Pasmanda Muslim Groups Seek Inclusion Of At Least 12 Muslim Castes Among Scheduled Castes
New Age Islam News Bureau
24 Aug 2024
Anwar told The Indian Express: "There are about
20 castes among Muslims, whose economic condition is much worse than several
Hindu Scheduled Castes as per Bihar caste based survey 2022-23".
-----------
·
Pasmanda Muslim Groups Seek Inclusion Of At
Least 12 Muslim Castes Among Scheduled Castes
· Footage Documents Israeli Soldiers Burning Copies Of Holy Quran In Mosque In Gaza: Report
· Dhaka Blames Delhi For Floods, Opening Of Dam Shows 'Inhumanity,' Says Advisor Of Interim Government
· Islamic Hate Preacher, A Controversial Christian From The U.S. Now On Tour Across Canada
· Islamic Affairs Council Postpones Decision On Marriage Registration Issue For Muslim Refugees In Malaysia, Says Minister
India
·
Bihar CM Promises Muslim Organisations To
Protect Waqf Boards' Interests In Parliament
·
Assam CM Pledges To Ban Muslim University
Graduates From Govt Jobs
·
‘How Low Will You Fall?’: Assam CM Draws Flak
For ‘Communal’ Remark About Muslim Journalist
·
Muslim Groups Seek Arrest Of Nashik-Based
Spiritual LeaderRamgiri MaharajFor His Allegedly Objectionable Remarks Against
Islam
·
Bihar: India's Scheduled Caste list must be
religion-neutral, demands Pasmanda Muslim body
·
Mini-UAV inadvertently drifts into PoK, Indian
Army seeks its return
-----
Mideast
·
Yemen Foreign Ministry: Ethnic Cleansing In
Gaza Has A Religious Dimension Requires Arabic, Islamic Regimes To Declare
Escalators Positions
·
Child among 10 killed in Israeli airstrikes in
southern Lebanon
·
Israeli shelling in Gaza kills 12 Palestinians,
Wafa says
·
Iranian President Calls For Muslims Unity
Against Israel
·
Pezeshkian, cabinet members renew allegiance to
Imam Khomeini
·
Iran Claims To Have Arrested 14 Members of
Islamic State-Khorasan
--------
South Asia
·
Ministry of Energy and Water Engages Investors
for 900 MW Renewable Energy Projects
·
Justice Minister Engages Turkish Delegation on
Justice System Improvement
·
Floods claim 18 lives; over 9.4 lakh stranded
in 11 districts
·
Six rivers flowing above danger level: FFWC
--------
North America
·
Claims Of ‘Ego-Driven Jihad’ As Feud Escalates
At Zionist Organization Of America
·
Jewish, Muslim UConn students detail
discrimination in 76 bias complaints
·
Man charged with shooting outside Minneapolis
mosque amid drug confrontation
·
UN And US Say Food Is On Its Way To A
Famine-Stricken Camp In Sudan
·
Canada stops shelter payments for Afghan
migrants in Pakistan
--------
Southeast Asia
·
Malaysia backs effort to unite Muslim world,
end atrocities in Gaza - Anwar
·
Malaysia-India Economic diplomacy a step
towards strengthening ASEAN: Expert
·
In race against time, search for Masjid India
sinkhole victim expands to manholes nearby
·
Former PM Najib’s release could shift Umno-PH
dynamics, says Terengganu division leader
·
Police: 19 stranded at Risda Eco Park resort to
be rescued today
-------
Pakistan
·
Islamabad Rally Cancelled To Avert May 9-Like
Violence, Claims Imran
·
JI emir calls for meaningful dialogue between
Islamabad and Kabul
·
Pakistan’s education system in ‘low’
performance category: report
·
PM Shehbaz offers support to Bangladesh as
floods claim 15 lives
·
Met Office forecasts heavy rain in Pakistan’s
southern parts from Aug 25
·
Bodies of 28 pilgrims killed in Iran bus crash
brought home to Pakistan
·
Punjab offers bounty as top cops removed after
Katcha ambush
-------
Arab News
·
Mergers Likely To Continue In GCC's Islamic Insurance
Market
·
Cultural Development Fund Launches Maiden
Cultural Financing In Saudi Arabia
·
Saudi ambassador to Egypt receives scouts in
Cairo
·
Saudi Arabia to host donor conference for
displaced people in Sahel region
·
KSrelief distributes over 2,800 food baskets in
Yemen, Sudan, Chad
·
KSrelief provides shelter, healthcare in Yemen
·
Saudi ambassador to Norway presents credentials
to King Harald V
--------
Europe
·
Former EDL Member Hurled Abuse Outside
Sunderland Mosque On His Way To A Night Out
·
Three Dead After Stabbing Attack At ‘Diversity
Festival’ In Germany By “An Arab-Looking Man”
·
Snipers kill 4 hostage-takers at Russian prison
who claimed allegiance to Islamic State group
·
ProminentNorthern Ireland Loyalist Dee Stitt
Allegedly Made Social Media Post Calling For NI To “Stop The Spread Of Evil Islam”
--------
Africa
·
Libyan Armed Groups, Authorities Reach Deal On
Security In Tripoli
·
Egypt experiences a surge in the number of
refugees fleeing conflict
·
Armed men kill at least 13 farmers in Nigeria’s
conflict-hit region
·
Nigerian Troops Disrupt ₦846
Million Oil Theft, Eliminate 171 Terrorists, Detain 302
·
20 Medical Students Kidnapped In Benue Rescued
– Security Sources
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
Pasmanda
Muslim Groups Seek Inclusion Of At Least 12 Muslim Castes Among Scheduled
Castes Santosh Singh
August
24, 2024
Anwar
told The Indian Express: "There are about 20 castes among Muslims, whose
economic condition is much worse than several Hindu Scheduled Castes as per
Bihar caste based survey 2022-23".
-----------
All
India Pasmanda Muslim Mehaz, AIPMM, Anwar told The Indian Express: "There
are about 20 castes among Muslims, whose economic condition is much worse than
several Hindu Scheduled Castes as per Bihar caste based survey 2022-23".
While
there is a debate over Supreme Court’s recent verdict on sub-classification of
Scheduled Castes, the All India Pasmanda Muslim Mehaz (AIPMM) and other Muslim
groups Friday demanded inclusion of at least 12 Muslim castes among scheduled
castes.
The
representatives from various groups met the Justice (Retired) KG Balakrishnan
Committee that has been examining the inclusion of several castes from various
religions among Scheduled Castes on the basis of their social, economic and
educational conditions.
Also
Read | Pasmanda outreach having failed to deliver, BJP to set off on drive to
induct 50 lakh minority members
Former
MP Ali Anwar, who heads AIMPM demanded inclusion of at least 12 Muslim castes
among Scheduled Castes with the plea that their condition had been much “worse
than several Hindu scheduled castes” and had been “also treated as
untouchables” by their own community.
Anwar
told The Indian Express: “There are about 20 castes among Muslims, whose
economic condition is much worse than several Hindu Scheduled Castes as per
Bihar caste based survey 2022-23”. These castes are about 6.62 per cent of
Muslims and 1.16 per cent of the state population.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pasmanda-muslim-groups-seek-inclusion-among-scs-9530098/
--------
Footage
documents Israeli soldiers burning copies of Holy Quran in mosque in Gaza:
Report
23.08.2024
Ahmed
Asmar
A view
of the big destruction of the Abdullah Azzam Mosque and surrounding buildings
where Israeli army attacked in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp in central Gaza on
July 17, 2024.
-----------
Footage
released on Friday showed Israeli soldiers burning copies of the Holy Quran in
a mosque in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Qatari
news channel Al Jazeera said it obtained the footage from video taken by
Israeli soldiers and drones that were found in Gaza.
The
footage showed Israeli soldiers breaking into the Bani Saleh Mosque in the
northern Gaza Strip and then tearing up and burning copies of the Quran, the
Muslim holy book, inside the mosque.
In more
footage, the Israeli army is shown destroying the Grand Mosque in Khan Younis,
in the southern Gaza Strip, one of the oldest mosques in Gaza, built 96 years
ago.
The
Israeli army has yet to comment on the footage.
Destroying
or desecrating a Quran is a grave offense under Islam and an insult to the
faith of some 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide.
In the
course of the Israeli army's 10-month offensive on Gaza, hundreds of mosques,
including the Great Omari Mosque, established on a site in Gaza City some 1,400
years old, have been partially or completely destroyed.
According
to the Gaza-based Government Media Office, the Israeli army has completely
destroyed 609 mosques, partially damaged 211, and also destroyed three churches
across Gaza since last Oct. 7, the start of the conflict.
Since
Israel began its campaign against Gaza 10 months ago, dozens of countries and
international humanitarian groups have decried the bombing of hospitals,
civilian housing, and houses of worship – all places off limits to attacks
under the rules of war.
Israel
has continued its offensive on Gaza following a Hamas attack last Oct. 7
despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
The
onslaught has resulted in over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and
children, and over 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.
The
ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and
medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.
Israel
faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has
ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over
one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May
6.
Source: com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/footage-documents-israeli-soldiers-burning-copies-of-holy-quran-in-mosque-in-gaza-report/3311510
-------
Dhaka
Blames Delhi For Floods, Opening Of Dam Shows 'Inhumanity,' Says Advisor Of
Interim Government
Devadeep
Purohit
23.08.24
A
flooded street in Feni, a coastal district in southeast Bangladesh bordering
Tripura, on Thursday
AP/PTI
-------
India
bashing reached new heights across Bangladesh on Thursday in the wake of floods
that affected over three million people and killed at least three across eight
districts after Nahid Islam, information and broadcasting adviser of the
interim government, accused New Delhi of "inhumanity" by opening a
dam without early warning.
The
ministry of external affairs denied reports that the floods in the eastern
districts of Bangladesh — Feni, Cumilla, Chittagong, Khagrachhari, Noakhali,
Moulvibazar, Habiganj, and Brahmanbaria — were caused due to the opening of the
Dumbur dam, located upstream of Gumti river, in Tripura. In a detailed
statement, the MEA attributed the floods to waters from catchment areas
downstream of the Dumbur dam, which had experienced incessant rainfall.
"We
would like to point out that the catchment areas of the Gumti river that flows
through India and Bangladesh have witnessed heaviest rains of this year over
the last few days.... Rainfall has been continuing since 21 August in the whole
of Tripura and adjoining districts of Bangladesh," said the statement.
It also
added that the Indian authorities had communicated the rising water-level
trends to Bangladesh up to 1500 hrs on August 21, 2024, but a power outage had
disrupted this flow of information from 6 pm. "India had been communicating
flood data to Bangladesh through other means,” the MEA said.
The
official denial, however, did little to quell the taut nerves and there were
reports of gheraos at all the five visa processing centres in Rajshahi,
Chittagong, Khulna, Sylhet and Dhaka, which prompted the Indian High Commission
to indefinitely close down these centres in view of the security situation.
"The
visa processing centres had slowly begun clearing the backlog and issuing
visas... In view of what happened today, the centres had to be closed,"
said a source.
The
security concerns of Indian establishments in Bangladesh featured prominently
in the discussion between Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma and interim
government chief Muhammad Yunus when the former met him this afternoon.
Shafiqul
Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser of the interim government, told
reporters about Verma's concerns before adding that security had been stepped
up in the entire diplomatic area in Dhaka.
A source
said that the decision on reopening the Indian visa centres would depend on
assessment of the ground situation after a few days. The decision to close down
the centres will affect hundreds and thousands of Bangladeshis, who have been
waiting for the resumption of normal functioning of the visa centres. The
arrival of Bangladeshis to India for various purposes, specially for medical
reasons, came down drastically over the last 45 days due to the disruption in
the functioning of the centres after unprecedented unrest in the country.
"I
have been waiting for the Indian Visa Application Centres to resume normal
services as I need to visit Calcutta for my father's surgery... Now it has
become uncertain," said a college teacher in Dhaka, questioning the
rationale behind the gheraos.
Multiple
sources in Dhaka blamed Islam's "immature comments" for contributing
to the anti-Indian sentiment, which has been on the rise since the fall of the
Awami League government on August 5 following which Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina flew to India. Some political parties like the BNP have already begun
demanding Hasina's extradition after questioning why India gave asylum to the
deposed Prime Minister.
Against
this backdrop, the comments of Islam, also a student leader and a key
coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement that led the stir
against Hasina, added to the anti-India rhetoric that began on Wednesday night
after students began agitating at various places holding New Delhi responsible
for the flood.
"India
has shown inhumanity and non-cooperation by opening the dams without any
advance warning... We will urge, and hope that India will refrain from this
kind of policy against the people of Bangladesh soon. Students and people of
Bangladesh are angry with this policy of India," Islam told reporters on
Thursday.
Several
prominent student leaders like Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah — who are
calling the shots after the fall of the Hasina regime — spewed venom against
India in social media, which added to the rage among the public.
The
Right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami — known for its anti-India position for years — also
joined the chorus. "India had created a situation to drown the people of
the greater Comilla region of Bangladesh by opening this dam," it said in
a statement.
A source
in South Block said that such statements by some of the key constituents of the
new regime will come in the way of developing a healthy bilateral relationship
between the two countries.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/dhaka-blames-delhi-for-floods-opening-of-dam-shows-inhumanity-says-nahid-islam/cid/2042978
-------
Islamic
Hate Preacher, A Controversial Christian From The U.S. Now On Tour Across Canada
Aug 23, 2024
Brian
Lilley
Assim
Al-Hakeem, an Imam based in Saudi Arabia who holds fundamentalist views of
women, Jews and homosexuals, is currently on a speaking tour of Canada. PHOTO
BY @ASSIMALHAKEEM ON X
----------
Imagine
a controversial Christian preacher from the U.S. who tells his followers that
Muslims are our enemy being allowed to tour this country.
Would
the Trudeau government allow such a preacher to conduct a lecture tour if he
taught that all Muslims are liars who cheat, and that homosexuals are animals?
It’s
doubtful — but if it did happen, there would be outrage and demonstrations
outside of the tour locations.
Right
now, though, there is a Muslim preacher who holds these very views, except
about Jews, touring Canada. Assim Al-Hakeem, an Imam based in Saudi Arabia, has
already visited Calgary, Milton, Mississauga and Hamilton, and will be in
London on Saturday, Montreal on Sunday and Vancouver next Tuesday.
There
haven’t been any protests but it’s not clear if that is because Imam Al-Hakeem
says protests are banned in Islam, one of many bizarre views this preacher
holds. He also believes women should not share workplaces with men and that
they should always be covered.
He’s now
spreading his message of hate across Canada, a place he calls a “Kafir” country
— meaning infidel.
“May
Allah liberate it from the oppressors and our enemies, the Jews,” Al-Hakeem
said in a recent broadcast discussing the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Though
based in Saudi Arabia, Al-Hakeem broadcasts online worldwide to a mostly
English-speaking audience. When it comes to Jews, he sees them not only as
enemies of Islam but as constantly conspiring against Islam.
“We
acknowledge that through history the Jews collaborating with the hypocrites had
many conspiracies against Islam,” Al-Hakeem said while discussing the
Illuminati and Freemasons. “The collaboration and the fingerprints of the Jews,
the hypocrites, and the Rafidah is evident.”
Is this
the language and thinking we want being spread in Canada at a time when
anti-Semitic attacks against Jews have skyrocketed? Is this what we want being
preached in the same week that more than 100 Jewish schools, hospitals,
community centres and synagogues were targeted with bomb threats?
Watching
Al-Hakeem’s videos and reading his writings, it is clear that this man is an
Islamic supremacist. He says that Muslims cannot take up the citizenship of
Kafir countries, he was specifically talking about Canada, and that the laws of
Kafir countries aren’t to be followed.
In
another video, he describes how when Islam comes to your country you have two
options, submit to Islam or pay the jizyah tax, and if you won’t accept either
of those, then Muslims will fight you. As he says Muslims will fight you, he makes
a knife across the throat motion with his hand.
