Al-Qaeda Chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri Calls Article 370 Removal a ‘Slap on Muslims’, Compares J&K to Palestine
New Age Islam News Bureau
07 May 2022
Al-Qaeda Chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri
-----
• Gosabara Muslim Fishermen’s Society Approached
Gujarat HC Seeking Permission to Undergo Euthanasia for Its 600 Members;
Alleges Harassment On The Basis Of Religion
• Islamic State of Khorasan Attacks Puncture Taliban's
Claim of Restoring Order In Afghanistan
• Social Media Giants Fail To Act On 89% of Posts
Containing Anti-Muslim Hatred and Islamophobic Content Reported To Them: Centre
for Countering Digital Hate
• UK Middlemen Paid £9.7m in Bribes Saudi Prince,
Officials for Contracts, Court Told
India
• Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Mosque Case Verdict
on May 19; Lawsuit Filed by Ranjana Agnihotri as the Next Friend of Child Deity
Shri Krishna Virajman
• Survey of Gyanvapi Mosque Violates Law, Court
Opening Way For Anti-Muslim Violence: Asaduddin Owaisi
• BJP president accuses Left government in Kerala of
‘encouraging Islamic terrorism’
• 'The Worst Crime as Per Islam': Owaisi Condemns Nagaraju
Murder In Hyderabad
• UP Madrassa Board chief backs Uniform Civil Code
• Kashmir’s oldest Hizbul commander among 3 terrorists
killed in forest close to Amarnath Yatra route
• NHRC issues notice to Telangana chief secretary, DGP
after man killed by Muslim wife's kin
--------
South Asia
• Mujahid: No Military Operations Have Been Carried
Out Against Our Forces in Panjshir and Takhar
• The National Resistance Front to Reassume the
Control of Sections of Panjshir Province
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North America
• US no longer respected, going to hell - Trump
• CNN: Americans of all political affiliations say US'
economic conditions are poor
• US condemns Israel’s plans to expand settlements in
occupied Palestinian lands
• Biden continuing Trump's 'messy belligerence' in
Middle East, says analyst
--------
Europe
• Islamophobia: A Turkish Mosque Attacked In
Northeastern France
• Aid Volunteer Who Helped Bosnian Muslims Appointed
Head Of UK Charity Watchdog
• Kremlin declines to say whether Putin apologized to
Israel over Hitler remarks
• EU attempts to save Iran nuclear deal with
last-ditch effort — FT
• Germany plans to cap number of Afghan refugees to
5,000 annually: Report
--------
Mideast
• Tel Aviv’s War on Muslim, Christian Rights in
Jerusalem
• Iran will seek to manipulate UN visit: Human rights
groups
• Iran: Struggle against usurpers of al-Quds
legitimate right of Palestinians
• Thousands of Palestinians perform Friday prayers at
al-Aqsa mosque
• Palestinians facing eviction by Israel vow to stay
on land
• Israel searches for Palestinians suspected of
killing three in attack
--------
Pakistan
• Mehsud Jirga Calls For Dialogue In South Waziristan
• JUI-F protests hooliganism at Masjid-i-Nabwi in
Lower Dir
• Rana Sanaullah demands guarantees of 'peaceful' PTI
march on Islamabad
• In first contact, Blinken invites Bilawal to US
• Land possession allegation: Aleem asks Imran to slug
it out live on TV
• FM Bilawal will repair ties with all countries, says
Murad
• Pakistan govt to investigate income, assets of
former PM Imran Khan: Report
--------
Arab World
• Saudi Film Commission takes part in Malmo Arab Film
Festival 2022
• Saudi Authorities Cover Abuses in Migrant Centres
amid Mass Arrests: Report
• Saudi Hajj ministry warns against suspicious
websites promoting Hajj campaigns
• Planes carrying freed Houthis arrive in Yemen from
Saudi Arabia
• Landmine planted by PKK terrorists kills Danish
cyclist in northern Iraq
• Jeddah Art Promenade turns into huge interactive
photography stage
--------
Southeast Asia
• 476 Die in Traffic Accidents during Ramadan Holidays
• Laid Off In London, Malaysian Turns Personal Shopper
Instead
• Why Did Govt Settle Apandi’s ‘Unlawful Sacking’
Suit, Asks Dr M
• Singapore PM to receive Johor’s highest state honour
--------
Africa
• Morocco arrests ISIS suspect in joint probe with US
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
Al-Qaeda Chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri Calls Article 370
Removal a ‘Slap on Muslims’, Compares J&K to Palestine
Al-Qaeda Chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri
-----
Arvind Ojha
New Delhi
May 6, 2022
Global terror group Al-Qaeda has released another
video message on Kashmir, calling the abrogation of Article 370 “a slap on the
face of Muslims”.
Jammu and Kashmir had a special status granted under
Article 370 and Article 35A (created through a Presidential Order) of the
Constitution. On August 5, 2019, the Centre took away Jammu and Kashmir's
special status by abrogating Article 370 and bifurcated the state into two
union territories.
In the new video, Al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri
draws parallels between Kashmir and Palestine, while slamming Arab nations for
supporting India on the Jammu and Kashmir issue.
This video has been released by As-Sahab, the media
wing of Al-Qaeda.
The video shows visuals from the violence at Jamia
University during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The
video also features Hijab protesters and victims of communal violence in India.
Al-Qaeda chief Zawahiri goes on to talk about
similarities between Israel and India, and depicts Prime Minister Narendra Modi
as an “enemy”.
Al-Qaeda chief Al-Zawahiri described the battle of
Kashmir as “a battle of Muslims and a Jihad”.
In the video, the Islamist group is seen trying to
incite violence in India and urging people of Kashmir to take up arms. Live TV
Source: India Today
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Gosabara Muslim Fishermen’s Society Approached Gujarat
HC Seeking Permission to Undergo Euthanasia for Its 600 Members; Alleges Harassment
On The Basis Of Religion
Gujarat HC
-----
07th May 2022
By Dilip Singh Kshatriya
AHMEDABAD: It
has sustained life for millennia, but now seeks death. Poignantly, the news
comes from Mahatma Gandhi’s hometown, Porbandar. A leader from the local Muslim
fishing community has approached the Gujarat High Court seeking permission to
undergo euthanasia for himself and 600 members of his people.
Allarakha Ismailbhai Thimmar from the Gosabara
wetlands in Porbandar filed the petition on Thursday, lamenting the fishing
community’s deteriorating economic situation. The application, filed on behalf
of the Gosabara Muslim Fishermen’s Society, alleged “the government does not
provide facilities to people belonging to a particular community.”
Faced with “political persecution,” the petitioners
are seeking to end their life, pending several submissions from the local level
to the Governor. The petitioner’s
counsel, Dharmesh Gurjar, says the mooring of boats has been banned at Gosabara
port since 2016. “Thimmar and his community are being denied their rights despite
having licences.”
Thimmar alleges that authorities have been “harassing”
their families on the basis of religion and claims all facilities are regularly
given to Hindu fishermen. The petition said the community has always been
“loyal to the nation” and never engaged in “anti-national activities” like
smuggling. Instead, they have often “given information to security agencies” on
such activities “sponsored by Pakistan and others.”
Source: New Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Islamic State of Khorasan
Attacks Puncture Taliban's Claim Of Restoring Order In Afghanistan
A
Taliban fighter stands guard at the site of an explosion in Kabul last month.
----
May
06 2022
Kabul,
May 6 (IANS): A spate of high-profile attacks claimed by IS-K militants in
recent weeks has punctured the Taliban's narrative that it has restored law and
order in the war-wrecked country, RFE/RL reported.
Since
seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban have waged a ruthless crackdown
against IS-K militants and their followers. But IS-K has remained resilient and
has launched regular attacks on Taliban fighters and officials.
Experts
say IS-K is seeking to undermine the Taliban-led government and expose its
failure to provide security. The Taliban have long portrayed themselves as a
stabilising force that can bring peace to Afghanistan.
In
the 1990s, during its first stint in power, the Taliban used brute force and
repression to pacify large parts of the country following a devastating civil
war, the report said.
"IS-K's
primary aim is to prevent the Taliban from transitioning into a [functional]
government from an insurgency," said Abdul Sayed, a Sweden-based
researcher who tracks IS-K.
The
Taliban have struggled to make that transition as they grapple with a
freefalling economy, international isolation, and widening internal rifts. IS-K
attacks have further challenged the Taliban's hard-line rule.
"The
Taliban cannot formulate a comprehensive counter-terrorism policy as long as
they operate like an insurgency and fail to grow into a government acceptable
to Afghans," Sayed said.
Since
seizing power on August 15, 2021, the Taliban have constantly downplayed the
threat posed by IS-K, which first emerged in 2015.
"Without
doubt, Daesh has been defeated and suppressed," Taliban spokesman
Zabihullah Mujahid told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi last month, using an Arabic acronym
for IS-K.
Mujahid
said IS-K's bombings of mosques and schools were "symptoms of its weakness
and defeat".
But
a string of deadly IS-K attacks in recent weeks, mostly targeting religious
minorities, have busted the Taliban's claim.
Sayed
said IS-K militants are employing urban warfare and guerilla tactics to sow
chaos.
"These
attacks are aimed at proving that the Taliban's seizure of power has been a
failure," he said.
In
the first four months of this year, IS-K has carried out at least 119 attacks
in Afghanistan, up from 39 during the same period in 2021, according to a
recent report published by Sayed. The attacks included suicide bombings,
assassinations, and ambushes on security posts.
Experts
feel IS-K remains a key security challenge for the Taliban.
Zia
Ur Rehman, an independent Pakistani journalist who tracks militant groups in
Afghanistan and Pakistan, said IS-K is aiming to weaken "the Taliban's
claims that they are a force of stability in Afghanistan and the region".
"They
are also trying to use their status as the most potent militant group operating
against the Taliban inside Afghanistan," he said, RFE/RL reported.
Source:
Daiji World
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=955511
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Social Media Giants Fail To Act On 89% of Posts Containing Anti-Muslim Hatred
and Islamophobic Content Reported To Them: Centre for Countering Digital Hate
An
iPhone displays the Facebook app in New Orleans, U.S. (AP Photo)
-----
MAY
06, 2022
Social
media companies are failing to act on 89% of posts containing anti-Muslim
hatred and Islamophobic content reported to them, according to a recent report.
"This
report exposed that social media companies, including Facebook, Instagram,
TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube, failed to act on 89% of posts containing
anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobic content reported to them,” said the Centre
for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH).
In
a joint statement in 2019, Meta (then Facebook), Twitter and Google committed
to uphold the Christchurch call to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist
content online.
The
social media giants stated that they would be resolute in their
"commitment to ensure they are doing all they can to fight the hatred and
extremism that lead to terrorist violence.”
"Once
again, their press releases prove to be nothing more than empty promises,” the
report said.
The
CCDH researchers reported 530 posts that contain disturbing, bigoted and
dehumanizing content that target Muslims through racist caricatures,
conspiracies and false claims.
These
posts were viewed at least 25 million times. Many of the abusive content was
easily identifiable, and yet there was still inaction, it said.
