RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Says Ayodhya Dream Being Fulfilled, Calls Babri Mosque 'Symbol Of Slavery'

New Age Islam News Bureau

15 January 2024

  

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat

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·         RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Says Ayodhya Dream Being Fulfilled, Calls Babri Mosque 'Symbol Of Slavery'

·         Pope Francis Defends Same-Sex Blessings Declaration, Says It Is Misunderstood

·         Bernie Sanders Says Crisis In Gaza Worse Than What Happened In Dresden In World War II

·         Boycott American And Israeli Goods That Support The Zionist Entity, Israeli Goods Committee In Sana'a Held

·         ‘Genocide By Israel’: Bangladesh backs South Africa in International Court of Justice

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India

·         Hate Speech: Suo Motu FIR Against Karnataka BJP MP Over 'Mosque Will Be Destroyed' Comment

·         AIMPLB Urges Muslims To Refrain From Ram Temple Inauguration Celebrations

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Europe

·         Pope Francis says war is in itself a crime against humanity: ‘Let us not forget’

·         Dutch Police Clash With Group Trying To Stop Quran Burning

·         UK remains ready to act against attacks on shipping: Cameron

·         UK police arrest six pro-Palestinian activists in alleged stock exchange plot

·         Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested over plot to shut down London Stock Exchange – police

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North America

·         Biden ‘Running Out’ Of Patience With Netanyahu As Gaza War Enters 100 Days

·         Thousands Rally In Front Of White House To Demand Ceasefire In Gaza

·         US Professor, Mohammad Jafer Mahallati, Who Called For 'Global Jihad' On Israel, Supported Hamas Suspended

·         US says it shot down anti-ship cruise missile from Houthi-controlled areas

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Arab World

·         Yemeni Citizens Protests Against US and UK Attacks, Express Solidarity with Palestine

·         EU Arabic Spokesperson Says Saudi Arabia’s Role In Fostering Peace In The Region Is Essential

·         Yemen’s Response To US-Led Strikes Will End American Hegemony Forever: Official

·         Studying Religion Leads Taiwanese Guest of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program to Islam

·         OIC, King Salman academy celebrate World Arabic Language Day

·         KSrelief: Aid initiatives reach Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Lebanon

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South Asia

·         BNP, Jamaat Leaders Not Jailed For Political Reason: Law Minister

·         Contempt Of Court Petition Against 7 Pro-BNP Lawyers: SC Defers Hearing Till Jan 29

·         Turkish police detain nearly 100 Afghan refugees

·         Office Of The Taliban Governor In Nimroz Targeted By Suicide Attack

·         About 8,000 Child Labourers Have Been Identified: Authorities

·         Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Ensures Registration All Returnees: Haqani

·         Rohingya issue can be resolved diplomatically: foreign minister

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Pakistan

·         Thousands Join Jamaat­i-Islami Rally For Gaza On 100 Days Of Israeli Atrocities

·         Fazl-ur-Rehman Pledges to Seek Improved Ties Between Kabul, Islamabad

·         Speakers reaffirm Pakistan’s abiding support for legitimate cause of Palestinians

·         JUIF seeks enhanced security for leadership

·         Pak, Iran to hold talks on Afghan situation today

·         4th consignment of relief goods sent for people of Gaza

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Mideast

·         Hamas Airs Video Of Israeli Hostages, Says Will Disclose Their Fate

·         Al-Qassam Brigades Says Destroyed About 1,000 Israeli Military Vehicles In Past 100 Days

·         Israel committed horrific crimes during 100 days of genocide in Gaza: Palestine

·         Israel-Hamas: Will War Spread To Hezbollah And 'Axis Of Resistance'?

·         Insiders provide regional stability, but foes dread Muslim unity: commander

·         100 days and 25,000 deaths later, Israel’s offensive in Gaza shows no signs of slowing

·         Israel ‘failed’ in Gaza and will negotiate: Hezbollah chief

·         Hamas says many hostages likely killed, blames Israel

·         Israeli forces kill 5 Palestinians, including 3 teens, in violent raids across West Bank

·         "Al-Quds Brigades" bombed "Kosufim" site with Badr-1 missiles

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Southeast Asia

·         Malaysian Chief Justice Sees Possible ‘Agenda’ To Portray Judiciary As Against Islam, Intimidate Judges

·         China calls for Gaza ceasefire, Palestinian statehood as war hits 100-day mark

·         Hearing Of Youth’s Appeal In Tahfiz Fire Murder Case Rescheduled To March 21

·         Couple Arrested Over Zakat Misappropriation Released On Bond

·         Floods: More evacuees in Sabah and Pahang, fewer in Johor this morning - NADMA

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Africa

·         S Africa's Legal Team In ICJ's Israel Case Welcomed Home

·         DR Congo: Streets in Kinshasa flooded as heavy rain causes Congo river to burst its banks

·         Supreme Court verdict: Mammoth crowd welcomes Gov Yusuf in Kano

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:    https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/rss-chief-bhagwat-ayodhya-babri/d/131522

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RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Says Ayodhya Dream Being Fulfilled, Calls Babri Mosque 'Symbol Of Slavery'

 

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat

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Jan 15, 2024

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said that a long cherished dream is now being fulfilled with the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, while calling the demolished Babri mosque a ‘symbol of slavery’.

In an apparent reference to the Babri Masjid, which was pulled down by “kar sevaks” in December 1992, Bhagwat said, “The symbol of slavery was demolished in Ayodhya but no damage was caused to any other mosque there. Kar sevaks did not riot anywhere.” He said this in an address after his three-day visit here.

Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony is being organised in Ayodhya on 22 January.

The RSS chief said, “It is a joy to have the temple built. But there is still a lot of work to be done and it has to be kept in mind that the struggle due to which this dream is being fulfilled should continue in the future also so that the destination is achieved.” Emphasizing the need to work more quickly to organise and unite the society, Bhagwat said that when the entire nation stands together, it will be able to remove all the evils of the world and become a ‘Vishwa Guru’.

Bhagwat said that most of the cultures of the world disappeared with time but Hindu culture has been resilient and maintained its identity despite facing all kinds of ups and downs.

He said, “Despite having so many languages, gods and goddesses, diverse religions, every person in India from North to South and from East to West believes that we have to live in such a way that the world learns to live by watching it.”

Source: indiatoday.in

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https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rss-chief-mohan-bhagwat-ayodhya-ram-mandir-babri-mosque-symbol-of-slavery-2488715-2024-01-15

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Pope Francis Defends Same-Sex Blessings Declaration, Says It Is Misunderstood

 

Pope Francis

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 15 Jan 2024

ROME, Jan 15 — Pope Francis yesterday defended a landmark decision approving blessings for same-sex couples, suggesting that those in the Catholic Church who have resisted it have jumped to “ugly conclusions” because they do not understand it.

In a television interview, Francis made his first public comments since the Dec. 18 declaration sparked widespread debate in the Church, with bishops in some countries, particularly in Africa, refusing to let their priests implement it.

“Sometimes decisions are not accepted, but in most cases when decisions are not accepted, it is because they are not understood,” Francis said in response to a specific question about the December declaration.

“The danger is that if I don’t like something and I put it (the opposition) in my heart, I become a resistance and jump to ugly conclusions,” he said during a link from his Vatican residence with the Che Tempo Che Fa programme on Italy’s Channel 9.

“This is what happened with these latest decisions on blessings for all,” he said, referring to the declaration known by its Latin title Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust). It was issued by the Vatican’s doctrinal department and approved by him.

Since the original declaration, the Vatican has been at pains to stress that the blessings did not amount to an approval of gay sex and should not be seen as anything remotely equivalent to the sacrament of marriage for heterosexual couples.

But even a clarification earlier this month from the Vatican’s doctrinal department did not sway bishops in Africa, where in some countries same-sex activity can lead to prison or even the death penalty.

They issued a letter last week saying the December declaration had caused “unrest in the minds of many” and could not be applied because of the continent’s cultural context.

Some bishops in France told their priests they could bless gay individuals but not couples.

The Church teaches that gay sex is sinful and disordered and people with same-sex attractions should try to be chaste and the pope appeared to be alluding to this is his response.

“The Lord blesses everyone,” Francis said. “But then people have to enter into a dialogue with the blessing of the Lord and see the path that the Lord proposes. We (the Church) have to take them by the hand and lead them along that path and not condemn them from the start”.

Since his election in 2013, Francis has tried to make the Church, with its 1.35 billion members, more welcoming to LGBT people, without changing moral doctrine. — Reuters

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2024/01/15/pope-defends-same-sex-blessings-declaration-says-it-is-misunderstood/112470

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Bernie Sanders Says Crisis In Gaza Worse Than What Happened In Dresden In World War II

 

US Senator Bernie Sanders speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

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[15/January/2024]

WASHINGTON January 15. 2024 (Saba) - Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders has said that the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza is “worse” than what happened in Dresden, Germany, in World War II.

Sanders added in a statement reported by the American newspaper “The Hill” on Sunday, “If you use the word Dresden, Germany, you are thinking of the horrific destruction that city suffered during World War II... and what is happening in Gaza now in three months is worse than what happened.” "In Dresden in two years, this is a disaster."

He added "Therefore, my point of view from the beginning was that Israel does not have the right to wage war against an entire people, and the US Congress must take action because much of this destruction is occurring with military weapons provided by the United States of America."

He continued "In my opinion, this is definitely not the case. We have a horrific humanitarian catastrophe and we cannot turn our backs on it. Congress must start taking action to protect children in Palestine."

Sanders plans to introduce a resolution to the Senate this week under the Foreign Assistance Act, which would direct the US State Department to look into human rights violations caused by Israel in Gaza.

He also acknowledged that he will likely not get the 51 votes needed to pass. His decision, noting that this is the “first time” that this type of decision has been put to a vote.

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3296418.htm

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Boycott American And Israeli Goods That Support The Zionist Entity, Israeli Goods Committee In Sana'a Held

 

[15/January/2024]

SANA'A January 15. 2024 (Saba) - An expanded meeting was held at the General Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Sana'a to discuss aspects related to the boycott of American and Israeli goods that support the Zionist entity.

In the meeting, Undersecretary of the Technical Affairs Sector in the Customs Authority - Chairman of the Committee, Abdulkarim Rasa’ confirmed that the boycott is continuing and performing the role assigned to it, indicating that the media role has had an impact significantly in this aspect.

Head of the coordination unit Muhannad al-Shami stressed the importance of the role of the Union and the Chamber in boycotting these goods, considering it a religious, moral and humanitarian duty.

Vice President of the Union - Deputy Chairman of the Secretariat Chamber, Muhammad Salah, confirmed that the Yemeni private sector is aware of the role assigned to it at this stage in which the Palestinian people are facing a barbaric Zionist war in which the forces of global arrogance participated... pointing out that the boycott decision is practical evidence of The Yemeni people’s support for the struggle of the Palestinian people.

Director of the Union of Chambers of Commerce Taha al-Mahbashi pointed out the importance of activating local resources and investing in national capabilities in launching quality and competitive local industries.

He called on the Union to hold a meeting with merchants who own the trademarks included in the boycott’s decision to discuss possible alternatives to these products.

Head of the Consumer Protection Association Fadl Mansour stressed the importance of benefiting from the boycott in supporting and encouraging the national product, by seeking to replace imported national industries.

The meeting stressed the need for concerted efforts of the concerned authorities and the private sector to develop the national product, especially in the field of medicines and agricultural products.

Participants agreed to prepare a list of basic requirements to optimally implement the boycott plan, strengthen the national product to cover the local market, encourage local industries, and grant them facilities and competitive advantages in various fields.

The Participants praised the popular position on the boycott, stressing that the Yemeni consumer today has the awareness and knowledge that qualifies him to support his country’s products.

The basic requirements for preparing and implementing the boycott plan were also discussed, which is to determine a list of goods, brands and companies included under the boycott decision.

It was also agreed to hold a meeting with merchants to discuss appropriate mechanisms for implementing the boycott and investing in the opportunities available to them to replace national products.

It was also decided to hold a meeting that includes the General Investment Authority, the Ministries of Industry, Trade and Finance, and the Chambers of Commerce to discuss investment opportunities, through which the gap between boycotted products and their alternative products can be bridged, and to develop appropriate solutions and mechanisms to achieve this.

A study plan to encourage the national product was reviewed, presented by the Consumer Protection Association.

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3296415.htm

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‘Genocide By Israel’: Bangladesh backs South Africa in International Court of Justice

 

 Israeli soldiers operate in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas on January 6, 2024. Photo: Reuters

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Jan 15, 2024

Bangladesh has expended its support to South Africa's application against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning Israel's violation of the Genocide Convention regarding the Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip.

The country also supports South Africa's request for provisional measures, including requests for suspending all military operations in and against Gaza and allowing safe, adequate, and unimpeded humanitarian aid in all of Gaza.

"The provisional measures requested are both necessary and concrete steps required to end the humanitarian catastrophe that has unfolded in Gaza," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement yesterday.

