Shobha Yatra: Ayodhya Seer, Jagadguru Paramhans Acharya, Stopped from Entering Haryana's Nuh, Sits On 'Hunger Strike'
New Age Islam News Bureau
28 August 2023
Jagadguru
Paramhans Achary, a Hindu seer from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh (Twitter/ANI)
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India
·
'Shobha Yatra': Security
Stepped Up in Nuh, Drones Deployed for Surveillance
·
Nuh Shobha Yatra: Vishwa Hindu
Takht Chief Detained Amid Tight Security
·
‘Jalabhishek Yatra’ Kicks Off
on A Small Scale in Nuh
·
Haryana: VHP-led groups to take
out ‘Shobha Yatra’, defy police orders
·
UP student slapping row:
Education department serves notice to primary school in Muzaffarnagar
·
Uddhav warns against communal
tension, says BJP can do anything to divert attention from its govt's failures
·
SC says it is a ‘problem’ if
J&K academic was suspended for appearing in Article 370 case
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South Asia
·
Kabul Denies UNSC Members’
Concerns About Daesh in Afghanistan
·
Obama pens a letter of support
for Prof Muhammad Yunus; Expressing His hope that he can continue to do his
"important work".
·
Dhaka looks to start
repatriation this year with 1,000 Rohingyas
·
US reaffirms commitment to
support women in Afghanistan
·
Over 700 Afghan refugees return
home from Iran
·
33 hospitals in Afghanistan
face closure amid funding shortage
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Mideast
·
Iraqi government committed to
disarm armed terrorist groups
·
Israeli regime conducts fresh
missile attack on Syria
·
Egypt To Host Military Drill
with Participation Of 34 States
·
Israeli Settlers Under Israeli
occupation forces Protection Attack Village of Madama in Nablus
·
23 Killed In Houthi Attack In
Southern Yemen
·
Jordan downs drone from Syria
in third incident this month - army
·
Israel strikes force closure of
Syria airport: state media
·
Jordan’s FM, US official
discuss joint cooperation
·
Papua New Guinea says to open
embassy in Jerusalem next week
·
Türkiye's Vice President
strongly condemns Southern Cyprus mosque attack
·
Tensions Soar as Palestinians
Navigate Netanyahu’s Threats
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Europe
·
Muslims in the Netherlands
protest Qur'an sacrilege
·
Brazil seeks to acquire 34 new
Saab Gripen F-39E/F fighter jets
·
Kremlin thinks of Putin's
opponent for elections so he does not look old
·
Ukraine downs four of six
missiles from Russia’s night attack; two hit Poltava Oblast
·
Ukraine investigates incident
that killed 3 pilots while Russia attacks with cruise missiles
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Southeast Asia
·
Selangor Ruler Orders Study On
Competency Of State Legislative Assemblies To Enact Islamic Laws
·
Najib, Arul Kanda's Acquittal:
Prosecution Fails to File Court Papers Within Deadline
·
Nik Nazmi: Govt hopes to work
closely with all parties in RE to ensure systematic transition
·
Be serious about Sosma: Asean
reps raise alarm on reform flip-flop
·
Indonesian Muslims Advised
against Multiple Hajj Pilgrimages
·
DAP never told PAS to ‘throw
away’ Islam in its party struggle, says sec-gen
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Africa
·
Islamic Group Urges ECOWAS To
Use Diplomacy In Resolving Niger Crisis
·
Lawyer Calls For National
Minimum Wage Using Nigerian Prisoners’ Template
·
Niger Protesters Vow To Storm
French Base If Troops Do Not Leave Within A Week
·
Doctors’ strike worsens
healthcare collapse in Port Sudan as army chief visits
·
Niger coup supporters rally
after French ambassador ordered out
·
Speeding truck rams into Bugiri
mosque, kills two
·
Libya suspends foreign minister
over Israeli talks amid angry protests
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Pakistan
·
Steps Being Taken to Uproot
Menace of Terrorism: Caretaker Interior Minister
·
‘Malicious’ social media drive
against IHC CJ denounced
·
15 cable cars sealed in
Abbottabad over safety concerns
·
PM Kakar vows to bring higher
education in Pakistan at par with world standards
·
Imran ‘satisfied’ with facilities
at Attock Jail
·
Pressure tactics: Why targeting
judiciary becomes a norm
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North America
·
Thousands Gather In Washington
For 60th Anniversary Of Civil Rights March
·
Trump lawyers back in DC court
as two sides differ over trial date in election subversion case
·
US Navy vows to counter China’s
‘aggressive behaviour’ – media
·
King Charles Has Given His
Eldest Grandchild Prince George Gifts Like a £18,000 Playhouse and a Field
Named in His Honor
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Arab World
·
Grand Mufti of Egypt:
Competition for Memorizing Holy Quran Reflects the Kingdom's Care for Islam and
Muslims
·
Crown prince launches
masterplan for logistics centers in Saudi Arabia
·
Former Italy boss Roberto
Mancini named Saudi Arabia head coach
·
Qatar welcomes Danish step to
ban desecration of Holy Qur'an copies
·
Saudi ambassador to Jordan
meets UNRWA chief
·
Public Prosecution to begin
judicial duties in NEOM
·
Saudi Arabia harnesses its
capabilities to contribute in enhancing gains, continuity of cultural sector
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/shobha-yatra-nuh-jagadguru-haryana/d/130546
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Shobha Yatra: Ayodhya Seer, Jagadguru
Paramhans Acharya, Stopped From Entering Haryana's Nuh, Sits On 'Hunger Strike'
Jagadguru
Paramhans Achary, a Hindu seer from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh (Twitter/ANI)
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By Sanskriti Falor
Aug 28, 2023
Jagadguru Paramhans Acharya, a Hindu
seer from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, sat on an indefinite “hunger strike” at the
Sohna toll plaza after he was stopped from reaching Nuh, where the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad (VHP) called for aB raj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra on Monday, a month
after its first procession triggered communal clashes and left several people
dead.
Jagadguru Paramhans Achary, a Hindu seer
from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh (Twitter/ANI)
Jagadguru Paramhans Achary, a Hindu seer
from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh (Twitter/ANI)
Speaking to news agency ANI, Acharya
said, “We had brought the soil of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi and the Jal of Saryu
river to pay homage to the Bajrang Dal workers who were killed and were to
return after performing Jalabhishek with the Jal of Saryu river. There was a
convoy of vehicles and people with me. Upon learning that Section 144 has been
imposed, I cut short the convoy.”
The VHP and Bajrang Dal insisted that
they would go ahead with their planned procession, despite the Nuh district
administration denying them permission for the yatra. The earlier procession,
on July 31, was attacked at Nalhar village in Nuh, sparking communal clashes
that spread to other parts of Haryana, leading to the death of at least six
people.
Acharya further said the police personnel
weren't letting the convoy pass or move back. “The administration has stopped
us here, they are not allowing us to move ahead nor they are allowing us to go
back. So I am doing fast until death. Until I am not allowed to pay homage by
performing the Jalabhishek, I will sit here. If they (the administration) will
disrespectfully move me somewhere else, I will do fast until death there also,”
he said.
He also questioned why people of other
religions had never been stopped but “only Hindus are being stopped”. He said,
“It is the last Monday of Savan. We are only asking for permission for a few
people to peacefully perform the rituals and return right back. It was a
one-minute ritual but they are not letting us move.”
Drones, paramilitary forces deployed in
Nuh
Surveillance drones, over 2,000 Haryana
Police, and around 3,000 central paramilitary forces were deployed even as
entry and exit points to Nuh were sealed ahead of VHP’s Braj Mandal Jalabhishek
Yatra.
The main road leading to the temple was
among those sealed. The Nuh administration earlier suspended internet services
and bulk SMSs as a precautionary measure besides imposing prohibitory orders.
Schools, colleges, and banks have also been closed.
On Sunday, Khattar cited the violence
last month and said it is the responsibility of the government to maintain law
and order. “That is why the permission to carry out this yatra was not given.”
Source: hindustantimes.com
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Banning of Women from Band-e-Amir
National Park by Taliban Sparks Reactions at national and international levels
Band-e-Amir, seen here in May this
year, was Afghanistan's first national park Photograph:(Twitter)
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By Asma Saayin
27 August 2023
Earlier, Mohammad Khaled Hanafi, the
acting Minister of Virtue and Vice, asked all religious clerics and security
agencies to forbid women from visiting Band-e-Amir National Park at a meeting
in Bamiyan.
Heather Barr, director of the Women's
Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, said that “Taliban” have taken the
essential rights of women.
“This latest order by the Taliban
instructing that women are not to go to Band-e-Amir is part of a pattern where
the Taliban are step by step and quickly taking away from women everything that
they need for their lives,” she said.
As a protest to banning women from going
to the Band-e-Amir National Park, the UN Special Rapporteur for Afghan human
rights, Richard Bennett, said online: "Can
someone please explain why this restriction on women visiting Bande Amir
is necessary to comply with Sharia and Afghan culture?"
“We are witnessing an increasing
restriction on women. We hope the Islamic Emirate would have a motive for why
women are banned from Band-e-Amir National Park,” said Tafseer Siah Posh, a
women’s rights activist.
Band-e-Amir National Park is one of the
famous tourist areas, where thousands of national and foreign visitors go for
recreation.
The women’s activists expressed concerns
over a ban on female visitors to this area.
“As long as we see, the restrictions
have been increasing on a daily basis. We call on the Islamic Emirate to bring
facilities for the women,” said Safa, a resident of Kabul.
Hanafi said that the decision was taken
because of women's non-observance of hijab and said that women should be
prevented from entering this park until a procedure is prepared.
Source: tolonews.com
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the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-184832
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Libyan Foreign Minister, Najla
Al-Mangoush, Suspended Over Talks with Israeli Counterpart
Photo: Al Jazeerah
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28 Aug 2023
Hundreds of people demonstrated
overnight in Libya’s capital and other provinces, angered by reports that the
country’s foreign minister met with Israel’s top diplomat last week in Rome.
Videos circulated on social media showed
protesters demonstrating in front of the foreign ministry building in Tripoli
on Sunday night, calling for Najla al-Mangoush’s dismissal.
Some protesters also called for the
resignation of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, gathering at his residence
in Tripoli and setting fire to it. It was not immediately clear if Dbeibeh was
at the residence.
Al Jazeera’s Malik Traina said there is
widespread anger in Libya over al-Mangoush’s meeting, with protests starting
late on Sunday across the west of the country.
“Protesters in al-Zawiya were calling
for the downfall of the entire government due to this meeting, and people were
closing down roads and burning tyres in Tajoura and Soug al-Jumaa. We saw other
protests in Misrata,” he said, speaking from Tripoli.
Dbeibeh announced al-Mangoush’s
“temporary suspension”, replacing her with Fathallah al-Zani, the current youth
minister, as interim foreign minister. He added that al-Mangoush would be subject
to an “administrative investigation”.
Traina said both legislative bodies, the
Tripoli-based High Council of State and the Tobruk-based House of
Representatives (HoR), have condemned the meeting and called for an emergency
session to discuss it, with the HoR describing the meeting as a “crime
committed against the Libyan people”.