Stating
that Instagram, TikTok and Twitter allow users to use hashtags such as
#deathtoislam, #islamiscancer and #ragheadi, the report further said content
spread using the hashtags received at least 1.3 million impressions.
Such
content further endangers these communities by driving "social divisions,
normalizing the abusive behavior, and encouraging offline attacks and abuse,”
it added.
"Worse
still, platforms profit from this hate, gleefully monetizing content,
interactions, and the resulting attention and eyeballs. For them, hate is good
business,” it said.
Source:
Daily Sabah
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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UK Middlemen Paid £9.7m in
Bribes Saudi Prince, Officials for Contracts, Court Told
The
trial opened on Thursday at Southwark crown court and is expected to last two
months. Photograph: Jeff Blackler/Rex
-----
06
May 2022
Two
UK middlemen paid £9.7mn in bribes to top Saudi military officials to secure
contracts for a British subsidiary of the European aerospace group Airbus, the
opening day of a trial unveiled.
According
to the Serious Fraud Office, Jeffrey Cook, former managing director of the firm
GPT Special Project Management, and John Mason, former financial officer at two
of GPT’s subcontractors, have funneled bribes to Saudi Prince Miteb bin
Abdullah and a group of senior Saudi officials between 2007 and 2012 to favor
GPT.
Cook
also faces a second charge of misconduct in public office between 2004 and
2008. He is accused of taking kickbacks while he was an employee of MoD. Both
Cook and Mason have pleaded not guilty.
At
the start of the trial, held at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, the
prosecution barrister Mark Heywood QC said the case concerned “deep corruption
in overseas defense contracts.”
British
middlemen for years had regularly paid bribes to “highly placed” Saudis through
offshore companies and Swiss bank accounts,” Heywood said.
He
said the payments to Miteb and other Saudi officials and agents were made to
induce them to give GPT substantial contracts that entailed installing and
maintaining communications equipment for a Saudi military unit.
The
UK’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) had a “significant involvement” in the agreement
between the British and Saudi governments, Heywood said.
“In
a single word, the case is one of ‘bribery’,” he said.
London
and Washington have had close relations with the ruling class in the Arab
country throughout the years, selling large amounts of weapons and military
equipment to Riyadh in spite of its devastating war on neighboring Yemen, which
has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians.
For
their part, people of Saudi Arabia have for decades suffered institutionalized
corruption and nepotism among the rulers of their country. The absence of any
public or parliamentary oversight, particularly over Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman’s imprudent decisions is seen as posing a big danger to the
country’s wealth and plunging it into further poverty.
Source: Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/05/06/681608/UK-middlemen-bribed-Saudi-prince-officials-contracts
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India
Krishna
Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Mosque Case Verdict on May 19; Lawsuit Filed by Ranjana
Agnihotri as the Next Friend of Child Deity Shri Krishna Virajman
May
07, 2022
Mathura,
Uttar Pradesh: A court in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura has reserved its verdict in
the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Mosque dispute case for May 19.
The
judgment relates to the first lawsuit in the case, which was filed by Lucknow
resident Ranjana Agnihotri as the next friend of child deity Shri Krishna
Virajman of the Katra Keshav Dev temple and six others.
Of
the three lawsuits in this case, the second suit was filed by Hindu Army chief
Manish Yadav and the third by five other plaintiffs through advocate Mahendra
Pratap Singh.
The
lawsuits have demanded the removal of the mosque allegedly built on orders of
Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1669-70 in the 13.37-acre premises of Katra Keshav
Dev temple near the birthplace of the deity Lord Krishna.
"As
the arguments by both sides concluded (on Thursday), Sessions Judge Rajeev
Bharti set May 19 for pronouncing the judgment on the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi
suit," District Government Counsel (Civil) Sanjai Gaur said.
Source:
ND TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Survey
of Gyanvapi mosque violates law, court opening way for anti-Muslim violence:
Asaduddin Owaisi
May
7, 2022
AIMIM
chief Asaduddin Owaisi said on Saturday that the court's recent order on
surveying some areas in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex "is opening
the path for the bloodshed of Rath Yatra and anti-Muslim violence of
1980s-1990s".
Condemning
the Varanasi court's order, Asaduddin Owaisi said in a tweet, "This order
to survey Kashi's Gyanvapi Masjid* is open violation of 1991 Places of Worship
Act, which prohibits conversion of religious places."
"[The]
SC [Supreme Court] in Ayodhya judgement had said the Act protects 'secular
features of Indian polity which is 1 of basic features of Constitution',"
Asaduddin Owaisi said.
Asaduddin
Owaisi's statement comes a day after a court commissioner reached Varanasi’s
Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Gyanvapi Mosque earlier today to survey and
videograph the premises in accordance to a court order.. According to news
agency PTI, an official clarified that the videography-survey team didn't go
inside the Gyanvapi Masjid on Friday.
THE
GYANVAPI MASJID CASE
A
plea was filed by Delhi-based Rakhi Singh, Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu and others
demanding permission for daily worship and performing rituals at Shringar
Gauri, Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman and Nandi located on the outer wall of the
Gyanvapi mosque. They had moved the court with their plea on April 18, 2021.
After
hearing the plea, the court of Varanasi's Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi
Kumar Diwakar ordered videography of the Shringar Gauri temple in the Kashi
Vishwanath-Gyanvapi mosque complex and other places after Eid and before May 10.
Source:
India Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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BJP
president accuses Left government in Kerala of ‘encouraging Islamic terrorism’
May
07, 2022
Kozhikode:
BJP national president J P Nadda on 6 May accused the Left government in Kerala
of "encouraging Islamic terrorism", claiming that the southern state
has become a "breeding centre" for the same under its rule.
Addressing
a rally organised by the saffron party here, the BJP chief alleged that the
CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government always gives an impression
that they treat every section of society equally but their policy is
"pseudo secularism" — to give special treatment to one section of the
society and try to divide other sections.
However,
the BJP president did not mention anything about the Left government's
ambitious semi-high speed K-Rail project, also known as SilverLine, against which
the saffron party has been organising widespread protests across the state.
"The
Left government gives an impression that they consider all sections of the
society and that they are neutral. But they are encouraging Islamic terrorism.
The Islamic terrorism is getting patronage of the CPI(M) government and Kerala
has become the breeding centre for Islamic terrorism," Nadda said.
He
alleged that religious communities, especially Christians in Kerala, are
concerned about the demographic changes taking place in the southern state.
"I
would also like to share with you that the Kerala society at large is in
discomfort. The Kerala society at large is uncomfortable and disturbed because
of the fast demographic changes which are taking place. And religious leaders,
especially from the Christian community, have been raising such issues time and
again. The Christian community has also been raising the concerns of narcotic
jihad," the BJP chief said.
Under
the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala was now in a
situation where the Left talks about treating everyone equally but the feeling
among the religious community was that they are supporting some sections and at
the same time, the policy was divide and rule, Nadda further said.
"Their
policy is pseudo secularism. The policy is to give special treatment to one
section of the society and try to divide the other section," he said.
Nadda
also spoke about the political murders that have taken place in Kerala in the
last 15 years and alleged that there is a drastic increase in violence in the
state.
"In
2016, 55 political murders took place. Twelve took place in Kannur district
which is the CM's home district. There is a drastic increase in the violence
and murder and organised murder in the state. (As many as) 1,019 murders have
taken place in Kerala in the last three years. This state under the Left
Democratic Front is full of lawlessness and corruption," Nadda said.
Source:
Firstpost
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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'The
worst crime as per Islam': Owaisi condemns Nagaraju murder in Hyderabad
May
07, 2022
All
India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi condemned the
murder of a Hindu man in Hyderabad, allegedly over his interfaith marriage. B.
Nagaraju (25) was brutally killed in public view allegedly by his Muslim wife's
brother and another person in a case of suspected honour killing, with the
incident sending shockwaves after the gory murder that was caught on camera
went viral.
"We
condemn the [honour killing] incident that took place in Saroornagar. The woman
willingly decided to get married. Her brother doesn’t have any right to kill
her husband. It is a criminal act as per Constitution, and the worst crime as
per Islam," Owaisi said, according to news agency ANI.
The
incident happened on Wednesday night at Saroornagar when the victim, a dalit,
was travelling on a motorbike with his wife and was confronted by his
attackers—Syed Mobin Ahmed and Mohammed Masood Ahmed—who came on a scooter,
stopped the couple on the road and attacked the man in full public view with an
iron rod before stabbing him with a knife, killing him on the spot, police
said.
Source:
The Week
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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UP
Madrassa Board chief backs Uniform Civil Code
May
7, 2022
LUCKNOW:
UP Board of Madrassa Education chairperson Iftikhar Ahmad Javed has backed the
central government on bringing in a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country,
stating that it is being opposed only by those who want to keep Muslims
oppressed.
He
said that the UCC should have been brought in directly when India gained independence
and the law should not have been divided into Hindu and Muslim personal laws.
Javed,
who had earlier blamed clerics for raking up the hijab row, has said that UCC
is being opposed by those who want to keep Muslims subjugated and not let them
join the mainstream. He asked when criminal proceedings in the country are one
and the same for all, why shouldn't personal laws be the same.
"All
Indians have equal rights as citizens of the country, be it in elections
through voting or have a uniform criminal law across the nation. What is the
problem in accepting UCC then? We have been late in implementing this. UCC
should have been brought in when the country gained independence 75 years
ago," Javed said.
"At
that time, bifurcations in law such as the Hindu Court, Hindu Marriage Act,
Hindu law were made. Hindu-Muslim should not have been done at that time,"
he added. Javed said it was the inadequacy of the previous government in
non-implementation of UCC even when the Supreme Court had advocated for it
several times.
"There
is no problem in UCC. People have been claiming it will affect Indian
minorities but there is no draft of the law as yet. No one knows what is going
to be in the law unless a draft has been presented. If all of us have equal
rights as citizens, UCC will also be uniformly applicable to all," he
said.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Kashmir’s
oldest Hizbul commander among 3 terrorists killed in forest close to Amarnath
Yatra route
May
7, 2022
SRINAGAR:
Security forces gunned down Hizbul Mujahideen’s oldest commander Mohammad
Ashraf Khan, 57, and two more terrorists on Friday afternoon in a shootout
inside the forests of Srichand Top in Pahalgam, close to the Amarnath Yatra
route in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
The
other two terrorists were identified as Mohammad Rafiq Drangay and Roshan
Zameer Tantray. All three were killed in a combined operation by J&K
police, Army and CRPF following information that terrorists were hiding in the
Batkoot area of Pahalgam. They fired at the approaching security men, but were
outnumbered, outgunned and killed.
Kashmir
range IGP Vijay Kumar said a Hizbul terrorist arrested on Thursday in the
Kokernag area gave away the position of Khan, alias Ashraf Molvi, during
questioning. He called Friday’s operation a major success as the terrorists
were in all likelihood plotting to sabotage the annual pilgrimage to the cave
shrine of Amarnath, beginning June 30.
