Waving Palestinian Flag Could Be a Criminal Offence, UK Home Secretary Warns
New Age Islam News Bureau
11 October 2023
Britain's Home Secretary Suella Braverman. (AFP)
-----
Europe
·
‘Stay
At Home’: UK FM Claims Pro-Palestine Protesters ‘Causing DistressAmong the
Jewish Community’
·
British Troops Killed Nine
Afghans ‘In Their Beds’ – Guardian
·
EU
Warns Elon Musk Over ‘Disinformation’ On X Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict
--------
India
·
Madrasa Sexual Abuse Case: CM Orders Probe into
All 419 Madrasas in Uttarakhand
·
NIA conducts raids in six state, Maharashtra,
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi against banned PFI
·
INDIA
will be forced to align withAll India United Democratic Front: Maulana
Badruddin Ajmal
·
Hundreds of youths from Darjeeling caught in
crossfire between Israel and Palestine
·
Torture and murder of 13-year-old madrasa
student in UP, family cries delay in police action
------
Mideast
·
Who Is Mohammed Deif, The
Secretive Hamas Commander Masterminded the Attack on Israel
·
Palestinian UN envoy accuses
Israel of ‘genocidal’ campaign against Gaza
·
SeniorIranian
MP Calls for Islamic Summit to Address the Escalating Situation in Palestine
·
Turkish Islamist parties to
hold joint rally in support of Palestinians
·
OCHA: Over 263,934 Displaced by
Continuous Israeli Aggression on Gaza
·
Unprecedented Israeli
bombardment lays waste to Rimal in Gaza City
·
Israeli village near the Gaza
border lies in ruin, filled with the bodies of residents and militants
·
Iran FM: Israel seeks to raze
besieged Gaza Strip, massacre its residents
·
Dozens Injured in Israeli Air
Raids Near Al-Shifa Hospital
-------
North America
·
CAIR-Houston to Hold Interfaith
Press Conference on Bombing of Gaza
·
Biden condemns ‘sheer evil’ of
Hamas attacks on Israel
·
Jordan denies US Army is using
bases in the country to deliver supplies to Israel
·
Trump Touts Travel Ban on
Muslim Countries After Hamas Terrorists Invade Israel
·
The Israel-Palestine war is
Washington’s fault
·
US labels Niger changes of
power ‘a coup’
--------
Arab World
·
Riyadh Working with Partners To
Prevent Escalation Of Gaza Conflict: KSA
·
Saudi FM Discusses Developments
In Gaza With UK, Canadian Counterparts
·
Saudi FM meets with Hungarian,
Lithuanian counterparts in Muscat
·
KSrelief provides 15,000 food
packages for Afghanistan quake victims
------
Pakistan
·
ECP Reserves Verdicts on Pleas
Against Imran, PTI Poll Symbol
·
Prosecution’s lapses in corps
commander house attack case irk LHC
·
Security forces kill two
terrorists in two different operations in KP
·
Two terrorists killed in as
many ops
·
Fazl slams ex-allies for seeking
early polls
·
Judge solicits jail SOPs for
Imran’s phone calls
·
Training organised for judges
on anti-rape laws
·
War over in Afghanistan, but
concerns persist: FM Jilani
--------
South Asia
·
Protection
Of Islamic System ‘Obligatory’: Islamic Emirate’s Virtue and Vice Minister
·
'Vice' at Kabul Wedding Halls
Has Declined to Zero: Minister
·
Islamic Emirate Establishes
Commission for Afghan Refugees’ Return
·
UN Representative visits
earthquake-affected areas in Herat Province
·
EU approves €3.5 in aid for
Afghan earthquake victims
·
Deputy FM Meets FAO Delegation,
Emphasizes Continued Support for Afghanistan
·
‘Huge losses’ after more
powerful quake hits Afghanistan
·
Another 6.3 magnitude quake
hits western Afghanistan
-------
Southeast Asia
·
Selangor Cops Need Better Equipment
to Counter Terrorists
·
Anwar meets Malaysian NGOs on
ways to support Palestine
·
Indonesian volunteers stay in
Gaza to provide emergency medical support
·
Five Malaysians trapped in West
Bank, including a woman and three kids
·
High Court dismisses MAIP
application to provide Islamic education to Loh's children
--------
Africa
·
Envoy: Nigerians In Israel Are
Safe, We’re Not Fighting Muslims but Terrorists
·
HRW accuses Rwanda of murders
and kidnappings of dissidents abroad
·
Nigerian court sentences
policeman to death for killing a lawyer in a rare ruling
·
South Africa opens criminal
case against bogus TikTok doctor
·
Nigerian Man Arraigned for
Sexually Molesting Two Underage Sons In Lagos
·
Army general jailed for seven
years, to refund stolen N3bn
·
Nigeria’s prominent cleric
Sheikh Zakzaky arrives in Tehran
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/palestinian-flag-uk-criminal/d/130876
-----
Waving
Palestinian Flag Could Be A Criminal Offence, UK Home Secretary Warns
Britain's Home Secretary Suella Braverman. (AFP)
-----
11
October 2023
In yet
another instance of the West’s unflinching support for the occupying Israeli
regime, the British government has urged the police to consider whether waving
a Palestinian flag could be a criminal offense.
In a
letter on Tuesday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman urged the UK police forces to
be alert for displays of Hamas flags or logos or other demonstrations of
support for the Palestinian resistance group, following calls by senior figures
for people deemed to have expressed pro-Palestine support to be prosecuted.
Braverman
also called on police to consider the context in which Palestinian flags are
waved to assess whether public order offenses of harassment or incitement may
have been committed.
“Behaviors
that are legitimate in some circumstances, for example, the waving of a
Palestinian flag, may not be legitimate such as when intended to glorify acts
of terrorism,” she wrote.
The
popular resistance movement of Hamas was designated as a “terrorist”
organization by the UK government in 2021.
Braverman
also encouraged police chiefs to consider whether chants like “From the river
to the sea, Palestine will be free” should be “understood as an expression of a
violent desire to see Israel erased from the world” and therefore a public
order offense.
Earlier
in the day, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak accused Hamas of “barbaric acts
of terrorism,” and said anyone in the UK supporting the resistance group would
be held accountable.
Iran’s
foreign minister has warned of a “human catastrophe” amid ongoing Israeli
aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip.
The
Western governments, namely the US, Britain, Germany and France, have offered
“steadfast support” to Israel amid the regime’s incessant bombing of the
besieged Gaza Strip over the past few days.
Israel
launched deadly strikes on the coastal area on Saturday after the Palestinian
Hamas resistance movement waged a surprise attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa
Storm, against the occupying regime.
Hamas
said that its operation came in response to Israel’s violations at the Al-Aqsa
Mosque in occupied East al-Quds and growing settler violence.
According
to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 950 Palestinians have been killed by
Israeli strikes so far. More than 260,000 people have also been displaced in
Gaza, with over 175,000 taking shelter in 88 UN schools.
Rights
groups and international organizations have unanimously criticized the Israeli
regime for its indiscriminate bombing of Gaza and its siege on the territory
which has left people without water, electricity and other basic supplies.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/10/11/712495/Waving-Palestinian-flag-could-be-criminal-offence-UK-home-secretary
-------
Cryptocurrency
Stolen from Delhi Lands in Hamas Wallets; Israel's Intelligence Agency, Mossad,
Communicated
This marks the first instance of Hamas' activity in India.
------
Oct 11,
2023
NEW
DELHI: In the winter of 2021, Delhi Police's Special Cell was investigating a
case of cryptocurrency theft of around Rs 4 crore from the wallet of a west
Delhi businessman. Though the cops managed to 'deep trace' a few recipient
wallet IDs, tracking the end users appeared difficult. Just at the time,
Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, communicated - as part of routine
intelligence exchange with their Indian counterparts - information about some
suspect wallets operated by terrorist groups for terror funding.
Many of
the wallet addresses on the list were being operated by the al Qassam brigades
of Hamas, the Palestinian terror group, and had been 'seized' by Israel's National
Bureau for counter terror financing.
A
breakthrough arrived when the Special Cell's Intelligence Fusion &
Strategic Ops (IFSO) unit ran a match on the wallets: several wallets that had
received the Bitcoin and Ethereum assets from Delhi were operated by the cyber
terrorism wing of Hamas.
While
Israel has hit back strongly at Hamas for Saturday's attack, sources said the
intelligence agencies have their antennae up about renewed efforts by the
terror outfit to collect funds by hacking in pro-Israel countries.
Cryptocurrency
stolen from Delhi
Even on
Tuesday, the cyber unit of Israel Police froze a large number of cryptocurrency
accounts held by Hamas for fundraising. Israel Police said on X (formerly
Twitter) that Hamas had launched a crypto fundraising campaign after the start
of the latest terror attacks. Israeli authorities also urged crypto exchange
Binance to transfer the seized funds to that country's state treasury.
The case
in Delhi was the first instance of Hamas' activity in India. Special Cell
officers said that the probe details were communicated to the relevant
authorities at the time. Former DCP (Special Cell) KPS Malhotra's team had
investigated the case. "Yes, our investigation had led us to several
wallets linked to the al Qassam brigades," Malhotra confirmed on Tuesday.
Software
engineer in Gandhingar duped of Rs 1 crore in crypto fraud
The
matter, cops said, was first reported in 2019 at Paschim Vihar police station
and the investigation was later transferred to the Special Cell on court
orders, cops privy to the investigation recalled. After the Hamas link was
unearthed, technical analysis revealed that one of the seized wallets belonged
to Naseer Ibrahim Abdulla in Gaza and to Hamas operatives like Ahmed Marzooq in
Giza and Ahmed QH Safi in Ramallah in Palestine. "The cryptocurrencies
were routed through various private wallets and finally landed in these
suspected wallets," a police officer revealed.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/cryptocurrency-stolen-from-delhi-lands-in-hamas-wallets/articleshow/104327800.cms
------
Humanitarian
Crisis Unfolding in Gaza as Israel Accused of Using White Phosphorus Bombs
Palestinians in Gaza city inspect the damage following an Israeli
airstrike, 9 October 2023. — AFP
-----
October
11, 2023
After
Israel imposed a complete blockade of Gaza in response to Hamas surprise
attack, a humanitarian crisis is swiftly unfolding in Gaza with stranded
residents facing a shortage of essential items, while the death toll from the
clashes crossed 2,000.
The Gaza
Strip has been hit by airstrikes since imposition of complete siege of the
besieged territory with Israeli military fighter jets hit more than 200 targets
overnight in a neighbourhood of Gaza City that it said had been used by Hamas
to launch its unprecedented wave of attacks.
Under
the “complete siege” on the area, the Israeli defence ministry said it halted
supplies of electricity, food, water and fuel to the enclave.
The
Palestinian interior ministry said most of the targets were “towers,
residential buildings, civil and service facilities, and many mosques.” Hamas
denied that it used any of the targeted towers.
Gaza's
health ministry said at least 900 people have been martyred and 4,600 wounded
in the crowded coastal enclave.
On
Saturday, Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip rampaged through parts of southern
Israel, in the deadliest Palestinian attack in Israel's history.
Israeli
public broadcaster Kan reported the weekend death toll had reached 1,200.
Dozens
of Israelis and other foreigners were captured and taken to Gaza as hostages,
some shown on social media being paraded through the streets.
Hamas
said the attack was in response to Israeli violations in the flashpoint Al-Aqsa
Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem and increased settler violence.
'Humanitarian
crisis’
The
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday warned that the
humanitarian situation in Gaza was already “extremely dire before these
hostilities” and “now it will only deteriorate exponentially.”
Human
Rights Watch (HRW) criticised Israel's call for a complete siege as a form of
“collective punishment” and a “war crime.”
The
World Food Programme said Sunday that while most shops in the territory
maintain “one-month stocks of food,” these stocks “risk being depleted swiftly
as people stock up in fear of a prolonged conflict.” Repeated electricity cuts also
risk food spoilage, it said.
The
situation remains desperate for Nadine and her family.
“We have
no water; it was cut off yesterday (Monday). We barely get electricity or
internet, and we can’t leave the house to buy food as it’s getting more and
more dangerous.” Whenever she hears aircraft, she said, “we hide under the
table,” reported CNN.
‘White
phosphorus bombs’
As the
Israel-Hamas war entered its fifth day on Wednesday, Palestine has accused
Israeli military of using white phosphorus bombs against civilians in the
Karama neighborhood of Gaza Strip.
“The
Israeli occupation is using internationally banned white phosphorus bombs
against the Palestinians in the Karama neighborhood in northern Gaza,” the
Foreign Ministry said on X, formerly Twitter on Tuesday.
Rami
Abdo, the founder of the European Observatory for Human Rights, posted a video
clip on the X platform of what he said was Israel’s use of phosphorus bombs.
“Israeli
military forces are using toxic white phosphorus [bombs] on densely populated
areas northwest of Gaza City,” he wrote.
The New
York-based rights group Human Rights Watch had earlier cited reports of
Israel’s use of white phosphorus bombs in Gaza during past conflicts, according
to Anadolu.
The use
of white phosphorus weapons to generate a smokescreen and cover troop movements
is legally accepted, but the 1980 Geneva Convention forbids its use in densely
populated areas.
There
was no comment from Israel on the claim.
The
Israeli military said dozens of its fighter jets struck more than 200 targets
overnight in a neighbourhood of Gaza City that it said had been used by Hamas
to launch its unprecedented wave of attacks.
Gaza's
health ministry said at least 900 people have been martyred and 4,600 wounded
in the crowded coastal enclave.
On
Saturday, Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip rampaged through parts of southern
Israel, in the deadliest Palestinian attack in Israel's history.
Israeli
death toll rose to 1,200, according Israeli military spokesperson.
The
victims were overwhelmingly civilians, gunned down in homes, on streets or at
an outdoor dance party. Scores of Israelis and others from abroad were captured
and taken to Gaza as hostages, some shown on social media being paraded through
the streets.
Hamas
said the attack was in response to Israeli violations in the flashpoint Al-Aqsa
Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem and increased settler violence.
Over
260,000 people displaced in Gaza.
Over
260,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip, as heavy
Israeli bombardments from the air, land and sea continue to hit the Palestinian
enclave, the United Nations said.
"Over
263,934 people in Gaza are believed to have fled their homes," said UN
humanitarian agency OCHA said in an update Tuesday, warning that "this
number is expected to rise further".
It said
that around 3,000 people had been displaced "due to previous
escalations", prior to Saturday.
The
bombing campaign has destroyed more than 1,000 housing units, and 560 have been
so severely damaged they are uninhabitable, OCHA said, citing Palestinian
authorities.
Among
the displaced, nearly 175,500 people sought shelter in 88 schools run by the UN
agency supporting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, it said.
More
than 14,500 others had fled to 12 government schools, while close to 74,000
were estimated to be staying with relatives and neighbours or seeking shelters
in churches and other facilities.
The
number of displaced people inside of Gaza "represents the highest number
of people displaced since the 50-day escalation of hostilities in 2014,"
it said.
"Meeting
basic needs is becoming increasingly challenging for those who have not been
displaced," OCHA warned.
Israel
has imposed what it called a "complete siege" on the already
blockaded Gaza Strip, cutting off food, water, fuel and electricity — a move
that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned would worsen an already dire
humanitarian situation.
Airstrike
on Hamas commander's home
According
to Israeli media reports, Israeli military launched an airstrike on the home of
relatives of Mohammad Deif, the Hamas military commander, in a Qizan an Najjar
neighborhood in Khan Younis, a southern city in the Gaza Strip.
Citing
Palestinian reports, a number of Hebrew media say Deif’s father, brother, his
son, and the brother’s granddaughter were martyred in the attack.
According
to Al Mayadeen, an unknown number of relatives were in the home in Khan Younis
and were trapped in the rubble.
14
Americans killed
In a
speech on Tuesday Biden confirmed at least 14 Americans were killed, and others
were missing.
The US
has sent an aircraft carrier and other warships to the eastern Mediterranean as
part of efforts to deter an expansion of the conflict, and is also providing
other assistance, including sharing intelligence with Israel.
Relatives
of Americans believed held in Gaza called on the Biden administration to bring
them home safely.
Western
powers and many other nations have reported citizens killed, abducted or
missing. These include: Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, Nepal,
Panama, Paraguay, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Ukraine.
Hamas
has held around 150 captives since its ground incursion, among them children,
elderly and young people captured at a music festival where around 270 died.
On
Monday, Hamas warned it would start killing hostages every time Israel launches
a strike on a civilian target in Gaza without warning. French President
Emmanuel Macron called the threat "unacceptable blackmail."
Fear and
chaos reigned among the 2.3 million Palestinians living in the coastal
territory that has been hammered by thousands of Israeli munitions.
Hamas
said the strikes killed two of its senior figures: Zakaria Muammar led its
economics section, and Jawad Abu Shamala coordinated ties with other
Palestinian factions.
Israel´s
army also announced their deaths.
Four
Palestinian journalists were also killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza City,
media unions and officials said.
EU
opposes complete siege
Israel
on Monday imposed a total siege on Gaza, which it has already blockaded for
years, cutting off the water supply, food, electricity and other essential
supplies.