In this context, the statement said that Bangladesh welcomes the opportunity to file a declaration of intervention in the proceedings in due course.

On December 29, 2023, South Africa filed the case with the World Court, alleging that Israel is violating the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The ongoing attacks by Israeli Defense Forces have claimed the lives of thousands of innocent Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children. Bangladesh considers these deliberate acts of aggression a blatant disregard for and violation of international law, including the Genocide Convention.

As a state party to the Genocide Convention, Bangladesh calls on all states to respect their obligations under the convention to prevent and punish the crime of genocide.

The statement said Bangladesh reiterates its calls for an immediate ceasefire and the rapid, safe, and unhindered provision of life-saving assistance, at scale, to Gaza.

It also reiterated its calls for an end to Israel's occupation of Palestine and for a lasting and permanent solution that sees the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/genocide-israel-bangladesh-backs-south-africa-icj-3519396

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India

 

Hate Speech:Suo Motu FIR Against Karnataka BJP MP Over 'Mosque Will Be Destroyed' Comment

Jan 15, 2024

New Delhi: Police in Karnataka have filed a suo motu case against Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha MP Anantkumar Hegde in the wake of him saying that a mosque in Bhatkal will be destroyed like the Babri Masjid in Uttar Pradesh was in 1992.

“Like Babri Masjid was demolished, Chinnada Palli mosque will be demolished in Bhatkal. The media can write it as a threat, but we don’t care. But, we will do it. This is not the decision of Anantkumar Hegde, but it is the decision of the Hindu community,” the MP said, according to Hindustan Times.

As reported by The Wire, Hegde had also said that “the Hindu community won’t rest until more mosques are reclaimed”.

His comment was made on the lines of Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya and the same location where the ruling BJP party is holding the consecration ceremony of the under-construction Ram temple.

Kumata Police have filed a case invoking sections related to hate speech and an attempt to create unrest in the district against Hegde.

Karwar SP Vishnuvarshan said that investigations are on.

Reports have noted how Hegde has begun to say controversial things in public speeches and attempted to link it with his hopes for a ticket in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

Congress leaders, including chief minister Siddaramaiah and culture minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, have criticised Hegde over his speech. The latter called him a “dog,” the Hindu reported.

Source: thewire.in

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https://thewire.in/communalism/anantkumar-hegde-mosque-babri-fir-karnataka-bjp

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AIMPLB urges Muslims to refrain from Ram Temple inauguration celebrations

Jan 14, 2024

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has issued a statement calling on Muslims to abstain from participating in the forthcoming inauguration festivities of the Ram Temple scheduled for January 22. AIMPLB Chairman Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rehmani voiced apprehensions over the temple’s construction, labeling it as ‘non-secular’ and ‘anti-government.’

Rehmani argued against the temple’s construction, citing the Supreme Court’s acknowledgment that there was no evidence of a temple being demolished to build the Babri Mosque. He asserted that the court’s decision was based on assumptions of a particular sect within the majority community and not supported by holy Hindu texts.

“The construction of the temple was an attack on secularism and the democracy of India,” Rehmani stated, alleging government support that led to the replacement of a mosque, where Muslims worshipped for centuries, with a temple.

Expressing concern over a potential inauguration by the Prime Minister, Rehmani remarked, “Now, if the Prime Minister inaugurates the temple himself, it will be the death of secularism and justice.” He criticized the nationwide promotion of the event for political gains, deeming it as exacerbating the wounds of the minority community.

Addressing the permissibility for Muslims to participate in certain celebrations, Rehmani advised against raising ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans and lighting lamps on January 22, considering such actions as acts of ‘non-belief.’ However, he clarified that Muslims respect Shri Ram and other Hindu deities, emphasizing Islam’s teachings to honor prominent figures from all religions.

“If our Hindu brothers want to light lamps in celebration of the construction of the Ram Temple, we have no objection. We respect Shri Ram along with all other Hindu deities as Islam teaches to respect prominent personalities of all religions,” Rehmani stated.

He concluded by highlighting the monotheistic beliefs of Muslims, noting that celebrating other deities contradicts the fundamental belief in the sovereignty of the one God. The AIMPLB’s stance adds a new dimension to the ongoing discourse surrounding the Ram Temple inauguration, raising questions about its impact on communal harmony and secular values in India.

Source: muslimmirror.com

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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/aimplb-urges-muslims-to-refrain-from-ram-temple-inauguration-celebrations/

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Europe

 

Pope Francis says war is in itself a crime against humanity: ‘Let us not forget’

Jan 14, 2024

"Let us not forget this (...) People need peace, the world needs peace," the pope said after the weekly Angelus prayer.

Pope Francis said on Sunday war was "a crime against humanity" as he reiterated a call for peace in Ukraine and the Middle East.

"Let us not forget this (...) People need peace, the world needs peace," the pope said after the weekly Angelus prayer.

In the prayer, he urged people not to forget those suffering due to the "cruelty of war" in several parts of the world. He has repeatedly called for peace in Ukraine and in the war in Gaza.

"Let us pray that those who have power over these conflicts reflect on the fact that war is not the way to resolve them, as it sows death among civilians and destroys cities and infrastructure," the pope said.

Sunday marked 100 days since Hamas gunmen broke out of Gaza to launch the deadliest attack in Israel's history, triggering an Israeli campaign to eliminate Hamas that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated the Palestinian enclave.

Source: hindustantimes.com

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https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pope-francis-says-war-is-in-itself-a-crime-against-humanity-let-us-not-forget-101705236749041.html

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Dutch police clash with group trying to stop Quran burning

January 15, 2024

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands: A brawl broke in the Netherlands between police and a group intervening in a Quran attack planned by the leader of a far-right extremist political movement, Edwin Wagensveld, foreign media reported.

Police said a group demonstrated against authorized Quran burning by the Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West (PEGIDA) movement for which they obtained permission from the municipality in Arnhem.

The group attempted to intervene, leading to the discontinuation of the demonstration. Three individuals were arrested for non-compliance and three officers sustained minor injuries.

It was noted that the PEGIDA leader was placed under police protection. Arnhem Mayor Ahmed Marcouch, of Moroccan origin, said burning a sacred book is not prohibited in the Netherlands. Marcouch noted that while such an act might be understandable in affecting people, resorting to violence is unacceptable.

In the Netherlands, mayors have the authority to ban demonstrations if they anticipate a disruption of public order. Yildirim Usta, a council member from the Denk Party in Arnhem, criticized Marcouch in a statement for allowing PEGIDA’s Quran attack. Usta criticized the oversight of the PEGIDA Quran attack, citing it as a hate crime under the guise of free speech.

He expressed discontent with the police handling of Muslim protesters and announced plans to take initiatives in the municipal council for stronger measures against hate crimes. In attacks on the Quran conducted by Wagensveld in 2022 and 2023, it was reported that if he were to burn the Quran, police would intervene due to the prohibition of public fires, according to public order and safety regulations.

Wagensveld tore the Quran under police protection in front of the temporary Dutch parliament building in The Hague on Jan. 22, 2023, and alone in a demonstration in Utrecht on Feb, 13. Similarly, PEGIDA’s planned Quran burning in Rotterdam on Oct. 22, 2022, ended before it began with Wagensveld’s arrest.

Muslim groups gathered at the planned location in Rotterdam, despite PEGIDA’s announcement of the burning, and organized a counter-demonstration due to the show not being banned.

After being detained and released the same day, Wagensveld on the following day attempted a similar act in The Hague but was again arrested by police for not complying with demonstration rules. Last year, on Aug. 18 and Sept. 23, Wagensveld tore the Quran in front of Türkiye’s Embassy in The Hague.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1148023-dutch-police-clash-with-group-trying-to-stop-quran-burning

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UK remains ready to act against attacks on shipping: Cameron

 2024-01-15

LONDON: Britain remains ready to act to “defend freedom of navigation”, foreign minister David Cameron said on Sunday in the wake of joint US-UK air strikes on Yemen.

“We’ve demonstrated that we’re prepared to follow words and warnings with action and that is incredibly important,” Cameron told broadcaster Sky News.

He suggested further strikes could occur if the Huthi rebels, who control much of Yemen, continue to target ships in the Red Sea.

“We have to act. Not acting is also a policy and it was a policy that wasn’t working,” he said.

“It’s not just the goods that are coming to this country... it is also grain ships on their way to Ethiopia and Sudan to feed some of the poorest and hungriest people in the world.”

He accused Iran, which backs the Huthis, of being a “malign actor in the region”.

Some MPs complained that they were unable to debate Thursday’s air strikes before they occurred.

Cameron said there would be a statement in parliament on Monday when both houses could raise questions.

Opposition leader Keir Starmer, widely tipped to become prime minister later this year, told the BBC he would back further action “on its merits”, although the decision ultimately rests with the government.

Cameron’s comments echo those of US President Joe Biden, who said he would “not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary”.

Around 12 percent of global trade normally passes through the Red Sea.

But since mid-November, the attacks have prompted many shipping firms to take the longer route around the tip of Africa, disrupting supply chains and putting upward pressure on inflation.

The Huthis say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza, where the Hamas-run health ministry says nearly 24,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israeli forces in the past 100 days.

Israel began its relentless bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza after Hamas staged attacks in Israel on October 7, although Cameron said the UK government saw the two issues as “completely separate”.

Source: brecorder.com

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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40283669/uk-remains-ready-to-act-against-attacks-on-shipping-cameron

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UK police arrest six pro-Palestinian activists in alleged stock exchange plot

January 14, 2024

LONDON: British police on Sunday arrested six people who are members of the Palestine Action protest group as part of an investigation into an alleged plot to disrupt the London Stock Exchange.

The police alleged the activists had planned to target the LSE on Monday morning in an attempt to prevent the building opening for trading.

In a statement, London’s Metropolitan Police said three people were arrested in the northern English city of Liverpool, two in London, and one in the south coast city of Brighton.

“These are significant arrests. We believe this group was ready to carry out a disruptive and damaging stunt which could have had serious implications had it been carried out successfully,” said Detective Superintendent Sian Thomas.

The police said all six activists remained in custody.

London Stock Exchange Group was not immediately available for comment.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2441651/world

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Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested over plot to shut down London Stock Exchange – police

14 Jan, 2024

A group of pro-Palestinian activists were arrested on suspicion of plotting to disrupt the work of the London Stock Exchange, police said on Sunday.

The arrests were made in London, Liverpool, and Brighton. The suspects, aged 26 to 31, remain in custody.

According to the Metropolitan Police, the authorities were tipped off by the Daily Express newspaper about a group that sought to target the stock exchange, “causing damage and ‘locking on’ in an effort to prevent the building opening for trading.” The plan was supposed to be executed on Monday morning, police said.

“We believe this group was ready to carry out a disruptive and damaging stunt which could have had serious implications had it been carried out successfully,” Detective Superintendent Sian Thomas said. He added that officers will be on the lookout for “any disruption in the coming days.”

Pro-Palestine and pro-Israel demonstrations have been held in London and other UK cities after the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7. Some of the rallies resulted in scuffles with police.

In early November, a group of Palestine supporters staged a sit-in at King’s Cross station in central London. Five people were arrested for violating the restrictions on public assembly.

Earlier this month, pro-Palestinian protesters briefly blocked the roads outside the Parliament building in London.

The latest round of violence in the Middle East erupted on October 7, when Hamas and allied Palestinian militant groups attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages. Israel responded by declaring war on Hamas and launching a military operation in Gaza. More than 23,000 Palestinian have died since, according to the local Hamas-run authorities.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/news/590645-palestine-protesters-tartget-london-lse/

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North America

 

Biden ‘running out’ of patience with Netanyahu as Gaza war enters 100 days

14 January 2024

US President Joe Biden is reportedly losing patience with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Tel Aviv’s ongoing assault on the besieged Gaza Strip which has entered its 100 days.

The Axios news website, citing US officials with knowledge of the matter, reported on Sunday that Biden and senior US officials are becoming “increasingly frustrated” with Netanyahu and his rejection of most of Washington’s recent requests regarding the war in Gaza.

The US officials went on to say that US support for Israel’s war on Gaza has largely continued publicly, but behind the scenes, there are growing signs that Biden is losing his patience.

"The situation sucks and we are stuck. The president's patience is running out," a US official told Axios. 

Jake Sullivan arrives in Israel amid reports of a growing rift between Washington and Tel Aviv over the regime

"More and more signs of irritation are emerging. There is immense frustration," another US official told the American news website.

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, who has been in close contact with US officials about the Gaza war, also stated that Netanyahu appears "more willing to listen" to the far-right ministers in his cabinet — namely Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich-- than to "what the president of the United States says."

“They are pleading with the Netanyahu coalition, but getting slapped in the face over and over again," he said.

Axios further noted that Biden has not engaged in conversation with the Israeli premier for the past 20 days, describing as “tense” the last phone call between the two sides which occurred on December 23.

The report went on to say that Biden ended with the words "This conversation is over" after Netanyahu rejected his request that Israel release the Palestinian tax revenues Israel is withholding.