An announcement a week later
The political row broke out Sunday after
Israel’s foreign ministry said the two countries’ foreign ministers had met the
previous week in a meeting hosted by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
“I spoke with the foreign minister about
the great potential for the two countries from their relations,” Israeli
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said in a statement from Israel’s foreign ministry,
adding that it was the first such diplomatic initiative between the two
countries.
Cohen said they discussed “the
importance of preserving the heritage of Libyan Jews, which includes renovating
synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in the country”, and that “Libya’s size and
strategic location offer a huge opportunity for the state of Israel”.
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Policy
However, the Libyan foreign ministry
said al-Mangoush had “refused to meet with any party” representing Israel.
“What happened in Rome was a chance and
unofficial encounter, during a meeting with his Italian counterpart, which did
not involve any discussion, agreement or consultation,” the ministry said in a
statement.
It also accused Israel of trying to
“present this incident” as a “meeting or talks”.
The ministry underlined that it
“completely and unequivocally rejects normalization with the Zionist formation”
and reiterated “in a clear and unambiguous manner Libya’s position regarding
the Palestinian cause”.
The North African country does not
recognise Israel and does not have diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv. Under a
1957 Libyan law, dealing with Israel is punishable by up to nine years in
prison.
Path to normalisation?
Earlier on Sunday evening, Libya’s
Presidential Council asked the government for “clarifications”, according to
Libya Al Ahrar TV, citing spokesperson Najwa Wheba.
The Presidential Council, which has some
executive powers and sprang from the UN-backed political process, includes
three members representing the three Libyan regions.
Their request said the meeting “does not
reflect the foreign policy of the Libyan state, does not represent the Libyan
national constants and is considered a violation of Libyan laws which
criminalise normalisation with the ‘Zionist entity'”.
It asked the head of government “to
apply the law if the meeting took place”.
According to The Associated Press, an
anonymous Libyan government official said the normalisation of relations
between Libya and Israel was first discussed in a meeting with Dbeibah and CIA
Director William Burns, who visited the Libyan capital in January.
According to the official, Burns
proposed that Dbeibah’s government, which is recognised as Libya’s
internationally backed government, join the group of four Arab countries that
normalised relations with Israel under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020.
The Libyan premier gave initial
agreement but was concerned about public backlash in a country known for its
support for the Palestinian cause, the official said.
On Monday, an Israeli official told the
Reuters news agency that the meeting between al-Mangoush and Cohen was agreed
in advance “at the highest levels” in Libya and lasted more than an hour.
Separately, Israel’s former foreign
minister and prime minister Yair Lapid criticised Cohen for going public with
the sensitive meeting.
“Countries of the world this morning are
looking at the irresponsible leak of the meeting of the Israeli and Libyan
foreign minister and asking themselves: Is it possible to manage foreign
relations with this country? Is it possible to trust this country?” Lapid said
in a statement.
Israel has normalised relations with
some Arab countries in recent years as part of US-backed deals known as the
Abraham Accords.
However, Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s hardline government has come under intense criticism from Arab
states because of surging violence in the occupied West Bank and for backing
the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied territory.
Source: aljazeera.com
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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/28/libya-protests-after-foreign-minister-reportedly-met-with-israeli-official
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Denmark Announces Ban on ‘Uncivilized’
Quran Burnings
Denmark’s
government presented a bill banning the burning of scriptures in Copenhagen on
Friday. From left are Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Justice Minister
Peter Hummelgaard and Deputy Prime Minister Jakob
Ellemann-Jensen.Credit...Martin Sylvest/Ritzau Scanpix Foto, via Associated
Press
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August 28, 2023
Denmark is bringing forward legislation
to criminalize burning the Islamic Quran as a form of protest, after
demonstrations caused Muslims to riot and angered the Islamist Turkish
government. “The government will propose legislation that prohibits the
inappropriate handling of objects with essential religious significance for a
religious community,” Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard confirmed. “The
proposal will thus make it punishable to, for example, in public burn a Quran,
Bible or Torah,” he added – although it is protests involving the burning of
the Quran, specifically, which have been causing unrest in Denmark and
especially neighboring Sweden recently. Hummelgaard brushed off concerns that
the effective reintroduction of blasphemy laws in the European Union would
infringe on freedom of expression, saying: “I fundamentally believe there are
more civilized ways to express one’s views than burning things.” Many of the
recent protests have been organized or inspired by Rasmus Paludan, a
Danish-Swedish dual national and leader of the Stram Kurs (Hard Line) party.
Muslims responded to a Quran burning organized by Paludan over Easter 2022 in
Sweden by engaging in violent riots, injuring dozens of police officers.
Several of the protests have taken place in the vicinity of Turkish embassies
and consulates, infuriating the Turkish government and prompting Turkish leader
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to order Sweden to pass laws banning Quran burnings as a
condition of approving its application for NATO.
Source: thenationalpulse.com
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https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/08/26/denmark-announces-ban-on-uncivilized-quran-burnings/
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Court of Appeal affirms High Court's
ruling in denying Malaysian woman bid's to leave Islam for Confucianism,
Buddhism
In March
2022, the woman applied for judicial review in the civil High Court, naming the
four respondents as the Shariah Court of Appeal, the Shariah High Court, the
Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council and the government of Malaysia. —
Reuters pic
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By Kenneth Tee
28 Aug 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — The Court of
Appeal has today affirmed a High Court’s decision that denied a Malaysian
woman’s leave for judicial review of the Shariah Court decision over her
apostasy bid to leave Islam and embrace Confucianism and Buddhism.
Court of Appeal judge Datuk Hajjah
Azizah Nawawi said the appellate court found that the High Court was not wrong
in dismissing the appellant’s leave as the matter of renunciation of Islam was
clearly a matter of the Shariah Court’s jurisdiction.
“Decisions by the Shariah High Court are
not amenable to judicial reviews under Order 53 of the Rules of Court, this is
because both the Shariah and civil courts form two separate legal systems.
“The appeal is dismissed and the High
Court’s decision is affirmed. We make no order to cost,” Azizah who sat
alongside judges Datuk See Mee Chun and Datuk Azizul Azmi Adnan in their
unanimous judgment that was delivered through the video-conferencing platform
Zoom.
Lawyer Fahri Azzat appeared for the
appellant.
In March 2022, the woman applied for
judicial review in the civil High Court, naming the four respondents as the
Shariah Court of Appeal, the Shariah High Court, the Federal Territories
Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) and the government of Malaysia.
The woman “A” is seeking at least 12
court orders as part of her lawsuit, including declarations that the Shariah
courts do not have the jurisdiction or power to declare that a person is no
longer a Muslim.
What happened in her case
“A’s” father had converted to Islam in
order to marry her mother, and “A’s” religious status is Muslim as she was born
when both parents were Muslims.
She was raised by her Muslim mother
after the couple divorced, but “A” had never practised Islam as her parents did
not practise it and her mother did not force Islam on her.
“A” did not have a chance to legally
decide her own faith as a child, and later started professing Confucianism and
Buddhism as her religion, and in August 2018 filed an application in the
Shariah High Court in Kuala Lumpur to seek declarations that she was never a
Muslim or alternatively no longer a Muslim or an apostate and an order that she
is not required to attend any counselling sessions relating to Islam.
At the Shariah High Court, “A” said she
had never recited the Syahadah or the proclamation of faith required to embrace
Islam and that did not believe in Islam’s teachings, asserting that she was
registered as a Muslim due to the operation of law through her birth to her
Muslim parents and not due to her personal belief.
“A” had also asserted that she professed
Confucianism and Buddhism as her religion and that she had lived the life of a
Buddhist for a long time and regularly attends Buddhist celebrations, adding
that she visits Buddhist temples annually for prayers and to prepare for
reincarnation in the journey towards achieving nirvana.
Asserting that she routinely consumes
pork and alcohol which are forbidden under Islam but not under Buddhism, “A”
had also told the Shariah High Court that she sought the declaration to
renounce Islam in order to reflect her actual faith and to prevent the image of
Islam from being tarnished by her actions because she does not intend to do so
by pretending to be a Muslim.
But before hearing the application by
“A”, the Shariah High Court in December 2018 ordered her to first attend 12
“akidah” or faith counselling sessions or sessions regarding Islam over a
six-month period from January to June 2019.
As “A” did not want to spend more time
challenging these pre-trial counselling sessions, she had taken leave from her
work abroad to travel to Malaysia to attend 12 sessions in January 2019, while
her mother and her friend had also testified in the Shariah High Court about
the Buddhist faith of “A”.
The Shariah High Court on July 27, 2020
dismissed “A”‘s bid to be declared no longer a Muslim and ordered her to go
through “istitabah” or repentance and Islamic classes and further akidah
counselling.
“A” in August 2020 appealed to the
Shariah Court of Appeal in Kuala Lumpur, which then on December 8, 2021
rejected her appeal.
She had then filed this lawsuit at the
civil High Court and subsequently sought leave for a judicial review over the
Shariah Court’s decision in March 2022.
The High Court rejected the
aforementioned leave bid in June the same year.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/08/28/court-of-appeal-affirms-high-courts-ruling-in-denying-malaysian-woman-bids-to-leave-islam-for-confucianism-buddhism/87594
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India
'Shobha Yatra': Security Stepped Up in
Nuh, Drones Deployed for Surveillance
PTI Nuh (Haryana): 28.08.23
Seers on their way to Haryana's Nuh for
Hindu outfit's 'Shobha Yatra' stopped in Gurugram, security stepped up: reports
NDTV
Heavy security arrangements are in place
here and in adjoining areas with anti-riot vehicles and drones deployed in view
of the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat's call for a 'shobha yatra' on Monday,
officials said.
Authorities have denied permission for
the yatra.
As a precautionary measure, the Nuh
district administration has already ordered the closure of educational
institutions and banks on Monday, suspended mobile Internet and bulk SMS
services, and imposed prohibitory orders in the communally-sensitive district.
Outsiders have been barred from entering
Nuh with security personnel being deployed at all the entry points of the
district.
Haryana Police personnel and
paramilitary forces have been deployed to keep a strict vigil.
Security has been tightened at
inter-state and inter-district borders, they said.
Multiple layers of barricades have been
erected by police at various points and all vehicles entering Nuh were
thoroughly checked by security personnel. Anti-riot vehicles and drones have
also been deployed.
Communal clashes had erupted in Nuh and
its adjoining areas after a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) procession was attacked
by a mob on July 31, leading to the death of six people, including two home
guards and a cleric.
On August 13, the Sarv Jatiya Hindu
Mahapanchayat gave a call to resume the Brij Mandal Shobha Yatra in Nuh on
August 28 which was disrupted by the communal clashes in July.
The VHP has said the procession will be
taken out and asserted that there is no need to obtain permission for such
religious events. However, the authorities have denied permission for the
yatra.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal
Khattar on Sunday had asked devotees to offer prayers at temples in their
neighbourhood instead of holding any 'yatra'. Permission has not been granted
for the 'yatra', he had also said.
August 28 is the last Monday of the holy
month of Shravan.
According to police, 1,900 Haryana
Police personnel and 24 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed.
All entry points to Nuh have been sealed
and the road leading to the Nalhar temple has also been closed.
