.
The
spokesperson also confirmed media reports of a one-on-one meeting between
Secretary Blinken and Mr Bhutto-Zardari.
“We
confirm Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Bhutto-Zardari will meet
one-on-one and cover a number of bilateral concerns in a follow-up to their May
6 call,” the US official said.
Earlier,
the foreign minister told journalists in New York that he would share
Pakistan’s perspective on various issues with the international community in
his UN engagements.
Mr
Bhutto-Zardari is attending a UN ministerial meeting of Global Food Security
Call for Action and the Security Council’s open debate on maintenance of
international peace, with a focus on conflict and food security.
The
US mission to the United Nations initiated both meetings to highlight how the
Feb 24 Russian invasion of Ukraine was threatening global food security.
“We
are here to share Pakistan’s message with the United Nations,” said Mr
Bhutto-Zardari while talking to a group of Pakistani journalists at New York’s
JFK airport.
The
PTI had earlier planned a protest on his arrival but later they canceled the
programme. Even PML-N supporters stayed away from the small PPP crowd that
gathered at the airport to welcome their leader.
The
foreign minister took an Emirates flight, which was delayed by a medical
emergency. Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s entourage included a senior official from his
ministry and some members of his personal staff. He was received by Ambassador
Munir Akram, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, its US envoy
Ambassador Masood Khan and other senior officials of the two missions.
Renewal
of ties with US
Speaking
about Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s maiden official visit to the US, other upcoming
overseas trips, and the external policy priorities of the new government at
Foreign Office in Islamabad, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani
Khar told the media the government was committed to renewal of ties with the
US.
She
said Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s meeting with Secretary Blinken provides “a useful
opportunity” for strengthening bilateral engagement with the US.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1690253/us-offers-strong-support-to-rebuild-pakistans-economy
--------
Pentagon
finds no wrongdoing in 2019 Syria strike that killed civilians
18
May ,2022
An
investigation into a 2019 strike by US forces in Syria that killed numerous
civilians found no violations of policy or wanton negligence, the Pentagon said
Tuesday.
The
internal US Army investigation focused on an operation by a special US force
operating in Syria which launched an airstrike on an ISIS bastion in Baghouz on
March 18, 2019.
The
investigation was sparked last year after the New York Times reported that in
the original strike the US military had covered up dozens of non-combatant
deaths.
The
Times report said that 70 people, many of them women and children, had been
killed in the strike.
The
Times report said a US legal officer “flagged the strike as a possible war
crime” and that “at nearly every step, the military made moves that concealed
the catastrophic strike.”
But
the final report of the investigation rejected that conclusion Tuesday.
It
said that the US ground force commander for the anti-ISIS coalition received a
request for air strike support from Syrian Democratic Forces fighting the
extremists.
The
commander “received confirmation that no civilians were in the strike area” and
authorized the strike.
However,
they later found out there were civilians at the location.
“No
Rules of Engagement or Law of War violations occurred,” the investigation said.
In
addition, the commander “did not deliberately or with wanton disregard cause
civilian casualties,” it said.
The
report said that “administrative deficiencies” delayed US military reporting on
the strike, giving the impression that it was being covered up.
The
Times cited an initial assessment of the incident saying that about 70
civilians could have been killed.
Pentagon
Spokesman John Kirby said that 53 combatants were killed, 51 of them adult
males and one child, while four civilians died, one woman and three children.
Another
15 civilians, 11 women and four children, were wounded, he said.
Asked
if anyone was being punished for the civilian deaths, Kirby said the
investigation did not find the need to hold any individuals accountable.
The
probe “did not find that anybody acted outside the law of war, that there was
no malicious intent,” Kirby said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
intends to operate S-400 missile system to defend against threats from Pak,
China: Pentagon
May
18, 2022
WASHINGTON:
By June 2022, India intends to deploy the S-400 missile defence system that it
has received from Russia to defend itself against threat from Pakistan and
China, a Pentagon spy master has told US lawmakers.
India
started receiving the delivery of S-400 missile defence system from Russia in
December last year, Lt Gen Scott Berrier, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during a recent
Congressional hearing.
As
of October 2021, India's military was seeking to procure advanced surveillance
systems to strengthen its land and sea borders and boost its offensive and
defensive cyber capabilities.
“In
December, India received its initial delivery of the Russian S-400 air defence
system, and it intends to operate the system to defend against Pakistani and
Chinese threats by June 2022,” Berrier said.
“India
continued to develop its own hypersonic, ballistic, cruise, and air defence
missile capabilities, conducting multiple tests in 2021. India has a growing
number of satellites in orbit, and it is expanding its use of space assets,
likely pursuing offensive space capabilities,” he said.
Berrier
told lawmakers that New Delhi is pursuing an extensive military modernisation
effort encompassing air, ground, naval, and strategic nuclear forces with an
emphasis on domestic defence production.
India
is taking steps to establish Integrated Theatre Commands that will improve its
joint capability among its three military services.
Since
2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given priority to strengthen
India's economy by expanding its domestic defence industry, and establishing a
negative import list to curtail defence purchases from foreign suppliers.
“India's
longstanding defence relationship with Russia remains strong, holding their
first ‘2+2' format talks in December — a joint foreign and defence ministerial
that India previously only held with the United States, Japan, and Australia.
“India
has maintained a neutral stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and continues
to call for peace,” Berrier told the lawmakers.
According
to Berrier, throughout 2021, New Delhi continued to implement foreign policy
aimed at demonstrating India's role as a leading power and net provider of
security in the Indian Ocean region.
India
seeks to promote prosperity and ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region by
seeking strategic partnerships to build influence through bilateral and
multilateral mechanisms such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he said.
“New
Delhi seeks to deepen intelligence and operational cooperation on
cybersecurity, protect critical information infrastructure, prevent adversary
manipulation of public opinion, and to create standards and norms that protect
and secure data governance,” he added.
Following
the collapse of the Afghan government, New Delhi is increasingly concerned
about potential attacks against India by terrorist groups such as
Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed - empowered by a Taliban-controlled
Afghanistan, he said.
The
evacuation of Indian personnel from Afghanistan degraded its resources to
monitor potential threats and cultivate influence over regional stability, he
said.
Despite
recommitting to the 2003 ceasefire, India remains postured to respond to
perceived militant threats, and it has continued counterterrorism operations in
Kashmir. Occasional skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani troops will
continue, and a high-profile attack in India by Pakistan-based terrorists risks
an Indian military response,” he said.
Berrier
said that Chinese-Indian relations remain strained following the fatal clashes
in summer 2020 between their respective forces along the Western sector of the
Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
holding up energy deal between Egypt and Lebanon: Ambassador
17
May ,2022
A
World Bank-backed plan for Egypt to export energy supplies to Lebanon is still
in limbo as Cairo awaits assurances from the US that it will not face
sanctions.
The
deal would require transit fees to be paid to the Assad regime, which has had
crippling Caesar Act sanctions prevent foreign countries and companies from
dealing with the Syrian government as a result of its war crimes.
Despite
US officials and diplomats publicly stating that sanctions would not be an
obstacle, Egypt’s top diplomat in Washington said otherwise on Tuesday.
“No
one would enter into a regional mechanism to find themselves later on under sanctions,”
Motaz Zahran said in response to a question from Al Arabiya English.
Speaking
at an event with Al-Monitor in Washington, Zahran said Egypt was prepared to
move ahead with the deal once it was given what was being asked for in terms of
assurances.
“So,
if there is a will here in Washington to help the Lebanese through regional
mechanisms, well, we have a regional mechanism that has been set and been out
there waiting… for it to be able to function without repercussions of
sanctions,” Zahran said.
Asked
about Zahran's comments, a State Department official said the US was waiting
for the final contracts from all sides. “The United States government awaits
the final contracts and financing terms from the parties to ensure that both
the gas and electricity projects are in line with US policy and addresses any
potential sanctions concerns,” the official told Al Arabiya English.
“We
refer you to these governments for the status of the commercial contracts and
to the World Bank for updates on the status of the financing application,” the
official added.
With
the World Bank saying that Lebanon’s financial crisis is one of the worst the
world has seen in over 150 years, such a deal would reportedly help ease power
shortages across the country.
The
deal was first reported by Al Arabiya English last summer and later confirmed
by US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea.
But
the fact that the energy would pass through Syria has stirred up opposition in
the US, specifically from Republican lawmakers.
Earlier
this year, Shea relayed a letter from the US Treasury Department reportedly
informing the Lebanese government not to worry about potential sanctions.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkiye
wants to resolve issues with US: Cavusoglu
Servet
Günerigök
18.05.2022
WASHINGTON
Turkiye
wants to resolve issues with the US, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
said Tuesday.
Speaking
in an address at the Turkevi Center in New York, Cavusoglu recalled the
"important" meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US
counterpart Joe Biden in Rome, Italy last year.
"We
have established a strategic mechanism upon Mr. Biden's proposal," said
the foreign minister, referring to a diplomatic effort agreed in Rome on Oct.
31, 2021.
Erdogan
and Biden agreed to establish a mechanism that promotes high-level dialogue and
addresses issues on which Turkiye and the US do not fully agree, along with
issues they are working on.
"Within
the framework of the crises around the world, we will discuss with the US on
which areas we can develop our relations as part of this mechanism," said
Cavusoglu.
During
the April 4 visit of US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland to Ankara, the
Turkiye-US Strategic Mechanism was launched. On Wednesday, Cavusoglu will meet
with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the level of foreign ministers.
A
meeting at the level of presidents could take place this year, Cavusoglu said.
"I
hope, within this mechanism, we can solve or reduce the issues and improve our
cooperation by working with a result-oriented approach," he added.
Turkiye-US
relations have been strained in recent years due to the latter's cooperation
with the PYD-YPG/PKK terrorist organization in Syria, its stance toward the
Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), disagreements over Turkiye’s purchase
of Russia’s S-400 air defense system and Washington's sanctions against
Turkiye.