In addition, Biden and his advisers believe Israel is not doing enough to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza,

The Israeli regime waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime’s atrocities against Palestinians.

Russian intelligence shows Biden is trying to prevent a prolongation of Gaza war to avoid election setbacks.

Since the start of the aggression, Israel has killed more than 23,843 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Nearly 60,317 Palestinians have also been wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The Tel Aviv regime has also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

The US, Israel's biggest and oldest ally, has backed Tel Aviv's ferocious attacks on the Palestinian territory as an instance of "self-defense," and has provided the regime with thousands of arms consignments since the onset of the war.

Washington has also been casting its veto against the United Nations Security Council's resolutions calling on the occupying regime to cease its aggression.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/14/718231/US-Joe-Biden-frustration-losing-patience-Netanyahu-rejection-Washington-requests-Gaza-war--Palestine-Israel

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Thousands rally in front of White House to demand ceasefire in Gaza

14 January 2024

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Washington DC, calling for an end to Israel's brutal war in the Gaza Strip, which has entered its 100 days.

The demonstrators gathered in front of the White House in the United States capital on Saturday, as they carried signs listing the names of Palestinians killed and accusing President Joe Biden of participating in genocide.

The protesters also held aloft signs questioning Biden’s viability as a presidential candidate due to his support for Israel’s assault on Gaza, with some of the signs reading “No votes for Genocide Joe,” “Biden has blood on his hands" and “Let Gaza live.”

Sunday’s event was led by a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups who are calling for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, an end to US funding for the Israeli military and for Israel to be held accountable for “war crimes and violations of international law.”

Attendees from close to two dozen states participated in the rally, marking the biggest pro-Palestinian march since November.

Pro-Palestinian activists stage rallies across the United States as the Israeli regime intensifies its deadly attacks against civilians in the besieged Gaza strip.

Meanwhile, children joined a pro-Palestinian march through the British capital, London, as part of a global day of action against the longest and deadliest Israeli war on Gaza.

March organizers said the Palestinian children would accompany Little Amal, a 3.5-meter (11.5-foot) puppet originally meant to highlight the suffering of Syrian refugees, through the streets of central London.

Several other protests were also being held in European cities including Paris, Rome, Milan and Dublin.

In Dublin, thousands marched along the Irish capital's main thoroughfare to protest Israel’s onslaught against Gaza, as they waved Palestinian flags and held placards critical of Ireland, the US, and Israel and chanted “Free, free Palestine.″

In Rome, hundreds of demonstrators descended on a boulevard near the Colosseum, with some carrying signs reading, “Stop Genocide.”

Pro-Palestine protesters hold more rallies in Sydney and New York in solidarity with people in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Hundreds of demonstrators also gathered in Paris’ Republic Square to call for an immediate cease-fire, an end to the war, a lifting of the blockade on Gaza and to impose sanctions on Israel, as they waved Palestinian flags and held aloft placards and banners reading, “From Gaza to Paris. Resistance.”

The Israeli regime waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime’s atrocities against Palestinians.

Since the start of the aggression, Israel has killed more than 23,843 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Nearly 60,317 Palestinians have also been wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The Tel Aviv regime has also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

Source: presstv.ir

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US Professor, Mohammad Jafer Mahallati, Who Called For 'Global Jihad' On Israel, Supported Hamas Suspended

JANUARY 14, 2024

Oberlin College suspended its so-called “professor of peace” from his tenured position after it was revealed that the US Department of Education launched a probe into his antisemitism. In November and December, Iran International and the New York Post reported that Mohammad Jafer Mahallati sexually harassed a student.

Dual American-Iranian citizen Mahallati was formally stripped of his teaching post in November. The Jerusalem Post was the first news organization to report on the Iranian dissident campaign to oust Mahallati in 2020 for his alleged crimes against humanity.

In late September, the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced an inquiry into alleged rampant antisemitism at Oberlin College. “OCR will investigate whether the College failed to respond to the harassment of students based on national origin (shared Jewish ancestry)," wrote the OCR.

A history of antisemitism

Mahallati has a long history of stoking genocidal antisemitism, including calling for a global jihad against Israel during his tenure as Iran’s ambassador (1987-1989) to the UN.

According to Melissa Landa, a 1986 Jewish-American graduate of Oberlin College, who filed the OCR complaint in 2019 against the small liberal arts college, “Through his lectures and reading assignments, Mahallati glorifies Hamas and teaches his students to do the same. He also delegitimizes Israel by characterizing the Jewish state as a settler colonial endeavor.”

The US and the EU classified Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization. Landa said that “Mahallati should be fired.”

Amnesty International and the Alliance Against Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists (AAIRIA) accused Mahallati of using his position as the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ambassador to the UN in 1988 to cover up the regime’s massacre of 5,000 Iranian dissidents in the same year.

Lawdan Bazargan, an Iranian-American human rights activist who oversees AAIRIA, told the Post, “In the past 3.5 years, President Carmen Twillie Ambar and the Board of Oberlin College have displayed a concerning level of hostility towards our campaign and the families of the victims. This behavior serves as a stark example of inadequate leadership. Instead of addressing our concerns with sincerity, the administration resorted to spreading baseless rumors, labeling us as ‘right-wing Trumpists,’ ‘Islamophobic,’ or ‘agents of Israel.’ They intended to stifle our calls for justice and accountability.”

AAIRIA has requested that Oberlin College create a memorial for the victims of 1988 mass murder and set up a curriculum to educate students about the dangers of Islamism being comparable to Soviet communism and fascism.

Bazargan said," The theocratic nature of the Iranian regime, for instance, bestows supreme authority upon Allah, thereby constraining individuality and personal freedoms, which are pillars of Western societies. In contrast, progressive universities should prioritize the promotion of democratic principles such as autonomy, liberty, and pluralism, which are cherished by Western democracies."

Bazargan, who was incarcerated by Iran’s regime in the 1980s for her political activities, added, “It is high time for progressive universities to embrace a more responsible role. Rather than inadvertently promoting the interests of theocratic or oppressive regimes, they should champion the true voices of those suffering under such regimes. They should actively support the spread of democracy and democratic values.”

The investigative journalist Ben Baird, who uncovered the sexual harassment case against Mahallati, told the Post that “Mahallati isn’t just involved in human rights abuses and possible antisemitic teachings – he was also the defendant in a lawsuit alleging a predatory sex-for-grades relationship with a graduate student at Columbia University, where Mahallati taught courses in the 1990s.”

Baird, who is also Director of the Middle East Forum’s Action program, where this author is a Writing Fellow, added “Columbia settled the case with the plaintiff for an undisclosed amount. “

He added, “However, the case files detailing the sordid nature of the affair, including Mahallati’s alleged attempts to blackmail” the plaintiff  “if she told anyone about the quid pro quo, sat buried in government storage for decades, obstructing access to evidence of Mahallati’s potential academic malpractice.”

Additional accusations against Mahallati

Iran International TV first reported that a former Oberlin College student accused Mahallati of sexually abusing her.

According to the Iran International TV segment, a journalist for the outlet said, "I have reliable information that at least one Oberlin College student was directly sexually assaulted by Mahalati in 2008, who has not dared to speak up publicly until now. I hope this New York Post article will encourage her to come forward."

Oberlin College’s spokeswoman, Andrea Simakis, told the Post that “This is the first we're hearing about an allegation that Professor Mahallati raped an Oberlin College student.”

Simakis said, "Professor Mahallati was placed on indefinite administrative leave on November 28. We learned of the lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York against Mahallati from a media inquiry sent to us on December 5. We would not hire a faculty member whom we knew had a history of sexual assault, harassment, or abuse of anyone, including a student, colleague, or staff member."

She continued that “We have no record of an allegation that Mahallati raped a student while he was a professor at Oberlin College. We encourage current and former students who have been sexually assaulted, harassed, or abused by any employee of Oberlin to come forward. We will not tolerate sexual offenses at Oberlin. We take all reports of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse extremely seriously. Today, if a student reports they have been sexually assaulted, harassed, or abused by a faculty or staff member, a formal investigation is conducted by an outside law firm. “

 Mahallati refused to respond to numerous Post press queries. Mahallati’s supporters, the Oberlin city councilman Ray English and Oberlin College’s controversial academic Matthew Berkman, who teaches in the college’s allegedly anti-Israel Jewish Studies program, declined to comment.

According to the website Canary Mission, “Matthew Berkman has glorified violent protesters, demonized Jewish organizations and Israel and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.”

Canary Mission noted that “As of April 2022, Berkman was listed as a Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) member on JVP’s website. In 2017 Berkman was reportedly a JVP Steering Committee member and an ‘organizer with JVP’ since 2013. Berkman was a member of JVP Philadelphia (JVP Philly) in 2014, 2017 and 2018.”

In October, the New York Post reported that JVP is one of the groups rallying for Hamas in its war against the Jewish state.

Source: jpost.com

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https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-782135

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US says it shot down anti-ship cruise missile from Houthi-controlled areas

15 Jan 2024

WASHINGTON, Jan 15 — US fighter aircraft shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired from Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward a US destroyer operating in the Southern Red Sea, the US military said yesterday.

The midair interception is the latest incident in the Red Sea where the Houthis have been attacking international shipping in what they say is a campaign to support Palestinians under siege from Israeli forces in Gaza.

It follows a series of American and British airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen that have drawn threats of a “strong” response from the Iranian-backed militia.

There were no injuries or damage reported in the latest incident, according to the US Central Command (CentCom), which released the news in a statement posted on the social media platform X.

CentCom said the missile was shot down near Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah.

Earlier yesterday, the Houthis complained that US aircraft were observed flying close to Yemeni airspace and coastal areas.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam described the activity by “enemy” aircraft as a blatant violation of national sovereignty.

Reuters could not immediately determine whether the incidents were one and the same. CentCom did not immediately respond to an email seeking further details about the interception.

The Red Sea crisis has added to anxieties over a wider conflict in the Middle East beyond Gaza, which Israel is reducing to rubble in what it says is a campaign to annihilate the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which rules the strip and, like the Houthis, is backed by Tehran.

Also yesterday, pro-Palestinian activists protested at the gates of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, angry that the British base was used as a launch pad for strikes against the Houthis.

“We are here because we condemn the complicity of the UK government and using Cypriot land for their agenda to support Israel in their onslaught of Gaza,” said Natalia Olivia of the Cyprus-based United for Palestine organisation. — Reuters

Source: malaymail.com

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Arab World

 

Yemeni Citizens Protests Against US and UK Attacks, Express Solidarity with Palestine

2024-01-14

KABUL (BNA) – Massive protests erupted in Saada and Sanaa, the major cities of Yemen, as hundreds of thousands of Yemeni citizens voiced their outrage over the recent attacks carried out by the United States and the United Kingdom.

The protesters, marked by a strong show of solidarity with the Palestinian people, witnessed participants chanting slogans like “The promised victory and holy jihad” and carrying flags of Yemen and Palestine.

According to reports from Al Jazeera, the protesters displayed images of the victims of the Yemeni Navy, along with portraits of Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the commander-in-chief of the Yemeni armed forces.

The demonstrators vehemently expressed their objections, using slogans such as “We have achieved certain victory, our advice to the world is not to side with the oppressor,” “America is the great Satan,” and “We sacrifice our souls for Al-Aqsa.”

The people of Saada and Sanaa showcased their unwavering resolve to confront the attacks launched by the United States and the United Kingdom.

They further declared their readiness to join military training centers and abide by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi’s orders to defend Gaza and liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The protesters emphasized that the massive gathering in Saada marked a significant response to the aggression by the United States and the United Kingdom. In a noteworthy development, the US and the UK redirected their attacks on Yemen, shifting their focus from Houthi forces and Ansar Allah to Israeli ships, which triggered widespread global reactions, including responses from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

The Yemeni citizens’ protests reflect the deep-rooted anger and opposition to the ongoing military operations in Yemen, as well as a strong sense of solidarity with the Palestinian cause. These demonstrations serve as a potent reminder of the determination of the Yemeni people to resist foreign aggression and protect the rights of oppressed nations.

As the situation continues to unfold, the international community awaits further developments and hopes for a peaceful resolution that respects the sovereignty and well-being of all nations involved.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/yemeni-citizens-protests-against-us-and-uk-attacks-express-solidarity-with-palestine/

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EU Arabic spokesperson says Saudi Arabia’s role in fostering peace in the region is essential

January 14, 2024

LAMA ALHAMAWI

RIYADH: Luis Miguel Bueno, the EU’s first Arabic spokesperson for the Middle East and North Africa, discussed his mission in strengthening relations between the EU and the region through the Arabic language, and highlighted the Kingdom’s role in fostering peace in the region.

“We need to understand that the role of Saudi Arabia in fostering peace in this region is essential,” Bueno told Arab News.

“We believe that our partnership with the Saudi authorities is key to move forward in terms of building a solution that is sustainable,” he added.

During his interview with Arab News, Bueno discussed the recent visit of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell to the Kingdom, where he held talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in AlUla on Jan. 8.