Deputy Commissioner of Nuh, Dhirendra
Khadgata, has deputed 57 duty magistrates at designated places in the wake of
the call for the 'shobha yatra'.
He also appealed to the locals to
cooperate with the district administration in maintaining law and order.
Haryana Police chief Shatrujeet Kapur on
Saturday had said the administration has denied permission for the yatra due to
a meeting of the G20 Sherpa Group, scheduled to be held in Nuh from September 3
to 7, and to maintain law and order in the aftermath of the July 31 violence.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/haryana-shobha-yatra-security-stepped-up-in-nuh-drones-deployed-for-surveillance/cid/1962079
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Nuh Shobha Yatra: Vishwa Hindu Takht
chief detained amid tight security
By Manjiri Chitre
Aug 28, 2023
Gurugram: Police personnel check
vehicles ahead of a rally of Hindu organisations to be taken out in Nuh, weeks
after violence in the region, at Ghamroj toll plaza in Gurugram, Monday, Aug.
28, 2023(PTI)
Gurugram: Police personnel check
vehicles ahead of a rally of Hindu organisations to be taken out in Nuh, weeks
after violence in the region, at Ghamroj toll plaza in Gurugram, Monday, Aug.
28, 2023(PTI)
Haryana is put on high alert with heavy
security arrangements in place after the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat called
for a 'Shobha Yatra' on Monday in Nuh district despite chief minister Manohar
Lal Khattar denying permission for the procession. This comes as the district
was already tense following communal clashes last month.
On Sunday, Shandilya criticised Khattar
for not allowing the Yatra saying “they don't need any permission to visit a
temple”.
Meanwhile, the district administration
imposed Section 144, appealing to the public to avoid any kind of movement in
Nuh. All educational institutes, including schools and colleges, and banks in
the district will remain closed, Nuh sub-divisional magistrate Ashwini Kumar
said.
Top updates on Nuh Shobha Yatra:
The Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat on
August 13 called to resume the Brij Mandal Shobha Yatra in Nuh on August 28
which was disrupted after violence broke out in the district in July. However,
Manohar Lal Khattar did not give permission to carry out the yatra to maintain
law and order. Speaking at a programme in Panchkula on Sunday, the chief
minister said, “Since there was a law and order situation during the yatra last
month and now it is the responsibility of the government to maintain law and
order, that is why the permission to carry out this yatra was not given."
Despite not being allowed permission, the
Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday said that Braj Mandal Shoba Yatra would
be peacefully organised. VHP leader Alok Kumar said, “no issues related to law
and order would arise”.
Speaking to the news agency ANI, the VHP
leader said, “We know that G20 is going to start, so we will shorten the yatra.
But we will not leave it and will complete it tomorrow. I will also take part
in it. The government is there to maintain law and order so that people can
organise their religious events peacefully and safely.
According to a police spokesperson in
Nuh, 1,900 Haryana Police personnel and 24 companies of paramilitary forces
have been deployed. All entry points to the district have been sealed and the
road leading to the Malhar temple has also been closed. However, the traffic on
the KMP Expressway and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will continue normally.
The state government has suspended
mobile internet services from August 26 to August 28.
On Saturday, Nuh deputy commissioner
Dhirendra Khadgata and Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya held a
meeting with peace committees in view of the yatra. Police chief Kapur also
presided over a meeting with senior officers of bordering states - Punjab,
Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh -and
called for coordinated efforts to effectively deal with any emerging situation.
Communal violence broke out in Nuh
district on July 31 when a religious procession by the VHP was attacked with
stones and vandalised, and private and police vehicles were set on fire. Six
people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the clashes. The
violence quickly spread out to Gurugram which has witnessed stray incidents of
violence.
According to reports, the clashes were
triggered after Bajrang Dal activist Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante who is
accused of lynching two Muslim men, and his associates had circulated an
objectionable video a few days ago and were supposed to join the procession.
(With inputs from agencies)
Source: hindustantimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/nuh-shobha-yatra-haryana-on-high-alert-schools-colleges-and-banks-shut-today-top-points-101693182062435.html
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‘Jalabhishek Yatra’ kicks off on a small
scale in Nuh
August 28, 2023
ASHOK KUMAR
The ‘Jalabhishek Yatra’ in Nuh on Monday
kicked off, though at reduced scale, with four buses of local Hindus and a
group of saints allowed to offer holy waters at Nalhar temple.
Vishwas Hindu Parishad (VHP) joint
general secretary Surendra Jain told The Hindu over phone that the organisers
had agreed to reduce the size and scale of the procession at the behest of the
administration. “Those in the procession are local Hindus and a group of saints
and seers. It is our fundamental right to offer prayers, but we agreed to
reduce the scale in view of administration’s request and they also cooperated,”
said Dr. Jain.
The procession was being carried out
amid tight security with the police vehicles escorting the devotees’ buses.
Earlier, the police had put barricades
at several points on the Gurgaon-Alwar Highway to check the vehicles headed to
Nuh.
Source: thehindu.com
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/jalabhishek-yatra-kicks-off-on-a-small-scale-in-nuh/article67243998.ece
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Haryana: VHP-led groups to take out
‘Shobha Yatra’, defy police orders
28.08.23
Imran Ahmed Siddiqui
Hindutva groups led by the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad (VHP) on Sunday said that a religious procession would be taken out on
Monday in Haryana’s Nuh district that witnessed large-scale communal violence
last month in which six people were killed.
Haryana police have denied permission
for the procession.
In the wake of the call for the “Shobha
Yatra”, the Haryana government had already ordered the suspension of mobile
Internet for three days from August 26 to August 28, fearing the spread of
rumours through social media ahead of or during the rally.
Local VHP leaders on Sunday announced
that the yatra would start from the Nalhar Mahadev Mandir at 11am on Monday and
head to several temples in the area before concluding at 4pm.
Haryana’s additional director-general of
police (law and order) Mamta Singh said arrangements had been made to prevent
any untoward incident.
Sources said 1,900 Haryana police
personnel, besides 24 companies of paramilitary forces, had been deployed. “No
outsider will be allowed to enter Nuh. All entry points to the district have
been sealed. The road leading to the Nalhar temple has also been closed,” said
a police officer.
As a precautionary measure, the district
administration has ordered the closure of educational institutions and banks on
the day, suspended mobile Internet and bulk SMS services and imposed
prohibitory orders in the communally sensitive district. It has also imposed
Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting the assembly of four or more people in an
area, till Monday.
On July 31, six people, including a
cleric and two home guards, were killed in the violence that broke out after
activists of the Bajrang Dal and the VHP had taken out a procession in the
Muslim-majority Nuh town, shouting abusive slogans.
The procession was later stopped by a
group of young men and soon after, stone pelting started from both sides.
Several homes and shops of Muslim
migrants were set on fire and vandalised by a mob, and they were threatened
with violence unless they moved out of the area.
A former Intelligence Bureau director
had slammed the local administration and the police for allowing a procession
by the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in sensitive areas of Mewat in
BJP-run Haryana.
A fact-finding committee formed by the
NGO Janhastakshep had accused Hindutva groups such as the Bajrang Dal and the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad of engineering the communal violence in Nuh during the
religious procession.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/haryana-vhp-led-groups-to-take-out-shobha-yatra-defy-police-orders/cid/1961988
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UP student slapping row: Education
department serves notice to primary school in Muzaffarnagar
28.08.23
Piyush Srivastava
The education department of the Uttar
Pradesh government has served a notice to the primary school in Muzaffarnagar
whose headmistress had made some students beat a Muslim boy in a classroom on
Thursday.
Shubham Shukla, basic education officer
of the district, told reporters on Sunday that the school didn’t fulfil the
required operational criteria. “It had got approval to run in accordance with
the norms of the Uttar Pradesh Board in 2019, but no such permission was sought
next year,” Shukla said.
“The school also doesn’t fulfil the
safety- and infrastructure-related specifications. We have ordered a thorough
inquiry into the irregularities before taking action against its management. It
will remain closed during the probe. We are shifting the students to other
nearby schools,” Shukla added.
Tripta Tyagi, the owner and headmistress
of the school, was seen in a video ordering children to slap a Muslim child and
declaring that Muslim pupils should be beaten up before they were sent back
home because they do not do their homework well.
Tyagi has claimed that the video, which
surfaced on social media on Friday, was edited.
The police had registered a case against
Tyagi on Saturday morning but the father of the targeted boy had withdrawn his
complaint in the evening.
Naresh Tikait, Bharatiya Kisan Union
president, had on Friday afternoon held a panchayat in the village where the
school is located and declared that the father of the victim would withdraw the
complaint because “we don’t want communal bitterness in the district”.
Later, Sanjeev Balyan, Union minister of
state for fisheries, animal husbandry, and dairying, had met the headmistress
and the child’s parents and blamed “the leaders of New Delhi and Hyderabad” for
“trying to vitiate the atmosphere in Muzaffarnagar”.
“We will not let their plan succeed. The
headmistress has tendered her apology and the parents of the child have
pardoned her,” Balyan, who is one of the accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar
riots, had said on Saturday evening.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AIMIM
leader Asaduddin Owaisi had criticised Tyagi’s behaviour. While Rahul lives in
New Delhi, Owasi is an MP from Hyderabad.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/up-student-slapping-row-education-department-serves-notice-to-primary-school-in-muzaffarnagar/cid/1961992
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Uddhav warns against communal tension,
says BJP can do anything to divert attention from its govt's failures
28.08.23
Sanjay K. Jha
Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav
Thackeray on Sunday cautioned people against attempts to trigger communal
tension in the country, arguing that the BJP can do anything to divert public
attention from its government's failures.
Addressing a massive public rally at
Hingoli in Maharashtra, Thackeray said: “I am not saying this, former governor
Satyapal Malik, who was close to Narendra Modi, and Trinamul MP Mahua Moitra
have said that the BJP can do anything to win the 2024 election. They have
raised questions about the Pulwama incident in 2019 and have expressed fears
that communal riots can be triggered on a massive scale after the inauguration
of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.”
Asking people to stay alert, Thackeray
said he was a proud Hindu but Hindutva did not mean discrimination against
Muslims. “I don’t need any certificates from the BJP. They say I have run away
from Hindutva. Wrong. But I am not against Muslims. I am against traitors. Hang
the deshdrohi. But the 'Jai Shri Ram' slogan doesn’t make you Hindu. Where are
the jobs for Hindus?”
Amid loud cheers from the audience, he
continued: “You (Modi) say sabkasaath-sabkavikas. But in reality, it is
sabkolaat, apnedoston ka vikas (kick everyone and favour friends). You ensure your
friends get everything, in the country and abroad. Contracts, companies,
resources… everything for your friends.”
While earlier Rahul Gandhi alone would
attack crony capitalism, now all the INDIA allies are cornering Modi on this
issue.
Thackeray took strong exception to
Modi’s description of INDIA as “ghamandia”, and expressed outrage at the
comparison with the Indian Mujahideen. Responding to the Opposition's decision
to name its alliance INDIA, the Prime Minister had said even the militant group
had India in its name.
Thackeray said: “Who landed on the moon,
India or Indian Mujahideen, Mr Modi? It doesn’t behove a Prime Minister to
speak this language."