On
Wednesday, Cavusoglu will attend the first-ever International Migration Review
Forum within the margins of the UN General Assembly.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/turkiye-wants-to-resolve-issues-with-us-cavusoglu/2590876
--------
Turkish
foreign minister to hold talks, attend meetings in New York
Ali
Murat Alhas
17.05.2022
The
Turkish foreign minister on Tuesday is set to begin a four-day visit to New
York to attend a global forum on migration, the Foreign Ministry said late
Monday.
Mevlut
Cavusoglu will pay an official visit to New York “to attend the first-ever
International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) within the margins of the UN
General Assembly,” said a ministry statement.
In
addition, Cavusoglu will also attend the Global Food Security Call to Action
ministerial meeting to be hosted by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and
hold bilateral meetings, the statement added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
Gyanvapi
officials: Structure inside tank is a fountain
Piyush
Srivastava
18.05.22
The
Gyanvapi mosque authorities have said the structure inside a tank that the
Hindu side in the dispute is claiming to be a Shivalinga is a fountain that had
been installed a few years ago and had been lying defunct.
Members
of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, the management committee of the mosque that
adjoins the Kashi Vishwanath temple, said the now-removed head of the
commission tasked by a court to survey the mosque had refused to get the
structure repaired so that it could be proved it was a fountain.
Mohammad
Merazuddin, one of the counsels for the Muslim side, said: “They are claiming
that a fountain in the middle of a tank on the mosque premises is a Shivalinga.
The small, shallow tank behind the mosque has been there for over a decade.
There are water taps affixed to a wall of the tank for the purpose of wuzu
(ablution before offering namaz). A fountain was installed inside the tank a
few years ago and a circular wall was built around it.”
The
Hindu side has held up the structure that they are calling a Shivalinga as
evidence that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb had demolished the original Kashi
Vishwanath temple to have the mosque built. The RSS has been campaigning for
the removal of the mosque.
Hari
Singh Jain, an advocate for the Hindu side, had on Monday moved the civil court
that is hearing the dispute and has ordered a survey of the mosque to get the
area where the structure has been found cordoned off. The Supreme Court on
Tuesday ordered the Varanasi district magistrate to ensure protection of the
site.
A
member of the Gyanvapi management committee said, requesting anonymity: “The
claim on the Shivalinga is ridiculous. We have been saying right from the
beginning that Mishra (advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra who was removed
by the civil court on Tuesday) was playing with our emotions. We believe that
he has already done enough damage to us.
“Still,
we need to explain that till a few years ago, the water of the tank was used
for wuzu before people went inside the mosque to offer namaz. Later, water taps
were installed there. The fountain and the wall encircling it (within the
larger triangle-shaped tank) were built three-four years ago. The fountain has
been lying defunct since the end of 2020, so we had put fish in the area
between the tank and the fountain wall to keep its water clean. Now, we use
water from the taps for wuzu.”
He
added: “Our workers had cleaned the holes in the fountain with the help of iron
wires in the presence of Mishra on Monday and requested him to put water in the
circular area and call someone to repair the fountain so that it could be
proved that it was a fountain, not a Shivalinga. But he didn’t listen to us and
some people kept chanting Har Har Mahadev.”
Mohammad
Suleman, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board that is planning
to provide legal assistance to the Gyanvapi mosque authorities, said: “The
civil judge has crossed his jurisdiction. He was supposed to act on the basis
of the law codified by the country. But he violated the Places of Worship
(Special Provisions) Act, 1991, that provides for status quo on any religious
structure as it existed on August 15, 1991. Even the Supreme Court had said
this in its verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case in 2019.”
“The
Hindu lawyers are trying to make a weird claim. The entire country knows that
the place that was sealed on Monday was the wuzu area and the structure that
they are claiming to be a Shivalinga is actually a fountain. Muslims used to
wash their hands and faces there in the past. The management committee of the
mosque put fish in the tank when the fountain stopped working,” Suleman told
reporters in Kanpur on Tuesday.
Source:
Telegraph India
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Congress
asks BJP not to break India on religious lines
Sanjay
K. Jha
18.05.22
Don’t
break India to such an extent that uniting the country becomes impossible, the
Opposition Congress appealed to the ruling BJP on Tuesday, cautioning against
the frenzy being whipped up around the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi and flagging
a raft of economic challenges.
“I
am requesting the BJP, they should kindly take a relook at the way they are
functioning. They should kindly take a relook at the way they are governing.
Don’t break the country so badly, to such an extent that uniting the country
becomes impossible. That’s why we have come up with the Bharat Jodo slogan. We
are going to carry out yatras throughout the country asking people to be
together,” Congress general secretary Ajay Maken said.
The
Congress iterated that status quo should be maintained at all religious sites
under the Places of Worship Act, 1991. The act prohibits conversion of any
place of worship and seeks to maintain the religious character of any place of
worship as it existed on the 15th day of August, 1947.
Maken
alleged that polarising controversies were being manufactured to divert
attention from the failures of the Narendra Modi government at a time the
economic situation had turned grim. Former home minister P. Chidambaram had
said the same thing a few days ago in the context of the Gyanvapi mosque row.
Responding
to the question about the claim of the discovery of a Shivalinga on the
Gyanvapi premises, Maken said: “The Supreme Court is looking into the matter.
The order passed by the Supreme Court in the Babri mosque case was under the
Places of Worship Act, 1991.
“All
the controversies should be seen in the context of this law, which calls for
status quo. But we are clear that the BJP and its affiliated outfits are raising
such matters because they don’t want the real issues to be discussed.”
Maken
said: “Prices of essential commodities and unemployment have reached an
unbearable extreme today. The wholesale price index that has come today is
15.08 per cent, the highest ever. The rupee has tumbled to its lowest. We have
seen what happened in Sri Lanka.
“The
BJP doesn’t want the real issues to dominate public discourse. When the BJP
divides the people of India, they break the country. India is not only a
landmass, a geographical entity. Dividing people on the basis of religion and
caste is breaking India.”
The
Congress called a meeting on Tuesday of general secretaries and state minders
to discuss the timely implementation of the new resolve finalised at the
Udaipur Chintan Shivir. The meeting will continue on Wednesday. The party will
hold state-level workshops to sensitise the organisational machinery about the
new decisions.
Source:
Telegraph India
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Gyanvapi
Mosque Row: AIMPLB Legal Team to Extend Assistance to Muslim Side
MAY
18, 2022
The
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Tuesday held an emergency
meeting amid the ongoing row surrounding the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi where
claims of a Shivling being found inside the mosque during a survey was made on
Monday.
A
source said that since the matter is being heard by the court, the Board’s
legal team would extend all the necessary assistance to the Muslim side.
The
meeting lasted around two hours during which 45 members of the AIMPLB
interacted virtually.
A
source in the know of the things told IANS: “We will go through the matters
discussed and presented in the court on Tuesday, and our legal team will
provide help to the Muslim side. At the same time, we will try to reach out to
the people with facts through pamphlets, books etc. so that people don’t get
misguided."
“Also,
we would like to know the stand of the Central government as well as other
political parties on the Places of Worship Act, 1991," the source added.
Then
Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had in 1991 brought a law pertaining to the
places of worship.
The
law prohibits conversion or changing the religious outlook of any place of
worship that existed before August 15, 1947. Anyone attempting to do that can
face fine and imprisonment between one year and three years.
The
AIMPLB would hold another meeting on Wednesday to present its views in details.
Earlier
on Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed the Varanasi administration to protect
and seal the area where a ‘Shivling’ was found during a video survey inside the
Gyanvapi mosque complex, while also directing the authorities concerned not to
restrict Muslims from entering the mosque to offer namaz.
A
bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and P.S. Narasimha said: “The area where the
Shivling is found should be protected."
Source:
News18
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Varanasi
court sacks survey chief Ajay Kumar Mishra over leak
May
18, 2022
VARANASI:
A day after petitioners claimed that a 'shivling' had been found during the
survey of Gyanvapi premises, civil judge (senior division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar
on Tuesday removed advocate commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra on the charges of
not performing his duty responsibly and engaging a private cameraman in the
survey process.
This
cameraman had reportedly leaked some details of the survey to the media on
Monday. Mishra, who was the first to be appointed as the advocate commissioner
to supervise the Gyanvapi survey, denied the charges.
As
the survey report could not be submitted by the commission on Tuesday, the
court directed special advocate commissioner Vishal Singh to table the report
of the survey conducted after its May 12 order on May 19.
In
its Tuesday order, the court also mentioned that Vishal Singh informed it that
Ajay Kumar engaged a private cameraman, RP Singh, in the survey process.
When
the survey was in progress, this photographer kept passing wrong facts to the
media due to which he was ousted from the survey work, said the court and added
that Ajay Kumar Mishra had admitted to the fact. “A person assumes the role of
a public servant on being appointed as advocate commissioner,” the court said,
adding, “it was expected that the advocate commissioner will perform his duty
impartially and honestly, and avoid issuing irresponsible statements in public.
However,
Ajay Kumar Mishra performed his duties as advocate commissioner very
irresponsibly.” “In investigation, it has become clear that the photographer
engaged by him kept giving media bytes, which is totally against the judicial
decorum,” the court said while ordering to remove Mishra from court commission
with immediate effect.
Source:
Times Of India
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Plea
Seeks Muslims Be Stopped From Offering Prayers At Mathura Mosque
May
17, 2022
Mathura:
A group of lawyers and law students has filed a plea in a court in Mathura demanding
that Muslims be restrained from offering prayers at the Shahi Idgah mosque,
which they said has been built at the place believed to be the birthplace of
Lord Krishna.
Ten
separate petitions have earlier been filed in Mathura courts by different Hindu
groups seeking the removal of the mosque, which they claimed was built at the
birthplace of the deity, within the 13.37-acre premises of the Katra Keshav Dev
temple.
The
fresh plea said a majority of the Hindu community believes that Lord Krishna
was born at the place where the mosque stands.
Advocate
Shailendra Singh, one of the petitioners, also claimed that the mosque was
built at the place where once a temple stood.
"Since
the structure has been constructed on the remains of a Hindu temple, it is akin
to a temple and does not qualify the merit of a mosque," he said.
They
have approached the court with a plea seeking "permanent injunction"
on the use of the structure by the Muslim community, he said.