European
Union foreign ministers urged Israel not to cut such essentials, and called for
humanitarian corridors for those trying to flee.
UN human
rights chief Volker Turk said such sieges are prohibited under international
humanitarian law.
Medical
supplies, including oxygen, were running low at Gaza´s overwhelmed Al-Shifa
hospital, said Mohammed Ghonim, a doctor in the emergency room.
Israel
reeling from surprise attack
Israel
has been left reeling by Hamas´s unprecedented ground, air and sea assault that
began with thousands of rockets, likening it to the 9/11 attacks on the US.
In the
aftermath, soldiers who were on guard duty along the hi-tech security barrier
around Gaza recounted how the attack began with an effort to cripple
observation cameras and communications.
"They
took us by surprise and we weren´t ready for it," a lookout soldier said
in testimony posted on Instagram.
Israel
faced the threat of a multi-front war after three days of clashes with
militants on the northern border with Lebanon.
For the
first time since the Hamas attack, there was an exchange of fire between Israel
and forces in Syria, after Israel´s military said munitions were fired towards
the Golan Heights it has occupied since 1967.
Mourners
in the southern Lebanese village of Khirbet Selm carried two caskets, draped in
yellow Hezbollah flags, with the bodies of two fighters it said were killed in
Israeli strikes a day earlier. A third fighter was also killed, the Iran-backed
Hezbollah movement said.
On
Tuesday, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades claimed a fresh salvo of rocket fire
from south Lebanon towards Israel, the Israeli army said, adding it retaliated
with artillery fire.
"It´s
like a state of war," said Yaakov Regev, sipping coffee at a petrol
station in northern Israel, a few kilometres from the Lebanon border.
Unrest
has also surged in the West Bank, where 15 Palestinians have been martyred
since Saturday.
Netanyahu,
the veteran leader at the helm of Israel´s hard-right coalition, has called for
an "emergency government of national unity" after his
administration´s proposal for judicial reforms split the nation and even its
military this year, before the war brought the nation closer together.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1118169-humanitarian-crisis-unfolding-in-gaza-as-israel-accused-of-using-white-phosphorus-bombs
---------
Iraq’s
Hezbollah Vows to Target US Bases If Washington Aids Israel
The photo shows USS Gerald R. Ford in the Atlantic Ocean on March 19,
2023. (By the US Navy)
-----
11
October 2023
Iraq’s
anti-terror group Kata’ib Hezbollah has threatened to target American bases in
Iraq and the entire region if the United States intervenes in the ongoing
fighting between Palestinian resistance fighters and the Israeli regime.
“Our
missiles, drones, and special forces are ready to … strike the American enemy
in its bases and disrupt its interests if it intervenes in this battle,”
Hezbollah Brigades Secretary General Abu Hussein Al-Hamidawi said in a
statement on Tuesday.
The
positions held by the Israeli regime and its mercenaries will also be among
Kata’ib Hezbollah’s targets in case of US meddling, he added.
The
warning came on the same day the administration of US President Joe Biden
announced that the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group had arrived in the
eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Hamidawi
emphasized that the Iraqi Hezbollah has a duty to stand in solidarity with the
Palestinians, citing religious commandments.
He
further praised the resilience of the Palestinian nation and resistance groups
against Israeli forces.
On
Monday, the head of the Iraqi resistance group Harakat Hezbollah Nujaba said
that any intervention by the US or any other country against Palestine would
result in a military response.
Akram
al-Kaabi also called on the Iraqi people to participate in Friday’s rally in a
show of support for the Palestinian cause.
Similarly,
Hadi al-Amiri, the secretary general of the Badr Organization, said, “If they
(the Americans) intervene, we would intervene ... we will consider all American
targets legitimate.”
The
Israeli regime has had a total blockade of Gaza in place since October 7.
Israel
launched deadly strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip on Saturday after the
Palestinian Hamas resistance movement waged a surprise attack, dubbed Operation
Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying regime.
Hamas
said that its operation came in response to Israel’s violations at the Al-Aqsa
Mosque in occupied East al-Quds and growing settler violence.
According
to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 950 Palestinians have been killed by
Israeli strikes so far.
Meanwhile,
Basim al-Awadi, spokesperson of the Iraqi government, expressed Baghdad’s
support for the Palestinian people’s aspirations and legitimate rights.
“Today’s
Palestinian actions respond to longstanding oppression by the Zionist
occupation, which ignores international resolutions. We urge global
intervention to restore Palestinian rights, cautioning against escalation that
could destabilize the region, and call for an urgent Arab League meeting on the
Palestinian situation,” he said in a statement.
Similarly,
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid reiterated his country’s steadfast position
on the Palestine issue and voiced full support for the oppressed nation.
He
strongly condemned the brutal Israeli attacks and urged the international
community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities in a bid to ensure the
legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/10/11/712490/Iraq-Hezbollah-warns-US-against-aiding-Israel-Gaza-onslaught
---------
Saudi
Arabia expresses ‘unwavering’ support for Palestine
Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman
------
10 Oct,
2023
Saudi
Arabia continues to support the “legitimate rights” of Palestinians, Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a phone
call on Monday, Saudi media reported.
The
latest escalation in Gaza, which broke out after a surprise attack on Israel by
the Hamas militant group over the weekend, poses a threat to security and
stability in the entire Middle East, the crown prince said, according to the
Saudi Gazette.
The
kingdom plans to take “proactive efforts” and collaborate with international
and regional powers to prevent the conflict between Israel and Hamas from
spilling over to other parts of the Middle East, bin Salman said, adding that
his nation is also seeking to bring a “swift end” to the hostilities.
He
further emphasized the importance of humanitarian law and refraining from
targeting civilians, while insisting that Saudi Arabia stands by the
Palestinians in their pursuit of a “dignified life… [the] realization of their
hopes and aspirations,” as well as a “lasting peace,” according to the Saudi
Gazette.
Bin
Salman also discussed the situation in Gaza with Jordanian King Abdullah bin
Al-Hussein and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Both conversations were
largely focused on preserving regional stability and preventing the conflict
from spreading, the outlet reported.
Riyadh’s
statements came amid the latest flareup of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
following a massive attack on Israel by the Gaza-based Hamas militant group.
Militants fired thousands of rockets at Israel and launched a cross-border raid
over the weekend. More than 900 Israelis, including over 100 military
personnel, died in the initial attack and follow-up clashes, Israeli
authorities said.
Israel
responded with a massive bombing campaign against Gaza, also announcing a total
blockade of the exclave, cutting it off from fuel, water, and food supplies.
The Gaza Health Ministry said that at least 510 Palestinians had been killed
and 2,751 injured in Israeli air raids as of Monday.
The UN
said on Tuesday it would launch an investigation into war crimes committed
during the latest escalation, adding that it was in possession of “clear
evidence” of violations by both sides.
On
Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Israel and the Palestinian
militants to refrain from further violence, and offered Ankara’s services as a
mediator in any potential peace talks. He also said that his nation could
facilitate a prisoner exchange if requested.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/584590-saudi-arabia-unwavering-support-palestine/
--------
Europe
‘Stay At
Home’: UK FM Claims Pro-Palestine Protesters ‘Causing DistressAmong the Jewish
Community’
October
10, 2023
LONDON:
Pro-Palestinian protesters in the UK should “stay at home” after a series of
demonstrations across the country “caused concern” among the Jewish community,
the foreign minister said.
James
Cleverly’s comments came as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned that people who
support Hamas in the UK will be “held to account.”
Three
people were arrested on Monday evening near the Israeli Embassy in London after
a massive protest organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Hundreds
gathered outside the building, which was boarded up ahead of the protest.
Demonstrators
waved Palestinian flags and called on Israel to end its occupation.
Chants
of “Free Palestine” and “Israel is a terrorist state” were heard amid fireworks
and flares.
London’s
Metropolitan Police said it would mobilize an “enhanced visible presence” on
the streets, with a “special focus” on protecting Jewish communities around the
capital, The Independent reported.
Cleverly
told Sky News that the pro-Palestine protests were affecting people “who have
often been on the receiving end of prejudice and threats of violence.”
The
demonstrations were “causing distress,” he said, adding that there was “no
necessity for people to come out.”
Cleverly
said: “This is a difficult, delicate situation … I would encourage them just to
pause.”
Sky
asked the foreign minister whether he wanted to offer support to people in
Gaza, but Cleverly declined to answer, saying: “The truth is that the reason we
express our solidarity with the people of Israel is because terrorists took
action to murder, to kidnap, and we’re now seeing reports that they are
threatening to execute people that they have kidnapped.”
During a
visit to Staffordshire on Tuesday, Sunak vowed to “hold to account” Hamas
supporters in the UK, The Guardian reported.
He added
that the UK stands ready to assist any British-Israeli dual nationals affected
by the conflict.
Police
officers will “clamp down on any behavior that falls foul of the law,” Sunak
said, referring to Britain’s proscription of Hamas.
Showing
public support for the Palestinian party carries a punishment in the UK of up
to 10 years’ imprisonment on anti-terror grounds.
Sunak
said: “I’d just remind everyone that Hamas is a proscribed terrorist
organization. People should not be supporting Hamas, and we will make sure that
we hold people to account if they are.”
The
police have been “given very clear guidance and advice from the government to
do everything that they can” to keep the Jewish community safe, he added.
In
response to Monday night’s protests in London, the Metropolitan Police said it
was balancing the right to lawful protest with any disruption to Londoners.
A
statement by the force said that it was “aware of concerns about the use of
flags and symbols on London’s streets that could lead to people feeling
threatened.”
Since
Hamas’ strike into southern Israel on Saturday, more than 1,000 people on both
sides have been killed.
Authorities
in Gaza have reported about 700 deaths in the wake of Israeli airstrikes on the
besieged enclave.
Tel Aviv
mobilized thousands of reservists as part of plans to stage a “complete siege”
of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday vowed to make sure “no power, no food,
no gas” will reach the territory.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2388851/world
-------
British
troops killed nine Afghans ‘in their beds’ – Guardian
10 Oct,
2023
Members
of Britain’s Special Air Service (SAS) have been accused of shooting dead nine
Afghans while they were sleeping during night raids on Afghan forces between
2010 and 2013. The allegations were made on the first day of a public inquiry
into the killing of 80 civilians, The Guardian reported on Monday.
Lead
counsel to the inquiry Oliver Glasgow KC focused on seven deadly missions in
the Helmand province of southern Afghanistan that included the deaths of at
least 33 people, including children.
The SAS
“carried out a policy of executing Afghan males of fighting age in
circumstances where they posed no immediate threat or were hors de combat
[unable to perform combat duties],” Glasgow said.
He added
that evidence from families “will be that they were shot in bed, most likely
when asleep,” explaining that photo evidence suggests they were shot at close
range.
One of
the raids allegedly occurred in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province on
February 7, 2011, as several families gathered before a wake, The Guardian
reported.
The SAS
has insisted it acted in self-defense, claiming the Afghans were armed.
However, Glasgow said that more people were shot in the incident than weapons
found. He also pointed to the low height of apparent bullet holes in the walls
of an outbuilding. Family members testified that the victims were unarmed
civilians.
The
counsel to the London inquiry also flagged emails that suggested special forces
officers were making attempts to cover up concerns about the growing number of
deadly incidents.
It marks
the start of a process long sought by the victims that was only granted after
two families took the British government to court, the outlet reported.
Last
December, the UK Ministry of Defence announced it was launching an independent
investigation into allegations that the British Armed Forces had committed war
crimes in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013. UK special forces are suspected of
“abusing” night raids, which were meant to target Taliban commanders, to commit
“numerous” extra-judicial killings.
In 2019,
a military police investigation concluded that no evidence of criminal
wrongdoing had been found. However, SAS commanders allegedly destroyed computer
data to cover up possible evidence of the crimes.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/584578-uk-special-forces-killing-civilians/
--------
EU Warns
Elon Musk Over ‘Disinformation’ On X Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict
October
10, 2023
EU
Commissioner Thierry Breton has warned the billionaire owner of X (formerly
Twitter) against allowing the platform to be used for disinformation amid the
Israel-Hamas conflict.
The
letter dated October 10, 2023, and addressed to Musk reads, “Following the
terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel, we have indications that
your platform is being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation
in the EU.
“Let me
remind you that the Digital Services Act sets very precise obligations
regarding content moderation.
“First,
you need to be very transparent and clear on what content is permitted under
your terms and consistently and diligently enforce your own policies.
“This is
particularly relevant when it comes to violent and terrorist content that
appears to circulate on your platform. Your latest changes in public interest
policies that occurred overnight left many European users uncertain.
“Second,
when you receive notices of illegal content in the EU, you must be timely,
diligent and objective in taking action and removing the relevant content when
warranted. We have, from qualified sources, reports about potentially illegal
content circulating on your service despite flags from relevant authorities.
“Third,
you need have in place proportionate and effective mitigation measures to
tackle the risks to public security and civic discourse stemming from
disinformation.
“Public
media and civil society organisations widely report instances of fake and
manipulated images and facts circulating on your platform in the EU, such as
repurposed old images of unrelated armed conflicts or military footage that
actually originated from video games. This appears to be manifestly false or
misleading information.
“I
therefore invite you to urgently ensure that your systems are effective, and
report on the crisis measures taken to my team.
“Given
the urgency, I also expect you to be in contact with the relevant law
enforcement authorities and Europol, and ensure that you respond promptly to
their requests.
“Moreover,
on a number of other issues of DSA compliance that deserve immediate attention,
my team will follow up shortly with a specific request.
“I urge
you to ensure a prompt, accurate and complete response to this request within
the next 24 hours. We will include your answer in our assessment file on your
compliance with the DSA. I remind you that following the opening of a potential
investigation and a finding of non-compliance, penalties can be imposed.”
Source: saharareporters.com
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https://saharareporters.com/2023/10/10/breaking-eu-warns-elon-musk-over-disinformation-x-amid-israel-hamas-conflict
--------
India
Madrasa
sexual abuse case: CM orders probe into all 419 madrasas in Uttarakhand
10th
October 2023
By
Narendra SethiExpress News Service
DEHRADUN:
Taking cognizance of the inhuman treatment meted out to children at a Madrassa
(an institution for education of Muslim students) in Veerbhatti near Nainital,
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered an inquiry into all the 419
madrasas in the state.
Following
the CM's instructions received by Additional Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, the
Home Department has issued orders in this regard to all the District
Magistrates of the state. There are 419 madrasas in the state, out of which 192
madrasas are getting government help.
According
to the information received by this newspaper, "In the raid conducted by
the team led by the City Magistrate in the illegally running madrasa at
Veerbhatti in Nainital district, the team found 24 children in a sick condition".
The
madrasa children had also accused the operator and his son of assault and
sexual abuse.
Police
have registered a case against madrasa operator Mohammad Haroon and his son
Ibrahim under various sections including POCSO. After this episode came to
light, CM Dhami has ordered an inquiry into all the madrasas in Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand
Waqf Board chairman Shadab Shams told The New Indian Express, "No madrasa
will be allowed to operate privately by collecting donations in the name of
religion". A madrasa that collects donations in public and operates it
cannot be termed as a 'private madrasa'. This is against the ethics of Shariat.
On
February 12, 2023, the then Social Welfare Minister late Chandan Ram Das had
also directed to investigate all madrasas operating in the state. A
three-member committee was formed to investigate. The officials were directed
to check whether the madrasas had the recognition of the education department.
The
minister had sought a report on the matter within a month, but no action was
taken against any madrasa.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/oct/10/nainital-madrasa-sexual-abuse-case-cm-dhami-orders-probe-into-all-419-madrasas-inuttarakhand-2622667.html
------
NIA
conducts raids in six state, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
and Delhi against banned PFI
11th
October 2023
By PTI
NEW
DELHI: The NIA on Wednesday carried out raids at several locations in six
states in connection with a case related to creating a disruption during Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bihar last year, officials said.
The
National Investigation Agency (NIA) had taken over the case registered by
Phulwari Sharif police station in Patna in July 2022 against Popular Front of
India (PFI) cadres for hatching a criminal conspiracy to create disturbance
during the prime minister's visit, they said.
The
federal probe agency carried out searches in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi.
An NIA
team conducted searches at the home of Abdul Wahid Shaikh in the Vikhroli area
of Maharashtra's Mumbai. Shaikh was an accused in the 2006 railway blasts case
but a trial court acquitted him of all the charges.
Raids
were also conducted in Tonk, Kota and Gangapur in Rajasthan and Hauz Kaji,
Ballimaran, in the national capital.
In
September 2022, the government imposed a ban on the PFI for its alleged terror
activities.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/oct/11/nia-conducts-raids-in-six-states-against-banned-pfi-2622914.html
------
INDIA
will be forced to align withAll India United Democratic Front: Maulana
Badruddin Ajmal
By
Prasanta MazumdarExpress News Service
The
Congress is opposed to the entry of minority-based All India United Democratic
Front (AIUDF) into the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or
INDIA. However, AIUDF chief and Dhubri MP, Maulana Badruddin Ajmal predicted
INDIA would be compelled to approach the AIUDF for alliance ahead of Lok Sabha
elections. The Congress’ Assam leadership vetoed AIUDF’s entry into INDIA after
alleging that it has a tacit understanding with BJP. Slamming Assam Congress
chief Bhupen Kumar Borah, Ajmal said Congress under the former would draw a
blank in the polls.