"You have no principles, no
ideology. You have stolen leaders from other parties; you have created a
combine of traitors and thieves. You accuse others of corruption but embrace
tainted people by washing them with your special powder.”
Calling out Modi’s hypocrisy, he said:
“I read somewhere that Modi has asked BJP leaders to get rakhis tied by Muslim women.
I thank him for this gesture. But will Bilkis Bano of Gujarat, who was tortured
and raped, be one of the women your leaders go to? The pregnant woman who was
abhorrently attacked and whose attackers you freed from jail? Will your leaders
go to the two women of Manipur who were paraded naked, on rakhi day?”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge
had also accused Modi of duplicity through a post on the social media platform
X: “A Dalit youth was beaten to death in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh. The
criminals didn’t spare his mother either. The Prime Minister, who shows the
hypocrisy of building a temple of Sant Ravidas (a Dalit icon) in Sagar, doesn’t
speak a word on the ceaseless attacks on Dalits and tribals.”
Kharge added: “The Madhya Pradesh chief
minister tries to hide his sins by washing the feet of the oppressed in front
of the camera but has turned the entire state into a laboratory for atrocities
on Dalits. The rate of atrocities on Dalits in Madhya Pradesh is thrice the
national average. Modiji, the people of the state will not be fooled by you
this time. You will get the answer to the project of torturing the deprived
sections of the society in a few months.”
Madhya Pradesh is going to polls later
this year.
The sustained attack on Modi-Amit Shah,
rather than the BJP, was reflected on Saturday too when Kharge addressed a
public meeting at Chevella in Telangana. Asserting that the Congress had
delivered a comprehensive and transformative change in India after
Independence, Kharge wondered what kind of morality prompted Modi-Shah to ask
what the Congress did in 53 years. “They used to say 70 years earlier but they
have realised now that there were other governments as well in between,” he
said.
Accusing Modi of making unusual noise
about the small things he does, Kharge said: “We gave the Constitution and
democracy. We united the country by integrating 562 princely states, built the
industrial backbone of public sector units, the network of dams and other
infrastructure, great educational and research institutions. Which big company
did Modi build? Was Isro built by Modi? Distributing money to voters at
election time is not our habit; we have delivered solid work.”
Accusing Modi-Shah of misleading the
nation, Kharge said India was impoverished at the time of Independence and not
even a "needle" was manufactured in the country. “We made this a
modern and capable nation. Our obsession was not like Modi’s, only to scream
and abuse the Congress. We delivered the Green Revolution, godowns are full of
grain today because of that. The average life span was 32 and it is 72 now. We
divided Pakistan, we ushered in economic liberalisation, we brought phones and
computers, gave MGNREGA and the Food Security Act,” the Congress president
said.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/uddhav-thackeray-warns-against-communal-tension-says-bjp-can-do-anything-to-divert-attention-from-its-governments-failures/cid/1961990
------
SC says it is a ‘problem’ if J&K
academic was suspended for appearing in Article 370 case
August 28, 2023- NEW DELHI
THE HINDU BUREAU
t: S. Subramanium
The Supreme Court on August 28 asked the
Attorney General of India to look into the suspension of a senior Kashmiri
lecturer, Zaroor Ahmed Bhat, from his job by the Jammu and Kashmir
administration in close succession of his arguing his challenge to the
abrogation of Article 370 before the top court.
“Mr. Attorney General, please use your
good offices to see what happened. Somebody who appears in this court is
suspended. Talk to the Lieutenant Governor… If there is some other reason,
apart from his appearance in this court, that’s different… But this suspension
happens in close succession to his appearance before us… just see what
happened,” Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud addressed the country’s top
law officer R. Venkataramani.
Justice B. R. Gavai also questioned the
Centre about the “close proximity” between Mr. Bhat’s appearance in court and
the suspension order.
“I have not seen the order, but the
timing and the reference to this aspect [Mr. Bhat’s appearance in the Supreme
Court in the Article 370 case]... If it is there, then there is a little
problem,” Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul joined in from the Bench.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta,
appearing for both the Union of India and the Jammu and Kashmir administration,
said “there are other issues” leading to the suspension and everything in the
newspapers “may not be the whole truth” about the affair.
However, when the judges on the
Constitution Bench, one after the other, voiced their scepticism about the
suspiciously quick succession of events, Mr. Mehta admitted that the “timing
was definitely not proper… I bow down… no argument”. He said he would ask the
government officials concerned to look into it.
Mr. Bhat’s predicament was brought to
the attention of the Bench by senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Rajiv Dhavan,
who said “this is not the way our democracy functions. He appears in this
court, files written submissions, the next day he is suspended”.
Mr. Sibal said if there were “other
issues” which prompted the suspension, the administration could have acted
against him earlier. “Why wait till he appears in the Article 370 matter,” the
senior advocate asked.
“He was suspended from the faculty
because he argued what he argued in the Article 370 matter… these things should
not happen,” Mr. Sibal submitted.
Mr. Bhat, who teaches Political Science
at Government Higher Secondary School in Srinagar was suspended with immediate
effect for the violation of provisions of J&K CSR, Jammu and Kashmir
Government Employees (Conduct) Rules, 1971 and J&K Leave Rules.
He had argued against the abrogation of
Article 370 in the Supreme Court. He had told the Bench, on a personal note,
about how difficult it has become for people like him to face questions about
the true essence of democracy and the spirit of the Indian Constitution
following the abrogation of Article 370 and the end of the dual relationship of
federalism on August 5, 2019.
Source: thehindu.com
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article-370-in-sc-cji-asks-ag-to-look-into-suspension-of-kashmiri-lecturer-days-after-pleading-against-abrogation/article67243847.ece
------
South Asia
Kabul Denies UNSC Members’ Concerns
About Daesh in Afghanistan
By Nazir Shinwari,
27 August 2023
The Islamic Emirate has once again
denied the concerns of the UN Security Council members about Daesh activities
in Afghanistan.
Speaking at the Security Council meeting
on the 17th report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by Daesh, UN
counter-terrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov said that the situation in
Afghanistan is growing increasingly complex, and that some 20 different
terrorist groups are present in Afghanistan.
The Islamic Emirate said in a statement
that the UNSC report about the presence of terrorist groups including in
Afghanistan is not documented from evidence, which affects the reputation of
the UNSC.
A part of the statement said that such
propaganda gives motivations to the Daesh group and increases destabilization
in the region.
“The path to negotiation and contact is
effective and the Islamic Emirate believes in relations and engagement,” said
Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.
The statement also said the existing
sanctions on Afghanistan by the UN and other sides, and the freezing of
Afghanistan’s assets abroad are the main reasons for the humanitarian situation
in Afghanistan.
“Every problem which the international
community has regarding Afghanistan, it should approach it through diplomatic
paths because it cannot eliminate the problems through allegations,” said Ziaul
Haq Madani, political analyst.
“After the Islamic Emirate came to
power, even one acre of land is not in the hands of terrorists and Daesh has
been defeated seriously. This is negative propaganda against the government,”
said Kamran Aman, a military veteran.
The situation in Afghanistan is growing
increasingly complex, with fears of weapons and ammunition falling into the
hands of terrorists now materializing.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-184830
------
Obama pens a letter of support for Prof
Muhammad Yunus; Expressing His hope that he can continue to do his
"important work".
UNB, Dhaka
Mon Aug 28, 2023
Ex-US President Barack Obama has written
a letter of support for Prof Muhammad Yunus, expressing his hope that the Nobel
Peace Prize-winning economist can continue to do his "important
work".
Prof Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank,
shared an image of the letter signed by Obama on his verified Facebook page
yesterday.
"I have long been inspired by your
efforts to empower people through offering them the means to lift their
families and communities out of poverty. As I said when having the opportunity
to meet you in the White House in 2009, your work has inspired millions to
imagine their own potential," said the letter.
"During this period, I hope it
gives you strength to know that many whose potential you invested in, and those
of us who care about a more equitable economic future for all, are thinking of
you, and I hope that you continue to have the freedom to do your important
work."
Obama is thought to wield tremendous
influence within the ranks of the Democrat party in particular, and US politics
in general.
On August 20, a full bench of the
Appellate Division cleared the way for a criminal case to continue against Dr
Yunus and his co-defendants, by rejecting a petition to prevent the case from
proceeding. The trial commenced two days later.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/obituary/news/ex-minister-motiur-rahman-dies-3404946
-----
Dhaka looks to start repatriation this
year with 1,000 Rohingyas
UNB, Dhaka
Aug 28, 2023
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen
yesterday said the government wants to begin repatriation of Rohingyas to their
place of origin this year, initially with around 1,000 of the refugees.
"We have given [Myanmar
authorities] a list of over 3,000. We need to make sure that families are not
separated," he told reporters at the foreign ministry.
The secretary said the Myanmar
authorities will get three months if they start preparations from September to
begin the repatriation.
He said a Bangladesh delegation will be
visiting Myanmar next month while a team from Myanmar will be here to talk to
Rohingyas as part of confidence-building measures.
The foreign ministry on Friday said that
further delay to commence safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation and
shortage of humanitarian support may put the entire region at risk.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/dhaka-looks-start-repatriation-year-1000-rohingyas-3404956
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US reaffirms commitment to support women
in Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati
August 28, 2023
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul, operating
from Qatar, reiterated its unwavering commitment to standing alongside women
actively striving for full participation and representation within Afghanistan.
On Women’s Equality Day, the embassy
said we stand with Afghan women pursuing full participation in Afghan life. Inclusion
is vital for a thriving nation, as women’s rights are human rights.
“We recommit ourselves to standing with
Afghan women seeking their full participation in Afghan life. No country can
thrive when half of its population is excluded. Women’s rights are human
rights,” the embassy said on social media platform X, formerly known as
Twitter.
“On August 26, 1920, after decades of
struggle, the 19th Amendment was certified, securing women’s right to vote.
Today, on Women’s Equality Day, we celebrate the achievements of women’s rights
activists and leaders,” it stated.
Meanwhile, women’s rights activists
point out that Afghan women and girls are currently facing severe deprivation
of their fundamental human rights due to the decrees implemented by the leaders
of the Taliban administration.
These activists emphasize that the
leadership’s actions are leading to a significant erosion of rights that women
should inherently possess, jeopardizing their well-being and freedoms.
Women’s rights activists highlight a lack
of robust international commitment to address the issue, leaving the challenges
regarding women’s rights unresolved.
Since the Taliban’s takeover, they have
denied Afghan women fundamental rights like education and work, restricting
their presence in public. Despite criticism, they have escalated controls, even
barring women from visiting Band-e-Amir, Bamyan.
These restrictions have sparked
widespread criticism, but the group has continued to tighten its grip, now
forbidding women from visiting Band-e-Amir in Bamyan.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/us-reaffirms-commitment-to-support-women-in-afghanistan/
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Over 700 Afghan refugees return home
from Iran
By Fidel Rahmati
August 28, 2023
The Ministry of Refugees and
Repatriations of Afghanistan has reported the return of more than 700 Afghan
refugees from Iran.