The
advocate said the mosque does not fulfil the pre-condition laid out in the
Quran, which says a mosque should be built on an undisputed land having no mark
of any other religion.
Source:
ND TV
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Petition
seeking ‘puja-archana’ of ‘shivling’ found in Gyanvapi mosque filed
17th
May 2022
LUCKNOW:
After the conclusion of the court-ordered survey of Gyanvapi mosque premises, a
petition was filed in the court of civil judge (senior division) Ravi Kumar
Diwakar on Tuesday seeking permission for 'puja-archana' of the 'shivling'
allegedly found during the survey of the Gyanvapi premises by the court
commission on Monday.
However,
another plea was filed in the same court demanding direction for the demolition
of walls of the basements on the premises and removal of debris for collection
of more evidence in the matter.
Sadhvi
Purnamba and Sadhvi Shardamba filed a petition urging the court to grant
permission for 'puja-archana' of the said 'shivling'. The area where the 'shivling'
has been found was sealed by the order of the court on Monday.
The
petitioners are the disciples of Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati of
Dwaraka and Jyotish Peeth. They filed the petition through their lawyer Ramesh
Upadhyaya. Upadhyaya said that the petition will be heard with their old
petitions.
The
litigants' lawyer claimed that Lord Adi Vishweshwar was found in the form of a
'linga' during the commission's survey on May 16.
"Immediate
permission should be given to start its worship with vedic rituals, because we
Sanatani Hindus
respect
the deity as a living self after pran-pratishtha (consecration)," they
requested in the petition.
The
other petition was filed by the plaintiffs in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri
worshipping case, demanding the demolition of the walls of different basements
on the Gyanvapi premises and removal of debris to uncover the areas hidden
behind them for collection of more evidence in the matter. However, the Anjuman
Intejamia Masajid (AIM) raised serious objections to the plea.
Admitting
the plea, judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar posted the matter for hearing on Wednesday
when special advocate commissioner Vishal Singh will also present facts in this
matter before the court.
The
plaintiffs of the Shringar Gauri worship case include Rakhi Singh of Delhi,
Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas and Rekha Pathak, all natives of Varanasi,
who filed the petition on April 18, 2021, seeking permission for daily worship
and performing rituals at the idols of Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesh, Lord
Hanuman and Nandi and stopping the opponents from causing any damage to the
statues.
Source:
New Indian Express
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Karnataka:
Muslim leaders propose limiting use of loudspeakers for Azaan
17th
May 2022
Bengaluru:
In a bid to calm the simmering unrest in Karnataka, Muslim community and
religious leaders are urging people to postpone the use of loudspeakers while
calling Azaan in mosques from 5 AM to 6 AM
Several
mosques have started following this from Tuesday. “There is a difference
between our old pandits and new ones. We are progressive and development
oriented. Many changes are going to happen in the coming days. The changes will
be in accordance with the law,” Umar Sharif, President of Discover Islam
Education Trust, academician and thinker told IANS.
Decision
of postponing calling of Azaan using loudspeakers from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. has
been announced. The community and religious leaders showed no opposition to it,
he said.
The
government guidelines will be followed from Tuesday regarding use of
loudspeakers. “Why should we give room for controversy? We intend to get
distanced from all the controversies,” he explained.
During
the hijab crisis, there was an opinion that the community disrespected the
court’s decision and it was also felt that there is no value for the
constitution. “However, it was wrongly communicated. We are law abiding. Once
made to understood, we will follow. But, it is the government’s responsibility
to convince, Umar Sharif stated.
Talking
about the unrest situation, Umar Sharif noted that seeing the unrest situation
in the state is one perspective. The ground reality is different. There is no
dispute among common people. The dispute is between organisations. Within
religion also, there are no conflicts. In the name of religion conflicts are
created.
“The
nationalism includes us all. We should all be united in our soil. Our
contributions to the country should be brought out. The religion does not want
us to fight,” he maintained.
The
exercise of conveying a message to all mosques to postpone use of loudspeakers
for Azaan from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. is taken up seriously. The message has been
sent to all. If some are not understanding, they will be convinced, he
explained.
Imam
of Jamia Mosque Shaikh Maqsood Imran Rashadi has asked to communicate about it
to all districts to follow the Supreme Court order on use of loudspeakers, he
said.
“Let
Sri Ram Sena activists’ lead a peaceful life. Similarly, let our imam also live
in peace. We will strive to end all disputes, we will forgo our rights to
establish peace. We have come here with good intention to lead life,” he said.
Experts
say that the move by religious and community leaders in Karnataka has been
praised and appreciated. It is also regarded as the right step towards
establishing peace in the state, presently going through an unrest situation.
Source:
Siasat Dailly
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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South
Asia
Key
Taliban leader Haqqani seeks good relations with US, international community
17
May, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], May 17 (ANI): Key Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani on Monday
said that his outfit, which now rules Afghanistan, seeks “good relations with
the US and the international community.”
Haqqani,who
is also acting as the “Minister for Interior” in Taliban regime, which took
over Kabul in August last year, made the comments during an interview to CNN.
Responding
to a question on whether his outfit still considers US as the enemy, said that
they do not “look at them (US) as enemies” and are committed to the Doha
agreement, and want relations with the US based on principles and diplomatic
norms, Tolo News reported.
“I
would like to make a small clarification. The period of the last 20 years was a
situation of defensive fighting and war. When the agreement was made in Doha,
we decided that we would not be talking about this. In the future, we would
like to have good relations with the United States and the international
community,” Haqqani reportedly said.
Haqqani
also talked about the ongoing human rights issues in Afghanistan including
women’s education saying that “good news” will be heard about the education of
girls and that a mechanism is being developed in this regard, the report said.
“We
all believe that education has been created as a blessing from God, which has
been made essential to both men and women. As I mentioned earlier, there is no
one who is opposed to education,” Haqqani said.
“The
problem is education based on the Afghan way of thinking and understanding, the
culture aspect of Afghanistan. There is an issue of making arrangements of
Islamic rules and principles,” he added.
Source:
The Print
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Islamic
Emirate Reacts to CSTO’s Statement
17
May 2022
In
reaction to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) leaders’
statement in which they expressed concerns over the situation in Afghanistan,
the Islamic Emirate said there will be no threat to anyone from Afghan
soil.
The
conference, which was held on Monday in Moscow, was attended by delegations
from Belarus, Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
“We
focus on countering international terrorism and extremism, illegal drug and
weapons trafficking, and illegal migration. In this context we attach great
importance to the developments in Afghanistan. The unstable situation there as
well as the unrelenting activity of armed groups on the territory of
Afghanistan continue to threaten the security and stability of our states,”
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told the conference.
“I
believe the CSTO must consider every potential threat while paying even more
attention to ensuring the security of the southern borders of Central
Asia," he said.
The
CSTO voiced concerns about the situation in Afghanistan and on other external
borders of the organization’s member states.
“The
government should reassure the neighbor and regional countries and address
their concerns in this regard, otherwise, they will not receive good results,”
said Sadiq Shinwari, a political analyst.
“The
world wants valuable engagement with the Islamic Emirate and wants the Islamic
Emirate to engage in relations based on current norms,” said Saleem Kakar, a
university instructor.
But
the Islamic Emirate downplayed the concerns and pledged the Afghan soil will
not be used against anyone.
“The
Islamic Emirate is very serious in regard to focusing on its security and
preventing the use of Afghan soil against others,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy
spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.
Source:
Tolo News
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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-178053
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Pakistan
views Afghan Taliban as ‘strategic asset’: Top US intelligence official
LALIT
K JHA
18
May, 2022
Washington,
May 18 (PTI) Pakistan seeks to maintain positive relations with the Taliban as
it views the hardline Islamist militant group as a “strategic asset” useful for
securing its interests in Afghanistan, the Pentagon’s top intelligence official
has told US lawmakers.
Lt
Gen Scott Berrier, Director, Defence Intelligence Agency told members of the
Senate Armed Services Committee during a recent Congressional hearing that
Pakistan currently views instability in Afghanistan as its most pressing
concern and will likely prioritise preventing its spillover into Pakistan in
the next year and beyond.
“Although
Pakistan has not formally recognised the Taliban, Islamabad seeks to maintain
positive relations with them, and it is providing humanitarian assistance,
international outreach, and technical support to achieve this,” Berrier said.
“Pakistan
views the Taliban as a strategic asset, useful for securing its interests in
Afghanistan. However, Islamabad’s ability to shape Taliban behaviour will
probably diminish because the group no longer relies on its safe havens in
Pakistan,” he said.
Pakistan
remains vulnerable to attacks by a variety of anti-Pakistan militant groups,
including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), ISIS-K, and Baloch separatists, he
said.
Pakistan’s
military continues to execute operations against these militant groups and
remains concerned about their ability to conduct small-scale attacks and
occasional high-profile attacks inside the country, he said.
“Since
2020, TTP has consolidated factions and increased its attack tempo. In November
2021, TTP agreed to a one-month ceasefire with Pakistan but announced it would
not extend it further due to perceived Pakistani violations of the terms of the
agreement. Fighting resumed in early December 2021, with dozens of deadly
attacks, and probably will persist,” he added.
A
Pakistani delegation led by a former ISI chief Faiz Hameed reportedly held
talks in Afghanistan with the representatives of the banned terror group
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) involved in scores of deadly attacks on
Pakistani security forces, according to a media report from Islamabad on
Tuesday.
However,
there was no official confirmation from either side about the development but
reports suggested that it was part of a renewed push by the Afghan Taliban to
broker some kind of a deal between Pakistan and the TTP, The Express Tribune
reported quoting Afghan journalists and sources.
Source:
The Print
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Arab
World
Hezbollah,
allies lose parliamentary majority in Lebanon polls
İdiris
Okuduci
17.05.2022
BEIRUT,
Lebanon
Lebanese
group Hezbollah and its allies lost majority in the 128-seat parliament
following this weekend’s general elections, according to official results
announced by the interior minister on Tuesday.
The
final election results announced by Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi showed
that no party has secured the 64 seats necessary to form the government.
The
Lebanese Forces Party, an opponent of Hezbollah, gained ground by securing 20
seats, up from only 15 in the outgoing parliament.