The
Trudeau government has done plenty to keep out people with less offensive views
than this man, but Imam Al-Hakeem gets to enter freely, tour the country and
not be harassed.
It was
just a couple of weeks ago that Tommy Robinson, a British national, was
arrested and had his passport confiscated while on a speaking tour of Canada.
He was essentially harassed over his views, which are often described as
anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant.
With
Al-Hakeem, we have a man who calls Canada a Kafir country, teaches that Muslims
don’t need to obey Canadian laws, and has said vile things about Jews,
homosexuals and women, yet he is free to tour and preach his hatred.
At least
his Montreal tour date will need to be moved after Théâtre Rialto cancelled his
appearance following advocacy from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.
“As a
result of CIJA’s awareness-raising work and several people who reported the
event, Théâtre Rialto has informed us that they have canceled host Sheikh Assim
Al-Hakeem’s event this weekend and will not host his tour stop,” CIJA said in a
statement.
CIJA
calls the “anti-Semitic and homophobic rhetoric spread by the Islamist hate
preacher” a threat to Canada.
Al-Hakeem
doesn’t belong in Canada, neither do his views – but given the Trudeau
government’s track record, it’s no surprise that they’ve given him a free pass.
Source: torontosun.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/islamic-hate-preacher-now-on-tour-across-canada
-------
Islamic
Affairs council postpones decision on marriage registration issue for Muslim
refugees in Malaysia, says minister
23 Aug
2024\
Minister
in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar
said a proposal paper involving the Rohingya, Syrian and Palestinian refugees
was tabled by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department and the National
Security Council today. — Picture by Hari Anggara
-------------
KUALA
LUMPUR, Aug 23 — Marriage registration for Muslim refugees are among the
matters discussed at the 72nd meeting of the Malaysian National Council for
Islamic Affairs (MKI) here today.
Minister
in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk MohdNa’im Mokhtar
said a proposal paper involving the Rohingya, Syrian and Palestinian refugees
was tabled by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and the
National Security Council (MKN).
“We were
informed that there are about 190,000 refugees in the country. So the issue
that arises, for example, among the Rohingya (refugees), when they get married,
there is no marriage document.
“When
they give birth to children, social problems arise. So there is a need to
ensure that their marriage is registered in our country,” he told reporters
after the meeting.
The
meeting was also attended by the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah, who is the
MKI chairman, and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is the MKI
deputy chairman.
However,
MohdNa’im said the discussion related to the refugee marriage registration was
postponed due to the sensitivity of the matter and the proposal paper will be
tabled at the next MKI meeting, scheduled in November or December.
The
discussion was postponed to allow for a thorough review of all aspects of
security, he said.
Meanwhile,
MohdNa’im said six individuals had been appointed as MKI members at today’s
meeting.
They
include Bursa Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, Malaysia
International Islamic Financial Centre (MIFC) Leadership Council chairman Tan
Sri Azman Mokhtar and Senator Datuk SalehuddinSaidin. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/08/23/islamic-affairs-council-postpones-decision-on-marriage-registration-issue-for-muslim-refugees-in-malaysia-says-minister/148015
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India
Bihar CM
Promises Muslim Organisations To Protect Waqf Boards' Interests In Parliament
Dev Raj
24.08.24
Bihar
chief minister Nitish Kumar has assured Muslim organisations that his Janata
Dal United (JDU) will not allow any harm to the waqf boards and protect their
interests in Parliament in the light of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024,
introduced in the Lok Sabha and referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee
(JPC).
A
delegation of 35 people representing top Muslim religious organisations, Sunni
and Shia waqf boards, and khanqahs met Nitish at his official 1, Aney Marg
residence in the state capital on Wednesday. It presented the apprehensions
over the bill brought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the
Centre.
“Nitish
Ji told us that he and his party will do everything in the interest of the waqf
boards and present its views to the JPC in this regard. He has assured that he
will not allow any harm to come to the waqf boards,” Bihar State Sunni Waqf
Board chairman Mohammad Irshadullah told The Telegraph.
“We told
the chief minister that we have lived in a pluralistic society and the lands
belonging to the waqf boards were donated not only by the Muslims but also by
the Hindus at many places. There are no records of many of these donations, but
the donated lands are now being used for the construction of schools, colleges,
multi-purpose halls and other welfare activities. There were amendments in the
past, but this time we are apprehensive of the intentions of the government,”
Irshadullah added.
The waqf
boards in Bihar have over 11,000 acres of land, including around 9,000 acres
belonging to the Bihar State Sunni Waqf Board.
The All
India Milli Council secretary Aadil Faridi said that the organisation’s
vice-president Maulana Anisur Rahman Quasmi was a part of the delegation that
met Nitish.
“Nitish
Kumar has promised that he will protect the interests of the waqf boards and their
auqaf (property),” Faridi added.
The JDU
with its 12 Lok Sabha members is a vital part of the National Democratic
Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre and is one of the two pillars – the
other being the Telugu Desam Party with 16 MPs – propping it up. Its Supaul MP
DileshwarKamait is a member of the JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
Asked
about the party’s stand on the bill, Nitish’s political adviser and JDU
spokesperson K.C. Tyagi told The Telegraph: “Nitish Ji has assured the
delegation of Muslim organisations that he will protect their interests. We
will stand by it.”
Sources
in the JDU said that the party was not in favour of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill
and might not support it in the Lok Sabha if it comes up for vote.
“This is
the reason that none of the top leaders of our party have said anything in
support of the bill. We are adopting a wait-and-watch policy on the issue till
the JPC report comes. Meanwhile, the central government will also have time to
reconsider its decision,” a senior JDU leader told this newspaper.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/nitish-kumar-promises-muslim-organisations-to-protect-waqf-boards-interests-in-parliament/cid/2043132
---------
Assam
CMPledges To Ban Muslim University Graduates From Govt Jobs
By
5Pillars (RMS) -
23rd
August 2024
India’s
BJP-ruled Assam state has announced a proposed ban on graduates of a Muslim
university from neighbouring Meghalaya state from applying for government jobs
after accusing the university of inciting “flood jihad” (deliberately starting
floods).
The announcement
was made on Wednesday by Assam state’s Chief Minister Himant Biswa Sarma, who
has a history of making anti-Muslim remarks.
The
Muslim-owned university – The University of Science and Technology (USTM) – is
ranked among the top 200 universities in India but media reports indicate that
Sarma accused it of contributing to recent floods.
Chancellor
MahbubulHoque, specifically, has been at the receiving end of several attacks
from Sarma, who has accused him of being responsible for flash floods in Guwahati
due to “deforestation” and hill-cutting for campus construction, as well as
claiming that the university’s main gate with three domes is a sign of “jihad.”
“That’s
why I have asked the legal department to examine this – that if students from
USTM want a job in Assam, they will have to take another exam.”
“Our
students from Guwahati and Dibrugarh University are suffering because of this
(USTM students applying for government posts in Assam),” a report in an Indian
news daily cited Sarma as saying.
He added:
“Not just USTM but from West Bengal, Karnataka, Maharashtra, all outside
universities. But my anger against USTM is a little more. Because they are
throwing water at us.”
These
claims have been widely discredited, with experts dismissing them as unfounded.
Meanwhile,
opposition leaders have criticised Sarma, urging him “not to play with the
lives of thousands of students” and open the door to other states adopting
similar policies, which might negatively impact students from Assam.
“The
issue of rising unemployment is already plaguing the state, and the government
has failed to generate the employment it promised. In such a situation, remarks
like these will only make things worse for students,” said a leader of the
opposition, speaking in an Assembly session.
Another
political leader from Assam, Akhil Gogoi, also condemned Sarma’s remarks,
asserting that there is no provision in the Indian Constitution allowing a
Chief Minister to bar graduates from a University Grants Commission
(UGC)-recognised university from securing government jobs in any state.
“If USTM
graduates can’t get government jobs in Assam, then his son, who is studying in
Bangalore, should also be barred from getting a job in the state,” Gogoi
remarked, accusing the Chief Minister of pursuing a personal vendetta against
the institution. He further criticised the government’s alleged double
standards, pointing out that while USTM is accused of illegal hill-cutting,
four hills were cleared for the construction of Vandya International School in
Amingaon. The school is owned by Chief Minister Sarma’s wife.
In
response to the backlash, Cabinet Minister Pijush Hazarika defended the Chief
Minister, suggesting that the government could indeed implement such a law if
necessary.
“The
government can make such a law. For instance, if someone studies MBBS in a
foreign country, they have to pass an exam affiliated with the Medical Council
of India to practice in India. If the Chief Minister has made this statement,
I’m sure he has something in mind,” Hazarika said.
Critics
argue that Sarma’s actions reflect a deeper anti-Muslim sentiment, citing his
history of controversial statements and policies targeting the Muslim
community.
His
latest comments are seen as an attempt to marginalise and discriminate against
an educational institution headed by a Muslim leader, exacerbating communal
tensions in the region.
On
August 7, the Assam High Court criticised Sarma and his ministry for poor water
drainage management in Guwahati, which resulted in a flash flood on August 5.
In an attempt to divert attention from the failure, Sarma began targeting a
Muslim-owned private university.
Source: 5pillarsuk.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://5pillarsuk.com/2024/08/23/assam-state-chief-minister-pledges-to-ban-muslim-university-graduates-from-govt-jobs/
------
‘How low
will you fall?’: Assam CM draws flak for ‘communal’ remark about Muslim
journalist
Scroll
Staff
24.08.24
Press
organisations and Opposition leaders have joined hands to condemn Assam Chief
Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for rebuffing a Muslim journalist, who asked him
questions at a press conference, with a communal remark.
Senior
politicians as well as press and civil society organisations in Assam said
Sarma’s comment was unacceptable and that he unnecessarily dragged the
religious identity of the journalist into the conversation. Sarma has a long
history of making communal remarks.
At a
press interaction in Guwahati on August 21, Shah Alam, a journalist with local
media organisation Newz Now, asked the chief minister about concerns about
urbanisation-drive deforestation and the destruction of hills in Mandakata, on
the outskirts of Guwahati, in Sarma’sJalukbari Assembly constituency.
In
response, Sarma asked Alam his name and insinuated that he was associated with
Mahbubul Haque, the owner of University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya.
On August 13, Sarma had accused the university of “flood jihad”, by destroying
hills in a neighbouring district in Meghalaya that resulted in flash floods in
Guwahati early in August.
“I would
like to question Shah Alam and Mahbubul Haque, whether they will allow us to
live in Assam,” Sarma said, alluding to the Hindutva panic over a “demographic
change” in Assam’s population where Muslims of Bangladeshi origin will end up
outnumbering indigenous Assamese populations.
Sarma
also claimed that the university had “coached” Alam to ask questions about
Mandakata and had “poisoned his mind”.
Alam in
a post on Facebook said Sarma’s targeting him based on his religion had
insulted and hurt him. “Yes, my name is Shah Alam…Assamese is my first
identity,” wrote Alam. “The way you have attacked me in name, you have hurt my
dignity.”
The
Gauhati Press Club released a statement expressing solidarity with Alam. “The
honorable chief minister pulled the religious identity of a journalist into
context without any apparent relevance,” read the statement. It urged political
leaders to ensure that such instances do not recur and to treat the media with
dignity.
The
Press Club of India, Delhi, endorsed the statement by the Gauhati Press Club.
The
Journalists Union of Assam joined other press organisations in condemning
Sarma’s remarks. In a statement in Assamese, it said Sarma’s comments were
unfortunate and that he had personally insulted Alam by dragging his religious
identity into a professional context. “The chief minister has lowered the
constitutional status of his post,” said the union. “Moreover, journalists’
right to ask questions has been denied.”
Durba
Ghosh, president of the newly formed Assam Women Journalists’ Forum, released a
public statement emphasising that it is the duty of a journalist to ask
questions.
Prominent
civil society organisation Assam Nagrik Society condemned Sarma, saying that
chief minister, holding a constitutional position, had made a “communal and
divisive” statement that should be condemned by everyone.
Bhupen
Kumar Borah, president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, tweeted in
support of Shah Alam, asking Sarma, “How low will you fall, how low?”
Jairam
Ramesh, Congress parliamentarian, wrote on X that Sarma’sbehavior was
“unacceptable and condemnable”.
Gaurav
Gogoi, Congress Lok Sabha member from Jorhat, tweeted asking Sarma to learn
from the Marwari community in Assam and issue a public statement of apology.
A
17-year old girl was assaulted in Assam’s Sivasagar earlier in August. Since
the suspect hailed from the Marwari community, members from the community had
apologised by publicly kneeling down in front of a state cabinet minister.
However,
Pijush Hazarika of the Bharatiya Janata Party and an Assam legislator, pointed
out that during the Lok Sabha campaigning, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had
asked a journalist his caste.
In
February, Gandhi, at a rally in Raebareli, had asked an India News journalist
his name as well as the name of the TV channel’s owner. “Is he Dalit? No. Is he
OBC [other backward class]? No,” Gandhi had said.
Newz
Now, the channel where Alam works, responded to Hazarika’s post asking the
minister to focus on the matter at hand and not use “one wrong” to justify
another wrong.
Source: scroll.in
Please click the following URL to read
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https://scroll.in/article/1072382/how-low-will-you-fall-assam-cm-draws-flak-for-commual-remark-about-muslim-journalist
----------
Muslim
Groups Seek Arrest Of Nashik-Based Spiritual LeaderRamgiri MaharajFor His
Allegedly Objectionable Remarks Against Islam
23
August 2024
Gondia:
Muslim outfits in Gondia on Friday held a protest seeking the arrest of
Nashik-based spiritual leader Ramgiri Maharaj for his allegedly objectionable
remarks against Islam.
The
Muslim Jamaat Gondia submitted a memorandum to police authorities after the
protest, which was held in Azad Library area as hundreds of people from the
community gathered at various mosques for 'namaz'.
Ramgiri
Maharaj is accused of making the statement at a religious event in Sinnar in
Nashik on August 14.
Source: deccanherald.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/muslim-groups-protest-in-gondia-seek-ramgiri-maharajs-arrest-3162334
---------
Bihar:
India's Scheduled Caste list must be religion-neutral, demands Pasmanda Muslim
body
PTI
23.08.24
The All
India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz (AIPMM) on Friday urged a central commission to
make India's Scheduled Caste list religion-neutral and grant SC status to Dalit
Muslims and Christians across the country.
An AIPMM
delegation led by Ali Anwar Ansari, former Rajya Sabha MP who heads the body,
met the three-member commission headed by former chief justice K G Balakrishnan
here during the day.
They
urged the delegation for making the SC list religion-neutral so that Pasmanda
Muslims can also be included in it. Pasmanda is an umbrella term encompassing
Backward, Dalit, and Adivasi Muslims.
According
to a statement issued by Ansari, "We met the commission, headed by former
CJI K G Balakrishnan, today and urged that the Centre must make SC status
religion neutral. After the promulgation of the Constitution of India, the
President, under Article 341 (1), issued the Constitution (Scheduled Castes)
Order 1950, listing the 'castes, races, tribes' to be included in the SC
category."
"Para
3 of the order excluded all non-Hindu groups (with the provision of four Sikh
castes: the Ramdasi, Kabirpanthi, Mazhabi, and Sikligar of the Punjab region).
Subsequently, the SC net was expanded through amendments, and commissions and
the remaining Sikh and all Buddhist castes of Dalit origins were included in
the SC list. But Pasmanda Muslims have not been included in the SC list,"
it said.
The
delegation further apprised the commission that despite their overwhelming
numerical strength within the community, Pasmanda Muslims are under-represented
in jobs, legislatures and government-run minority institutions, as well as
community-run Muslim organisations.
Mukhtar
Ansari of AIPMM, said, "The Muslims and Christians of Dalit origins have
long struggled to lift the religious ban to be duly included in the SC
category. Since 2004, several petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court by
Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians seeking the scrapping of Para 3 of Art 341
of the Constitution, which is seen as arbitrary and unconstitutional."