According to a statement posted on the
social media platform X, the Ministry said on Monday that around 774 Afghan refugees
have entered Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border crossing in Herat
province.
Out of the 774 returnees, about 622
people have been referred to the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
office for assistance, Islam Qala border post’s officer said.
It has not been specified whether the
Afghan returnees returned to their homeland by their own choice or were
compelled to do so through deportation by Iranian authorities.
The Ministry had previously reported
that approximately 2,589 Afghan refugees had returned from Iran to Afghanistan.
This comes amidst instances where Afghan
migrants in Pakistan and Iran have been detained, deported, and mistreated due
to a lack of legal residency documents. In many cases, these actions were
carried out by the authorities of these countries.
Furthermore, despite the severe
humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the escalating poverty levels driving
increased migration, challenges in terms of unemployment and residency issues
in neighbouring countries have prompted some migrants to return to Afghanistan
voluntarily.
Since the Taliban takeover of
Afghanistan, most of the Afghans have sought migration due to security reasons,
prosecution, lack of job opportunities and economic deterioration amid a dire
humanitarian crisis in the country.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/over-700-afghan-refugees-return-home-from-iran/
------
33 hospitals in Afghanistan face closure
amid funding shortage
By Fidel Rahmati
August 27, 2023
In a recent report, the World Health
Organization (WHO) has urgently appealed for a budget of $125 million to
provide crucial funding for hospitals across Afghanistan.
The plea underscores the pressing need
to ensure the continued operation of essential medical facilities in the
country, emphasizing the pivotal role that adequate funding plays in sustaining
healthcare services for the people of Afghanistan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has
raised an alarming alert that 33 hospitals it supports in Afghanistan are on
the brink of closure due to insufficient funds. Furthermore, the organization
noted a reduction in its health teams on the ground, dropping from 513 to 453
members.
“The activity of 33 hospitals in
Afghanistan is on the verge of being stopped due to lack of funds, the
transition strategy of the health system for Afghanistan is in the final stages
and will cost nearly $2.4 million, and if the lack of funding for Afghanistan
is not addressed, 875,000 children will be severely malnourished,” WHO said in
a statement.
Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry
of Public Health have said that in the event of these facilities’ closure, they
have prepared plans to take over funding responsibilities for these hospitals.
However, they are urging international
health institutions to collaborate with the ministry during this transition period
until these centres align with global standards.
The ministry acknowledges the importance
of international expertise and support to ensure quality healthcare services
and seeks cooperation in this critical phase.
“If international organizations suspend
their health services or financial assistance within the country, the Ministry
of Health is prepared to ensure the continued provision of healthcare services
to the citizens using its internal budget,” said Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson
for the Ministry of Health.
“In response to the Red Cross’s decision
to halt its financial support for hospitals, the Ministry of Public Health has
formulated a comprehensive plan.
Starting from September 1, this plan
will initiate services to all hospitals, safeguarding the uninterrupted
availability of healthcare,” he further emphasized.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/33-hospitals-in-afghanistan-face-closure-amid-funding-shortage/
------
Mideast
Iraqi Government Committed to Disarm
Armed Terrorist Groups: Iranian FM Spokesman
Aug 28, 2023
Addressing his weekly presser, the
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kan'ani spoke about the recent
agreement between Tehran and Baghdad regarding the armed terrorist groups.
According to the agreement, the Iraqi
government has committed to disarm the armed terrorist groups in Iraq by
September 19, he said.
He went on to say that the relations
between Iran and Iraq are completely friendly and based on good neighborliness.
Kan'ani further added that however, the
issue of the presence of terrorist forces in the Kurdistan Region is a black
point in bilateral relations.
"We hope that this black spot will
be removed," he said, adding that security is important for Iran.
Removal of oppressive sanctions a
priority for Iran
In response to a question about the
actions of the Qatari government to negotiate the lifting of sanctions, he said
that the Iranian government has two approaches regarding the issue of lifting
the oppressive sanctions.
Holding direct negotiations for the
return of all parties to the deal and neutralizing the oppressive sanctions are
the approaches, according to him.
"Removing the oppressive sanctions
is a priority for Iran, and we will pursue the neutralization of the
sanctions," he stressed.
Iran-Russia cooperation has nothing to
do with any party
The issue of cooperation between Iran
and Russia in the framework of bilateral relations and common interests based
on international laws has been ongoing for the past years, Kan'ani also said.
Reacting to the accusations of the
Western countries regarding the alleged sending of drones to Russia in war, he
said, "Iran's cooperation with Russia had existed before the start of the
war in Ukraine and will continue within the framework of bilateral relations
and is not against a third party and is not related to any party."
Source: mehrnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/205262/Iraqi-government-committed-to-disarm-armed-terrorist-groups
-----
Israeli regime conducts fresh missile
attack on Syria
Aug 28, 2023
According to the ministry, the Israeli
regime "carried out another act of aggression against Syria, conducting a
missile strike on Aleppo International Airport at 4:30 a.m."
"The attack damaged the
runway," the ministry added, TASS reported.
Aleppo International Airport was
targeted twice earlier this year. On March 7, the airport stopped operations
for over two weeks following an Israeli regime's airstrike.
Humanitarian aid deliveries for people
affected by the February 6 earthquake were temporarily redirected to Latakia
and Damascus. On May 5, an Israeli regime's attack damaged the runway and the
airport was closed for a few days.
Source: mehrnews.com
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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/205251/Israeli-regime-conducts-fresh-missile-attack-on-Syria
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Egypt To Host Military Drill with
Participation Of 34 States
The exercise, which runs from 31 August
to 14 September, aims to enhance military cooperation and combat common threats
and risks, according to an army statement, Daily News Egypt reported.
Aug 27, 2023
Bright Star is one of the largest and
oldest joint military exercises in the world, dating back to October 1980. It
is held in Egypt every two years with the participation of the United States
and other countries.
The exercise provides an opportunity for
the participating nations to exchange expertise and learn about the latest
weapons and military equipment. It also covers various scenarios of
conventional and irregular warfare, including security and counter-terrorism
operations.
The exercise involves ground forces,
infantry, armored vehicles, artillery units, navy, air force, and special
operations forces from the Egyptian and US sides, as well as other countries.
The Thunderbolt and Paratroopers units also take part in the exercise.
The Bright Star exercise reflects
Egypt’s strategic and security relations with the US and other countries. It
also showcases Egypt’s ability to combine different military doctrines from the
Eastern and Western schools of combat.
The US and NATO countries consider
Bright Star an essential exercise for them, as it gives them experience in
fighting in desert areas. Egypt and many other countries also benefit from
gaining new knowledge of Western weapons and tactics.
Source: mehrnews.com
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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/205213/Egypt-to-host-military-drill-with-participation-of-34-states
-----
Israeli Settlers Under Israeli
occupation forces Protection Attack Village of Madama in Nablus
August 27, 2023
Settlers and Israeli occupation forces
attacked on Sunday, August 27, 2023, the village of Madama, south of Nablus,
and fired tear gas canisters toward several Palestinian citizens.
Acting Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas
reported that the settlers attacked Palestinian homes in the southern area of
the village, with the protection of occupation forces who launched sound and
tear gas bombs.
As a result, a number of Palestinian
citizens suffocated. Daghlas added that the soldiers and settlers attempted to
break doors and windows of several houses. This marks the second attack
launched by settlers on the village today.
Settler violence against Palestinians is
a daily matter in the West Bank. Instead of taking preventive action, the
Israeli authorities aid and abet the settlers in harming Palestinians and using
their land.
Source: daysofpalestine.ps
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------
23 Killed InHouthi Attack In Southern
Yemen
August 27, 2023
AL-MUKALLA: At least 23 people were
killed in heavy combat between Yemeni government troops and Houthis in the
southern province of Lahj on Sunday, as the Yemeni government criticized the
militia for rejecting peace efforts to end the war.
The Houthis launched an attack on
government troops in Lahj’sYafae region, sparking heavy fighting that killed 15
Houthis, eight pro-government soldiers, and injured at least ten more.
Mohammed Al-Naqeeb, a spokesman for
pro-independence southern forces that control Yafae, described the Houthi
attacks on Yafae as the militia’s “biggest and bloodiest” attack in recent
months, adding that their forces were able to repel the Houthis, forcing them
to retreat after suffering heavy casualties.
“The Houthi militia’s assault on Yafae
is a response to all concessions offered by the legitimate government and peace
initiatives,” Al-Naqeeb told Arab News.
Since early last year, when the
UN-brokered truce came into force, hostilities have drastically decreased,
primarily outside the government-controlled city of Marib.
However, Yemeni government officials say
that the Houthis have continued their fatal attacks on residential
neighborhoods and military targets in Lahj, Marib and Taiz.
According to local press reports citing
Houthi media, the Houthis have buried more than 4,000 fighters, killed on the
battlefield since the beginning of this year.
The Houthi attack on Yafae occurred a
day after a member of the Presidential Leadership Council, Sultan Al-Aradah,
accused the Houthis of impeding peace efforts to end the war and reiterated the
government’s threat to respond militarily to Houthi attacks on oil facilities.
Al-Aradah told a gathering of government
officials in Marib on Saturday that the Houthis were attempting to lay siege to
government-controlled areas by halting oil shipments and forcing local traders
to abandon ports. He said that the Houthis were disintegrating from within and
beset by major internal issues as Yemenis, particularly those who live in areas
under their control, rejected their repressive rule and radical ideologies.
“We assure you, in the name of the
political leadership, that we will restore our state, either through peace
through the United Nations, which is what we are seeking, or through the valor
of the armed forces, security, and popular resistance,” Aradah said.
Meanwhile, the UN Yemen envoy, Hans
Grundberg, said on Sunday that he had a virtual meeting with Ali Asghar Khaji,
adviser to Iran’s foreign minister, in which they discussed gaining
international support for attaining peace in Yemen.
“They discussed the progress of UN-led
mediation &ways to strengthen concerted regional &international support
to resume an inclusive political process under UN auspices,” Grundberg’s office
said in a statement.
The UN envoy has increased his
diplomatic efforts throughout the region in the hope of achieving a
breakthrough that will allow the peace process in Yemen to resume, which was halted
in October when the Houthis refused to renew the UN-brokered truce.
At the same time, a Yemeni government
official told Arab News on Sunday that the present peace efforts, whether led
by the UN envoy or Omani mediators, were aimed at persuading the Houthis to
renew the truce and agree to end-of-war talks.
“The mediators are engaging in
discussions with the Houthis in an effort to persuade them of certain
outstanding details and what is required to renew the cease-fire and build on
it to initiate a comprehensive political process, said the official, who
requested anonymity.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2362416/middle-east
------
Jordan downs drone from Syria in third
incident this month - army
August 28, 2023
DUBAI: The Jordanian army on Monday
downed a drone coming from Syrian territory, said a statment by the Jordanian
army on Monday.
The army said in a statement that the
drone was brought down in its territory but did not say what it was carrying.
Officials have recently revealed weapons were being smuggled as well as
narcotics by drone.
This incident highlights the ongoing
challenges and security concerns that Jordan face along its borders,
particularly with the use of emerging technologies like drones.