Bueno said that Borrell has visited the region four times since the start of the war in Gaza.

“He (Borrell) is in charge by the council of ministers of the European Union with doing whatever he can to avoid an escalation.

“We believe in the European Union that there is a real risk of escalation in the region, in particular in Lebanon, so he went to Lebanon to have meetings with the leaders in the country and political parties to try to assess the situation, but also to pass the message that it is in no one’s interest, even less so in Lebanon’s interests, to have any sort of escalation,” Bueno said.

“This is the same message that he passed to the Israeli government in fact when he visited Israel.”

Bueno said that Prince Faisal was invited by Borrell to attend the meeting of foreign affairs ministers on Jan. 22 in Brussels along with the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan, and the secretary-general of the Arab League.

He said the idea behind the meeting is to work together with Arab partners to come up with a solution to the war in Gaza.

“We have been talking about a peace process for 30 years, and there is no peace and there is no process.”

Discussing his role as the spokesperson in Arabic of the EU, Bueno said that this has probably been the best job of his life so far.

“To be honest, it has been really interesting; it’s the first time that there is an official from the European Union that is in charge with communicating with the Arab world in Arabic,” he said.

Bueno said that there is “a great interest in communicating with the region in the language of the region.”

Discussing why the EU decided to have an official spokesperson in Arabic instead of other languages such as Russian or Chinese, Bueno said: “We are neighbors; we have links that are political, economic, cultural and that are historical in many, many ways.”

He said communicating with a person in their language helps build mutual understanding and cooperation.

Bueno said his major goals included promoting people-to-people relations between the Arab world and Europe.

“My goal is officially to communicate about the projects, policies, and initiatives of the EU, that mostly have to do with the region, but it also to engage with the media in the region and also with the people to promote people-to-people relations,” he said.

“What I’m trying to do is know much more about the culture that is behind the Arabic language and also try to communicate this to Europe, to my colleagues in Brussels and Europe, and tell them more about what I hear in the region, the point of view of the Arab person.”

Bueno said that he hopes to see more movement in terms of companies and entrepreneurs between the two regions.

“A part of my job is also in a way to promote the Arabic language, and I think that is an important part of what I do and I am doing that in Europe, too.

“What I’m trying to do is highlight in Europe the importance of Arabic as a language in our heritage, because the heritage of Arabs in Europe is part of our common heritage and that is something that we need to understand if we want to understand each other,” he said.

Bueno concluded the interview by saying that he wants to be a part of the promotion of dialogue and understanding between Europe and Arabic-speaking countries.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2441611/saudi-arabia

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Yemen’s response to US-led strikes will end American hegemony forever: Official

 15 January 2024

A Yemeni official has warned that his country is preparing to retaliate against recent US-led military strikes in a way that will bring an end to American hegemony forever.

Tawfiq al-Hamiri, an adviser to Yemen’s Information Ministry, made the remarks on Sunday, after the United States bombed Yemen on two consecutive days amid frustration with anti-Israel naval operations by the Yemeni armed forces in the Red Sea.

“The acts of aggression by the US and the UK will not go unanswered, and we will make them serve as a lesson for the entire world,” he told Russia’ Sputnik news agency.

“We are preparing for a response that will end the US hegemony forever.”

Hamiri also noted that the current confrontation with the United States is aimed at supporting the Palestinian people, who are enduring a genocidal Israeli war in the Gaza Strip.

The US and Britain, backed by Bahrain, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, struck more than 60 targets at almost 30 locations in Yemen on Friday, killing five people and injuring six others.

On Saturday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that a “follow-on action” was conducted against a Yemeni radar facility by the Navy destroyer USS Carney using Tomahawk land attack missiles.

The illegal assaults led Yemen’s Supreme Political Council to issue a statement, saying “all American-British interests have become legitimate targets.”

US lawmakers slam the Biden administration’s decision to attack Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement without seeking congressional approval.

Hamiri hoped that the US, the UK and Israel will stay away from a battle with Yemenis as it would neither benefit them nor the Arab and Muslim Ummah.

“Today it has become clear to all Arab and Muslim nations that the Americans, the British and Israel are the main enemies of the Arab and Islamic Ummah,” he added.

‘US, UK opened up gates of hell to themselves’

Also on Sunday, Ali al-Qahoum, a high-ranking official of Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement, said that the United States and Britain will never achieve their objectives in Yemen.

“Our operations in the Red Sea will continue until the aggression against Gaza stops,” he emphasized. “The Americans and the British have opened up the gates of hell to themselves and they will regret it.”

Israel waged its brutal war on Gaza on October 7 following a historic operation by the Palestinian Hamas resistance group against the occupying entity.

The US has offered untrammeled support for Israel during the onslaught that has so far killed 23,968 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 60,582 others.

In solidarity with the Palestinians in besieged Gaza, the Yemeni armed forces have targeted ships in the Red Sea with owners linked to Israel or those going to and from ports in the occupied territories.

In response, the US has formed a military coalition against Yemeni forces in the Red Sea and endangered maritime navigation in the strategic waterway.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/15/718255/Yemen-response-US-led-strikes-end-American-hegemony

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Studying Religion Leads Taiwanese Guest of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program to Islam

14 Jan, 2024

Taiwanese national Safia Leone became a Muslim in 2007, after having studied Islam, and reading books and literature about Islam and its fundamentals.

 Now one of the Guests of Custodian of Two Holy Mosques Program for Hajj, Umrah and Visit, Leone described performing Umrah as a "dream". She also said she got very emotional upon seeing the Holy Kaaba for the first time and listening to the Imam of the Grand Mosque perform prayers.

 Leone expressed appreciation and gratitude to the Saudi leadership for the unremitting support it provides to all Muslims, praising the Kingdom's role in serving Islam and spreading moderation and tolerance.

 She also thanked the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance for carrying out the program and ensuring Umrah performers' utmost comfort throughout their stay in the Kingdom.

Source: alriyadhdaily.com

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http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/4e56af7a906d40a3b190dc46e374fc24

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OIC, King Salman academy celebrate World Arabic Language Day

January 14, 2024

JEDDAH: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in conjunction with the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, celebrated World Arabic Language Day in Jeddah on Sunday.

The program is part of ongoing celebrations to mark the occasion, which was established by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2010. It has been celebrated on Dec. 18 each year since 2012, with the date chosen to honor the day in 1973 when the UN adopted Arabic as its sixth official language. The theme of the 2023 event was “Arabic: The Language of Poetry and Arts.”

OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha said: “Arabic is the language of the Holy Qur’an, and an integral part of the performance of worship and prayer in Islam. It is also one of the oldest, most widely spoken, widespread and used languages in the world.”

At the 49th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers last March, held in Nouakchott, Mauritania, the OIC approved a ministerial decision to support World Arabic Language Day in regional and international forums, and thanked the Kingdom for its efforts in supporting the organization.

Taha stressed the celebrations reflected the openness of the OIC’s general secretariat to those in the Kingdom and member states who aspired to give the Arabic language the status it deserved. He said cooperation between the OIC and the King Salman academy had resulted in many programs and activities during the past year, including training courses.

The academy's secretary-general, Abdullah Al-Washami, said: “The celebration shows the dimensions of strategic cooperation between the OIC and KSGAAL, and all the active partners, to support the presence of Arabic in international forums in general.”

He added: “Besides being a strong symbol of national and Arab identity, Arabic holds a much greater importance for being the language of the Holy Qur’an."

The Kingdom’s permanent representative to the OIC, Saleh Al-Suhaibani, discussed the importance of the Arabic language’s cultural heritage, pointing out it was first language of Muslims and their culture.

In turn, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the Kingdom, Shaheen Abdullayev, referred to the efforts made by his country to care for and teach Arabic.

The celebration included two discussion panels, a poetry reading featuring poets from the organization’s member states, and an exhibition of Arabic poetry which all focused on the importance of the Arabic language and its contributions to building global civilization.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2441536/saudi-arabia

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KSrelief: Aid initiatives reach Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Lebanon

January 14, 2024

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian arm, KSrelief, distributed aid and executed relief initiatives this week in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Lebanon.

In Afghanistan’s Kandahar province KSrelief distributed 250 food baskets on Saturday. The aid reached 1,500 individuals from the most vulnerable categories.

In Pakistan KSrelief distributed 2,128 food baskets on Thursday, reaching 14,896 individuals in flood-affected areas.

Meanwhile KSrelief supported Yemen’s Emergency Center for Epidemic Diseases Control in Hajjah governorate to provide crucial treatment services to 1,162 patients from Dec. 20-26, 2023. The emergency clinic attended to 296 individuals, the internal medicine clinic assisted 295 beneficiaries, and the infectious disease clinic cared for 571 patients. Support services included the laboratory department serving 211 individuals, the pharmacy aiding 1,022 individuals, and 240 patients under observation.

In Lebanon, KSrelief supported Al-Amal Charitable Bakery project which distributed 150,000 bags to Syrians, Palestinians, and members of the host community in northern Lebanon. It total 125,000 individuals received this aid.

KSrelief also funded the ambulance service of Subul Al-Salam Social Association in the Miniyeh district, in the north of Lebanon.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2441371/saudi-arabia

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South Asia

 

BNP, Jamaat leaders not jailed for political reason: law minister

Jan 14, 2024

Law Minister Anisul Huq today said the leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat have not been sent to jail for any political reasons.

"They were detained on specific allegations... and the cases against them are still now proceeding. The cases filed on charges of arson attacks committed in 2013 have been matured and their trial proceedings have been finished by the courts. The government has no interference there," he said while taking to reporters at his secretariat office on the first day after being given the responsibility as the minister for the third time.

Replying to a question, Anisul said he will talk to UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk about his statement (regarding violence and repression of opposition candidates and supporters during the election).

"I will talk to him (Volker) because I think he made such a statement because of factual mistakes," he said.

The law minister said there was almost no violence during the election.

The skirmishes, what usually happen during the election of a country, have taken place in Bangladesh and those cannot be called a "big violence", Anisul Huq said.

Source: thedailystar.net

Please click the following URL to read the full text of

https://www.thedailystar.net/election-2024/news/news/people-suffering-because-regimes-graft-plundering-rizvi-3519221

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Contempt of court petition against 7 pro-BNP lawyers: SC defers hearing till Jan 29

Jan 15, 2024

The Supreme Court today deferred till January 29 the date of hearing a contempt of court petition filed against seven pro-BNP lawyers for their "slanderous, derogatory and contemptuous" comments about two apex court judges.

The Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, which was scheduled to hear the matter today, passed the deferment order after the lawyer of seven pro-BNP lawyers, AJ Mohammad Ali, sought time from the court saying that required number of judges were not in the bench.

He said all the seven lawyers against whom the contempt of court petition has been filed have appeared before the bench today in compliance with its summons order of November 15 last year.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division then fixed January 29 for hearing of the petition and asked the seven lawyers to appear before it on that day.

The three other judges of the bench are Justice Burhanuddin, Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique.

Two apex court judges -- Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim -- did not sit in the bench today.

Following the same contempt of court petition, the SC on November 15 summoned the seven lawyers, asking them to appear before this court today over their comments about two apex court judges.

The apex court also issued a notice asking the seven lawyers to explain their roles before this court about the allegations brought against them.

The seven lawyers are Md Kayser Kamal, Abdul Jamil Mohammad Ali, Fahima Nasrin, Md Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan, Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Khan and Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal.

SC lawyer Md Nazmul Huda on August 29 last year submitted the petition through his lawyer Nahid Sultana Juthi to the apex court appealing to it to draw contempt of court proceedings against the seven lawyers and to punish them for their comments about the two SC judges at a press conference held on the Supreme Court Bar Association premises on August 27.

He said in the petition that the pro-BNP lawyers at the press conference demanded that they be kept away from discharging judicial functions, and said otherwise they will enforce new programme demanding resignation of the judges after 48 hours, according to the contempt of court petition.

Source: thedailystar.net

Please click the following URL to read the full text of  

https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/contempt-court-petition-against-7-pro-bnp-lawyers-sc-defers-hearing-till-jan-29-3519676

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Turkish police detain nearly 100 Afghan refugees

Fidel Rahmati

January 14, 2024

Following the expulsion and detention of Afghan refugees in Turkey, the government of this country has announced that they have detained 99 Afghan refugees from the city of “Erzincan.”

Turkish media reported on Saturday, January 13th, that these refugees were detained during an operation on a truck on the Erzincan-Tercan highway.

According to reports, Turkish police cited the reason for detaining these refugees as “not having valid Turkish residence permits” and three of them were also arrested on charges of “human trafficking” during the operation.

Turkish media reports indicate that the detained individuals were handed over to the Immigration Office of Erzincan after going through legal procedures.

Previously, the Turkish government had reported the detention of 24 Afghan refugees upon their entry into the country.

This comes as Turkish authorities have announced that operations to combat the illegal entry and detention of migrants will continue across Turkey.

It should be noted that according to official statistics, more than 300,000 Afghan migrants are living in Turkey.