Hezbollah
opponent Kataeb Party, a Christian faction led by Samy Gemayel, also increased
its number of lawmakers in the parliament from three to five.
The
Progressive Socialist Party led by Druze politician Walid Jumblatt won nine
seats in Sunday’s vote, the Christian Independence Movement won two seats,
while the Christian National Liberal Party won only one seat.
The
Hezbollah group, which is defined as being close to the Syrian regime and Iran,
increased its votes slightly, but its allies either lost votes or could not
enter the parliament.
Hezbollah
won 16 seats in the new parliament, up from 14 in the outgoing parliament.
A
total of 718 candidates ran for places in the parliament during Sunday’s vote.
Voter
turnout in the elections reached 41%, down from over 49% in the 2018 elections,
Mawlawi told reporters.
Sunday’s
parliamentary elections were the first in Lebanon since the 2020 Beirut port
explosion that killed more than 200 people, injured thousands and destroyed
much of the capital Beirut.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Qatar
to invest $5 billion in Spain’s EU-funded recovery
18
May ,2022
Qatar’s
$300 billion sovereign wealth fund plans to invest $5 billion in Spanish
projects, the Gulf state’s ruler said late on Tuesday in a dinner held in his
honor in Madrid.
The
amount shows how confident Qatar is in the Spanish economy’s strength, Emir
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said in a speech during a dinner held in King
Felipe’s Palace in Madrid, a government source told Reuters on Tuesday.
Qatar’s
ruler, who is visiting Spain this week, is expected to sign a bilateral
agreement with Spain to invest in the projects funded by the European Union
COVID recovery funds, the first such agreements between a member state and a
non-EU country.
The
investments, mainly in sustainability and digitalization projects, are due to
be implemented within two to three years, according to that person, government
sources told Reuters.
Spain,
the main receiver of EU funds, with a total 140 billion euros ($147.53
billion), about half of its in grants, is scrambling to get support from
private and foreign investors to speed up the recovery from the record 11
percent contraction it suffered in 2020 as a result of the pandemic.
As
part of efforts to lift up its economy, Spain wants to build up an energy hub
around Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) imports and re-export terminals.
The
country has spare LNG capacity and aims to position a supply hub for the EU
nations seeking to reduce their dependence on Russia.
Spain
though still lacks re-export capacity to the north to live up to its hub
ambitions.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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MPs
charged over Beirut blast re-elected, troubling families of victims
17
May ,2022
Two
Lebanese lawmakers charged in connection with the 2020 Beirut port blast have
been re-elected in the first poll since the catastrophe, leaving some families
of victims fearing further delays in a stalled investigation into the
explosion.
Many
in Lebanon blame the disaster, which killed more than 215 people, on safety
failings by senior political and security officials. Accountability for the
blast emerged as a main rallying issue for opposition candidates and voters.
Interior
Ministry results show Ali Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zeaiter, both running with
the Lebanese Hezbollah-backed Amal Movement, won seats in Baalbek-Hermel and
south Lebanon respectively.
Khalil
and Zeaiter were charged in December 2020 but deny any wrongdoing and have
declined to attend interrogation hearings, citing immunity afforded to them by
their parliamentary seats.
The
investigations are secret so the exact charges against them have not been made
public.
Rima
Zahed, whose brother Amin died in the blast and who sits on a committee
representing victims, described their victory as a “farce.”
Another
committee member, Kayan Tleis, whose 39-year-old brother Mohammad died in the
explosion, told Reuters: “We are troubled and provoked and don’t want anybody
to be above the law.”
An
arrest warrant was issued for Khalil but was not implemented by security
forces, who cited parliamentary immunity.
Lawsuits
filed by suspects including the two MPs against the judge investigating the
blast have stalled the probe for months.
Still,
victims’ relatives said they were encouraged by wins by newcomer opposition
candidates in Beirut, who took five of 19 seats across the capital’s two
electoral districts.
“We
have more people in parliament who can work for us... They are people who will
help our cause,” Tleis said. “I hope we will not have to wait long for
justice.”
Newcomers
who won include the former head of the Beirut Bar Association, Melhem Khalaf,
who was backed by the families of some blast victims.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Lebanon
cenbank says to continue selling dollars at Sayrafa rate ‘without amendment’
17
May ,2022
Lebanon’s
central bank will continue to allow commercial banks to purchase US dollars on
its Sayrafa platform rate, it said on Tuesday, in response to rumors it had
halted purchases following the country’s parliamentary election.
A
statement by the bank said the purchases, which began in January, could take
place “as usual, without amendment.”
The
policy has been criticized as unsustainable for using limited US dollar
reserves to prop up the local currency, which has lost more than 90 percent of
its value since the economic crisis began in 2019.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
deputy defense minister meets US national security adviser
May
18, 2022
RIYADH:
Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister of defense, on Tuesday
met with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington to review
bilateral ties.
Prince
Khalid said in a Tweet that the meeting was upon the directive of Saudi Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“I
met with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to review the enduring and
historic Saudi-US partnership, and discuss solidifying US-Saudi coordination,”
he said.
Source:
Arab News
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2084336/saudi-arabia
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Son
of Egypt’s former president Mubarak says family clear of corruption charges
May
18, 2022
CAIRO:
The son of Egypt’s former president said Tuesday that he and family members
were innocent of corruption charges made in international courts after the
country’s 2011 popular uprising.
His
statements came after years of attempts by the deposed president’s family to
rehabilitate its image as it faced litigation in Egypt and abroad.
In
a video statement released online, Gamal Mubarak, the son of former Egyptian
president Hosni Mubarak, said that recent court decisions in the European Union
and elsewhere demonstrate their innocence, but did not explain how the family
had amassed its significant wealth.
In
February, a massive leak of Credit Suisse clients’ information showed Gamal
Mubarak and his brother, Alaa, to have held at least $197.5 million in the bank
at one point in time.
“The
facts have now been established, and the false allegations have been
unequivocally rebutted. The historical record has thus been independently and
judicially corrected,” he said in a video statement released on YouTube. He
blamed Egyptian judicial authorities for taking the issue to international
courts.
The
2011 protests were built on calls for an end to deep-rooted embezzlement and
government corruption in Egypt, and growing concerns that Gamal Mubarak would
be set up to succeed his father, who was in power for nearly 30 years. The
international anti-corruption group Transparency International has estimated
that as president, Mubarak stole some $70 billion in public funds. The former
president died in 2020, aged 91.
In
April, Swiss prosecutors decided not to file charges after concluding a
decade-long investigation into alleged money laundering and organized crime
linked to linked to Mubarak’s circles in Egypt. They also said they would
release some 400 million Swiss francs — $430 million — frozen in Swiss banks.
The
same month, the General Court of the European Union ruled that the rights of
Mubarak’s wife, two sons and their wives had not been respected during an local
Egyptian investigation of his assets, on which the prosecution was depending.
The ruling meant EU sanctions on the Mubaraks’ accounts were deemed unlawful,
and lifted. Gamal Mubarak said his family was being reimbursed for their legal
costs related to the case.
Transparency
International condemned the move, saying it would show corrupt leaders around
the world that they can act with impunity.
The
EU and Swiss investigations were part of a series of court proceedings against
the Mubaraks in the wake of the mass protests. The father and the two sons were
first detained in April 2011, two months after the uprising forced Mubarak to
step down as part of the Arab Spring protest movement. A leading military
council was established in his place, which then gave way to the divisive
Islamist president Muhammad Mursi after elections in 2012. Mursi was later
deposed by the military amid more popular protests.
Following
a lengthy trial, Hosni Mubarak was acquitted of killing protesters during the
18-day uprising against his autocratic rule.
The
two sons and their father were sentenced to three years in prison following
their conviction of embezzling funds set aside for the restoration and
maintenance of presidential palaces, using the money to upgrade their private
residences. The sons were released in 2015 for time served, while Mubarak
walked free in 2017. The trio paid back to the state the money they embezzled.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2084301/middle-east
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Iraq’s
Kurdish Regional Government arrests members of PKK-linked group
17.05.2022
ERBIL,
Iraq
The
Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq announced Monday that its security
units had arrested members of a group affiliated with the PKK terrorist
organization ahead of a planned attack.
According
to the anti-terror units of the KRG, the terrorists were planning to carry out
rocket attacks on Peshmerga forces, public areas, state buildings and dams.
The
Security Council of the KRG announced on April 26 that a “dangerous plot” aimed
at the region was neutralized and that security forces had confiscated a large
number of explosives.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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UAE
Development Under President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan 'Example for
Islamic World'
17
May 2022
Analysts
praised former United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al
Nahyan for his role in the development of the UAE in a short time and said it
could be an example for other Islamic countries.
According
to the head of the Afghan traders' council in the UAE, more than $10 billion
has been invested by Afghan traders in the UAE and around 300,000 Afghan
citizens are working there.
“Around
80 percent of top traders have been living in the UAE for over the past 30
years. They have invested in different fields,” said Obaidullah Sadarkhail,
head of the council.
The
UAE has also supported many development projects in Afghanistan since 2002.
Under Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed a town was built in Kabul at the cost of $179
million.
Khalifa,
who was born in 1948, came to power in 2004 in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and
became the head of state. He was the oldest son of Zayed bin Sultan Al
Nahyan.
He
graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK.
When
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed was born, Abu Dhabi was known for the fishing industry
and had a population of only 4,000.
“Political
balance, economic balance, attracting foreign investment and formatting rules
for investment which encourage foreign investment, are the main points
(implemented) by the Sheikh Khalifa, which will provide examples for a long
time,” said Sayed Masoud, an economist.
The
UAE also provided a large amount of aid to Afghanistan during the time of
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed.
Sheikh
Khalifa Bin Zayed supported the formation of a university in Khost, the
construction of a residential town in Kabul and many other big development
projects in Afghanistan.
The
latest development project supported by the UAE was the residential town in
Kabul which has 3,000 housing complexes.
“He
constructed a university in Afghanistan, many mosques and focused on welfare
projects in every corner of Afghanistan,” said Farid Rohani, a trader.