Molvi
was from the Tangpawa area of Kokernag in Anantnag district. He was operational
chief of the Pakistan-backed Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist group operating in the
Valley. Classified as an “A++” terrorist, he joined the armed insurgency in
Kashmir in 2000 after getting his weapons training in Pakistan the year before.
Credited with reviving terrorism in the Kokernag belt, he was known to be
proficient in assembling and planting IEDs.
Molvi
was directly involved in the murder of four men between 2017 and January 2022.
He was said to have ordered the killing of sarpanch Ghulam Rasool Dar and his
wife Jawahara Begum at in Anantnag on in August 2021.
He
was made Hizbul’s operational commander for the Valley at a meeting of the
banned outfit in Muzaffarabad of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The meeting
followed the death of Riyaz Naikoo, the “most-wanted” Hizbul top gun who was
shot dead in a 12-hour operation in May 2020.
According
to IGP Kumar, Molvi was the last surviving terrorist from the Burhan Wani
group. A young social media savvy Hizbul commander, Wani was killed in 2016.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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NHRC
issues notice to Telangana chief secretary, DGP after man killed by Muslim
wife's kin
May
06, 2022
Two
days after a 25-year-old Dalit man, who was married to a Muslim woman, was
murdered in Hyderabad, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday
issued a notice to the chief secretary and police chief of Telangana, asking
each of them to submit a detailed report in the case within four weeks.
“The
Commission has observed on the basis of media reports that such heinous crime
in broad public view without any fear of law indicates towards lawlessness and
amounts to gross violation of human rights,” the NHRC said in a statement.
While
the chief secretary has been asked to inform the human rights body about a
policy, if any, that the Telangana government has to prevent such incidents in
future, the Director General of Police (DGP) will have to inform the panel
about the status of the police investigation, as well as steps taken to
safeguard the victim’s wife and his family.
In
a crime that has sent shockwaves across the country, B Nagaraju was beaten to
death by two men, including his brother-in-law, on April 4; Nagaraju’s wife,
23-year-old Ashrin Sulthana, was injured trying to fight off the assailants. No
passer-by came to her help even as some onlookers recorded the grisly crime on
their mobile phones.
The
police have arrested Sulthana’s brother, Syad Mobin Ahmed, and his associate,
Mohammed Masood Ahmed, for the hate crime.
Source: Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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South Asia
Mujahid:
No Military Operations Have Been Carried Out Against Our Forces in Panjshir and
Takhar
07
May 2022
In
response to statements by Sebghatullah Ahmadi, spokesman for the Resistance
Front, claiming sections of Panjshir province had fallen into the front’s
control, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said no military actions had been
carried out against their forces in Panjshir.
Today,
May 7th, Zabihullah Mujahed tweeted: “Thousands of our forces are present in
Panjshir, Takhar and other areas. The enemy will not be given the opportunity
to make negative moves.”
However,
the Resistance Front claims that operations in Panjshir have resumed and that
in their first operation, they have seized control of parts of the province.
Except
for the centers, Sebghatullah Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Resistance Front,
tweeted that the districts of Abdullahkhel and Abshar had been surrendered over
to the Front.
He
also called all of the Resistance Front’s held territories as crucial and
strategic, noting that the district centers were under siege and that the
Taliban had demanded more time to surrender.
The
operation was carried out as the Taliban Red Unit was conducting house-to-house
searches in the two districts, according to the spokesman for the Resistance
Front.
The
operation has killed 13 Taliban fighters, and Ahmadi claims that five of their
armored vehicles have been destroyed.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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The
National Resistance Front to Reassume the Control of Sections of Panjshir
Province
07
May 2022
The
Resistance Front claims that operations in Panjshir have resumed, with their
first operation claiming sections of the province.
The
Resistance Front’s spokesman, Sibghatullah Ahmadi, tweeted last night, May 7,
that the districts of AbdullahKhel and Abshar, with the exception of their
centers, had fallen to the Front.
He
also labeled all of the Resistance Front’s held territories as crucial and
strategic, noting that the district centers were under siege and that the
Taliban had asked more time to surrender.
The
operation was carried out as the Taliban Red Unit was conducting house-to-house
searches in the two districts, according to the spokesman for the Resistance
Front.
The
operation has killed 13 Taliban fighters, and Ahmadi claims that five of their
armored vehicles have been destroyed.
Mr.
Ahmadi further said that the Resistance Front forces had also taken control of
the Doab checkpoint. Nine Taliban members were killed and six others were
injured during this phase of the liberation operation.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
US
no longer respected, going to hell - Trump
May
7, 2022
Former
US President Donald Trump on Thursday told Fox News Digital that Make America
Great Again campaign, [MAGA] is saving America, and slammed current President
Joe Biden for being "divisive" when he called MAGA the "most
extreme political organization that’s existed in recent American history."
"MAGA
is saving America," Trump told Fox News. "Our country is going to
hell. MAGA is saving America."
"Inflation,
incompetent withdrawals from Afghanistan, leaving hostages horribly wounded,
soldiers, $85 billion of military equipment – MAGA is saving America,"
Trump continued.
The
former president said the US is "no longer respected throughout the
world."
Biden
declared in April that the GOP "ain’t your father’s Republican
Party," saying it has shifted to a "MAGA party" and warning that
right-leaning politicians "who know better" are "afraid to act
correctly" out of fear of losing a primary election.
When
asked for reaction on Biden’s remarks that the Republican Party is now the
"MAGA party," Trump replied: "I hope so. I hope so."
Trump
went on to tell Fox News that Biden is "being very divisive."
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://en.abna24.com/news//us-no-longer-respected-going-to-hell-trump_1255224.html
--------
CNN:
Americans of all political affiliations say US' economic conditions are poor
May
7, 202
A
new poll shows that only less than a quarter of Americans say they believe the
state of the economy is somewhat good.
The
poll conducted by CNN shows that only 23 percent of respondents said they
thought conditions are somewhat good which shows a drop in the percentage from
37 percent in December and 54 percent last April.
Meanwhile,
Americans of all political affiliations said the country’s economic conditions
are poor, including 94 percent of Republicans, 54 percent of Democrats and 81
percent of independents.
The
poll shows that 89 percent of people surveyed said they have heard at least
some bad news about the economy while the percentage points for those who said
they have heard some good news is 23.
Meanwhile,
regarding President Joe Biden, while only 34 percent of those surveyed approved
of his economic work, 66 percent disapproved.
The
Democratic president has currently an overall approval rating of 41 percent,
according to the poll.
The
poll comes just after the Federal Reserve raised its baseline interest rate by
0.5 percent to a target range of 0.75 to 1 percent.
“Inflation
is much too high and we understand the hardship it is causing. And we’re moving
expeditiously to bring it back down,” Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said on
Wednesday.
The
inflation rate has hit its highest rate in decades this year, surpassing
figures reported in 1982.
The
US economy suffered, in the first three months of this year, contracted by 0.4
percent in the first quarter, marking its weakest quarter since the COVID
started.
Economic
growth plodded considerably at the outset of the year. In the concluding three
months of 2021, US gross domestic product (GDP) – a broad measure of the
economy – grew by only 1.7 percent or 6.9 percent on an annualized basis, local
press outlets reported citing Commerce Department figures.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
condemns Israel’s plans to expand settlements in occupied Palestinian lands
07
May ,2022
The
Biden administration on Friday strongly condemned Israel’s plans to build new
settlements in occupied Palestinian territories after Israeli officials said
they would approve 4,000 new housing units in the West Bank.
The
State Department’s deputy spokesperson, Jalina Porter, said that the US was
aware of Israel’s decision to announce the move on May 12. “We strongly oppose
the expansion of settlements which exacerbates tensions and undermines trust
between the parties,” Porter told reporters during a phone briefing.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“Israel’s
program of expanding settlements deeply damages the prospect for a two-state
solution,” Porter said. “The Biden administration has been clear from the
outset.”
US
Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides told Axios that “he and other Biden
administration officials have made it clear to the Israeli government that the
administration is opposed to new building in the settlements and asked it not
to move ahead with it.”
The
Axios report also cited Israeli officials telling US counterparts that Israel’s
fragile government could collapse if the settlements were not approved.
But
the Israeli decision is expected to exacerbate tensions and violence which have
escalated in recent weeks between Palestinians and Israelis. Jerusalem’s
Al-Aqsa Mosque compound has been the scene of renewed clashes while multiple
attacks have been carried out against Israeli civilians.
On
Thursday, two Palestinians killed three Israelis and wounded four more in an
attack inside Israel.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Biden
continuing Trump's 'messy belligerence' in Middle East, says analyst
06
May 2022
A
Canadian author and journalist says US President Joe Biden is continuing the
"messy belligerence" of his ill-famed predecessor in the Middle East
by fawning over the Israeli regime.
In
an interview with Press TV on Friday, Eric Walberg denounced the Biden
administration’s strategy toward Yemen, saying the US Congress has failed to
mount pressure on the incumbent government to end its support of the
devastating war on the Arab country.
He
said the US Congress during the previous Republican administration twice passed
resolutions to end its support to the Saudi-led coalition’s war in Yemen, but
no resolution has been pushed under the present rulers in the White House.
“This
is the way democracy works in the US,” Walberg asserted. “The only consolation
is that everyone is angry with Biden's incompetence and duplicity, so he will
be gone soon, as will the Democratic majority in Congress.”
He
hastened to add there was “no principled, competent politician on the horizon”
to replace the Democratic president.
Commenting
on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, which is worsening according to the
United Nations, Walberg said the country was in “a terrible crisis of
starvation and disease.”
He,
however, lauded the resistance forces in the Arab country for defeating the
foreign aggressors.
“The
resilience of the Houthi is impressive. My understanding is that the Houthi
more truly represent the people of Yemen, even though they are not the majority
Sunni, but are Shia Muslims in the north,” the journalist said.
“There
has to be some representative government for the conflict to end unless the
north and south decide to separate again. The current UN-sponsored ceasefire
should address this.”
On
the turbulent history of the Arab country, Walberg said it has seen instability
since the 1960s civil war before the south separated in 1967 and allied with
the Soviet Union.
“Yemen's
history is trouble, the economy is weak,” he said. “A western-backed Yemen
would mean a distorted economy, with the US in control, a disaster for
Yemenis.”
The
Canadian journalist said the US “tempts its local puppets with dollars and
weapons”, and that it was “hard for Yemenis to even know what is going on at
present”.
“The
south would like to separate again and it is hard to blame them. Perhaps China
will move into the vacuum if the US leaves. The US will not give room to China
and will want to keep the war going until it is satisfied with a Yemeni
government in the highly strategic Gulf of Aden.
“The
US is still smarting from the suicide attack on the USS Cole in Aden in 2000.
So you see, this is very complex and confusing.”
Saudi
Arabia launched the devastating war on Yemen in March 2015 in collaboration
with its Arab allies and with arms and logistics support from the US and other
Western states.
The
objective was to reinstall the Riyadh-friendly regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi
and crush the Ansarullah resistance movement, which has been running state
affairs in the absence of a functional government in Yemen.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/05/06/681610/Yemen-War-Saudi-coalition-Middle-East-Biden-Trump
--------
Europe
Islamophobia:
A Turkish Mosque Attacked In Northeastern France
May
7, 2022
A
mosque affiliated with Turkiye’s Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs
(DITIB) in France’s northeastern province of Metz was attacked on Thursday
night.