Earlier this month the Jordanian army
downed a drone loaded with explosive materials (TNT) coming from Syrian
territory. The smuggling attempt was thwarted in collaboration between the Drug
Control Department and military security services.
Source: arabnews.com
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------
Israel strikes force closure of Syria
airport: state media
August 28, 2023
DAMASCUS: Israeli air strikes on Aleppo
airport in northern Syria caused the grounding of flights on Monday, Syrian
state news agency SANA reported, citing a military source.
“At about 4:30 am (0130 GMT) this
morning, the Israeli enemy undertook an aerial aggression from the direction of
the Mediterranean west of Latakia, targeting Aleppo International Airport,” the
source said, adding that this resulted in damage to the airport runway.
During more than 12 years of civil war
in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory,
primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well
as Syrian army positions.
Israel rarely comments on strikes it
carries out in Syria, but has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-foe
Iran to expand its presence in the country.
The strikes have repeatedly caused the
grounding of flights at the airports in Aleppo and the capital Damascus, both
of which are controlled by the government.
In early May, Israeli strikes on the
Aleppo area killed four Syrian officers and three Iran-backed fighters and
forced a halt to flights, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
war monitor.
Israel strikes put the airport out of
service twice in March.
Three people were killed during a March
7 strike, while another strike two weeks later destroyed a suspected arms depot
used by Iran-backed militias at Aleppo airport, the Britain-based Observatory
reported.
Monday’s strikes come a week after two
fighters backing the Syrian government were killed in Israeli air strikes on
sites near Damascus, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources
on the ground in Syria.
Source: arabnews.com
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------
Jordan’s FM, US official discuss joint
cooperation
August 28, 2023
AMMAN: Jordan’s Foreign Affairs Minister
Ayman Safadi held talks on Sunday with Barbara Leaf, US assistant secretary of
state for near eastern affairs, on regional issues, particularly the
Palestinian cause and the Syrian crisis.
Safadi and Leaf affirmed the
“deep-rooted, strong and strategic” ties between their nations, and commitment
to the framework of the fourth memorandum of understanding signed by the two
countries in 2022.
Safadi lauded the US for its assistance
to Jordan in addressing economic challenges and the consequences of regional
crises, particularly the influx of refugees, the Jordan News Agency reported.
Leaf stated that the US welcomed
Jordan’s efforts, led by King Abdullah II, to promote regional security,
stability and peace.
Source: arabnews.com
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-----
Papua New Guinea says to open embassy in
Jerusalem next week
August 28, 2023
SYDNEY: Papua New Guinea will open an
embassy in Jerusalem next week during a visit by Prime Minister James Marape, a
spokesperson for his office said on Monday.
“Yes, that is correct,” said a
spokesperson from Marape’s office, when asked whether the country is set to
open the embassy and that Marape would visit Israel next week.
Israel’s foreign ministry said in
February Papua New Guinea would open its first embassy in the country some time
in 2023.
Israeli media including Channel 14 and
the Times of Israel reported the inauguration of the embassy would take place
on September 5.
The vast majority of countries with an
official diplomatic presence in Israel have their embassies in Tel Aviv, with
only the United States, Kosovo, Guatemala and Honduras currently basing theirs
in Jerusalem.
Israel annexed the eastern part of
Jerusalem after capturing it in the 1967 Middle East war and regards the city
as its “eternal and indivisible” capital, but that is not recognized
internationally.
Palestinians want to have the capital of
an eventual Palestinian state there.
Source: arabnews.com
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------
Türkiye's Vice President strongly
condemns Southern Cyprus mosque attack
27 Aug 2023
Türkiye's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz
has strongly condemned a recent arson attack on a mosque in the Greek Cypriot
administration.
After a Molotov cocktail was hurled on
Saturday at the Koprulu Haci Ibrahim Aga Mosque in the city of Limassol, Yilmaz
said on Sunday that the act was "a clear attack on human rights,
democracy, freedom of thought and belief."
"Communal peace and human values
were targeted in this act of arson," he said on X, the social media
platform formerly known as Twitter.
Yilmaz also underlined that the attack
was another manifestation of rising anti-Islam sentiments in Europe in recent
years.
The attack was also condemned by other
Turkish officials and politicians, including the head of the country's
Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) Ali Erbas and the spokesman of the
Justice and Development (AK) Party Omer Celik.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has also
strongly condemned the early-morning arson attack on Saturday.
"This heinous attack is yet another
addition to the past acts against different mosques in the Greek Cypriot
Administration," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"On the other hand, the hatred and
intolerance revealed by the said attack indicate how far removed some segments
of the Greek Cypriot community are from an understanding of living together in
peace, tranquility and tolerance with the Muslim Turkish Cypriots, providing an
additional proof that the two-state vision of the Turkish Cypriot side
constitutes the only realistic model for the settlement of the Cyprus
issue," the statement added.
Source: trtworld.com
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------
Tensions Soar as Palestinians Navigate
Netanyahu’s Threats
August 28, 2023
Amid escalating tensions in the region,
the Palestinian people find themselves grappling with the consequences of
aggressive Israeli policies, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intensifies
his threats against Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups. Critics are
highlighting the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli government and
its role in perpetuating a cycle of violence and repression against the
Palestinian population.
Netanyahu’s recent address during a
cabinet meeting has drawn criticism for its harsh tone, where he vowed to
combat Hamas and its affiliates, both within Gaza and the West Bank. These
statements have been viewed by many as an attempt to divert attention away from
the root causes of the conflict and justify further military actions against
the Palestinian territories.
This statement came hot on the heels of
Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri’s prediction of a “resounding defeat” for
Israel, envisioning an end to its occupation of the West Bank. He pointed to
the extremist policies of the far-right Israeli government as a catalyst for an
impending regional crisis. Netanyahu’s dismissive response to al-Arouri’s
comments is seen by critics as an attempt to downplay legitimate concerns
raised by Palestinian leaders.
Israel’s aggressive tactics, including
targeted assassinations and military strikes, are contributing to the escalating
violence. The prioritization of eliminating Palestinian leaders, with al-Arouri
reportedly at the top of Israel’s assassination list, is condemned for its
disregard for diplomatic solutions and potential for fueling further
instability.
Hamas Claims Role Amid Strain
Hamas, on the other hand, claimed
responsibility for a recent shooting that resulted in the deaths of two Israeli
settlers near Nablus. The group framed the incident as a response to the
ongoing Israeli occupation and oppression faced by Palestinians. This event
underscores the desperation and frustration experienced by a population living
under constant Israeli occupation and restrictions.
The West Bank has witnessed an alarming
surge in violence, including frequent Israeli raids and attacks by Jewish
settlers against Palestinians. More than 220 Palestinians have been killed by
Israeli fire this year, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry,
underscoring the deadly consequences of the ongoing occupation.
Pundits assert that a more balanced and
just approach is required to address the grievances of the Palestinian people
and pave the way for a peaceful resolution. While the Israeli government claims
its actions are in self-defense, the suffering of the Palestinian population
and the need for a lasting solution are paramount concerns that demand urgent
attention on the global stage.
Source: daysofpalestine.ps
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https://daysofpalestine.ps/tensions-soar-as-palestinians-navigate-netanyahus-threats/
------
Europe
Muslims in the Netherlands protest
Qur'an sacrilege
Aug 27, 2023
Protesters carried copies of the holy
Qur'an and gathered in Malieveld Square. They had signs that read: "The
Qur'an gives us light to guide us, fire cannot burn the Sun" and "I
love the Qur'an” as demonstrators walked toward the Danish and Swedish
embassies.
Protesters criticized governments that
enable hostile acts against the Qur'an. They shouted: “Stop burning our book
and holy books,” and “Shame on the Danish and Swedish governments!”
Demonstrators also recited verses from the Qur'an, Anadolu Agency reported.
Serdar Isik, a psychologist, read a
statement in front of the Swedish Embassy and said attacks on the Qur'an in
Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands hurt Muslims very much, and tearing the
Qur'an under police protection is a racist act.
Isik slammed The Hague Mayor Jan van
Zanen, who allowed attacks on the Qur'an. "It hurts us that racists and
fascists are allowed to attack the values of more than a million Muslims in the
Netherlands so blatantly," said Isik.
He said demonstrators demand the Dutch
government prepare a bill emphasizing the protection of religious peace and
ensure the peaceful coexistence of religious and non-religious groups and
individuals.
Source: mehrnews.com
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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/205191/Muslims-in-the-Netherlands-protest-Qur-an-sacrilege
------
Brazil seeks to acquire 34 new Saab
Gripen F-39E/F fighter jets
Aug 28, 2023
BOYKO NIKOLOV
In the wake of the Bolsonaro
presidency’s years of scarcity, there appears to be a resolute determination
from Lula to revolutionize the ForçaAérea Brasileira. His objective is to
elevate it to the foremost position in South American military aviation, an
ambition that, upon reflection, appears to be grounded in sound logic.
Undeniably, the most crucial resolution
made this week pertains to the impending procurement of thirty-four Saab JAS
39E/F Gripen multi-role combat aircraft and a duo of Airbus DS A330 MRTT aerial
refueling tankers. This strategic move is aimed to supersede antiquated
military hardware like the Italian-Brazilian AMX International A-1M and the
Lockheed KC-130B Hercules, thereby marking a pivotal upgrade in the nation’s
defense capabilities.
Furthermore, this decision signifies not
only a significant shift in military strategy but also a noteworthy commercial
triumph for the Swedish aircraft manufacturer, Saab. This procurement
underscores their competitive edge in the global aerospace industry, affirming
their standing as a leading manufacturer of state-of-the-art military aircraft.
Indeed, over the course of several
years, Saab has faced a string of setbacks with its 4.5 generation monojet. The
monojet has consistently been outperformed, whether it was by the French
Dassault Aviation Rafale in Croatia and Indonesia, or by the Lockheed-Martin
F-16V Viper in Bulgaria. Not to mention its losses against the American F-35A
Lightning II in both Canada and the Netherlands, which only added to the series
of defeats.
It was rather unforeseen when Brazil
elected to place an order for an additional thirty-four aircraft, especially
given the substantial delays the plane has previously endured within the
nation. The financial circumstances of this South American country, it appears,
do not extend to the acquisition of Rafale F4s or Typhoon Tranche 4s.
Concurrently, Brazil’s affiliation with the BRICS alliance places it in a
position where it is ineligible for the procurement of aircraft manufactured in
the United States.
Undeniably, the prospect of procuring
Russian equipment is off the table. President Lula, in his strategic wisdom,
refrains from such actions to avoid straining the diplomatic ties with
Washington DC.
It could thus be posited that the sole
contender left standing is the JAS 39E/F Gripen. It indeed holds true. This
aligns well with the strategic preferences of Brazilian decision-makers. The selection
of a singular, versatile model of combat aircraft signifies a streamlined
approach toward the utilization of air resources. This, in turn, promises
considerable financial savings.
Give Ukraine a Gripen, the F-16 can't
give what the Swede can
Prior to this point, the procurement of
forty aircraft in December 2013 was strategically planned to supersede the
Dassault Aviation F-2000C Mirage and Northrop F-5EM/FM Tiger II. This
transition was successfully executed for the former model, even preceding the
arrival of the first Swedish aircraft, and is projected to be completed for the
latter within the forthcoming year.