The
Centre had in 2022 appointed a commission, headed by former CJI K G
Balakrishnan, to consider the possibility of granting SC status to "new
persons who have historically belonged to the Scheduled Castes'' but have
converted to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
The
Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 issued under clause (1) of Article
341 which currently includes only Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist Dalits into the
Scheduled Castes List.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/bihar-indias-scheduled-caste-list-must-be-religion-neutral-demands-pasmanda-muslim-body/cid/2043087
--------
Mini-UAV
inadvertently drifts into PoK, Indian Army seeks its return
PTI
August
23, 2024
A
mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the Indian Army inadvertently drifted
into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu
and Kashmir’s Poonch district, officials said.
The UAV,
which was on a test training sortie in the hinterland in BhimberGali area,
developed some snag and lost control with the operator, thereby drifting into
other side of the LoC, they said.
It is
believed to have fallen into the Nikial belt on the other side of the LoC and
recovered by troops there.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/indian-army-mini-uav-inadvertently-drifts-into-pok-9529671/?tbref=hp
-------
Mideast
Yemen
Foreign Ministry: Ethnic Cleansing In Gaza Has A Religious Dimension Requires
Arabic, Islamic Regimes To Declare Escalators Positions
23 Aug 2024
SANA'A
August 23. 2024 (Saba) - The Government of the Republic of Yemen condemned in
the strongest terms the continuation of Zionist criminality in its heinous
massacres against civilians in Gaza with the active direct participation of the
US administration, the latest of which was the massacre on Friday, which
resulted in the martyrdom of 18 civilians following Zionist raids on the
central and southern Gaza Strip.
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants pointed out in a statement issued,
that the increasing Zionist gluttony for killing and destruction, which no
longer passes a day or hours without the shedding of Palestinian blood without
distinguishing between a child, a woman, and an old woman, confirms beyond any
doubt how the negotiations adopted by the United States were nothing more than
a trap to give enough time to the Zionist criminal machine to complete the
ethnic cleansing based on the employment of religion, which makes the war
religious par excellence, this is confirmed by the union of the goal and
purpose of Jewish Zionists and Christian Zionism.
It
stressed that this requires the religiously, morally, and humanitarianly Arabic
and Islamic regimes to express regret for the effective pressure and declare
escalatory positions that rise to the level of the crimes of genocide and
systematic destruction carried out by the Zionist religious extremist
government, which has not been preceded by the most criminal occupation
regimes.
Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3362060.htm
-------
Child
among 10 killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon
August
23, 2024
BEIRUT:
Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Friday killed at least 10
Lebanese citizens, including a 10-year-old boy, before Hezbollah responded with
artillery rounds and rockets across the border.
The
intensified Israeli escalation coincided with a meeting between Lebanese Army
Commander General Joseph Aoun and French Army Deputy Chief of Staff for
Operations Gen. Thierry Garreta.
Both
parties “discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two armies and
developments on the southern border,” said the Lebanese Army Command.
A
security source said on Friday that the Israeli “focus seemed to be on
targeting anything that moves in the field, whether on the front lines or the
rear ones, regardless of the affiliations of those moving or their military
positions in Hezbollah.”
The
source also pointed to “the young ages of those targeted.”
At least
eight Hezbollah members were killed in separate Israeli raids targeting the
border area in southern Lebanon.
Some
areas were targeted for the first time since the opening of the southern front
and the beginning of hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli army on Oct.
8, 2023.
At 8
a.m., Hezbollah announced “the launching of salvos of rockets toward Mount
Meron in the Upper Galilee, targeting the espionage equipment at the
headquarters of the Air Monitoring and Operations Management Unit at the Meron
base with appropriate weapons, hitting it directly, which resulted in
destroying it.”
Israeli
media reported that the alert level was raised in the north, noting “an
interesting day ahead of us.”
It
indicated damage to the Meron air base caused by two rockets
The
Israeli army has opened an investigation into the incident.
Israeli
Channel 12 quoted an army spokesman saying that the military observed the
launching of five rockets from Lebanon on Meron and intercepted some of them,
without any injuries.
Israeli
warplanes raided TayrHarfa in the western sector about 10 a.m., killing three
Hezbollah members. They were Hassan WissamHarqous, 19, and Qassem Saleh
Harqous, 20, cousins from Toura in the south, and Aqeel Qassem Gharib, 34, from
TayrHarfa.
At noon,
an Israeli drone launched an attack with two guided missiles on a car on the
road to Ayta Al-Jabal in the Bint Jbeil district, killing a man called Mohammed
Ahmed Najm, a Hezbollah member, and his 10-year-old nephew ZulfikarFadiRadwan.
The
child was running toward his uncle’s car to greet him when the missile struck.
Ayta
Al-Jabal has been shelled for the first time since the start of the war on Oct.
8.
Israeli
airstrikes hit the towns of Mays Al-Jabal and DhourKfarkela.
Artillery
shelling targeted the outskirts of the towns of Kfarchouba and Kfarhamam.
The
heavy machine gun fire from the Israeli army also hit the town of Aita Al-Shaab
in the central sector.
A drone
carried out an aerial attack on a motorcycle in Aitaroun in the Bint Jbeil
district with a guided missile.
The
Health Emergency Center of the Ministry of Health announced that two people
were killed and three were injured in the airstrikes that targeted Mays
Al-Jabal and Aitaroun.
Sirens
sounded in the settlements of Al-Malikiyah and Shtula in Western Galilee.
Also on
Friday, Hezbollah announced attacking the Israeli military site of Al-Malikiyah
with artillery shells.
According
to its consecutive statements, it also targeted “Israeli soldiers positioned in
the vicinity of Khazzan Hill with artillery shells,” as well as “the Al-Abad
military site.”
Israeli
media reported “damage inside the Al-Malikiyah site due to Hezbollah’s rocket shelling.”
The
Israeli website “Walla” counted 44 people killed in confrontations with
Hezbollah since Oct. 8, 2023, including 24 civilians, 19 officers and soldiers,
and one foreign worker.
According
to the Israeli site, the number of wounded “reached 271 Israelis, including 141
soldiers and officers in the Israeli army.”
The site
also counted “1,091 rockets launched from Lebanon toward Israel last month,
indicating a threefold increase compared to the beginning of the year.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568577/middle-east
-------
Israeli
shelling in Gaza kills 12 Palestinians, Wafa says
August
24, 2024
CAIRO:
At least 12 Palestinians, including two children and a woman, were killed early
on Saturday morning by Israeli attacks east of Gaza’s Khan Younis and in the
Al-Nuseirat camp area, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa said.
At least
15 others were injured in the attacks, Wafa added.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568626/middle-east
-------
Iranian
president calls for Muslims unity against Israel
Aug 24,
2024
TEHRAN,
Aug. 24 (MNA) – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for enhancing unity
among Muslims in the face of the crimes committed by the regime of Israel in
the region.
Pezeshkian
made the remarks while addressing the members of the cabinet at the mausoleum
of the Founder of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the late Imam Khomeini (RA)
on Saturday morning.
If all
Muslims were united, the reimage of Israel would not have dared to commit such
crimes, the Iranian president stressed.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Pezeshkian referred to the approach of the late Imam Khomeini
(RA) in supporting the deprived people and uniting the entire Islamic society.
Source: mehrnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/220059/Iranian-president-calls-for-Muslims-unity-against-Israel
--------
Pezeshkian,
cabinet members renew allegiance to Imam Khomeini
Aug 24,
2024
Iranian
President Masoud Pezeshkian and the members of the cabinet attended the
mausoleum of the Founder of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the late Imam Khomeini
(RA) on Saturday morning.
The
Iranian parliament has approved the president's proposed cabinet, marking the
first time since 2001 that a full slate of ministers has been confirmed by
lawmakers.
Voting
began on Wednesday last week after 4 days of deliberation on the nominees.
Three ministers from the late President Ebrahim Raeisi’s cabinet have been
approved to maintain their positions for the next four years including
intelligence minister Esmail Khatib who garnered more parliamentary votes than
he did when first nominated by the late Raeisi three years ago.
This
cabinet marks a new chapter for many, with a majority of the 19 ministers
assuming ministerial roles for the first time.
Source: mehrnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/220055/Pezeshkian-cabinet-members-renew-allegiance-to-Imam-Khomeini
--------
Iran
Claims To Have Arrested 14 Members of Islamic State-Khorasan
August
23, 2024
Iran’s
Intelligence Ministry said in a statement on August 23 that its agents had
arrested 14 members of Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), which is a branch of the
IS militant group based in Afghanistan, the semiofficial ISNA news agency
reported. It did not specify when the arrests occurred but said all 14 had
entered Iran illegally and “planned to carry out terrorist operations.” Seven
suspects were arrested in the southern Fars Province while the rest were
apprehended in the northern provinces of Tehran and Alborz, and Khuzestan
Province in the southwest. In January, IS-K claimed a deadly twin bombing in
southern Iran that killed 95 people.
Source: rferl.org
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-arrest-islamic-state-khorasan-14-members/33089697.html
-------
South Asia
Ministry
of Energy and Water Engages Investors for 900 MW Renewable Energy Projects
2024-08-24
KABUL(BNA):
The Acting Minister of Energy and Water, Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor, met with
representatives from GSP and Aklatash companies to discuss potential
investments in Afghanistan’s energy sector.
During
the meeting, the companies expressed their interest in investing in projects
aimed at generating 900 megawatts of electricity from solar, wind, and
hydropower sources across Afghanistan.
They
also highlighted their commitment to expanding the country’s electricity
transmission infrastructure and cooperating with the Ministry on updating and
developing the energy sector’s master plan.
Meanwhile,
Mullah Mansoor welcomed the companies’ investment interest and assured them of
the Ministry’s full cooperation in facilitating the necessary conditions for
these projects.
He
stressed the importance of accelerating coordination to advance these
initiatives, noting that Afghanistan possesses ample resources for electricity
generation, which would benefit both investors and the Afghan people.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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the text of the original Story
https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/ministry-of-energy-and-water-engages-investors-for-900-mw-renewable-energy-projects/
-------
Justice
Minister Engages Turkish Delegation on Justice System Improvement
2024-08-24
KABUL(BNA):
The Acting Minister of Justice emphasized the importance of implementing
justice during a meeting with a delegation of Turkish scholars. He stated that
the Islamic Emirate is prepared to leverage Turkey’s experiences and scholars
to enhance its justice system.
According
to a news release from the Ministry of Justice, Mawlawi Abdul Hakim Sharaei,
the Acting Minister of Justice of the Islamic Emirate, met with the Turkish
delegation led by Salim Ergün, Deputy Director of Religious Affairs, along with
heads of religious organizations and university professors from Turkey.
During
the meeting, the Acting Minister discussed the shared religious and cultural
ties between the two countries. He noted that Hanafi jurisprudence represents a
common ground which influences all aspects, including politics, economics,
human rights, and governance.
Moreover,
he elaborated on the legislative process in Afghanistan and the implementation
of justice, emphasizing that Afghan laws are derived from the Quran, the Sunnah
of the Prophet, and authoritative Hanafi jurisprudence sources. He added that
the Ministry of Justice is working diligently in this regard.
Additionally,
the Acting Minister reiterated the commitment to implementing justice and
expressed that the Islamic Emirate is ready to utilize Turkey’s experiences and
scholars in this effort.
Furthermore,
the head and members of the Turkish delegation expressed their readiness to
cooperate and share legal experiences and strategies for implementing justice
with relevant institutions in Afghanistan.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
Please click the following URL to read the
text of the original Story
https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/justice-minister-engages-turkish-delegation-on-justice-system-improvement/
------
Floods
claim 18 lives; over 9.4 lakh stranded in 11 districts
Aug 24, 2024
Additionally,
49,38,159 people from 587 unions under 77 upazilas in Feni, Cumilla,
Chattogram, Khagrachhari, Noakhali, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria,
Sylhet, Lakshmipur, and Cox's Bazar have been affected by the floods, said a
press release from the CA office.
A total
of 18 people -- five in Chattogram, four in Cumilla, three each in Noakhali and
Cox's Bazar, and one each in Feni, Brahmanbaria, and Lakshmipur -- died in the
floods, according to the release.
A total
of 3,527 shelter centres have been opened to provide refuge for the affected
people, where 2,84,888 people and 21,695 cattle have been found shelter.
A total
of 770 medical teams are operational in the 11 districts to provide medical
services to the victims.
The
Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has allocated Tk 3.52 crore, 20,150
metric tonnes of rice, and 15,000 food packets as relief.
Adequate
relief supplies have been kept in stock for each district.
The CA
office said that the deputy commissioners of the flood-affected districts have
been instructed to work in coordination with members of the Anti-Discrimination
Student's Movement, the army, medical teams, and other volunteers.
A
full-time control room has been opened at the Ministry of Disaster Management
and Relief. The number 0255101115 is available for information and assistance.
The
army, navy, coast guard, Fire Service and Civil Defence, students, and Border
Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been engaged in rescue operations in Feni,
Noakhali, Chattogram, Brahmanbaria, Cumilla, Habiganj, and Lakshmipur
districts.
Field
hospitals have been set up to provide health services in Feni, while doctors
from the army and the district civil surgeon's office are providing health care
there.
The
adviser and secretary in charge of the Ministry of Disaster Management and
Relief have visited the flood-affected areas to monitor the situation. The
adviser of the ministry is currently in Feni.
A Very
Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) has been introduced at the Feni Deputy
Commissioner's office to restore mobile communication.
The CA
press release added that interested people can send assistance funds to the
Chief Adviser's Relief and Welfare Fund: Account Name: 'Chief Adviser's Relief
and Welfare Fund', Bank: Sonali Bank Corporate Branch, Chief Adviser's Office,
Account Number: 0107333004093.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/floods-claim-18-lives-over-94-lakh-stranded-11-districts-3685196
-------
Six
rivers flowing above danger level: FFWC
Aug 24,
2024
Of 116
river points monitored by FFWC, water level at 87 points reduced and it was
remained unchanged at five points during the period, the bulletin said.
At
9:00am today, six rivers across southeastern and northeastern regions were
flowing above the danger level at eight points, according to FFWC.
Of
those, Kushiyara was flowing 14cm above the danger mark at Amalshid, 1cm at
Sheola, 9cm at Sherpur-Sylhet, and 4cm at Markuli.
The Manu
was flowing 91cm above the danger level at Moulvibazar, Khowai river 44cm above
the danger mark at Ballah, the Gumti 96cm at Cumilla and the Feni at 53cm at
Ramgarh point.
However,
water of the Manu at Manu rail bridge point decreased by 129cm and was flowing
100cm below the danger level.
The
water of Khowai river was 335cm above the danger mark at Habiganj point.
The
Meghna River saw a rise in water level at Bhairab Bazar, although it remained
below the danger level. At Meghna Ghat, the water level decreased but it was
still 25cm above the danger level. The water levels also decreased at Narsingdi
and Baidyar Bazar, where the river was flowing below the danger level.The
Meghna River saw a rise in water level at Bhairab Bazar, although it remained
below the danger level. At Meghna Ghat, the water level decreased but it was
still 25cm above the danger level. The water levels also decreased at Narsingdi
and Baidyar Bazar, where the river was flowing below the danger level.
Meanwhile,
water level of the Teesta increased by 10cm at Dalia point in Nilphamari but
remained 63cm below the danger level while the Karatoa saw 10cm increase in
water level in Bogura but remained 424cm below the danger level.
Also,
water of the Karnaphuli increased by 65cm in Chattogram but remained 368cm
below the danger level.
Water
level of Jamuna river decreased at all 10 FFWC monitoring points while water
level of Brahmaputra reduced at four points. Both rivers were flowing below the
danger level.
In the
case of the Ganges river, water levels increased at three points and remained
unchanged at one point. The Padma river experienced a decrease in water level
at three points and an increase at one point. However, at all monitored points,
both rivers were still flowing below the danger level.