The
mosque was damaged in a fire that broke out after unknown persons lobbed three
Molotov cocktails on the walls of the mosque.
Ali
Durak, president of the mosque association, said the mosque was saved from
being completely burned down at the last moment.
“We
did not expect such an attack,” he said, adding the association is in constant
interaction with the local community.
Durak
said the mosque was attacked for the first time, noting that local officials
immediately contacted them after the attack.
Meanwhile,
the Coordination Committee of Turkish Muslim Associations (CCMTF) said in a
statement that anti-Muslim, racist and xenophobic incidents are on the rise in
the country.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://en.abna24.com/news//islamophobia-a-mosque-attacked-in-northeastern-france_1255240.html
--------
Aid volunteer who helped Bosnian Muslims appointed head of UK charity watchdog
Nicky
Harley
May
06, 2022
A
lawyer who ran aid missions to help Bosnian Muslims has been appointed chairman
of the UK's charity watchdog.
Barrister
Orlando Fraser, who has been volunteering on aid missions for more than 30
years, pledged to ensure the Charity Commission is “fair, balanced and
independent”.
Mr
Orlando’s involvement in the voluntary sector stretches back to 1992, when he
took an aid convoy to Bosnia to help its Muslim population during the Yugoslav
Wars.
He
has also served on the management committee of a London refuge for domestic
abuse victims and as a governor of Ilfracombe College, in Devon, south-west
England.
Mr
Fraser has also supported the Rugby Portobello Trust children's — a youth and
family support charity. The trust helped support those affected by the 2017
Grenfell Tower fire in west London, in which 72 people were killed.
He
has been a barrister for 28 years and served for five years as a board member
of the commission under former head William Shawcross, who is now the
independent reviewer of the UK government's Prevent anti-radicalisation scheme.
“Not
only do I have great pride in the work of the Charity Commission itself, but I
am also highly positive about the role the sector itself plays in society,” Mr
Fraser said.
“I
know from personal experience that it is often only the work that charities do
that provides any hope or light when we have a disaster on our hands, whether
it is tragedies like Grenfell, or the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We
truly have a great voluntary sector, and it will therefore be both an honour,
and a pleasure, to be leading its regulator over the next few years.”
“The
commission’s role requires us to act as enforcer where needed, holding
charities to account for meeting basic standards,” he said.
“We
are there to ensure those numerous acts of kindness and love in the sector can
thrive in a secure environment, and sometimes we have to be robust to do so.
“We
have to investigate where there are concerns about a charity, and we have to
take action where there is proven misconduct or mismanagement.
“As
wrongdoing in one charity can undermine trust in charities more widely, there
will be times when the commission will need to be very robust both to protect
charities from abuse and maintain public trust and confidence in the sector.
“You
can therefore expect that the commission, under me, will deal commensurately,
and, if needed, severely, with the intentional wrongdoers, the fraudsters, the
extremists, the aggressors, and the grossly negligent — all of whom, in their
own way, are poisoning charitable status for everyone else.”
Mr
Fraser said when charities have suffered incidents he will ensure the
commission works with them to rectify it and get back on track.
“No
matter how successful the charitable endeavour, we all know that the best laid
plans of mice and men go astray sometimes, even with the most professional risk
analysis that you can find,” he said.
“I’ve
seen it happen with aid convoys, charitable fundraisers, and disaster responses
— the key is not the error, but how you recover from it.
Source:
The National News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Kremlin
declines to say whether Putin apologized to Israel over Hitler remarks
06
May ,2022
The
Kremlin on Friday declined to say whether President Vladimir Putin had
apologized to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett following an assertion
from Russia’s foreign minister that Adolf Hitler had Jewish origins.
Israel
lambasted Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the comment, describing the
remarks as an “unforgivable” falsehood that minimized the horrors of the Nazi
Holocaust.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
EU
attempts to save Iran nuclear deal with last-ditch effort — FT
May
07, 2022
The
European Union is making a last-ditch attempt to save the Iran nuclear deal and
break a deadlock, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
The
EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told the Financial Times that he was seeking
a “middle way” to end the impasse, which threatens to scupper more than a year
of European diplomatic efforts to seal a deal.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2077016/world
--------
Germany plans to cap number of Afghan refugees to 5,000 annually: Report
May
7, 2022
Germany
intends to restrict the number of Afghan refugees into the country.
Previously,
it was noted that German authorities are replacing existing Afghan refugees
from shelters to find space for those arriving from Ukraine.
Citing
German news magazine Der Spiegel, Khaama Press reported that the German
Ministry of Interior intends to admit no more than 5,000 Afghans annually.
As
per the reports by SchengenVisaInfo.com, the idea to impose quotas was taken in
order to keep the program functionally viable for relocating Afghans to
Germany.
According
to Info Migrants, the idea of restricting the number of Afghan nationals
admitted to Germany each year has not been well-received, reported Khaama
Press.
According
to the aforementioned, such an idea had been subjected to criticism. As per a
Green Party member of the Bundestag, organizations have assisted approximately
3,000 people and have reported tens of thousands of people who are still at
risk.
Since
the Taliban's takeover of power, as many as 18,800 Afghans have managed to
enter Germany, according to the German Ministry of Interior.
Source:
Business Standard
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Tel
Aviv’s war on Muslim, Christian rights in Jerusalem
MAY
07, 2022
Orthodox
Christians celebrated the Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre in occupied East Jerusalem on April 23, against a backdrop of rising
tensions with Israel, which imposed new restrictions on attendance this year in
an attempt to alter a ceremony that has been held for centuries. In addition,
the occupied holy city has already witnessed a week of tensions between
Palestinians and Israeli police at the nearby the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as
tensions flared after Israeli police violently entered the compound when
worshippers gathered for early morning prayers. Israeli forces facilitated
incursions by far-right Jews to the holy site. More than 300 Palestinians were
arrested and at least 170 wounded in the clashes.
Just
like what Muslims face in their worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Christians in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip are denied their basic religious freedoms and are
routinely prohibited from traveling to worship in one of the most holy sites in
Christianity, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where the church commemorates
Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, burial and resurrection from the dead. Israeli
authorities this year allowed only 4,000 people to attend the Holy Fire
ceremony, while around 11,000 people were attempting to attend the ceremony.
“Imposing
restrictions and limiting the number of worshippers during the celebration of
at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a flagrant violation of the freedom of
worship and the right to practice one's religion,” said the parliamentarians of
the Joint List, a political alliance of four of the Arab-majority political
parties in Israel. “It is also a new chapter in the series of Israeli
violations of Palestinian rights.” The Arab bloc also said that Israeli Prime
Minister Naftali Bennett's government does not spare any effort to limit the
Palestinian participation in activities taking place in Jerusalem as it
attempts to separate the holy city from the other occupied Palestinian
territories.
Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas warned earlier of the danger of the Israeli decision to
impose restrictions on the entry of Christian worshipers to the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the presidential spokesperson of the
Palestinian Authjority (PA), said that “the decision is a continuation of the
Israeli escalation against the city of Jerusalem and its sanctities, and
coincides with the continuous incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli
Jewish extremists under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces.” He
added that the decision was “a blatant and dangerous challenge to the heavenly
religions and their sanctities, a provocation and a disregard for all human and
religious values.” Rudeineh described the Israeli crackdown on the
Islamic-Christian presence as “a war against the Palestinian people and
Jerusalem and its sanctities, and it is another violation of the historical
status quo in the holy city.”
Institutionalized
restrictions
While
East Jerusalem is home to major holy sites, the Israeli government has
institutionalized restrictions for Palestinians who wish to travel to worship.
This institutionalized system includes permits, permanent checkpoints,
roadblocks, gates, closed roads and barriers. Additionally, each month the
Israeli military puts in place several hundred temporary checkpoints that
change location from day to day and are used to control Palestinians' movement.
Muslims
and Christians have been impeded from accessing religious sites to worship for
decades. This is illustrated by the daily hardship endured to attend services
at the Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where the
discrimination and repression against Palestinians is highly concentrated.
The
same restrictions apply to the occupied West Bank when it comes to Palestinians
accessing the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron or the Church of the Nativity in
Bethlehem. This year's Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, specifically
underlined the difficulty of Muslims who were blocked from entering East
Jerusalem to pray.
Freedom
of religion
Israel
as an occupying power owes obligations to Palestinians to protect their rights
and freedoms under international humanitarian law. These protections explicitly
include freedom of religion through religious observances, services and rites.
The Israeli government continues to apply travel restrictions that impeded
access to particular places of worship in the West Bank and East Jerusalem for
Muslims and Christians.
The
right of freedom of religion or belief is enshrined in Article 18 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and has been reaffirmed by
the U.N. Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of
Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, which was approved by the U.N.
General Assembly (UNGA) in 1981. This fundamental right is also protected by
several instruments of international law, including Article 18 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. The article states that “everyone has the right to
freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to
change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with
others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in
teaching, practice, worship and observance."
Systematic
control
The
control of Palestinian movement has been a feature of Israel's occupation of
the Palestinian territory since its inception in 1967. Following the Six-Day
War in 1967, the occupied Palestinian territories were proclaimed closed
military zones. In 1972, the general exit orders were issued allowing residents
of those territories to move freely between the West Bank, Israel and Gaza. In
1991, these general exit orders were revoked, and personal exit permits were
required.
With
the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa intifada, referred to as the “uprising” in 2000,
Israel imposed a comprehensive closure on the occupied territories and the
Israeli Defense Force (IDF) used the permit system more vigorously. Every
Palestinian had to obtain an individual permit and the military checkpoints
were established along the Green Line – the internationally recognized
demarcation line between the West Bank and Israel – and movement from the West
Bank and Gaza Strip to and from occupied East Jerusalem became more difficult
and often impossible. This situation remained to this day. However, from time
to time, following acts of violence and during Israeli holidays, Israel places
a comprehensive closure on the occupied territories and cancels entry permits.
In
September 2005, Israel completed its unilateral disengagement plan and
announced an end to Israeli martial law in the Gaza Strip. However, Israel
retained control of Gaza’s Sea and air space, the crossings between Gaza and
Israel, and Gaza’s registry of population. In June 2007, after Hamas took
control of the Gaza Strip, Israel imposed a siege on Gaza, prohibiting both
Palestinian travel to or from Gaza.
Over
the past years, Israel’s permit system has imposed obstacles and denied
Palestinian basic rights of their religious freedom. Permits became a
bureaucratic nightmare as obtaining one became a complicated and long procedure
that had to be completed with the Israeli administration.
Source:
Daily Sabah
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/op-ed/tel-avivs-war-on-muslim-christian-rights-in-jerusalem
--------
Iran
will seek to manipulate UN visit: Human rights groups
06
May ,2022
Human
rights groups on Friday warned Tehran will try to use an upcoming visit to Iran
by a UN expert in order to avoid accountability.
