Objectionable Remarks Against Islam Case: Narsinghanand ‘Requests UP CM To Release Him’
New Age Islam News Bureau
26 October 2024
Narsinghanand
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· Objectionable Remarks Against Islam Case: Narsinghanand ‘Requests UP CM To Release Him’
· South Africa Finally Recognises Muslim Marriages For The First Time In The Country’s History
· Nigerian House Says No To Expansion Of Sharia Law In The 1999 Constitution
· Pakistan Third-Worst Country For Law And Order, Security: World Justice Project
· Electing 'Fascist' Trump Is 'Worst Possible Outcome': Swing State Muslims Endorse Harris
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India
· Varanasi Court Rejects Plea For Additional Survey Of Gyanvapi Mosque By The ASI
· Day After Rally Against Mosque In Uttarkashi, Police Book 150-200 People, Say They Promoted Enmity, Misbehaved With Women Cops
· Gulmarg terror attack: Police say three-four militants involved as search operation enters second day
· LG Manoj Sinha in charge: Farooq Abdullah on militant attacks in Jammu and Kashmir
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Africa
· Islamic Cleric Arraigned For Allegedly Defrauding Baker Of N28 Million In ‘Prayer Scam’
· Akpabio Under Fire as Tinubu Meets Atiku Inside Abuja Mosque, Details Emerge
· ‘The Worst Of Police Still Better Than Best Of Criminals’ – Fubara Tells New Rivers CP
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Pakistan
· 10 'Terrorists' Killed In Mianwali Operation
· Islamabad Think Tank Hires US Lobbyist For $1.5m A Year
· 19-Year-Old Cadet Martyred In Lakki Marwat Mosque Attack
· PTI criticises Punjab, Centre for 'humiliating' KP police officials
· 15 security men martyred in attacks across KP
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North America
· CAIR to Join Michigan Muslim Coalition to Hold Early Voting Event in Dearborn
· Biden apologises for Indian boarding schools 'blot on history'
· Ex-Abercrombie CEO pleads not guilty to sex trafficking charges
· Backlash after Washington Post declines to endorse presidential candidate
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Mideast
· Turkish Islamic Cult To Resolve Inheritance Dispute In Own ‘Sharia Court’
· Jordan’s FM Urges Halt To ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ In Gaza, Warns Of Regional War Risk
· Hamas Calls On Arab & Islamic Leaders To Take Action To Stop Annihilation War In Gaza
· Israel launches strikes on military targets in Iran
· West Bank residents blocked from critical care
· Watchdog FATF places Lebanon on financial crime watchlist
· ‘Darkest moment’ of war unfolding in northern Gaza: UN rights chief
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South Asia
· Unite To Remove President, Scrap 1972 Constitutionl: Bangladesh Jatiya Nagorik Committee
· Sanatan Jagaran Mancha demands minority affairs ministry
· Moscow to back Dhaka’s enhanced role in BRICS
· Ex-state minister, 2 former secys placed on remand
· Breach of discipline: 59 more SIs given show cause notice
· Lt Tanjim murder: One more suspect arrested in Cox’s Bazar
· Bangladesh: Are Islamist parties growing in influence?
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Arab World
· Saudi Arabia Condemns Military Targeting Of Iran, Calls For Restraint And De-Escalation
· Filipino music, culture celebrated at Riyadh’s Global Harmony event
· Culinary event in Japan to highlight rich Saudi culture
· Saudi Arabia to expand studies of ancient mustatil stone structures
· Security Operations Center hosts Dhahran exhibition
· Saudi exports to Austria up by 146% last year, says envoy
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Europe
· Oakworth Beavers And Cub Scouts In Visit To Keighley Mosque
· Plans for new Dewsbury mosque transformation divide opinion
· ‘Death trap’ Channel boats traded by smugglers in German city - BBC undercover
· Decision time for two countries on future role in Europe
· Mafia cocaine trafficker arrested after posing by Escobar's grave
· EU must stop lecturing world – European Council president
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Southeast Asia
· Health Minister: Ministry Could Amend Laws To Prevent People From ‘Using Disability Card’ To Avoid Punishment
· Ethiopian PM accorded official welcome at Perdana Putra
· Sultan Nazrin Presents 2024 Perak Islamic Education Excellence Awards
· Islamic University of Kyrgyzstan awards honorary doctorate to Prophet’s Mosque imam
· IsDB approves $156m deal for cancer treatment facilities in Turkmenistan
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/objectionable-remarks-narsinghanand-up-cm/d/133559
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Objectionable Remarks Against Islam Case: Narsinghanand ‘Requests UP CM To Release Him’
Narsinghanand
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by Neetika Jha
October 26, 2024
Nearly three weeks after it was reported that Yati Narsinghanand, the controversial head priest of Dasna Devi Temple in Ghaziabad, was allegedly detained by the Uttar Pradesh Police on October 5 for making objectionable remarks against Islam, Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra said on Friday that Narsinghanand was not detained by the Ghaziabad Police in the case.
This comes after a four-minute video clip that the police received on Friday, purportedly showed Narsinghanand requesting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to release him from the “unconstitutional and illegal house arrest by the UP Police”.
“Maharaj, Kripa Karke Mujhe Iss Uttar Pradesh Police Ki Asanvaidahanik, Gairkanooni Nazar Bandi Se Chutkara Dilayiye (Maharaj, I request you to set me free from UP Police’s unconstitutional, illegal house arrest),” Narsinghanand could be seen saying in the video.
Narsinghanand was allegedly detained after his objectionable remarks against Islam, allegedly made in Ghaziabad on September 29, triggered protests and police complaints in several states besides UP, including Maharashtra and Telangana and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
He was booked by the Ghaziabad Police on October 3 under sections 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), 302 (intentionally hurting religious sentiments) and 197 (actions that harm national integration) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Speaking to The Indian Express on Friday, Mishra said, “Narsinghanand was not detained by the Ghaziabad Police… When a person is detained, from his watch to cellphone, everything is taken from him. But it seems he was at a five-star hotel.”
Asked about the purported video, Mishra said, “He (Narsinghanand) is saying he has been detained by the UP Police. Why is he not saying which district police has detained him and how did he get access to a cellphone to shoot the video?”
In the video, Narsinghanand is seen saying that the secretary of Mumbai-based Hazrat Gareeb Nawaz Welfare Trust, Mohammad Yusuf, and his associates, have filed a public Interest Litigation (PIL) against him in the Allahabad High Court.
“I am on the side of justice. I want to gather proof of whatever I have spoken against Mohammad and his followers and present it before the court so that justice could be served. You cannot declare me a criminal without listening to my side and I cannot do that being under house arrest,” he is heard saying.
Addressing Adityanath as “the sun of Sanatan Dharma”, Narsinghanand is heard saying that if he is not rescued from house arrest, he would be “killed by the followers of Islam”. “I want to present my side before my death,” he added.
Further, in the video, he could also be seen saying that he wants to tell the HC that “Islam and its followers have committed heinous crimes against not only Sanatan Dharma but also the entire world”. “They have killed many people and committed crimes against women and broken temples and mutts. I want to present all this proof before the court,” he is heard saying.
Source:indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/yati-narsinghanand-objectionable-remarks-against-islam-up-police-yogi-adityanath-9639231/
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South Africa Finally Recognises Muslim Marriages For The First Time In The Country’s History
FILE: Department of Home Affairs. Picture: Sethembiso Zulu/Eyewitness News
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26-10-2024
JOHANNESBURG - Muslim marriages are finally officially recognised in the country.
The Department of Home Affairs issued 33 South African marriage certificates – acknowledging Muslim unions for the first time in the country’s history.
The department changed its internal systems, meaning unions between members of the Islamic faith community are recognised.
Moreover, said Home Affairs, they can reprint their marriage certificates to reflect it as a Muslim marriage for R20.
"Members of the Islamic faith community have made extraordinary contributions to South Africa’s history for more than 350 years. While it comes hundreds of years later than it should have, it is a personal honour for me to preside as minister over the granting of marriage certificates recognising Muslim marriages.
"This is a major step towards enhancing the dignity of this faith community, and reflects the ongoing commitment of Home Affairs to deliver dignity to all our valued clients," said Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber.
Source:ewn.co.za
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https://www.ewn.co.za/2024/10/25/south-africa-finally-recognises-muslim-marriages
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Nigerian House Says No To Expansion Of Sharia Law In The 1999 Constitution
South African House of Representatives
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October 26, 2024
By Ripples Nigeria
The House of Representatives, on Friday, rejected a bill seeking to expand the provision for Islamic Law in the 1999 Constitution, sparking intense debate among lawmakers.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Aliyu Misau, aimed to amend sections 24, 262, 277, and 288 by removing the word “personal” from Islamic law references.
Misau argued that the inclusion of “personal” after “Islamic” restricts its application, particularly in Islamic commercial laws.
“The 1999 constitution provided for personal Islamic law. The constitution did not envisage the dynamism and development that may come into the country,” he said, citing the example of Jaiz Bank, which operates under commercial Islamic law.
However, lawmakers from Southern states vehemently opposed the bill. Representative Ahoada East/Abua/Odual Federal Constituency noted, “The implication is that if the word ‘personal’ is removed, Islamic law would have broader implications. The word ‘personal’ was put there for a reason.”
Conversely, Northern lawmakers showed support for the proposed legislation. Abdulhakeem Ado argued that Islamic Commercial Law needs to be sustained. Saidu Abdullahi and Ahmed Satomi also backed the bill.
Bamidele Salam warned against altering the constitution’s religious provisions, emphasizing Nigeria’s secular state status. “We must be careful with any changes to the constitution that could further widen divisions in Nigeria,” he cautioned.
The bill was ultimately rejected through a voice vote by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, with the majority of lawmakers present opposing the legislation.
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Source:ripplesnigeria.com
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https://www.ripplesnigeria.com/constitutional-amendment-house-says-no-to-expansion-of-sharia-law/
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Pakistan Third-Worst Country For Law And Order, Security: World Justice Project
Police fire tear gas to disperse students protesting over an alleged on-campus rape in Punjab, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. (AP file photo)
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Amin Ahmed
October 26, 2024
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been ranked the third-worst among 142 countries in terms of law and order, according to a new report.
The World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index is an annual survey which ranks nations on eight factors: Constraints on Government Powers, Absence of Corruption, Open Government, Fundamental Rights, Order and Security, Regulatory Enforcement, Civil Justice, and Criminal Justice.
In the 2024 edition of the report, Pakistan was ranked 140th for Order and Security, which measured three factors: crime control, protection from armed conflicts and the use of violence to resolve civil disputes.
Only Mali and Nigeria were below Pakistan in terms of law and order and security.
Pakistan ranked 103rd for constraints on government powers, 120th for corruption, 106 for open government, 125th for fundamental rights, 127th for regulatory enforcement, 128th for civil justice and 98th for criminal justice. Among the six South Asian states, Pakistan and Afghanistan are at the bottom of the index.
Overall, the rule of law has declined globally for the seventh year in a row.
The report revealed that a majority of countries witnessed a dip in their overall rankings, marked by executive overreach, deteriorating human rights, and justice systems that are failing to meet people’s needs.
Among the high-income group, Denmark topped the ranking, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Germany.
‘Eroding’ rule of law
This year, the rule of law weakened in 57 per cent of the countries surveyed.
However, the report also suggests that the decline is “slowing” and that “progress is possible” as the proportion of countries where the rule of law is eroding shrank for the third year in a row.
For the first time in five years, more countries — 59pc — improved than declined on the Absence of Corruption factor.
A majority of countries have also improved their criminal justice system, the report stated.
The decline in civil justice has also slowed since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, it said, while acknowledging that problems delivering timely and independent civil justice continued to spread.
Between 2016 and 2024, people in 81pc of countries have lost protections for their fundamental rights. Additionally, 77pc have registered a dip in governmental checks and balances, including oversight by legislatures, courts, civil society, and the media.
“After seven consecutive years of rule of law declines, it can be easy to focus on the negative. But to do so would ignore accomplishments in anti-corruption and the hard work occurring to improve justice systems globally,” WJP co-founder and president William H. Neukom said.
“The global community must redouble efforts to expand these rule of law gains in all areas.”
Electoral transparency
In the elections held in 2024 so far, the ruling party has maintained power in 13 out of 15 countries, the report stated.
Meanwhile, some of the most improved countries in the 2024 Index saw new, democratically elected governments take office last year, it said.
Voters in Brazil and Poland opted for a change in each country’s most recent national elections. Both countries had experienced some of the largest rule of law declines since 2016 “before changing course in the past year”.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1867657/pakistan-third-worst-country-for-law-and-order-security-world-justice-project
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Electing 'Fascist' Trump Is 'Worst Possible Outcome': Swing State Muslims Endorse Harris
Photo: The Times of India
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October 25, 2024
A coalition of Islamic leaders in a must-win battleground state is now urging their respective communities to get behind Vice President Kamala Harris in November.
The New Republic reported that more than 100 progressive Democratic Palestinian, Arab and Muslim leaders in Arizona have now co-signed a letter in support of Harris' candidacy. The letter, which was posted to X by Arizona-based progressive activist Kai Newkirk, acknowledges that while many Muslim voters are understandably upset about how President Joe Biden's administration has handled Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza, affected communities cannot afford to have former President Donald Trump return to power.
"In our view, it is crystal clear that allowing the fascist Donald Trump to become President again would be the worst possible outcome for the Palestinian people," the letter read. "A Trump win would be an extreme danger to Muslims in our country, all immigrants, and the American pro-Palestine movement."
In the wake of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel — which killed approximately 1,200 people — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched an unprecedented attack on the Gaza Strip, which has been controlled by Hamas since 2006. The United Nations (UN) estimates that more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Netanyahu's retaliation campaign began last fall with 97,000 more wounded. And the UN's Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine has said that Israel's military campaign, which it has referred to as a "genocide," has killed 16,000 children while orphaning 17,000 more with the help of American-made weaponry.
"Israel continues receiving an unlimited supply of weaponry from its allies, despite the growing calls for an arms embargo, including by the General Assembly in its resolution ES-10/24 of 18 September 2024 in follow-up to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 19 July 2024, in which the Court determined, inter alia, that Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful and must end as rapidly as possible," the Permanent Observer to the State of Palestine wrote earlier this month.
The letter from Arizona's progressive Muslim leaders acknowledged that the 2024 election is an "awful situation where only flawed choices are available," and that they "respect those who feel they simply can’t vote for a member of the administration that sent the bombs that may have killed their loved ones." Still, the signatories insisted that "voting for Kamala Harris is the best option for the Palestinian cause and all of our communities."