Socio-economic
survey of indigenous Muslims
The
Assam government will conduct a “socio-economic assessment” of the state’s five
indigenous Muslim communities – Goria, Moria, Deshi, Syed and Jolha. Chief
Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma instructed authorities to take necessary measures
to ensure that the survey is able to furnish adequate data. It can then be
utilised by the government to take steps for comprehensive socio-political,
academic and economic uplift of the five communities. The government has
already approved “indigenous” status to them. The decision may give a push for
their development.
Over
1,000 former rebels get financial grants
About
1,181 former members of five Adivasi insurgent groups became richer by `4 lakh
each, thanks to a rehabilitation scheme. The money is kept in the bank with a
maturity period of three years. The ex-rebels belonged to Birsa Commando Force,
Adivasi People’s Army, All Adivasi National Liberation Army, Adivasi Cobra
Military of Assam and Santhal Tiger Force. These groups had signed a tripartite
peace agreement with the Centre and Assam government. Arrangements have been
made to provide them with a loan of `3.2 lakh each against the `4 lakh fixed
deposit as security. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma termed the distribution of grants a
historic moment.
Source: newindianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/oct/11/guwahati-diary-2622858.html
-----
Hundreds
of youths from Darjeeling caught in crossfire between Israel and Palestine
11.10.23
Avijit
Sinha
Hundreds
of youths from Darjeeling who work or want to work in Israel are caught in the
crossfire between that country and Palestine.
Israel
is one of the favoured places for these youths seeking jobs as caregivers for
mostly the elderly.
“This is
because while similar jobs in Dubai fetch around Rs 20,000 a month, we get
anything between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh in Israel,” said a youth from
Darjeeling who is working in Ramla, a city which is about an hour’s drive from
capital Tel Aviv.
The
salary seems relatively good, but the youths have to first shoulder the huge
expense of paying a network of agents — in the Darjeeling hills, in Delhi and
in Israel — to land a job in that country.
“I came
here in 2018 after paying Rs 10 lakh to agents for a job. Now, a man has to pay
Rs 25 lakh or Rs 26 lakh to get work as a caregiver in Israel. A woman has to
pay Rs 18 lakh to agents for a similar job,” the Darjeeling youth said.
The
youth, who borrowed money from his relatives and friends, took one-and-a-half
years to repay the amount.
“Things
are slightly better here for me as my wife too is in Israel and earns around Rs
2 lakh a month. She has been here for the last 10 years. But for those coming
to Israel by paying Rs 25 lakh, it takes more than three years to clear all the
debts and make some savings,” the youth said.
Another
Darjeeling youth said he was asked to pay Rs 25 lakh for a job in Israel. “I
have been told I will be taught Hebrew and also provided with basic training in
caregiving,” said the Darjeeling resident who does not know when he would get
to go to Israel under the present circumstances.
The
debt-clearance duration forces people to stay back in Israel despite hostile
situations.
“In
2020, I developed complications in my gall bladder following Covid-19
vaccination. Doctors advised me to return to Darjeeling but I refused,” said
the first youth, who has visited Darjeeling, where his elderly parents live,
only once since he left in 2018.
There
was also an instance of a woman from the region who returned from Israel in
three months after falling sick, he said. “After another four-five months, she
returned to Israel paying another Rs 15 lakh, but unfortunately she fell ill
again. She ended up losing around Rs 30 lakh,” he said.
Many
people this newspaper spoke to over the phone in Israel, however, said they
were safe and there was no reason for panic yet.
“We have
been told to stock supplies of fruits, batteries and water for at least three
days. Every building has a bunker or a bunker-like area. We need to shift to
these places when told,” said a migrant worker.
Those
working in Israel said they understood that the country was a “conflict-prone”
area. “The security system is strong. Systems like the Iron Dome (missile
interceptor) and others are in place,” said a worker.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/hundreds-of-youths-from-darjeeling-caught-in-crossfire-between-israel-and-palestine/cid/1972534
------
Torture
and murder of 13-year-old madrasa student in UP, family cries delay in police
action
11.10.23
Piyush
Srivastava
A
13-year-old madrasa student in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri was found
murdered on Monday evening with her family alleging she had been gang-raped and
that her eyes had been gauged out, her head and mouth battered and sand stuffed
into her nostrils.
“It
looks like a crime committed to send a message, we don’t know what it is,” said
Santosh Kumar, a resident of Tikunia, near which the incident took place.
The
father of the girl said: “She had gone to the madrasa for regular classes on
Sunday but didn’t return in the afternoon. The police registered a missing
person’s diary at 11.35pm but couldn’t find her. Her body was found in a
sugarcane field in Ramuapur, about 5km from my village.”
“The
attackers had gauged out her eyes, battered her head and mouth with a blunt
object and put sand into her nose,” he added.
Ganesh
Prasad Saha, the superintendent of police of Lakhimpur Kheri, said the
post-mortem report was awaited. “The school bag of the 13-year-old girl and her
flip-flops were found at the spot. Her family has submitted a complaint in
which they have stated that she was sexually assaulted and killed. Prima facie,
her clothes were in place. The post-mortem report is awaited,” he said.
The
grandfather of the girl said: “Her entire body had swellings. The attackers
inflicted injuries on almost every part of her body. Even a layman can say that
it is a case of torture, gang rape and murder. Such a crime had to be executed
by more than two persons.”
The
mother of the child alleged delay in police action. “The police could have
saved my daughter had they acted on time and registered a missing person’s
diary promptly and looked for her. We had approached the police first at 4pm on
Sunday. They said she could return home by evening. We again went to the police
station at 7pm but they again told us to wait. They registered the missing
report at 11.35pm when a large number of villagers went there and mounted
pressure on the police. But they didn’t do anything to find her.”
Saha,
the police chief, said: “The family members of the victim have not accused the
police of anything. There are definitely injury marks on her body but the
reason of death will be ascertained in the medical report. We have formed three
teams of the crime branch, special operation group and surveillance to identify
the killers and arrest them.”
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/torture-and-murder-of-13-year-old-madrasa-student-in-uttar-pradeshs-lakhimpur-kheri/cid/1972513
-----
Mideast
Who is
Mohammed Deif, the secretive Hamas commander masterminded the attack on Israel
Oct 11, 2023
DUBAI:
Israel calls last week's devastating attack by Hamas its 9/11 moment. The
secretive mastermind behind the assault, Palestinian militant Mohammed Deif,
calls it Al Aqsa Flood.
Also
See: Israel Hamas War News Live
The
phrase Israel's most wanted man used in an audio tape broadcast as Hamas fired
thousands of rockets out of the Gaza strip on Saturday signalled the attack was
payback for Israeli raids at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque.
It was
in May 2021, after a raid on Islam's third holiest site that enraged the Arab
and Muslim world, when Deif began planning the operation that has killed more
than 1,200 people in Israel, according to a source close to Hamas in Gaza.
"It
was triggered by scenes and footage of Israel storming Al Aqsa mosque during
Ramadan, beating worshippers, attacking them, dragging elderly and young men
out of the mosque," the source said. "All this fuelled and ignited
the anger."
That
storming of the mosque compound, long a flashpoint for violence over matters of
sovereignty and religion in Jerusalem, helped set off 11 days of fighting
between Israel and Hamas.
More
than two years on, Saturday's assault, the worst breach in Israeli defences
since the 1973 Arab-Israeli conflict, pushed Israel to declare war and launch
retaliatory strikes on Gaza that had killed more than 800 people by Tuesday.
A
survivor of seven Israeli assassination attempts, the most recent in 2021, Deif
rarely speaks and never appears in public. So when Hamas's TV channel announced
he was about to speak on Saturday, Palestinians knew something significant was
afoot.
"Today
the rage of Al Aqsa, the rage of our people and nation is exploding. Our
mujahedeen (fighters), today is your day to make this criminal understand that
his time has ended," Deif said in the recording.
There
are only three images of Deif: one in his 20s, another of him masked, and an
image of his shadow, which was used when the audio tape was broadcast.
The
whereabouts of Deif are unknown, though he is most likely in Gaza in the maze
of tunnels under the enclave. An Israeli security source said Deif was directly
involved in the planning and operational aspects of the attack.
TWO
BRAINS, ONE MASTERMIND
The
source close to Hamas said the decision to prepare the attack was taken jointly
by Deif, who commands Hamas's Al Qassam Brigades, along with Yehya Sinwar, the
leader of Hamas in Gaza, but it was clear who was the architect.
"There
are two brains, but there is one mastermind," the source said, adding that
information about the operation was known only to a handful of Hamas leaders.
Secrecy
was such that Iran, Israel's sworn foe and an important source of finance,
training and weaponry for Hamas, knew only in general terms that the movement
was planning a major operation and did not know the timing or the details,
according to a regional source familiar with the group's thinking.
The
source said that while Tehran was aware a major operation was being prepared,
it was not discussed in any joint operation rooms involving Hamas, the
Palestinian leadership, Iranian-backed Lebanese militants Hezbollah, and Iran.
"It
was a very tight circle," the source said.
Iran's
top authority Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday Tehran was not involved in
the attack on Israel. Washington has said while Tehran was complicit, it had no
intelligence or evidence that points to Iran's direct participation in the
attacks.
The plan
as conceived by Deif involved a prolonged effort at deception. Israel was led
to believe that Hamas, an ally of Israel's sworn foe Iran, was not interested
in launching a conflict and was focusing instead on economic development in
Gaza, where the movement is the governing power.
But
while Israel began providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's
fighters were being trained and drilled, often in plain sight of the Israeli
military, a source close to Hamas said.
"We
have prepared for this battle for two years," said Ali Baraka, the head of
external relations for Hamas.
Speaking
in a calm voice, Deif said in his recording that Hamas had repeatedly warned
Israel to stop its crimes against Palestinians, to release prisoners, whom he
said were abused and tortured, and to halt its expropriation of Palestinian
land.
"Every
day the occupation storm our villages, towns and cities in the West Bank and
raid houses, kill, injure, destroy and detain. At the same time, it confiscates
thousands of acres of our land, uproots our people from their houses to build
settlements while its criminal siege continues on Gaza."
'IN THE
SHADOWS'
For well
over a year, there has been turmoil in the West Bank, an area about 100 km (60
miles) long and 50 km wide that has been at the heart of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict since it was seized by Israel in 1967.
Deif
said Hamas had urged the international community to put an end to the
"crimes of the occupation", but Israel had stepped up its
provocation. He also said Hamas had in the past asked Israel for a humanitarian
deal to release Palestinian prisoners, but this was rejected.
"In
light of the orgy of occupation and its denial of international laws and
resolutions, and in light of American and western support and international
silence, we've decided to put an end to all this," he said.
Born as
Mohammad Masri in 1965 in the Khan Yunis Refugee Camp set up after the 1948
Arab-Israeli War, the militant leader became known as Mohammed Deif after
joining Hamas during the first Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, which began
in 1987.
He was
arrested by Israel in 1989 and spent about 16 months in detention, a Hamas
source said.
Deif
earned a degree in science from the Islamic University in Gaza, where he
studied physics, chemistry and biology. He displayed an affinity for the arts,
heading the university's entertainment committee and performing on stage in
comedies.
Rising
up the Hamas ranks, Deif developed the group's network of tunnels and its
bomb-making expertise. He has topped Israel's most wanted list for decades,
held personally responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israelis in suicide
bombings.
For
Deif, staying in the shadow has been a matter of life or death. Hamas sources
said he lost an eye and sustained serious injuries in one leg in one of
Israel's assassination attempts.
His
wife, 7-month-old son, and 3-year-old daughter were killed by an Israeli
airstrike in 2014.
His
survival while running Hamas's armed wing has earned him the status of a
Palestinian folk hero. In videos he is masked, or just a shadow of him is seen.
He doesn't use modern digital technology such as smart phones, the source close
to Hamas said.
"He
is elusive. He is the man in the shadows."
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshowprint/104330071.cms
--------
Palestinian
UN envoy accuses Israel of ‘genocidal’ campaign against Gaza
October
11, 2023
UNITED
NATIONS: The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations on Tuesday described
Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip and vow to impose a complete siege on
the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave as “nothing less than genocidal.”
Hamas
militants carried out their deadliest attack in Israel’s history on Saturday,
when gunmen rampaged through Israeli towns, killing more than 1,000 people and
taking scores of hostages to Gaza. Israel has retaliated with air strikes on
Gaza that have razed entire districts as it prepares for a possible ground
offensive.
Israel’s
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant drew international condemnation by announcing on
Monday a “total blockade” to stop food and fuel reaching Gaza, home to 2.3
million people. Gallant said Israel was battling “beastly people.”
“Such
blatant dehumanization and attempts to bomb a people into submission, to use
starvation as a method of warfare, and to eradicate their national existence
are nothing less than genocidal,” Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour wrote in a
letter to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, seen by Reuters.
“These
acts constitute war crimes,” he wrote.
US
national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday that his understanding
was that “the concept of siege is not something that in fact is going to be
pursued by the Israeli government,” adding that Washington was speaking with
the Israeli government “about their actions in this regard.”
Sullivan
also said US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
on Tuesday discussed “the difference between going full bore against Hamas
terrorists and how we distinguish between terrorists and innocent civilians.”
Israel’s
UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan on Sunday accused Hamas of war crimes and said it was
time to “obliterate Hamas terror infrastructure,” as the 15-member UN Security
Council met behind closed-doors on the conflict.
UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday said he was “deeply distressed” by
Israel’s announcement of a complete siege on Gaza.
“The
humanitarian situation in Gaza was extremely dire before these hostilities; now
it will only deteriorate exponentially,” Guterres said.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2389091/middle-east
--------
SeniorIranian
MP Calls for Islamic Summit to Address the Escalating Situation in Palestine
October
11, 2023
TEHRAN –
Senior Iranian lawmaker Mojtaba Zolnouri called on the leaders of the Islamic
world to urgently hold a summit to address the escalating situation in
Palestine.
“The
heads of Islamic countries must decide to support the Palestinian people in an
urgent meeting,” Zolnouri, deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament, said on Tuesday,
according to IRNA.
The
Iranian lawmaker also pointed to remarks by the Leader of the Islamic
Revolution of Iran, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, who said Tuesday that Israel
incurred an “irreparable defeat.”
“The
Zionist regime is not only dangerous for the people of the region, the Middle
East and the Islamic world, but this regime has endangered the security of the
international community and is a serious threat to global peace and all members
of humanity,” he said.
Earlier,
Iran and Saudi Arabia called for an extraordinary meeting of the Organization
of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address the Israeli aggression against the Gaza
Strip.
Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian held talks on Monday evening with the
Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein
Brahim Taha on the latest events in Palestine and exchanged views with him,
according to the Iranian foreign ministry.
Amir
Abdollahian pointed to the crimes perpetrated by the Zionist regime in the Gaza
Strip and said Islamic countries should take measures to help the oppressed
people of Palestine.
He also
called for an extraordinary meeting of the foreign ministers of the OIC member
states.
Amir
Abdollahian said the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to host the meeting of
Islamic countries on Palestine and called for a swift measure by all Muslim
states to help the Palestinian people.
Meanwhile,
the OIC secretary general slammed Israel’s attacks against the Palestinian
people and said Islamic states should cooperate and make arrangements to adopt
a joint response to the Zionist regime’s aggression.
Hissein
Brahim Taha also pointed to the OIC Executive Committee’s plan for the
Palestinian developments and received the Iranian foreign minister’s suggestion
to hold an extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers with open arms.
He said
he would inform the foreign ministers of the member states about Iran’s
suggestion and emphasized that Palestine should be supported.
Source: tehrantimes.com
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https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/490002/Senior-MP-calls-for-Islamic-summit-on-Palestine
--------
Turkish
Islamist parties to hold joint rally in support of Palestinians
October
10 2023
Three
Turkish Islamist parties will hold a joint rally on Oct. 15 in support of
Palestinians following the latest bloody conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Accordingly,
the government’s radical Islamist ally Free Cause Party (HÜDA-PAR), and
opposition Islamist Felicity and Future parties will hold the rally in
Istanbul, according to reporting from state-run Anadolu Agency.
The move
came after HÜDA-PAR chair Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu on Oct. 10 visited the chairs of
the other two parties, Temel Karamollaoğlu and Ahmet Davutoğlu, respectively.
The
rally is planned to be held in Istanbul’s Yenikapı.
In the
early 2000s, Hizbullah started to reorganize itself quietly under a number of
foundations, associations and other entities in Turkey. Several members of the
group established the HÜDA-PAR as a political party in December 2012 with the
support of the current government, which green-lighted the party's entry into
politics.
What
happened?
Israel
said the death toll from the surprise weekend Hamas attacks had surpassed
1,000. The victims were overwhelmingly civilians, gunned down in homes, on
streets or at an outdoor dance party. Scores of Israelis and some foreigners
were captured and taken to Gaza as hostages, some paraded through the streets.