Alena
Douhan, the special rapporteur focused on the impact of unilateral sanctions,
is due to begin a visit to Iran from Saturday, the United Nations has said.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
mission from May 7 to 18 will be the first to the country by a special
rapporteur since 2005.
In
a statement Thursday, Douhan said she hoped to “gather first-hand information
on the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the full realization of all
human rights” in Iran.
“My
visit will aim at covering all walks of life and sectors affected by such
measures,” said Douhan, whose official title is “special rapporteur on the
negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human
rights.”
Her
mission comes during a stalemate in talks between Iran and world powers to
revive a 2015 agreement which gave Iran sanctions relief in return for curbs on
its nuclear program.
In
2018 then-US president Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and imposed
crippling sanctions on Iran, which then began rolling back its own commitments.
Douhan
works under a mandate from the United Nations Human Rights Council.
But
a group of 11 human rights groups warned in a statement Friday that Iran’s
government will try to “instrumentalize” the visit “in a cynical attempt to
deflect attention from its well-documented record of human rights violations.”
The
visit “comes after 17 years of denial of access to any of the 14 UN human
rights monitors that have requested to visit the country,” said the statement.
“By
inviting the only expert whose mandate is to look at external actors’ liability
for rights violations in the country, Iranian authorities exploit this visit in
an inconspicuous attempt to blunt scrutiny of its record of non-cooperation
with the UN human rights system,” said the statement signed by groups including
United for Iran, Article 19 and Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre.
Douhan
said she will “pay particular attention to the adverse effects on the most
vulnerable segments of society, including in the current context of the
COVID-19 pandemic.”
The
rights groups say Iran has a history of blatant rights violations, and
“legitimate concern over the impact of sanctions cannot and must not overshadow
the Iranian authorities’ responsibility for failing to ensure - and sometimes
actively restricting -- access to health, work, education, internet and
adequate living standards for all in Iran.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran:
Struggle against usurpers of al-Quds legitimate right of Palestinians
07
May 2022
Iran’s
Foreign Ministry has slammed normalization of ties with the apartheid Israeli
regime as a leading cause of escalating atrocities of Zionist forces in the
occupied territories, stating that striving against usurpers of al-Quds is the
legitimate right of every Palestinian.
Censuring
the latest brutal attack against Palestinian worshipers in the holy al-Aqsa
Mosque in occupied al-Quds by “military forces of the Zionist regime,” ministry
spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh reiterated on Saturday that "the occupiers are
approaching their fall".
"Struggle
against the usurpers of al-Quds and Palestine remains the natural, legitimate
and legal right of Palestinian people,” he added.
Pointing
to the intensification of the Israeli regime’s aggression and atrocities
throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, Khatibzadeh further called for
more aid and assistance to the people of Palestine by nations, governments as
well as regional and international agencies in their “self-defense efforts
against the Zionist occupiers.”
The
Iranian diplomat also highlighted the need for unity in the Muslim world
towards defending Palestine and saving al-Aqsa Mosque, insisting that
“normalizing relations with the apartheid Israeli regime will only promote and
aggravate the atrocities of Zionist [forces] in the occupied Palestinian
territories.”
His
remarks came after the Israeli regime’s police and military forces launched a
massive and brutal search for the suspects involved in an attack that killed
three Israeli forces in the city of Elad in the central part of the occupied
territories.
The
search began on Thursday and dragged into Friday after two suspected
Palestinians staged the attack that has been hailed by Palestinian resistance
groups as a "heroic operation."
UAE
condemns Palestinian op, congratulates Israel on Nakba
UAE
Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed on Friday condemned the Palestinian
operation and expressed his condolences to the Israeli regime.
During
talks with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid, the UAE's top diplomat also congratulated
Lapid for the 74th anniversary of the illegitimate establishment of the
occupying regime and hoped for “peace and security for all residents” of the
occupied Palestine in the coming days.
The
latest operation came on the anniversary of the Israeli regime proclaiming
existence following a Western-backed war that expelled more than 700,000 people
from their homes in the Palestinian territories. Palestinians recognize the
occasion as the Nakba (catastrophe) Day.
Source:
Press TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Thousands
of Palestinians perform Friday prayers at al-Aqsa mosque
May
7, 2022
Thousands
of Palestinian worshipers performed Friday prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque
despite the Israeli-tight restrictions.
During
the Friday sermon, the preacher of the Mosque, Sheikh Ismail Nawahda, called
for Arab and Islamic unity in defense of Occupied al-Quds and al-Aqsa Mosque.
The
occupation will not remain for long and will come to an end, he stressed.
Thanks
to the Palestinian steadfastness and adherence to their rights, he added,
Israeli plans will be foiled.
In
the early morning hours, Israeli forces deployed in large numbers across
Occupied Jerusalem, restricting Palestinians' access to the holy shrine.
Hundreds
of West Bankers were denied entry into the occupied city under flimsy pretexts.
Only
al-Quds residents and Palestinians living within the Green Line were allowed to
perform Friday prayers at al-Aqsa.
Earlier
Thursday, dozens of Palestinian worshipers were injured after Israeli police
forces violently stormed al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied al-Quds to clear the area
for Jewish settlers' break-ins that had been paused for the Muslim holidays.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
searches for Palestinians suspected of killing three in attack
06
May ,2022
Israeli
security forces launched a massive manhunt on Friday for two Palestinians
suspected of killing three people in an attack in a central Israeli city,
police said.
The
attack on Thursday night, Israel’s Independence Day, is the latest in a recent
upsurge of Israeli-Palestinian violence that has raised fears of a slide back
to wider conflict.
“We
will get our hands on the terrorists and their supportive environment, and they
will pay the price,” Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said after the
attack in the city of Elad, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Tel Aviv.
Witnesses
and emergency responders said the attackers used axes. Four other people were
seriously injured, medics said.
Police
identified the assailants as two Palestinians from the Jenin area of the
Israeli-occupied West Bank and said they likely fled the scene in a car. Police
set up roadblocks, deployed a helicopter and requested the public’s help in
finding the suspects.
Israeli
Defense Minister Benny Gantz extended a closure on the West Bank and Gaza,
imposed ahead of the national holiday to prevent Palestinians from entering
Israel, until Sunday.
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement on Thursday condemned the
“horrific attack targeting innocent men and women.”
Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas also condemned the attack and said “the killing of
Palestinian and Israeli civilians will only lead to more deterioration,” the Palestinian
news agency WAFA reported.
Since
March, Palestinians and members of Israel’s Arab minority have killed 18
people, including three police officers and a security guard, in attacks in
Israel and the West Bank that have mostly targeted civilians.
Israel
has responded with arrest raids in Palestinian towns and villages which have
often sparked clashes and brought the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli
forces since the beginning of the year to at least 40.
The
casualties include armed members of militant groups, lone assailants and
bystanders.
Hamas,
the Palestinian group that controls Gaza, praised the Elad stabbing but did not
claim responsibility. It said the attack was a response to Israeli actions at
al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.
Over
the past month, Palestinians and Israeli police have repeatedly clashed at the
compound, one of the most sensitive sites in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Mehsud
jirga calls for dialogue in South Waziristan
May
7, 2022
SOUTH
WAZIRISTAN: A jirga of Mehsud tribe has appealed to the security forces and
banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to cease hostilities for one month to
find a solution of prevailing lawlessness through dialogue in South Waziristan
tribal district.
The
elders of three main branches of Mehsud tribe met at the camp office of deputy
commissioner, South Waziristan, in Tank district on Friday.
After
a detailed discussion, a 35-member jirga was constituted which was authorised
to hold negotiations with the government officials and TTP militants to avert
impending military operation in Mehsud tribe-dominated Shawal and Lawara areas
of South Waziristan.
Sources
said the security forces had recently asked the tribes in Shawal and Lawara to
vacate their homes after Eidul Fitr to start offensive against terrorists
hiding in these areas.
They
said the offensive against TTP elements was put on hold in these two pockets on
the request of Mehsud tribe elders.
The
elders said the jirga was convened at the DC’s camp office on Friday in the
backdrop of the deadline.
The
jirga decided that people would not vacate their homes and requested both the
security forces and TTP to hold back hostilities for at least one month.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1688382/mehsud-jirga-calls-for-dialogue-in-south-waziristan
--------
JUI-F
protests hooliganism at Masjid-i-Nabwi in Lower Dir
May
7, 2022
LOWER
DIR: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz jointly
staged a rally outside the Timergara Press Club here on Friday against
hooliganism at Masjid-i-Nabwi in Medina during a recent visit of Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif.
Dozens
of JUI-F and PML-N workers gathered at the Shaheed Chowk and shouted slogans
against those involved in the incident. The rally was addressed by JUI-F
district emir Sirajuddin and tehsil emir Mufti Bakht Sardar, PML-N district
president Malik Farooq Iqbal, general secretary Sardar Javed Akhtar and leader
Qazi Ayazuddin.
The
speakers condemned the incident and termed it a violation of the sanctity of
Masjid-i-Nabwi.
They
said Muslims were bound to respect the sanctity of Masjid-i-Nabwi and other
mosques. The speakers said the incident was part of a pre-planned conspiracy
hatched by former prime minister Imran Khan, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad and others.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1688340/jui-f-protests-hooliganism-at-masjid-i-nabwi-in-lower-dir
--------
Rana
Sanaullah demands guarantees of 'peaceful' PTI march on Islamabad
May
7, 2022
Interior
Minister Rana Sanaullah on Saturday warned former prime minister Imran Khan to
ensure that PTI's long march on Islamabad was "peaceful" and
"political", asserting that the government won't allow an
anarchy-like situation to persist in the country.
"They
will have to give [the government] assurances that the march will be peaceful,
political and democratic," Sanaullah said at a media talk outside the
Lahore district and sessions court, where he had attended a hearing of a drugs
case filed against him by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).
In
his conversation with reporters, he criticised Imran and his predecessor Sheikh
Rashid for "inciting" and "misleading" the public against
the government.
"Even
yesterday, he (Imran) told his supporters not to spare anyone. I am warning you
for the last time — not as a minister — but as the president of PML-N Punjab.
If you don't let go of these tactics and keep encouraging your supporters to
disrespect members of other parties, you will face the same fate too. You won't
be able to escape from it."
Sanaullah
was referring to the PTI chairman's remarks in the address he made at the
party's Mianwali rally. The ex-premier had told his workers that neither
containers placed on the route could stop them from their march on Islamabad
nor could the interior minister.
He
had also accused Sanaullah of committing 18 murders.
In
his talk today, the PML-N leader warned Imran that if he didn't mend his ways,
the PML-N too would instruct its workers to "catch and beat them up".
"This
is your misconception that you will be able to create an anarchy or chaos in
the country. Nothing will happen," Sanaullah told Imran. "They [the
supporters] will become human beings after a few thrashings."
He
also excoriated Awami Muslim League (AML) leader Sheikh Rashid for his
"ignorant" and "misleading" comments against the
government. "You told people that this march will be bloody. I am warning
you to take your words back or I won't let you step out of your house."
They,
the minister continued, would have to provide the government with assurances
that the march would be peaceful, political and democratic.