Since the Taliban regained power in the country, a significant number of Afghan youth have opted to leave due to a dire economic situation, a scarcity of job opportunities, the threat of persecution, security risks, and the severe restrictions placed on women and girls.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/turkish-police-detain-nearly-100-afghan-refugees/

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Office of the Taliban Governor in Nimroz targeted by suicide attack

Fidel Rahmati

January 14, 2024

Sources in Nimroz province confirm that the office of the governor of Nimroz was the target of a suicide attack in which at least seven members of the Taliban were wounded.

According to sources, the explosion occurred on Sunday, January 14th, around noon at the office of the Governor of Nimroz.

The source added that two suicide attackers began shooting as soon as they entered the office and then detonated themselves.

A video obtained by Khama Press shows the chaotic aftermath of the attack at the governor’s office.

Bodies lying on the ground are also visible in the video, but the source claimed that at least seven Taliban personnel were wounded in this explosion.

So far, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for this attack, and the Taliban has not commented on the matter.

It is worth mentioning that, according to the source’s information, the governor of the Taliban in Nimroz had survived this deadly incident.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/office-of-the-taliban-governor-in-nimroz-targeted-by-suicide-attack/

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About 8,000 Child Laborers Have Been Identified: Authorities

January 14, 2024

The Department of Labor and Social Affairs of Badakhshan announced the identification of nearly 8,000 children who are engaged in hazardous work in this province.

According to the ministry, education has been provided for more than 300 of these children by an aid organization.

Abdul Saboor Foladi, an official of Labor and Social Affairs of Badakhshan, said: "Approximately 7,000 to 8,000 children have been surveyed on the road, the ADWSO office has covered approximately 300 children and has created a center near the security command where the children are trained daily."

Poverty, and the difficult living conditions of families have caused children, instead of going to school and continuing their education, have to work hard labor.

A gold mine is located in the 8th district of Faizabad city, the capital of Badakhshan Province, where a part of the mining workforce is made up of children deprived of education.

"It's been three or four years since we left school and I was in class eight, now we are working in this mine, pulling ropes from this 40-50 meter tunnel," Ahmad Fawad told TOLOnews.

"Our economic situation is bad and I was in the sixth grade of school, which I left to help with my father's farm work," said Ebadurrahman, a child laborer.

These children said that in exchange for their work, they get a wage of two to three thousand Afghani every month to support their families.

Another number of these children who are engaged in hazardous work in the mines said that they have not been able to continue their education due to economic challenges.

They added that if educational opportunities are provided to them, they are interested in participating in the reconstruction and prosperity of the country's future.

"We have been working in this mine for two years, I don't like working here," said Ahmad Sahaab, a child laborer.

"I want the government to provide us with education opportunities so that we don't have to work anymore, just go to school," said Ahmad Farid, another child laborer.

Earlier, some residents of Badakhshan asked the authorities to provide permanent jobs for families whose children are engaged in hazardous work.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan/provincial-186961

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Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Ensures Registration All Returnees: Haqani

 2024-01-14

KABUL (BNA) – Alhaj Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqani, the Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, held separate meetings with officials of migrant affairs in Faryab and Panjshir provinces, stressing the importance of registration and providing assistance to all returnees.

During the meeting with Mala Saifuddin Jehadi, the head of migrant affairs in Faryab province, it was reported that hundreds of families had returned to the province from neighboring countries and were receiving both food and non-food assistance through collaborative efforts with government entities and institutions.

The Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqani, highlighted the shared responsibility of providing services to migrants and emphasized that no migrant should be left without assistance or registration in migrant offices. He called for increased efforts and better coordination with relevant entities to enhance support for returnees.

He stressed the need for transparency and improved coordination in migrant affairs to ensure effective and efficient support for those in need.

The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation is committed to addressing the needs of returnees and ensuring that no individual is left behind. By prioritizing registration and offering comprehensive assistance, the ministry aims to create a supportive environment for returnees as they reintegrate into their communities.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/ministry-of-refugees-and-repatriation-ensures-registration-all-returnees-haqani/

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Rohingya issue can be resolved diplomatically: foreign minister

 Jan 14, 2024

Newly appointed Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud today expressed optimism that the Rohingya crisis can be resolved diplomatically.

"We remain engaged with Myanmar. We hope this problem will be resolved diplomatically," he said while responding to a question.

Meeting journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hasan Mahmud said the government does not believe in solving issues with conflicts.

"We firmly believe that diplomatically it can be resolved," he said.

The Foreign Minister mentioned that the Rohingyas came to Bangladesh even before the latest influx and he visited the camps in person after the latest influx.

"Keeping engagement with Myanmar, we hope to resolve the problem with the cooperation from others," said the Foreign Minister.

The government wanted to begin repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar last year, initially with around 1,000 of the refugees, according to the ministry of foreign affairs.

Bangladesh has given a list of over 3,000 Rohingyas to Myanmar.

Bangladesh wants to make sure that families are not separated.

The government of Bangladesh has said the drastic reduction of humanitarian assistance for this persecuted population, which is growing with around 30,000 newborns every year in the camps, is compounding the crisis.

Further delay to commence safe, voluntary, and sustainable repatriation and shortage of humanitarian support may put the entire region at risk.

The socio-economic, demographic, and environmental cost of sheltering more than 1.2 million Rohingyas for such a long time is pushing Bangladesh to the limit.These forcibly displaced people have aspirations and rights to return to their homeland in a safe and sustainable manner, the foreign ministry said.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/rohingya-issue-can-be-resolved-diplomatically-foreign-minister-3518911

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Pakistan

 

Thousands Join Jamaat­i-IslamiRally For Gaza On 100 Days Of Israeli Atrocities

January 15, 2024

KARACHI: The Jamaat­-i-Islami staged a massive rally — Gaza Million March — on Sharea Faisal on Sunday to mark the completion of 100 days of Israeli brutalities against innocent people of Palestine.

A large number of people, including women and children, came to Sharea Faisal from different parts of the city in cars, motorbikes, buses, etc, to participate in the rally.

Chanting slogans and carrying banners and placards, the participants joined the key point of the march near the Nursery bus stop.

Speaking to the participants of the rally over the phone, JI chief Sirajul Haq said that unfortunately the leaders of the Muslim world played a negative role and opted to keep mum and remained static over the issue of Gaza due to the pressure of Israel and the United States.

He said that the Muslim world should have offered all available resources and its military might to Palestinians and Hamas against Israel.

The JI leader lamented that the Muslim world had strong armies, all types of tanks, warships, missiles and other weaponry, including nukes, but it did nothing for Palestinians.

Asking the people to reject what he called coward leaders, he urged the people to vote and support in the Feb 8 elections those candidates who have the ability to represent them.

Speaking on the occasion, JI-Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman stressed the need to take all possible measures in everyone’s individual capacity to support Palest­­­inians against Israeli occupation.

He said that Israeli Prime Minister Netan­yahu enjoyed the support of not only the US, the United Kingdom and European countries but also a silent support of many Islamic countries.

He also hailed the role of South Africa for moving the International Court of Justice against Israel with genocide charges. He said that someone from the Muslim world should have come forward in this regard but unfortunately it was not the case.

He also paid a rich tribute to Houthi regime in Yemen for supporting Hamas against the occupation forces of Israel.

On the occasion, he highlighted that the boycott of Israeli products was a very strong initiative but it was incomplete without promoting local brands.

In this regard, he said, Alkhidmat and the Pakistan Business Forum were going to launch a ‘Mera Brand Pakistan’ initiative on Jan 20 and 21.

Allama Hassan Zaffar Naqvi, Allama Baqir Abbas Zaidi, former Karachi administrator Fahim Zaman, Advocate Younous Sohan and Shakeel Ahmed of Islami Jamiat Talaba also addressed the march.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1805906/thousands-join-ji-rally-for-gaza-on-100-days-of-israeli-atrocities

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Fazl-ur-Rehman Pledges to Seek Improved Ties Between Kabul, Islamabad

January 14, 2024

The leader of Pakistan's Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, said that they are trying to solve the problems between Afghanistan and Pakistan through understanding.

Fazl-ur-Rehman said that he met with all officials of the Islamic Emirate and discussed various issues.

"We try to resolve all issues between Pakistan and Afghanistan through understanding, so that the deals of those powers that want both countries to be against each other, to be at war, and their relations to deteriorate, fail," he said in an interview with RTA Pashto.

He also referred to the formal recognition of the Islamic Emirate, saying that the presence of the embassies of other countries in Afghanistan is a sign of recognition of the interim Afghan government.

He also called on the world countries to recognize the Afghan government.

“We attempt to solve the issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan through understanding, so that we foil the plots of those powers who want to face the two countries against each other,” said Fazl-ur-Rehman.

The political analysts meanwhile called for the improvements of relations between Kabul and Islamabad.

“Pakistanis think that Afghanistan is isolated and that Afghanistan is not a calm country and that the Taliban are sidelined, so that they can both leverage the Taliban and also defame the Taliban to the international community,” said Abdul Wahid Faqiri, a political analyst.

“The Pakistani government should have understood now that engagement with Afghanistan and having good relations is important for peace and stability of the two countries,” said Najib Rahman Shamal, a political analyst.

Fazl-ur-Rehman said that the Islamic Emirate and Pakistan should hold negotiations to solve the issue of the refugees.

He also said that he has advised the Pakistani government regarding the issue of the Afghan refugees.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-186969

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Speakers reaffirm Pakistan’s abiding support for legitimate cause of Palestinians

January 14, 2024

Speakers at an event in Islamabad have emphasized Pakistan’s abiding support for the legitimate cause of the Palestinian people and a just solution through the establishment of an independent, viable, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian State.

The discussion was organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad to express solidarity with the people of Palestine on the ‘Global Day of Action for Gaza.’

Sohail Mahmood, Director General ISSI, underscored Pakistan’s stance for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.

Amina Khan, Director of the Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East & Africa at the Institute, stated that Pakistan will continue to stand firmly with the people of Palestine until the legitimate rights of the people are achieved.

Nader al Turk, Deputy Head of the Palestine Mission in Pakistan, highlighted the dire conditions faced by Palestinian civilians, especially children and women, in the Gaza Strip.

He referred to the ongoing situation as genocide and also said that Palestinians are resilient and determined to uphold their rights until justice is served.

Source: radio.gov.pk

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https://www.radio.gov.pk/14-01-2024/speakers-reaffirm-pakistans-abiding-support-for-legitimate-cause-of-palestinian-people

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JUIF seeks enhanced security for leadership

January 15, 2024

 Javed Aziz Khan

PESHAWAR: The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUIF) has written to the Election Commission of Pakistan and other relevant forums to ensure upgraded security for its leadership during the election campaign.

The letter was sent after two would-be bombers were held by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) that were said to be planning attacks on JUIF chief Fazlur Rehman and Awami National Party chief Aimal Wali Khan.

“We are yet to receive any instructions but we have upgraded security for those who are facing any kind of threat,” a senior official of the KP Police told The News.

He said the JUIF leadership had approached the ECP for added security after two would-be bombers who were planning attack on leaders of JUI and ANP were held. The official said adequate security had also been provided to the leadership of other political parties in KP.

The CTD Friday arrested two alleged would-be suicide bombers sent to attack Fazlur Rehman and Aimal Wali Khan.

An official of the CTD told reporters that both the terrorists were arrested during two separate operations on the outskirts of Peshawar. Two suicide jackets, hand grenades, 9mm pistols and terrorism related literature was recovered from them.

The held terrorists were identified as Adil Khan from Matani and Tahir Khan from Landikotal. The official said the held terrorists were members of Daesh and were trained across the border in Paktia, Afghanistan, in June 2023.

“They had planned to carry out attacks on senior politicians and for that reason the held terrorists had visited the Mufti Mahmood Markaz in Peshawar a few times to know about the routes and schedule of politicians,” he added.

The authorities had last month alerted the police across the country to further improve security of two senior politicians from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after reports of threats to their lives. In the threat alert, the chief secretaries and police chiefs of the provinces were asked to take adequate measures for the security of Fazl and Aimal Wali Khan.

The law and order situation has worsened in many parts of KP for the last many months with an increase in attacks on police.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1148019-juif-seeks-enhanced-security-for-leadership

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Pak, Iran to hold talks on Afghan situation today

January 15, 2024

Kamran Yousuf

ISLAMABAD:Pakistan and Iran will hold talks on Monday (today) on the current situation in Afghanistan particularly the terrorist sanctuaries that the interim Taliban government have not been able to dismantle.

Iran's Special Envoy for Afghanistan Hassan Kazemi Ghomi on Sunday arrived here for meetings with the Pakistani authorities.

He will hold formal talks with Pakistan’s Special Representative on Afghanistan Asif Durrani.

The visit comes at a time when Pakistan and Afghanistan relations are tense over Kabul's failure to stop the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from cross-border terrorist attacks.

Iran too is worried over the presence of different terrorist groups on the Afghan soil.

The two countries in the past were backing opposing players in the Afghan conflict. But in recent years, Iran and Pakistan have convergence on the Afghan issues.