Gaza's
health ministry said Israel's retaliatory air strikes had killed at least 830
people and wounded 4,250 up to Oct. 10.
The
United Nations said more than 180,000 Gazans had been made homeless, many
huddling on streets or in schools, Reuters reported.
Source: duvarenglish.com
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OCHA:
Over 263,934 Displaced by Continuous Israeli Aggression on Gaza
October
11, 2023
The
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
revealed Wednesday, October 11, that more than 263,934 Palestinian citizens
have been displaced from their homes due to the massive Israeli airstrikes on
their homes across the Gaza Strip.
OCHA
emphasized that the ongoing Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the destruction
of more than 1,000 residential units and rendered 560 of them unfit for
habitation.
The
humanitarian organization further disclosed that approximately 175,000 of these
displaced individuals have sought refuge in 88 schools managed by the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), while over
14,500 others have taken shelter in 12 government-run schools.
An
estimated 74,000 have found sanctuary with relatives, and neighbours, or sought
refuge in churches and other facilities, added OCHA.
It
pointed out that the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Gaza
represents the highest figure since the 50-day Israeli aggression on the Gaza
Strip in 2014.
The
organization also issued a warning concerning the increasing difficulty of
meeting the basic needs of those who have not yet been displaced.
The
Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported 950 fatalities and over 5,000
injuries due to the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
The
situation in Gaza remains precarious as the Israeli military aggression
continues, with humanitarian organizations and the international community
closely monitoring the developments and working to provide assistance to the
affected Palestinians.
Source: daysofpalestine.ps
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Unprecedented
Israeli bombardment lays waste to Rimal in Gaza City
October
11, 2023
GAZA
CITY, Gaza Strip: Collapsed buildings, mangled infrastructure, streets turned
into fields of rubble.
Scenes
of violence and destruction in the long-blockaded Gaza Strip have filled the
world’s airwaves throughout four wars and countless rounds of hostilities
between Israel and Hamas militants. But this conflict, Palestinians say, is
different.
On
Tuesday, following a night of intense bombardment, residents were struggling to
grasp the sheer scale of damage inflicted on Gaza City’s upscale Rimal neighborhood,
with its shopping malls, restaurants, residential buildings and offices
belonging to aid groups and international media far from the territory’s
hard-hit border towns and impoverished refugee camps.
Israel
has hit Rimal, also home to Hamas government ministries, in the 2021 war, but
never like this.
Israeli
bombs blew out walls and ripped off roofs of upper-class apartment towers. They
toppled trees that had lined the sidewalks. They uprooted streets that had
teemed with businessmen hustling to work and vendors hawking roasted nuts. They
leveled mosques and university buildings and wrecked high-rise offices of
companies and organizations like Gaza’s main telecommunications company and Bar
Association.
Among
those broad boulevards full of beauty salons, falafel shops and pizzerias beat
the heart of Gaza City. For many, the magnitude of the devastation there,
affecting the territory’s middle and upper classes, had symbolic significance.
“Israel
has destroyed the center of everything,” said Palestinian businessman Ali
Al-Hiyak from his home near Rimal. “That is the space of our public life, our
community.”
“They
are breaking us,” he added.
After
Gaza’s Hamas rulers mounted the deadliest attack on Israel in decades, killing
over 1,000 people and taking dozens hostage in a multi-pronged offensive,
Israel unleashed what Gaza residents described as the most intense bombing
campaign in recent memory, with hundreds of airstrikes Monday night.
“These
sounds are different,” 30-year-old Saman Ashour in Gaza City texted as she lay
awake in a neighborhood north of Rimal, listening to the roar of explosions.
“It’s the sound of revenge.”
Residents
said the Israeli military struck some buildings without first firing warning
missiles as a precaution. The civilian death toll has been rapidly rising.
Overall, Gaza health officials have reported the airstrikes have killed over
800 people and wounded thousands more. Israel has also cut off Gaza’s water
supplies and electricity, worsening the territory’s already abysmal humanitarian
conditions.
The
Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson, AvichayAdraee, said that Israel was
trying to “evacuate civilian populations from areas where Hamas has a military
presence” before unleashing “powerful destruction.”
That
tactic is evident from staggering drone footage that shows vast swaths of
central Gaza City reduced to nothing but dirt craters and ruins from demolished
buildings.
But most
Palestinian civilians did not evacuate. There are no bomb shelters. Israel and
Egypt tightly control the enclave’s borders and have not let anyone out. UN
shelters are rapidly filling up.
After
the militant group’s unprecedented attack on Israeli civilians and soldiers,
which stunned and terrorized a country long seen as invincible, analysts said
it was clear the group bet all of its chips no matter the consequences. Israel
was now waging a war not to repel Hamas, like in past rounds, but to destroy
it.
“The
strategic prospect is to annihilate, destroy and demolish the military capacity
of Hamas,” said Kobi Michael, a senior fellow at the Institute for National
Security Studies, an Israeli think tank. “Hamas brought this on the heads of
the Gazans.”
“If
Israel is not aggressive enough,” he added, “that will only drag us to another
front and to another conflict.”
But
Palestinians in Gaza see the Israeli military’s wrath as collective punishment.
“We’re
talking about damage to hospitals that can’t even run without fuel, the total
demolition of homes and infrastructure,” said Iyad Bozum, spokesman for Gaza’s
Interior Ministry. “At the end of this there will be nothing left to even
reconstruct. It will be impossible to live here.”
The
strikes on Rimal early Tuesday killed ordinary residents like shopkeepers and
local journalists and destroyed dozens of homes.
Issa Abu
Salim, 60, was seething as he stood amid the debris of his home, his clothes
filthy with the dust of the destruction.
“Our
money is gone. My identity cards are lost. The entire house, all four floors,
is lost,” he said. “The most beautiful area, they destroyed it.”
Source: arabnews.com
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--------
Israeli
village near the Gaza border lies in ruin, filled with the bodies of residents
and militants
October
11, 2023
KFAR
AZA, Israel: On the road approaching this rural village, the bodies of
militants lie scattered between the shells of burned-out cars. Walls and doors
of what used to be neatly kept stucco homes are blasted wide open. As bags
holding the bodies of slain residents await identification, the smell of death
hangs thick in the hot afternoon air.
This is
the scene confronting Israel’s military as it battles to beat back a sweeping
assault launched by Hamas from the Gaza Strip, in fighting that has killed
hundreds in this country left reeling and the adjoining Palestinian enclave
under heavy Israeli bombardment.
“You see
the babies, the mothers, the fathers in their bedrooms and how the terrorists
killed,” Maj. Gen. Itay Veruz, a 39-year veteran of the Israeli army who led
forces that reclaimed the village from militants, said Tuesday as he stood amid
the wreckage. “It’s not a battlefield. It’s a massacre.”
The
Israeli military led a group of journalists, including an Associated Press
reporter, on a tour of the village Tuesday, a day after retaking it from what
they said was a group of about 70 Hamas fighters.
Kfar
Aza, surrounded by farms and just a few minutes down a country road from the
heavily fortified fence Israel erected around Gaza, is one of more than 20
towns and villages attacked by Palestinian fighters early Saturday. Before the
attack, the kibbutz, whose name means “Gaza village” in English, was a modestly
prosperous place with a school, a synagogue and a population of more than 700.
Walking
through what is left provides chilling evidence of its destruction.
On the
town’s perimeter, the gate that once protected residents had been blasted open.
Inside the settlement, the doors of many homes had been blown from their hinges
by militants using rocket-propelled grenades. Throughout the town, walls and
torched cars are riddled with bullet holes, tracing a path of violence that
continues inside to bedrooms with mattresses spattered in blood, safe rooms
that could not withstand the attack, even bathrooms.
Inside
one partially destroyed home a framed quotation from a popular television theme
song hinted at what Kfar Aza meant to its residents: “I’ll be there for you,
because you’re there for me, too,” it read. “In this house, we are friends.”
Outside,
unexploded hand grenades were scattered on the ground. A few minutes away, a
Hamas flag lay crumpled in the dirt near a paraglider, used by militants to
attack by air.
By the
time journalists were escorted into the town Tuesday, rescuers had already
removed the bodies of most of the villagers killed in the attack. But reporters
watched as crews carried several more bags containing bodies to a truck and
then to a lot in front of Kfar Aza’s synagogue, where workers attached name
tags.
An AP
reporter saw the bodies of about 20 militants, many of them badly bloated and
disfigured. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers, in helmets and body armor, patrolled
the town Tuesday, as the sounds of explosions and gunfire echoed in the
distance.
Veruz,
retired from the military for eight years before he was recalled Saturday, said
the scene was unlike anything he had ever witnessed, even in a country where
violent clashes with Hamas and other militant groups are frequent. A military
spokesman, Maj. Doron Spielman, agreed, comparing the toll in Kfar Aza and
nearby villages he visited to scenes he witnessed as a New Yorker after the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“I
remember going through 9/11 and waking up the next day, the next week, and
everything had changed,” he said. “It’s the same thing again. But worse because
we’re such a small country.”
Source: arabnews.com
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--------
Iran FM:
Israel seeks to raze besieged Gaza Strip, massacre its residents
11
October 2023
Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has warned that the Israeli regime is
seeking to raze the entire Gaza Strip and massacre its residents.
Speaking
with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the phone on Tuesday night,
Amir-Abdollahian censured Israel’s barbaric decision to impose a “complete”
siege on Gaza and prevent electricity, food, water and fuel from reaching the
strip.
He said
the occupying regime is seeking to massacre resilient Gazans through such
measures.
“What is
happening in Palestinian territories is a direct response to [Israeli prime
minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s radicalism and extremism, and the injustice done
to Palestinian people,” the Iranian foreign minister told Lavrov.
Lavrov,
for his part, condemned the Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip and
underlined the need for cessation of hostilities as soon as possible and a
ceasefire between the two sides
“In
recent years, lots of big achievements have been made in the region like the
rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, normalization of ties with Syria,
and resumption of diplomatic relations between Syria and Turkey, all of which
took place without the involvement of the United States,” the top Russian
diplomat said.
He
emphasized that the Americans are trying to bring all the affairs in the region
under their control while regional countries possess innovative initiatives at
their disposal.
Israel
launched deadly strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip on Saturday after the
Palestinian Hamas resistance movement waged a surprise attack, dubbed Operation
Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying regime.
Hamas
said that its operation came in response to Israel’s violations at the Al-Aqsa
Mosque in occupied East al-Quds and growing settler violence.
According
to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 950 Palestinians have been killed by
Israeli strikes so far.
More
than 260,000 people have also been displaced in Gaza, with over 175,000 taking
shelter in 88 UN schools.
Iran
ready to send humanitarian aid to Gaza: FM
Separately,
Amir-Abdollahian voiced Iran’s preparedness to dispatch essential medical and
humanitarian aid, particularly foodstuff and bottled water, to Gaza in
coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the
United Nations.
During a
telephone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, the top
Iranian diplomat called for immediate action from Muslim countries to help
Palestinians living in Gaza amid a total siege of the impoverished enclave.
The UN
human rights chief Volker Turk said the blockade “seriously” risks the already
dire humanitarian situation.
The
Iranian Red Crescent Society is ready to provide necessary humanitarian aid,
including water, food and medicine, to the people of Gaza with the help of
Egypt and Muslim countries, through cooperation with the ICRC and Red Crescent
Societies,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
Shoukry,
for his part, condemned the Tel Aviv regime’s relentless bombardment of the
Gaza Strip and massacre of civilians, stressing the need for an immediate ceasefire
and stoppage of attacks from both sides.
He noted
that there will be coordination through the United Nations as regards the
dispatch of humanitarian aid from Muslim countries to the Gaza Strip.
Iran
urges Muslim states to take serious action against Israeli crimes
Furthermore,
the Iranian foreign minister called for Muslim states’ serious action against
heinous Israeli crimes in Gaza during a telephone conversation with Kuwaiti
Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah al-Jaber Al Sabah.
The
World Food Program says it is targeting food help for a further 600,000 people
in the besieged Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
Amir-Abdollahian
underscored the need for an emergency foreign ministerial meeting of the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), voicing Tehran’s readiness to host
such an event.
He also
emphasized the need to send drinking water and food to the Gaza Strip as soon
as possible.
Al
Sabah, for his part, underlined his country’s unwavering support for the
Palestinian nation, saying it is important for both sides to prevent the
escalation of violence and save the lives of civilians.
Kuwait
supports any initiative aimed at the restoration of peace in Gaza and backs any
meeting aimed at such a purpose, he added.
Source: presstv.ir
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---------
Dozens
Injured in Israeli Air Raids Near Al-Shifa Hospital
October
11, 2023
Dozens
of Palestinians were injured in an Israeli airstrike that struck several
locations near the Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, on October 11th,
2023.
Local
sources confirmed that other Gazan citizens were reportedly wounded after
Israeli military jets attacked several locations near Gaza port Al-Mina with
indiscriminate airstrikes.
The
Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported 950 fatalities and over 5,000
injuries due to the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
The
current Israeli assault has destroyed more than 1,000 residential units and
rendered 560 of them unfit for habitation, including residential towers,
schools, houses, and medical facilities, according to the United Nations Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
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---------
North America
CAIR-Houston
to Hold Interfaith Press Conference on Bombing of Gaza
Ismail
Allison
October
10, 2023
(HOUSTON,
TX – 10/10/2023) – On Wednesday, October 11, the Houston chapter of the Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Houston) plans to hold an interfaith press
conference to condemn the violence of the ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
The
press conference will feature religious clergy and faith community members from
the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities.
WHAT:
Interfaith Press Conference on Palestine
WHERE:
CAIR-Houston office 7211 Regency Square Blvd Suite 201, Houston, Texas
WHEN:
Wednesday, October 11 at 12 pm
WHO:
CAIR-Houston and faith leaders and community members
ALERT:
To urge your members of Congress to take action and address the ongoing
violence in Israel and Palestine, click here.
SEE: Israeli
Airstrikes Hit Marketplace and Mosques in Gaza, Killing Dozens
In the
last 48 hours, Israeli forces launched bombing attacks that have killed at
least 765 Palestinians and wounded 4,000 others in the Gaza Strip in the wake
of Hamas’ weekend attack in southern Israel, which killed at least 900 Israelis
and injured 2,500 others, which occurred in the wake of attacks on al-Aqsa
mosque in Jerusalem by Israeli settlers backed by Israeli soldiers.
Gaza,
which human rights organizations have described as “the largest open-air
prison” due to an ongoing 15-year-long inhumane siege and blockade, is home to
two million Palestinians, most of whom are refugees from villages and towns
occupied by Israel.
The
United Nations has called Israel’s aggressions in Gaza and the Occupied West
Bank “illegal under international law” and a “substantial obstacle to
peace.”
In a
statement, CAIR-Houston Director William White said:
“We will
be meeting as a multifaith group to denounce the occupation of Palestine and
the system of continued violence over the last seven decades.
“It is
vital to remember that Palestinians have endured decades of dehumanization and
annexation and continue to be persecuted under the governance of the Israeli
occupation. The immediate uproar when Israel faces
an attack is in stark contrast to the shameful silence over the daily brutality Israel has
brought to the Palestinian people for over 75 years. Palestinians are no
different than any other people—They want to live free and with dignity on
their land.”
CAIR-Houston
is an office of Texas’ largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy
organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect
civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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--------
Biden condemns
‘sheer evil’ of Hamas attacks on Israel
October
10, 2023
WASHINGTON:
President Joe Biden condemned the attacks by Hamas on US ally Israel as “sheer
evil” in an emotional speech Tuesday and said Washington is ready to deploy
more military assets to the region.
The
Palestinian militant group had carried out atrocities including murders of
entire families and rapes of women, an indignant Biden said from the White
House, also mentioning “stomach-turning reports of babies being killed.”
“There
are moments in this life — I mean this literally — when a pure unadulterated
evil is unleashed on this world,” he said in a hushed voice during a televised
speech.
“This is
an act of sheer evil.”
Biden
also confirmed that at least 14 Americans had died in the surprise attacks on
Saturday, and that a number had been taken captive by Hamas, which has
threatened to kill hostages if Israel does not warn civilians of upcoming
attacks on Gaza.
At least
20 US citizens were still missing, although that was not the total number of
hostages, Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.
Hamas
retorted that Biden’s comments were an “attempt to cover crimes” by Israel.
Biden’s
remarks were his clearest show of support for Israel yet as the death toll
surged above 900 in the “sickening” attack by Hamas. Gaza officials have also
reported 900 people killed in Israeli air strikes.
Flanked
by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Biden
pledged that “we stand with Israel and we will make sure it has what it needs.”
The
80-year-old president also underlined his message with unusually graphic
descriptions of the carnage in Israel.
“Parents
butchered, using their bodies to try to protect their children,” Biden said
during the 10-minute speech. “Young people massacred while attending a musical
festival to celebrate peace. Women raped, assaulted, paraded as trophies.”
As fears
grow of a regional conflagration, Biden was equally direct about long-term foe
Iran, which backs Hamas as well as the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
“To any
country, any organization, anyone thinking of taking advantage of this
situation, I have one word: don’t.”
The
president’s remarks were delayed by more than an hour while he and Harris spoke
to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the third time since the attacks.