Signatories cited multiple examples to make the case that Trump would be far worse for Palestinians. In May, for example, the former president told a roomful of wealthy donors that he would "set that movement back by 25 or 30 years," in reference to the pro-Palestine protests sweeping college campuses. He's also admitted to having personal calls with Netanyahu, even though the Logan Act prohibits private citizens from talking to foreign leaders without prior approval from the sitting administration.
The Washington Post further reported that Trump has vowed to deport foreign-born students who participate in anti-Israel demonstrations on college campuses.
"One thing I do is, any student that protests, I throw them out of the country," he told donors in May. "You know, there are a lot of foreign students. As soon as they hear that, they’re going to behave."
Additionally, Trump has sought support for his 2024 campaign from Israeli billionaire Miriam Adelson, who is the widow of the late GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported earlier this year that Adelson insisted that Trump promise that if elected, he would allow Israel to fully annex the Palestinian-controlled West Bank in exchange for a $100 million infusion of funds to a pro-Trump super PAC.
Source:rawstory.com
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https://www.rawstory.com/electing-fascist-trump-is-worst-possible-outcome-swing-state-muslims-endorse-harris/
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India
Varanasi Court Rejects Plea For Additional Survey Of Gyanvapi Mosque By The ASI
October 25, 2024
Ishita MishraISHITA MISHRA
A Varanasi court on Friday (October 25, 2024) rejected the plea filed by Hindu petitioners seeking additional survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) of the entire premises of the Gyanvapi complex.
Civil Judge (Senior Division), Varanasi Fast Track Court, Yugal Sharma dismissed the plea filed in February in addition to the main 1991 suit concerning the Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
A sense of disquiet in Varanasi
While dismissing the plea, the court said that the report of the ASI survey done on plot number 9130 last year, where the mosque stands, is yet to be examined. It added that the Supreme Court has protected the structure where the ‘Shiva Linga’ is stated to have been found on the mosque premises.
The petitioner’s advocate, Vijay Shankar Rastogi had requested the court to get an ASI survey done of the entire cellar beneath the Gyanvapi mosque by removing the newly constructed brick walls. The aim was to find out whether there exists the main Swayambhu Jyotirling (representation of Hindi god Shiva). The petitioners had stated that the survey should be done without harming the disputed structure.
The application urged the court to direct the ASI to conduct a survey of the mosque to find out if the religious structure standing at present on the disputed site is a superimposition, alteration or addition, or is there structural overlapping of any kind, with or over, any religious structure.
“...if so, then what exactly is the age, size, monumental and archaeological design or style of the religious structure standing at present at the disputed site and what materials have been used for building the same,” the plea read.
Gyanvapi mosque case raises a challenge to the Places of Worship Act
One of the prayers also demanded the ASI to trace whether any temple belonging to the Hindu community ever existed before the mosque was built. It was also suggested that if it is not possible to determine whether Swayambhu Jyotirlinga lies beneath the central dome, a trench could be made to reach the sanctum sanctorum of Aadi Vishweshwar temple.
“The Supreme Court and the Allahabad High Court also ordered to conduct the survey by using non-invasive methodology and not to use excavation technique and no destruction of the property will be done. Apart from this, no reasons for further survey are cited by plaintiffs in their application and Hon’ble High Court has left it for the discretion of the court below to issue necessary direction for further survey,” the court noted while dismissing the plea for an additional survey of the disputed structure.
The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee, that looks after the management of the mosque, has been opposing the excavation.
Source:thehindu.com
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/court-rejects-plea-for-additional-survey-of-gyanvapi-mosque/article68797088.ece
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Day after rally against mosque in Uttarkashi, police book 150-200 people, say they promoted enmity, misbehaved with women cops
by Avaneesh Mishra
October 26, 2024
rally against mosque in Uttarkashi, Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Uttarkashi police, Indian express news, current affairsThe FIR was registered under several Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita sections, including attempt to murder and assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty.
A day after police personnel and several others were injured when violence broke out during a rally organised by an association of right-wing groups questioning the legality of a mosque in Uttarkashi, police have filed an FIR, booking 150-200 people on multiple charges including promoting enmity between groups and attempt to murder.
The FIR, registered Friday based on a complaint by Uttarkashi Kotwali inspector Amarjeet Singh, accused participants of the rally of inciting religious sentiment and promoting communal hatred. It alleged that participants of the rally resorted to violence, resulting in serious injuries to police personnel, and that the modesty of women officers on duty was targeted.
Protesters under the banner of Sanyukt Sanatan Dharm Rakshak Sangh had taken out the rally on Thursday, claiming that a mosque in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi town was built illegally and demanding that it be demolished. However, police officers have said the mosque was built legally on land registered to members of the Muslim community.
According to the FIR, the rally had permission to start at Hanuman Chowk and proceed through Singal Tiraha, Kali Kamli, the petrol pump, bus stand, and Sabzi Mandi, and end at Ramlila Maidan. However, on reaching Singal Tiraha, participants allegedly began breaking through barricades set up to demarcate the route.
The rally then turned violent, with participants attacking police officers and other officials with sticks and stones, the FIR alleged, adding that inflammatory speeches were also delivered and slogans were raised against police and a particular community.
At least seven police personnel were seriously injured and, as per the FIR, officers had to fight to protect themselves from intense stone-pelting. Women officers were allegedly abused, pushed, and subjected to derogatory language.
The FIR said that participants acted with unified intent, allegedly inciting religious sentiments, promoting animosity, and using violence to damage government property. Rally participants were also accused of vandalising closed shops along their route.
Those named in the FIR were Jitendra Chauhan, Sonu Negi, Suraj Dabral, Kulveer Rana, Sushil Sharma, Gautam Rawat, Alok Rawat, and Sachendra Parmar. Another 150-200 unidentified were also booked.
The FIR was registered under several Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita sections, including attempt to murder and assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty.
Source:indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/day-after-rally-against-mosque-in-uttarkashi-police-book-150-200-people-say-they-promoted-enmity-misbehaved-with-women-cops-9639066/
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Gulmarg terror attack: Police say three-four militants involved as search operation enters second day
26.10.24
Three to four militants are believed to have carried out the deadly attack on an Army convoy in the Gulmarg sector of Jammu and Kashmir that left four people, including two soldiers, dead, a senior police official said on Saturday.
The search operation, which entered the second day, was halted at the last light on Friday and was resumed on Saturday morning, the official said.
"According to the evidence we got from there, 3-4 militants were involved in the attack," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Baramulla, Mohammad Zaid Malik told reporters in the north Kashmir district.
The police, Army and paramilitary forces are carrying out the search operation, which has been extended to Baba Reshi and forest areas in Gulmarg as well as the built-up area before it, the SSP said.
The SSP said security forces had been carrying out many input-based search operations on the militants in the Pattan-Kreeri area of the Baramulla district in the days ahead of the attack.
Two soldiers and two Army porters were killed in the attack on Thursday, while another porter and a soldier were injured. Terrorists opened fire on an Army vehicle, 6 km from the tourist hotspot Gulmarg in the Bota Pathri area, when it was headed for the Nagin post in the Affarwat range.
On Friday, security forces deployed drones and helicopters for a massive search operation in the area and along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Gulmarg sector.
Security forces were also using human and technical intelligence inputs to aid the search operation launched to trace and neutralise the terrorists behind the attack, officials said.
Senior officers of the police and Army are overseeing the operation.
The area is completely dominated by the Army and there were reports recently that a terrorist group had infiltrated during early summer and taken shelter in the higher reaches of the Affarwat range.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/gulmarg-terror-attack-police-say-three-four-militants-involved-as-search-operation-enters-second-day/cid/2058525
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LG Manoj Sinha in charge: Farooq Abdullah on militant attacks in Jammu and Kashmir
Muzaffar Raina
26.10.24
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Friday said lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha wields full command over Jammu and Kashmir, against the backdrop of four back-to-back militant attacks that have claimed a dozen lives and injured many.
Farooq warned that such attacks will likely persist, but urged resilience.
His comments came in the wake of an attack in Gulmarg, where the death toll on Friday rose to five, including a soldier who succumbed to injuries suffered during the assault. The military operation to apprehend the attackers continued for the second day.
The army has identified the victims as Rifleman Jeevan Singh from Sirsa and Rifleman Kaisar Ahmad Shah, along with defence porters Mushtaq Ahmad Chowdary and Zahoor Ahmad Mir, all hailing from Kashmir.
Authorities temporarily closed the Gondola ropeway service in Gulmarg to facilitate the military operation. The attack at Botapathri in the Nagin Valley of Gulmarg marks the first militant strike in the area in quite some time.
Twelve people have died in four militant attacks since the October 16 swearing-in of Omar Abdullah as chief minister and the Right-wing ecosystem is linking the attacks to the return of an elected government.
Farooq on Friday warned that if Pakistan would not stop these attacks, a war would lay the region to waste. He tried to dispel the notion linking the attacks to the new government, at the same time playing down the reports that his son Omar had no authority.
The NC president was asked why Omar was not invited to two crucial security meetings headed by the LG. “The LG is in command. Everything is in his hands. Omar sahab was not here when the meeting took place. To say he was not invited is wrong. If another meeting is held, Omar sahab will be there. He is the CM,” Farooq said.
On the spurt in attacks after Omar took over, Farooq said such incidents had never stopped. “Did they not happen in Jammu, Samba, Reasi? Why do you say it is happening now? It is continuing. It never stopped. They (critics) should look into it,” he said.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/farooq-abdullah-after-militant-strikes-lg-manoj-sinha-in-charge-of-jammu-and-kashmir/cid/2058421
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Africa
Islamic Cleric Arraigned For Allegedly Defrauding Baker Of N28 Million In ‘Prayer Scam’
25th October 2024
Cleric Allegedly Exploits Baker’s Trust, Demanding Millions For Dubious Spiritual Services While Resorting To Threats When Confronted In a case that has raised eyebrows, a 37-year-old cleric, Lateef Oladigbolu, appeared before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Friday for allegedly swindling a baker out of N28 million under the guise of performing special prayers to boost his business. Oladigbolu, who resides in Onikere, Ifo, Ogun State, faces charges including conspiracy, breach of peace, obtaining money by false pretences, and threats to life. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecutor John Iberedem informed the court that Oladigbolu, in collaboration with accomplices still at large, orchestrated the scheme over several transactions between December 15, 2021, and April 18, 2024. The incidents reportedly took place at various locations in Alagbado, Lagos. The baker, the complainant, was introduced to Oladigbolu as an Islamic cleric who could offer prayers to help boost his business. During these prayer sessions, the baker was allegedly instructed to transfer money across multiple bank accounts, including GTB, Access Bank, UBA, FCMB, Polaris, and several online payment platforms like Opay and MoniePoint, accumulating a total of N28 million.
Iberedem also disclosed that the accused brought in herbalists as part of the scheme, who requested goats, sheep, and pigeons for sacrifices. When the baker suspected he was being defrauded, he cut off further payments, leading to threats from the group. They allegedly warned him of using charms to harm him and his family if he disclosed their activities.
The charges, which contravene Sections 56, 174, 314, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, include a 15-year penalty under Section 314 for obtaining money by false pretenses. Presiding Magistrate E. Kubeinje granted Oladigbolu bail of N2 million with two sureties who must be gainfully employed, show proof of tax payments, and present an affidavit of means. The case is adjourned until November 13.
Source:reportafrique.com
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https://reportafrique.com/news/africa/nigeria/cleric-arraigned-over-n28m-prayer-scam/
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Akpabio Under Fire as Tinubu Meets Atiku Inside Abuja Mosque, Details Emerge
October 26, 2024
Earlier today, Friday, October 25, Atiku Abubakar attended the wedding ceremony of the daughter of former governor of Gombe state, Senator Danjuma Goje, at the national mosque in Abuja t the worship centre, Atiku exchanged pleasantries with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during Salatul-Jumu'ah (Friday prayer) Senate President Godswill Akpabio was also among the dignitaries, but several X users expressed reservations about the presence of the Nigerian No.3 citizenFCT, Abuja - President Bola Tinubu and perennial presidential hopeful, Atiku Abubakar, met in Abuja, on Friday, October 25. Legit.ng reports that both gladiators, who used to be political allies, were meeting face-to-face for the first time since the 2023 presidential elections.Senate president, Godswill Akpabio (left), is a strong ally of President Bola Tinubu. Photo credits: Godswill Obot Akpabio, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku AbubakarAlthough the meeting created a frenzy among worshippers at the national mosque, several people online, especially on X (formerly Twitter), criticised the presence of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Source:legit.ng
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https://www.legit.ng/politics/1621467-akpabio-fire-tinubu-meets-atiku-abuja-mosque/
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‘The Worst Of Police Still Better Than Best Of Criminals’ – Fubara Tells New Rivers CP
25 October 2024
By Richard Ogunsile
The Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that his government has no lingering resentments towards the Nigeria Police Force despite the troubling tactics employed by some of its members to obstruct the State’s governance.
Fubara expressed confidence in the police’s professionalism, stating that the worst of them are better than the best of criminals.
Naija News reports that Fubara’s comment comes weeks after the local government elections held in the state on October 5.
Speaking on Friday during his welcoming ceremony for the newly appointed Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Bala, who arrived in Rivers State two weeks ago, Fubara said despite the misconduct exhibited by a few officers, his commitment will remain committed to supporting the police in their efforts to protect the citizens and their property.
Speaking further at the event held at the Government House in Port Harcourt, Fubara highlighted the importance of continued cooperation between the police, other law enforcement bodies and the government in the fight against crime and criminal activities.
He said: “I can say that we are receiving you with open hands, that is the truth. We don’t have any option. The worst of you, the worst of Police, is still better than the best of criminals.
“So, we need to embrace you, whichever way, because you are our friends. We might have our differences, but the most important thing is that the protection of lives and the security of the State are your responsibility. So, we must work together not minding issues that we have had in the past.
“But, I need to just set some records straight: This government as it stands today, as it moves on, has no personal problem with the Nigeria Police Force, more especially the Rivers State Command.
“I can boldly say here that not minding whatever had happened in the past, we have lived up to our own responsibility in supporting the Nigeria Police. So, for us to do this, we understand the important role that the police play in our State.”
In doing so, Governor Fubara asked them to be very professional, do the right thing always, and refuse to be used against the law and peace of the society.
“I keep saying it at every opportunity I have: I will be the last person that will call any police officer and ask him or her to go and do what is wrong. Even when you are called upon, you need to ask yourself, ask your conscience, what people are telling you to do, is it right?
“You will finish this work and you will live your normal life after service. It is the way you have worked that will determine how you are going to live when you leave the service. Don’t leave the service and start living in fear because of the atrocities that you have committed,” the Governor added.
Governor said that with the peace prevailing in Rivers State, the force will have a fewer tasks to do.