On one issue where both countries are on the same page is the Afghan refugees, Pakistan and Iran have shared the burden of millions of Afghan refugees for decades. But both countries want the early repatriation of these refugees.

Islamabad in November last year launched a crackdown against the undocumented Afghans, something that drew a strong reaction from Kabul.

Pakistan's drive against illegal Afghans attracted a lot attention. Interestingly, Iran sent more Afghans back to their country in recent months but the story didn't get the much traction.

During the recent visit by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the Afghan Taliban government termed Pakistani decision of deportation of Afghan nationals “cruel”.

But Islamabad is adamant that it can't allow Afghans living without any legal documents to stay in the country.

The root cause of their tension stems from the resurgence of terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Islamabad has blamed the terrorist hideouts across the border for the surge in these attacks.

The Taliban government, however, insists that the TTP is Pakistan’s internal problem and that there are no terrorist sanctuaries on the Afghan soil.

However, Kabul's claim was contradicted by the fact that the JUI-F chief reportedly held meetings with TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud and Hafiz Gul Bahadur on the Afghan soil. Pakistan had been seeking the extradition of both these terrorists.

In order to break the deadlock, Maulana Fazl held a rare meeting with Taliban chief Haibatullah Akhundzada in Kandahar last week. This was the first known meeting between any Pakistani leader and the reclusive Taliban chief.

The JUI-F confirming the meeting said he held "comprehensive and inclusive" talks with the Afghan Taliban. He was upbeat about the positive outcome of his trip to Afghanistan.

Fazl, according to Pakistan, travelled to Afghanistan in a private capacity and was not representing the government. But he was given a briefing at the Foreign Office before his departure to the neighbouring country suggesting that the government was in the picture.

Officials are skeptical about any forward movement as the Taliban are still insisting on revving talks with the TTP.

Pakistan, however, made it clear that it has no interest in dialogue with the terrorist outfit.

The Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan's demand remained unchanged, saying the Taliban government would have to fulfil its promise of not allowing the Afghan soil to be used against Pakistan.

Source: tribune.com.pk

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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2453292/pak-iran-to-hold-talks-on-afghan-situation-today

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4th consignment of relief goods sent for people of Gaza

 January 15, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Fourth consignment from Pakistan consisting of 20 tons of medical and food items reached Jordan. According to a report on Sunday, the NDMA, in a post on social media platform X, said that Pakistan’s Ambassador to Jordan and the Jordanian Chief of Air Staff received the flight for further distribution to the affected people of Gaza.

On 1st Jan 2024, the Pakistan government dispatched the third consignment of relief goods for the people of Gaza that included medicine, surgical/medical items, hygiene kits and dry ration.

In Nov 2023, the country sent the second consignment of relief goods to the people of occupied Gaza. The second consignment included 89.6 tons goods containing 40 tons of food packs and three tons of food bags from the government of Pakistan, while 10.8 tons of medicines, 26 tons of hygiene and children’s kits were from NGOs in Pakistan.

In Oct 2023, Pakistan dispatched the first consignment of relief aid to war-hit Palestinians. The humanitarian aid included three tons of medicine, 4,000 blankets, and 1,000 winter tents.

Source: brecorder.com

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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40283742/4th-consignment-of-relief-goods-sent-for-people-of-gaza

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Mideast

 

Hamas airs video of Israeli hostages, says will disclose their fate

January 15, 2024

JERUSALEM: Hamas aired video on Sunday showing three Israeli hostages it is holding in Gaza in which they urged their government to stop the offensive against the Palestinian Islamist group and bring about their release, as both sides marked the 100th day of the war.

The undated 37-second video of Noa Argamani, 26, Yossi Sharabi, 53, and Itai Svirsky, 38, ended with the chyron: “Tomorrow we will inform you of their fate.”

Hamas said earlier on Sunday it had lost contact with some hostages as Israeli forces shelled Gaza, noting that they might have been killed in the process. At the outset of the war, it also threatened to execute hostages in retaliation for Israeli military strikes.

Israeli officials have generally declined to respond to Hamas’ public messaging on the hostages, casting it as psychological warfare. Hagar Mizrahi, a forensic official with Israel’s Health Ministry, told local TV on Dec. 31 that autopsies of slain hostages who had been recovered found causes of death inconsistent with Hamas’ account they had died in air strikes.

But Israel has also made clear it is aware of the risks to hostages from its offensive, and is taking precautions.

“The military operation takes time. It obligates us to be precise, and we are adapting it in accordance with the threats and the hostages who are in the field,” chief armed forces spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Sunday.

Of some 240 people seized by Hamas in an Oct. 7 cross-border killing spree that sparked the war, around half were released in a November truce. Israel says 132 remain in Gaza and that 25 of them have died in captivity.

The hostage crisis has riveted Israelis reeling from the worst attack in their history. Some hostages’ relatives have called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to enter another truce or even call off the war. He has vowed to fight on until Hamas is destroyed, which he argued would enable the hostages’ release.

Last month, Netanyahu said in parliament he had asked Beijing to help free Argamani, whose mother Liora is Chinese. Suffering from a terminal illness, Liora Argamani has appealed to be reunited with her daughter before she dies.

Source: arabnews.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2441756/middle-east

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Al-Qassam Brigades says destroyed about 1,000 Israeli military vehicles in past 100 days

 15 January 2024

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says its fighters have destroyed or disabled hundreds of Israeli military vehicles over the 100 days that have passed since the beginning of the regime's military aggression against the Gaza Strip.

Abu Obaida, the spokesman for al-Qassam Brigades, which is Hamas' military wing, made the announcement in a statement on Sunday.

"During these 100 days, we have destroyed or rendered out of service about 1,000 Zionist military vehicles that had infiltrated the Gaza Strip in its north, center, and south," he said.

The regime began its brutal military aggression following Operation al-Aqsa Storm by Gaza Strip-based resistance movements. Its genocidal war has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians so far, most of them women and children, while leaving over 60,000 others injured.

The spokesperson confirmed that the brigades have conducted "hundreds of successful military operations" throughout the past 100 days, adding that the battle against the occupation forces "is expanding day after day and is burning this enemy and all those who supported and assisted it."

The leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip says the Palestinian resistance movement will not give in to the Israeli regime’s conditions.

Abu Obaida also scoffed at the Israeli regime's claims about alleged gains during its military aggression on Gaza.

"The alleged achievements that the enemy announces about controlling or destroying what it calls weapons depots, ready-to-launch missile platforms, and kilometers of tunnels are ridiculous…and the day will come when we prove that these claims are false," he said.

Abu Obaida also rejected any prospect of negotiations with the Israel regime before a complete and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, saying, “Any talks before stopping the Israeli aggression are worthless.”

Israel’s military chief has claimed that “increased military pressure” is the only option that can secure the return of the remaining captives being held by Hamas in Gaza.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Abu Obaida reflected on the situation of Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip.

He asserted that “the fate of many enemy captives has become unknown in recent weeks … due to the Zionist aggression and most likely, many of them have been killed.”

“The rest [of Israeli captives] remain in imminent and significant danger every hour, and the enemy bears full responsibility for their safety,” he said.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/15/718244/Palestine-Israel-war-Gaza-Hamas-al-Qassam-Brigades-captives

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Israel committed horrific crimes during 100 days of genocide in Gaza: Palestine

14 January 2024

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates says Israeli regime has committed horrific crimes and forcibly displaced Palestinians during its genocidal war in the besieged Gaza Strip.

In a statement released on Sunday, the ministry said that 100 days have passed “and the Israeli occupation has turned Gaza into an uninhabitable place, committed horrific crimes, and forcibly displaced approximately 2 million people”.

The ministry also strongly denounced unwavering support by the US-led Western countries for Israel  during the continued brutal aggression. 

“Hundred days have passed and some countries are still unconvinced that the occupation’s massacres have eroded Israel’s ‘defense’ argument. These countries need to reassess their support for the war,” the ministry said.

The ministry said that “the international community was, once again, failing to implement international resolutions related to the Palestinian cause”.

Meanwhile, the ministry also condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments in which he pledged “to continue the genocidal war in defiance of both the international community and the role of the International Court of Justice”.

On the eve of the 100th day of Israel

“States that have enabled, encouraged and participated in Israel’s genocide are also complicit in these attacks against the Court and its officials.”

On Saturday, the Israeli prime minister said that the ICJ was not able to stop Israel’s war in Gaza.

Israel has killed at least 23,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague began hearings on Thursday over a charge that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

South Africa, in an 84-page suit filed against Israel at the top UN court on December 29, asked the top court to urgently declare that the Tel Aviv regime has breached its responsibilities under international law since October 7, 2023, when it launched hostilities in the besieged territory.

The continued Israeli bombardment of Gaza has left 125 more Gazans dead in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll in Gaza to close to 24,000.

Around 60,600 people have also been wounded in 100 days of Israeli bombings and ground invasion.

The 100 days of the Israeli war on Gaza has brought unspeakable suffering to Gazans - murdering entire families, destroying hospitals and schools, and rendering people homeless.

It’s estimated that around 7,000 others remain unaccounted for.  The remaining people struggle to remain alive.

UN rapporteurs say half of the population are starving, and nine out of 10 are not eating every day.

Schools, mosques, churches, Hospitals and ambulances have been a frequent target of regime strikes which have left only a handful of the medical facilities partially operational.

Source: presstv.ir

Please click the following URL to read the full text of

https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/14/718238/Palestine-Gaza-Israel-US-ICJ

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Israel-Hamas: Will war spread to Hezbollah and 'axis of resistance'?

Jan 15, 2024

The smoke had barely dissipated from Israel’s assassination of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon when Antony Blinken visited Tel Aviv on January 9 as part of another tour aimed at deescalating tension in the Middle East.

The US’s top diplomat had spent previous days urging leaders in the region to do whatever they could to rein in Iran and its proxy militias. Hezbollah has attacked Israeli forces and the Houthis in Yemen have targeted ships in the Red Sea, prompting the US and UK to launch airstrikes against the group.

As the Israel-Hamas war enters 100 days, the question remains whether it will spread from Gaza and turn into a wider conflagration. But with the appetite in Israel for war against Hezbollah growing and American influence on its ally seemingly waning, the answer is more likely to be found in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem than Beirut or Washington.

Even as the Israeli army faces stiff resistance in Gaza and the death toll for both soldiers and civilians mounts, the country is still reeling from Hamas’s October 7 incursion, which killed 1,200 people. Many believe all of Israel’s enemies must now be confronted, not least Hezbollah, the Iran-funded Shiite militia that vows to destroy the Jewish state and has thousands of fighters located just across the border in Lebanon.

The group has traded fire almost daily with the Israeli military since fighting in Gaza began. Those skirmishes have forced almost 100,000 Israelis and thousands of Lebanese to evacuate their homes, yet neither side was willing to take things further.

That changed in recent days. On January 2, Hamas blamed Israel for a drone strike that killed its deputy political leader in Beirut. It was likely the first attack by Israel on the Lebanese capital in almost two decades. Within days, Israel had also assassinated two senior Hezbollah figures.

The day Blinken arrived, Israel struck a vehicle near the funeral of the Hezbollah commander, where thousands had gathered for the procession. Reports said the attack killed two people.

Rhetoric within Israel against Hezbollah, designated a terrorist organization by the US, has also become more belligerent. The time for a diplomatic resolution looks to be running short as Israel pushes Hezbollah to move back from the border. Lebanon’s government, meanwhile, has told several ministries and hospitals to be on high alert for the outbreak of war, an official with knowledge of the matter said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition — the most nationalist in the country’s history — say Israelis must be allowed to return to northern towns. Calls to force Hezbollah militias away from the Israeli border and enforce a buffer zone around 20 miles (32 kilometers) deep, as per a United Nations resolution, are growing louder.

“We will do whatever is necessary,” Netanyahu said on January 8. “Of course, we prefer that this be done without a wide-ranging campaign, but that will not stop us.”

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant went further. He said his forces could make Beirut a “copy-paste” of Gaza, much of which has been turned to rubble and where more than 22,000 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

“If Israel does not want another war with Hezbollah, it certainly is not showing much restraint,” Bilal Saab, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, wrote for the Washington-based think tank. “If Israel continues with its decapitation campaign, or if it dramatically intensifies its bombing of the group’s military assets, Hezbollah will most likely lash out. Then, all bets are off.”

The US remains confident that Israel does not want a full-on war with Hezbollah, and that although both sides have taken escalatory steps, they will be able to dial back the tensions, a senior State Department official told reporters traveling with Blinken. The US believes Israel wants a diplomatic solution to the northern border.

For President Joe Biden, the trouble is that the US seems to have much less influence over the Israeli government than during previous Middle Eastern conflicts. Netanyahu has consistently said Israel will not be swayed by the US, let alone other allies, from its goal of destroying external enemies.

“From Netanyahu’s perspective, it’s a case of: ‘Who’s going to stop me?’,” said Tina Fordham, founder of London-based geopolitical risk firm Fordham Global Foresight. “There are very few constraints on Israel’s power. It’s clear to me that Israel will push as hard as it can for as long as it can.”