Netanyahu
said he described the attacks in that call as “savagery never seen since the
Holocaust.”
Biden
earlier posted a picture of himself in the secure White House Situation Room
meeting top national security officials to discuss the crisis.
The
United States was now “surging” assistance for Israel including missiles for
its Iron Dome interceptor system, Biden said.
Washington
has ordered its largest aircraft carrier to move closer to Israel and Biden
said he was ready to move “additional assets” if needed to deter Israel’s
adversaries.
But the
United States does not yet have evidence of direct Iranian involvement, Defense
Secretary Lloyd Austin said, even if US officials said they were still
scrutinizing intelligence on the issue.
Blinken
would be visiting Israel to show “solidarity and support” on Thursday, the
State Department said.
The
White House meanwhile showed no sign of calling for restraint by Israel as the
death toll mounted on both sides.
“I’m not
here to draw red lines,” Sullivan told reporters. “We’re going to support them
for as long as they need to ensure that Israel is safe and secure.”
The
United States was deploying hostage experts to Israel to help, but Sullivan
said that “we are not currently sending forces to Israel, and I’ll leave it at
that for now.”
Biden’s
response is being closely watched at home ahead of next year’s US election
where Republicans accuse the Democrat president of being soft on Iran.
Sullivan
insisted on the president’s commitment to Israel, saying recent days had been
an “emotional” time for Biden, who had known Netanyahu for four decades.
“I’m
sure you heard the president’s voice,” he said. “This is personal for us.”
Source: arabnews.com
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--------
Jordan
denies US Army is using bases in the country to deliver supplies to Israel
October
11, 2023
LONDON:
A source in the Jordanian Armed Forces on Tuesday denied suggestions that the
US Army is used military bases in Jordan to deliver supplies to Israel, the
Kuwait News Agency reported.
The
source said that rumors a US military aircraft had taken off from Jordan are
baseless. Such allegations are part of a smear campaign against Jordan and its
firm position and ongoing efforts in support of the Palestinian cause, they
added, and highlight the importance of obtaining news from reliable sources.
Source: arabnews.com
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-------
Trump
touts travel ban on Muslim countries after Hamas terrorists invade Israel
October
10, 2023
Former
President Donald Trump touted his travel ban on Muslim-majority countries in a
speech in New Hampshire after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel over the weekend,
killing more than 900 people, including at least 11 U.S. citizens, in what was
the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
Trump
said Monday during a rally in Wolfeboro, N.H., that people are pouring into the
United States across the southern border and, "we have no idea from where
they come, the same people in many cases, the same people that just attacked
Israel."
Trump
also said if he were in office, "the attack on Israel would never ever
have happened. The attack on Ukraine would never have happened. Inflation would
never have happened. None of it would have happened."
If
elected again, Trump pledged to "reimpose the travel ban on
terror-afflicted countries."
Although
he said he "didn't like talking about it," he said the ban is what
prevented terrorism in the U.S.
"I
went four years without a problem, four years because I had a travel ban and
the Islamic terrorists weren't allowed," Trump said. "It was very
tough for them. I had a very strong travel ban."
Trump
instituted the bans in September 2017. It included nations such as Chad, Iran,
Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
President
Joe Biden revoked the travel bans on his first day in office.
While in
office, Trump prevented people from multiple Muslim-majority countries and
other nations such as Venez
Source: justthenews.com
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---------
The
Israel-Palestine war is Washington’s fault
10 Oct,
2023
The
administration of US President Joe Biden, together with decades of failed
American policy decisions in West Asia, set the stage for the eruption of the
horrifying violence we see today in Palestine and Israel. By sidelining the
Palestinian cause for statehood and instead seeking a symbolic normalization
deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Washington also overlooked its own
regional strategy.
In the
early hours of Saturday morning, the armed wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades,
launched an unprecedented military operation against Israel. Scenes instantly
flooded social media of Palestinian fighters gunning down Israelis in cities
such as Ashkelon, blowing up military vehicles, and killing and capturing
hundreds of Israeli soldiers. It was a surprise offensive the likes of which
hadn’t been seen in over 50 years. It also represented a colossal failure for
the Israeli government, military, and intelligence and security services,
causing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on the Gaza Strip.
In the
US, condemnation of the attack was unanimous and bipartisan, as elected
officials expressed their outrage at the loss of Israeli life. However, in all
of these statements, not a single one recognized their own government's role in
the attack. Washington, along with most of the collective West, has been
imposing sanctions on the Palestinian Authority (PA) for nearly 17 years. The
peace process between Israelis and Palestinians – aimed at reaching a
‘two-state solution’ whereby Israel and Palestine would exist side by side as
independent, mutually-recognized states – has been effectively dead for around
two decades, with the last failed attempt to pressure the Israeli government to
negotiate coming under former US President Barack Obama.
In 2006,
the legislative elections held in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT)
resulted in a landslide victory for Hamas. Failed US presidential candidate
Hillary Clinton was recorded as having stated at the time that “we [the US]
should have made sure that we did something to determine who was going to win.”
While the US did not interfere, the American government decided it would
sanction Gaza and cut off the flow of aid to the PA after the elections did not
favor the Fatah Party it was financing.
Former
US President Jimmy Carter, who brokered the 1979 Camp David Accords, an agreement
that normalized relations between Egypt and Israel, said the following about
the approach of the US government at the time: “If you sponsor an election or
promote democracy and freedom around the world, then when people make their own
decision about their leaders, I think that all the governments should recognize
that administration and let them form their government.”
Not only
did Washington actively oppose the democratic elections in the OPT, it went a
step further and provided arms to Palestinians from the Fatah Party, plotting a
coup that would use them to overthrow the Hamas government that was formed
inside Gaza. The plan failed dramatically and Hamas kicked Fatah out of Gaza
after a bloody civil war, completely taking over the territory, to which the
Israeli government responded by imposing an all-inclusive military blockade.
Unlike
other global powers such as Russia and China, the US never entertained the idea
of giving Hamas the chance to govern as Carter had suggested. Instead, every
American government has refused to engage with Hamas, deeming it a terrorist
organization, but then ignoring the Palestinian political party completely and
not formulating any solution to the situation that has been ongoing inside
Gaza. In fact, the US government considers every single major Palestinian
political party or movement as a terrorist organization, other than the
mainstream branch of Fatah that partially controls the West Bank.
The
Declaration of Principles, the first agreement in the Oslo Accords, was signed
on the White House lawn over 30 years ago. The accords were supposed to solve
the conflict in a span of five years, but failed due to America’s inability to
function as a truly neutral peace broker. During the administration of US
President Donald Trump, Washington abandoned the two-state solution altogether,
through the pursuance of normalization deals between Arab nations and Israel.
The issue of Palestinian statehood, which the UN agrees should be solved
through a two-state solution, was sidelined as a non-issue and the one
bargaining chip possessed by the Palestinians, Arab-Israeli normalization,
began to be taken off of the table.
How did
the Palestinian political parties respond to normalization in 2018? They
overwhelmingly chose non-violent struggle, including in Gaza, where Hamas
endorsed the ‘Great March of Return’, a mass protest movement which lasted
around a year. Most of the protesters were peaceful, but it was the relatively
small groups of Palestinians committing sabotage and anti-Israeli aggression at
the border fence that made the news. In response, Israeli forces killed
hundreds of Palestinians and injured almost 10,000. On the Israeli side, there
was not a single dead soldier or civilian, while Israeli snipers targeted
women, children, journalists, disabled people, and medical workers, according
to a UN human rights report on the demonstrations. How did the US react to
hundreds of thousands of unarmed Palestinian protesters marching on the
separation fence between Gaza and Israel? It ignored them and continued to
pursue Arab-Israeli normalization.
Under
the Biden administration, the two-state solution was also sidelined and the
plight of Palestinians was ignored as insignificant. Instead of seeking a
solution to the violence which has been steadily escalating to levels not seen
in 20 years, during the course of the past two years – especially in the West
Bank – Biden has chosen to look the other way and has pursued Saudi-Israeli
normalization instead. A deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel would also have
the potential to collapse the Iranian-Saudi rapprochement, brokered earlier
this year by China, in addition to potentially dragging Washington into an open
confrontation with Yemen. Instead of seeking to fulfill the foreign policy
pledges made at the start of his term in office, Biden has abandoned the idea
of reviving the Iran nuclear deal and of ending the war in Yemen. He also
decided to try and inflict a death blow on the Palestinian cause for statehood.
What
Hamas just did from Gaza would never have happened if the US had pursued a
somewhat rational approach to the region. It could even have been prevented if
the US had presented a political plan to de-escalate rising tensions in the
occupied territories. Instead, the American government decided to overlook the
armed groups in Gaza while attempting to completely dismantle their cause. And
all of this for what? A fancy photo op that Biden can use to steer the
Democratic Party to victory in the presidential election in 2024, by claiming
that he brought peace to the Middle East. Due to the current conflict,
normalization doesn’t seem to be on the table anytime soon anyway, which would
mean Hamas’ offensive has not only dealt a blow to Israel, but also to the US.
Now that
Israel is at war with Gaza, what is the US doing? It is condemning one side,
while arming Israel and greenlighting any action it takes. Initially,
Washington even refused to urge a ceasefire, in contrast to the push for one
from Moscow and Beijing. The White House refuses to acknowledge its role in
creating the current violence and carries on with the exact same rhetoric and
policy decisions that led to the horrifying war we see today.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/news/584557-palestine-israel-war-us-fault/
--------
US
labels Niger change of power ‘a coup’
10 Oct,
2023
The US
government has officially designated the July takeover by the new military
government in Niger a “coup d’état,” a step that limits Washington's ability to
cooperate with the West African country. The White House had hesitated to take
this step for months due to the policy implications, according to the New York
Times.
America
will now be “suspending most US assistance to the government of Niger,” the
State Department said on Tuesday. Washington had already paused around $200
million worth of aid to Niger in August. These programs are now to be suspended
until further notice, along with the Niger Regional Transportation Compact project,
worth $302 million, and other activities.
According
to the NYT, around $442 million in trade and agricultural assistance are to be
halted as well.
“Life-saving
humanitarian, food, and health assistance to benefit the people of Niger” will
continue, the State Department said, noting that Washington intends to work
with “regional governments” in West Africa, including those in Niger, to
“advance shared interests.”
Any
suspended US assistance can only be resumed after the military government, also
known as the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland, restores what the
US called “democratic governance” in a “credible timeframe.”
The
military took power in Niger on July 26, ousting President Mohamed Bazoum. The
new government quickly moved to suspend military cooperation agreements with
France and expelled the French ambassador. Paris began withdrawing troops from
Niger earlier this month.
The US
Embassy in Niamey has continued its work, however, and the Pentagon is
reportedly still assessing the status of around 1,000 US troops stationed in
Niger. According to a report by CNN last week, the US is unlikely to pull its
troops out of the West African country completely, but their operations may be
limited to intelligence gathering.
Washington
has several military bases in Niger, including at least two drone bases, to
support counterterrorism missions in the Sahel. US troops have worked closely
with French forces in the region.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/news/584610-us-label-niger-coup/
--------
Arab World
Riyadh
working with partners to prevent escalation of Gaza conflict: KSA
October
11, 2023
Saudi
Arabia says it is exerting all efforts with regional and international partners
to prevent the escalation of the situation in Gaza and neighboring areas.
A
statement issued by Saudi Cabinet said the Kingdom will continue its support
for Palestinian people to secure their legitimate rights and achieve just and
lasting peace in the region.
Earlier,
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held separate phone calls with
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.radio.gov.pk/11-10-2023/riyadh-working-with-partners-to-prevent-escalation-of-gaza-conflict-ksa
--------
Saudi FM
discusses developments in Gaza with UK, Canadian counterparts
October
11, 2023
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister received on Tuesday phone calls from British
and Canadian counterparts, the Saudi Press Agency said.
Prince
Faisal bin Farhan, James Cleverly, and Melanie Joly discussed the developments
in Gaza and its surroundings, and the need to work to calm tensions and stop
the escalation.
They
reiterated the importance of the international community coming together to
find a just solution that meets the aspirations of the Palestinian people, and
to mitigate the repercussions of this crisis to protecting civilians and
maintain international peace and security.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2389051/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi FM
meets with Hungarian, Lithuanian counterparts in Muscat
October
10, 2023
RIYADH:
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met his Hungarian counterpart
Peter Szijjarto on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 27th session of the joint
ministerial council meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the EU in
Muscat, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
During
the meeting, the two ministers discussed the dangerous escalation of military
operations in Gaza and surrounding territories, the threat that it poses to
regional and global security, and the role of the international community in
finding a just and equitable solution that meets the Palestinian people’s
aspirations.
Prince
Faisal and Szijjarto also reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on
several regional and international issues of mutual interest.
The
meeting was attended by Abdulrahman Al-Daoud, the director-general of the
foreign minister’s office.
Prince
Faisal also met with his Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis to
discuss bilateral relations and the situation in Gaza.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2388841/saudi-arabia
--------
KSrelief
provides 15,000 food packages for Afghanistan quake victims
October
10, 2023
RIYADH:
Saudi aid agency KSrelief has sent urgent food assistance to people affected by
the earthquake that struck western Afghanistan’s Herat province.
The
center allocated 15,750 food parcels weighing 9,765 tons to the capital Kabul.
The aid will be distributed to affected people in Zendeh Jan and Gourian in
Herat.
The aid
is part of the humanitarian and relief efforts provided by Saudi Arabia through
KSrelief to support disaster-affected and impoverished people around the world.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2388706/saudi-arabia
--------
Pakistan
ECP
reserves verdicts on pleas against Imran, PTI poll symbol
October
11, 2023
Iftikhar
A. Khan
ISLAMABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reserved judgements on the maintainability
of pleas seeking the removal of Imran Khan as PTI’s head and opposing the
allocation of ‘bat’ as the party symbol for upcoming polls.
A
five-member ECP bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan
Raja heard the cases on Tuesday.
The
counsel for petitioner Khalid Mehmood Khan argued that the PTI chairman had
been convicted in the Toshakhana case and referred to the Supreme Court’s order
declaring former prime minister Nawaz Sharif ineligible to hold the office of
party president following his conviction in the Panama Papers case.
The ECP
member from Sindh, Nisar Ahmad Durrani, asked what the Elections Act says on
this issue.
Petitions
filed to remove ex-PM as party head, audit accounts for ‘prohibited funding’
The
lawyer said that while the Political Parties Act barred convicts from holding
party offices, the Elections Act had no such provision.
When the
ECP asked about the potential outcome if Mr Khan’s appeal against the
conviction was accepted by the high court, the lawyer responded that then Mr
Khan would be restored as the party chief.
The
chief election commissioner questioned the difference between the PTI chief’s
case and Mr Sharif’s case.
The
lawyer explained that the latter was disqualified by the Supreme Court, whereas
the ruling against the PTI chairman had been issued by the ECP and the trial
court.
Subsequently,
the ECP decided to reserve its judgement on the petition seeking the removal of
Mr Khan from the party chairmanship.
In
November last year, the ECP had disqualified Mr Khan as member of the National
Assembly over his failure to mention the gifts received from foreign
dignitaries and acquired from Toshakhana in his statement of assets and
liabilities.
When a
trial court on Aug 5 convicted Mr Khan in the same case, the ECP also issued a
notification de-seating him as MNA and declaring him disqualified for five
years.
Plea to
take away bat symbol
Separately,
the ECP also reserved judgement on the maintainability of a petition seeking to
take away PTI’s ‘bat’ electoral symbol.
The
counsel for the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party, Aun Chaudhry, appeared before the
bench and insisted that the symbol should not be allocated to the PTI.
When the
chief election commissioner said the PTI had been allotted the bat symbol in
the past, the counsel said the same symbol should not be allocated to the party
again.
The
counsel was told that a case concerning the election symbol was already pending
before the ECP. The lawyers suggested clubbing both cases.
Prohibited
funding
The
bench also held a preliminary hearing of a fresh petition alleging that PTI was
still receiving prohibited funding.
The
petitioner Khalid Mehmood’s counsel claimed the party was still receiving funds
from prohibited sources.
When the
ECP asked for evidence, the lawyer sought time and said the commission could
itself hold an inquiry into the matter. “We cannot hold an inquiry on your
whims,” the chief election commissioner said.
The
petitioner was then given three weeks to gather evidence.
The
commission also took up a petition filed by Azizuddin Kakakhel Advocate,
seeking the removal of ‘biased’ members of the federal cabinet and the
principal secretary to the prime minister.
The
petitioner contended that PM’s secretary Tauqeer Shah was secretary to former
prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The
bench inquired whether he was a retired or serving officer. The petitioner
replied that he was given the post after he retired.
The
chief election commissioner observed they had held important positions in the
past, and their
services
may still be needed. “God forbid, if he dies today, will there be no other
servant?” the petitioner asked.
“It is
not necessary that those in the previous government cannot be impartial,” the
CEC said.
After
hearing arguments, the bench reserved the verdict on the petition’s
maintainability.