Three
rivers saw a decrease in the water level. Water level of Dharla in Kurigram
remained 261cm, Dudhkumar in Pateswari 223cm, and Ghagot in Gaibandha 265cm
below the danger level.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/rain-thundershowers-likely-across-country-next-24-hours-3685131
-------
North America
Claims
Of ‘Ego-Driven Jihad’ As Feud Escalates At Zionist Organization Of America
By Arno
Rosenfeld
August
23, 2024
After
years of turmoil at the Zionist Organization of America, two board members are
asking a judge to remove Mort Klein from his longtime perch atop the group,
alleging financial misconduct and poor leadership.
The
board members, Brian Grodman and Paul Tartell, claim in a lawsuit filed last
week that Klein has “effectively clipped the wings of the ZOA for his own
self-interest,” arguing that the group has been absent from the Jewish communal
responses to the Hamas terror attack on Oct. 7.
Marc
Kasowitz, who previously served as Donald Trump’s personal attorney, is
defending Klein and accused the dissident board members of waging “a selfish
and ego-driven jihad” in letters filed with the court.
Another
attorney for ZOA, Fria Kermani, said in an email that Tartell was motivated by
a personal vendetta against Klein after not being named board chair last year.
Kermani promised a countersuit, a threat that the board members’ lawyer, Steven
Goldberg, described as “the shriek of a frightened, cornered rat.”
It is
the latest turn in a long-running saga in which a series of ZOA leaders have
turned on Klein, whose pugnacious style has long alienated more moderate
leaders across the Jewish establishment. Klein, ZOA’s chief since 1994, has
consistently denied wrongdoing while weathering more than a decade of
inflammatory allegations of financial impropriety, workplace harassment and
racism.
ZOA,
once one of the country’s largest pro-Israel forces, shrunk significantly over
the past 20 years, with a brief resurgence during the Trump administration.
The
latest suit could have deeper ramifications than prior ones by individual
employees because it effectively asks the court to overthrow Klein. If
successful, it could also force Klein to return millions of dollars to the
organization that Grodman and Tartell claim he illegitimately received.
Goldberg,
the attorney representing the board members, is himself a former vice-chair of
the ZOA who accused Klein of financial mismanagement more than a decade ago.
According
to the lawsuit, Tartell called a board meeting in July to discuss allegations
of Klein’s wrongdoing. Eleven of the roughly 32 members attended, nine of whom
voted to commission an independent investigation into Klein’s management.
Meanwhile, the lawsuit says, ZOA’s executive director called a competing
meeting in which 11 other board members voted to declare any action taken at
Tartell’s meeting “illegitimate.”
The
independent investigation stalled after Kasowitz told the firm hired to conduct
it that they were not authorized to do it, according to court records.
The
lawsuit marks an about face for Tartell, who lavished praise on Klein and posed
for photos with him at a March dinner
where he received an award from ZOA.
“Mort
Klein has had the insight and fortitude to stand alone against deeply flawed
conventional thought and groupthink only to be viciously attacked for merely
pointing out the truth,” Tartell said
that night. “As history has repeatedly shown, Mort and ZOA have been correct on
every major issue.”
Finances
questioned — and defended
The
lawsuit accuses Klein of turning the ZOA into “at best, an irrelevancy, and, at
worst, a joke” — and of using one of the organization’s credit cards “for his
own personal gain.” It says the
nonprofit group’s funds have been used to “support a lavish personal lifestyle
that includes, for example, high end limousine services, business and first
class travel, and luxury hotel stays.”
Kasowitz,
the former Trump lawyer, called the allegations “frivolous” and said in a
letter filed with the court that the plaintiffs’ complaints are really about a
“philosophical disagreement” with Klein. In a series of indignant letters to
the plaintiffs’ lawyers, Kasowitz accused them of the “jihad” and of trying to “take hostage the vital substantive
work of the ZOA at a time of acute criticality for Jews and Israel.”
Kermani,
the other Klein lawyer, said in an email to the Forward that “every action
taken by Mr. Klein has been authorized and aligned with advancing the ZOA’s
mission.” The plaintiffs have not provided any examples of credit card abuse,
she added, “because no such misuse
exists.”
ZOA’s
annual budget is around $5 million, according to public records, but it has
more than $40 million in assets, mostly from selling its Manhattan headquarters
in 2016.
Sheldon
Adelson, the billionaire casino magnate and philanthropist who died in 2021,
was one of the organization’s main financial backers and his widow, Miriam, has
remained a strong supporter.
The
organization’s financial management has been questioned since at least 2012,
when the ZOA temporarily lost its tax-exempt status. Goldberg said at the time
he had not been shown a budget for the group for years and later ran
unsuccessfully against Klein for president of the organization.
The ZOA
paid Klein $573,000 in 2022, records show; the lawsuit states that he is now
receiving $600,000. That would represent a nearly 450% increase since 2001; in
2008 his pay spiked to $1.2 million.
The lawsuit claims that Klein received pay raises
that were not authorized by the board, and that he should not have received any
salary during certain years, when he had other work as a paid consultant (the
organization’s constitution, Goldberg said, only allows for the president to be
paid if they do not have other income). The lawsuit says Klein owes the
organization at least $5 million.
An
‘impotent and ineffective’ organization
In July,
Tartell and Grodman called for the board to oust Klein, both because of these
alleged financial issues and because of what they saw as generally poor leadership.
They
pointed to the ZOA’s absence from the 10/7 Project, created to provide
pro-Israel messaging about the war in Gaza. It includes the American Jewish Committee, Jewish
Federations of North America, Anti-Defamation League, AIPAC and the Conference
of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, a coalition that censured
Klein in 2019 for denigrating other Jewish groups.
The
dissident board members also say that ZOA “has almost no college campus
presence,” no office in Israel or in most major U.S. Jewish communities, and
“has effectively been ostracized by every major Jewish organization,” all
claims that the organization’s attorneys disputed.
And the
lawsuit also states – though it does not provide details — that Klein used the
organization’s money for his own benefit.
Asked
for evidence of this, Goldberg said: “Some things have to be obtained by
discovery through ZOA records.”
Tartell
generally shares Klein’s hardline views on Israel as Klein. At the March event,
he called for Israel to destroy Gaza and make it “uninhabitable for the
foreseeable future” and said both its residents and Palestinians in the West
Bank should be resettled elsewhere in the Middle East.
A
Florida physician, Tartell has faced legal troubles of his own: In 2017, he
paid $750,000 to settle allegations from the Department of Justice that he had
falsely billed Medicare for procedures he did not perform. Goldberg said he did
not admit wrongdoing and was cleared in a subsequent state investigation.
Kermani,
the lawyer for Klein, said that settlement, combined with “dominating and
antagonizing other board members at meetings,” were among the reasons Tartell
was not selected as board chair last year.
Kasowitz
also said that the ZOA board voted to remove Tartell after the dueling July
meetings.
Past
allegations of racism and mismanagement
Many of
the allegations raised in the current lawsuit draw on those addressed in
previous litigation. John Rosen, who was fired as ZOA’s executive director two
years ago, sued Klein shortly afterward, claiming that he denigrated Black
people and women, and bullied his staff.
(The
suit was dismissed last year on a technicality; Rosen is appealing.)
David
Schoen, the organization’s board chair at the time, said then that Rosen was
actually fired after an outside investigation cleared Klein of wrongdoing. But
Schoen himself stepped down as board chair several weeks later over disputes
with Klein.
David
Drimer, who served as director before Rosen, also sued ZOA, claiming Klein
improperly inflated his own compensation; they settled the case.
Kermani
denied that there is a pattern of ZOA leaders suing the group. “The ZOA has had
only two lawsuits by top executives in the past 127 years,” Kermani said, “ and
the plaintiffs in those lawsuits are disgruntled former employees who were
terminated by ZOA and brought baseless litigation in response.”
But
Tartell and Grodman’s lawsuit may be different. While they are the only two
named plaintiffs, seven other board members joined them at the July meeting in
voting to investigate Klein.
Sherly
Silver, the organization’s secretary, took minutes of the meeting that were
submitted to the court. Silver had also heaped praise on Klein during the March
dinner, recalling her support for his underdog bid to become president of the
organization in 1993.
After
Klein won the election, she told the audience, a man who was supporting Klein’s
opponent “wagged his finger in my face and said, ‘You know what you just did?
That guy Klein is going to be the end of ZOA.”
Silver
added: “I said, ‘Well I hope you’re wrong.’”
Source: forward.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://forward.com/news/647613/mort-klein-zionist-organization-america-zoa-lawsuit-feud/
--------
Jewish,
Muslim UConn students detail discrimination in 76 bias complaints
August
23, 2024
As
students return to the University of Connecticut, Muslims and Jewish students
want to know what the school is doing to protect them.
Both
groups of students say they faced discrimination and hate speech on campus, as
detailed in 76 bias complaints filed during the war in Gaza.
“I think
there is an anti-Muslim problem on campus,” said Muneeb Syed, president of the
UConn Muslim Student Association.
The 76
complaints, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, are just a
portion of the total number of bias complaints filed last school year, but all
are directed at Muslim, pro-Palestinian or Jewish students.
Students
say the documents are a sign UConn needs to address the problem with fall
semester classes starting Monday.
“I feel
very worried about returning to school,” UConn Hillel peer educator Haley
Janush said.
The
complaints don’t detail 76 separate incidents, as some public events on campus
sparked multiple complaints.
They do,
however, show highlight the tensions on campus starting with Hamas’s attack on
Israel. The tensions continued throughout the year as Israel responded with
ongoing fighting in Gaza.
Complaints
from Jewish students claim antisemitism almost immediately after the attack,
including students defacing public displays for peace in Israel.
Muslim
and pro-Palestinian students soon followed with complaints that they were
labeled terrorists or supporters of terrorism.
UConn
did not make anyone available for an interview, but did issue a lengthy written
response to questions from NBC Connecticut.
The
university said it will address the issue as part of a message it plans to send
to sends in the coming days.
Spokeswoman
Stephanie Reitz also said the complaints detail actions of a handful of
students, and that problem is happening all over the country.
“UConn’s
trends mirror those of the state and nation,” Reitz said. “However, the
university has and will continue to do all within its power to ensure its
campuses are safe, respectful, and equitable spaces for people from all
backgrounds.”
Reitz
also said the filing of a bias complaint alone is not proof someone violated
UConn’s code of conduct.
Some of
the complaints detail public displays, including protests and signs. UConn is a
public university, and Reitz noted public displays can be protected by the
First Amendment even if they are offensive to some students.
Others,
though, were conversations, classroom discussions, emails and other encounters.
NBC
Connecticut is not revealing some of the complaints that did contain hate
speech or vile language. Some invoked Nazis.
“I feel
this tension and feeling of uneasiness everywhere I go,” Janush said.
The MSA
received an email celebrating the death of Palestinians, at the time reported
to be 8,000. The group did post a screenshot of the message on its Instagram
page.
“That
was a very, very vulgar, very personal attack,” Syed said.
The
complaints continued through the end of the school year, including several in
response to a pro-Palestinian tent encampment. The protest resulted in 26
arrests.
Students
from both groups say the protest highlights their concerns.
Janush
said the protest lasted too long. In fact, she feels the school is too easy on
protests Jewish students view as hateful.
She also
felt UConn has been unresponsive to complaints of coverage in the student Daily
Campus newspaper, which some Jewish students viewed as biased.
“Too
many times, Jewish voices have been silenced,” she said.
Syed
said the school is unfair to Muslims and pro-Palestinian supports, including
changing policies during the protest to allow for a crackdown.
He wants
the school to issue a statement in solidarity with the 26 students who were
arrested.
“President
RadenkaMaric, she’s been, she’s been – she has played favorites,” he said.
Source: nbcconnecticut.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/jewish-muslim-uconn-students-detail-discrimination-in-76-bias-complaints/3370337/
--------
Man
charged with shooting outside Minneapolis mosque amid drug confrontation
August 23, 2024
By Katie
Wermus
The
shooting happened on Aug. 19 around 5:45 p.m. near Masjid An-Nur Mosque,
located on the 1700 block of Lyndale Avenue North in Minneapolis.
A
75-year-old man had just left evening prayer with a friend when they saw what
appeared to be a drug deal happening nearby. Charges say the man approached the
large SUV and told the driver he couldn’t sell drugs there, and the two started
exchanging words.
The
driver started to leave, but the complaint claims he made a U-turn and fired
multiple shots at the two men.
When
police arrived at the scene, they found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds
to his arms and shoulders. He was then transported to the hospital for his
injuries. The criminal complaint did not provide an update on the man’s
condition.
How did
the police make an arrest?
During
the investigation, authorities learned that 68-year-old Yancy Hall, who was
later identified as the driver, was being looked into by police as part of a
narcotics investigation.
Charges
claim he drove a large white SUV that had been equipped with a tracker from an
earlier search warrant. Authorities reviewed the data, which police say placed
the vehicle at the shooting location when it occurred before leaving the area.
Court
records say the vehicle was also captured on various surveillance cameras in
the area.
What did
the suspect say?
While
speaking with investigators, police say Hall confessed to shooting the victim.
He claims he "sells dope" in that area, and the man had approached
him, saying he couldn’t sell drugs there, charges allege.
Hall
said that once he started to drive away, he claimed to hear the victim say,
"You come back here, I’m gonna kill your motherf------ ass," so he
turned around and started shooting, charges allege.
What’s
next?
Hall was
charged with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and an
additional count of drive-by shooting toward a person.
The
criminal complaint did not explain what led authorities to start investigating
Hall for narcotics or how long he had been under investigation leading up to
the shooting.
He is
scheduled to appear in court on Friday afternoon and remains in custody at the
Hennepin County Jail.
Source: fox9.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.fox9.com/news/man-charged-shooting-outside-minneapolis-mosque-amid-drug-confrontation
--------
UN and
US say food is on its way to a famine-stricken camp in Sudan
August 24, 2024
CAIRO:
Food aid is on the way to an area of Sudan facing famine amid the northeast African
country’s grinding conflict, a group of countries and the United Nations said
in a joint statement Friday.
The
statement came at the conclusion of more than a week of talks in Geneva,
Switzerland aimed at calming the conflict, but that failed to bring together
the two warring sides. The talks were convened as the country’s humanitarian
crisis worsens.
Last
month, global experts said that starvation at a massive camp for displaced
people in the Sudanese region of Darfur had grown into famine. And about 25.6
million people — more than half of Sudan’s population — will face acute hunger,
experts from the Famine Review Committee warned.
Aid
trucks were rolling Friday to “provide famine relief in Zamzam Camp and other
parts of Darfur,” said the joint statement from US, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia,
Egypt, the UAE, the Africa Union, and the UN “These routes must remain open and
safe so we can surge aid into Darfur and begin to turn the tide against
famine.”
International
experts use set criteria to confirm famines. Formal declarations of famines are
usually made by the countries themselves or the United Nations.
Aid
workers were last able to get humanitarian relief to the trapped civilians at
the camps in Darfur in April.
The
negotiations, which started Aug. 14, were meant to work toward a ceasefire. But
one party to the civil war, Sudan’s military, did not send a delegation. The
other party, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), sent a delegation to
the city but did not appear to attend in-person. In their absence, diplomats
pushed for food, medicine and basic aid to make it to areas that have been
difficult to access due to fighting.
The
group “secured guarantees from both parties to the conflict to provide safe and
unhindered humanitarian access” through two key arteries, the statement said.
Aid deliveries will likely still face huge obstacles, because of heavy flooding
in recent weeks.
Both
sides have traded accusations of attacking civilians and obstructing aid since
the country’s war started in April 2023. Tensions between the military and the
RSF turned into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, before spreading across
the country.
The
conflict has killed thousands of people and pushed many into starvation. The
atrocities include mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to
war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the UN and international
rights groups.
There
are also increasing concerns over a new outbreak of cholera. The outbreak,
first declared on Aug. 12, has killed 28 people in 5 different states, the
World Health Organization said Friday.
The
spread of disease is “fueled by floods and poor water, hygiene and sanitation
in displacement camps and communities,” it said.