A war between the two would probably be far deadlier than the last one they fought in 2006, when 1,200 Lebanese and 165 Israelis were killed over 34 days. Israel’s death count could near 15,000 this time around, according to Eyal Hulata, who served as the country’s national security advisor.

Hezbollah is the most powerful militia in the Middle East. It has an arsenal of more than 100,000 rockets and missiles, according to Israeli intelligence estimates, far bigger than what Hamas could muster before October 7.

People in Lebanon, already suffering from an economic crisis and triple-digit inflation, are becoming more frightened. Flights out of Beirut filled up after the drone hit Saleh Al-Arouri, the Hamas deputy politburo head, on January 2.

Global markets are also unnerved. The Israeli shekel, after rallying in November and December on signals the war would largely be contained to Gaza, has started weakening again. It’s among the world’s worst performing currencies so far this year, dropping 3.5% against the dollar.

Then there’s concern about maritime attacks by the Houthis, the militia in Yemen that’s backed by Iran. Those have forced many ships to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal, and travel much longer around southern Africa.

The US and its allies have been fretting about soaring freight costs and the impact on global supply chains. The US and UK started military action against the group, which has been fighting a civil war for almost a decade, with airstrikes on Houthi targets on Friday and Saturday. The Houthis vowed to continue going after commercial vessels and said they would expand their campaign “very soon.” Oil rose 4% on the day.

Israeli generals and ministers are confident they would win a two-front war against Hezbollah and Hamas. But US officials have privately warned them of the sheer strain such a scenario would place on the country’s resources and economy, with some describing it as a nightmare scenario for Israel.

Moreover, it could further inflame public opinion in the Arab and Muslim worlds, with many governments already trying to contain fury against Israel for Palestinian deaths in Gaza.

Domestically, Netanyahu had been under political pressure for months before the Hamas attack. Facing trial for bribery and his poll numbers diving, many Israelis believe he has plenty of incentive to prolong the war and avoid an election.

Both Israel and Hezbollah have said they do not want to start a wider war. But Israel’s recent actions and more aggressive attempts to force Hezbollah away from the border area risk just such an outcome, according to Ryan Bohl, a Middle East analyst at consultancy RANE Network.

“The Israelis have to apply enough military pressure so that Hezbollah’s fear of war outweighs their fear of losing face,” Bohl told Bloomberg Television on January 11. “Yet it’s a very unstable dynamic and it’s entirely possible that over the coming weeks this Israeli campaign escalates into a much bigger war than either side intends.”

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/israel-hamas-will-war-spread-to-hezbollah-and-axis-of-resistance/articleshow/106853943.cms

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Insiders provide regional stability, but foes dread Muslim unity: commander

January 14, 2024

TEHRAN- Rear Admiral Qader Vazifeh, commander of the first naval district of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, has said that only the nations in the region can guarantee regional security; foreigners cannot do so.

He made the remarks during a meeting with the commanders of a Pakistani flotilla which arrived in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday to promote peace and friendship between the two neighboring countries.

“Enemies are extremely afraid of unity among the Muslim countries,” Vazifeh added.

He continued that the Iranian naval forces actively and resolutely protect the country’s interests on the international stage.

The Iranian commander praised the close military and educational ties as well as the significant level of cooperation with Pakistan.

Given the historical relationships between Tehran and Islamabad, the commander of the Pakistani flotilla praised them and expressed hope that the current visit by the Pakistani officers will result in even stronger ties.

He went on to say that Iran is crucial to preserving peace and stability in the region and throughout the world.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani defense attaché to Iran said the powerful Iranian Army Navy is equipped with the state-of-the-art marine equipment.

He complimented Iran for its outstanding contribution to upholding ship security and safeguarding its interests.

In the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman, the naval forces of Pakistan and Iran have conducted several joint drills and strengthened cooperation in recent times.

In June 2023, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani paid an official three-day visit to Pakistan at the request of Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niaz to examine ways to improve bilateral military cooperation in a variety of domains.

Source: tehrantimes.com

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100 days and 25,000 deaths later, Israel’s offensive in Gaza shows no signs of slowing

 January 15, 2024

Ziad Mansour, a neighbour of the Abu Aweidah family, sits next to writing painted on a wall amid the rubble of the family's house, which was destroyed in a deadly Israeli strike amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, Gaza Strip, January 9, 2024. (Reuters)Ziad Mansour sits next to writing painted on a wall amid the rubble of the family's house, which was destroyed in a deadly Israeli strike amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, Gaza Strip, January 9, 2024. (Reuters)

A hundred days have passed since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, triggering a fierce attack on Gaza, resulting in the death of at least 25,000 Israelis and Palestinians and the destruction and displacement of over a million inhabitants of the besieged Gaza enclave.

More than 2 million Gazans have been displaced from their homes and are now seeking refuge in temporary shelters in the enclave in what the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has described as “the largest displacement of the Palestinian people since 1948.”

Mounting death toll

Israel has said that more than 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’ assault and over 240 people were taken hostage, of which 105 civilians, mostly foreigners, women and children, were released during a brief ceasefire in November. However, as many as 136 Israelis remain in the custody of the militant group.

Palestinians converge for a free meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. International aid agencies say Gaza is suffering from shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies as a result of the two and a half month war between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo) Palestinians converge for a free meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Dec. 21, 2023. (AP Photo)

Meanwhile, the Gaza health ministry said that nearly 24,000 people — the majority of them women and children — have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and ground offensive and more than 60,000 have been wounded. Almost the entire 2 million-strong population of the enclave have been displaced and are housed in refugee camps in southern Gaza, according to the UN agency for Palestine Refugees.

The current hostage situation

According to a report in the local Times of Israel, besides the 105 captives released during the ceasefire, one was rescued alive and four others were released before the pause in fighting. Eight hostages were killed and their bodies have been recovered. Three hostages were mistakenly killed by the Israeli military and 25 of those who are believed to be still in Hamas custody have been confirmed dead by the Israeli Defence Forces citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza.

An Israeli soldier walks near pictures that are part of an installation at the site of the Nova festival, where people were killed and kidnapped during the October 7 attack by Hamas gunmen from Gaza, in Reim, southern Israel, January 14, 2024. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY An Israeli soldier walks near pictures that are part of an installation at the site of the Nova festival, where people were killed and kidnapped during the October 7 attack by Hamas gunmen from Gaza, in Reim, southern Israel, January 14, 2024. (Reuters)

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has called on the world nations to help bring the hostages home. “I call upon the entire family of nations to do your part. This isn’t just our battle. It is a battle for the entire world. Stand with life and liberty. Stand with freedom and democracy, against barbarism and hate,” he said in a speech on Sunday, reported the Times of Israel.

“Stand with our hostages. And help bring them home!” he added. “‏There is no later. The time for you to act is now.”

Israel refuses ceasefire

Despite its failure to rescue hostages via diplomacy or military action since November, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has continued to brush off global calls for a ceasefire. In a televised speech on Saturday, Netanyahu vowed to continue the offensive until “victory”.

While the initial phase of their war was centred on clearing the northern end of the strip, including Gaza City, the Israeli military has said that it has shifted focus to the southern end of Gaza, where almost 2 million people are now sheltering in tents and other temporary accommodation, reported the news agency Reuters. It said that the next phase of the war will see months of more targeted operations against the Iranian-backed movement’s leaders and positions.

Biden says US working on freeing hostages

US President Joe Biden, in a statement issued on Sunday, said that the United States and its partners have not given up yet on the hostage issue.

“In November, working in close coordination with Qatar, Egypt, and Israel, we brokered a seven-day pause in fighting that resulted in the release of 105 hostages — including a 4-year-old American child — and allowed us to surge additional vital humanitarian aid into Gaza. I was deeply engaged to secure, sustain, and extend that deal. Sadly, Hamas walked away after just one week,” Biden said.

gaza strip, israel hamas war, indian express Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, as the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, December 19, 2023. (Reuters)

“But the United States and our partners have not given up. Secretary Blinken was back in the region this past week seeking a path forward for a deal to free all those still being held. I look forward to maintaining close contact with my counterparts in Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to return all hostages home and back to their families,” he added.

South Africa’s genocide case against Israel

The verdict in the much-reported trial in the International Court of Justice in The Hague in which South Africa has accused Israel of orchestrating a genocide in Gaza is yet to be out. The two-day public hearing commenced on Thursday, and South Africa has accused Israel of committing the crime of genocide in Gaza in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

However, Israel has rejected the charges, with President Herzog terming the charges “preposterous” and as constituting a “blood libel,” as per an Al Jazeera report. An initial verdict on the case could be expected in weeks, but the main verdict on whether Israel is guilty of committing genocide is likely to take years.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/world/100-days-of-war-in-gaza-israel-hamas-conflict-9109738/

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Israel ‘failed’ in Gaza and will negotiate: Hezbollah chief

January 15, 2024

BEIRUT: The head of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement said on Sunday that Israel had failed to achieve its objectives in Gaza and this will force it to negotiate.

“What has the enemy achieved in 100 days, other than killing?” Hassan Nasrallah asked in a televised speech.

“It has not achieved any real victory or semblance of victory. It has failed in achieving its declared, half-declared and implicit objectives,” he added, on the 100th day of the Israel-Hamas war.

Nasrallah’s speech commemorated the death of a senior Hezbollah commander, Wissam Tawil, killed by Israel in southern Lebanon on January 8.

The war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the Palestinian militant group’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,140 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

In retaliation, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and launched a relentless bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza which has killed at least 23,968 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

Since the war began there have been near daily exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border between Hamas ally Hezbollah and the Israeli military.

At the same time, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, also backed by Iran, have attacked shipping they say is linked to Israel, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

And in Iraq and Syria, pro-Iran fighters have ramped up their attacks against American forces and others in an anti-jihadist coalition.

“If this path continues, be it in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Yemen or Iraq, the enemy government will have no other choice but to accept the conditions of the resistance in Gaza, thereby putting an end to the aggression against Gaza and entering into negotiations,” said Nasrallah, whose organization is sanctioned as a “terrorist” group by the United States.

The Hezbollah leader also denounced air strikes by the US and Britain, which on Friday hit scores of rebel targets in Yemen in response to the Houthis’ attacks on shipping.

“What the Americans did in the Red Sea will harm the security of all maritime navigation,” Nasrallah said.

In more than three months of violence on the Israel-Lebanon border, 190 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 141 Hezbollah fighters and more than 20 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

On Sunday, Israeli authorities announced that two Israelis had been killed by a missile fired from Lebanon that hit a house near the border.

Israel’s military also said it killed three gunmen who had crossed the frontier and “fired at the forces.”

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2441706/middle-east

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Hamas says many hostages likely killed, blames Israel

January 15, 2024

GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: Many of the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are likely to have been killed, a spokesman for the group’s armed wing said Sunday, blaming the Israeli leadership for their fate.

“The fate of many of the enemy’s hostages and detainees has become unknown in recent weeks and the rest have all entered the tunnel of the unknown due to the Zionist aggression,” Abu Obeida said in a televised statement.

“Most likely, many of them were killed recently, the rest are in great danger every hour and the enemy’s leadership and army bear full responsibility.”

Abu Obeida said the group’s allies from the “axis of resistance” had informed Hamas they would “expand their attacks” against Israeli troops in the coming days.

“After 100 days of battle... this is the enemy’s leadership, gulping down pain and wading through the mud of failure and setback,” he said.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2441691/middle-east

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Israeli forces kill 5 Palestinians, including 3 teens, in violent raids across West Bank

 14 January 2024

Israeli forces have killed at least five Palestinians, including three teenagers, in violent raids across the occupied West Bank.

According to the official Palestinian WAFA news agency, the fatalities occurred after the regime's forces attacked Palestinian civilians at three locations on Sunday.

The youngest victim, identified as 14-year-old Louay al-Sufi, was gunned down after Israeli forces raided the Ain Sultan refugee camp, north of the West Bank city of Ariha, also known as Jericho. The report cited medical sources as saying that the victim was shot in the chest after Israeli troops opened live fire at the camp's residents during the raid.

Israeli troops' violence also claimed the lives of 17-year-old Suleiman Muhammad Kana'an and 16-year-old Khaled Amer Hmidat at the northern entrance to the city of al-Bireh near Ramallah. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the former died after a direct gunshot penetrated his heart.

Hmidat was also injured by Israeli forces' live fire and was taken to hospital in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead. The regime's forces have not delivered his body to his family.

Elsewhere across the occupied territory, two Palestinian youths were killed by Israeli forces near the town of Sa'ir, northeast of the West Bank city of al-Khalil, also known as Hebron. The victims were identified as Ahmed Musa Muhammad Jabareen and Jalal Issa Mohammad Jabareen.

The occupying regime has escalated its violent raids across the West Bank since October 7 when it started a brutal military onslaught against the besieged Gaza Strip following Operation al-Aqsa Storm by the territory's resistance movements.