He
further demanded of PTI to "distance" itself, condemn and apologise
for the Masjid-i-Nabwi incident, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his
cabinet members were heckled by Pakistani pilgrims last month.
"We
know they were your people. They have been identified. Take action against
them," Sanaullah added.
Immediately
after his talk, PTI leader Farrukh Habib took to Twitter claiming that the
popularity of Imran Khan's "Azadi March" had started making the
government's "legs quiver".
"This
is a fascist government which is threatening to destroy the peace and order of
the country. It wants civil war in the streets," Habib added.
'March
aimed to save Farah'
Rana
Sanaullah also said that Imran Khan's march on Islamabad was aimed at
protecting Farah Khan — a close aide of the PTI chairman's wife Bushra Bibi who
has been accused of corruption by the opposition, and against whom a NAB inquiry
has been launched.
"There
have been a series of accusations [one of which is] that Usman Buzdar was
appointed the chief minister of Punjab to take instructions from Farah,"
he said. "He collected billions of rupees in postings and there are
transactions that show this money was sent abroad."
The
minister further alleged that Imran's amnesty scheme was "introduced for
Farah because she greatly benefitted from it".
"These
are just accusations. But unlike them (PTI) we wont present accusations as
evidence. We are inquiring into these allegations and a reference or case will
only be initiated once we find credible evidence," he added.
Drugs
case
Earlier
in the day, the court resumed hearing the drug case filed against the interior
minister by the ANF.
At the
outset of the hearing, the prosecutor said that possessing drugs was illegal
and that the case challan had been prepared. "We have the chemical
examination report, 15 witnesses and forensic evidence against the accused
persons. They should now be indicted," he demanded.
Meanwhile,
Sanaullah's lawyer, Syed Farhad Ali Shah, submitted an application requesting
that his client be granted permanent exemption from appearing in the court as
he had several engagements after assuming responsibilities as a federal
minister.
Subsequently,
the court issued a notice to the ANF and sought further arguments from the
lawyers of the three co-accused. The hearing was later adjourned till May 21.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
In
first contact, Blinken invites Bilawal to US
Anwar
Iqbal | Baqir Sajjad Syed
May
7, 2022
WASHINGTON
/ ISLAMABAD: Top-level contacts between Pakistan and the US recommenced on
Friday as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Foreign Minister Bilawal
Bhutto-Zardari and invited him to a food security meeting at the UN
headquarters in New York on May 18.
The
two-day ministerial conference will focus on the threat to global food
security, triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and will be chaired by
Mr Blinken himself.
Such
encouraging statements were rare during the PTI regime and the phone call to Mr
Bhutto-Zardari was the first contact between the foreign ministers of the two
countries in quite a while. On Sept 24, 2021, then-FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi met
Secretary Blinken on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New
York.
Pakistan
is also exploring the possibility of bringing Mr Bhutto-Zardari to Washington
for a separate meeting with Secretary Blinken. “Why wait? Why not try to
arrange a meeting now?” said a diplomatic source when asked if Pakistan was
seeking a Bilawal-Blinken meeting later this month.
FM
says ‘engagement with mutual respect is the way forward between the US and
Pakistan’
“Received
a call from Secretary Blinken. Grateful for warm felicitations on my assumption
of office,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said in a tweet he posted after the call.
“Exchanged
views on: “Strengthening mutually beneficial, broad-based relationship,
promotion of peace, development & security and agreed engagement with
mutual respect is the way forward between the US and Pakistan,” he wrote.
The
two-day ministerial meeting that Pakistan’s young foreign minister has been
invited to precedes a UN Security Council debate on ‘Conflict and Food
Security’.
The
US says that since the Feb 24 invasion, Russia has blocked Ukraine’s ports,
causing the suspension of food supplies to the Middle East and Africa.
Pakistan’s
participation in a UN meeting that highlights the problems caused by the
Russian invasion would be a major departure from the policies of the previous
PTI government.
Former
prime minister Imran Khan clearly annoyed the US and other Western powers by
visiting Moscow on the day Russia invaded Ukraine. Later, he claimed that the
US “conspired” with Pakistani opposition parties to oust him and displays a
diplomatic cable to support his claim.
Washington
has rejected his claim, saying that although it backs the democratic process in
Pakistan, it does not support any party or individual. Such terse exchanges
between Islamabad and Washington further strained an already tense
relationship.
But
since Mr Khan’s departure, the Biden administration has issued almost a dozen
statements underlining its desire to re-engaging with Pakistan.
The
ministerial conference in New York would be Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s first
participation in a multilateral meeting since becoming foreign minister late
last month.
A
source, privy to the conversation, while confirming the invitation, hoped that
it works out. Secretary Blinken had called to greet the new foreign minister,
but the conversation continued for nearly fifty minutes, in which both sides
discussed various aspects of the bilateral cooperation and expressed keen
interest in re-engaging.
“The
conversation went very well,” the source maintained.
The
source also said that neither side spoke about the former PTI government’s
allegation that the US conspired to topple it.
A
US State Department readout of Friday’s call highlighted several key points of
the conversation that focused on strengthening the bilateral relationship and
working together to stabilize Afghanistan.
Spokesperson
Ned Price said that Secretary Blinken “reiterated the desire to strengthen our
broad-based bilateral relationship.”The secretary, he said, underscored “the
resolute US-Pakistan commitment” to Afghan stability and combatting terrorism.
The secretary and foreign minister also highlighted ongoing engagement on trade
and investment, climate, energy, health, and education, Mr. Price added.
He
noted that this year marks the 75th anniversary of US-Pakistani relations and
“we look forward to strengthening our cooperation.”
In
Islamabad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement, saying that
in the phone call, Secretary Blinken expressed the desire to continue strengthening
mutually beneficial Pakistan-U.S. bilateral relationship.
Exchanging
views on various aspects of Pakistan-US relations, the foreign minister
underscored that Pakistan and the United States had a longstanding broad-based
relationship, the statement added.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1688405/in-first-contact-blinken-invites-bilawal-to-us
--------
Land
possession allegation: Aleem asks Imran to slug it out live on TV
Zulqernain
Tahir
May
7, 2022
LAHORE:
Disgruntled PTI MPA Aleem Khan has challenged his party chief Imran Khan for a
TV debate with him over the allegations against him so that the people could
know truth.
Aleem
said another disgruntled leader, Jehangir Khan Tareen, should also be part of
that sitting on TV so that he could defend himself in the face of Imran Khan’s
allegations.
On
Thursday, Imran Khan in a podcast interview accused Aleem and Tareen of seeking
benefits being part of his government. Mr Khan said Aleem wanted to have 300
acres in Lahore legalised while Tareen had problems when a commission was
formed to probe the sugar scam.
He
said Aleem’s name also appeared in the Pandora Papers and he was also wanted by
the NAB in corruption cases.
The
former premier further said both Aleem and Tareen had joined hands with the
PML-N because corruption suited them.
Responding
to Imran’s allegations, Aleem asked his ‘old friend’ on Friday as why he did
not join him on a live TV debate on such allegations so that truth could be
known to everyone. “I want to say categorically that when I joined Imran in
2010, I owned 3,000 acres at Ravi which I purchased from a third party. None of
that land (3,000 acres) was acquired through the government authorities,” he
said and asserted that not an inch of this land was owned by the state.
Aleem
said Imran Khan was talking about RUDA (Ravi Urban Development Authority)
project which he was keen to develop during the PTI government.
“RUDA
had acquired the land from private owners on state rates against a few hundred
thousand rupees (per acre) and later handed it over to its blue-eyed
developers,” he alleged and asked Imran should he reveal the names of those
developers.
“What
relation those developers had with Imran Khan... this must be probed to know
the truth,” he said and also pointed fingers at those who were hosting Farah
Khan in Dubai.
Aleem
said the authorities should also investigate whose jet Farah would use.
“I
would like to ask whether some relatives of an LDA vice chairman appointed by
Imran Khan were among the 10 developers who got the RUDA land,” Aleem
questioned.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
FM
Bilawal will repair ties with all countries, says Murad
May
7, 2022
DADU:
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf
(PTI) government had pursued a wrong foreign policy which led to strained
relations with most countries, including the United States and China.
Speaking
to participants of an Eid Milan party and local reporters at his residence in
Wahur village near Bhan Syedabad town of Sehwan taluka on Friday, he said now
when a good government was in place at the Centre and Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had become foreign minister, Pakistan’s
relations with the world community would definitely improve.
Claiming
that PTI’s foreign policy had resulted in strained ties even with China and
several gulf states, he said China had slowed down work on the China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects because the PTI government had not been paying
due attention to them. He said CPEC projects had been progressing at a high
speed when Asif Ali Zardari was head of the state. He expressed his confidence
that the same pace would be maintained now as Foreign Minister Bilawal
Bhutto-Zardari would pay due attention to these projects.
Mr
Shah said that after accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his
government, former prime minister Imran Khan finally got Pakistan isolated in
the world community. “Our foreign minister will repair the relations with his
wisdom and political acumen,” he said.
Commenting
on the conspiracy theory, he argued that only in February this year, then
foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had met the US ambassador but why he did
not take up this issue with him.
The
chief minister claimed that the PTI government neither worked for people’s
welfare nor did it let Sindh government to work. “I myself had conveyed this to
Imran Khan and had reminded him that much of his government’s tenure had passed
off and little time was left to show performance to the masses,” he added.
He
expressed his satisfaction over ouster of the PTI government and held out the
assurance that the incumbent dispensation would come up to the expectations of
the nation.
CM
Shah, in reply to a question, said that local government elections had to be
delayed in order to make some amendments to the LG law as proposed by other
stakeholders. He said the elections had now been scheduled and would be held as
per the plan. He rejected the objection from certain quarters that the period
chosen for the LG elections would be too hot, saying: “We are Jiyalas … we
don’t care about weather conditions, be it too hot or too cold”.
About
moves to set up a commission to investigate the so-called “lettergate”, Mr Shah
described the letter and PTI’s conspiracy theory as “mere propaganda”. He said
things would settle down soon. He hoped that the incumbent dispensation would
be able to deliver and come up to the expectations of the masses. He said
policies were being redesigned and this would usher in a new chapter of speedy
development in the country and bring prosperity to the nation.
Water
crisis
Answering
to a question about an acute shortage of drinking and irrigation water in
Sindh, CM Murad Ali Shah said that he had held meetings with the public health
engineering secretary and asked him to identify the worst-hit areas. He said
the secretary had already been told to ensure adequate supply of drinking water
to people of Sehwan and Bhan Syedabad areas. He hoped that the situation in
Sindh would normalise within the next six months. He said availability of clean
drinking water to people was the top priority of PPP chairman Bilawal
Bhutto-Zardari.
Fire
tragedy
In
reply to a question about the recent fire tragedy in Faiz Mohammad Daryani
Chandio village that had left 10 children dead and caused heavy losses to over
50 families, Mr Shah said that all cabinet members and district administrations
had been directed to ensure that no such incident recurred. He said they had
been asked to take immediate measures for keeping fire tenders and other
machinery in perfect order and staff available to meet any emergency anywhere.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1688291/fm-bilawal-will-repair-ties-with-all-countries-says-murad
--------
Pakistan
govt to investigate income, assets of former PM Imran Khan: Report
May
7, 2022
The
Pakistani government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to do a
forensic examination of the statements of assets and income of ousted premier
Imran Khan, according to a media report on Friday.