Sudan’s
war has also created the world’s largest displacement crisis. More than 10.7
million people have been forced to flee their homes since fighting began,
according to the International Organization for Migration. Over 2 million of
them have fled to neighboring countries.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568613/middle-east
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Canada
stops shelter payments for Afghan migrants in Pakistan
By Fidel
Rahmati
August
24, 2024
The Canadian government has stopped providing
financial support for Afghan migrants currently waiting in Pakistan to be
resettled in Canada.
Canada
had promised immigration visas to Afghans who had worked with Canadian forces
in Afghanistan. Many of these Afghans moved to Pakistan following the return of
the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan and are awaiting transfer to Canada.
Reports
indicate that the Canadian immigration and settlement office provided temporary
shelter funds for these Afghans.
According
to CBC News, the Canadian government has now halted these payments. Officials
told CBC that this financial support was a temporary measure and an exceptional
step to provide temporary housing while the migrants completed their
documentation.
Currently,
thousands of Afghan citizens are awaiting evacuation in Iran and particularly
in Pakistan. Most of them are in an uncertain situation in these countries.
Mumtaz
Zahra Baloch, spokesperson for the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, stated a month
ago that around 25,000 Afghans who have been approved for resettlement in the
United States are still in Pakistan, three years after the Taliban took power.
Additionally,
she noted that 9,000 Afghans are awaiting transfer to Australia, 6,000 to
Canada, 3,000 to Germany, and over 1,000 to the United Kingdom, but none have
been moved to these countries yet.
The
cessation of financial support by Canada adds to the growing concern and
uncertainty faced by Afghan migrants in Pakistan and other countries. The
international community’s response and continued support are crucial in
addressing the needs of these individuals awaiting resettlement.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/canada-stops-shelter-payments-for-afghan-migrants-in-pakistan/
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Southeast
Asia
Malaysia
backs effort to unite Muslim world, end atrocities in Gaza - Anwar
BERNAMA
23-08-
2024
KUALA
LUMPUR: Malaysia supports efforts to unite the Muslim world in stopping the
atrocities committed by Zionist Israeli forces against the people of Palestine
in Gaza, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In a
Facebook post, Anwar said the initiative, aimed to be realised through an
emergency session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) proposed by
Turkiye, was discussed during his meeting with Turkiye’s Secretary of the
Defence Industries, Prof Dr HalukGörgün, at Perdana Putra today.
“Malaysia
stands resolute in supporting this initiative, which seeks to coordinate
efforts and increase pressure on the United States and its allies to compel the
Zionist Israeli regime to immediately cease its attacks and bombings in Gaza,”
read the post.
The
Prime Minister added that during the meeting, he and the Turkish leader had an
in-depth discussion on strengthening defence cooperation, as well as Malaysia’s
involvement through Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) in the management
of the Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul.
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/local-news/malaysia-backs-effort-to-unite-muslim-world-end-atrocities-in-gaza-anwar-IK12900822
-------
Malaysia-India
Economic diplomacy a step towards strengthening ASEAN: Expert
BERNAMA
24-08-
2024
KUALA
LUMPUR: In its preparations to lead ASEAN in 2025, Malaysia continues to
strengthen its bilateral relations with regional countries, including India,
through various economic and tourism initiatives in the face of global
challenges.
The
Deputy Executive Director of Asia-Europe Institute (AEI) Universiti Malaya,
Associate Professor Dr Roy Anthony Rogers, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahim’s recent visit to India proved Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening
the economic cooperation between the two countries.
Strong
Malaysia-India relations, including through cooperation in the military sector
and worker visas, also play an important role, he said.
“When
Malaysia assumes the ASEAN chair, we hope that the existing ASEAN-India
cooperation such as the ASEAN-India Partnership Peace, Progress and Shared
Prosperity will be strengthened to ensure better economic and investment
relations among ASEAN-member countries and India,“ he said on Bernama TV’s
RuangBicara programme on Friday night.
On the
implementation of unlimited visas for Indian workers in Malaysia, which was the
main issue discussed during Anwar’s visit, Roy described the initiative as a
proactive step to overcoming the problem of labour shortage in Malaysia.
“This
visa, is not only for farm workers but also for skilled workers from India,
including in the fields of IT (information technology) and medicine. This is
important to ensure continued productivity and innovation in various sectors in
Malaysia.”
Another
guest on the programme, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Faculty of
Business, Economics and Social Development lecturer Dr Wan RohilaGanti Wan
Abdul Ghapar touched on the importance of Malaysia empowering the tourism
industry, by focusing on tourists from India.
“We
often forget that India is a major contributor to Malaysia’s tourism sector.
Tourism promotion needs to be improved by focusing on the needs and interests
of Indian tourists”
In the
semiconductor industry, she said Malaysia is still in the exploration phase
compared to India, which is already advanced in the field.
“We can
learn a lot from India, especially in terms of innovation and best practices in
the semiconductor industry.
“The
exchange of knowledge and cooperation in this sector needs to be emphasised.”
On the
issue of investment, she said Malaysia has successfully attracted investors
from India with a trade potential of RM8 billion and an investment commitment
of RM4.5 billion.
“The
next step is to ensure that this potential is fully realised to benefit the
national economy.”
Anwar
arrived in New Delhi on Aug 19 to begin a three-day official visit to
strengthen Malaysia-India relations that have been established for 67 years, as
well as to create an agenda for multi-sector cooperation in the future.
This
visit also witnessed the signing of eight memoranda of understanding (MoUs)
between the governments of Malaysia and India, as well as seven B2B (Business
to Business) MoUs.
Anwar
also extended an invitation to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
President Droupadi Murmu to visit Malaysia to increase the momentum of
bilateral relations between Malaysia and India.
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/local-news/malaysia-india-economic-diplomacy-a-step-towards-strengthening-asean-expert-IK12901988
--------
In race
against time, search for Masjid India sinkhole victim expands to manholes
nearby
By Malay
Mail
24 Aug
2024
KUALA
LUMPUR, Aug 24 — The search-and-rescue (SAR) operation for the missing Indian
tourist known only as Vijayaletchumy has been extended to six manholes
surrounding the sinkhole in the downtown Masjid India area.
The
48-year-old woman from south India fell into the sinkhole measuring some eight
metres deep yesterday morning while walking near the Malayan Mansion flats.
“At
10.30am today, a fireman went down into the manhole in front of Wisma Yakin but
he did not find the victim or any leads,” Dang Wangi police chief Assistant
Commissioner SulizmieAffendy Sulaiman was reported as saying today by The Star
daily.
The
first manhole near Wisma Yakin is roughly 100 metres from the sinkhole, with
each manhole spaced similarly distant.
According
to The Star, the second manhole on JalanMelayu is currently being searched, and
the rescuers are hopeful for a breakthrough.
Sulizmie
said the manhole search is being conducted in stages to minimise risks to
rescuers.
“For
safety reasons, we can only lower one fireman for each manhole,” he was quoted
as saying.
The
senior policeman said the SAR is using all resources at its disposal, though it
has discontinued the use of the K-9 sniffer dog unit deployed yesterday since
there were no positive results.
He
advised the public to avoid the search area due to potential hazardous gases
from the sewage system.
Vijayaletchumy
has been described as a 48-year-old woman from Andhra Pradesh in India who came
to Malaysia for a two-month holiday with her husband and other family members.
The pavement
near Malayan Mansion collapsed suddenly underneath Vijayaletchumy’s feet about
8.20am yesterday.
A man
sitting on a bench nearby also fell into the pit but managed to pull himself
out, based on CCTV footage of the area provided by the Kuala Lumpur Fire and
Rescue Department.
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/08/24/in-race-against-time-search-for-masjid-india-sinkhole-victim-expands-to-manholes-nearby/148057
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Former
PM Najib’s release could shift Umno-PH dynamics, says Terengganu division
leader
By
Muhammad Yusry
24 Aug
2024
KUALA
LUMPUR, Aug 24 — Umno supporters will back PakatanHarapan (PH) if convicted
former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is released from jail, said Deputy
Setiu Division Chief, Mohd Iskandar Jaafar.
“The
unity government under Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is responsible, as the
executive element in the federal system, to review the legal requirements
concerning Najib’s release, including any additional royal decrees,” he told
Malay Mail when contacted.
Mohd
Iskandar said Umno supporters are certainly grateful to the government for
pursuing their demands.
“However,
this effort must align with the rule of law, specifically Article 42 of the
Federal Constitution, which states that the power of pardon is the prerogative
of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“It must
also be consistent with the concept of the separation of powers, meaning there
should be no interference among the three branches of Parliament: the
executive, the legislative, and the judiciary,” he said.
If Najib
is released, the image of the Madani government will improve, said Mohd
Iskandar.
“The
majority of the people still owe a debt of gratitude to Najib for his services.
This increased support will indirectly benefit other parties within the BN-PH
coalition,” he said.
Earlier,
during his debate on the Umno presidential policy speech, Mohd Iskandar said PH
could benefit from Najib’s release.
He also
said Najib could be the catalyst for BarisanNasional’s resurgence.
Najib, a
former prime minister, was found guilty of misappropriating RM42 million
belonging to SRC International SdnBhd, a former subsidiary of sovereign
investment fund 1MDB. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210
million.
He began
his jail sentence on August 23, 2022.
In
February, the Federal Territories Pardons Board agreed to halve the jail term
to six years, which means Najib could be released earlier on August 23, 2028,
provided he manages to pay his reduced fine of RM50 million before that date.
If he
fails to do so, his early release date will be pushed to August 23, 2029.
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
shift-umno-ph-dynamics-says-terengganu-division-leader/148065
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/08/24/former-pm-najibs-release-could-
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Police:
19 stranded at Risda Eco Park resort to be rescued today
24 Aug
2024
TANJUNG
MALIM, Aug 24 — Nineteen individuals stranded at Risda Eco Park Resort in Kg
Ulu Slim due to a water surge incident yesterday are expected to be rescued
today, said Perak police chief Datuk Azizi Mat Aris.
He said
that the rescue operation for the visitors and staff of the resort will commence
once the river water has receded.
“Following
the collapse of the bridge, we currently have only one access route. We are
exploring alternatives to boats for the rescue, which is expected to take place
today. The rescued individuals will be relocated to a temporary evacuation
centre,” he said after inspecting the collapsed Slim Village bridge.
Muallim
district police chief superintendent MohdHasniMohd Nasir was also present at
the inspection.
Continuous
heavy rain in the TanjungMalim district since yesterday afternoon has led to
flooding and water surge incidents, causing the collapse of three bridges,
including the Slim Village bridge, damage to a water intake facility, and
affecting hundreds of residents.
The
incident also caused the bridge connecting Risda Eco Park Resort with the main
road to collapse, preventing rescue teams from accessing the area.
However,
Azizi confirmed that all individuals stranded at the resort are safe.
“We have
been in contact with them by phone, but we are aware that there is a power
outage at the resort,” he said.
Meanwhile,
a total of 175 people from 42 families were rescued by security forces in
operations conducted from yesterday until early this morning.
They are
now being accommodated in two relief centres: Masjid Kg Pasir and Masjid Jamek
Slim Village. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/08/24/police-19-stranded-at-risda-eco-park-resort-to-be-rescued-today/148040
-------
Pakistan
Islamabad
rally cancelled to avert May 9-like violence, claims Imran
August
24, 2024
Malik
Asad
ISLAMABAD:
PTI’s much hyped Aug 22 rally in Islamabad was cancelled to avoid May 9-like
violence, former premier Imran Khan said on Friday and declared that the power
show would now be held on Sept 8.
Talking
to media persons after hearing in the GBP190 million corruption case at the
accountability court inside the Adiala jail, Mr Khan explained the reason
behind his early morning meeting with Azam Khan Swati on Aug 22.
He said
that during the meeting Mr Swati informed him about the protests planned by
other political and religious parties in Islamabad the same day.
In reply
to a question whether Mr Swati had acted as a messenger between him and some
government functionaries, the PTI leader called the government a product of
Form-47 with which he would not negotiate.
Mr Khan
said whenever the government thought he was in contact with the establishment
it started raising the bogey of the May 9 episode.
He said
that in order to avoid chaos the Aug 22 jalsa had been postponed, because there
was a possibility of a May 9-like incident. He pointed out that PTI had been
demanding a judicial probe into the violence.
However,
he said, the party would bring rallies to Islamabad on Sept 8 and “I have told
the party leaders not to tolerate any hurdle in the way of holding a power
show”.
He
described the cancellation of the no-objection certificate issued to PTI for
holding the rally as a question mark on the credibility of judiciary, wondering
how could the district administration cancel the NOC issued with the permission
of the court.
Mr Khan
said he had also instructed the party leaders to hold a meeting and decide a
date for protest over the delay by the Supreme Court in issuing the detailed
judgement in reserved seats case.
In
response to criticism of his demand for open trial of former ISI chief Faiz
Hameed, the ex-PM said that being the head of country’s largest political party
he could seek open proceedings of the military court as the allegation is very
serious that he had hatched the conspiracy with ex-spymaster for the May 9
violence.
He
insisted that it is neither an internal issue of the military nor falls within
the ambit of the Official Secrets Act, adding that the open trial would be
beneficial for the country. He said if the recommendations of the Hamoodur
Rehman Commission were implemented, there would have been no martial law
afterwards.
Mr Khan
alleged that Nawaz Sharif is ready to fly back to London. The PTI chief claimed
that the government is working on the extension of incumbent Chief Justice Qazi
Faez Isa, adding that in case they failed to do so then they would manipulate
to elevate the person of their choice by bypassing the seniority rule.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
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--------
JI emir
calls for meaningful dialogue between Islamabad and Kabul
August 24, 2024
Umer
Farooq
He,
however, said that the Afghan interim government should ensure that its
territory is not used for militant attacks against Pakistan.
“Both
sides should always keep the door for talks open,” Mr Rehman told a news
conference at Markaz-i-Islami.
The JI
chief said that relations between the two countries turned sour because of the
steps taken by a few rulers and not Pakistani people, who supported each other
for almost 45 years.
He said
the unpleasant situation between the two countries was a sensitive issue and
meaningful talks could help find a way out.
Mr
Rehman said that only meaningful dialogue could address the issues between the
two countries.
When
asked about Rs20 billion allocations for the proposed military operation
Azm-i-Istihkam against militants, he said his party had a clear position on the
matter.
The JI
chief said that military operation was not a solution to the issue of
militancy.
He said
that the government should spend money on “fruitful things.”
“You
cannot maintain peace through military operations,” he said.
Mr
Rehman, however, said since it was the government’s job to maintain law and
order, it should spend money and highlight where it was utilised.
He
claimed that activities against militants were under way in the tribal region
amid reports about the use of fighter jets.
The JI
emir said that the country couldn’t afford “further distance” between people
and armed forces.
He
wondered how militants became stronger and stronger and sought the identity of
the supporters of militants in the government and national institutions.
Mr
Rehman said that the government and military had made it clear that the
Operation Azm-i-Istihkam was meant for controlling law and order.
He said
that if the situation in Bannu could improve after talks among the military,
government, opposition and locals, then all issues could be addressed through
dialogue.
The JI
emir complained about the recent attack on police and wondered how attackers
got heavy weaponry. He said that the attack exposed the inefficiency of the
law-enforcement agencies.
He said
it was time to review the failure of the institutions to perform their
respective duties.
Mr
Rehman said that the Punjab government provided relief in electricity bills to
people for two months from the exchequer, so the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government
should follow suit.
He
announced that his party would observe a shutter down strike on August 28 with
the support of traders.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
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--------
Pakistan’s
education system in ‘low’ performance category: report
August
24, 2024
The
Newspaper's Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD:
An official report released on Friday placed the country’s education system in
the ‘low’ performance category and highlighted critical areas requiring
attention to improve the education outcomes.
The
District Education Performance Index (DEPIx) Report 2020-23 released by the
Planning Commission stated, “Pakistan’s national average score in the DEPIx is
53.46, placing the country in the “low” performance category.