“This State is a very peaceful place. When you were here as Area Commander, you know how the State was then. Now that you are back as the CP, it is God who brought you back so that you will play your role in securing the lives and property of the residents of Rivers State. So, perform that role professionally. We will give you all the necessary support,” the Governor added.
Governor Fubara urged the police management team to develop plans for putting his vision of community policing into action to combat crime across the State.
He highlighted that the public is aware of the criminals causing trouble in certain areas of the State, as they reside in the same communities, including families like mothers, fathers, uncles, and cousins.
Governor Fubara mentioned that the effort to eliminate these criminals should focus on removing them from their hiding places. He emphasized that if community policing is the correct strategy, it must be efficiently implemented to minimize crime to the lowest level possible.
“We cannot completely eliminate crime, that is the truth. In every developing society, crime is one of the issues, but we can try,” he added.
Source:naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/10/25/the-worst-of-police-still-better-than-best-of-criminals-fubara-tells-new-rivers-cp/
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Pakistan
10 'terrorists' killed in Mianwali operation
By Web Desk
October 25, 2024
The Punjab police claimed to have killed 10 terrorists in mountainous area of Malla Khel in Mianwali after engaging in an intense gun battle.
A police spokesperson detailed that a team headed by DPO Mianwali Akhtar Farooq conducted an operation on reported presence of 10 to 15 terrorists.
During the raid, terrorists opened fire at the police team and in retaliation, 10 of them were killed by the police personnel.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since the Taliban government returned to power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, mostly in the northwestern border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but also in southwestern Balochistan, which abuts Afghanistan and Iran.
Islamabad accuses Kabul's interim rulers of failing to root out militants sheltering on Afghan soil as they prepare to stage assaults on Pakistan.
Against this backdrop, the federal cabinet in June this year approved Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, a reinvigorated national counter-terrorism campaign following the Central Apex Committee's recommendations under the National Action Plan to root out terrorism.
Source:thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1243537-10-terrorists-killed-in-mianwali-operation
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Islamabad Think Tank Hires US Lobbyist For $1.5m A Year
Anwar Iqbal
October 26, 2024
WASHINGTON: An Islamabad-based national security think tank has engaged a new lobbying firm in the US, the official list of registered foreign agents reveals.
The US Foreign Agents Registration Act requires the public listing of all lobbyists or lobbying firms working for a foreign entity, including governments and private corporations.
The posting on the US Justice Department’s site identifies the Pakistani firm as the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI).
IPRI describes itself as one of the oldest non-partisan think tanks on “all facets of national security, including international relations, law, and strategic studies”. The institute’s current president is retired Maj Gen Raza Muhammad.
The US firm engaged by IPRI — Team Eagle Consulting — is led by Stephen Payne, a lawyer who lobbies in Washington for both American and foreign clients.
Officially, as per the FARA filings, the firm’s purpose is to enhance US-Pakistan relations.
The move seems to be intended to counter the growing influence of PTI supporters in the US, who are running a campaign to secure the freedom of former prime minister Imran Khan, and other incarcerated leaders of his party.
The filing comes just days after several members of the US Congress wrote to President Joe Biden to seek the release of Imran Khan from prison, a move that the Foreign Office termed “counterproductive” and against diplomatic norms.
According to documents, Team Eagle will receive $1.5 million annually, or $125,000 per month, for its services.
A press release on Yahoo Finance describes Team Eagle as “a consortium of leading Pakistan experts and other globally recognized specialists in strategic, government affairs, and economic development”.
Source:dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1867655/islamabad-think-tank-hires-us-lobbyist-for-15m-a-year
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19-year-old cadet martyred in Lakki Marwat mosque attack
By Web Desk
October 25, 2024
A 19-year-old Pakistan Army cadet was martyred in a terrorist attack on a mosque in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Lakki Marwat district, the military’s media wing said on Friday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, Cadet Arif Ullah was offering prayer in the mosque when the attack took place.
“As soon as Khwarij started firing, he immediately responded and fought the khwarij bravely,” it stated.
“However, during the incident, Gentleman Cadet Arif Ullah embraced martyrdom, sacrificing his life, while saving many innocent lives of worshippers.”
The cadet was undergoing training in Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul but had returned to his hometown of Lakki Marwat on leave, the military’s media wing added.
The ISPR noted that such heinous and cowardly act of attacking worshippers in the mosque while praying reflects the true ideology of these terrorists.
“[The] valiant act of a young Gentleman Cadet is a testament of spirit of sacrifice and dedication of Security Forces’ personnel to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices further strengthen our resolve,” it added.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack on the mosque, paying tributes to the martyred cadet.
The president said Islam does not allow carrying out attacks on places of worship and mosques. “Attacking the places of worship was a very cowardly and un-Islamic act”.
PM Shehbaz, in a separate statement, noted that Cadet Arif Ullah set an example of courage and bravery by thwarting the cowardly attack on innocent worshippers.
The cadet, who was on leave, could not tolerate innocent citizens becoming victims of terrorism, he said adding that the spirit of patriotism and loyalty to the homeland exhibited by the Pakistan Army was unmatched anywhere in the world.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since the Taliban government returned to power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, mostly in the northwestern border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but also in southwestern Balochistan, which abuts Afghanistan and Iran.
Islamabad accuses Kabul's interim rulers of failing to root out militants sheltering on Afghan soil as they prepare to stage assaults on Pakistan.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that ten Frontier Constabulary (FC) soldiers were martyred in a fierce attack carried out by terrorists on a check post in Dera Ismail Khan district.
An interior ministry’s spokesperson detailed that the terrorists equipped with heavy weaponry targeted Zam FC check post in DI Khan's Darazinda area under cover of darkness late Thursday night.
Source:thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1243897-19-year-old-cadet-martyred-in-lakki-marwat-mosque-attack
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PTI criticises Punjab, Centre for 'humiliating' KP police officials
By Web Desk
October 26, 2024
PESHAWAR: After surfacing of a video showing the handcuffed police officials of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took the Punjab and federal governments to task for the arrest of the security personnel.
Faisal Amin Gandapur, a member of the National Assembly (MNA) belonging to the PTI and brother of KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, posted the video on his X account on Saturday. He termed the handcuffing of the KP police officials an act of dishonor and humiliation.
“The level of hatred being created between [the two] provinces by the fascist regime is unprecedented. It seems that these people have sworn to destroy Pakistan,” he maintained.
Retweeting the video on his social media account, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Omar Ayub said it was a living example and proof of the anarchy created by the federal government and the Punjab government.
The police officials were reportedly arrested recently when PTI tried to stage a protest at D-Chowk around October 5-6, despite the imposition of Section 144 (which bars political activities and gatherings) in the federal capital territory and neighbouring Rawalpindi to ensure security ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's meeting.
The police officials were reportedly providing security to KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and his team.
The opposition party had initiated a series of protests for the independence of the judiciary and the release of its founder, who has been incarcerated at Rawalpindi's Adiala jail for more than a year.
Clashes also had broken out between law enforcers and party workers, with both sides blaming each other for starting the violence.
KP police sources on October 6 told Geo News that 11 of their officials were arrested including six from the KP House during a raid.
The six police officials were part of KP chief minister’s security squad, another two arrested police officials were gunmen of Special Assistant to KP CM Liaqat Ali and the rest of the officials were part of other ministers’ security squad, the sources had added.
On the other hand, Radio Pakistan on October 5 reported that six serving personnel of the KP police, dressed in civilian clothing, had been arrested from D-Chowk, Islamabad.
Quoting sources as saying, the public radio broadcaster said the individuals were reportedly involved in attacks against law enforcement agencies.
The arrested officers were armed with tear gas, slingshots, and stones, actively participating in assaults against the law enforcement personnel, the sources said.
Additionally, five more serving officers from KP Police, including two from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and three from the regular police, were apprehended by law enforcement agencies while attempting to escape in police vehicles near Attock. They were also in plain clothes, the state media house added.
A large quantity of tear gas shells, batons, and stones was recovered from these five officers too during their arrest.
Source:thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1244107-pti-criticises-punjab-centre-for-humiliating-kp-police-officials
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15 security men martyred in attacks across KP
Muhammad Irfan Mughal
October 26, 2024
• Army cadet gunned down trying to save people in Lakki Marwat mosque
• Soldier, three cops targeted in Bannu, S. Waziristan and Khyber
DERA ISMAIL KHAN / LAKKI MARWAT: At least 15 security personnel were martyred in militant attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past couple of days, officials and sources confirmed.
The deadliest incident occurred in the Darazinda area of Dera Ismail Khan district, where 10 Frontier Constabulary (FC) men embraced martyrdom while fighting militants who had stormed a checkpoint.
Three personnel were also wounded in the crossfire between paramilitary personnel and militants, sources said.
The Interior Ministry confirmed the attack took place on Thursday night.
The martyred men were identified as Naib Subedar Muhammad Jan, Naik Arif, Lance Naik Saeedur Rehman, Sepoy Akhunzada, Hazratullah, Mushtaq, Abdul Samad, Imran, Basir, and Mehtab.
According to a statement, six of the martyred personnel hailed from South Waziristan, and four from Karak.
Injured personnel, including Naik Hamza, Sepoy Hasan and Sepoy Sabir Ayub, were moved to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dera Ismail Khan for treatment.
“Their condition is currently stable, and they are receiving the necessary care,” the ministry said.
“We pay tribute to the martyrs of the FC,” the statement read, adding that the sacrifices only strengthen the forces’ determination to eradicate terrorism.
The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack. It termed the attack “revenge” for the operation where nine militants were killed by security forces in Bajaur on Wednesday.
The dead militants included two would-be suicide bombers and a ringleader, the military’s media wing said.
Bannu attack
In another attack, three security personnel, including an army officer, embraced martyrdom in Bannu and Lakki Marwat districts, on Friday, police said.
In Bannu’s Jani Khel area, armed assailants opened fire on a police patrol, resulting in the martyrdom of Station House Officer Rehman and Constable Mir Syed.
A police official added that a passerby, identified as Samar Ayaz, was injured in the attack. The attackers fled the scene before reinforcement troops arrived.
“A large contingent of law enforcement personnel immediately rushed to the area and launched a search for the assailants”, he added.
The bodies and injured were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital.
After completing medico-legal formalities, the bodies were taken to police lines for the funeral.
Bannu District Police Officer (DPO) Ziauddin Ahmed, police and district administration officials, relatives of the deceased cops and locals attended the last rites.
Two alleged militants were also killed in an exchange of fire with police in Bannu late on Friday, an official said.
Armed assailants ambushed a patrolling party on the Purdilkhel road, which led to an intense exchange of fire.
The militants were identified as Guldar Ali alias Asim and Awais alias Haris, the official said, adding that arms and explosives were also recovered from their possession.
The cops remained unhurt in the attack.
Cadet killed
In Lakki Marwat, an under-training soldier was martyred by attackers inside a mosque during evening prayers, according to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Two others were also injured in the attack in the Marmandi Multan area, police said, adding the cadet was visiting his village on leave.
The injured locals, Nawaz Khan and Mir Shah Jahan were shifted to a local hospital.
ISPR identified the victim as Cadet Arifullah, 19.
The statement added that he responded to firing by militants fire and laid down his life to save innocent worshippers.
ISPR hailed the “valiant act” of the cadet and said the “heinous and cowardly” attack on a mosque reflected the “true ideology of the militants”.
In South Waziristan, a soldier was martyred in an attack on a checkpoint.
According to sources, militants, armed with small and heavy weapons, launched the attack, which was retaliated by security forces, sources said.
The attack left one soldier martyred while the militants managed to escape. The forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.
In Wana, two cops were injured in an explosion on Friday evening.
Sources said SHO Muzammil Wazir was on his way home when his vehicle was targeted by a roadside bomb. He was injured in the attack, along with Constable Mahaz Wazir. They were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital, Wana.
Another cop was martyred in district Khyber — the first attack of its kind in the last three months.
Police officials said unknown militants attacked the Malagori police station early on Friday morning.
During the crossfire, constable Saqib Khan embraced martyrdom.
His funeral was later held at the police training centre in Shah Kas. District Police Officer Rao Mazhar Iqbal, SP investigation Noorul Amin and other officials attended the funeral.
Adam Khan Wazir in South Waziristan and Ibrahim Shinwari in Khyber also contributed to this report
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1867663/15-security-men-martyred-in-attacks-across-kp
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North America
CAIR to Join Michigan Muslim Coalition to Hold Early Voting Event in Dearborn
October 25, 2024
On Saturday, Oct. 26, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its Michigan chapter (CAIR-MI) will join hundreds of Muslims from across Michigan in Dearborn to kick off the first day of early voting. In an unprecedented time of genocide in Gaza and war on Lebanon and Yemen, Arab-Americans and Muslims are declaring their voices will be heard.
Michigan remains a crucial swing state and Arab-American and Muslim voters are at the center of the electoral conversation. This rally will serve as a message to motivate the larger Muslim community to vote up and down the ballot and to center their most pressing issues.
WHAT: Get Out the Early Vote Rally with Muslim American Voters
WHO: Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR-MI, American Muslim Taskforce on Elections, Muslim Coalition of Michigan (MCM), American Muslim Engagement & Empowerment Network (Ameen Action), Michigan Community Conversation (MCC), The American Arab and Muslim Political Action Committee (AMPAC), CAIR Action, MPower Change, activists, organizers, imams, and students
Source:cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-to-join-michigan-muslim-coalition-to-hold-early-voting-event-in-dearborn/
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Biden apologises for Indian boarding schools 'blot on history'
26 October 2024
Rachel Looker
US President Joe Biden has formally apologised to the Native American community for a 150-year-old Indian boarding school policy that aimed to culturally assimilate indigenous children, calling it a "sin on our soul".
He said apologising for the "blot on American history" was one of the most consequential things he has done as president.
The federal government established Indian boarding schools from 1819 until the 1970s that forcibly removed children from their homes and families.
Ten days before the general election, Biden's apology at an event in Arizona also gave him a chance to show support for tribal nations in a swing state that the Democratic White House ticket won just by 10,000 votes in 2020.
"I formally apologise as president of the United States for what we did, " Biden said while visiting the tribally controlled Gila Crossing Community School outside of Phoenix. "It's long overdue."
The Biden administration says it has provided billions of dollars to support indigenous Americans, though communities affected say the president could do more.
The boarding schools stripped indigenous children of their heritage and tried to assimilate Alaska Native, American Indian and Native Hawaiian children into white American culture.
There were more than 523 government-funded Indian boarding schools throughout the US in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Many of these schools were run by churches.
Tens of thousands of children were forcibly abducted by the government and sent to schools far from their homes. Indigenous children often faced emotional and physical abuse, including being beaten and starved when speaking their native languages. In some cases, children died.
Under the Biden administration, the US Department of Interior launched its first-ever federal investigation of the Indian boarding school system to address its history.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary, went on a tour last year to speak with indigenous survivors.