The
government has also decided to get the bank account details of four employees
of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Secretariat, who were identified
as Tahir Iqbal, Mohammad Noman Afzal, Mohammad Arshad, and Mohammad Rafique,
The News International newspaper quoted sources as saying.
The
records of huge sums of money coming into the private accounts of four
employees of PTI led by Khan are being sought from the central bank of
Pakistan, according to sources, and arrests will also be made in the light of
the evidence.
According
to government sources, the record of the former ruling party's foreign funding
between 2013 and 2022 is also being sought.
Forensic
examination of records will be carried out by independent auditors while
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will take
action by obtaining records at their respective levels, sources added.
The
sources said the government agencies have decided to write a letter to
international financial institutions for the record of the PTI as well as the
party supremo's international bank accounts.
According
to the report, an action will be taken under a data exchange agreement reached
during the tenure of former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
As
per the agreement, the FBR has the legal authority to take records from foreign
banks.
Sources
also said that records of other foreign bank accounts including US, UK, Canada,
Norway, Finland, New Zealand and Australia will be obtained.
The
federal government has also decided to scrutinise the cricketer-turned-politician's
statements and income, the paper reported.
The
ousted party and the former prime minister are currently under scrutiny on the
charges of foreign funding from countries.
Any
irregularity in assets and income may be used by PTI's arch-rival and the incumbent
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party to charge the ousted premier with
assets beyond means, undeclared income and illegal inflow of huge sum of funds
from unknown sources.
Source:
India Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab World
Saudi
Film Commission takes part in Malmo Arab Film Festival 2022
HEBSHI
ALSHAMMARI
May
06, 2022
RIYADH:
Saudi filmmakers are taking part in the Malmo Arab Film Festival 2022 through
16 films, hoping to present a positive image of the development of the
Kingdom’s film industry.
The
event, which began on Wednesday and runs until May 9 in the Swedish city,
invited Saudi Arabia as a guest of honor. As a result, Saudi films will receive
special screenings and seminars will be held to showcase the development of
Saudi cinema.
Saudi
filmmakers will present feature films in the competition, in addition to
screenings of other formats.
The
Saudi films entering the competition are “Junnah” by directors Maan Abdul
Rahman and Yasser Abdul Rahman in the feature film competition category; “Phone
Kharban” by directors Raghad Al-Barqi, “Diyar Hisma” by Fahd Fayez, “a” by
directors Noura Al-Mawlid, Ragheed Al-Nahdi and Ruba Khafajiin the short film
competition category; and a film by Nour Al-Amir and Fatima Al-Hazmi in the
“Arabian Nights” category.
The
festival will screen five feature Saudi films: “Forty Years and One Nights” by
Mohammed Al-Halil, “The Tambour of Retribution” by Abdulaziz Al-Shalahi, “The
Journey” by Kibon Shizuno (a Saudi-Japanese co-production), “Shams Almaarif” by
Faris Quds, “The 10th Way” by Omar Naim, in addition to seven short films: “Umm
Al-Saaf and Al-Lif” by Hala Al-Haid (a Saudi-US co-production), “Hawas” by
Khaled Zeidan, “Zawal” by Mujtaba Saeed (a Saudi production, with German-French
contribution), “Saaf” by Wijdan Al-Marzouq, “Shams 89” by Mansour Al-Badran,
“The Little Bird” by Khaled Fahd and “Noor Shams” by Fayza Amba.
The
participation at the festival is in line with the Saudi film industry’s plan to
promote itself on global platforms and build partnerships that build the
sector, said Abdullah Al-Eyaf, CEO of the Saudi Film Commission.
He
added that international film festivals represent a space to highlight Saudi
talents and attract global talent in the field of filmmaking, especially after
the remarkable shift in the industrial environment in the Kingdom through a
government system that supports and stimulates the industry.
Al-Eyaf
said that prominent partnerships from the private sector and the Kingdom’s
great geographical diversity have also enabled the transformation.
Mansour
Al-Badran, director of “Shams 89,” said: “I am very happy with the film’s
participation in the festival. I think that the national achievement that was
made in the film deserves to be watched and celebrated, on a local and
international level.”
He
told Arab News that the Saudi Film Commission has made great efforts to enable
national talents to take part in the Malmo event, expressing confidence that
the commission’s support will continue in other international forums to
celebrate Saudi cinematic creativity.
The
Saudi presence at the Malmo Festival was “honorable,” Al-Badran said, adding
that the selection of the films that qualified to participate was “objectively
decided.”
He
said: “I think that Saudi cinema is up and coming, and the Saudi films
participating in the current festival are a good proof of that ... I think we
are on the right track.”
The
guest of honor program includes a symposium to introduce the Saudi Film
Commission and its initiatives, and to showcase the Talents Bridge intensive
training program. The event will conclude with a Saudi artistic night, in which
a Saudi musical orchestra will perform.
The
Malmo event is the largest Arab film festival in Europe. Since its
establishment in 2011, it has received growing public interest due to its
location in Sweden. Malmo is home to a diverse range of cultures, and the
festival aims to build bridges between people based on film as a universal
visual language.
Cinemas
in Saudi Arabia have made great achievements over the past four years, with box
office sales exceeding 30.8 million tickets, the Saudi Press Agency recently
reported.
Since
its launch in April 2018, the Saudi Film Commission has licensed 56 theaters
with 518 screens in 20 cities, in which 1,144 films were shown, including 22
Saudi films. The number of ticket sales amounted to 30,860,956 for films in 22
languages from 38 countries.
The
cinema sector also employs 4,439 young Saudi men and women as part of efforts
to increase the size of the media market, provide a favorable environment to
diversify economic sources of income and create thousands of jobs for Saudi
youth.
Using
media as a strategic tributary of the national economy also comes in line with
Vision 2030, the SPA said.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2076871/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi
Authorities Cover Abuses in Migrant Centres amid Mass Arrests: Report
07
May 2022
Saudi
authorities are covering rampant human rights abuses at its migrant detention
centers while continuing to arrest thousands of foreign migrants in a vicious
witch-hunt, according to a report.
Published
on Friday, the shocking report in Middle East Eye said the kingdom authorities
were hiding pervasive human rights violations and heinous conditions at migrant
detention facilities while continuing to arrest thousands of African and Yemeni
migrants.
The
online news portal cited the Ethiopian migrants awaiting deportation as saying
that Saudi authorities had conducted mass searches of the detention centers,
confiscating phones and any devices that could be used to shine a light on
their suffering to the outside world.
“They
came in here looking for phones because they don’t want the world to see images
of our suffering here,” Semir, an Ethiopian migrant currently held at a
deportation center in Riyadh, was quoted as saying. “When they would find a
phone, they would beat up the owner with batons.”
Ethiopians
held in Saudi detention centers told the new portal that they were given little
to eat even in the holy fasting month of Ramadan and held for months in putrid,
overcrowded rooms.
“People
are going mad here. There is little food and many of us haven’t been outdoors
in almost nine months,” Nebil, a detainee in Riyadh, was quoted as saying. “We
used to get a piece of bread three times a day. Since Ramadan, we get it only
once, at night.”
The
report said Saudi police had ordered people set for deportation to sign
non-disclosure agreements forbidding them from talking to journalists about
their harrowing experiences.
The
shocking revelations by these migrants about the pitiful conditions at the
detention centers correspond with the assessment of officials from the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other UN agencies supporting
relief efforts at returnee reception centers in Ethiopia.
“In
addition to injuries and illnesses suffered due to the hazardous journey, the
IOM has observed that communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis and skin
conditions are prevalent among returnees,” Yvonne Ndege, spokesperson for the
agency’s East and Horn of Africa office, was cited in the report.
“Prolonged
periods in overcrowded and unsanitary facilities may well be a contributing
factor to this issue.”
Rights
groups confirmed in October 2020 that abuse and deaths among migrants were
commonplace at the Saudi detention centers. The European Union parliament also
passed a resolution condemning Riyadh for its mistreatment of migrants.
The
number of Ethiopian detainees held at the kingdom’s migrant detention centers
has seen a sharp rise in recent months as the unwarranted witch-hunt has
intensified.
In
an attempt to ease the burden, Saudi authorities reached an agreement with
Ethiopia in March to fly out at least 100,000 Ethiopians, many of whom were
detained in waves of anti-migrant crackdowns last year.
Since
the agreement was signed, thousands of Ethiopians have returned to their
homeland, with another 1,031 landing in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on
Wednesday.
However,
mass arrests by Saudi authorities continue to target thousands more, with
15,000 migrants, almost all of them Ethiopians and Yemenis, detained in a
single week in March.
In
September 2020, a report in The Sunday Telegraph had made a startling
disclosure about hundreds of African migrants locked in heinous conditions in a
drive to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which the report said was
reminiscent of Libya’s slave camps.
Graphic
mobile phone images by migrants held inside the detention centers showed
detainees crippled by the heat lying half-naked in small rooms with closed
windows.
“It’s
hell in here. We are treated like animals and beaten every day,” Abebe, an
Ethiopian who had been held at one of the centers for more than four months,
told the newspaper.
“A
young boy, about sixteen, managed to hang himself last month. The guards just
throw the bodies out back as if it was trash,” said another.
Source:
Press TV
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Saudi
Hajj ministry warns against suspicious websites promoting Hajj campaigns
06
May ,2022
Saudi
Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah warned citizens and residents on Friday
against dealing with any suspicious websites promoting Hajj campaigns and
enlisting registration links.
It
also said that registering for this year’s Hajj from inside the Kingdom will be
through its website, adding that it will announce the registration procedure
soon.
Last
month, Saudi Arabia said it will permit one million Muslims from inside and
outside the country to participate in this year’s Hajj, a sharp uptick after
pandemic restrictions forced two years of pared-down pilgrimages.
Usually
one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, about 2.5 million people took
part in 2019.
But
after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the Kingdom’s authorities
allowed only 1,000 pilgrims to participate in an effort to prioritize the
health of the pilgrims.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Planes
carrying freed Houthis arrive in Yemen from Saudi Arabia
06.05.2022
Planes
carrying freed Houthi prisoners arrived in Yemen from Saudi Arabia, it was
confirmed on Friday.
In
a tweet, the Saudi Press Agency announced the "end of the process of
releasing and transferring 163 Houthi prisoners."
It
said the release was part of Saudi Arabia's humanitarian initiative to
"support peace efforts."
"We
appreciate the efforts and role of the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) to coordinate the return of prisoners," the statement added.
Meanwhile,
the ICRC said it facilitated the repatriation of 117 detainees following a
request from the Arab Coalition.
Turki
Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the coalition, had earlier announced that 163
Houthis imprisoned while fighting against Saudi Arabia would be released.
On
April 1, UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg announced a "long overdue"
two-month truce between Yemen’s warring rivals, under which all offensive
military air, ground, and maritime operations were halted.