Among
the five domains, infrastructure and access scored the highest at 58.95,
indicating some progress in expanding educational opportunities. Inclusion
(equity and technology) follows as the second-highest domain.“
It said
public financing recorded the lowest score, highlighting the need for increased
and better-targeted spending in the education sector. The learning domain also
scores poorly, reflecting persistently low learning outcomes among students.
“Governance
and management, though slightly better than learning, still falls in the “low”
category, mainly due to teacher shortages and high bureaucratic turnover,” it
said.
None of
134 districts falls within ‘very high’ performance category, only Islamabad in
‘high’ category
The
report said that over the past decades, the country has reached middle-income
status and made commendable progress in developing its human capital. However,
this progress has been slower than that of other developing countries and
regional peers.
The slow
pace of human capital development poses challenges not only to realising the
potential demographic dividend but also to achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and attaining upper-middle-income status by
2047.
The
report said among the critical factors in human capital development, providing
quality and inclusive education is paramount. In 2010, the parliament devolved
policy, administrative and fiscal authority over education to the provinces and
enshrined the right to free education as a fundamental right through Article
25-A of the Constitution.
Since
then, provincial governments have enacted compulsory education laws, increased
budgetary allocations for school education and implemented various governance
and data reforms.
Notably,
reforms in the education data regime have improved the availability of data on
education indicators. Notwithstanding these efforts, the complexity, breadth
and fragmentation of education data have often made it challenging for
policymakers and stakeholders to use it effectively in decision-making.
To
address these issues and support the education emergency declared by Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif in May, the Planning Commission integrated various
school education indicators into composite scorecards.
The
DEPIx is structured across five domains: infrastructure and access, learning,
inclusion (equity and technology), governance and management and public
financing. It covers 134 districts across Pakistan, including Balochistan,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab, Sindh and the Islamabad Capital Territory
(ICT).
Besides
highlighting the national overview, the report also included the provincial
overview. It said Punjab emerged as the top-performing province with a
composite score of 61.39 followed by KP with a score of 54.88 while Sindh and
Balochistan lagged behind with scores of 51.49 and 45.70, respectively.
Pertaining
to the district-level insights, the report said none of the 134 districts fall
within the “very high” performance category and only Islamabad falls into the
“High” category, making it an outlier as the highest-performing districts.
Alarmingly,
the report adds that more than half of Pakistan’s districts (76) fall into the
“Low” performance category. These low-performing districts are predominantly in
Balochistan and Sindh with 33 districts in Balochistan and 22 in Sindh.
Notably, all districts of Balochistan fall in the “Low” education performance
category, indicating severe challenges across the province.
Apart
from the ICT, the top 10 districts are exclusively from Punjab and KP - seven
from Punjab and two from KP. No districts from Sindh or Balochistan are
represented among the top 10.
Regarding
the intra-provincial disparities, the report said significant variations in
education performance exist within provinces. KP exhibits the greatest
intra-provincial differences, with districts like Haripur, Chitral and
Abbottabad among the top performers while KolaiPalas, Upper Kohistan and Lower
Kohistan ranking among the lowest.
There is
nearly a 30-point gap between the best and worst-performing districts in KP.
Punjab and Balochistan show the least intra-provincial variation, with Punjab’s
districts mostly falling into the medium category and all of Balochistan’s
districts in the low category. Sindh has moderate variation with most districts
in the “low” category except for the urban districts of Karachi and Hyderabad.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1854348/pakistans-education-system-in-low-performance-category-report
--------
PM
Shehbaz offers support to Bangladesh as floods claim 15 lives
By Web
Desk
August
23, 2024
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday offered Pakistan's assistance to
Bangladesh to help it deal with devastating floods that affected millions and
left at least 15 dead.
According
to disaster management and relief ministry, at least 15 people have been killed
in the neighbouring country while 4.5 million affected by floods following
heavy rains.
In a
letter to Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, PM Shehbaz expressed
deep grief and sorrow over the recent disastrous flood situation and said the
sympathies of the entire Pakistani nation were with the government and people
of Bangladesh.
"We
stand with the people of Bangladesh who lost their loved ones, homes and jobs
due to flood," he said.
He also
acknowledged the bravery and courage of the Bangladeshis in the face of
adversity, expressing hope that the country will come out of this challenge
soon under Yunus' leadership.
The
prime minister asserted that Pakistan was ready to help Bangladesh "in
every way in this difficult time".
The
South Asian country of 170 million people, crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers,
has seen frequent floods in recent decades and is among the countries most
vulnerable to disasters and climate change, according to the Global Climate
Risk Index.
A
bulletin from the disaster ministry on Friday said: "4.5 million people
have been affected, and 13 people have died across the country."
Nearly
190,000 others were taken to emergency relief shelters, according to the
bulletin.
Altogether,
11 of the country's 64 districts were affected by the flooding, the bulletin
added.
Feni,
about 100 kilometres (60 miles) northwest of the main port city of Chittagong,
was worst-hit.
"It's
a catastrophic situation here," rescue volunteer Zahed Hossain Bhuiya, 35,
told AFP in Feni. "We are trying to rescue as many people as we can."
The army
and the navy have been deployed, with speedboats and helicopters rescuing those
stranded by the swollen rivers.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1223050-pm-shehbaz-offers-support-to-bangladesh-as-floods-claim-15-lives
--------
Met
Office forecasts heavy rain in Pakistan’s southern parts from Aug 25
August 24, 2024
Aamir
Yasin
RAWALPINDI:
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a forecast for
torrential rains, especially in the southern region, from August 25 to 29.
In an
advisory issued on Friday, PMD said a low-pressure weather system, currently located
over West Bengal, is likely to move westwards during the next couple of days
and may reach the country’s southern coasts on Aug 25.
Under
the influence of this weather system, strong monsoon currents could result in
rainfall, wind and thundershower in Karachi, Hyderabad, Dadu, Thatta, Badin,
Sujawal, Shaheed Benazirabad, Jamshoro, TandoAllahyar, Tando Mohammad Khan,
Tharparkar, Nagarparkar, Mithi, Mirpurkhas, Umarkot, Matiari, Sanghar,
Sukkur, Ghotki, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Khairpur, Larkana, Jacobabad and
NausharoFeroze from Aug 25 to 29 with occasional gaps.
In
Balochistan, similar weather is expected in Khuzdar, Kalat, Lasbela, Awaran,
Nasirabad, Sibi, Jaffarbad, Kohlu, Harnai, Dera Bugti, Zhob, Quetta, Ziarat,
Sherani, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Barkhan, Loralai, Mastung, Bolan,
JhalMagsi, Kech, Panjgur, Gwadar, Jiwani, Pasni and Ormara from Aug 26 to 30.
In
Punjab and Islamabad, downpour is expected in Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat,
Attock, Chakwal, Talagang, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala,
Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Sahiwal, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Nankana Sahib, Chiniot,
Faisalabad, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, Okara, Pakpattan, Kasur,
Khushab, Sargodha, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Layyah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur,
Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, KotAddu, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar,
Khanpur and Rahim Yar Khan from August 25 to 28.
The
northern parts of the country Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch,
Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur, Diamer, Astore,
Skardu, Gilgit, Ghanche and Shigar will receive rainfall from Aug 25 to 28.
In
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Malakand, Shangla,
Battagram, Buner, Kohat, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Mansehra, Abbottabad,
Haripur, Peshawar, Swabi, Nowshera, Mardan, Charsadda, Hangu, Kurram, Orakzai,
Waziristan, Bannu, LakkiMarwat and Dera Ismail Khan will remain under the
influence of similar weather from Aug 26 to 28.
Flash
flooding, landslides
The Met
Office has warned of flooding in low-lying areas of Sindh, Balochistan and
southern Punjab, along with flash floods in urban centres.
Hill
torrents are expected in D.G Khan, Dadu, Kalat, Khuzdar, Jaffarabad, Sibi,
Nasirabad, Barkhan, Loralai, Awaran, Panjgur, Washuk, Mastung and Lasbela; and
coastal flooding along the Sindh-Makran coast from August 26 to 29.
Heavy
rains may trigger landslides in Murree, Galliyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Chitral,
Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Kashmir and GB.
The
advisory warned that heavy downpours, windstorms and lightning may damage mud
houses, electricity infrastructure, and roads.
Farmers
and tourists have been advised to plan their activities in light of the
forecast.
In light
of the forecast, the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on
Friday warned of flooding in south Punja and in the Koh-i-Sulaiman and Kirthar
ranges.
The
local administrations of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur have been asked to make
arrangements to deal with possible flash flooding due to hill torrents.
PDMA
Director General Irfan Ali Kathia has instructed the officials to remain on
high alert and ensure round-the-clock monitoring of the situation.
Meanwhile,
Lahore’s weather turned balmy on Friday, with some parts receiving rainfall
while the sun remained out in other localities.
Gulberg,
Model Town, Faisal Town, Canal Road, F.C. College, Jail Road, Shadman,
Township, KotLakhpat, Peco Road, Green Town, and Johar Town received rainfall.
Damages
in Balochistan
An
activist from Nasirabad, Balochistan, has decried the damages in the area due
to rainfall and flooding during the recent monsoon season and blamed the
authorities for not taking any action to protect life and properties.
While
addressing a press conference in Quetta on Friday, Hameeda Noor, a human rights
activist and social worker from Nasirabad, said that the region has suffered
extensive damages during the recent monsoon.
He said
damages were still being counted, and the relevant departments and authorities
were not present in the area to provide relief to people.
She said
Balochistan PDMA, which is responsible for taking measures to protect people
from climate change, remained ineffective in performing its duty.
“PDMA
must play its role in taking precautionary measures before rains hit an area
and the government should allocate resources for this purpose,” Ms Noor added.
She said
the Nasirabad region is called the ‘green belt of Balochistan’, but it has not
received adequate attention from the authorities.
Every
year, natural disasters endanger thousands of lives, property, fertile lands,
and crops in Nasirabad, Sibi, and Kalat divisions in Balochistan.
She
lamented that the delayed construction of the Kachhi Canal was exacerbating the
flood situation.
She said
the drainage system of small canals in Jaffarabad directly flows into Sindh via
the Khirthar Canal, but the local politicians and landlords in Balochistan and
Sindh “forcefully block the drainage paths”.
As a
result, breaches occur in various small and large water channels and submerge
the adjacent areas.
Imran
Gabol in Lahore and Saleem Shahid in Quetta also contributed to this report
Source: dawn.com
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--------
Bodies
of 28 pilgrims killed in Iran bus crash brought home to Pakistan
August 24, 2024
Tahir
Siddiqui
Sindh
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has announced Rs5 million each as compensation
for legal heirs of the deceased persons and Rs1m for injured victims of the
Iran accident.
According
to an official handout, the bodies of 28 pilgrims, who were killed earlier this
week in a bus crash in Iran, and 15 of the 25 injured persons who were
discharged from the hospitals, were repatriated to Pakistan.
Sukkur
Mayor Arsalan Islam Shaikh told Dawn that a special C-130 aircraft brought the
bodies at Shahbaz Airport in Jacobaabad.
Mr
Shaikh, who is also the provincial government’s spokesperson, said that among
the dead, 10 belonged to Larkana, three each hailed from Kamber-Shshdadkot and
Karachi, six Kashmore, four Khairpur and one each from Dadu and Jamshoro.
Among
the 25 wounded, eight belonged to Larkana, five Kamber-Shahdadkot, four
Khairpur, three Dadu and one each from NaushahroFeroze, Shikarpur, Karachi,
Sehwan and JhalMagsi (Balochistan), he added.
The
mayor said that the provincial government had made arrangements for the
convenience of the bereaved families and over 40 Rescue 1122 ambulances were
present at Jacobabad Airport.
He said
that injured pilgrims would be moved to hospitals in their respective districts
and the severely injured individuals would be transported to Karachi via air
ambulance, which had also reached at Shahbaz Airport.
Earlier,
funeral prayers for the 28 pilgrims were offered at Yazd Airport before their
remains were flown to home, according to APP.
The
funeral was attended by a representative of the Iranian Supreme Leader, AyatullahNaseri,
Yazd Governor Mehran Fatemi, Deputy Governor Abdul Husseni, Pakistan Ambassador
to Iran Mudassir Tipu, and embassy officers.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
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-------
Punjab
offers bounty as top cops removed after Katcha ambush
Imtiaz
Ali | Asif Chaudhry | Irfanul Haq
August
24, 2024
RAHIM
YAR KHAN/LAHORE/KARACHI: The last rites of 12 policemen, martyred in a deadly
rocket ambush on the Punjab-Sindh border, were held on Friday as the Punjab
government removed three police officers in Rahim Yar Khan and announced a
bounty for the arrest of the hardened criminals behind the audacious attack.
Meanwhile,
Punjab Police claimed to have killed one dacoit and injured five others thought
to be responsible for the attack on a police party in the riverine area of
Machka.
Thursday’s
assault has been described as the deadliest attack carried out so far by gangs
operating in the riverine areas of Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur in south Punjab
and Ghotki and Kashmore in Sindh.
Accounts
from injured personnel, who are under treatment at hospital, suggest that their
vehicles had not broken down; rather they were ambushed by outlaws who were
lying in wait in sugarcane fields along the roadside.
Meanwhile,
Sindh Police have assured their Punjab counterparts of full support in action
against the criminal gangs operating in riverine areas, and Sindh Inspector General
Ghulam Nabi Memon told Dawn that future Punjab Police actions against these
outlaws would have their full support.
The
Sindh police chief said that they were prepared to provide support by deploying
forces on possible escape routes and providing armoured personnel carriers and
other necessary equipment.
High-value
targets
On
Friday, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced a Rs10 million bounty for
high-value targets among the dacoits, and Rs5m to Rs2.5m for other dangerous
robbers operating in the Katcha areas.
“We have
marked 20 high-value targets in the Katcha areas of Rahim Yar Khan and
Rajanpur,” Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar told Dawn.
The
provincial police chief said that police had made progress and claimed the
killing of hardened dacoit Bashir Shar during a hot pursuit. Shar is said to be
one of the men behind Thursday’s attack on the police party.
Dr Anwar
said that five of Shar’s accomplices, including Sanaullah Shar, Gada Ali, Kamlu
Shar, Ramzan Shar and Gadi were also injured in the police’s action.
“The
next target is another most wanted dacoit and we are vigorously pursuing him in
the riverine area of Rahim Yar Khan,” he said.
The
provincial police chief reached Rahim Yar Khan along with the additional
inspector general of the Punjab Counter Terrorism Department and other senior
police officers late on Thursday night.
Senior
representatives from the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Special Branch, Rangers and
other security agencies were also present.
CM
Maryam Nawaz had directed the police chief to remain in Rahim Yar Khan until
Sunday, and tasked him with leading a large-scale operation, launched in
coordination of the Sindh police.
Action
was initiated against Rahim Yar Khan District Police Officer (DPO) Imran Ahmad
Malik over his alleged failure to ensure the safe and secure movement of local
police as per standard guidelines in the troubled area.
In a
notification on Friday night, the Punjab government transferred Punjab CTD SSP
Rizwan Umar Gondal as the new DPO of Rahim Yar Khan.
This is
Mr Gondal’s second posting as Rahim Yar Khan DPO — he had previously led a
major operation against Katcha outlaws there in 2023, which spanned several
weeks and was deemed a success.
He has
also headed Mianwali police, another district where such criminals are a
massive headache.
Deployment
Sindh
IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon told Dawn on Friday that the forces of both provinces had
coordination under which they shared intelligence information about the
bandits.
Subsequently,
a red alert was issued and police officials were deployed on possible escape
routes by both provinces. He recalled that in the past, when a Punjab Police
team went deep into the Katcha area and got stuck they were assisted by Sindh,
which sent in APCs and cut off the supply lines of the criminal gangs.
After
Thursday’s tragic incident, he said, Sindh Police also deployed APCs and
additional equipment to help with the retrieval process.
However,
he pointed out that there was no clear demarcation of areas in the riverine
belt and pointed out that if certain islands were in one province, its
peripheral areas were located in another province.