The Department of Interior also launched an oral history project to document the experience of survivors.
In Canada, which had a similar policy, the prime minister apologised in 2008 for forcing about 150,000 indigenous children to attend state-funded Christian boarding schools.
The government also launched a truth and reconciliation commission that documented the history of the country's residential school system.
Source:bbc.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c704z4qxzeno
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Ex-Abercrombie CEO pleads not guilty to sex trafficking charges
Madeline Halpert and Rianna Croxford
26 October 2024
Ex-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.
Lawyers entered the plea on behalf of Mr Jeffries in New York federal court on Long Island as he sat alongside them in court in a navy blue suit, his face expressionless.
Sitting just one row behind Mr Jeffries was his alleged middleman, James Jacobson, who also pleaded not guilty during a hearing right after the ex-CEO.
Mr Jeffries' British-American partner Matthew Smith, who faces the same charges, is expected to appear in New York court at a later date.
Federal prosecutors have said the men used force, fraud and coercion to engage in "violent and exploitive" sexual acts.
The FBI launched a probe into the former A&F CEO last year after a BBC investigation found several men who accused Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith of sexually abusing them at events they hosted in their New York residences and hotels around the world.
During a 10-minute court hearing on Friday in Long Island, New York Judge Steven Tiscione told Mr Jeffries he would be under house arrest, adding that he was only allowed to leave his homes in New York and Florida for medical appointments, visits with his lawyers and religious events.
Mr Jeffries posted a $10m (£7.7m) bond using his house on Fisher Island in New York as collateral.
The hearing was attended by both Mr Jeffries’ son and wife, who had to agree to use their house for the bond, as she owns the property as well.
The judge asked his wife, Susan, if she understood that their house could be foreclosed if Mr Jeffries failed to show up to court.
She told the judge she understood.
One of Mr Jeffries' alleged victims, David Bradberry, who previously told the BBC about the alleged abuse, sat in the front row of the courtroom as the charges against the former CEO were read.
Mr Jeffries did not respond to questions from reporters on Friday afternoon as he walked out of the courtroom and stepped into a black SUV.
LISTEN: The Abercrombie Guys
The BBC's investigation found a sophisticated operation involving a middleman, Mr Jacobson, and a network of recruiters tasked with finding men for these events.
Prosecutors unsealed an indictment against the three men shortly after Mr Jeffries and his partner were arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday. Mr Jacobson was arrested in Wisconsin.
Mr Jeffries and Mr Jacobson were released on bond. Mr Smith was detained.
Prosecutors say Mr Jeffries and his partner preyed upon "dozens" of vulnerable young men seeking careers in fashion and modelling, and exploited them for their own sexual pleasure between 2008 and 2015.
The indictment lists 15 victims who are not named.
The three men could face up to life in prison if convicted of sex trafficking and up to 20 years in prison if convicted of interstate prostitution.
US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, alleged on Tuesday that Mr Jeffries spent a "prolific amount of money" to traffic men to engage in sex acts with him and his partner, while staff and security guarded the events.
Mr Peace said the couple hired Mr Jacobson to recruit men for the couple, flying them to his home in New York and other locations where they were pressured to consume alcohol, Viagra, and muscle relaxants or injected with them against their will.
In its initial investigation, the BBC spoke to 12 men who described attending or organising events involving sex acts with Mr Jeffries, 80, and his British partner Mr Smith, 61.
The eight men who attended the events said they were recruited by a middleman who the BBC identified as James Jacobson.
Then, more men came forward last month. Some alleged Mr Jeffries' assistants had injected them in the penis with what they were told was liquid Viagra.
After the BBC’s initial investigation was published last year, A&F announced it was opening an independent investigation into the allegations.
Mr Jeffries served as the CEO of the company from 1992 until 2014, when he stepped down following declining sales and left with a retirement package valued at around $25m (£20.5m).
Source:bbc.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gplnlq7zyo
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Backlash after Washington Post declines to endorse presidential candidate
26 October 2024
Alys Davies
The Washington Post has announced it will not endorse a presidential candidate in the upcoming election, provoking a backlash among some of its employees and subscribers.
CEO William Lewis said the decision was a return "to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates" and that the newspaper was ending the practice going forward.
The move breaks with decades of tradition, with the paper having endorsed a candidate in most presidential elections since the 1970s - all of whom have been Democrats.
The Washington Post Guild's leadership - which represents workers at the paper - said it was "deeply concerned" by the decision.
It added that it was already seeing subscription cancellations from "loyal members".
Who's ahead in the polls - Harris or Trump?
In its own news article on the decision, The Washington Post reported - citing two sources briefed on the sequence of events who were not authorised to speak publicly - that editorial page staffers had drafted an endorsement of Harris that was not published.
Citing the same sources, it added that the decision not to publish the endorsement was made by the paper's owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
In a column published on The Post’s website, Mr Lewis said: “We recognise that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. That is inevitable.
“We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader."
He added that it was also "a statement in support of our readers' ability to make up their own minds" on who to elect president.
Marty Baron, former executive editor of The Post, described the decision as "cowardice, with democracy as its casualty".
"Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage," he added.
The Washington Post Guild's leadership criticised the move: "The message from our chief executive, Will Lewis - not from the Editorial Board itself - makes us concerned that management interfered with the work of our members in Editorial."
The statement went on: "We are already seeing cancellations from once loyal readers. This decision undercuts the work of our of members at a time when we should be building our readers' trust, not losing it."
The Washington Post’s own news report on the decision has attracted hundreds of comments since the announcement, with many subscribers saying they had cancelled their subscription to the paper.
"Appalling. Cancelling my subscription immediately," wrote one user.
Another said: "I'm 79 and was raised on the Post, took a subscription to college in Massachusetts, and am reading it now in retirement in Chicago. But this is no longer a responsible newspaper."
Referring to the paper's official slogan, the reader continued: "Democracy dies in darkness, indeed. WaPo is dark."
Live updates on the US election
The move by The Post followed a similar announcement from the Los Angeles Times last week, which said it was not endorsing a presidential candidate this year.
The editorials editor at the LA Times stepped down after the company's decision.
"I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not OK with us being silent," Mariel Garza told the Columbia Journalism Review. "In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I’m standing up."
According to Ms Garza, the LA Times had planned to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, but the plan was blocked by the paper’s owner, billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong.
Following Ms Garza's resignation, Mr Soon-Shiong pushed back on that assertion, writing in a social media post that he had "provided the opportunity" for the paper's editorial board "to draft a factual analysis of all the POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE policies by EACH candidate during their tenures at the White House, and how these policies affected the nation".
He said the board "chose to remain silent" instead of following his suggestion, which he said he accepted.
In contrast to The Washington Post and the LA Times, The New York Times endorsed Harris in September, describing her as "the only patriotic choice for president".
Republican candidate Donald Trump received an endorsement from The New York Post on Friday - the tabloid owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
"America is ready for today’s heroic Donald Trump to reclaim the presidency," an opinion piece in the paper read.
Source:bbc.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg4l805jnmo
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Mideast
Turkish Islamic Cult To Resolve Inheritance Dispute In Own ‘Sharia Court’
October 25 2024
The Menzil Islamic community in eastern Turkey’s Adıyaman province is setting up its own “sharia court” to resolve an inheritance dispute between the sons of its deceased leader, according to an Oct. 24 report by the online news outlet Euronews Türkçe.
Sons Muhammed Saki, Muhammed Fettah, and Muhammed Mubarek have been disputing over the extravagant inheritance left over by Menzil leader Sheikh Abdulbaki Erol after his death on July 12, 2023.
The community, which had grown to include companies, foundations, and associations, essentially becoming a conglomerate, split into three parts. Muhammed Mubarek Erol took leadership of Semerkand, the most prominent foundation of Menzil, while Muhammed Saki Erol established the Serhendi Foundation and Muhammed Fettah Erol founded the Buhara Foundation.
Most recently, Muhammed Saki Erol issued a statement accusing his brothers of failing to transfer certain properties to the foundation.
The inheritance dispute in Menzil has now spilled into public view. In a video of a meeting in Menzil village, the sons can be seen openly arguing in front of supporters. One brother was heard saying, “You talk like this, but on the second day after my father’s passing, your people stormed the lodge.”
A member of the Menzil community, who requested anonymity, stated that a decision was made to establish a Sharia court during what was described as a “meeting” by the online news outlet Euronews Türkçe.
In the video, a moderator stated, “Forgive me for speaking here; we were compelled to address this because angels from the heavens are not going to come down to resolve it. This matter will be settled according to the inheritance laws of Prophet Muhammad.”
“First, the inheritance left by Abdulbaki Erol, including foundations, lodges, madrasas (Islamic schools), mosques, and other assets, will be part of this division. Second, the division of assets will follow the jurisprudence of the Shafi’i school.”
Sources speaking to Euronews Türkçe indicated that Muhammed Saki Erol favored a sharia court resolution but would turn to the Turkish judiciary if an agreement could not be reached with his brothers.
This approach showed that Saki Erol is attempting to resolve the matter within the family.
The cult is known for its grandiose development in the eponymous Menzil village. The village has turned into an autonomous religious center for the cult’s followers, obtaining disproportionate funding from other villages in the province.
Some sections of the village are segregated based on gender. The local government is populated by cult members, from Mukhtar to the sanitation department.
Upon former leader Abdülbaki Erol’s death, Turkish Airlines (THY) had scheduled flights at 15-minute intervals to Adıyaman province for the funeral. Around 250,000 people attended the funeral prayer in the remote village, including Great Unity Party (BBP) Chair Mustafa Destici.
Source:duvarenglish.com
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Jordan’s FM urges halt to ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Gaza, warns of regional war risk
October 25, 2024
LONDON: Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi made an urgent appeal on Friday for international pressure to halt what he described as “ethnic cleansing” in northern Gaza.
In a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in London, Safadi condemned the humanitarian crisis and called for an end to Israeli actions he said were exacerbating instability in the region.
“We do see ethnic cleansing taking place, and that has got to stop,” Safadi told Blinken, as he warned of the growing risk of regional conflict.
“We really stand at the brink of regional war now. The only path to save the region from that is for Israel to stop the aggressions on Gaza, on Lebanon, and cease unilateral, illegal measures in the West Bank which are pushing the situation to an abyss,” he added.
As the second Arab nation to formalize peace with Israel, Jordan has taken a prominent role in advocating for de-escalation.
Blinken acknowledged Jordan’s leadership, particularly in efforts to ensure humanitarian assistance reached Gaza’s affected areas.
The discussion between the two diplomats focused on the urgent need to cease hostilities in Gaza, uphold Lebanon’s stability, and fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Both Safadi and Blinken also highlighted the necessity of sustainable humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilians and called for a halt to Israeli actions in the West Bank to prevent further escalation.
In addition to their shared security concerns, Safadi and Blinken emphasized their commitment to strengthening the robust strategic partnership between the US and Jordan across various sectors, reinforcing their undertaking to seeking a peaceful resolution to the escalating crisis in the region.
Source:arabnews.com
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Hamas calls on Arab & Islamic leaders to take action to stop annihilation war in Gaza
25 Oct 2024
The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas called on the leaders of Arab and Islamic countries to assume their responsibilities, not to be content with statements of condemnation, to take action to stop the genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians.
In a statement issued on Friday, Hamas said that the enemy terrorist army stormed the Martyr Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia project, hours after imposing a siege on it, carried out a campaign of arrests and abuse against patients, wounded, medical staff, displaced families , media activists, and took them to an unknown destination; this is a war crime and a blatant violation of international laws.
It emphasized that the Zionist enemy government continues to commit a war of extermination in the northern Gaza Strip, not caring about any repercussions, in light of the full support and protection provided by the US administration.
Hamas held the international community and its institutions, which are silent about these crimes, politically and morally responsible for their continuation, for the collapse of the world's system of values and laws that govern it, due to the widespread Zionist violation of them.
Source:saba.ye
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Israel launches strikes on military targets in Iran
October 26, 2024
RIYADH: Israel carried out strikes against Iran early Saturday, saying it was responding to missile attacks conducted by Tehran earlier in the month.
The military announced the action on the social media platform X: "Right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran”.
Air defense systems in Tehran could be seen shooting down projectiles over the east of the city, prompting authorities to shut down Iranian air space.
Hours later, Israel said that it had completed military actions against Iranian military targets and said its planes had returned home safely.
The attacks had been expected for weeks, after Iran struck mainland Israel on Oct. 1, and US officials said they had received advanced notice of the Israeli actions.
The Iranians confirmed that military sites in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran had been struck.
In its statement, the IDF said: "The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7th—on seven fronts—including direct attacks from Iranian soil. Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond.
"Our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized. We will do whatever necessary to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel," said the statement read by Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, chief spokesman of the Israel Defense Forces.
RIYADH: Israel carried out strikes against Iran early Saturday, saying it was responding to missile attacks conducted by Tehran earlier in the month.
The military announced the action on the social media platform X: "Right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran”.
Air defense systems in Tehran could be seen shooting down projectiles over the east of the city, prompting authorities to shut down Iranian air space.
Hours later, Israel said that it had completed military actions against Iranian military targets and said its planes had returned home safely.
The attacks had been expected for weeks, after Iran struck mainland Israel on Oct. 1, and US officials said they had received advanced notice of the Israeli actions.
The Iranians confirmed that military sites in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran had been struck.
In its statement, the IDF said: "The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7th—on seven fronts—including direct attacks from Iranian soil. Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond.
"Our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized. We will do whatever necessary to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel," said the statement read by Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, chief spokesman of the Israel Defense Forces.
Meanwhile, Syrian state media said Israeli air strikes also targeted some military sites in central and southern Syria.
Iran has launched two ballistic missile attacks on Israel in recent months amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip that began with the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel also has launched a ground invasion of Lebanon.
The strike happened just as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was arriving back in the US after a tour of the Middle East where he and other US officials had warned Israel to tender a response that would not further escalate the conflict in the region and exclude nuclear sites in Iran.
Israel had vowed to hit Iran hard following a massive Iranian missile barrage on Oct. 1. Iran said its barrage was in response to deadly Israeli attacks against its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, and it has promised to respond to any retaliatory strikes.
Israel and Iran have been bitter foes since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel considers Iran to be its greatest threat, citing its leaders’ calls for Israel’s destruction, their support for anti-Israel militant groups and the country’s nuclear program.
Israel and Iran have been locked in a yearslong shadow war. A suspected Israeli assassination campaign has killed top Iranian nuclear scientists. Iranian nuclear installations have been hacked or sabotaged, all in mysterious attacks blamed on Israel. Meanwhile, Iran has been blamed for a series of attacks on shipping in the Middle East in recent years, which later grew into the attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on shipping through the Red Sea corridor.