The
petition specifically mentioned Anwaarul Haq Kakar, Fawad Hasan Fawad, Ahad
Cheema and Dr Tauqeer Hussain Shah and sought their removal.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1780451/ecp-reserves-verdicts-on-pleas-against-imran-pti-poll-symbol
---------
Prosecution’s
lapses in corps commander house attack case irk LHC
October
11, 2023
Wajih
Ahmad Sheikh
LAHORE:
A two-judge bench of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday showed its displeasure to
the prosecution and police officials for rendering poor assistance during
hearing of the post-arrest bail petitions of fashion designer Khadija Shah and
others in the corps commander’s house attack case.
At the
outset of the hearing, Justice Aalia Neelum, who headed the bench, warned the
investigating officer (IO) of contempt proceedings if he failed to appear
before the court on time again.
CCPO
Bilal Siddique Kamyana assured the bench that the IO would be on time at future
hearings.
Designer
Khadija Shah’s plea seeking details of cases against her disposed of
Asked
about the status of challan in the Jinnah House attack case, the CCPO told the
bench that challan had been submitted to the trial court. However, SSP
Investigation Imran Kishwar said the trial court returned the challan to the
prosecution for scrutiny.
“It
means the challan has not been submitted yet,” the bench observed.
Special
Prosecutor Farhad Ali Shah told the bench that two people were killed and 46
injured during the attack on the Jinnah House, which also serves as the corps
commander’s residence.
He said
both victims — Abdulah and Abdul Qadir — were shot in the head.
He said
as many as 250 suspects had been discharged in the case for want of evidence.
The
prosecutor said Khadija Shah had been arrested after her presence on the
alleged occurrence was proved through geo-fencing. He said the prosecution
witnesses also identified her during the identity parade. He said Ms Shah made
five calls from her mobile phone during the incident and posted inciting tweets
before and after the May 9 riots.
He said
the woman suspect was involved in ransacking the property of the Jinnah House
and the police recovered a club from her possession.
Justice
Neelum noted that the prosecution had not placed even a single video of inside
the property out of a total of 600 videos of the incident.
“Did
police obtain video footage from the media?” the judge asked the prosecutor.
The
prosecutor said that journalists of the mainstream media were outside the corps
commander’s house.
He said
some Youtubers, who claimed to be journalists, made videos of the violence
inside the premises.
Advocate
Sameer Khosa, the counsel for Khadija Shah, said the petitioner was picked up
on May 19 along with her husband and father. He said the husband and the father
were released following an order issued by the LHC on a habeas corpus petition.
The
counsel, however, sought time to present the copy of the order.
A
counsel for other petitioners/suspects said his clients were not even present
at the alleged occurrence. He said the mobile phone record of the petitioners
denied the claim of the police. The bench would resume the hearing on Wednesday
(today).
Separately,
a two-judge bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi of the LHC, disposed of a
petition by Ms Shah, seeking details of cases against her.
A law
officer filed a report on behalf of the Punjab police, saying only two cases
had been registered against the petitioner relating to the May 9 riots.
The
bench disposed of the petition and warned the police against harassing the
petitioner in any undisclosed case
Meanwhile,
an anti-terrorism court on Tuesday issued show-cause notices to all members of
a JIT for not presenting record of the Jinnah House attack case during the
hearing of post-arrest bail petitions of 15 suspects.
Judge
Arshad Javed was hearing the bail petitions of Sanam Javed and others.
The
judge admonished the investigating officer for not producing the record and
issued show-cause notices to all members of the JIT. He also summoned the JIT
members in person on Wednesday.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1780455/prosecutions-lapses-in-corps-commander-house-attack-case-irk-lhc
---------
Security
forces kill two terrorists in two different operations in KP
October
10, 2023
Two
terrorists were killed by the security forces in two separate operations in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According
to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), an intelligence based operation was
conducted in general area Kulachi, Dera Ismail Khan District where after
intense exchange of fire, terrorist Ikram was sent to hell.
The
killed terrorist remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities
against the security forces, including the recent terrorist attacks on Police
Station Hathala and Rori Police Check Post.
In
another encounter with terrorists in Miran Shah area of North Waziristan
district, own troops effectively engaged the terrorist location as a result of
which one more terrorist was sent to hell.
Weapons
and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists.
Locals
of the area appreciated the operation and expressed their full support to
eliminate the menace of terrorism.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.radio.gov.pk/10-10-2023/security-forces-kill-two-terrorists-in-two-different-operations-in-kp
---------
Two
terrorists killed in as many ops
October
11, 2023
RAWALPINDI:The
security forces killed two terrorists in as many operations in
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at night between Oct 9 and 10.
According
to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations on Tuesday, an
intelligence based operation was conducted in the general area of Kulachi, Dera
Ismail Khan district where after intense exchange of fire, terrorist Ikram was
“sent to hell”.
“He
remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the
security forces including the recent terrorist attacks on Police Station
Hathala& Rori Police Check Post.”
In
another encounter with terrorists in the general area of Miran Shah, North
Waziristan district, the ISPR said troops effectively engaged the terrorist
location as a result of which one more terrorist was “sent to hell”.
Weapons
and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists.
“The
locals of the area appreciated the operation and expressed their full support
to eliminate the menace of terrorism.”
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2440355/two-terrorists-killed-in-as-many-ops
--------
Fazl
slams ex-allies for seeking early polls
October
11, 2023
MULTAN:JUI-F
chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday lashed out at the PPP and PML-N, both of
them his former coalition partners, saying that the two parties had approved
the results of the new census in a cabinet meeting and now that new
constituencies were being demarcated under it, they wanted immediate elections.
“I don't
understand what kind of politics this is. When the census has been approved,
the upcoming polls should be held under it,” he added while addressing a news
conference in Multan.
He
pointed out that the cabinet of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – a
political alliance he headed – had approved the elections as per the new census
results.
“When
the elections will be held on the basis of the new census, the constituencies
will also be new,” he continued.
The
JUI-F chief added that some constituencies would come to end and new ones would
be carved out as well.
“The
whole electoral schedule will change because of this,” he noted.
The
Maulana also opposed conducting the general elections in the month of January,
saying that the weather in the northern areas of the country would be extremely
cold and voters would face difficulties in reaching polling stations in such
harsh conditions.
Earlier
while speaking an event, the JUI-F chief maintained that his party had
struggled a lot for the rights of the people and clerics had rendered great
sacrifices for this cause.
He added
that the clerics had played a critical role in the preparation of Pakistan’s
Constitution and contributed much to the country’s legislative process.
He said
the clerics had played an excellent role in government affairs as well, adding
that they partially ran the ministries too.
“After
the Million March, the JUI-F is also counted as a major party and now we will
increase our parliamentary strength,” he claimed.
Fazl
maintained that when his party was ousted from the assemblies through rigging,
its activists took to the streets in protest.
Without
naming anyone in particular, he said if they “stole” in the parliamentary
system, we would protest against them.
“Every
day a party or an individual raises the slogan of an ‘ideal’ and the people’s
hopes are tied to them without even giving a thought about who is behind
them," he continued.
In
response to the JUI-F chief’s news conference, PPP Information Secretary Faisal
Karim Kundi said his party had also talked about holding the general elections
within 90 days in the cabinet meeting.
He added
that the Constitution also required that the general polls be held within 90
days of the dissolution of the assemblies.
Kundi
maintained that conducting the elections were the JUI-F chief’s request but it
was not necessary that the polls would be held.
He said
the Maulana should honestly disclose at what price did his party link the Legal
Framework Order (LFO) to the Constitution.
Kundi
further claimed that it was PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s long march
that forced the “puppet”, referring to PTI chief Imran Khan, to leave power and
run away.
“On
whose signal did the JUI-F chief end his long march?” he raised the question.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2440491/fazl-slams-ex-allies-for-seeking-early-polls
---------
Judge
solicits jail SOPs for Imran’s phone calls
October
11, 2023
RAWALPINDI:The
special court designated to handle cases under the Official Secrets Act (OSA)
has solicited the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of Rawalpindi's Adiala
Jail for its next hearing scheduled on October 18.
The
direction comes after the jail's superintendent informed the court that he
could not permit Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime
minister Imran Khan, who is incarcerated in the cypher case, to communicate
with his sons abroad via phone. This decision was based on the prison's manual,
which does not allow this facility for inmates detained under the OSA.
Special
Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain presided over the proceedings, which took
place within the Adiala Jail premises. The Adiala Jail superintendent, in his
report submitted to the court, explained that he had denied Imran Khan's
request to speak with his sons residing abroad, citing the prohibition on
suspects arrested under the OSA from communicating with individuals outside the
country.
Read PTI
slams harsh conditions faced by Imran in custody
The
court has instructed that the SOPs concerning inmate phone privileges should be
presented during the next hearing on October 18. A similar situation had arisen
when Imran Khan was detained in Attock Jail.
Last
month, in response to a contempt petition filed by Imran Khan for not allowing
him to contact his sons abroad via phone or WhatsApp, the superintendent of
Attock Jail informed the special court that the prison manual did not permit
such communication. He added that prisoners held in OSA-related cases were not
eligible for making international calls.
Imran
had been sentenced to three years in jail in the Toshakhana (gift repository)
case. Although the Islamabad High Court had suspended the sentence, Imran was
arrested in the cypher case, an FIR filed against him under the OSA by the
Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) Counter Terrorism Wing (CTW) for the
"wrongful use" and illegal retention of a classified document.
Read
more Bushra fears Imran could be ‘poisoned’ in Adiala Jail
The
superintendent of Attock Jail informed the judge through a written response
that he could not consider violating the court's orders.
The FIA
CTW had registered a case against Imran and his fellow party leader Shah
Mahmood Qureshi under sections 5 (wrongful communication, etc., of information)
and 9 (attempts, incitements, etc.) of the OSA of 1923, read with Section 34
(common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code. This was based on a complaint
filed by the then interior secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar in Islamabad
following an inquiry that concluded on October 5, 2022.
The
complaint alleged that Imran, Qureshi, and their associates had communicated
information from a secret classified document to unauthorized individuals,
which was "prejudicial to the interests" of state security.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2440486/judge-solicits-jail-sops-for-imrans-phone-calls
--------
Training
organised for judges on anti-rape laws
October
11, 2023
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Judicial Academy Peshawar, in collaboration with the Asma Jahangir Legal Aid
Cell (AGHS), organized a two-day training program focused on understanding the
anti-sexual, rape and harassment laws for judicial officers.
The program
saw the participation of judicial officers from various districts of the
province, including 23 additional district & sessions judges and special
court judges.
Muhammad
Shoaib, Acting Director-General of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy, extended
a warm welcome to the participants and outlined the program’s objectives.
He
expressed optimism that the training would enhance their knowledge of relevant
laws and regulations, enabling more effective implementation.
Executive
Director of AGHS Legal Aid Cell, Nida Ali, elaborated on the program’s goals
and emphasized the importance of awareness about new laws and regulations
pertaining to sexual harassment.
Additional
District and Sessions Judge, Qazi Attaullah, expressed appreciation for the
timely organization of the training program.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2440426/training-organised-for-judges-on-anti-rape-laws
---------
War over
in Afghanistan, but concerns persist: FM Jilani
October 11, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
After decades of conflict and instability, Afghanistan stands at an important
inflection point — there was no war and the security situation in the country
has improved — but there hasn’t been commensurate progress on concerns
regarding the rights of women and girls and countering the threat posed by
terrorist organisations, caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said on
Tuesday.
In a
statement at the 27th ECO Council of Ministers meeting held at Shusha, the
cultural capital of Azerbaijan, the foreign minister said he believed that the
pathway to progress in Afghanistan lay through constructive engagement with the
interim Afghan government.
“As
friends and neighbours of Afghanistan, we, as members of the ECO, have a
critical role to play to this end,” he reiterated.
The
foreign minister stressed that they must leverage connectivity as a way to
achieve economic revival and growth in Afghanistan, which remained a key to
sustainable peace, stability and prosperity.
The
caretaker foreign minister also said Pakistan attached great importance to ECO,
adding that the geo-political significance of their region was enormous.
FM
Jilani reiterated that the key to unlock the geo-economic potential of the ECO
region lay in connectivity, saying that this objective could be achieved by
taking three vital steps: (i) development of road and rail projects, (ii)
liberalization of visa regimes and (iii) simplification of border procedures.
He said
some of the most significant contributions of ECO had been the
operationalisation of ITI road corridor, along with implementation of Transit
TTFA.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the
full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1780454/war-over-in-afghanistan-but-concerns-persist-fm-jilani
-------
South Asia
Protection
Of Islamic System ‘Obligatory’: Islamic Emirate’s Virtue and Vice Minister
October
11, 2023
The
Islamic Emirate’s minister of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice,
Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, says the protection of the Islamic system is
“obligatory”.
Speaking
at a gathering of religious scholars and influential people on Tuesday at the
Loya Jirga in Kabul, Hanafi said that protecting the Islamic system is
compulsory and that the responsibility of the scholars in this area is heavier
than others.
“You are
the scholars, you are the elites, as Jihad was obligatory against the tyrants,
infidels and oppressors, protecting this Islamic system is also obligatory,”
said Hanafi.
Meanwhile,
Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani advised Muhtasibs of the vice and
virtue ministry to treat the people well because, according to him, people are
afraid of the Muhtasibs and this fear must be eliminated.
Haqqani
also asked businessmen and investors to help Herat earthquake victims.
At the
gathering, the governor of Kabul Mohammad Khalid Qasim also mentioned the war
between Palestine and Israel and said that Israel wanted to remove Palestine
from the world map, but now it is on the verge of being removed from the world
map itself.
“Israel
decided to erase the map of Palestine from the world, but inshallah, soon the
map of Israel will be erased from the world,” he said.
Source: ariananews.af
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.ariananews.af/protection-of-islamic-system-obligatory-virtue-and-vice-minister-hanafi/
---------
'Vice'
at Kabul Wedding Halls Has Declined to Zero: Minister
October
11, 2023
By
Naweed Samadi
The
Ministry of Vice and Virtue claims that the number of vices [a religious term
for sins/crimes or any act against Islamic Sharia] in Kabul’s wedding halls has
dropped to zero.
Speaking
at a gathering in Kabul that was attended by government officials, clerics,
members of the ministry and common Afghans, the acting minister of Vice and
Virtue said virtue in wedding halls was now "100 percent" ensured.
“Thank
God, currently in the 150 wedding halls of Kabul, the scale of vice has been
reduced to zero while the scale of virtue is hundred percent ensured,” said
Khalid Hanafi, the acting Minister of Vice and Virtue.
Sarajudin
Haqqani, the acting minister of Interior, at the gathering said that members of
the Ministry of Vice and Virtue should behave gently while dealing with common
Afghans.
The
acting minister said that Afghans should not be ungrateful of having the
current government.
“We
respectfully ask the employees of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue to eliminate
the fear of the people for the ministry’s employees by meeting with Imams,
society leaders and clerics,” said Sarajudin Haqqani, the acting Minister of
Interior.
In the
meantime, the Kabul governor expressed the Islamic Emirate’s support for
Palestinians against Israel.
“People
of Afghanistan and the Islamic Emirate are concerned about the current
situation of Palestine, and the Islamic Emirate expresses its support for the
Palestinians,” said Muhammad Qasim Khalid, the Kabul governor.
The
Kabul residents have some requests from the Islamic Emirate.
“When
someone is referring to government administrations to lodge a complaint, he is
asked to make contact while the complainer has no contact and connection with
government officials,” said a society leader in Kabul.
Over
three thousand people had taken part in the gathering, among them religious
scholars, employees of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, society leaders of
Kabul, representatives of the private sector, representatives of Kabul’s
districts and local officials of Kabul.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185481
--------
Islamic
Emirate Establishes Commission for Afghan Refugees’ Return
October
11, 2023
The
Islamic Emirate established a special commission to address the problems of
Afghan refugees based in Pakistan.
The
commission, which is led by the deputy prime minister of the Islamic Emirate
held its first meeting to discuss creating procedures for its activities.
The
commission was established based on the decree of the leader of the Islamic
Emirate.
“A
committee headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Abdul Salaam Hanafi, has been
commissioned to make a procedure for the commission as soon as possible so that
it can facilitate the activities of relevant administrations and create further
coordination between the administration," the statement of the office of
Prime Minister said.
“Creation
of this commission is a positive step, but diplomatic negotiations are needed
for legal and documented travels,” Said Asifa Stanikzai, a refugees’ rights
activist.
In the
meantime, Afghan refugees based in Pakistan complained about their appalling
situation in the host country.
The
refugees urged the Islamic Emirate and the refugees’ rights defenders to
discuss the issue with the Pakistani government.
“Refugees
lives has been disturbed and Afghan refugees are hiding in their houses from
the fear of arrest. Currently, the biggest concern of the Afghan refugees is
the issuance of a statement by Pakistani government urging Pakistani nationals
not to rent their houses to Afghan refugees,” said Baqir Ahmadi, a
Pakistan-based Afghan refugee.
The
general consul of the Islamic Emirate in Karachi said that 100 Afghan refugees,
among them 36 minors, have been released from different prisons of Karachi and
taken back to Afghanistan.