Now, it
has been decided to further enhance the coordination in the areas around the
Sindh-Punjab border, he said.
IGP
Memon revealed that criminals use bunkers dotted around the Katcha area to hide
from and engage law enforcers, as well as take cover in forested areas or
remote islands in the Indus.
Law
enforcement sources said the use of rocket launchers by the outlaws had sent
alarm bells ringing as such weapons were mostly used by terrorists, including
the proscribed BLA and other outfits operating in Balochistan.
They
said the senior police officers wanted collaborated action by other provinces
in order to yield positive results.
Punjab
Police have now recalled 199 police personnel of the Punjab Constabulary (PC)
from Rahim Yar Khan and directed them to report to their parent districts of
Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur.
They
will replace them with PC personnel belonging to the Rahim Yar Khan and
Rajanpur districts.
Funerals
The last
rites of the 12 martyred policemen were offered at Sadiq Shaheed Police Lines
in Rahim Yar Khan on Friday.
Interior
Minister Mohsin Naqvi, IGP Dr Usman Anwar, Punjab Home Secretary Noorul Amin
Mengal, army and police officers, relatives of the martyrs and members of the
public attended the funerals.
While 11
of the policemen were martyred in a battle with the outlaws, while one passed
away on the way to the hospital.
After a
police contingent presented a guard of honour to the martyrs, their bodies were
dispatched to their native areas for burial.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1854318/punjab-offers-bounty-as-top-cops-removed-after-katcha-ambush
--------
Arab
News
Mergers
likely to continue in GCC's Islamic insurance market
BY
ZAINAB MANSOOR
16 AUG 2024
More
consolidation is likely to occur among smaller and midsize Islamic insurers in
the GCC as they continue to report relatively weak earnings, a new report has
revealed.
S&P
Global Ratings predicts that mergers, mainly in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait,
will continue as several Islamic insurers still fail to meet the requirement
solvency capital requirements.
Consolidation
is particularly prevalent among smaller and midsize players in Saudi Arabia and
the UAE.
One in
five Islamic insurers in Saudi Arabia and about one-third in the UAE merged in
recent years, with the number of listed Saudi insurers declining 20% - from 34
to 27 - over the past half decade.
Takaful
is a type of Islamic insurance wherein members contribute money into a pool
system to guarantee each other against loss or damage.
"While
we expect overall credit conditions for Islamic insurers will remain stable
over the next 6-12 months, consolidation will likely remain a hot topic among
smaller and midsize players," Emir Mujkic, a credit analyst at S&P
Global Ratings, said.
Net
profits in 2023 had already reached a record of almost $1 billion mainly due to
rate adjustments in previously underperforming lines and higher investment
returns. The year 2024 set to be another profitable year for the sector, too,
the ratings agency said in a report.
“We
expect competition will pick up in some markets. This - together with
anticipated interest rate cuts starting from September and potentially more
volatile capital markets - could lead to a sharp decline in earnings in 2025 if
Islamic insurers fail to maintain their underwriting discipline,” it added.
S&P
Global predicts that the Islamic insurance sector in the GCC region will expand
by about 15%-20% in 2024, with revenues exceeding $20 billion.
Saudi
Arabia remains the largest Islamic insurance market, owning 91% of gross
written premiums. The agency predicts the kingdom to be the main driver of
topline growth in the GCC region.
Outside
of the kingdom, revenues of Islamic insurers in the GCC cumulatively declined
by almost 3% in 2023, primarily due to a decline in premium income in the UAE,
the region's second-largest Takaful market, primarily due to consolidation in
the industry and rate pressure affecting motor and other lines.
“We
expect the Takaful sector in the UAE will expand by 15%-20% in 2024 as motor
rates increased substantially over the past 12 months, particularly following
this year's major floods in Dubai and other parts of the UAE,” the agency
added.
Islamic
Arab Insurance Company, the UAE’s largest Takaful solutions provider, has
reported a net profit of AED 20.53 million, compared to AED 12.26 million
during the same period in 2023.
Takaful
players in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar will report more moderate growth
rates of about 5%-
Source: salaamgateway.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://salaamgateway.com/story/mergers-likely-to-continue-in-gccs-islamic-insurance-market
--------
Cultural
Development Fund launches maiden cultural financing in Saudi Arabia
August 23, 2024
RIYADH:
The Cultural Development Fund has launched the first cultural financing program
of its kind in Saudi Arabia to provide essential resources for projects and
enterprises across the Kingdom’s relevant sectors.
The
program seeks to drive sustainable growth in the culture sector, amplify
creative output, and boost the sector’s contribution to Saudi Arabia’s GDP.
The
cultural financing has been designed to support the development of cultural
enterprises through flexible, accessible, and competitive packages that
maximize profitability while minimizing risks for both the enterprises
benefiting from the program and local banking partners.
The
program finances micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, enabling them to
launch and scale their operations through a range of products available for
both short-term and long-term needs.
Majed
bin Abdulmohsen Al-Hugail, CEO of the CDF, said: “The cultural financing marks
a new chapter in our mission to empower the cultural sector in collaboration
with our local banking partners. This financing solution is designed to meet
the diverse and evolving needs of the sector’s entrepreneurs and support their
aspirations, reaffirming our commitment to building strategic partnerships with
the private sector.”
He
added: “We look forward to seeing the positive effects of this collaboration in
revitalizing the cultural sector as well as bolstering the national economy.”
The
announcement follows the CDF’s signing of agreements with five local banks to
provide financing to cultural enterprises: Al-Rajhi Bank, Alinma Bank, BSF,
Arab National Bank, and Bank AlJazira.
The CDF
was founded in 2021 with the aim of further enhancing the cultural landscape in
Saudi Arabia, and is linked to the National Development Fund to promote the
development of a self-reliant sector.
The fund
actively supports a variety of cultural activities and projects, facilitates
investment, and seeks to improve the domestic cultural sector’s profitability
in alignment with the National Culture Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568560/saudi-arabia
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Saudi
ambassador to Egypt receives scouts in Cairo
August 23, 2024
RIYADH:
The Saudi ambassador to Egypt received a delegation of the Saudi Arabian Scouts
Association at the Cairo embassy on Friday, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The
scouts had been participating at the 43rd World Scout Conference, which was
being held in the Egyptian capital and finished on Friday.
During
the reception, Saleh bin Eid Al-Husseini praised the contributions of the
association in supporting scouting efforts in its various fields at
international forums.
The
delegation reviewed the participation of the Saudi Scouts Association in the
conference and its experiences during the event.
The
reception was also attended by the deputy ambassador, Abdulrahman bin Salem
Al-Dahas.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568579/saudi-arabia
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Saudi
Arabia to host donor conference for displaced people in Sahel region
August 23, 2024
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia will host a donor conference for displaced people in the Sahel
region of Africa on Oct. 26, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center
announced on Friday.
The
conference, supported by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, will be held
in response to the severe humanitarian crisis impacting Nigeria, Niger, Chad,
Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Mali, Saudi Press Agency reported.
It will
mobilize resources and coordinate efforts to provide critical aid to millions
of people in the Sahel and Lake Chad region, SPA added.
The UN
estimates that nearly 33 million people across the region require urgent
humanitarian assistance and protection, including about 11 million internally
displaced persons and refugees.
The
conference will be co-hosted by KSrelief and the OIC, in cooperation with the
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees.
The
Sahel and Lake Chad region has faced a multifaceted crisis for more than a
decade, with social and economic instability exacerbated by the drying up of
Lake Chad.
The
conference will focus on raising resources for humanitarian and development
initiatives, with an emphasis on UN-coordinated humanitarian response plans,
and building partnerships to promote effective long-term solutions.
“This
conference is a critical step toward mobilizing the necessary resources and
forging partnerships to address the pressing humanitarian needs in these areas.
Jointly, we can bring hope and relief to millions,” KSrelief Supervisor-General
Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said.
OIC
Secretary-General HisseinBrahim Taha called on member states and international
partners to extend financial resources to help improve conditions in the
troubled region, and he emphasized the conference’s role in implementing the
OIC’s resolution by the Council of Foreign Ministers.
UN High
Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi also highlighted the urgent need for
support.
“We must
spare no effort to assist forcibly displaced populations and the communities
that host them,” he said, and expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia, the OIC and
other partners for their efforts to address the severe funding shortage faced
by the region.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568575/saudi-arabia
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KSrelief
distributes over 2,800 food baskets in Yemen, Sudan, Chad
August 24, 2024
RIYADH:
Saudi aid agency, KSrelief, distributed more than 2,800 food parcels for
displaced and vulnerable groups in Yemen, Sudan and Chad, state news agency SPA
reported on Friday.
In
war-stricken Sudan, 4,830 displaced individuals received 800 food baskets in
the northern state as part of the food-security support project in the Republic
of Sudan for 2024.
The aid
agency secured 225 food parcels for 1,575 individuals in Taiz’sMayun island as
part of the food aid distribution project in Yemen for 2024.
In
Chad’s N’Djamena, 1,800 food parcels supported 10,800 people from vulnerable
communities under the Food Security Support Project in Chad for 2024.
“The
food aid comes within the framework of the humanitarian and relief efforts
provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through KSrelief to many affected
countries and peoples worldwide,” read the KSrelief statement.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568630/saudi-arabia
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KSrelief
provides shelter, healthcare in Yemen
August 24, 2024
RIYADH:
Saudi aid agency, KSrelief, provided shelter and healthcare services that
benefited 2,179 people from vulnerable communities in Yemen, state news agency
SPA reported on Friday.
Volunteers
distributed 61 tents and 95 shelter bags to 570 individuals from 95 families at
Al Sabran camp in Al-Madina of Yemen’s Marib Governorate.
KSrelief’s
mobile medical clinics in Al-Gharza area of Haradh District in Hajjah
Governorate provided healthcare services to 1,609 Yemenis during the month of
July.
The
emergency clinic treated 876 patients, the epidemic disease control clinic
served 374 people, the internal medicine clinic saw 342 cases, the reproductive
health clinic supported nine cases, nursing services served 889 patients, the
surgery and dressing clinic helped 30 patients, and medications were dispensed
to 1,601 individuals.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568631/saudi-arabia
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Saudi
ambassador to Norway presents credentials to King Harald V
August
23, 2024
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Norway presented his credentials to King Harald V
on Friday.
Khalid
bin Mohammed Al-Shareef met with the Norwegian monarch at the Royal Palace in
Oslo and conveyed the greetings of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman.
Al-Shareef
told King Harald he would “work to strengthen and consolidate relations between
the Kingdom and Norway in a manner that reflects the aspirations of the two
countries’ leadership and the common goals and interests of its peoples,” Saudi
Press Agency reported.
King
Harald wished Al-Shareef well in performing his duties as ambassador.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568563/saudi-arabia
--------
Europe
Former
EDL member hurled abuse outside Sunderland mosque on his way to a night out
By Karon
Kelly
23rd Aug
2024,
David
Hann shouted "dirty Muslim ****ing *******s" and "murdering
*******s" outside the place of worship when violence broke out across
Sunderland on August 2.
The unemployed
58-year-old said he had been on his way to a social club when he stumbled
across the violent demonstration and decided to join in.
Prosecutor
Omar Ahmad told Newcastle Crown Court police officers, dogs and horses were
pelted with missiles as disorder spread throughout the city that Friday
afternoon and the area was unsafe for ordinary members of the public.
Mr Ahmad
said: "Officers were met with serious and sustained levels of violence.
Officers were attacked with missiles and verbally abused.
"Four
officers required hospital treatment and some are not fit enough to return to
frontline duties.
"Police
vehicles were targeted and damaged. Several patrol cars needed repairs.
"At
times lone police on vehicle patrol found themselves targeted by offenders in
the middle of the protest.
"Families
of a number of officers were at home in fear for their loved ones out on duty,
having witnessed the horror of what was unfolding on news and social
media."
The
court heard the city's police hub was damaged, business premises were smashed
and shops were looted.
Mr Ahmad
said Hann was caught on camera wearing a blue Adidas top and black trousers and
added: "He was seen in the area of the mosque.
"During
the disorder he was part of the crowd that formed in that location.
"He
was seen shouting in the direction of the mosque."
Northumbria
Police Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine said in an impact statement it remains
unclear how much damage was caused by the rioters but the cost of repairs could
run to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Police
vehicles as well as community buildings and businesses came under attack.
Ms
Jardine said the violence was met with a £1million policing operation and the
psychological cost to officers involved is yet to be known.
She
added: "The North East is a wonderful, vibrant and safe place to live and
work.
"The
vast majority of our people are law abiding, proud members of the
community."
Hann,
58, of Ryhope Street South, Sunderland admitted religiously aggravated
threatening behaviour
Hann
told police when questioned he had been on his way to the social club when he
saw the police presence and was angry at the time about the tragedy in
Southport and about police "tactics" at protests.
Hann
told the probation service he was once a member of the EDL.
Nick
Murphy, defending Hann, said: "He did not participate directly in any
violence but his actions contributed to the atmosphere.
"He
is getting too old for this type of offence."
Mr
Murphy said Hann could lose his home as a result of his actions that day.
A second
man at the same hearing, Jack Fowler, 24, of Northbourne Street, Elswick,
Newcastle, had pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
The
court heard he was caught on camera at different areas of the city where
trouble had spread and was filming what went on.
Mr Ahmad
said Fowler, who was carrying a St. George cross flag and wearing a mask to
cover part of his face, had approached a police line and was "shouting
abuse and seen waving and encouraging others to approach the police line."
Fowler
told police when he was questioned he had travelled to and from the protest by
Metro but did not throw anything, cause any violence or threaten anyone.
Penny
Hall, defending Fowler, said: "It was not his intention to go out and
commit violence or be part of any violence that day."
Miss
Hall said Fowler had tried to push people away from the trouble.
Judge
Paul Sloan KC jailed Hann for eight months and Fowler for two years.
The
judge told the men: "You and others brought shame upon the city of
Sunderland.
"For
no justifiable reason whatsoever you and many more gathered in the city centre
and participated in an orgy of mindless destruction, violence and disorder.
"The
mayhem was widespread."
Judge
Sloan added: "It is an unavoidable feature of mass disorder that each individual
part, whatever might be its character taken on its own, inflames and encourages
others to act in a similar fashion."
The
judge said people who involve themselves in mass disorder must expect severe
sentences.
Both men
have previous convictions.
Source: sunderlandecho.com
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https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/crime/former-edl-member-hurled-abuse-outside-sunderland-mosque-on-his-way-to-a-night-out-4755109
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Three
Dead After Stabbing Attack At ‘Diversity Festival’ In Germany By “An
Arab-Looking Man”
23 Aug,
2024
Three
people were killed and four more were seriously wounded during a stabbing spree
at the Festival of Diversity in the German city of Solingen on Friday evening,
police said. The sole suspect remains at large.
According
to eyewitnesses, the perpetrator started attacking people at random at around
9:45pm local time at Solingen’s Fronhof Square, where many had arrived to
celebrate the city’s 650th anniversary.
Police have
declared a manhunt for the suspect, who had fled the scene. “We currently have
no information about his whereabouts,” a police spokesman said.
The
police have not provided any description of the suspect. According to Bild,
eyewitnesses described the perpetrator as “an Arab-looking man.”
The
crime scene has been cordoned off, with heavily armed officers and multiple
ambulances present in the area.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/603007-stabbing-rampage-germany-solingen/
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Snipers
kill 4 hostage-takers at Russian prison who claimed allegiance to Islamic State
group
August
23, 2024
MOSCOW
(AP) — Snipers from Russia's National Guard on Friday killed four inmates who
had stabbed four prison guards to death and briefly held others as hostages
while declaring allegiance to the Islamic State group.
The
Federal Prison Service said that four inmates took eight prison guards and four
inmates hostage. It said they stabbed four of the guards, three of whom died on
the spot and the fourth one later died at a hospital. The agency said three
other guards were hospitalized with injuries.