“This
(UAE) was the only Arabic and Islamic country that sent its troops to
Afghanistan during the past 20 years,” said Sayed Noorullah Raghi, a former
diplomat.
The
analysts believe that Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed was able to manage the balance
between the East and West.
“Even
though every country has its own specialties, the UAE could be a good model to
all Islamic countries. The civilization of Islam with open views, justice and
implementation of law and the distribution of power among the five Sheikhs, these
all could be a good model for Islamic countries,” said Azeraksh Hafizi, former
head of ECO Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Sheikh
Khalifa Bin Zayed died at age 73 last Friday.
The
UAE announced 40 days of mourning. His younger brother Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan has been selected as the President of the United Arab Emirates
Source:
Tolo News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-178057
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Pakistan
Two
Pakistani Taliban Commanders are Killed in Pakistan’s Northwest Region
By
Saqalain Eqbal
18
May 2022
Two
local Tehreek-e-Taliban aka Pakistan Pakistnai Taliban commanders were killed
in a battle with Pakistani security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Pakistani
military reported on Tuesday, May 17.
Pakistani
Taliban commanders were killed in battle in the North Waziristan region, which
borders Afghanistan, according to the Pakistani military.
The
Pakistani Taliban’s ally in Afghanistan, the Afghan Taliban, regained control
of the country in August 2021.
Following
the Taliban’s assumption of power in Afghanistan, the Pakistani Taliban became
emboldened and initiated attacks against Pakistani security forces.
Thousands
of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan fanatics are sheltering in Afghanistan, according
to Pakistani officials, and frequently coordinate operations against Pakistani
forces from Afghan territory.
Source:
Khaama Press
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistani
military says shootout kills 2 Taliban commanders
May
17, 2022
PESHAWAR:
Pakistani security forces killed two local Taliban commanders in a shootout
Tuesday in a former militant stronghold in the country’s northwest, the
military said.
In
a statement, it said the militants were killed in North Waziristan, a district
in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.
The
Pakistani Taliban — also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP — are a separate
group from the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan who took over that country
last August, though the two are allies.
The
Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban to step up
attacks on Pakistani forces, raising fears that the insurgents are regrouping
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Pakistani
man from minority Ahmadi community stabbed to death over faith: Police
M
ZULQERNAIN
18
May, 2022
Lahore,
May 18 (PTI) A 35-year-old Pakistani man belonging to the minority Ahmadi
community has been stabbed to death by a “religious fanatic” over his faith in
the country’s Punjab province, the police said on Wednesday.
Pakistan’s
Parliament in 1974 declared the Ahmadi community as non-Muslims. A decade
later, they were banned from calling themselves Muslims. They are banned from
preaching and from travelling to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage.
The
latest incident took place in Okara district, some 130 km from here, on
Tuesday.
Abdul
Salam, a member of the minority Ahmadi community, was brutally stabbed to death
by “religious fanatic” Hafiz Ali Raza apparently because of his faith, senior
police officer Muhammad Saddique told PTI.
“When
Salam was returning from his agricultural land, Raza attacked him with a knife.
Salam died on the spot with multiple wounds on his body. Raza managed to flee
after raising religious slogans,” the officer said.
A
case has been registered under murder and terrorism charges against the
suspect.
The
police officer said that the alleged killer was a seminary student and had no
other apparent reason to kill Salam except his faith.
Since
Salam’s murder created terror in the locality, the suspect has also been booked
under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Salam’s
uncle Zafar Iqbal told the police that Raza had killed his nephew “for his
religious hatred against Ahmadis”.
He
said that his nephew had no enmity whatsoever with anyone, including the killer.
“Raza
is a member of radical Islamist party, Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) which
promoted religious hatred in the area. After the incident, the Ahmadi families
living in the Okara district are feeling highly insecure,” Iqbal said.
He
urged the police to arrest the culprit at the earliest and provide security to
the Ahmadi community.
“Attacks
on Ahmadis are increasing with every passing day. It is becoming more difficult
for Ahmadis to do even basic things like running their business or going to
their work. The government is not interested in curtailing hate speech or
apprehending those behind this violence,” Jamaat Ahmadiya Pakistan spokesperson
Saleemuddin said on Twitter.
Minorities,
especially Ahmadis, are very vulnerable in Pakistan and they are often targeted
by religious extremists.
Former
military dictator Gen Zia-ul Haq had made it a punishable offence for
Ahmadiyyas to call themselves Muslims or to refer to their faith as Islam.
In
Pakistan, around 10 million out of the 220 million population are non-Muslims.
According
to the 2017 census, Hindus constitute the largest religious minority (5
million) in Pakistan. Christians make up the second largest religious minority,
with almost the same number (4.5 million) and their concentration is mostly in urban
Sindh, Punjab and parts of Balochistan.
Source:
The Print
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Fazl
suggests Nawaz should return home, participate in politics
NNI
18 May, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Tuesday
that he was in favor of the fact that former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif should return to Pakistan and stay in
the country and do politics.
In
an interview with the BBC, the JUI-F chief said that it was decided to go to
the polls after reforms in some institutions and it cannot be said how long it
will take to carry out electoral reforms. “The government has more than 1 year
and it cannot go beyond this,” he said.
Source:
Brecorder
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
ECP
to announce verdict on disqualification references against 25 dissident PTI
MPAs today
May
18, 2022
The
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is set to announce at 12pm its verdict on
references seeking the disqualification of 25 dissident MPAs of the PTI, who
voted for PML-N's Hamza Shehbaz in the election for Punjab chief minister.
It
had reserved the verdict yesterday.
The
Election Commission's verdict is particularly significant in light of the
Supreme Court's decision on a presidential reference seeking its interpretation
of Article 63-A, related to the disqualification of lawmakers over defection,
which was announced yesterday.
Article
63-A seeks to restrict lawmakers from voting (or abstaining) in violation of
party instructions "in relation to election of the prime minister or chief
minister; or a vote of confidence or a vote of no-confidence; or a money bill
or a Constitution (amendment) bill".
In
its interpretation of this Article, the apex court said votes cast against
party direction "cannot be counted and must be disregarded, and this is so
regardless of whether the party head, subsequent to such vote, proceeds to
take, or refrains from taking, action that would result in a declaration of
defection".
The
votes of the 25 PTI dissidents had been instrumental in helping Hamza get over
the line; he received a total of 197 votes while 186 votes are required for a
simple majority. If the 25 votes by PTI lawmakers are removed from his tally,
he would lose his majority.
Read:
After SC opinion on Article 63-A, what's the status of Punjab CM election?
Following
Hamza's election as the chief minister on April 16, the PTI had sent a
declaration for declaring the 25 MPAs as defectors to Punjab Assembly Speaker
Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, who was also the PTI-PML-Q's joint candidate for the CM
Office.
Subsequently,
Elahi had sent the reference to the ECP, urging it to de-seat these lawmakers
for defecting from the PTI by casting their votes in Hamza's favour in
violation of party directions.
The
dissident lawmakers are Raja Sagheer Ahmed, Malik Ghulam Rasool Sangha, Saeed
Akbar Khan, Mohammad Ajmal, Abdul Aleem Khan, Nazir Ahmed Chohan, Mohammad Amin
Zulqernain, Malik Nauman Langrial, Mohammad Salman, Zawar Hussain Warraich,
Nazir Ahmed Khan, Fida Hussain, Zahra Batool, Mohammad Tahir, Aisha Nawaz,
Sajida Yousaf, Haroon Imran Gill, Uzma Kardar, Malik Asad Ali, Ijaz Masih,
Mohammad Sabtain Raza, Mohsin Atta Khan Khosa, Mian Khalid Mehmood, Mehar
Mohammad Aslam and Faisal Hayat.
Most
of the 25 dissident MPAs tried to justify their action of voting in favour of
Hamza by claiming that they had received no directives from the party. They
raised procedural objections and claimed they never received any show-cause
notices — a mandatory requirement.
However,
PTI's counsel, Barrister Ali Zafar, argued that the MPAs were issued
instructions by the party's chief whip in the Punjab Assembly, as well as,
Secretary General Asad Umar through a letter.
Article
63-A
According
to Article 63-A of the Constitution, a parliamentarian can be disqualified on
grounds of defection if he "votes or abstains from voting in the House
contrary to any direction issued by the parliamentary party to which he
belongs, in relation to election of the prime minister or chief minister; or a
vote of confidence or a vote of no-confidence; or a money bill or a
Constitution (amendment) bill".
The
Article says that the party head has to declare in writing that the MNA
concerned has defected but before making the declaration, the party head will
"provide such member with an opportunity to show cause as to why such
declaration may not be made against him".
After
giving the member a chance to explain their reasons, the party head will
forward the declaration to the speaker, who will forward it to the chief
election commissioner (CEC). The CEC will then have 30 days to confirm the
declaration. If confirmed by the CEC, the member "shall cease to be a
member of the House and his seat shall become vacant".
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan-IMF
talks begin in Qatar
Tahir
Sherani
May
18, 2022
The
government began talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday
over the release of crucial funds, a process slowed by concerns about the pace
of economic reforms in the country.
Pakistan
has repeatedly sought international support for its economy, which has been hit
by crippling national debt, galloping inflation and a plummeting rupee.
The
talks are being held in the Qatari capital Doha, the Ministry of Finance said,
and are expected to continue into next week.
Finance
Minister Miftah Ismail, Minister of State Dr Aisha Ghous Pasha, Finance
Secretary Hamed Yaqoob Shaikh, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Acting Governor Dr
Murtaza Syed, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Asim Ahmad and other
officials from the Finance Division are participating in the talks.
A
major sticking point is likely to be over costly subsidies — notably for fuel
and electricity — and the finance minister said he wants the two sides to “find
a middle ground”.
“The
government will try to convince the IMF that for political stability purposes
it is important to keep at least some of the subsidies,” said economist
Shahrukh Wani.
“The
IMF will possibly, rightly, say that these are unsustainable and they should be
rolled back to make the trade and budget deficit manageable,” he added.
A
$6 billion IMF bailout package signed by former prime minister Imran Khan in
2019 has never been fully implemented because his government reneged on
agreements to cut or end some subsidies and to improve revenue and tax
collection.