It is anticipated that the ForçaAérea
Brasileira will place orders for thirty-four new aircraft in the weeks to come.
These new additions are intended to supersede the AMX International A-1M, a
single-jet ground attack and tactical reconnaissance aircraft currently in use.
This course of action suggests an unequivocal intent on Brazil’s part to
transition to an exclusively F-39E/F fleet by the close of the current decade
or the onset of the next. It is noteworthy to mention that the F-39E/F is the
local designation of the globally recognized JAS 39E/F Gripen.
Notably, the Brazilian state contract
has been awarded to two distinguished aircraft manufacturers, Saab and Airbus
DS. The latter, a prominent European entity, is entrusted with the provision of
two KC-30A Fénix aircraft. These are not fresh off the assembly line but
rather, are second-hand A330-200 airliners that have been meticulously converted
to meet the A330 MRTT standard.
In a manner akin to the Phénix of the
Air and Space Force or the Voyager KC.2 of the Royal Air Force, the ForçaAérea
Brasileira’s aircraft will serve dual roles – as in-flight refueling tankers
and strategic transport and logistical support aircraft. This dual
functionality broadens their scope and operational efficiency. The addition of
these two aircraft will augment the singular one already in active service
within Brazil.
This development, however, signifies another
setback for Boeing and its KC-46A Pegasus, which continues to grapple with
export challenges. Despite its technological sophistication, the KC-46A Pegasus
has not managed to secure a solid foothold in the international market, a point
underscored by this recent Brazilian acquisition.
Aside from the two variants of aircraft
designated for the ForçaAérea Brasileira, official announcements have been made
regarding contracts for both armored terrestrial vehicles and military naval
craft, encompassing both surface and submersible vessels. Furthermore, the
prior administration’s agreement for the procurement of twenty-seven
single-engine Airbus Helicopters H125 has been reaffirmed.
Source: bulgarianmilitary.com/
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https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2023/08/28/brazil-seeks-to-acquire-34-new-saab-gripen-f-39e-f-fighter-jets/
------
Kremlin thinks of Putin's opponent for
elections so he does not look old
ALONA MAZURENKO
28 AUGUST 2023
The administration of Russian President
Vladimir Putin is choosing opponents for Putin in the 2024 presidential
election and has decided that it will not register candidates under 50 so that
Putin does not look like an old man.
Quote: "The political bloc of the Russian
presidential administration, headed by Sergei Kirienko, has decided on
‘sparring partners’ who will ‘compete’ with Vladimir Putin in the 2024
presidential election.
As two media sources close to the
Kremlin said, one of the main criteria for their selection was age. There
should be no politicians under the age of 50 among the registered candidates.
According to Russian presidential
administration officials, the presence of such candidates on the ballot may
make Russians think that the 70-year-old Putin is ‘no longer the man who came
to power with a firm hand’."
Details: Putin's administration expects
representatives of three parliamentary parties to run in the election: the
Communist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) and the New People (Sergei
Mironov, the leader of A Just Russia, announced that his party would not
nominate a candidate and would support Vladimir Putin).
The Kremlin sees Gennadiy Zyuganov as a
candidate from the Communist Party. In the 2008 presidential election, Zyuganov
received 17%, and in 2012 – 18%.
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Such stability in the rating is
important to the Kremlin, as it is planned that Putin will score a "record
result" in the upcoming elections.
Putin must receive more than 80% of the
vote with a turnout of more than 70%.
According to the Kremlin's plan, Leonid
Slutsky, the Liberal Democratic Party's leader, should be the candidate. As a
source close to Putin's administration said, Slutsky wants to run for office
himself "because he loves PR".
A source close to the LDPR leadership
confirmed this information and added that Slutsky "likes to be seen in
public" and intends to "raise his personal popularity".
The New People candidate is more complicated.
The Kremlin would like to see Alexei Nechaev, the party's chairman and
businessman, run.
However, this plan has not yet been
agreed upon with Nechaev himself. According to two Medusa sources close to the
Kremlin, he understands that "he will not be allowed to gain a lot of
votes, and he does not want to receive crumbs and be a Lesha [short form of
Alexei – ed.] with 2%".
It is reported that Nechaev is proposing
Vladislav Davankov, Deputy Speaker of the State Duma [the lower chamber of the
Russian parliament – ed.], who is currently running for mayor of Moscow, but
this candidate does not suit the Putin administration.
The fact is that Davankov is 39 years
old, loves PR and can speak well in public.
The Putin administration believes that a
young and active candidate could make voters think about the president's age,
and this would be an unfavourable contrast.
The Putin administration is thinking
about the prospect of a couple of years when people will think that Putin is
certainly good, but it is time for someone younger to come in.
It is also reported that Russian
officials began to treat Putin differently after his 70th birthday.
While media sources used to refer to
Putin as "the first", "the chief", "the supreme"
or "dad", now they most often refer to him as
"grandfather".
One of the sources close to the Kremlin,
when asked about the reasons for this, said: "Well, grandfather is
grandfather; it's not negative. He is of that age".
Source: pravda.com.ua
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https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/08/28/7417358/
------
Ukraine downs four of six missiles from
Russia’s night attack; two hit Poltava Oblast
28/08/2023
IRYNA VOICHUK
On the night of 28 August, Ukrainian air
defense shot down four of six Russian missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force reported.
Two missiles hit an industrial facility in Myrhorod district, Poltava Oblast,
killing two and injuring five.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force,
air defense forces shot down two Kalibr cruise missiles and two Kh-59 guided
aircraft missiles.
In total, the Russian army launched four
Kalibr cruise missiles from the frigate in the Black Sea, Ukrainian Air Force
reported.
Two missiles hit an industrial facility
in Hoholeve village, Myrhorod district, Poltava Oblast, head of Ukraine’s
Presidential Office Andrii Yermak wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to Yermak, the attack killed
two workers and wounded five more.
Source: euromaidanpress.com
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-----
Ukraine investigates incident that
killed 3 pilots while Russia attacks with cruise missiles
27 August, 2023
Ukrainian authorities have launched an
investigation after a midair collision between two warplanes in the west of the
country killed three pilots.
Ukraine's air force spokesman Yuri Ihnat
told Ukrainian television on Sunday it wasn't immediately clear how long the
probe would take.
According to the air force's Telegram
page, two L-39 training military aircraft collided on Friday during a combat
mission over Ukraine's western Zhytomyr region.
Three pilots were killed, including
Andriy Pilshchykov, a well-known pilot with the nickname "Juice" who
was an outspoken advocate for Ukraine getting F-16 fighter jets.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his
nightly address on Saturday paid tribute to Pilshchykov, describing him as a
"Ukrainian officer, one of those who helped our country a lot."
Ukraine's Vasilkiv tactical aviation
brigade on Sunday identified the other two pilots killed in the collision as
Viacheslav Minka and Serhiy Prokazin.
Russian forces, in the meantime,
targeted central and northern regions of Ukraine with cruise missiles
overnight. Ukraine's air force on Sunday reported air defenses successfully
intercepted four of them.
In the Kyiv region surrounding the
Ukrainian capital, the falling debris damaged a dozen private homes and wounded
two people, Ukraine's Interior Ministry said.
In Russia, the Defense Ministry reported
bringing down two drones over the Bryansk and Kursk regions that border
Ukraine. The drones, the ministry said, were launched by "the Kyiv
regime" in "yet another attempt at terrorist attacks" on Russian
soil.
Kursk Gov. Roman Starovoit, however,
reported that a drone slammed into a multistory residential building in the
region's namesake capital.
It wasn't immediately clear if it
crashed after being shot down by air defenses, like the Defense Ministry
reported, or was targeting the building. Starovoit said no one was hurt, but a
number of windows were shattered.
Source: newarab.com
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------
Southeast Asia
Selangor Ruler orders study on
competency of state legislative assemblies to enact Islamic laws
28 Aug 2023
SHAH ALAM, Aug 28 — Selangor Ruler
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has ordered the immediate establishment of a
special committee to conduct an in-depth and critical study on the competency
of state legislative assemblies to enact Islamic laws under state enactments
and the jurisdiction of Syariah Courts.
Sultan Sharafuddin who is also the
National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) chairman said this is due
to the number of cases under the jurisdiction of Syariah Courts being
challenged at the Federal Court, particularly concerning the competency of
state legislative assemblies in formulating and approving Islamic (Shariah)
laws, as well as the jurisdiction of the Syariah Courts that preside over them.
“This trend shows the position of state
enactments that pertain to Shariah criminal offences is being increasingly
challenged thereby affecting the jurisdiction of the Syariah Courts in the
states to adjudicate on them,” he said.
The Selangor Ruler said this at MKI’s
70th meeting at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, here, today.
Also present was Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also MKI
Sultan Sharafuddin is of the opinion
that it can only be resolved by taking legislative action through specific
amendments to the relevant laws to grant the state legislative assemblies
broader powers in formulating provisions related to Shariah criminal offences
for Muslims.
He stated that the special committee
should propose amendments to the relevant laws including provisions in the
Federal Constitution to create comprehensive solutions to these issues.
“The special committee should consist of
constitutional law experts, civil and Shariah law experts, academics, and not
forgetting legal practitioners who possess the qualifications, skills and
extensive experience in both civil law and Shariah law,” he noted.
In light of this, Sultan Sharafuddin
said he hoped that the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious
Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, who was also present, could take
immediate steps towards the formation of the special committee and propose the
solutions to MKI and the Conference of Rulers.
Meanwhile, the Selangor Ruler informed
that the 70th MKI meeting will discuss a policy paper that outlines
comprehensive and detailed guidelines on the use of the word ‘Allah’ by
non-Muslims.
“All decisions reached by MKI regarding
the issue of the term ‘Allah’ will be presented at the Conference of Rulers’
upcoming meeting, thus a policy concerning the usage of the word ‘Allah’ by
non-Muslims in this country will be finalised,” he added.
Sultan Sharafuddin said during a discussion
with the prime minister on June 7, he had expressed his views as the MKI
chairman that the issue regarding the use of the word ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims
must first be discussed at the MKI level.
“My view on this matter has also been
approved by His Majesty the Yang di-PertuanAgong. This matter is in line with
the function of MKI, which is responsible for advising the Malay Rulers in
improving the administration of Islamic affairs,” he added.
He said that given that this is a
sensitive issue, it needs to be studied thoroughly, wisely and resolved
responsibly without delay. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Najib, Arul Kanda's Acquittal:
Prosecution Fails To File Court Papers Within Deadline
By Ida Lim
28 Aug 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — The prosecution’s
has not filed the document within the deadline required to continue with its
appeal against the High Court’s acquittal of former prime minister Datuk Seri
Najib Razak and former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy in the trial over the
alleged tampering of the auditor-general's audit report on 1MDB.
Arul Kanda’s lawyer Datuk N. Sivananthan
confirmed that the prosecution had not filed the document at the Court of
Appeal against the acquittals of both Najib and Arul Kanda, and said the case
will now be brought up in the Court of Appeal again on August 30.
“The matter is now fixed for case
management on 30th August for the court to decide whether the matter should
thereafter be fixed for case management before the deputy registrar or for
mention before the panel of the Court of Appeal.