Russia's
National Guard said its snipers “neutralized” all four attackers, freeing all
the hostages, while the Federal Prison Service also claimed credit for killing
the assailants.
The
discrepancy couldn't be immediately explained. Details of the violence at the
prison in Surovkino in the Volgograd region, 860 kilometers (535 miles)
southeast of Moscow, were sparse and it was not clear how the inmates had taken
hostages several hours earlier.
Videos
that purportedly came from the scene and circulated on Russian media and
messaging app channels showed men wielding knives inside and in a prison yard
and several men in what appeared to be guard uniforms lying in blood on the
ground.
In the
videos, the alleged attackers claimed support for the Islamic State group and
for the suspects arrested in the March terrorist attack on a Moscow concert
hall that left 145 people dead. An IS affiliate claimed responsibility for that
attack, in which gunmen killed patrons waiting for a popular music group to
perform and set the building on fire.
The
state news agency Tass said court records showed that the hostage-takers were
from former Soviet Central Asian countries; all the concert hall attack
suspects are from Tajikistan.
Source: yahoo.com
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https://www.yahoo.com/news/inmates-hostage-russian-prison-reportedly-142519902.html
------
ProminentNorthern
Ireland Loyalist Dee Stitt Allegedly Made Social Media Post Calling For NI To
“Stop The Spread Of Evil Islam”
23 AUG
2024
David
Young
Prominent
Northern Ireland loyalist David ‘Dee’ Stitt has been refused bail after
appearing in court charged with publishing material with the intent of stirring
up hatred.
Stitt,
53, from Bangor, was arrested at Belfast City Airport after arriving on a
flight on Thursday evening.
Appearing
in the dock of Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Friday dressed in a grey sweater,
Stitt, from Lord Warden’s Court, said “not guilty” after he confirmed that he
understood the charge.
PSNI
detective constable told district judge Steven Keown that he could connect the
accused to the single charge of publishing written material which was
threatening, abusive or insulting with the intent of stirring up hatred or
arousing fear.
The
charge relates to a single post on Facebook on July 31 where Stitt shared a
copy-and-pasted call for protests across Northern Ireland in response to the
murder of three young girls in Southport.
The
court heard that the post urged people to bring the country to a “standstill”
and listed several protest times and venues in Northern Ireland and advised
demonstrators to ensure women and children were at the front of the events.
It also
referred to the “Christian west” being “under siege” and claimed that people
had “one chance” to “stop the spread of evil Islam”.
Refusing
Stitt’s bail application, Judge Keown said, “We have seen over the last number
of weeks the consequences of words such as this”.
The
judge said there was “no hierarchy” of individuals within the community and
said there was a “fundamental problem” with regard to people who viewed some
religions as evil.
“People
who hold that view are the ones who are a threat to our society, not the
hard-working people from whatever community who increasingly contribute to our
society,” he added.
He
refused Stitt bail on the grounds of the risk of reoffending and a risk to the
public.
Earlier
in the hearing, Stitt’s solicitor – Gavin Booth from Phoenix Law –
unsuccessfully challenged the basis upon which police connected his client to
the charge.
He said
Stitt accepted making the post on Facebook but characterised it as a “cut-and-paste
job” with a few words of introduction by his client in which he stated he did
not usually post political messages on his account.
In
relation to the main body of text, the lawyer added: “This is a cut-and-paste
job, those are not his original words.”
Mr Booth
said his client had no intention of inciting violence and he was only exerting
his right to freedom of expression and right to peaceful protest.
However,
the detective constable said police viewed the contents of the post as a “call
to arms” that encouraged people to “take the law into their own hands”.
Applying
for bail, Mr Booth said Stitt had a track record of working positively over the
last 25 years with the PSNI, Stormont’s Department of Justice and other
agencies on conflict resolution work within his community.
The
solicitor described him as a “positive” voice who was involved in work bringing
together divided communities, including by participating in educational trips
to Auschwitz in Poland.
He said
that in July, Stitt had worked with police and the St John’s Ambulance at
bonfire sites in North Down and had ensured that Irish tricolour flags were
removed from loyalist bonfires in the area.
Mr Booth
added that the immigration protest that took place in Bangor following Stitt’s
post had been entirely peaceful and highlighted that there had been no disorder
in the North Down area similar to that witnessed in other parts of Northern
Ireland.
The
solicitor said his client’s case was “entirely different” to those people who
had appeared before court accused of rioting and other violent behaviour linked
to the recent bouts of disorder.
He
characterised him as a “perfect candidate” for bail and insisted any risk
police had about him using social media could be “managed” with a temporary
prohibition on him using such platforms.
Mr Booth
further noted that Stitt had a granddaughter who was due to be born within the
next 24 hours and he wished to be with his family for that event.
Bail was
refused and Stitt was remanded in custody to appear again before a judge on
September 20.
Police
in Northern Ireland have arrested 43 people in connection with the recent
disorder, with 34 having been charged to date.
Source: belfastlive.co.uk
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the text of the original Story
https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/prominent-loyalist-dee-stitt-allegedly-29799097
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Africa
Libyan
armed groups, authorities reach deal on security in Tripoli
August
24, 2024
Tripoli:
Libyan armed groups and authorities reached an accord in Tripoli to secure
important infrastructure, the country’s interior minister announced Friday,
following concern from the UN over recent fighting and a brewing crisis
surrounding the country’s central bank.
The
North African country of 6.8 million has struggled to recover from years of
conflict after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew longtime dictator
Muammar Qaddafi.
It
remains divided between a UN-recognized government in the capital Tripoli led
by Prime Minister AbdulhamidDbeibah, and a rival administration in the east
backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
“In
coordination with the Ministry of Defense, we have brought together all the
security services of Tripoli and managed to reach an agreement to secure the
airports and land borders, as well as the headquarters of government
(institutions) in the capital,” said Interior Minister ImadTrabelsi, of the
UN-recognized government.
The
armed groups and security services “expressed their immediate willingness” to
put the agreement into force, he added.
“Within
24 hours, we will secure all governmental buildings, including that of the
Central Bank of Libya.”
The
bank’s governor since 2012, Seddik Al-Kabir, has faced criticism from figures
close to Prime Minister Dbeibah over the management of Libya’s oil resources
and the state budget.
On
Tuesday, the acting head of the UN’s political mission in the country,
Stephanie Koury, told the UN Security Council that in “the past two months, the
situation in Libya has deteriorated quite rapidly,” citing recent fighting
between armed groups on the outskirts of Tripoli and attempts to forcibly expel
Kabir.
The UN
mission (UNSMIL) on Thursday called on parties to exercise restraint,
expressing “grave concerns about reports of mobilization of forces in Tripoli,
including the threats to use force to resolve the crisis surrounding the
Central Bank of Libya.”
The US
embassy also raised the tensions around the bank on Thursday night, saying any
attempt to resolve matters by force would impact the institution’s integrity
and its position in the global financial system.
Around
two weeks ago, several dozen people, some of them armed, gathered in front of
the bank’s headquarters in a bid to force Kabir to resign.
And last
Sunday, the director of the bank’s IT department was briefly kidnapped by an
unidentified group, prompting the institution to suspend operations until he
was released.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2568627/middle-east
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Egypt
experiences a surge in the number of refugees fleeing conflict
August
24, 2024
Over
748,000 refugees and asylum-seekers are registered with UNHCR Egypt, a majority
of whom are women and children who have recently arrived in Egypt fleeing the
brutal conflict that started in Sudan in April 2023. Since the conflict broke,
the registered Sudanese refugee population has grown almost sevenfold and
numbers are expected to keep rising.
With
needs growing exponentially, resources are running thin for the Government of
Egypt, UN agencies and other strategic partners to provide refugee and host
community children with safe, protective quality learning spaces.
The 2024
Sudan Regional Refugee Response plan calls for $109 million to respond to refugee
education needs across the region. To date, only 20 percent of this amount has
been mobilized, including $4.3 million – or 40 percent of the requirement for
Egypt.
On a
high-level UN mission to Egypt this week, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), UNHCR and
UNICEF stressed the funding shortfall and called for urgent increased
international support for children forcibly displaced by the armed conflict,
both inside Sudan itself and in neighboring countries.
While
the Government of Egypt has taken notable steps to provide refugees with access
to education services, with 9,000 children arriving every month, approximately
54 percent of newly arrived children are currently out of school, according to
a recent assessment by UNICEF and the World Bank.
“Families
fleeing the brutal conflict in Sudan have endured the most unspeakable violence
and seen their lives ripped apart. For girls and boys uprooted by the internal
armed conflict, education is nothing less than a lifeline. It provides
protection and a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos, and gives them the
resources they need to heal and thrive again,” said Yasmine Sherif, Executive
Director of Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies
and protracted crises within the United Nations. “In the spirit of
responsibility sharing enshrined in the Global Compact on Refugees, I call on
international donors to step up their support. Needs are fast outpacing the
response. Additional resources are urgently required to ensure that refugee and
host community children in Egypt and other refugee receiving countries in the
region can attend school and continue learning. The future of the entire region
is at stake,” she said.
“Forcibly
displaced children should not be denied their fundamental right to pursue their
education, their flight from conflict can no longer be an impediment to their
rights. UNHCR together with ECW and UNICEF continue to ensure that children’s
education, and therefore their future, are safeguarded,” said Dr. HananHamdan,
UNHCR Representative to the Government of Egypt and to the League of Arab
States. “To this end, it is crucial to further support Egypt as a host country.
It has shown remarkable resilience and generosity, but the increasing number of
displaced individuals requires enhanced international assistance. By
strengthening Egypt’s capacity to support refugees, we can ensure that more
children have access to education and eventually a brighter future,” she added.
Jeremy
Hopkins, UNICEF Representative in Egypt, said, "UNICEF is steadfast in its
commitment to ensure that conflict-affected Sudanese children have the
opportunity to resume their education. In Egypt, through innovative Learning
Spaces and the Comprehensive Inclusion Programme, UNICEF is working diligently,
under the leadership of the Egyptian government in cooperation with sister UN
agencies, and development partners, to create inclusive learning environments
and strengthen resilient education systems and services. This not only benefits
displaced Sudanese children but also supports host communities by ensuring that
all children have access to quality education.” He added, “UNICEF calls on the
international community to stand in solidarity with the displaced Sudanese
children whose education is at stake, and to provide the necessary resources
and support to strengthen national systems that will ensure that both Egyptian
and non-Egyptian children can realise their right to education.”
During
the high-level ECW mission in Egypt, the ECW delegation met with key strategic
partners – including donors, UN agencies, and local and international NGOs –
and with Sudanese refugees, to take stock of the scope of needs and the ongoing
education response by aid partners.
In
December 2023, ECW announced a US$2 million First Emergency Response grant in
Egypt. The 12-month grant, implemented by UNHCR in partnership with UNICEF, is
reaching over 20,000 Sudanese refugees in the Aswan, Cairo, Giza and Alexandria
Governorates.
Interventions
supported by the grant include non-formal education, cash grants, social
cohesion with host communities, mental health and psychosocial support, and
construction and refurbishment work in public schools hosting refugee children
to benefit both refugee and host community children.
Beyond
Egypt, ECW has allocated US$8 million in First Emergency Response grants in the
Central Africa Republic, Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan to address the urgent
protection and education needs of children fleeing the armed conflict in Sudan.
In
Sudan, ECW has invested US$28.7 million in multi-year and emergency grants
which have already reached more than 100,000 crisis-affected girls and boys.
ECW
calls on leaders to increase funding for the regional refugee response and
other forgotten crises everywhere. ECW urgently appeals to public and private
donors to mobilize an additional US$600 million to reach 20 million
crisis-impacted girls and boys with safe, quality education by the end of its
2023-2026 Strategic Plan.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/08/24/egypt-experiences-surge-in-the-number-of-refugees-fleeing-conflict/
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Armed
men kill at least 13 farmers in Nigeria’s conflict-hit region
August
24, 2024
Armed
men killed at least 13 farmers during an attack in north-central Nigeria, a
local official said Thursday.
No group
immediately claimed responsibility for the killings that took place on
Wednesday in the state of Niger.
AkiluIsyaku,
a local government official, told the local radio station Crystal FM that
herders and kidnappers are suspected in the attack. He suggested the farmers
were killed for providing information to intelligence agencies about the
movements of the gunmen.
North-central
Nigeria has been plagued by fights for control over water and land between
nomadic herders and rural farmers. The violence has killed hundreds in the
region so far this year.
Once
armed with sticks, the two sides now fight with guns that have been smuggled
into the country. Both accuse the government of injustice and marginalization,
but the clashes have also taken on a religious dimension, giving rise to
militias that side with the herders, who are primarily Muslim, or the farmers
from Christian communities.
The area
is also known as a place of frequent kidnappings. Last week, gunmen abducted at
least 20 students during an ambush in Benue state.
Armed
groups take advantage of a limited security presence to take people during
attacks on villages and along major roads. Most victims are released only after
the payment of ransoms that sometimes run into the thousands of dollars.
Attacks
can go on for hours with the assailants fleeing before security forces arrive
on the scene and arrests are rare.
In
December, assailants killed at least 140 residents during an attack that
targeted more than a dozen communities over two days.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/08/23/armed-men-kill-at-least-13-farmers-in-nigerias-conflict-hit-region/
------
Nigerian
Troops Disrupt ₦846 Million Oil Theft, Eliminate 171
Terrorists, Detain 302
23
August 2024
IkennaNgere
The
Armed Forces of Nigeria have successfully thwarted an oil theft operation worth
₦846 million in the South-South region.
According
to a statement from Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward
Buba, the military’s efforts also led to the neutralization of 171 terrorists
and the arrest of 302 individuals.
Among
those apprehended, 25 were involved in oil theft, and 134 kidnapped victims
were rescued.
The
operation resulted in the recovery of 84 weapons and 1,499 rounds of
ammunition, including a diverse array of firearms such as one PKT gun, one G3
rifle, three AK49 rifles, 44 AK47 rifles, and several other types of weaponry.
Additionally,
troops seized 843 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 506 rounds of 7.62mm
NATO, 60 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ball rimmed, 90 live cartridges, 5 baofeng
radios, 11 vehicles, 46 motorcycles, 4 bicycles, 52 mobile phones, cutlasses
and the sum of ₦126,285.00 only amongst others.
In the
Niger Delta region, the forces dismantled 98 illegal refining sites, 26 dugout
pits, 13 boats, 90 drums, and 45 storage tanks.
They
also confiscated 155 cooking ovens, four speedboats, a pumping machine, seven
vehicles, and large quantities of stolen and illegally refined crude oil and
diesel.
Major
General Buba affirmed the military’s commitment to ongoing operations to ensure
the defeat of terrorist groups and enhance national security. The armed forces
remain dedicated to protecting citizens and maintaining safety throughout the
country.
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/08/23/nigerian-troops-disrupt-%e2%82%a6846-million-oil-theft-eliminate-171-terrorists-detain-302/
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20
Medical Students Kidnapped In Benue Rescued – Security Sources
23
August 2024
EnioluwaAdeniyi
Security
sources, on Friday night, confirmed that twenty medical students that were kidnapped
in Benue State have just been rescued.
According
to the sources that spoke with Channels TV, the operation was coordinated by
the office of the National Security Adviser.
Security
agencies – the police, DSS and military personnel and equipment were involved
in the operation, with the support of the Benue state government.
Though
the student have regained their freedom according to security sources, details
of the rescue operation are still sketchy at the moment.
Naija
News recall that the students, who were en route to the Federation of Catholic
Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS) annual convention in Enugu, were ambushed
during their journey.
The
students were said to be travelling in a convoy of two buses and were coming
from the northern part of the country when they ran into the ambush on Thursday
evening at about 5:30 pm.
A day
after the abduction of the students, their abductors had established contact
with victims’ families, demanding a ransom of ₦50
million to secure the release of their hostages.
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/08/23/just-in-20-medical-students-kidnapped-in-benue-rescued-security-sources/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/pasmanda-muslim-groups-inclusion-castes/d/133028