But since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, the battle has increasingly moved into the open. Israel has recently turned its attention to Hezbollah, which has been firing rockets into Israel since the war in Gaza began. Throughout the year, a number of top Iranian military figures have been killed in Israeli strikes in Syria and Lebanon.
Iran fired a wave of missiles and drones at Israel last April after two Iranian generals were killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike in Syria on an Iranian diplomatic post. The missiles and drones caused minimum damage, and Israel — under pressure from Western countries to show restraint — responded with a limited strike.
But after Iran’s early October missile strike, Israel promised a tougher response.
Source:arabnews.com
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West Bank residents blocked from critical care
October 26, 2024
JENIN: Israeli raids have left wrecked roads, bullet-riddled buildings, and debris-strewn streets in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, preventing ambulances from reaching those in desperate need of care.
“It is not only difficult but also unsafe to reach the hospital during clashes,” said Wissam Baker, the director of Jenin’s hospital.
Patients needing dialysis, chemotherapy, or maternity care are particularly vulnerable, he said, as delays in treatment could be life-threatening.
Yet their lives are also at risk when trying to get treatment.
“During any incursion, those people have difficulty reaching the hospital,” Baker said.
Israeli forces have mounted several raids over the past year, which they call “counter-terrorism operations,” targeting Jenin’s refugee camp, known as a stronghold for militant groups.
Since the Gaza war began on Oct. 7 last year, the frequency and intensity of these raids have escalated. At least 711 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, according to the UN.
Ambulances have come under army fire and are invariably searched, health workers and locals said, while roads leading to the hospital are frequently blocked.
Hazem Masarwa, a paramedic with decades of experience, pointed to bullet holes in his ambulance.
“Before Oct. 7, the obstacles were minor,” he said, referring to the day Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on Israel, triggering war in Gaza.
But now, “with every raid they carry out, they close the entrances to hospitals ... it has become routine,” he said.
Masarwa has witnessed two patients die from a lack of access to health care in the past year.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported 804 violations of its medical missions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem over that period.
It said at least 14 people “died because they were kept from receiving the emergency medical services that they needed.”
On the night of Sept.1-2, during a 10-day Israeli raid in Jenin, Umaima Awadin feared for her life as she went into labor.
She spent four hours navigating army orders as contractions grew closer together.
“It really was a situation where you feel between life and death,” she said, still in shock.
“I kept on asking myself, ‘Who will take care of my children?’“
When she finally reached a hospital and gave birth to a boy, both experienced complications.
In her neighborhood, roads are torn up, and buildings bear the scars of bullet holes.
Nearby, a few young men loiter by destroyed houses, rifles strapped to their chests.
When patients reach the hospital, their shoes are caked in mud and rubble dust, said an emergency nurse.
The smell of sewage from damaged pipes torn up by army bulldozers lingers.
“Can we live like this?” asked Najet, whose husband, a dialysis patient, has been receiving only partial treatments for months.
“Israel continues to attack the West Bank at the same time as Gaza, not only with weapons but also by keeping people from getting their treatment,” she said.
“My husband could die if he doesn’t get dialysis.”
Baker said his team has been transferring patients to other hospitals, particularly Nablus, about an hour away.
Non-governmental organizations have stepped in, offering people first aid training, though few expect the situation to improve.
Umm Akram, who fled during an August raid, left to protect her daughter, who suffers from high blood pressure. She feared she would go “10 days without medicine.”
Upon her return, the house had been ransacked and “turned upside down,” and her garden destroyed by an explosion.
To Umm Akram, it was a price to pay for her daughter’s health.
Source:arabnews.com
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Watchdog FATF places Lebanon on financial crime watchlist
October 25, 2024
BEIRUT/PARIS: Global financial crime watchdog FATF said on Friday it has placed Lebanon on its “grey list” of countries under special scrutiny.
Lebanon has been in a financial crisis since 2019 that has been left to fester by the country’s leaders and now faces growing damage from Israeli airstrikes and ground operations against Hezbollah.
Elisa de Anda Madrazo, president of the Financial Action Task Force, said Lebanon had been accorded some flexibility regarding deadlines set in its action plan, but did not provide details at a news conference.
“Of course we recognize the extreme, grave situation that Lebanon is currently facing,” she said.
“Lebanon’s status on the grey list should not impede relief efforts. ... We are working to make sure that channels of humanitarian aid remain open,” she added.
The FATF, a 40-member organization based in Paris, is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a statement later on Friday that the country’s placement on the FATF grey list was an expected move “given the known circumstances that hindered the approval of necessary financial legislations and reforms.”
He said that Lebanon has made progress in implementing many recommended actions from the mutual evaluation report and will continue to cooperate with the FATF.
Mikati also said that Lebanon’s relationships with correspondent banks will not be affected by this classification.
A source told Reuters earlier on Friday that the war had led the FATF to give Lebanon until 2026, instead of 2025, to address the issues that led to its grey-listing, including concerns over terrorism financing and a lack of judicial independence.
The grey-listing is likely to further deter investment in Lebanon and could affect the relationship between some Lebanese banks and the global financial system.
Source:arabnews.com
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‘Darkest moment’ of war unfolding in northern Gaza: UN rights chief
October 25, 2024
GENEVA: The UN rights chief said the “darkest moment” of the conflict in Gaza was unfolding in the north of the territory, warning Friday that Israel’s actions could amount to “atrocity crimes.”
Volker Turk pointed out that already “more than 150,000 people are reportedly dead, wounded or missing in Gaza” since the war there erupted just over a year ago.
“Unimaginably, the situation is getting worse by the day,” he said.
“My gravest fear is, given the intensity, breadth, scale and blatant nature of the Israeli operation currently underway in North Gaza, that number will rise dramatically.”
Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned that Israel’s policies in northern Gaza “risk emptying the area of all Palestinians.”
“We are facing what could amount to atrocity crimes, including potentially extending to crimes against humanity.”
He called on the world’s leaders to act, stressing that all states are obligated under the Geneva Conventions to ensure respect for international humanitarian law.
His statement stressed the urgency of the situation, warning that “today the darkest moment of the Gaza conflict is unfolding in the north of the Strip, where the Israeli military is effectively subjecting an entire population to bombing, siege and risk of starvation.”
“The bombing in North Gaza is non-stop,” he said.
At the same time, “the Israeli military has ordered hundreds of thousands to move, with no guarantees of return. But there is no safe way to leave,” he warned.
The UN rights chief cautioned that there was “extremely limited access to this part of Gaza, (and) next to no aid has reached the area in weeks, with unlawful restrictions remaining.”
“Many are now facing starvation.”
At the same time, he said, “the Israeli military is striking hospitals, and staff and patients have been killed and injured or forced to evacuate simultaneously.”
Turk’s statement pointed out that Palestinian armed groups also reportedly continue to operate among civilians, including in places of shelter, putting civilians in harm’s way “which is totally unacceptable.”
Source:arabnews.com
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South Asia
Unite To Remove President, Scrap 1972 Constitutionl: Bangladesh Jatiya Nagorik Committee
Oct 26, 2024
Leaders of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee yesterday urged political parties to unite and take to the streets to remove President Mohammed Shahabuddin and scrap the 1972 Constitution, instead of getting divided on these issues.
"Let us unite in the view of the student and public uprising and work together to remove the president," Nasiruddin Patwari, convener of the platform, said at a rally. "Leave the roundtable and come to the streets. Let's come together once again to build a second republic," he added.
A group of former student leaders, activists, lawyers, journalists, and social media influencers gathered for a discussion at the rally in the capital's Lalbagh area.
Nasiruddin said, "Shahabuddin -- who was appointed by Sheikh Hasina -- is conspiring inside Bangabhaban to destabilise the country. He can no longer remain in office."
"Political parties were standing with the students and public on August 5. But now, you have introduced the politics of division by bringing the election issue to the forefront. Stop the charade and join the call to remove the president without creating division," he added.
Akhtar Hossain, member secretary of the committee, said the president has betrayed the people while holding the office. Therefore, political parties must act quickly and agree on his removal, he said.
"Without unity, we will fall into the trap of Hasina's associates who are conspiring against us," he said.
He also said the administrators and teachers who supported the Chhatra League must be brought to trial.
Akhtar further said, "The 1972 constitution that brought us fascist Hasina and 'Mujibism' will not be tolerated for a moment by the country's people. This constitution must be scrapped, and the country must be governed by a new proclamation."
Family members of those who died and got injured during the movement called for justice at the rally.
Source:thedailystar.net
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Sanatan Jagaran Mancha demands minority affairs ministry
Oct 25, 2024
The Sanatan Jagaran Mancha, a platform for members of Hindu community, has placed an 8-point demand including the formation of a minority affairs ministry.
The demands came from a rally held in Chattogram's Laldighi today.
A huge number of people from Hindu community from different upazilas and wards of Chattogram and adjacent districts participated in the rally that started at 3:00pm.
Speakers at the rally protested against the nationwide attacks on temples, houses, and "forced" resignation of Hindu teachers since August 5.
Speakers also demanded punishment of the culprits while speaking at a rally presided over by Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, chair of the Sanatan Jagaran Mancha and principal of Pundrik Dham.
The other demands are setting up a speedy tribunal for the trial of atrocities committed towards minorities and providing adequate compensation and rehabilitation to the victims, formulating a law for protecting endowed properties and a minority protection act, upgradation of Hindu Welfare Trust to Foundation, construction of places of worship for minorities in every educational institution and allotment of prayer rooms in every hostel, modernisation of Sanskrit and Pali education boards, and a 5-day holiday for Durga Puja festival.
Source:thedailystar.net
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Moscow to back Dhaka’s enhanced role in BRICS
Oct 26, 2024
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey A Ryabkov has pledged to advance the "matured" relations with Bangladesh to a new height.
The Deputy Foreign Minister thanked the government of Bangladesh for its renewed commitment to remain engaged with the BRICS alliance. He assured that the Russian government will support Bangladesh for a greater role in the bloc during its future expansion, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday.
The issues were discussed when Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin held a bilateral meeting with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey A Ryabkov on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, on Thursday.
During the meeting, both sides discussed areas of mutual interest and cooperation, with a focus on further strengthening the relations between the two countries.
The discussions also featured holding the next Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in Moscow, Russia.
The foreign secretary highlighted the historical ties between Bangladesh and Russia and underscored the importance of cooperation in the areas of energy and food security between the two countries.
The foreign secretary thanked the deputy foreign minister for inviting Bangladesh to the BRICS summit and shared Bangladesh's keen interest to contribute to the BRICS alliance.
Appreciating Bangladesh's standing on multilateral issues, including the strong belief in multilateralism and a multipolar world for a sustained and rules-based global order, as forward-looking, Ryabkov shared that the BRICS Declaration (Kazan Declaration) under the Russian Presidency would focus on practical and result-oriented cooperation for the developing countries.
He also highlighted Bangladesh's role as a full-fledged member of the New Development Bank (NDB) and assured continued support.
Faisal Ahmed, CDA of the Bangladesh Embassy in Moscow, and senior officials from both sides were present at the meeting.
Earlier, the foreign secretary addressed the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia and said Bangladesh looks forward to contributing to the bloc in promoting rules-based international trading system and amplifying the voices of the Global South on reform of international financial institutions, migrants' rights, climate justice, debt sustainability, and a fair and inclusive global order. Bangladesh also called for an end to the genocide in Gaza.
Source:thedailystar.net
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Ex-state minister, 2 former secys placed on remand
Oct 26, 2024
A Dhaka court yesterday placed Zakir Hossain, former state minister for primary and mass education; Mustafa Kamal Uddin, former senior secretary to the home ministry; and Helal Uddin Ahmed, former senior secretary of the local government division, on remand in connection with three murder cases.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Nazmin Akter passed the orders yesterday, said a court staffer.
Zakir was placed on three-day remand in a case filed over the death of one Shamim Howlader, 38, in Dhaka's Mohammadpur area on July 20, this year. He was produced before the court with a five-day remand prayer.
On October 18, the victim's cousin Jakir Hossain filed the murder case with Mohammadpur Police Station, accusing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 67 others.
On Thursday, Zakir was arrested in the case from Mohammadpur. He is not an FIR-named accused.
Meanwhile, Mustafa was put on three-day remand in a case filed over the killing of a Jubo Dal leader, Shamim Mia, in the capital's Paltan area on October 28, 2023.
On September 14, this year, Abbas Ali, a former member of Jubo Dal's Central Committee, filed a case with Paltan Model Police Station against 704 people, including most of the top leaders of Awami League and several police officials, and 12,000 unnamed persons over Shamim's killing.
Helal, former secretary of the election commission, was placed on a four-day remand in a case filed over the death of BNP activist Mokbul in Paltan on December 7, 2022.
Helal sought justice from the court during yesterday's hearing, claiming innocence.
On September 30, this year, Mahfuzar Rahman, a BNP activist, filed a case with Paltan Model Police Station against 256 people, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and 700 unnamed persons over the Mokbul's killing.
On Thursday, Mustafa and Helal were arrested in Chattogram. Police subsequently produced them before the Dhaka court with a 10-day remand prayer each.
Source:thedailystar.net
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Breach of discipline: 59 more SIs given show cause notice
Oct 26, 2024
The Bangladesh Police Academy in Rajshahi's Sardah has issued show cause notices to 59 more trainee sub-inspectors (SIs) of the 40th cadet batch, asking them to explain why they should not be dismissed for "breaching discipline".
Notices were sent to 49 cadets on October 24 while 10 others were notified on October 21 over creating chaos by sitting randomly in the training classes. They were asked to respond within three days of receiving the show-cause notices.
The issuance of these notices has spread fear among the trainees, as 252 others of the same batch were dismissed on Monday after being served such show-cause notices for "breaching discipline".
Masudur Rahman Bhuiyan, principal of the academy, yesterday confirmed the issuance of the fresh notices.
Replying to a query, he said if the trainee SIs are not show-caused for breaching discipline, they will not be streamlined.
Asked whether the 59 trainee SIs will be dismissed, Masudur said they could answer the question only after receiving the replies from the cadets.
The 49 cadets have been undergoing basic training for one year since November 5 last year in the 40th cadet SI 2023 batch at the academy, according to the notices issued on October 24.
On October 21 evening, there was a class for trainee cadet SIs on "Various Sections of Law" at the Chamney Memorial Hall.
The notices said the instructors found the cadets yelling and sitting haphazardly. When the instructors asked the cadets to maintain discipline, they disobeyed and continued shouting. They also whispered to the fellow cadets.
The notices issued to the 10 others said they did maintain discipline in their sitting on October 10 evening. They allegedly shouted and did not pay attention to a class at the gymnasium.
The notices said such "undisciplined behaviour" in a class is against the rules and regulations of the academy.