Islamabad
has so far received $3bn, with the programme due to end later this year.
Officials
are seeking an extension to the programme through to June 2023, as well as the
release of the next tranche of $1bn.
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to jumpstart the moribund economy, but
analysts say his fragile government has failed to take tough decisions.
In
recent meetings with the new finance minister, the IMF has linked the continuation
of its loan programme with the reversal of fuel subsidies, which were
introduced by the previous government. However, Prime Minister Shehbaz has
multiple times rejected summaries by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority and
the finance ministry to increase fuel prices.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1690281/pakistan-imf-talks-begin-in-qatar
--------
Southeast
Asia
Militant
Suspects Held in Indonesia Pledged Islamic State Loyalty - Police
May
17, 2022
JAKARTA
(Reuters) - Members of a cohort of suspected extremists arrested in Indonesia
at the weekend had made pledges of loyalty to Islamic State via an instant
messaging application, the national police said on Tuesday.
Indonesia's
elite Densus 88 counter-terrorism taskforce arrested two dozen suspects during
raids on Saturday and subsequent interviews revealed some had performed bayat,
or a pledge of allegiance, to Islamic State's new leader, Abu al-Hassan
al-hashemi al-Quraishi, police said.
National
police spokesperson Ahmad Ramadhan said 22 of the suspects were detained in
central Sulawesi, an area with a long history of sectarian violence and
extremism, and were linked to the East Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) network.
They
had assisted MIT by providing ammunition and concealing their activities, he
told a news conference. The other two arrests were made on Java island and in
Kalimantan.
Members
of the group performed bayat by reading a text message circulated on their
WhatsApp messenger accounts, he added.
As
many as 1,100 men, women and children left Indonesia to join the Islamic State
at the height of the group's control of territory in Syria and Iraq, according
to Jakarta-based security expert Sidney Jones.
Indonesia,
the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, suffered its worst militant attack
in 2002 when two nightclubs on the island of Bali were bombed, killing 202
people, mostly foreign tourists.
The
attacks were carried out by Jemaah Islamiyah, a militant group that later
conducted bombings in the capital Jakarta.
Source:
US News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Perlis
Govt, State Islamic Religious And Malay Customs Council, Object To Single Mum’s
Application To Challenge Children’s Conversion To Islam
17
May 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, May 17 — The state government of Perlis, the Perlis Islamic Religious
and Malay Customs Council (MAIPs) and two others today objected to the
application for leave for judicial review by single mother, Loh Siew Hong, to
challenge her ex-husband’s action in registering their three children as Muslim
converts without her consent.
The
woman’s lawyer A Srimurugan said that the four respondents submitted their
objection on the ground that Loh had filed the application for leave for
judicial review after the allotted period of time.
“The
respondents objected on the ground that she should have filed the application
within 90 days after her children converted to Islam on July 7, 2020.
“We
have also included relief to get an extension of time if it was too late to
file the application, but it was also objected by the respondents,” he said
when contacted after the online hearing of the application before High Court
Judge Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh today.
Srimurugan
said there was no delay in the application as Loh only found out that her
children had converted to Islam on March 10 and the application was filed on
March 25 with the Perlis State Registrar of Converts, Perlis Islamic Religious
and Malay Customs Council, Perlis Mufti Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin and the
Perlis state government named as the first to the fourth respondent.
The
lawyer said the court set August 1 for the decision on the application.
The
single mother is seeking a declaration that her three children are Hindus and
her ex-husband, M Nagahswaran, did not have the legal capacity to allow the
Perlis State Registrar of Converts to register their children as converts
without her consent.
The
woman is also seeking a declaration that her three children, as children, do
not have the legal capacity to convert to Islam without her consent.
She
also sought a certiorari order to revoke the Declaration of Conversion to
Islam, dated July 7, 2020, issued by the Registrar of Converts of Perlis in the
name of her three children, and also other cards on their conversion to Islam
that have been issued by other parties, and also prevent any party from issuing
such a card.
Loh
is also applying for a mandamus order to compel the Perlis State Registrar of
Converts to delete or cancel the names of her three children or their Muslim
names in the Perlis State Register of Converts and a prohibition order to
prevent Mohd Asri, through officers, employees or the Perlis State Mufti
Department from issuing statements that could mean that her children are
converts or Muslims.
She
is also seeking a declaration that Section 117 (b) of the Administration of the
Religion of Islam Enactment 2006, which empowers the Registrar of Converts of
Perlis to register a child as a convert only with the consent of the mother or
father of the child, even if both of them are still alive, is unconstitutional
and is invalid.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
‘Tiny’
Usno could be the catalyst of big changes in Sabah
Robin
Augustin
May
16, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: For several years now, the once-mighty United Sabah National Organisation
has been trying to find its way back into Sabah’s political mainstream without
much success.
Last
Monday, that changed when the party officially became a member of Gabungan
Rakyat Sabah, the coalition in charge of Malaysia’s second-largest state.
On
the face of it, Usno’s entry into GRS seems puzzling.
There
is already a Muslim Bumiputera-dominated party in the form of Bersatu, lynchpin
of the GRS coalition. Usno’s entry raises questions about what the coalition’s
smallest member could possibly bring to the table.
“It’s
a vehicle to unite Sabah’s Muslim Bumiputeras under one party. And it’s about
time,” one Sabah Umno veteran told FMT.
The
leader, who declined to be named, said Usno was already reaching out to Umno
leaders to entice them to join them.
The
party, led by former Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia, could serve as a
new home for Sabah Bersatu leaders, the Umno veteran said, as Bersatu is as
good as dead in Sabah, especially with Muhyiddin Yassin no longer prime
minister.
He
said many Sabah members of Bersatu and Umno were looking at Usno’s possible
rise into becoming the Sabah equivalent of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, the
dominant party in Sarawak, and thereby free Sabah of political control from the
Peninsula.
“This
would be a big change. This should be the goal. But making it work, getting
everyone to come and join Usno is the real challenge, particularly
accommodating Umno leaders.
“Many
of us still have grassroots support, so how will we fit into the picture if we
‘pindah rumah’ (jump to Usno)? This is something Usno has to think about.”
Universiti
Malaysia Sabah analyst Lee Kuok Tiung said he believed Usno was more of a “Plan
B” for the Sabah Bersatu and Umno leaders. “The dynamic between Umno and
Bersatu in Sabah is very different from that in Peninsular Malaysia. Here, they
are still very much friends,” he told FMT.
But
if they came under too much pressure to fight each other, it was likely they
would all go to Usno, he said.
However,
Lee said he believed state Bersatu and Umno leaders would prefer the status quo
as it allows them to share power without having to be under “one single boss”.
“In
terms of branding too, their flags are more recognisable than Usno’s. But I
think if their hands are forced, they may move to Usno.”
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Singapore
denies ‘extremist’ Indonesian cleric entry
May
18, 2022
SINGAPORE:
Singapore said late yesterday border officials in the city state had denied
entry to an Indonesian Muslim cleric, citing what it said were Abdul Somad
Batubara’s “extremist and segregationist teachings”.
The
cleric, who had travelled by ferry from the Indonesian port of Batam to
Singapore on Monday has a large online following in the world’s biggest
Muslim-majority country.
“Somad
has been known to preach extremist and segregationist teachings, which are
unacceptable in Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious society,”
Singapore’s home affairs ministry said in a statement.
Somad,
along with six companions, was denied entry after being interviewed by border
officials at a ferry terminal in Singapore.
“Somad
has preached that suicide bombings are legitimate in the context of the
Israel-Palestine conflict, and are considered ‘martyrdom’ operations,” MHA
said.
“He
has also made comments denigrating members of other faith communities, such as
Christians, by describing the Christian crucifix as the dwelling place of an
‘infidel jinn (spirit/demon)’. In addition, Somad has publicly referred to
non-Muslims as ‘kafirs’ (infidels),” it said.
Somad
did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Indonesia’s foreign
ministry declined to comment on the incident.
In
a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Somad said immigration officials had
not given him an explanation for preventing him from entering Singapore.
“They
need to explain to our community, why did your country, your government reject
us, why did your government deport us. Why? Because of terrorism, IS,
narcotics?”
On
Somad’s Instagram page, which has 6.5 million followers, the cleric posted a
photograph of himself before leaving Singapore in a room with a caged top that
he likened to a “prison”.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Indonesian
clerical body 'sorry' for false apostasy claims
May
17, 2022
A
provincial branch of Indonesia’s highest Muslim clerical body was forced to
apologize on May 17 after coming under fire from local authorities and
Christians for indirectly accusing religious minorities of apostasy.
The
row began several days earlier when the North Sumatra branch of the Ulema
Council claimed that a district in the province had a very alarming rate of
apostasy cases.
Muhammad
Hatta, who heads the council’s local religious propagation desk, said over the
weekend that he was informed about a large number of Muslims abandoning their
faith in Langkat district.
Despite
a lack of concrete data confirming this, he claimed that “it was very
alarming.”
According
to him, there were attempts to convert local Muslims to other faiths through
marriage and other methods.
“Sometimes
a couple professing Islam and another religion get married the Islamic way but
after the Muslim is forced to adhere to his or her partner’s religion,”
Indonesian language news portal detick.com quoted him as saying.
He
pointed to a case in which a 30-year-old Muslim woman was allegedly forced to
convert to Christianity after marrying a Protestant man in the district.
However,
his claims were fiercely denied by a local official and a Catholic Church
leader.
The
acting district head, Syah Afandin, acknowledged a Muslim woman had converted
to Christianity but asserted that “she was the only one” and “there are no
attempts at organized apostasy.”
He
said Hatta’s remarks were very inflammatory, “because what really happened was
that the Muslim woman dated the Christian man, left her parent’s home for six
months to be with him, converted to Christianity, and was married to him by a
Protestant pastor.”
He
also said the Muslim woman’s parents had filed a police report which was
rejected as they had no authority to deal with the case.
Speaking
with UCA News on May 17, Reverend Ahmad Sajli DK Pinem, general secretary of
the North Sumatra chapter of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia, criticized
the said the local Ulema council claim was blown out of proportion.
Commenting
on the conversion of the Muslim woman he said: “Conversion is a personal
affair. It has nothing to do with others.”