“There
are over 900 Afghan prisoners in the Sindh state of Pakistan who have been
arrested recently. We ask the Pakistani government not to misbehave with those
who have legal documents and those without documents should be given time to
return to Afghanistan,” said Abdul Jabar Takhari, general consul of the Islamic
Emirate in Karachi.
It comes
as the interior minister of Pakistan’s caretaker government said that they plan
to expel over one million undocumented refugees including Afghans by November
this year.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-185484
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UN
Representative visits earthquake-affected areas in Herat Province
Fidel
Rahmati
October
10, 2023
On
Monday, UN Special Representative and Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for
Afghanistan, Ms. Roza Otunbayeva, referred to the earthquake-affected areas in
the Zinda Jan district of Herat province as a “major disaster” during her
visit. She called for immediate action to help the affected people.
The
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has confirmed an
emergency visit by their representative, Ms. Outenbawi, to the Zinda Jan
district of Herat.
This
visit comes in response to a recent earthquake that has caused significant loss
of life and property damage. Ms Otunbayeva’s mission is to assess the extent of
the earthquake’s impact on the province, and she stated, “United Nations
humanitarian organizations were among the first to respond, assisting the
affected population during this challenging time.”
On
Saturday, a severe 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the western provinces of
Afghanistan, including Herat, Badghis, Farah, and Helmand, causing a major
disaster and heavy casualties in Herat province.
According
to the latest reports, Doctors Without Borders stated that the number of
earthquake-related fatalities in Herat has reached 2,445, with 2,440 injured.
Furthermore,
according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 11
villages in the Zinda Jan district of Herat province have been destroyed.
In the
wake of the devastating earthquake in Herat province, Afghan authorities have
undertaken a concerted effort to carry on with search and rescue operations.
Their
unwavering commitment to these operations is underscored by the tragic fact
that 2,035 people have been officially confirmed as deceased, highlighting the
severity of the disaster and the urgent need for assistance and support.
Despite
the challenging circumstances, humanitarian organizations have worked
tirelessly to aid the earthquake victims. Four days after the catastrophic
event, efforts to deliver essential relief supplies, medical care, and shelter
to those affected persist.
The
sustained dedication of these organizations reflects a collective determination
to alleviate the suffering of the earthquake survivors and help them rebuild
their lives in the face of this tragedy.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.khaama.com/un-representative-visits-earthquake-affected-areas-in-herat-province/
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EU
approves €3.5 in aid for Afghan earthquake victims
Fidel
Rahmati
October
10, 2023
After the recent deadly earthquake in western
Afghanistan, the EU is allocating €3.5 million (approximately 280,000,000
Afghanis) in emergency humanitarian aid to address the immediate needs of the
affected population, a statement said.
In
response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in drought-affected areas, a fresh
allocation of €2.5 million is made available to existing humanitarian partners
actively engaged in relief efforts. The statement said the primary focus of
this support is to provide critical assistance, including emergency shelter,
essential medical supplies, and improved access to safe drinking water and
sanitation services.
“This
new assistance comes in addition to the €89 million in humanitarian aid already
allocated in 2023 for humanitarian organizations in the country. EU
humanitarian aid in Afghanistan is solely channelled through our humanitarian
partners on the ground,” it added.
Furthermore,
the EU is extending in-kind assistance from its humanitarian reserves in Dubai
through the European Humanitarian Response Capacity (EHRC) framework.
A
comprehensive array of aid resources, including shelter kits, winterized tents,
hygiene kits, and various essential supplies, are readily accessible to our
humanitarian partners and tailored to address specific requirements.
These
vital provisions are set for delivery via a newly organized flight within the
EU Humanitarian Air Bridge initiative, with the overall operation projected to
cost approximately €1 million. This marks the 31st flight orchestrated through
this humanitarian air bridge, with the most recent one touching down on October
7th, underscoring our continued commitment to delivering vital assistance to
those in need.
“The
recent earthquake in Afghanistan compounds the suffering of a population
already grappling with a dire humanitarian situation. The EU remains committed
to supporting the Afghan people, mobilizing the various tools at our disposal.
This aid package, valued at €3.5 million, will provide much-needed relief to
the victims of this devastating disaster,” EU Commissioner for Crisis
Management JanezLenarcic stated.
Today,
the Director-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid
Operations, Maciej Popowski, and the EU Chargéed’Affairesa.i. to Afghanistan,
Raffaella Iodice, arrived in Herat to assess the earthquake’s impact on the
hardest-hit areas.
Maciej
Popowski expressed shock at the devastation and emphasized the EU’s €3.5
million emergency funding as a symbol of solidarity with the Afghan people,
praising the dedicated efforts of humanitarian partners and first responders.
Raffaella
Iodice echoed the sentiment, acknowledging the extensive destruction and
suffering while emphasizing the EU’s aid package to support survivors and
standing in solidarity with the Afghan people.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/eu-approves-e3-5-in-aid-for-afghan-earthquake-victims/
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Deputy
FM Meets FAO Delegation, Emphasizes Continued Support for Afghanistan
2023-10-10
KABUL
(BNA): Shir Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the political deputy of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, recently met with a high-level delegation from the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Kabul.
The
meeting focused on the FAO’s continued support for Afghanistan.
Mr.
Stanekzai emphasized that agricultural development and food security are top
priorities for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. He expressed appreciation
for the FAO’s ongoing cooperation and urged international agencies to continue
their support to help alleviate current challenges in Afghanistan.
The
Islamic Emirate expects international organizations, particularly the FAO, to
focus their support on sustainable development, infrastructural projects, and
current needs in the country. Mr. Stanekzai also called for the resumption of
projects related to climate change and environmental protection.
Beth
Bechdol, Deputy Director-General at the FAO, noted that this is the
highest-ranking delegation from the organization to visit Afghanistan in the
last twenty years.
The
delegation has committed to assisting in various sectors, including technical
support, seed distribution, animal health, irrigation, climate change,
agricultural mechanization, and more.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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https://bakhtarnews.af/en/deputy-fm-meets-fao-delegation-emphasizes-continued-support-for-afghanistan/
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‘Huge
losses’ after more powerful quake hits Afghanistan
11 October 2023
A 6.3
magnitude earthquake has struck Afghanistan's western province of Hera,
following a series of deadly quakes that caused more than 4,000 deaths and
injuries on Saturday.
There
were no early details on casualties caused by the latest quake that occurred at
a shallow depth at around 05:10 am local time (00:40 GMT) on Wednesday, with
its epicenter put about 29 km north of Herat.
The
office of Herat's governor said some districts adjoining areas that had been
completely flattened by earlier quakes had suffered "huge losses".
The
latest quake comes as rescue teams are still searching for those trapped under
the debris following the three deadly earthquakes that rattled Herat and its
surroundings on Saturday.
Local
and national officials have given conflicting counts of the number of dead and
injured from the previous earthquakes.
Taliban
authorities say at least 2,400 people were killed and many more injured in the
quakes.
"We
can't give exact numbers for dead and wounded as it is in flux,"
Afghanistan Disaster Management Authority’s spokesperson Mullah Janan Saiq
said.
Rescue
teams are still searching for those trapped under the debris two days after
deadly quakes rattled the northwestern city of Herat and its surroundings.
According
to a statement by the UN Humanitarian Office all the homes in the Zindajan
district in Herat were destroyed following the earlier quakes.
Images
shared by aid and rescue teams on the ground showed massive heaps of debris and
rubble after buildings collapsed, while people could be seen digging in the
rubble to try to find survivors.
“The
situation is worse than we imagined with people in devastated villages still
desperately trying to rescue survivors from under the rubble with their bare
hands,” Thamindri de Silva, national director at World Vision Afghanistan said.
Reinforcement
teams from the capital Kabul had also arrived to help but there is only one
hospital and it is “at full stretch with serious cases being transferred to
other private facilities.”
Mark
Calder, World Vision Afghanistan’s advocacy lead, said funding from the international
community “has been inadequate.”
Lack of
water is also a serious challenge, said Siddig Ibrahim, UNICEF Afghanistan’s
Chief of Field Office, with women and children being the most
disproportionately affected.
“Afghanistan
is home to one of the world’s worst humanitarian and child rights crises,” he
said. “The international community should not, and cannot, look away from
children in Afghanistan, especially now, when help is needed most.”
The
death toll from a series of earthquakes in Afghanistan that has hit the
northwestern part of Afghanistan has passed two thousand.
Save the
Children said the scale of the damage in Herat was “horrific” and anticipates
the death toll will rise as bodies are pulled from the rubble.
“This is
a crisis on top of a crisis,” said Save the Children’s Afghanistan director
Arshad Malik. “Even before this disaster, Afghan children were already
suffering from a devastating lack of food.”
Afghanistan
has long been one of Asia’s poorest countries and has been ravaged by conflict
for decades.
The
Taliban seized power in August 2021, 20 years after their ouster by US troops –
an event that saw many major aid groups and NGOs pull out and crucial aid
programs halted.
After
their withdrawal, Washington and its allies cut off international funding –
crippling an economy already heavily dependent on aid.
Last
week the World Bank warned that two thirds of Afghan families currently faced
“significant challenges in maintaining their livelihoods” – making it harder
for Afghans to recover from earthquakes.
“The
earthquake has further exacerbated the situation of already vulnerable
communities and upcoming harsh winter conditions spell disaster for the welfare
of those that have become displaced, especially for women and children who are
most at risk of exploitation and abuse in their displacement,” said
International Rescue Committee (IRC) director Salma Ben Assia.
“Thousands
are now without homes or shelter – they have lost everything,” added Malik from
Save the Children.
“The
international community cannot turn its backs on children and families in Herat
who need urgent help.”
Afghanistan
is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range,
which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
The
quake-hit Herat province, which is home to 1.9 million people, has also been
hit by drought, affecting produce in an area renowned for top-quality abundant
harvest.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/10/11/712488/Afghanistan-earthquake-Herat-death-toll-previous-quakes-rescue-teams-international-aid-groups
----------
Another
6.3 magnitude quake hits western Afghanistan
October
11, 2023
A
magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck western Afghanistan on Wednesday, hitting an
area where more than 2,000 people were killed after a series of similar tremors
on the weekend.
The
quake occurred at a shallow depth at around 5:10am local time (12:40am GMT),
with its epicentre about 29 kilometres north of the city of Herat, the United
States Geological Survey said.
Volunteers
and rescuers have been working since Saturday in what are now last-ditch
attempts to find survivors from the earlier series of earthquakes, which
levelled entire villages and affected more than 12,000 people, according to UN
estimates.
Local
and national officials have given conflicting counts of the number of dead and
injured from the previous earthquakes, but the disaster ministry has said 2,053
people died.
“We
can’t give exact numbers for dead and wounded as it is in flux,” said disaster
management ministry spokesman Mullah Janan Sayeq.
There
were no immediate reports of new casualties after Wednesday’s quake, which hit
near Herat city, home to more than half a million people.
There
were no early details on casualties caused by the latest quake, disaster
management spokesman Janan Sayeeq told Reuters.
The
office of Herat’s governor said in a statement that some districts adjoining
areas that had been completely flattened by earlier quakes had suffered “huge
losses”.
“Mobile
medical teams and officials have been working together and have transferred
several injured people to hospital,” the governor’s office said.
The
earlier earthquakes completely destroyed at least 11 villages in Herat
province’s Zenda Jan district, according to the UN.
“Not a
single house is left, not even a room where we could stay at night,” said
40-year-old Mohammad Naeem, who told AFP he lost 12 relatives, including his
mother, after Saturday’s earthquakes.
“We
can’t live here anymore. You can see, our family got martyred here. How could
we live here?”
Local
media reported that many Herat residents had been spending their nights living
in tents in the open air due to a fear of aftershocks following the weekend
tremors.
Providing
shelter on a large scale will be a challenge for Afghanistan’s Taliban
authorities, who seized power in August 2021, and have fractious relations with
international aid organisations.
Afghanistan
is frequently hit by deadly earthquakes, but the weekend disaster was the worst
to strike the war-ravaged country in more than 25 years.
Most
homes in rural Afghanistan are made of mud and built around wooden support
poles, with little in the way of steel or concrete reinforcement.
Multi-generational
extended families generally live under the same roof, meaning serious
earthquakes can devastate communities.
Afghanistan
is already suffering a dire humanitarian crisis, with the widespread withdrawal
of foreign aid following the Taliban’s return to power.
Herat
province, on the border with Iran, is home to around 1.9 million people, and
its rural communities have been suffering from a years-long drought.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1780493/another-63-magnitude-quake-hits-western-afghanistan
---------
Southeast Asia
Selangor
cops need better equipment to counter terrorists
11 Oct
2023
KLANG:
Selangor police are calling for better equipment and gadgets to ensure they are
one step ahead of potential terrorists.
They
were among the several agencies involved in a special field training exercise
at North Port on Wednesday (Oct 11). One of the simulations conducted was a
terrorist attack and hostage rescue.
Selangor
police chief Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said his personnel and other agencies
worked well during the simulation based on their initial observations.
"The
results were good, and we saw human resources and skills deployed expertly.
That being said, we feel that one aspect can be looked into to make us more
effective, our technology and equipment," he told reporters after
attending the field training exercise there.
He said
more advanced technology and gadgetry would make his personnel more effective
in conducting such operations.
"We
(security forces) learn, and the terrorists and enemies also know
simultaneously, so we need to be one step ahead of them.
"Some
of the technology that needs to be looked into include communications and
drones," he said, adding the enemies would use jammers to turn off
communications, so the security forces must look at alternatives.
Meanwhile,
National Security Council deputy director general (strategic security) Comm
Datuk Baharuddin Ahmad said several similar field training exercises have been
conducted on offshore oil rigs before this.
"I
have spoken to the Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, and we
will conduct another of these exercises in the city centre.
"We
must test our capabilities on how our response will be if such an attack
occurs," he said.
Source: thestar.com.my
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/10/11/selangor-cops-need-better-equipment-to-counter-terrorists
-------
Anwar
meets Malaysian NGOs on ways to support Palestine
10 Oct 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reiterated Malaysia’s
commitment to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Anwar
said he had shared this commitment with several non-governmental organisations
(NGOs), including the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations,
Cinta Gaza Malaysia, Cinta Syria Malaysia, and Global Peace Mission during
their meeting at the Parliament building today.
“I also
shared with them the government’s efforts in holding discussions with the
Islamic world leaders to find the best solution to pacify tensions in
Palestine, hence enabling humanitarian and medical aid to be delivered,” he
said in a Facebook post.
During
the meeting, Anwar said the NGOs also expressed their intention to organise a
mega-gathering in support of Palestine and amplify the voices of the oppressed
Palestinian people in Gaza.
The
recent clashes in Palestine involving Hamas, the ruling authority in Gaza, and
the Israeli regime have resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives on both sides
since Saturday.
Yesterday,
the government announced that it will channel RM1 million to the Humanitarian
Trust Fund for the People of Palestine managed by the Foreign Ministry,
following the recent conflict and violence in the Gaza Strip. – Bernama,
October 10, 2023
Source: thevibes.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/99321/anwar-meets-malaysian-ngos-on-ways-to-support-palestine
---------
Indonesian
volunteers stay in Gaza to provide emergency medical support
October
10, 2023
NATALIA
LASKOWSKA&SHEANY YASUKO LAI
JAKARTA:
Indonesian volunteers in the Gaza Strip will remain on duty to provide
emergency medical support, their NGO said on Tuesday, as Israeli airstrikes
continued pounding the densely populated Palestinian territory.
Israeli
jets have bombarded the narrow coastal strip since last weekend, following an
attack by Gaza-based Palestinian group Hamas. The airstrikes have hit
residential buildings, hospitals and places of worship, leaving the 2.3 million
inhabitants of the besieged enclave with nowhere to hide.
Remaining
medical facilities were left overwhelmed as the bombardment continued on
Tuesday, prompting Indonesian NGO Medical Emergency Rescue Committee, or MER-C,
which runs a hospital in Gaza, to keep its staff on the ground and prepare to
send more volunteers to help.
“(They)
will stay in Gaza to provide emergency support at this crucial time ... they
are not only MER-C volunteers, but also representatives of the Indonesian
people to Palestine to provide help where it is needed by the Palestinians,”
Sarbini Abdul Murad, chairman of MER-C’s executive committee, told reporters in
Jakarta.
“The
main goal of the team is to convey the support of the Indonesian people through
medical and humanitarian help.”
Indonesia,
the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, is a staunch supporter of
Palestine, and its people and authorities see Palestinian statehood as mandated
by their own constitution, which calls for the abolition of colonialism.
The
Indonesia Hospital, located just outside Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp, was
established by MER-C in 2015 using donations from Indonesian citizens.
As of
Monday, the hospital was already over capacity and even its morgue lacked the
space to handle the bodies of new airstrike victims due to “a surge of
casualties from Israeli attacks,” Murad said.
MER-C
officials were coordinating with the Indonesian government to dispatch more
volunteers under its humanitarian diplomacy framework.
Indonesia
also joined widespread calls for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor,
as Gaza’s under-equipped hospitals scrambled to treat the wounded.
“The
current focus of the Indonesian government is on the humanitarian situation,
particularly pushing for efforts to cease the escalation of violence and avoid
more civilian casualties,” Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, spokesperson of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, told reporters.