Claiming themselves to be innocent, several dismissedtrainee SIs said they did not break discipline.
One of them said, "I was not involved in politics, nor did I get the job through anyone's recommendation. I was supposed to take part in the passing-out ceremony within a few days, but I have been dismissed based on charges that I am unaware of."
Speaking to this correspondent, five dismissed trainee SIs demanded an impartial inquiry into their dismissals.
A total of 804 trainee SIs from 52 districts were recruited in the 40th Outside Cadet SI batch after they passed a physical endurance test, a 250-mark written test, and a 50-mark viva test.
Of them, three were earlier discharged on the grounds of moral turpitude.
Those who passed the tests joined the Police Academy for the year-long basic training.
Source:thedailystar.net
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Lt Tanjim murder: One more suspect arrested in Cox’s Bazar
Oct 25, 2024
One more suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder of Lt Tanjim Sarwar Nirjon in Chakaria upazila of Cox's Bazar.
The arrestee is Kamal Uddin Prokash, 35, said a press release by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Acting on a tip-off, a team of Bangladesh Army conducted the drive in Rangmahal area of Chakaria around 10:35am yesterday and arrested Kamal.
During primary interrogation, the arrestee admitted his involvement in the killing, the release added.
Lt Tanjim, 23, was stabbed to death during a drive to prevent a robbery in the upazila in the early hours of September 24.
Later, the army filed a case with Chakaria Police Station in this connection.
With the latest arrest, a total of 12 people have been arrested in connection with the murder. Three of them directly took part in the killing, the release said.
The army will continue to conduct operations to arrest the other robbers involved in the killing, the ISPR statement added.
Born in Tangail, Tanjim was a student of Pabna Cadet College. He was commissioned in the Army Service Corps from the Bangladesh Military Academy on June 8, 2022, after completing the 82nd Long Course.
Source:thedailystar.net
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Bangladesh: Are Islamist parties growing in influence?
October 26, 2024
Bangladesh's largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), was banned by the now-ousted government of Sheikh Hasina just days before the former prime minister fled the country in August.
Hasina's Awami League party insisted that the JI was involved in terrorist activities. Many party members and activists were jailed and its leaders hanged during Hasina's 15 years in power.
After Hasina's government was dissolved, Bangladesh's interim government led by Muhammed Yunus reversed the ban.
Khalid Hossain, adviser to the Ministry of Religious Affairs for the interim government, said the interim administration was "working to establish a level playing field for all the political parties in country."
He told DW the political culture and citizens' voting rights in Bangladesh have been eroded over time, and the interim government is striving to restore them by supporting all political parties, including Islamic ones.
But Munshi Faiz Ahmad, former chairman of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), told DW that the previous Awami League government had legitimate grounds to restrict the political activities of JI.
"Given JI's opposition to the creation of Bangladesh through its association with Pakistan during the 1971 liberation war, it should not be permitted to operate under that name. However, if its leaders wish to participate in politics under a new name, they should be allowed to do so," he added.
The mandate of Bangladesh's interim government is to pave the way for new elections and propose reforms that could be enacted under a newly elected government. The date for the new election has yet to be determined.
A new opportunity for Islamist parties?
Lawyer Shishir Munir, who represents JI in legal disputes, said the party survived the last 15 years under the Awami League, and could thrive in the future.
"Like other political parties, JI has begun adapting to align with the expectations of citizens. JI will adjust its strategy to better prepare for the upcoming election, keeping in mind the lessons from the downfall of the previous government," he told DW.
Syed Mohammad Mosaddek Billah, a senior leader of the Islamist party Islami Andolan Bangladesh, told DW that Islamist political parties, including his, were suppressed by the Hasina government and are now being supported by the interim administration to take part in the upcoming elections.
Post-doctoral research fellow at Central European University in Hungary, Shafi Md Mostafa, said that Islamist parties supported the student-led movement that led to the ouster of Hasina and the Awami League, and that has earned them a role in the reform-making process.
Demands by Islamists
Mamunul Haque, the leader of far-right Islamic advocacy group Hefazat-e-Islam, demanded the withdrawal of nearly 300 cases filed against the group's leaders and activists. The party also wants the Awami League to be banned.
Haque told DW that only one or two cases have been withdrawn, and no significant steps have been taken to dismiss the rest.
Following these demands coming from Islamist political parties, on October 24, Bangladesh's interim government officially banned the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the Awami League party, labeling it a "terrorist organization."
Ridwanul Hoque, a former law professor at the University of Dhaka, criticized the decision to ban the BCL, calling the move politically, legally, and constitutionally flawed.
He told DW that the BCL ban from the interim government was autocratic and devoid of a fair process.
The measures taken by the interim government, including the removal of Supreme Court judges and university teachers, have been criticized by some rights groups as lacking transparency.
"Many convicted terrorists have been released from jail since the formation of this government without following proper legal procedures, which poses a security threat to Bangladesh and beyond," said Veena Sikri, former High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.
Sikri told DW that "even the students' opinion is divided, and it is mostly the Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir, the student wing of JI, which is involved in bringing these changes through involving the interim government without following due process."
Source:dw.com
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https://www.dw.com/en/bangladesh-are-islamist-parties-growing-in-influence/a-70601471
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia condemns military targeting of Iran, calls for restraint and de-escalation
October 26, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia condemned on Saturday the military targeting of Iran, denouncing it as a violation of Tehran’s sovereignty and a breach of international laws and norms, state news agency SPA reported.
In a statement, the Kingdom urged all involved parties to exercise maximum restraint and to work toward de-escalation and warned of the grave consequences that prolonged military confrontations could have on the region.
Saudi Arabia reiterated its steadfast stance against the ongoing escalation in the region and the widening scope of conflicts that threaten the security and stability of neighboring countries.
It called on the international community to fulfill their responsibilities in promoting peace, reducing tensions, and supporting efforts to end conflicts in the Middle East.
On Saturday morning, Israel struck military sites in Iran in retaliation against Tehran’s strikes on Israel this month, risking fears of wider war in the Middle East.
Source:arabnews.com
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Filipino music, culture celebrated at Riyadh’s Global Harmony event
MARCO FERRARI
October 26, 2024
RIYADH: Members of Saudi Arabia’s Filipino expatriate community are celebrating their culture with lively festivities in Suwaidi Park this week.
As part of the Ministry of Media’s Global Harmony initiative, a number of Filipino superstars are visiting the Kingdom’s capital to perform.
One such entertainer is DJ Jimmy Nocon, who energized the crowd with his upbeat set marked by trademark live drumming.
Speaking to Arab News after the show, he described how it felt to play for a crowd of mostly Filipino expatriates.
He said: “It’s very special; it feels amazing. Of course, spinning, performing in front of my fellow Filipinos is very huge for me. It’s my pleasure.”
It was especially important, he said, to put on a show for his compatriots, known as Overseas Filipino Workers back home, who often make significant personal sacrifices in order to work in Saudi Arabia and send remittances to support their families.
He said: “I would like to thank, of course, Saudi Arabia’s government for having us and for having this event. So thank you so much.”
Remittances from OFWs make up a significant proportion of the Asian nation’s gross domestic product: 8.5 percent, according to the official Philippine News Agency.
There are 725,890 Filipinos living in Saudi Arabia, according to the 2022 national census, making them one of the largest expatriate populations in the country.
Many of them are employed in the medical field, with an estimated 130,000 Filipino nurses working in Saudi hospitals and clinics.
Cheysser Pragillata is one of those nurses, and she told Arab News that the Global Harmony event was a good chance to socialize and take a break from a demanding job.
She said: “It can help you to relieve your stress at work, this kind of event. It’s really helping us, for our social life, going out with our friends.”
Pragillata has lived in Saudi Arabia for eight years, and calls it her “second home.”
Describing the benefits of living in the Kingdom, she said: “It really gave me a chance to improve my career and (there are) a lot of great opportunities here for us.”
As well as the rousing performance from DJ Jimmy, a series of performers and dancers also took to the stage at the event, including The Power Duo, the winners of “Pilipinas Got Talent.”
While the show on the main stage got underway, a dynamic marching band with dancers clad in bright colors wended its way through the park’s walkways.
Children from the International Philippines School also got the chance to put on a dance show for proud parents and members of the public.
Kurt Dabalos came to support his daughter for the dance show, but stayed for the atmosphere.
He told Arab News: “We came here for, firstly, to be honest, because my daughter is performing, but if my daughter (was not) performing, I think I would still come here just to appreciate the hospitality of Saudi Arabia in welcoming the Filipinos, having this kind of activity for us all.”
The Global Harmony initiative was launched on Oct. 17 and began with music and dance to celebrate the culture of Indian expatriates.
While this week gives the country’s Filipino community the spotlight, next week will highlight Indonesian culture (Oct. 26-29), followed by Pakistani (Oct. 30-Nov 2), Yemeni (Nov. 3-6), Sudanese (Nov. 7-16), Jordanian, Lebanese and Syrian (Nov. 17-19), Bangladeshi (Nov. 20-23), and Egyptian (Nov. 24-30).
Source:arabnews.com
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Culinary event in Japan to highlight rich Saudi culture
October 26, 2024
RIYADH: The Culinary Arts Commission will host the Taste of Saudi Culture event in Tokyo, Japan, from Nov. 8-10, showcasing the rich culinary culture of Saudi Arabia and highlighting the diversity of dishes in the Kingdom.
The event will feature booths presenting authentic Saudi dishes and products, live performances and a range of other cultural activities.
It highlights the commission’s efforts to promote Saudi culinary arts internationally and showcase the Kingdom’s culture.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia to expand studies of ancient mustatil stone structures
TAREQ AL-THAQAFI
October 26, 2024
MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission will expand research and excavation efforts at new mustatil sites in the Kingdom, scientists said at a recent meeting of the body.
The commission held an open virtual meeting to discuss the recent findings on mustatils — some of the world’s oldest human-made stone structures — in the Hail region.
During the meeting, scientists stressed the importance of expanding the scope of their studies, and presented some of their preliminary findings.
They plan to focus on the environmental dimensions of mustatils, linking them to climate changes that affected the region during that period.
These studies are expected to provide a deeper understanding of ancient societies and how they adapted to their natural environment.
The researchers emphasized that these structures provide evidence of civilizations that developed in the region thousands of years ago and had played a central role in the lives of these communities.
Studies have been carried out using the latest archaeological technology, including aerial photography and 3D scanning, to analyze the sites more accurately and uncover new information about the structures.
The meeting began with a speech by the Heritage Commission’s CEO Dr. Jasser Al-Harbash who highlighted the importance of mustatils and their role in enhancing archaeological understanding of the Arabian Peninsula’s history.
Al-Harbash said mustatils are among the oldest archaeological structures in the Middle East, dating to between 4200 and 5400 B.C.
He highlighted the commission’s focus on collaboration and partnership with researchers and enthusiasts, to help reveal the cultural and social significance of mustatils.
Al-Harbash said it was vitally important to document and preserve them as an important element of the Kingdom’s cultural heritage.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture is carrying out extensive studies on the mustatils, which are mostly found in the northwestern part of the country.
Dr. Salma Hawsawi, a professor of ancient history at King Saud University, spoke to Arab News about how Saudi Arabia has a significant number of stone circles, mounds, and other similar structures scattered across the country.
Many have been discovered in the region north of Madinah, particularly in Khaybar, Fadak and AlUla. These are made up of large slabs of stones arranged in triangles, squares, arches, ovals and heaps.
Hawsawi explained that these circles and mounds form geometric shapes, which may be connected or separate.
During the virtual meeting the researchers were asked about construction techniques, the connection between mustatils and climate changes, and the methods being used to preserve these archaeological sites.
Source:arabnews.com
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Security Operations Center hosts Dhahran exhibition
October 25, 2024
DHAHRAN: The Unified Security Operations Center in the Eastern Province is hosting an introductory and awareness exhibition at the Dhahran Complex until Oct. 26.
The exhibition aims to familiarize citizens, residents, and visitors with the security and humanitarian services offered by the center through the unified 911 emergency number.
The center serves 13 governorates, including the city of Dammam, by consolidating the operations of 29 different control rooms under one roof, all accessible through the single emergency number 911.
This initiative is part of the Ministry of Interior’s projects, implemented in collaboration with the Quality of Life Program, a key pillar of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi exports to Austria up by 146% last year, says envoy
LAMA ALHAMAWI
October 25, 2024
RIYADH: Imports from Saudi Arabia to Austria totaled €442.4 million ($477.9 million) in 2023, an increase of 146.2 percent on the previous year.
Oskar Wustinger, the Austrian ambassador to the Kingdom, said exports from his country to the Kingdom also showed a strong upward trend, increasing 11.9 percent to €537.8 million.
At a reception hosted by the Austrian Embassy in Riyadh, he described the growth in trade as “impressive” and said Austrian exports to Saudi Arabia during the first half of 2024 had also surged, up 57 percent on the same period last year.
Some 200,000 Saudis visited Austria last year, he added, describing it as “a big increase and new record with a further increase this year.”
According to the embassy’s website, Saudis made up the largest group of tourists from Gulf region with over 194,600 arrivals and 540,000 overnight stays.
The ambassador said he expected to see a further increase in tourism, with many visas already issued through the new “cascade” system.
Wustinger, who took up his current role in September last year, said the “very good relations” between Austria and the Kingdom were based on solid friendship and covered many fields.
During his tenure, he hopes to expand cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, mobility, mining, tourism, tourism infrastructure, the entertainment sector, green tech and renewable energy.
He said: “Vision 2030 is impressively bold and very ambitious,” adding he continued to be amazed by the rapid pace of change and the “energy, enthusiasm, and creativity of Saudi youth which is the biggest treasure of all.”
The ambassador also highlighted several Austrian companies which have established a presence in Saudi Arabia in the past few years, such as Hoerbiger and Andritz, adding that TUV Austria had celebrated the opening of its regional headquarters in Riyadh in May.
“Austrian businesses have world-leading expertise, break new ground, and think outside the box,” he said.
During his speech, the ambassador also listed numerous trade missions organized by the Austrian Embassy, including the commercial section which focused on green tech, tourism know-how and infrastructure.
He said another trade mission to Riyadh this month would bring a delegation to Abha to learn more about the developing tourist region of Aseer.
There was cooperation in the world of football, too, he said, with an increasing number of Saudi teams — including Al-Hilal — holding summer camps in Austria.
He also highlighted Austria’s National Day as “a very good occasion to bring together colleagues, Saudi friends, contacts and business people who are involved in trying to further enhance Austria and Saudi relations in the cultural field, economic and political fields.
Source:arabnews.com
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Europe
Oakworth Beavers and Cub Scouts in visit to Keighley mosque
25th October
MEMBERS of a Scout group have visited a Keighley mosque.