He
said the woman’s family might be disappointed with her decision. “Or perhaps
they want something else. I do not know.”
He
also called on Christians in the district not to be provoked by the Ulema Council's
claim about large-scale conversions he said.
The
North Sumatra chapter of the MUI finally issued a clarification on May 17
following the criticisms.
Source:
UC News
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https://www.ucanews.com/news/indonesian-clerical-body-sorry-for-false-apostasy-claims/97298
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Mideast
Yemeni
minister claims Iran-backed Houthis undermining peace efforts
17
May ,2022
A
Yemeni minister said the Iran-backed Houthi militia is undermining efforts to
reach complete peace by violating the agreed-upon ceasefire terms, the official
Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday citing the Yemeni state-run news agency.
The
claim was made by the Yemeni Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism,
Moammar al-Eryani, who said that the militia continues to “avoid its commitment
to lift the seize on Taiz governate.”
US
Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg had earlier said separate talks would be
held to open roads in disputed Taiz region, but no progress has yet been
reported.
A
two-month truce between the Arab Coalition and the Iran-backed Houthi militia
that runs the north went into effect on April 2, coinciding with the holy month
of Ramadan, and has largely held up.
Al-Eryani
said that the internationally recognized coalition government in Yemen is “keen
to end the suffering of millions, including those who live in Houthi-controlled
areas.”
The
minister sought help from the UN to apply international pressure on the Houthis
and ensure that the truce terms are followed, and importantly, lift their
control over the Taiz region.
He
reiterated that the country’s legitimate government is making “concessions
after concessions” to find common ground and achieve peace.
As
part of the truce, the first commercial flight in nearly six years took off on
Monday from Yemen’s capital, which is held by the Iran-backed Houthi militia, a
major step forward in a peace process that has provided rare relief from
conflict, AFP reported.
Sanaa’s
airport has been closed to commercial traffic since August 2016. Yemen, the
Arab world’s poorest country, has been wracked with war since 2014.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Iran
working on new underground centrifuges: Israel defence minister
17
May ,2022
Iran
is working on advanced uranium centrifuges at new underground sites being built
near its Natanz nuclear plant, Israel’s defense minister said on Tuesday,
giving figures that appeared to go beyond those published by a UN watchdog.
Centrifuges
are used to purify uranium for civilian projects or, at higher levels, to make
bomb fuel.
Iranian
progress in the field is being watched by world powers trying to resurrect a
nuclear deal with Tehran, which denies having military designs.
“Iran
is making an effort to complete the manufacturing and installation of 1,000
additional advanced IR6 centrifuges in its nuclear facilities, including new
facilities being built at underground sites abutting Natanz,” Defense Minister
Benny Gantz said in a speech at Reichman University near Tel Aviv.
A
March 3 report by the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran
had installed or planned to install a total of three IR6 cascades, amounting to
around 660 machines.
IAEA
chief Rafael Grossi said last month that Iran had set up a new underground
Natanz workshop for making centrifuge parts, an apparent precaution against
attacks.
In
his remarks, Gantz alluded to Israel’s long-standing threat to take military
action if it deems diplomacy is at a dead end to deny its arch-enemy the means
to make nuclear weapons.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Algerian
lawmakers seek to criminalize normalization with Israel
AbdulRazzaq
bin Abdullah
17.05.2022
ALGIERS,
Algeria
Algerian
lawmakers on Tuesday submitted a bill criminalizing normalization with Israel,
including articles prohibiting travel or any direct or indirect contact with
Tel Aviv.
Youssef
Ajesa, a lawmaker from the Movement of Society for Peace, told Anadolu Agency
that he "lodged on behalf of his party's group of deputies (65 out of 462)
the bill to the parliament.”
The
Movement of Society for Peace is an Islamic party that forms the largest
opposition bloc in the Algerian parliament. The party's leadership, however,
has constantly confirmed its support for the country's foreign policy.
Ajesa
said "his parliamentary bloc tried to include other groups to contribute
to the bill, but it did not receive a response, so I took the initiative to
present it in its name."
The
bill includes seven articles that aim to "criminalize normalization with
the Zionist entity (Israel)" as well as forbidding any contacts with
Israel or traveling to and from Israel.
A
simple majority (50+1) of the first chamber of Parliament is required to
approve the bill to be referred to the second chamber for a final approval.
Algeria
does not have any diplomatic or commercial relations with Israel, a position
that enjoys broad political and popular support.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran,
Russia Open Joint Technology Centre in St. Petersburg
2022-May-17
Iran-Russia
Joint Center has an independent management office and several joint halls for
holding seminars, face-to-face meetings, and joint and specialized courses for
technology companies.
The
most important services of the center are facilitating the transfer and
exchange of technology between Iranian and Russian companies and exporting
high-tech products of Iranian companies to Russia and vice versa.
So
far, 17 projects have been identified by Iranian knowledge-based companies and
five by Russian technology companies which currently, seven of them are in the
process of concluding contracts for the purchase, transfer and export of
technology, as well as joint production in Iran.
In
a relevant development in June 2021, Iran’s Consul General in Russia’s
Astrakhan Region Mahdi Akouchian said Tehran is keen on comprehensive
scientific and academic cooperation among five littoral countries of the
Caspian Sea.
“Boosting
ties among universities of Caspian region will guarantee closer ties among
elites and nations of those countries,” Akouchian made the remarks during his
speech at "Caspian 2021: Ways for Sustainable Development
Conference".
He
reiterated that exchange of professors and students, implementing joint
scientific projects and research works, and establishment of multilateral
scientific institutes can ensure closer ties among both elites and nations.
“In
early 1990s, the need for establishment of relations among the universities and
academic and research centers of the Caspian Sea littoral countries was felt
and thanks to the initiative proposed jointly by the Gorgan Agricultural
University and the Astrakhan Technical University, the foundation was laid for
the Union of Caspian Sea universities and research institutes,” the diplomat
noted.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010226000562/Iran-Rssia-Open-Jin-Technlgy-Cener-in-S-Peersbrg
--------
Ship
carrying smuggled fuel seized in Iran, crew detained: Iranian media
18
May ,2022
Authorities
seized a foreign ship carrying smuggled fuel in Iran's southern province of
Hormozgan and detained its crew, lranian media said on Wednesday.
The
ship, carrying more than 550,000 liters of smuggled fuel, was seized in Gulf
waters and escorted to harbour, where it was handed to judicial authorities for
the necessary investigations, according to local media.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
protests spread to major central province; unofficial death toll rises to six
18
May ,2022
Protests
broke out in Iran’s central province of Isfahan on Tuesday with demonstrators
chanting against Iran’s clerical leaders, videos shared on social media showed.
Protesters
in Isfahan’s city of Golpayegan chanted against Iran’s highest authority,
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as President Ebrahim Raisi, videos shared
on Twitter showed.
“Death
to the dictator,” protesters in Golpayegan chanted, referring to Khamenei in
one video. “Death to Raisi,” protesters chanted in another video. Al Arabiya
English could not independently verify the videos’ authenticity.
Protests
have broken out in several Iranian provinces – including Khuzestan, Lorestan,
Charmahal and Bakhtiari,
Kohgiluyeh
and Boyer-Ahmad and Ardebil – since a government announcement last week that
the cost of staple foods such as cooking oil, chicken, eggs and milk would rise
as high as 300 percent.
Activists
have reported at least six deaths since the protests began last week, blaming
security forces for the deaths. The sound of gunfire could be heard in several
recent protest videos on social media.
Iranian
authorities have yet to report any deaths. However, one lawmaker said one
person was killed during a protest in Khuzestan without giving any further
details. At the same time, state media published footage of a man that said his
son was shot dead by anti-regime protesters in Charmahal and Bakhtiari.
Activists said authorities pressured the man into making the statement and that
his son, named Saadat Hadipour, was killed by regime forces.
From
non-political triggers to regime change
The
latest round of protests in Iran – triggered by a sharp rise in the prices of
staple foods – has quickly taken a political turn, with demonstrators calling
for regime change in dozens of Iranian cities.
That
has been the case with protests in Iran in recent years.
In
2021, protests erupted over water shortages. In 2019, an overnight increase in
fuel prices sparked protests across Iran. In both 2021 and 2019, the protests’
trigger was non-political, but protesters’ eventual demands were political as
they demanded regime change.
“Over
the past half-decade, the Islamic Republic has seen explicitly non-political
triggers, be they economic or social, produce explicitly political protests,”
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD), told Al Arabiya English.
“In
recent years, Iranians have used every available opportunity to signal their
dissatisfaction and discontent for the regime that rules over them. This includes
election boycotts and widespread protests,” he said.
“The
decline of the ballot box and embrace of street power by Iranians is
fundamentally a proxy for the lack of legitimacy the system has in the eyes of
Iranians,” Ben Taleblu added.
Ben
Taleblu believes more protests are on the horizon, given the poor state of
Iran’s economy. According to official figures, inflation has risen to nearly 40
percent, and almost half of Iran’s 85 million population is under the poverty
line.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Africa
African
Union, Somali troops retake strategic town from al-Shabaab terrorists
Mohammed
Dhaysane
17.05.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
The
African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), alongside the Somali
national army (SNA), recaptured a strategic town Tuesday in southern Somalia,
according to an official.
Burundian
peacekeepers serving under the AU mission, backed by Somali soldiers, retook
El-Baraf in the Middle Shabelle province, according to mayor Abdullahi Haji.
It
comes 14 days after al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group, al-Shabab, attacked an AU
military base in the town that killed dozens of Burundian troops.
El-Baraf
is located 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu.
A
security official told Anadolu Agency that AU peacekeepers have an image to
protect and recapturing the town will ease the pressure that was put on them
after they lost the town in the al-Shabaab raid.
“ATMIS
have an image to protect because they are paid millions of dollars by the
international partners to fight al-Shabaab and it will be shameful and an
admission of defeat if they don't get back to the Ceel Baraf military base or
inflict huge damage to al-Shabaab," he told Anadolu Agency on condition of
anonymity.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Turkiye
has touched minds and hearts of Somalis: Somalia's new president
Mohammed
Dhaysane and Tufan Aktas
17.05.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Somalia's
new president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who spoke exclusively to Anadolu Agency in
his first-ever international interview, said that Turkiye has touched the
hearts of minds of Somali people due to its tangible and visible impact in
Somalia.