Yemen
has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014 when Iranian-aligned
Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.
The
Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to restore the government to
power.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Landmine
planted by PKK terrorists kills Danish cyclist in northern Iraq
06.05.2022
DUHOK,
Iraq
A
Danish cyclist died from his injuries Thursday after his bike hit a landmine in
Duhok province in northern Iraq.
The
landmine, planted by PKK terrorists in Kani Masi village in Amedi district,
detonated when two Danish cyclists were passing through the region, local media
reported.
One
of the cyclists succumbed to his injuries, according to reports.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Jeddah
Art Promenade turns into huge interactive photography stage
May
06, 2022
JEDDAH:
Thousands of festivalgoers have been flocking to Jeddah to lap up the Red Sea
port city’s second season of entertainment activities and events.
Firework
displays, circus performances, and art shows are among the attractions drawing
visitors of all ages to this year’s leisure bonanza.
Jeddah
Art Promenade was turned into a huge interactive photography stage as visitors
took souvenir photos of themselves during firework displays and live
performances and shows.
Firework
displays will take place each day throughout the 60-day Jeddah Season and will
be accompanied by additional shows lighting up Jeddah’s skies.
Many
of the visitors to this year’s Jeddah Season have commented on the increased
number of activities and events on offer. These have included music parades,
entertainment designed specifically for families and children, and a range of
new shows and displays.
The
Cirque du Soleil has reported large audience numbers for its Fuzion shows over
the first days of the festival. The international circus consists of 39
artists, supported by 25 technicians, and includes acrobatics, juggling games,
helium balloons, and flying swings.
Source:
Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2076881/saudi-arabia
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Southeast Asia
476
Die in Traffic Accidents During Ramadan Holidays
BY
:BERITASATU
MAY
07, 2022
Jakarta.
At least 476 people were killed in traffic accidents during the last week of
Ramadan and the following three days when Indonesian Muslims celebrated their
biggest holiday of Idul Fitri, according to data from state-owned insurance
company Jasa Raharja.
The
number of motor vehicles traveling on inter-province highways increased
significantly during the holiday season, contributing to a higher rate of
traffic accidents than on normal days.
"We
have disbursed Rp 55.4 billion in insurance payout for traffic accidents that
killed 476 people and issued insurance settlement documents to 3,767 injured
people via an integrated online system with hospitals,” Jasa Raharja President
Director Rivan Purwantono said in Semarang, Central Java.
He
said the latest death toll dropped by 66.6 percent compared to the number of
fatal accidents during the same holiday season in 2019. The government banned
Ramadan travels in 2020-21 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Toll
road operator Jasa Marga said earlier that a record 1.7 million cars left
Greater Jakarta during the holiday season, an increase of 9.5 percent on the
2019 figures.
Source:
Jakarta Globe
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https://jakartaglobe.id/news/476-die-in-traffic-accidents-during-ramadan-holidays
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Laid
off in London, Malaysian turns personal shopper instead
Shalini
Jay
May
7, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Like many all over the world who were laid off when the Covid-19 pandemic
hit, Malaysian Fazlynn Azrul found herself scared and stressed in London after
losing her job in March 2020.
She
had gone to London in 2018 to pursue her studies. One year later and armed with
a Master’s degree, she settled into her job at a fintech company – until the
pandemic hit, that is.
The
39-year-old found out soon enough that securing freelance work was next to
impossible and growing more desperate by the day, she worried about how she’d
make it through the pandemic.
Then
an idea struck! She recalled the many friends she knew who loved shopping in
London but couldn’t now because international borders were closed.
Believing
that she could make a business out of being their personal shopper, she took a
chance and set up “bits.ldn”.
“I
asked if they wanted anything from here, and I offered to courier it to them. I
also noticed that people were cooking more since they were stuck at home, and
given that there are a lot of kitchen utensils here which are cheaper and of
better quality, I started promoting these to friends and family,” she said.
Despite
the initial stops and starts, her business grew by word of mouth and soon her
client list got longer. Among the more popular items ordered were English tea
sets, place mats, dinnerware, handbags, perfumes, chocolates and even
continental car parts.
“These
items are either hard to find in Malaysia, or are more expensive,” she told
FMT.
Her
business strategy is simple – rather than shop directly from a merchant in
London, Fazlynn offers her services to shop on behalf of her clients’ and ship
the goods to them in Malaysia. Needless to say, she earns a commission for all
her hard work.
All
a client need do is pick their desired items from the “bits.ldn” Instagram
account or from online shopping catalogues. Then send the list to her before
transferring the payment. She will take care of the rest.
Besides
buying antiques and vintage items for her clients during her travels around
England, Fazlynn also puts together personalised gift boxes for those wishing
to send them to friends and family living in Malaysia and England.
After
enjoying a good run, Fazlynn admitted that business has slowed, now that
borders have reopened and courier charges are higher because of the war in
Ukraine.
Still,
she’s optimistic her clients will appreciate the plus points of using her
services instead of shopping themselves while on holiday.
“In
addition to the high fees for excess baggage, you also risk breaking fragile
items. Plus, I live about thirty minutes from Heathrow Airport, so it’s rather
convenient for me to collect the things and courier them on their behalf.
“At
the end of the day, if you want something delivered urgently, I can still be of
service,” she said, adding that she also has clients from Singapore and
Indonesia.
Fazlynn
said she finds her job rewarding, especially when clients give her positive
feedback. “Even though I did things on a larger scale while I was working in
the corporate sector, this job is more personalised, and people are more
appreciative of my work; I love that feeling.”
What
advice does she have for those wishing to start a business? Research the market
and “offer something better” to your client that your competitor isn’t, she
said.
“It
would be difficult in the beginning as people would have not heard of you, but
testimonials and social media posts from your clients can really help spread
the word.
“Just
take the first step, and deal with problems as they come; don’t overthink or
you will never take the plunge,” she said, adding that one never knows the
opportunities that lie ahead.
Fazlynn
said that she doesn’t come from a wealthy family, having lost her dad when she
was six. She also used her own savings to fund her move to London.
She
said she realised just how short and fragile life is after her grandma passed
away in 2018 and a friend committed suicide soon after. “It made me take the
leap and move here,” she said of her life in London.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Why
Did Govt Settle Apandi’s ‘Unlawful Sacking’ Suit, Asks Dr M
May
6, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Dr Mahathir Mohamad has questioned why Putrajaya decided to reach a
settlement with former attorney-general Apandi Ali in his suit against the
government and Mahathir over his alleged “unlawful sacking” in 2018.
Mahathir
said that when he was giving his statement to current Attorney-General Idrus
Harun over the suit, Idrus told him the termination of Apandi’s services was
according to procedure.
“He
said the government and I advised the King rightly, for Apandi’s services to be
terminated. So I was shocked recently to read that a settlement was reached
outside of court between the government
and Apandi, with the terms kept a secret.
“I
wasn’t even informed of the terms of the settlement despite being the main
witness,” the former prime minister said in a statement today.
The
Langkawi MP said he then wrote to Idrus to state his disagreement over the
settlement, maintaining that Putrajaya should not give in to Apandi when it did
not do any wrong.
He
also criticised how the terms for the settlement were kept confidential, saying
Malaysians deserved to know the details especially if it involved compensation
payment to Apandi.
“Does
compensation need to be paid if action was taken according to the law? Where is
the principle of the rule of law?
“I
do not admit doing any wrong (in Apandi’s sacking) and I was ready for Apandi’s
demands to be judged in court.”
Apandi’s
settlement with the government was recorded before Kuala Lumpur High Court
judge Akhtar Tahir on April 13.
His
lawyer, Baljit Singh Sidhu, said the government agreed to settle the suit
without admission of liability, but he could not disclose the terms of the
settlement.
Apandi
had filed the suit in September 2020, seeking a declaration that the
termination of his services as attorney-general in 2018 by Mahathir was
unlawful.
He
asked for RM2,233,599.36 in special, punitive and general damages to be
assessed by the court.
Apandi,
who was a former judge, was appointed the attorney-general on July 27, 2015.
His contract was to have ended on July 26, 2018.
He
said the chief secretary to the government had informed him through a letter
before the 14th general election that his tenure would be extended by three
years.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Singapore
PM to receive Johor’s highest state honour
May
5, 2022
SINGAPORE:
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will receive Johor’s highest state
honour from Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, while his wife, Ho Ching, will
receive a state award, at an investiture ceremony in Johor tomorrow, The
Straits Times reported.
Quoting
a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the report said Lee and Ho
will visit the state to attend the ceremony, which will be held at the Istana
Besar in Johor Bahru.
Lee
will be conferred the title of Dato’ Sri Paduka Mahkota Johor, or SPMJ, which
means Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor, First Class.
The
order of chivalry is the oldest order given by any state in Malaysia, and was
instituted in 1886 based on the English Order of St Michael and St George.
Previous
Singapore recipients include then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and then law
minister EW Barker, who were given the award in 1984, followed by prime
minister Goh Chok Tong, who was given the award in 1991, said the report.
Meanwhile,
Ho will be the first Singaporean to be conferred the title of Dato’ Sri Mulia
Sultan Ibrahim Johor, or SMIJ. It means Grand Commander of the Order of Sultan
Ibrahim of Johor, First Class.
The
report said the personal order of chivalry was commissioned by Sultan Ibrahim
in 2015 to commemorate his coronation, and comprises the Sovereign and three
designated classes of membership – Grand Commander, Commander and Companion.
Lee
and wife will be accompanied by Singapore foreign affairs minister Vivian
Balakrishnan, home affairs and law minister K Shanmugam, and officials from the
PMO and the ministries of foreign affairs, home affairs and communications and
information, said the report.
After
the presentation of state honours on Friday, Sultan Ibrahim will host an
official brunch in honour of Lee and Ho.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Africa
Morocco
arrests ISIS suspect in joint probe with US
06
May ,2022
Moroccan
police said Friday they had arrested a suspected ISIS group member, in
cooperation with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, who was implicated in
plotting “acts of terrorism.”
The
announcement came ahead of the opening next Wednesday in the Moroccan city of
Marrakesh of a conference of member countries in the US-led coalition against
ISIS.
The
suspect, based in the kingdom’s northeastern Berkane region, was implicated in
the “preparation of a terrorist plot aimed at delivering a serious blow to
public order,” Morocco’s counterterrorism police, the Central Office of
Judicial Research, said in a statement.
“The
outlines of his terrorist conspiracy were unmasked on the basis of research and
technical investigation carried out jointly with the FBI,” it added.
This
operation “is further evidence of the persistent dangers of the terrorist
threat that hangs” over Morocco and “the importance of bilateral cooperation...
with the United States in the fight against terrorism.”
The
suspect, a 37-year-old engineer, “ran a closed user group dedicated to
extremist goals and projects and aimed at recruiting and drawing in
sympathizers,” the statement said.
His
objective was to carry out attacks against Moroccan and foreign dignitaries on
Moroccan soil, it alleged.
Morocco
has been spared the extremist violence that has shaken other Middle East and
North African countries in recent years but the security services regularly
report arrests of suspects in operations targeting militant cells.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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