Including Sunday's fatalities, nearly 350 Palestinians have been killed across the occupied territory as a result of the escalation.

Israeli forces kill four teenage Palestinian boys in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said, the latest bloodshed amid relentless ground and air strikes against the Gaza Strip.

On the other hand, the regime's genocidal war on Gaza has so far killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, while leaving over 60,000 others injured.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/14/718240/Palestine-Israel-deadly-violence-West-Bank

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"Al-Quds Brigades" bombed "Kosufim" site with Badr-1 missiles

[14/January/2024]

GAZA January 14. 2024 (Saba) - The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement in Palestine, announced today, Sunday, that its mujahideen bombed the Zionist enemy’s army concentrations at the “Kosufim” site with Badr-1 missiles.

According to the Palestine Today Agency, the Al-Quds Brigades said that they also bombed, with a barrage of regular mortar shells, a gathering of enemy soldiers in the Al-Masdar area in the central Gaza Strip.

Today, Sunday, the Zionist aggression against Gaza enters its 100th day, amid continued clashes and rocket firing, and in light of fears of the expansion of the war circle throughout the region.

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3296373.htm

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Southeast Asia

 

Malaysian Chief Justice Sees Possible ‘Agenda’ To Portray Judiciary As Against Islam, Intimidate Judges

15 Jan 2024

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 15 — Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat today said the prevailing criticism of the judiciary appeared to be based on willful ignorance of its functions as well as a possible “agenda” to paint the institution as prejudicial against Islam in the country, saying this could equate to attempts to intimidate judges when making their decisions.

While acknowledging that free speech is central to democracy, Tengku Maimun said this liberty was not license to propagate hate speech, fake news, or baseless propaganda.

“Comments and criticism must be based on some fact and not on lies or ignorance.

“In the best case, uneducated comments reflect sheer ignorance and in the worst case, they reflect malice,” she said in her speech at the Opening of the Legal Year 2024 here.

She cited two instances of external interference with the Judiciary, which applied in relation to the judicial role itself in the hearing of constitutional cases.

The two cases were, respectively, of a man and a women’s rights group against the Selangor state government on matters pertaining to Islam.

Tengku Maimun said both cases dealt essentially with the question of whether the state legislative assembly was empowered to pass certain legislation.

Yet some parties were attempting to paint the judiciary as having an “agenda” or motive to diminish Islam or Islamic law in the country, she said.

“Unfortunately, these two cases were made out by some parties to be more than what they actually were. These cases had nothing to do with the fact of the pure religion of Islam.

“They merely sought to re-emphasise the clear demarcation of powers between the federation and the states,” she said.

She said some critics went beyond acceptable limits, even calling into question the religions of the judges involved and suggesting that they have some ulterior motives in making their decisions.

“In other respects, such comments incite hatred and ill will among the public against the judiciary or the fear of perceived distorted outcome of such decisions.

“In certain other respects, large crowds are mobilised and their presence is used to intimidate the judges,” she said of the public need to draw the line between legitimate criticism of judicial decisions and engaging in acts that harm the integrity of the judicial institution on a whole.

In the face of attacks against the judiciary, Tengku Maimun said other actors in the justice system play a crucial role, and affirmed that no person should be allowed to use the judiciary and the justice system for their personal interests.

“The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) can continue to carry out its functions to preserve the integrity of the judiciary and the overall justice system by taking appropriate penal measures against those who unfairly attack the justice system.

“For instance, as the guardian of public interest, the AG is arguably the only legal person in the country who can initiate contempt proceedings, against a person if he makes scurrilous comments attacking the judiciary in respect of decided or presently argued cases.

“Apart from that, everyone including the Malaysian Bar, the AGC, politicians, members of government and the general public must make every effort to remain informed,” she said.

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/01/15/cj-sees-possible-agenda-to-portray-judiciary-as-against-islam-intimidate-judges/112527

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China calls for Gaza ceasefire, Palestinian statehood as war hits 100-day mark

14 January 2024

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Sunday for the establishment of a Palestinian state and a ceasefire in Gaza, where 100 days of the Israel-Hamas war have killed thousands.

In a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, the top Chinese diplomat said “it is necessary to insist on the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign state of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital.”

A joint statement from the two ministers urged an immediate end “to all acts of violence, killing and targeting of civilians and civilian establishments”.

Israel launched an intense military campaign in response to Hamas’s deadly October 7 attack on southern Israel which resulted in about 1,140 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

In Gaza, at least 23,968 people have been killed, the majority of them women and children, according to the health ministry in the besieged Hamas-ruled territory.

Shoukry and Wang called for “an international summit for peace to find a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause by ending the (Israeli) occupation and establishing an independent, contiguous Palestinian state.”

The Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, seat of the Palestinian Authority, are separated by Israeli territory. Both were seized by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has previously called for an “international peace conference” to resolve the fighting.

China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and supportive of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Source: muslimmirror.com

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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/china-calls-for-gaza-ceasefire-palestinian-statehood-as-war-hits-100-day-mark/

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Hearing of youth’s appeal in tahfiz fire murder case rescheduled to March 21

15-01- 2024

PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court has rescheduled March 21 to hear a 22-year-old youth’s appeal against his conviction for the murder of 23 people in a fire at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah Tahfiz Centre, in 2017.

The youth’s counsel, Haijan Omar, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed that the hearing date of the appeal has been rescheduled.

The Federal Court had earlier fixed Feb 21 for the hearing of the appeal.

The youth, who was 16 years old at the time of the offence, was found guilty of the murder, and ordered by the High Court on Aug 17, 2020, to be detained at the pleasure of the Yang-di-Pertuan Agong. On the same day, the High Court had acquitted the second youth on the murder charge.

According to the charge, the youth, together with another person still at large, was accused of murder and causing the deaths of 23 people in the tahfiz centre at Jalan Keramat Hujung, Kampung Datuk Keramat, Wangsa Maju in Putrajaya, between 4.15 am and 6.45 am on Sept 14, 2017.

He was charged with 23 counts of murder; each charge was framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same law which provides for the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

Section 97(1) of the Child Act 2001 stipulates that a death sentence shall not be pronounced or recorded against a person convicted of an offence if the child is under the age of 18, and in lieu of the death sentence, as provided under Section 97(2) of the same law, the court shall order the person to be detained at the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

On Sept 11, last year, the Court of Appeal dismissed the youth’s appeal and upheld his conviction and prison sentence.

The appellate court also dismissed the prosecution’s appeal against the acquittal of the second youth, also aged 22, for the murder, without ordering him to enter his defence. The other youth was also 16 years old at the time of the incident.

It is learned that no notice of appeal has been filed by the prosecution against the youth’s acquittal. –Bernama

Source: thesun.my

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https://thesun.my/local_news/hearing-of-youth-s-appeal-in-tahfiz-fire-murder-case-rescheduled-to-march-21-KB11987159

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Couple arrested over zakat misappropriation released on bond

15-01- 2024

IPOH: A married couple arrested on suspicion of misappropriating RM9.62 million in zakat (tithe) collections under the Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPk) has been released on bond today.

Magistrate Farah Nabihah Muhamad Dan allowed the police’s application to release the 50-year-old man and his 53-year-old wife on a RM50,000 bond each under Section 118 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Earlier, the couple, dressed in casual attire, arrived at the Magistrate’s Court here accompanied by police officers at 9.30am.

They were released about 20 minutes later.

The court previously granted a seven-day remand application against both suspects from Jan 6 to assist in the investigation, which was later extended until yesterday.

The husband and wife, who were appointed by MAIPk as its zakat collection agents, were arrested in Kuala Lumpur at about 12.35pm on Jan 5. – Bernama

Source: thesun.my

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https://thesun.my/local_news/couple-arrested-over-zakat-misappropriation-released-on-bond-PB11986696

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Floods: More evacuees in Sabah and Pahang, fewer in Johor this morning - NADMA

15-01- 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: While Sabah and Pahang recorded an increase, Johor reported a drop in the number of flood evacuees, taking the overall total of 663 people as of 6 am today compared to 692 last night.

According to the latest report by the National Disaster Command Centre, National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), the total comprised 224 people from 68 families sheltering at four temporary relief centres in Sabah; 175 evacuees from 58 families at four centres in Pahang; and 264 victims from 64 families at seven centres in Johor.

In Sabah, 75 evacuees are still housed at three centres in Beluran while 149 victims are at one centre in Sandakan.

In Pahang, 40 victims are placed at two centres in Pekan while 135 evacuees are at two centres in Rompin.

In Johor, a total of 124 evacuees are still sheltering at two centres in Kota Tinggi; Segamat (63 victims, two centres); Batu Pahat (23 victims, one centre); Kluang (38 victims, one centre); and Mersing (16 victims, one centre).

Observations at the Irrigation and Drainage Department Telemetry Station show that several rivers in Johor, Kelantan, Pahang, Perlis and Terengganu are at danger levels this morning.

The affected rivers are Sungai Endau in Kluang, Sungai Johor in Kota Tinggi and Sungai Muar in Segamat (all in Johor); Sungai Kelantan in Kota Bharu (Kelantan); Sungai Pahang in Pekan, Bera and Maran and Sungai Rompin (all in Pahang); Sungai Arau (Perlis); and Sungai Terengganu in Kuala Terengganu (Terengganu).

NADMA also stated that 44 roads were closed due to floods, damaged bridges and landslides, including Jalan Petri Jaya, Kota Tinggi in Johor; Jalan Serengkam, Maran and Jalan Temerloh-Jerantut in Temerloh (Pahang); and Jalan Bukit Besi-Dungun in Maran (Terengganu).

On the fire incidents in Sabah and Sarawak, the report said that 47 victims from 12 families are still sheltering at a relief centre in Tawau, Sabah, while 38 victims from 12 families are at a centre in Kuching. – Bernama

Source: thesun.my

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https://thesun.my/local_news/floods-more-evacuees-in-sabah-and-pahang-fewer-in-johor-this-morning-nadma-DB11986500

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Africa

 

S Africa's legal team in ICJ's Israel case welcomed home

Jan 15, 2024

TEHRAN, Jan. 15 (MNA) – South Africa’s legal team in the genocide case against the Zionist regime at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have been welcomed home.

According to a Monday report by the Al-Shorouk News, the South African legal team were welcomed at the Johannesburg airport upon their return from The Hague, where the ICJ is based.

The crowd chanted slogans in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

On Saturday, a large number of South Africans demonstrated in support of their country’s lawsuit against the Zionist regime.

South Africa filed a case against Israel at the ICJ in November, accusing the regime of committing crimes of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza as part of a relentless military campaign that has killed more than 23,000 people and caused widespread destruction in the besieged enclave since it started in early October.

Source: mehrnews.com

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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/210820/S-Africa-s-legal-team-in-ICJ-s-Israel-case-welcomed-home

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DR Congo: Streets in Kinshasa flooded as heavy rain causes Congo river to burst its banks

14 January 2024

As the Congo river burst its banks, severe flooding spread through parts of the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa.

Streets in Kinshasa's Pompage district have turned into rivers, with residents using small boats to evacuate, forced to leave their flooded homes behind.

Flooding is nothing new in Kinshasa, but the scale of the recent floods is unprecedented.

In the face of disaster, residents of the Pompage district are organizing themselves as best they can, even building pirogues, or small canoes, from scratch to rescue their families and belongings from flooded homes.

Some citizens are criticizing the absence of the state in the face of the extent of the flooding in these working-class neighborhoods, saying that it would help morale to see that the authorities cared.

Meanwhile in the neighbouring Republic of Congo, floods have pushed hundreds of thousands of people to be in urgent need of assistance, said the United Nations Friday.

The rainfall is twice the average of what was recorded between 2022 and 2023 and the floods have destroyed or damaged health facilities, schools and thousands of houses houses, according to the World Health Organisation.

The flooding occurred along Congo’s riverbanks around the Ubangi River with the United Nations warning it could lead to the outbreak of water-borne diseases such as cholera and impede access to healthcare.

Source: africanews.com

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https://www.africanews.com/2024/01/14/dr-congo-streets-in-kinshasa-flooded-as-heavy-rain-causes-congo-river-to-burst-its-banks/

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Supreme Court verdict: Mammoth crowd welcomes Gov Yusuf in Kano

Fanen Ihyongo, Kano

January 14, 2024

Abba Kabir Yusuf, the governor of Kano state, received a warm welcome on January 14, as his deputy, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, led the commissioners, advisers and other government functionaries to receive him at Chiroma in Garun Malam Local Government Area.

Mammoth crowds of thousands of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) entered major streets of the ancient city to receive the governor after his governorship victory at the Supreme Court on Friday, January 14.

Yusuf, who attended the Supreme Court ruling in Abuja, returned to Kano by road.

The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed Yusuf’s election, setting aside the concurrent verdicts of the Court of Appeal and election petitions tribunal which nullified his victory in the March 18, governorship poll last year.

Source: thenationonlineng.net

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https://thenationonlineng.net/supreme-court-verdict-mammoth-crowd-welcomes-gov-yusuf-in-kano/

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