Mohamud
was elected by Somalia's members of parliament on Sunday in the capital
Mogadishu, defeating the outgoing president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as
Farmajo, who said the Turkish people and its government has a lot of impact on
Somalia.
"As
I said, the Turkish people and the government of Turkey have a lot of impact on
Somali people. The support of Turkiye has touched the hearts and minds of
Somali people and this support was very visible and tangible and saved many
many lives throughout Somalia," the new president told Anadolu Agency in
the capital Mogadishu.
He
said Turkiye supports the human capital of Somalia by providing education from
schooling all the way to universities.
President-elect
Mohamud said Turkiye provides high-level training for the Horn of African
nation's security forces.
"Turkiye
provides very competent security officers by training not only in Turkiye but
here in Somalia and equipping, providing all necessary tools to implement what
they have learned in Turkiye," he said.
He
added that Turkiye has a "very unique position towards the hearts of
Somalia."
'Most
challenging issue in Somalia is security'
Touching
on his priority, President Mohamud said: "Today, the most challenging
issue in Somalia is the security."
He
said the fight against Al Shabab, the terror group that emerged with the
collapse of the Islamic Courts Union that was established after the civil war,
will continue.
Mohamud
said that despite all the steps taken for the welfare of the people, Somalia
could not achieve the success he had hoped for in this area.
They
do not want to repeat the mistakes made in the past and the security problem is
also fed by the inadequacy in other areas, he added.
Political
reconciliation in Somalia
The
newly elected 66-year-old president underlined the importance of political
reconciliation.
"In
every election, there are losers and winners. What is important after the
election is we have to do some sort of healing process where the losers and
winners sit together, discuss and share the future," he said.
Promising
to listen to all segments of Somali society, Mohamud said they wanted to open
the political space, which was narrowed and closed in recent years.
He
said: "It is all about, again, moving forward about the reconciliation,
not the social reconciliation but the political reconciliation. Putting the
contentious issues in place and asking the people to discuss freely and
fair."
Political
stability, constitution among priority agenda
He
underlined that the most important issues after the security are political
stability and building a democratic state, Mohamud said: "Political
stability means building the foundation of a democratic state, finishing the
constitution, establishing electoral laws, and the political party systems,
political party laws, local governance system."
"And
all these must be an agenda that consensually agreed among Somali people,"
he added.
Regarding
the exit plan of the African Union Mission to Somalia, which has been serving
in the country for years and includes nearly 20,000 African soldiers, he said
that the African Union forces planned to leave the country long ago, but they
were not successful.
Noting
that the African Union forces have done a lot for Somalia and they have
sustained significant casualties, Mohamud said that after the step-by-step
construction of the security system in the country, a security transfer will be
possible in a short time.
Turkiye
congratulates new president of Somalia
A
statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that it was pleasing to
see that the presidential elections in Somalia held on Sunday have been
completed successfully.
"We
congratulate H.E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and wish him success during his
tenure," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
Tunisia
military court jails four lawmakers from dissolved parliament: Lawyer
17
May ,2022
A
Tunisian military court on Tuesday issued prison sentences to four lawmakers
from the country’s dissolved parliament, including Saif Eddine Maklouf, a
prominent opponent of President Kais Saied, their lawyer told Reuters.
Makhlouf,
head of the conservative Karama Party, and three other party members were
charged with assaulting policemen last year.
The
military court issued 5-month prison sentences for Makhlouf and Nidhal Saoudi
and 3-month terms to Mohamed Affas and Meher Zid.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Incoming
Somali president meets with predecessor for 1st time since election
Mohammed
Dhaysane
17.05.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Somalia's
new President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday met with his predecessor Mohamed
Abdullahi Farmaajo for the first time since his weekend election in the Horn of
African country.
Mohamud,
who was sworn in after Sunday’s presidential election, is also the first
ex-president Somalia has ever returned to office.
A
statement by the country's presidency said that the former president reassured
Mohamud of his support for smooth assumption of office ahead of his formal
inauguration.
"H.E.
Farmaajo congratulated President Hassan & reassured his support for smooth
assumption of office ahead of inauguration as he prepares to serve #Somalia
& fulfill our Citizens’ hope,” said the statement.
In
a separate tweet, Somalia's state house said the presidency got congratulatory
messages for Mohamud and thanked "our friends & partners for the
solidarity & willingness to further our diplomatic ties & work closely
with our newly elected President, the gov't & the people of Somalia.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Libya's
Bashagha says his government to start working from Sirte
Ebu
Bekir Aşkın
18.05.2022
TRIPOLI,
Libya
Libya’s
parliament-appointed Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha announced late Tuesday that
he will base his government in the city of Sirte as of Wednesday.
In
a statement from Sirte on clashes that erupted between armed groups after he
attempted to enter the capital Tripoli, Bashagha said they believe in the
democratic process and the peaceful transfer of the government. He said his
government will start working from Sirte and will enter Tripoli only by
peaceful means.
Clashes
erupted in Tripoli between armed groups loyal to Prime Minister Abdul Hamid
Dbeibeh and rival leader Bashagha, who was recently appointed as premier by the
Tobruk-based parliament.
Bashagha
reached the capital Tuesday night to take control of the government from
Dbeibeh, who has refused to hand over power.
However,
a security source told Anadolu Agency that Bashagha was forced to leave the
capital after fierce clashes were reported between the two sides.
Meanwhile,
Algeria is following with concern the latest developments in "brotherly country
Libya" after the conflicts in Tripoli, the country's Foreign Ministry said
in a statement.
Algeria
also called for restraint and urged the Libyan parties “to refrain from
escalating tensions,” stressing that "for a democratic and modern country,
the best interests of Libya should be prioritized.”
For
more than two months, there have been two governments in Libya: the national
unity government led by Dbeibeh and the one granted confidence in early March
by the Tobruk-based House of Representatives.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Europe
Talks
can resolve Turkiye’s reservations on Sweden, Finland joining NATO: Finnish
president
Burak
Dag
17.05.2022
STOCKHOLM
Turkiye’s
reservations on Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership bids can be resolved with
the help of constructive talks, said Finland’s president on Tuesday.
Speaking
in the Swedish parliament, the Rigksdag, Sauli Niinisto said: "The
statements from Turkey have changed and hardened very quickly in recent
days."
He
added: "But I am sure that, with the help of constructive talks, we will
resolve the situation.”
On
the factors that pushed Finland and Sweden to seek NATO membership after
decades of opposition, Niinisto said they are taking these "historic steps
in the shadow of brutal war," referring to Russia’s nearly four-month-old
war on Ukraine.
"December
last year marked the beginning of a course of events that revolutionized our
security policy environment," he said. "Russia's demand to stop NATO
enlargement was aimed at reducing our freedom of choice and our sovereignty.
This put us in a new position."
Among
Russia’s justifications for starting the war – most criticized by Western
countries as being mere pretexts – is Ukraine being close to joining NATO,
though its membership bid was in the earliest stages.
Niinisto
underlined that Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine showed that Moscow is
"ready to use its armed forces in its immediate areas to achieve its
goals."
"The
sum of these factors showed that our traditional positioning was
unsustainable," he added.
Saying
that Finland and Sweden are acting together in the NATO membership process,
Niinisto said they will jointly apply for NATO membership.
Turkiye,
a longstanding NATO member, has voiced objections to Finland and Sweden’s
membership bids, criticizing the two Nordic countries for tolerating and even
supporting terror groups like the YPG/PKK.
The
Turkish Justice Ministry, in line with court verdicts, requested from Finland
the extradition of 12 terrorists – half affiliated with the PKK terror group,
and half with the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the
defeated coup of 2016.
Both
Finland and Sweden "must stop supporting terror groups," and give
clear security guarantees to Ankara to become NATO members, Turkish Foreign
Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday. He underlined that NATO is a security
alliance in which member states should show solidarity with each other.
In
its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a
terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and the EU – has been responsible
for the deaths of over 40,000 people. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.
FETO
and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July
15, 2016 in Turkiye, in which 251 people were killed and 2,734 injured.
The
Turkish government accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to
overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions,
particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Germany
says Turkiye’s concerns over Sweden, Finland’s NATO bid should be taken
seriously
Ayhan
Simsek
17.05.2022
BERLIN
Turkiye’s
concerns about Sweden and Finland’s bid to join NATO should be taken seriously,
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Tuesday.
Speaking
to reporters in Brussels ahead of an EU defense ministers meeting, Lambrecht underlined
that NATO decisions require unanimous approval from all allies, including
Turkiye.
“Therefore,
it is also important now to have intensive talks with Turkiye and take its
concerns or arguments seriously,” she stressed.
Lambrecht
underlined Germany’s support for Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership and
expressed hope that they will find a solution.
“If
strong EU members like Sweden and Finland finally join the alliance, it will
enrich NATO. I am confident that Turkiye will be convinced too,” she said.
Sweden’s
government signed a formal request to join NATO on Tuesday, while Finland’s
parliament is expected to hold a vote later in the day on the country’s
application for NATO membership.
Turkiye,
a longstanding NATO member, has voiced its objections to Finland and Sweden’s
membership bids, criticizing the two Nordic countries for tolerating and even
supporting terror groups like the YPG/PKK.
Both
Finland and Sweden “must stop supporting terror groups,” and give clear
security guarantees to Ankara to become NATO members, Turkish Foreign Minister
Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday.
He
underlined that NATO is a security alliance, in which member states should show
solidarity with each other.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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UN
Human Rights office concerned over pending Swedish-Iranian’s execution
17
May ,2022
The
UN human rights office’s spokesperson on Tuesday urged Iran to halt the
imminent execution of Swedish-Iranian academic Ahmadreza Djalali and reverse
his death sentence.
Iran’s
semi-official ISNA news agency has reported that Djalali, sentenced to death on
charges of spying for Israel, would be executed by May 21.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/us-taliban-afghan-forces/d/127035