Beavers and Cub Scouts from the 6th Keighley (Oakworth) group went to the Markazi Jamia Masjid Mosque, in Emily Street.
The visit formed part of the youngsters' work on a faith activity badge.
A group spokesperson says: "As part of the work towards the badge, we had the great privilege of being invited to the Markazi Jamia Masjid Mosque in Keighley.
"The Iman met us and during the visit we learned about the Muslim faith, how the mosque was built and and how it is used on a daily basis.
"We also had the honour of watching the early-evening prayers.
"Our thanks go to everyone at the mosque who made us all feel so welcome."
Source:keighleynews.co.uk/
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Plans for new Dewsbury mosque transformation divide opinion
25 OCT 2024
ByAbigail Marlow
Plans to demolish a Dewsbury mosque and build a new one in its place will be determined next week.
The application relates to the Mohaddis E Azam Education Centre and Masjid E Madani at Ravenshouse Road, Dewsbury Moor and will be decided by Kirklees Council’s District-wide Planning Committee next Thursday (October 31).
An extension of the mosque had previously been approved, including its partial demolition, but under the new plans, the current building would be torn down completely and replaced with a new mosque and education centre.
A prayer hall, toilet facilities, reception and office would be at ground level, with a conference room, office, library, meeting room and toilets located on the first floor. The roof space would be used for storage. To the outside, the proposals would see the addition of a dome on the roof and minarets.
The plans are being decided by the committee due to the high levels of representations received that go against the green-light recommendation of council officers. Overall, the public response has been mixed.
After three rounds of publicity, 184 comments have been submitted to the council in objection to the proposals, and 44 in support. Two supporting petitions containing 186 and 204 signatures respectively have also been put forward, along with one 47-signature petition in objection.
Among the concerns raised are those around traffic and parking, a loss of privacy and the close proximity of another new mosque.
One objector said: “I live behind the mosque now and parking is already horrendous and dangerous, if I need emergency services now it is hard for them to park up as it is, I am totally against this idea.”
Another commented: “I’ve had enough of the constant drama and blocking. I’ve complained many times but no one listens or does anything. I’m fed up, refuse this, it’s not needed.”
On the other hand, one supporter described the mosque as “the best thing that has happened” to the area. Another commented: “The Masjid and education centre is already doing superb work in transforming the community through unity and education. I wish them all the best in supporting the youth and the community through wider projects under the new facilities proposed.”
Council officers have recommended the plans be approved subject to a number of conditions.
Source:examinerlive.co.uk
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‘Death trap’ Channel boats traded by smugglers in German city - BBC undercover
Jessica Parker
October 26, 2024
It costs €15,000 (£12,500) for the whole “package”, we are told. For that we would be given an inflatable dinghy, with an outboard motor and 60 life jackets, to get across the English Channel.
This is the “good price” offered by two small-boat smugglers to an undercover BBC journalist in Essen - a western German city where many migrants live or pass through.
A five-month-long BBC investigation has exposed the significant German connection to the lethal human smuggling trade across the English Channel.
As the new UK government promises to “smash the gangs”, Germany has become a central location for the storage of boats and engines eventually used in Channel crossings - confirmed to the BBC by Britain’s National Crime Agency.
During covert filming, smugglers revealed to us that they store boats in multiple secret warehouses - as they play cat-and-mouse games with German police.
This year is already the deadliest for migrant Channel crossings, UN figures show, while more than 28,000 people have so far made the journey in small, dangerously packed boats.
Our undercover reporter is waiting outside the central station in the city of Essen.
He is wearing a secret camera and posing as a Middle Eastern migrant, eager to cross the Channel to the UK with his family and friends.
He must remain anonymous, for his safety, but we will refer to him as Hamza.
He approaches a man. It is someone Hamza has been in touch with for months, via WhatsApp calls, after getting his number through a contact within the migrant community - but this is the first time they have met.
This man’s name – or at least the name he has given us – is Abu Sahar.
Since Hamza contacted him, they have discussed how Sahar can help provide a dinghy to get to the south coast of England.
Hamza has told him that bad experiences with the smuggling gangs in the Calais region have driven him, his family and friends to try to manage their crossing alone - an unusual step.
Sahar has already sent a video of an inflated dinghy which, he has suggested, is “new”, available and being kept in a warehouse in the Essen area.
He will go on to supply more footage including other, similar looking, boats as well as outboard engines being fired up.
Hamza has said he wants to check the quality of the items on offer himself and that is why he has insisted on an in-person meeting.
A BBC team is nearby, monitoring Hamza’s movements, in case anything goes wrong, or we need to extract him quickly.
As the two men walk through the centre of Essen, Sahar declares it is too “risky” to go to the warehouse to see the boat, even though he says it is less than 15 minutes’ drive away.
When Hamza asks about why the boats are kept in this part of Germany, Sahar talks about “safety” and “logistics”.
Essen is just a four- to five-hour drive from the Calais area - close enough to get boats there fast, but not too close to the more heavily monitored beaches of northern France.
While police raids do happen, including under European Arrest Warrants, the facilitation of people-smuggling is not technically illegal in Germany if it is to a third country outside the EU, which the UK now is after Brexit.
The interior ministry in Berlin argues that, because Germany and the UK aren’t geographical neighbours, “no direct smuggling” actually takes place - but a UK Home Office source told the BBC there is “frustration” about Germany’s legal framework.
Sahar takes Hamza to a cafe where they order coffees and light cigarettes, although they move tables because there are Arabic speakers next to them and Sahar doesn’t want to be overheard.
Just over 35 minutes later, Sahar gets up out of his chair and tells Hamza: “Lower your voice, he’s coming.”
A well-dressed man in a baseball cap approaches. He is referred to as “al-Khal”, which means “the Uncle” - a phrase in Arabic that implies someone who commands significant respect.
Khal is accompanied by another man who will remain largely silent, but appears to be his bodyguard.
There are some handshakes before Khal talks to the waitress in German and then switches back to Arabic, his native tongue.
Hamza is told to hand over his phone, which is placed on a separate table.
The bodyguard sits next to Hamza and will spend much of the next 22 minutes staring intently at him.
During the meeting, because of strict German law, the BBC can only record video, not the audio.
Our reporting of it is therefore partly based on the immediate recollection of our undercover journalist - an established method in German investigative reporting.
It is backed up by messages, call records and voice notes between Hamza and the smugglers.
“Don’t raise your voice,” says Khal as he instructs Hamza to explain who he is and what he wants.
Hamza repeats his cover story, apparently convincingly.
He also suggests the boat purchase they are now discussing may not, in fact, even be illegal because of grey areas in German law.
But Khal dismisses that suggestion.
“Who told you that?” he asks. “It’s not legal.”
Even if there are legal loopholes in Germany around boat-smuggling, it appears these men know they are involved in a wider criminal network.
During their coffee, Khal sometimes prods Hamza in the chest as the smugglers disclose they have about 10 warehouses in the Essen area.
That, it is implied, is a way of dividing up their goods in case of a police raid – which there was a “few days ago”.
Sometimes, it is suggested, they get word the police are coming and give them “bait” - meaning supplies are confiscated but seemingly not enough to seriously disrupt the operation.
The smugglers talk about their ability to get equipment to Calais within “three, four hours”, which indicates they feel bold enough to use motorways, rather than back roads.
Essen’s location means boats can be delivered within a morning or afternoon, should a good weather forecast prompt a surge in crossing attempts and therefore demand.
According to research by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, boats are typically transported by vans or cars from Germany, Belgium or the Netherlands to the French coast, with Germany a “particularly important transit point”.
Most of the vessels, they found, have been manufactured in China before being sent, by container, to Turkey and then moved into Europe.
One of the report’s authors, Tuesday Reitano, says Germany’s role as a hub has grown for various reasons including robust “anti-smuggling controls” in France, which have driven increasingly organised gangs to operate over longer distances.
She also believes the German authorities are less engaged with the issue of Channel crossings because, “It’s not a problem that’s on their border”.
Back at the cafe, Khal is apparently satisfied that Hamza is legitimate and starts talking money.
His preference is that Hamza takes the “package” deal which will cost €15,000 (£12,500).
That involves collecting the boat near Calais, along with an engine, fuel, pump and 60 lifejackets - more than Hamza has said he needs, but that is the blanket offer, and one that would more likely be made to a fellow smuggler directly organising the crossings in France.
Those smugglers’ profits are potentially “extraordinary” if you assume adults are being charged about €2,000 (£1,660) for a single trip with dozens of people on board - according to Global Initiative.
If a deal is agreed now, Khal claims he could get a boat to a location that is just 200m (655ft) from the French shoreline, by as soon as tomorrow.
Khal and Sahar also refer to a “new crossing point”, suggesting they have found a place less under the eye of the French authorities, though they don’t reveal its location.
There is a second, cheaper option, which Hamza has been pitching for all along.
For about €8,000 (£6,670) Hamza could pick up the boat himself, here at a warehouse in Essen, and drive it to northern France independently.
If you get caught, the smugglers tell him, we are not responsible.
Conversation turns to how Hamza would pay the gang, once he has decided what to do.
Khal wants the cash paid in Turkey, because “all the stuff” comes from there.
The money, he suggests, can be deposited through the Hawala system - a payment method that avoids formal banking and instead relies on a network of agents to deliver cash across borders.
Later, Hamza is sent an account name on WhatsApp.
Other messages and voice notes in Arabic, also sent after the cafe meeting, include Sahar describing brands of outboard motors. He “loves” Mercury ones, he says, although “if there is Yamaha, I prefer Yamaha”.
He talks about how they can “deliver and bury” the gear, implying it can be hidden underground near a crossing point, with Boulogne a better option because, “Calais, it’s hard”.
In what appears to be a sales pressure tactic, Hamza is also told the smugglers have “limited” stocks but plenty of buyers.
Khal is more careful in his communications, but in one voice note, forwarded by Sahar, he expresses unease after meeting Hamza, saying: “Your friend, he seems not OK.”
Nevertheless, he instructs Sahar to get a decision from Hamza about whether he wants to buy a boat or not: “Ask him in the next one or two hours.”
Eventually, Hamza tells them he can no longer go ahead with the deal.
The BBC paid no money to these men, whose real identities we have not been able to establish definitively.
We have shown footage we received of the boats to the Chair of the National Independent Lifeboat Association, Neil Dalton, who says he wouldn’t go in a “duck pond” in such vessels.
Comparing one to a “death trap”, he says it would be “appallingly dangerous” to pack dozens of people onto these boats for a Channel crossing, because of what appears to be a “tremendously flimsy” design.
Meanwhile, diplomats insist that co-operation between Germany and the UK, on tackling these gangs, has improved.
Arrests and warehouse raids have happened in Germany, in partnership with other countries - while so-called “collateral crime”, such as violence or money-laundering, can be prosecuted within Germany.
February saw a major raid where boats, engines, life vests and flotation devices for children were seized in Germany with 19 arrests - but these were made under Belgian and French judicial orders. A separate trial, following a similar operation in 2022, is being prosecuted in France.
A UK Home Office spokesperson told the BBC the government is “rapidly accelerating” work with countries, including Germany, to “crack down on the criminal smuggling gangs”, but “there is always more to do together”.
That sentiment is echoed by the French authorities.
“It is important to demonstrate to the Germans that these boats are linked to offences on our coasts, which will allow them to intervene,” Pascal Marconville, a prosecutor in northern France, told the BBC earlier this month.
Berlin’s interior ministry told the BBC that bilateral cooperation was “very good” and that German authorities can take action at the request of the UK.
A spokesperson added that while it isn’t illegal to aid smuggling from Germany to the UK, it is punishable to aid smuggling to Belgium or France, where Channel crossings take place.
The BBC’s investigation highlights “exactly the sort of activity we want to be working to address”, Downing Street said.
Asked whether Germany should be doing more to stop inflatable dinghies being smuggled through the country, Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson said: “It is vital that we continue to step up our approach on enforcement, and that goes to other countries.
“We need to keep pace with the scale of their activity, and it's something that we'll be working very closely with the Germans and others on.”
Along the shores of north-eastern France, you can find the remnants of failed crossing attempts on boats that, according to the National Crime Agency, are becoming “ever more dangerous and unseaworthy”.
The deflated dinghies and abandoned life jackets on these beaches may look worthless, but someone will have paid huge sums for what they hoped was a route to a better life.
It is a trade in misery, desperation and, in the worst cases, death - but one that continues to evolve and thrive deep inside Europe.
Following publication, we asked al-Khal for a response but he did not reply.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd6q6wz765eo
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Decision time for two countries on future role in Europe
October 26, 2024
Laura Gozzi & Paul Kirby
Two countries, Moldova and Georgia, are holding hold pivotal votes within a week of one another that will decide their future path in Europe.
Both have felt the shadow of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and both are former Soviet republics.
Georgians go to the polls on Saturday in a vote that will decide their future direction towards the European Union, with the governing party accused of "democratic backsliding".
Only six days before, Moldova’s pro-EU president Maia Sandu suffered a setback when the referendum on adding Moldova's EU accession as an irreversible constitutional goal passed by a tiny margin and was marred by serious accusations of vote-buying.
Moldova's twin vote
Moldovans went to the polls on 20 October in a referendum on enshrining Moldova's path to EU membership in the constitution - alongside the presidential election. The final referendum result was 50.38% for Yes and 49.62% for No.
The narrow victory for the Yes camp after a nail-biting count came as a surprise to many, as several surveys before the vote had suggested a substantial majority of up to 63% voters would back the referendum.
Maia Sandu slammed the result as the product of foreign interference in Moldovan politics, saying that pro-EU forces had won the first battle in a "difficult fight".
Moldovan police said over the past two months fugitive pro-Russian businessman Ilan Shor had moved $39m (£30m) into Moldovan bank accounts in a Russian vote-buying scheme.
Sandu said without the bribery "we would have had a convincing victory in the presidential election and the referendum".
The Kremlin has denied meddling in Moldova. However, even before the vote many in the pro-European camp had denounced what they said were Russian efforts to spread disinformation and influence the vote.
Moldova’s population is just over 2.5 million, while 1.2 million Moldovans live abroad.
A committed European, Maia Sandu became president in 2020. The 52-year-old founder of the liberal Party of Action and Solidarity won the first round of Sunday presidential election with 42%.
But it was not enough to avoid a second round on 3 November, when she will face off against Alexander Stoianoglo, the former prosecutor general of Moldova who came second with around 26% of the vote.
Stoianoglo took many by surprise when he announced he was running for president in July.
He is supported by the pro-Russian Party of Socialists, whose leader is ex-president and popular opposition figure Igor Dodon. Several other candidates are likely to throw their support behind Stoianoglo, complicating Sandu's path to re-election.
At just over 50%, turnout at Sunday's election and referendum was lower than predicted.