“The
Indonesian Foreign Minister continues to communicate with a number of countries
and international organizations in working towards a cessation of violence.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2388741/world
--------
Five
Malaysians trapped in West Bank, including a woman and three kids
11 Oct
2023
PETALING
JAYA: Five Malaysians, including a woman with her mother and three children,
are currently in the West Bank, which is a conflict zone in the ongoing clashes
between Israeli forces and Palestinian group Hamas.
Wisma
Putra said the Malaysian embassy in Amman, Jordan is in constant contact with
them.
“The
Foreign Affairs Ministry advises anyone who has information regarding the
whereabouts of relatives or anyone in the conflict areas to contact the
ministry to enable assistance to be provided,” said Wisma Putra in a statement
on Wednesday (Oct 11).
Wisma
Putra also advised those planning to travel to areas affected in the ongoing
Israel-Palestine conflict, to postpone their plans.
“NGOs
that still intend to travel to the affected areas are advised to refer their
plans to the ministry first,” said Wisma Putra.
Wisma
Putra also said Malaysia is deeply concerned with the increasing number of
casualties and injuries to civilians in the conflict that persisted since Oct
7.
“Malaysia
strongly condemns Israel’s excessive bombardments of public areas, aside from
its move to block basic supplies such as water, electricity and food,” said
Wisma Putra.
Wisma
Putra also commended the Yang di-PertuanAgong’s decree and the unanimous resolution
in Parliament to call for a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the
international community to pressure the ongoing violence to stop.
“Malaysia
is also disappointed with the UNSC’s failure to reach an agreement on this
matter,” said Wisma Putra.
Wisma
Putra said that taking into account the critical situation presently, the
international community, including the United Nations, should channel immediate
humanitarian assistance such as basic supply and medical support.
“The
Israel regime has no right to stop humanitarian aid,” added Wisma Putra.
Wisma
Putra said it is currently in the process of channeling RM1mil for early
humanitarian contributions through the People’s Humanitarian Trust Account for
Palestine (AAKRP), as announced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad
Zahid Hamidi on Monday.
Last
Saturday (Oct 7), during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, Palestinian group
Hamas launched a surprise attack from Gaza, which saw a barrage of rockets
being fired towards Israel and armed individuals breaching security barriers.
In
response, Israel retaliated with air strikes and military operations later that
night, which carried on till presently.
Reports
have stated that about 900 individuals have been killed in the West Bank and
Gaza.
Following
the conflict, reports also stated that violence is surging in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank, which is currently seeing a rise in attacks by
Jewish settlers in Palestinian villages.
Source: thestar.com.my
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/10/11/five-malaysians-trapped-in-west-bank-including-a-woman-and-three-kids
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High
Court dismisses MAIP application to provide Islamic education to Loh's children
Dawn
Chan
October 11, 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR: The High Court today dismissed the application by the Perlis Islamic
Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIP) to provide Islamic education to
Hindu mother Loh Siew Hong's three children, said to be unilaterally converted
to Islam by the father.
High
Court judge Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz said in her interview with them, the twin
girls aged 15 and a boy aged 12, had objected to the council having access to
them.
"They
told me they do not want to be Muslims," she said in her decision today.
Source: nst.com.my
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2023/10/965819/high-court-dismisses-maip-application-provide-islamic-education
--------
Africa
Envoy:
Nigerians In Israel Are Safe, We’re Not Fighting Muslims But Terrorists
10 Oct
2023
Israeli
ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has said Nigerians in the country as
well as citizens of other countries are safe.
Addressing
journalists at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Freeman described
Saturday’s attack by Hamas, where almost a thousand people died in less than 24
hours, as the gravest since the Holocaust.
The
Holocaust was the genocide of European Jews during World War II which lasted
between 1941 and 1945.
It was
time that Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six
million Jews across German-occupied Europe, around two-thirds of Europe’s
Jewish population.
Gaza
death toll in Israel bombardment rises to 560
Zelensky
visits Romania as Russian drone attacks on Ukraine continue
Describing
the attack, Freeman said Hamas is a terror group that wants to wipe out the
Israelis, but said Israel will terminate every one of them.
“[Hamas]
these are a terror group that have no mercy, and have decided that they want to
slaughter the Israelis and destroy the State of Israel,” Freeman said.
“Nearly
a thousand Israelis were murdered in one day. That was the gravest number of
Jews killed in one day since the Holocaust.
“But, do
you know it is not only Israelis? They killed Arabs, they killed Israeli-Arabs,
they killed others from different countries.”
The
ambassador said Israel has begun a war against Hamas, stating that it was not
against the Palestinians, Muslims, or Arabs, but solely against Hamas.
He also
said Nigerians and other nationals living in Israel are safe, as the Israeli
government and troops will ensure their safety.
Freeman
said the Israeli forces will eliminate Hamas so that there will not be a repeat
of this in Israel or any other country.
“There
is no justification for Hamas to attack. They have no right to hold children
and women. Their major headquarters is under a hospital in Gaza. We are
focusing on ensuring that everybody is safe, and how we are going to do that is
to eliminate Hamas,” Freeman said.
Speaking
about the safety of Nigerians, Freeman said, “Everyone is safe in Israel.
Nigerians are safe. We will do everything we can to avoid civilian casualties.
But the civilians will get killed, we should be prepared for that.”
Source: dailytrust.com
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https://dailytrust.com/envoy-nigerians-in-israel-are-safe-were-not-fighting-muslims-but-terrorists/
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HRW
accuses Rwanda of murders and kidnappings of dissidents abroad
11 Oct
2023
The NGO
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday accused the Rwandan authorities of being
responsible for murders, beatings and kidnappings of dissidents abroad, and
called on the international community to fight against this
"extraterritorial repression " .
Rwanda
has been ruled de facto with an iron fist by Paul Kagame since the end of the
1994 genocide. President of this country in the Great Lakes region since 2000,
he was returned to power – with more than 90% of the votes – during the
elections of 2003, 2010 and 2017. He announced at the end of September his
candidacy for a fourth term in 2024.
The
Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), Mr. Kagame's party, has "responded
forcefully and often violently to criticism, deploying a series of measures to
fight against real or presumed opponents" , says HRW, which has
"documented more than ten cases of murders, kidnappings and attempted
kidnappings, forced disappearances and physical attacks targeting Rwandans
living abroad .
Contacted
by AFP, the spokesperson for the Rwandan government, Yolande Makolo, denied
these accusations, affirming that HRW "continues to present a distorted
image of Rwanda which only exists in their imagination" , and evoking on
the contrary "the promotion of the rights, well-being and dignity of Rwandans
over the past 29 years .
HRW,
which focuses on abuses documented since 2017, spoke to more than 150 people in
this matter, notably in France , South Africa and the United States .
Since
May 2021, says HRW, "at least three Rwandans have been killed or disappeared
in suspicious circumstances, while two others have survived kidnapping
attempts" in Mozambique including Seleman Masiya , described by a friend
as very critical of Rwandan government. This businessman and footballer, who
had asylum seeker status in Mozambique, was killed at his home in the north of
the country in July 2022.
Seleman
Masiya, who was stabbed multiple times in the face and neck, was
"pressured to work for the Rwandan government" , according to HRW.
Despite
the repeated human rights violations committed by the Rwandan authorities
against these opponents, the international community has, deplores the human
rights NGO, "looked away from the scope and seriousness of this country's
deplorable record in of human rights" .
An
indulgence that HRW explains in particular by Rwanda's involvement in
peacekeeping operations in Africa, such as in the Central African Republic and
Mozambique, where Kigali has intervened since 2021 to fight against an armed
jihadist insurgency.
Human
Rights Watch also points to the role played by Rwandan embassy officials or
members of the Rwandan Community Abroad (RCA), an international network of
diaspora associations linked to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the
surveillance and pressure exerted on asylum seekers and refugees.
Even in
Western countries, such as Belgium, the United Kingdom and France, Kigali has
succeeded in "creating a climate of fear among refugee populations" ,
deplores the NGO.
Relatives
remaining in Rwanda are also the target of arbitrary detentions and alleged
assassinations "in order to put pressure on their family members abroad to
stop their activism".
These
acts "violated a range of rights, including the rights to life, (...) the
right not to be subjected to torture and the right to a fair trial",
concludes the NGO, asking the community international to fight against this
“extraterritorial repression” .
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/10/hrw-accuses-rwanda-of-murders-and-kidnappings-of-dissidents-abroad/
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Nigerian
court sentences policeman to death for killing a lawyer in a rare ruling
10 Oct
2023
A
Nigerian court sentenced Monday a police officer to death for shooting and
killing a lawyer in the commercial hub of Lagos. Many applauded the rare
sentence as a punitive measure against rampant cases of police abuse.
After
nearly a year, Justice Ibironke Harrison of the Lagos High Court found police
officer Drambi Vandi guilty of one count of murder of Bolanle Raheem, who was
pregnant at the time when she was shot dead Christmas Day last year. Local
reports said Raheem was in her early forties.
Vandi
shot the lawyer after her vehicle in the town of Ajah in Lagos failed to stop
at a checkpoint, local media reported at the time.
He had
denied opening fire at Raheem, but one of his colleagues who testified during
the hearing confirmed hearing the gunshot. Vandi has a right to appeal the
ruling.
"You
will be hanged by the neck till you are dead," the judge told the police
officer who had pleaded not guilty.
The
death sentence was lauded by many in Africa's most populous country where
allegations of abuse and extrajudicial killings against the police are rife. On
social media, people hoped the sentence would send a warning signal to erring
police officers who often evade justice.
Death
sentences in Nigeria are common but no police officer has received such
sentence in the country in many years.
Nigeria
has thousands of pending death sentences. Executions rarely go into effect as
they require approvals by powerful state governors. Only two warrants for death
sentences were carried out since 1999, according to Inibehe Effiong, a Nigerian
human rights lawyer.
There
were questions about whether the Lagos Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu would approve
the police officer's execution.
Authorities
have been under increasing pressure to hold security forces accountable after
the deadly nationwide protests against police brutality in 2020.
While
many in Nigeria praised the death sentence, some argued it should be abolished.
"The
death penalty is inhumane, amounts to vengeance and prone to error. There is no
evidence that it has achieved the objective of creating a deterrence to
crime," said Okechukwu Nwanguma, who leads the Rule of Law and
Accountability Advocacy Centre which advocates for police reforms in Nigeria.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/10/nigerian-court-sentences-policeman-to-death-for-killing-a-lawyer-in-a-rare-ruling/
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South
Africa opens criminal case against bogus TikTok doctor
10 Oct
2023
A TikTok
influencer from Gauteng, known as Dr. Matthew Lani to his followers, is facing
legal issues after the provincial health department and a real doctor filed
criminal cases against him for impersonating a medical professional.
Dr.
Lani, who shares medical advice on TikTok, claimed to be a graduate of Wits
Medical School and the "youngest" owner of a pharmaceutical company
in South Africa. He allegedly posed as an employee of Helen Joseph Hospital and
moved freely within the hospital.
The
health department revealed that Lani had assumed the identity of a second-year
medical intern, Dr. Sanele SobaniVambaniZingelwa, from Tembisa Tertiary
Hospital. The case was filed at the Brixton police station, citing a violation
of the Health Professionals Act.
Dr.
Zingelwa, the real medical intern, also filed an identity fraud case against
Lani.
The
Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) expressed concern over a
video by Matthew Zingelwa-Lani, emphasizing that no authorization was given for
statements on its behalf. The HPCSA confirmed that Matthew Zingelwa-Lani was
not registered as a health practitioner, and practicing without registration is
a criminal offense.
The
University of the Witwatersrand distanced itself from Lani, calling on him to
retract any references to the university. They stated that they couldn't find
any recent graduates with the names Matthew Bongani Zingelwa or Sanele
Zingelwa, based on the information provided.
Lani
defended himself, clarifying that "Lani" was his social media handle
and not his legal surname, which is "Zingelwa." He urged people not
to search for "Lani" in the HPCSA database and claimed that the HPCSA
had confirmed his credentials.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/10/south-africa-opens-criminal-case-against-bogus-tiktok-doctor/
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Nigerian
Man Arraigned For Sexually Molesting Two Underage Sons In Lagos
October
11, 2023
A38-year-old
man, Afeez Gbadamosi, was on Tuesday arraigned before the Ikeja Sexual Offences
and Domestic Violence court by the Lagos State Government for allegedly
sexually molesting his two underage sons who are between ages three and seven.
Gbadamosi
is facing four counts of sexual assault and indecent behaviour preferred
against him by the state.
The state
prosecuting counsel, Abimbola Abolade, told the court that the incident
occurred sometime between 2021 and 2022.
She said
the molestation took place at the Iyanamuda area of Agric in Ikorodu, Lagos
State.
Abolade
told Justice Abiola Sholadoye that the defendant sexually assaulted the boys by
inserting his finger into their anus.
She also
alleged that Gbadamosi indecently touched their genitals, pressed their
buttocks and also made them watch him while he was having sexual intercourse
with his wife.
According
to the prosecutor, the offences contravened Sections 261 and 264 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
However,
the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The
defendant’s counsel, O.O Oladipupo, urged the court to grant her client bail in
liberal terms.
But
Justice Sholadoye, before adjourning the case, ordered that the defendant be
remanded at the Ikoyi Custodial Centre pending when he can perfect his bail
conditions.
She
adjourned the case till November 20, 2023, for trial.
Source: saharareporters.com
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https://saharareporters.com/2023/10/11/nigerian-man-arraigned-sexually-molesting-two-underage-sons-lagos
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Army
general jailed for seven years, to refund stolen N3bn
October
11, 2023
The
Nigerian Army Special Court Martial, on Tuesday, convicted a former Group
Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), Umaru Mohammed, a
major general, to seven years imprisonment.
The
court also ordered the convicted senior officer to refund 2.17 million dollars
and N1.06 billion, the amount of monies he stole, back to the company’s
coffers.
Pronouncing
the sentence, the President of the court, James Myam, a major general, said the
officer was found guilty on 14 of the 18 count charges brought against him.
MrMyam
said the sentence was based on the provisions of the Criminal Code Act Cap C38
Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and section 174 of the Armed Forces Act
Cap 20 Laws, 2004.
According
to him, the verdict was made after due consideration of the plea of mitigation
by the defence counsel.
“These
sentences of this special court-martial are all to run concurrently and are
subject to the confirmation of the confirming authority.
“This
sentence is dated this day, the 10th of October 2023 and the court is hereby
adjourned Sine die,” he said.
MrMyam
said that on count one which borders on stealing, Mr Mohammed was found guilty
and will spend five years in prison and refund 1.04 million dollars back to
NAPL.
The
court also found the officer guilty on count two and sentenced him to five
years imprisonment, in addition to paying back the sum of $400,800 to NAPL.
On count
three, Mr Mohammed was sentenced to five years imprisonment and to refund the
sum of $85,400 while count four also attracted five years imprisonment with an
order to pay back the sum of $35,300.
On count
five, the former NAPL boss was sentenced to five years imprisonment with an
order to pay back the sum of $55,500 to the NAPL.
Count six
also attracted five years imprisonment with an order to pay back the sum of
$46,500.
The
court, however, discharged and acquitted him of the charge in count 7, but
sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on count eight, while the remaining
charges he was convicted of, attracted five and two years imprisonment.
The
defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), citing Section 157 of the Armed Forces
Act, prayed the court to move his client to a custodial centre instead of a
military detention facility, which the court rejected.
Mr Ojo
also prayed that the sentence should run from the day of the court’s
pronouncement.
On
whether he will appeal the judgment, Mr Ojo said he will consult his client on
that.
“If he
tells us tomorrow or after the confirmation that he is not satisfied with the
findings and sentence, then we must carry out his instruction to appeal if he
so instructs us, the decision is his,” he added.
Source: premiumtimesng.com
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https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/632629-army-general-jailed-for-seven-years-to-refund-stolen-n3bn.html
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Nigeria’s
prominent cleric Sheikh Zakzaky arrives in Tehran
11 October 2023
Leader
of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky has arrived in Iran
as part of his second foreign visit after the termination of his home arrest by
the regime in Abuja.
Sheikh
Zakzaky and his wife, Malama Zeenah Ibrahim, arrived at Imam Khomeini
International Airport in the capital Tehran on Wednesday and were warmly
received by the Iranian people as well as their supporters and followers upon
arrival.
The
participants, in their hundreds, held placards and waved Iranian national flags
as well as portraits of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali
Khamenei and late anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in
support of the prominent Nigerian Muslim cleric.
“I am
very happy that such a crowd supports the resistance today, and I have nothing
to say but to thank you dear ones,” Sheikh Zakzaky said in an address at the
airport.
Pointing
to the divine promise of the victory of truth over falsehood, he said, “We are
all under a great test, and it is hoped that the Islamic Revolution will bring
about change in the whole world, including in the US and Europe, to set the
ground for the emergence of the last Shia Imam, Imam Mahdi (PBUH).”
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/10/11/712498/Nigeria-Sheikh-Zakzaky-arrives-Tehran
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/palestinian-flag-uk-criminal/d/130876