Even if Sandu wins the second round of the presidential election parliamentary elections next July look difficult for her party, which may have to work with less staunchly pro-EU forces if it wants to govern.
Ilan Shor has loomed large over the election, despite apparently living in Russia. In September, he offered money to convince “as many people as possible” to vote No or to abstain in the EU referendum.
His Shor Party was banned in Moldova last year following allegations of working with Russia to undermine Moldova’s security and constitutional order. Shor first fled to Israel in 2019 after being convicted of fraud and money-laundering.
Pro-European forces in Moldova have long warned of Russian interference in the election and referendum vote.
Russia still has a military base in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria along Moldova's border with Ukraine, and there is also an autonomous Russian-speaking region called Gagauzia. The governor there, Eugenia Gutul, is an active supporter of Vladimir Putin and has been sanctioned by the EU for threatening Moldova's independence.
Authorities have linked some cases of vandalism and disinformation campaigns on social media to Shor and to his alleged Kremlin backers.
Moldova’s chief of police Viorel Cernauteanu said police and prosecutors had found that attempts to bribe voters had begun months ago, and that at least 138,000 Moldovans had benefited from the $39m transferred in the past two months.
Before the vote, Mr Cernauteanu alleged that dozens of Moldovans had recently travelled to Moscow, ostensibly to attend “cultural exchange programmes”, but actually receiving training to stir violence ahead of the elections.
The Kremlin maintains it "does not interfere in other people's affairs" and has accused Moldova's authorities of "denying many citizens a right to say that they support having good relations with Russia".
Georgia's pivotal vote
There is a lot of stake for Georgians when they vote in parliamentary elections on Saturday.
This country of 3.7 million people has become highly polarised - with the governing party, Georgian Dream, accused of creeping authoritarianism with a succession of Russia-style laws that steer Georgia away from its European path.
Opposition parties, and Georgia's pro-Western president, have sought to frame this vote as a choice between Europe and Russia - a label firmly rejected by Georgian Dream, which is aiming for a fourth term in power.
It was only last December that Georgians were celebrating the EU granting their country official candidate status, with polls suggesting support from at least 80% of Georgians.
By the summer, the EU had frozen that process, because of a “foreign influence law” that brought tens of thousands of protesters onto the streets of the capital Tbilisi.
The law requires media and NGOs with foreign funding to register as acting in the interest of a foreign power. Since then Georgian Dream has also enacted a law curbing LGBT rights.
The EU and US have all issued warnings against backsliding from democracy. The EU’s ambassador in Tbilisi has warned it could temporarily suspend its visa-free regime with Georgia if the vote is not deemed free and fair. US President Joe Biden pointedly withdrew a recent invite to a reception to Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
Russia has accused the West of blatantly trying to put pressure on Georgia, denying that the Kremlin has itself has sought to do so.
But Georgian Dream maintains it is still on the path to joining the EU.
The prime minister promises a reset in relations with the West, and EU membership by 2030, as well as deepening co-operation with Nato.
The party has been in power since 2012, and if Georgian Dream wins, party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia, has promised to ban opposition groups. But to do that he would need three-quarters of the seats in the 150-seat parliament to change the constitution.
The opposition itself is split into four main groups, so while Georgian Dream has declined in popularity it still leads in the opinion polls.
However, if all four opposition blocs get into parliament they could combine in an interim coalition to unseat Ivanishvili's party.
The biggest opposition party - United National Movement or UNM - is also considered the most divisive, after nine years in power before Georgian Dream.
But they and the other three groups - Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia and Gakharia for Georgia - have signed a presidential charter to back an interim technocratic government that would reverse the "Russia-style" laws and put Georgia back on track to joining the EU.
Although Georgians will be voting for the first time under a proportional representation system, seen by most parties as fairer, critics have accused Georgian Dream of holding a significant advantage in the election campaign. As in the case of Moldova, observers have highlighted a significant Russian anti-European disinformation campaign that has intensified ahead of the vote.
Since Georgia lost a short war with Russia in 2008, the two breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia which make up 20% of Georgian territory have come under Russian occupation.
Ahead of the election, the Kremlin has spoken of "normalising relations" with Tbilisi.
Georgia's government has avoided imposing sanctions on Russia, and used election posters to cast the vote as a choice between the devastation of the war in Ukraine or peace under Georgian Dream.
Source:bbc.com
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Mafia cocaine trafficker arrested after posing by Escobar's grave
October 26, 2024
Alex Loftus
An Italian mafia fugitive - who served as an intermediary with Colombian drug gangs - has been arrested after almost four years on the run in South America.
Luigi Belvedere, one of Italy's most wanted men, was tracked down to the city of Medellín, where infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar's cartel was based.
Italian police released an image of Belvedere posing beside Escobar's tomb when they announced his arrest.
Despite fleeing Europe to evade trafficking charges, he continued to be "active in the organisation of drug shipments from South America to Europe", police said.
Belvedere, believed to be around 32 years old, was on the Italian government's list of most dangerous fugitives.
Originally from Caserta, north of Naples, he "specialised in the illegal importation of cocaine" and served as a key point of contact between mafia clans and the Colombian cocaine producers, Italian police said in a statement on Friday.
In Italy he worked with the Casalesi, who are part of the notorious Camorra mafia-type organisation.
Belvedere had been on the run since December 2020, when he was sentenced to almost 19 years for international drug trafficking.
Europol, the EU's policing body, worked alongside Colombian investigators to track Belvedere down in Medellín.
The city has a long history with cocaine gangs, serving as the base for the Medellín cartel, Pablo Escobar's infamous drug operation.
Established in the 1970s, it supplied an estimated 80% of the global cocaine market at its peak.
Escobar's operation was so sophisticated he found himself on the Forbes list of global billionaires for seven years, before being shot dead by police in 1993.
Italian police released a photo of Belvedere squatting beside Escobar's tomb.
The image invokes a photo of Escobar himself, who famously posed in front of the White House in Washington DC while still overseeing the Medellín cartel.
Source:bbc.com
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EU must stop lecturing world – European Council president
25 Oct, 2024
The European Union needs to stop “lecturing” other parts of the world and be more respectful towards its partners in order to combat the growing influence of Russia and China, European Council President Charles Michel has said.
In an interview with the Financial Times published on Friday, Michel admitted that the bloc has become “convinced that we know what is right and what is wrong” and often fails to make an effort to understand why other countries may think otherwise.
He noted that in the EU there is a “reflex which is close to a form of lecture” when communicating with developing countries with which the bloc has signed strategic, trade or political cooperation agreements.
“We are not always very good in terms of communication, in terms of explanation, in terms of talking with them and showing a certain respect to them,” Michel said.
He also suggested that the EU should review its approach to enforcing its standards and regulations on trading partners, giving fishing rules as an example.
“We use the vocabulary: yellow card or red card,” he said, pointing out that “the words we use are really humiliating because we give the impression that we are a player on the pitch and at the same time the referee.”
The EC President’s remarks came as dozens of world leaders gathered in Kazan, Russia this week to attend the 16th BRICS Summit. The guest list included the presidents of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye - a NATO member and EU candidate country.
Michel suggested that the fact that the leaders of these countries, who are also “very close” to the EU from an economic and military point of view, chose to attend the BRICS Summit suggested that they “want to send a message to the rest of the world.”
“One of the emirs in the Gulf countries once told me if there is a vacuum, very quickly someone will fill the vacuum. And if you are not there, others are there,” Michel recalled, stressing that the EU needs to find “a new approach” to win over countries that wish to diversify their economic and security alliances.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed earlier this week that the BRICS group is not based on “friendship against anyone” and unlike the EU, its members are not bound by mutual obligations.
He explained that BRICS represents an “association of countries that share common values and common guidelines” and are committed to the universal principles of mutual respect and mutual benefit. The EU, on the other hand, is an organization that has clearly defined rules, binding documents and a “whole set of mutual obligations,” Peskov said.
Source:rt.com
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Southeast Asia
Health Minister: Ministry could amend laws to prevent people from ‘using disability card’ to avoid punishment
26 Oct 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) is prepared to amend existing laws related to mental health to address cases where individuals deemed insane use the “mental health card” to avoid severe punishment.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said any amendment to the law would require careful examination.
He said this issue would be discussed further at MOH’s post-Cabinet meetings and referred to the ministry’s legal advisors.
“I think this is a moral corruption, an incident that may become more frequent and involve misuse of mental health claims. We certainly need to look into it closely,” he said.
He told reporters this after the opening of the Malaysia International Healthcare (MIH) Megatrends Conference 2024, which was officiated by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia here today.
Dzulkefly said MOH takes such cases seriously and would consider all aspects to get a comprehensive understanding of the issues involved.
Yesterday, an exclusive Bernama report titled “Are Mentally Ill Individuals ‘Immune’ to Laws and Punishment?” revealed public concern over crimes committed by individuals alleged to have mental health issues.
It raised the possibility of a lack of adequate justice for victims and their families, with the excuse that the perpetrator was not of sound mind.
This follows discontent over a recent incident where three students from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Dungun, Terengganu, died after being hit by a car driven by a woman.
The driver who caused the accident was allegedly mentally unstable or suffered from mental health issues. Such justifications are not new, as similar cases, even involving murder, have occurred in the past.
Meanwhile, Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said that mental health issues should not be used to justify committing crimes.
He emphasised that mental health should not serve as “proof of case”.
On another matter, Dzulkefly said food safety and quality programmes would be intensified to address hygiene and food safety issues in food premises, especially at mamak eateries.
Additionally, he said that field enforcement would be conducted frequently, alongside strengthening the BeBAs (Clean, Smoke-Free) campaign, which recognises clean and safe premises.
Regarding MIH Megatrends 2024, Dzulkefly noted that Malaysia is the first Asean country to lead this health conference in collaboration with the private sector.
He said MIH Megatrends will be highlighted at the Asean Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM) in 2025.
Dzulkefly added that as Malaysia prepares to chair Asean in 2025, hosting MIH Megatrends 2024 will further strengthen its reputation as a crucial platform for in-depth discussions, particularly on issues that could impact regional health policies and practices, such as sustainable healthcare financing and equitable access. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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Ethiopian PM accorded official welcome at Perdana Putra
26 Oct 2024
PUTRAJAYA, Oct 26 — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, who is on a two-day official visit to Malaysia, attended an official welcoming ceremony at the Perdana Putra Building here today.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim received him at the venue at 9.30am, before the national anthems of both countries were played.
Abiy then inspected a guard of honour mounted by three officers and 103 members of the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment.
He arrived in Malaysia yesterday for his maiden visit since assuming office in April 2018.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, foreign diplomats and senior government officials were also present at the ceremony.
Abiy and Anwar then departed for Seri Perdana for a four-eyed meeting to discuss bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.
The discussions are expected to focus on trade and investment, agriculture and commodities, the halal industry, sustainable development, health, tourism and education.
A joint press conference is slated to be held afterwards.
Abiy, accompanied by First Lady Zinash Tayachew Bere and his delegation, landed at Kompleks Bunga Raya, Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 8.30 am yesterday.
Ethiopia was Malaysia’s 26th largest trading partner in the African continent in 2023, with the trade balance in Malaysia’s favour.
Trade between Malaysia and Ethiopia was recorded at RM446.8 million, with Malaysia’s exports to Ethiopia amounting to RM358.6 million, an increase of 24.6 per cent compared to the previous year.
Malaysia’s exports to Ethiopia include electrical and electronic products; palm oil and palm oil-based agricultural products; chemicals and chemical-based products; as well as textiles, clothing and footwear. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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Sultan Nazrin Presents 2024 Perak Islamic Education Excellence Awards
26/10/2024
IPOH, Oct 26 (Bernama) -- The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, attended today's 2024 state-level Islamic Education Excellence Awards ceremony at the Perak Islamic Administrative Institute (INTIM). He was accompanied by the Raja Permaisuri of Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim. Also present were Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and Perak Islamic Religious Department deputy director, Zakaria Abd RazakHe presented 20 excellence awards to 107 recipients, including the Top Educator Award to Madihah Mohamad, former senior assistant director of the Education Division and Principal of Sekolah Raja Perempuan Taayah. Madihah guided the school to secure three golds, one silver, one bronze, and a special jury award at the 2018 Apprentice Innovation Research Exhibition. The Young Hafiz 30 Juzuk Award was presented to seven recipients, while the Jasamu Dikenang Award went to two recipientsThe Excellence in Education Awards were presented to the top students of the 2023 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia and Sijil Tinggi Agam a Malaysia exams. Sultan Nazrin also launched the Usrah Badar Syllabus Book by the Perak Islamic Religious Department and the Akademi Insan Muda Ar Ridzuan textbook. -- BERNAMA
Source:bernama.com
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Islamic University of Kyrgyzstan awards honorary doctorate to Prophet’s Mosque imam
October 26, 2024
BISHKEK: The Islamic University of Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek awarded an honorary doctorate to Sheikh Dr. Salah bin Mohammed Al-Budair, imam of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, in recognition of his continuous service to Islam and Muslims.
The announcement was made during an official reception at the university, attended by Saudi Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic Ibrahim bin Radi Al-Radi, university president and Council of Scholars member Abdulshakur bin Islam Narmatov, along with university officials and students.
Narmatov expressed gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their service to Islam, Muslims, the Two Holy Mosques, and other holy sites. He prayed for Saudi Arabia’s protection and prosperity.
Source:arabnews.com
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IsDB approves $156m deal for cancer treatment facilities in Turkmenistan
October 25, 2024
RIYADH: The Islamic Development Bank has approved a $156.3 million financing agreement to build three state-of-the-art cancer treatment facilities in Turkmenistan.
The Jeddah-based IsDB is a multilateral development finance institution focused on Islamic finance for infrastructure development.
The three facilities in Balkanabat, Turkmenabat and Mary Region will provide advanced oncology services to 11,750 patients, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The agreement was signed by IsDB Group Chairman Dr. Mohammed Al-Jasser and Chairman of the State Bank of Foreign Economic Affairs of Turkmenistan Rahimberdy Jepbarov, on the sidelines of the 2024 annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group.
In Turkmenistan, the IsDB has financed projects in various sectors, including energy, healthcare, information and communications technology, transportation and trade.
The bank has also supported major projects that enhance regional connectivity and boost Turkmenistan’s export potential, such as railways, gas pipelines and communications network enhancement projects.
Last month, Al-Jasser met Turkmenistan’s president, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, in a high-level meeting focused on enhancing longstanding cooperation.
It took place as part of Al-Jasser’s official visit to the country, aimed at discussing projects and exploring new areas of collaboration.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the strategic partnership across key sectors, with a primary focus on healthcare and infrastructure development.
Source:arabnews.com
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/objectionable-remarks-narsinghanand-up-cm/d/133559