“This is due to the fact that no
petition of appeal has been filed by the prosecution despite the fact that the
time for filing has elapsed,” he told Malay Mail when contacted, following a
case management at the Court of Appeal today.
Asked by Malay Mail, Sivananthan said
the deadline for the prosecution to file the petition of appeal was due in the
first week of July this year, and confirmed that the prosecution had yet to
apply for an extension of the deadline to file these documents at the Court of
Appeal.
“To date no extension of time was ever
applied for by the prosecution,” he said.
When asked if the prosecution’s appeal
is discontinued, Sivananthan confirmed the appeal has to be officially recorded
as struck off by the Court of Appeal before it can be regarded as discontinued.
“It still has to be either discontinued
or struck off neither of which has been done,” he said.
But asked if the prosecution’s failure
to file the petition of appeal within the deadline means that the appeal
against Najib’s and Arul Kanda’s acquittal would not be able to continue,
Sivananthan said that the appeal could be continued if the prosecution obtains
from the Court of Appeal an extension of the deadline to file the petition of
appeal.
“Unless prosecution applies for
extension of time to file petition of appeal and allowed,” he said.
He said the prosecution could apply for
an extension of time even after the deadline for the petition of appeal’s
filing has lapsed: “One can apply for abridgement of time to file out of time.”
Apart from Sivananthan, lawyer Jasmine
Cheong also appeared for Arul Kanda during the case management today.
Previously, it was reported that Arul
Kanda had on July 20 sent a representation letter to the Attorney-General's
Chambers to ask the prosecution to withdraw its appeal against his acquittal in
the case.
When contacted by Malay Mail, Najib’s
defence lawyer Alaistair Brandah Norman confirmed the case will come up for
case management again on August 30.
“This matter has now been fixed for
another case management on 30.08.2023 either before the Deputy Registrar or the
panel of the Court of Appeal, as we have taken the position that the appeal is
defective,” he said.
Alaistair confirmed that Najib has not
filed any representation letter to the attorney-general to ask for the appeal
in the 1MDB audit case to be discontinued.
Lawyers Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah
and Muhammad Farhan Shafee also appeared for Najib in this case.
After the High Court on March 3
acquitted the duo, the prosecution had on March 9 this year filed the appeal.
Previously in Najib's separate criminal
case involving SRC International SdnBhd's RM42 million, the prosecution had
filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal to seek heavier penalties after
Najib was convicted at the High Court, but the prosecution also did not file a
petition of appeal within the deadline and that appeal also lapsed and was not
continued.
Najib subsequently failed in his appeals
against his conviction at both the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court in the
SRC case, and he has been serving his 12-year jail sentence since August last
year.
Source: malaymail.com
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Nik Nazmi: Govt hopes to work closely
with all parties in renewable energy to ensure systematic transition
28 Aug 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — The government is
hoping to work closely with all parties in the renewable energy (RE) industry
to ensure a just and systematic transition, considering the energy trilemma of
affordability, security and sustainability.
Natural Resources, Environment and
Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said a new investment of
approximately RM637 billion up until 2050 in RE is required, which includes
investments in RE generation sources, strengthening of grid infrastructure
including transmission lines enhancement, energy storage systems integration
and grid system network operation augmentation.
He said a robust and flexible grid is
critical as the intended ramping up of RE will be very much solar-based.
“Taking into account the Malaysia Energy
Transition Outlook (METO) report, the government has announced an enhanced
commitment to undertake an aspirational low-carbon energy pathway to accelerate
our RE deployment in the power sector to 70 per cent, or 55 gigawatts (GW) by
2050, compared to the current level of 25 per cent, or 10GW, and the existing
target of 40 per cent in 2050.
“This is part of the commitment I made
during the unveiling of METO, in which I had pledged to put comprehensive,
competitive, and aspirational power generation and supply planning policies in
place,” he said in his keynote address at the Energy Transition (ET) Conference
2023 powered by Tenaga Nasional Bhd here, today.
This, he said, enables Malaysia to
decarbonise and leverage its competitive advantage to draw in high-value yet
environmentally-friendly investment that is sustainable and energy-centric.
Nik Nazmi said the government has also
decided to allow cross-border trade of RE as a two pronged-strategy for
Malaysia to capitalise and explore new higher-value RE demand in neighbouring
countries, which will enable Malaysia to offer and enjoy greater grid
flexibility with higher RE integration under the Asean Power Grid (APG)
initiative.
“Certainly, the APG is a goal worth
pursuing. As a multilateral undertaking, its achievement would result in a
totally integrated Southeast Asian power grid. It would promote
interconnectivity across the ten Asean member states with our combined
population of more than 670 million and counting, allowing cross-border
electricity trade across the region.
“The government invites all interested
energy players, especially our local energy companies such as Telekom Nasional
Bhd, to continue and facilitate the discovery of new and renewable sources of
energy across the nation and our borders,” he said.
He said cross-border RE trading will be
part of Malaysia’s contribution to the creation of the APG and, one would
argue, towards strengthening Asean integration as a whole.
Nik Nazmi said the recently concluded
41st Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting (Amem-41) in Bali, Indonesia, has
resulted in, among others, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines
deciding to embark on a sub-region focus group to ramp up existing
interconnectivity for green energy.
“Asean is an integral part of Malaysia’s
future. Hence, it is crucial for us to achieve a just and comprehensive energy
transition as an interconnected region, with the APG as a key component,” he
said.
Nik Nazmi said the realisation of an
integrated regional grid with a high share of RE hinges on providing a smart,
flexible and robust grid system and infrastructure.
“Therefore, I urge TNB to draw on its
extensive 70-year history in grid development and management to continue its
effort in modernising and digitalising the National Grid.
“I trust that this effort will play a
vital role in propelling the APG initiative towards success while supporting
the creation of a resilient, intelligent, and adaptable network that remains
reliably capable of fulfilling the country’s energy transition requirements,”
he said. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Be serious about Sosma: Asean reps raise
alarm on reform flip-flop
28 Aug 2023
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia must not waver
from its commitment to repeal anti-terrorism laws that silence critics and
allow for detention without trial.
At the minimum, any amendments to the
anti-terrorism legislation must conform with international human rights
standards, said Mercy Chriesty Barends, chairman of Asean Parliamentarians for
Human Rights (APHR), in a media statement today.
Expressing the watchdog’s disappointment
with the current government’s flip-flop on repeal of Security Offences (Special
Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), the Indonesian politician called on her Malaysian
colleagues to act and prevent its misuse.
The law, said Barends, must not be
wielded as a tool against human rights defenders and even fellow MPs.
She was commenting on the government’s
change of stance on Sosma, whereby deputy law minister Ramkarpal Singh
announced that the law will now be reformed and not abolished.
Barends called for further discussion on
the issue between APHR and the Malaysian government.
“We had high hopes for the current
government.”
Malaysia has the potential to become a
beacon of democracy and human rights in Southeast Asia, Barends posited.
Instead, she said, recent events have
raised the alarm over the state of freedoms, citing the case of activist Arun
Dorasamy, who was hauled by police days ago for alleged abuse of the Internet.
Arun is being probed under Section 504
of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998
for reportedly criticising the prime minister’s act of officiating the
conversion of a Hindu man to Islam.
“In any true democracy, citizens are
able to question their leaders without fear of reprisals,” Barends said.
Such developments “that heighten our
concern” are merely the tip of the iceberg, she warned.
Earlier, APHR had called on the
Malaysian government to make good of its commitment to human rights reforms,
and to stop the use of heavy-handed measures that curtail fundamental freedoms.
Repressive laws being used to
criminalise government critics, including lawmakers, need to be quashed, it
stressed. – The Vibes, August 28, 2023
Source: thevibes.com
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------
Indonesian Muslims Advised against
Multiple Hajj Pilgrimages
August 27, 2023
Jakarta. The Indonesian government on
Sunday urged Muslims to undertake the hajj pilgrimage only once in their
lifetime due to the endless queue.
While Saudi Arabia grants Indonesia the
world's largest hajj quota, accommodating over 200,000 pilgrims each season,
Indonesian Muslims often have to wait for years after registering with the
Religious Affairs Ministry before their turn arrives.
"In my opinion, performing the
pilgrimage once in a lifetime is sufficient," Coordinating Minister for
Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, was quoted by Kompas news
website as saying.
Even though many individuals have the
means to undertake multiple pilgrimages, the minister emphasized that priority
should be given to those who have been waiting for years and have not yet
performed the sacred ritual.
Muhadjir provided his own example,
noting that since assuming his cabinet position, he has refrained from
utilizing his status for repeated pilgrimages.
"If you genuinely wish to engage in
the ritual again, you can opt for the minor pilgrimage of Umrah," Muhadjir
recommended.
Unlike the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Umrah
can be performed at any time, thus not affecting the already crowded waiting
list.
"You could perform Umrah every
month if you so desire," the minister said.
With longer waiting periods, the risk
increases for Indonesian pilgrims. Government data indicates that approximately
43 percent of pilgrims are 60 years or older.
This year alone, 774 Indonesian pilgrims
passed away during the pilgrimage, with the majority of casualties being
elderly individuals.
Earlier this week, the same official
said that the government is considering a regulation to restrict hajj
pilgrimage to a single occurrence.
This year saw Indonesia dispatch 229,000
pilgrims to partake in the hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi
Arabia, marking the largest hajj quota the country has ever received.
Source: jakartaglobe.id
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DAP never told PAS to ‘throw away’ Islam
in its party struggle, says sec-gen
By Soo Wern Jun
27 Aug 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — DAP never asked
PAS to “throw away” Islam throughout their cooperation during the days of
Barisan Alternatif (1999 to 2002) or Pakatan Rakyat (2008 to 2015).
The party’s secretary-general Anthony
Loke has dismissed the accusation made by PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi
Awang in a ceramah held in Johor yesterday.
“DAP has been consistent in our stance
throughout the political collaboration with PAS that we focus on mutually
agreed issues but took an ‘agree to disagree’ approach on issues where
consensus can’t be reached.
“The main issue that DAP cannot agree on
is the implementation of the hudud law. Indeed, DAP is consistent in this
matter because it is not based on the legal system enshrined in the Federal
Constitution.
“I would like to remind PAS that apart
from DAP, the most vocal person who disagrees with the implementation of hudud
law is Tun Dr Mahathir (former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) when he
was the fourth prime minister. If they have forgotten Tun's stance because they
are friends now, then I can refer them to media reports as follows,” Loke said
in a statement posted on Facebook today.
Loke cited a report published by Astro
Awani on April 26, 2014, whereby Dr Mahathir expressed his determination to not
agree with the implementation of the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment
II. Hudud is part of the Islamic Shariah.
“My stand has never changed from before.
Hudud is part of the Islamic Shariah and it is good but can Muslims execute the
Hudud law according to the religious need?” Dr Mahathir was quoted as saying,
adding that he did not have faith in those who wished to implement the Hudud
law.
Loke further questioned Hadi’s
intentions, by asking why the latter had constantly label DAP as the enemy of
Islam, when there were other non-Muslim parties such as MCA, MIC and Gerakan
that took the same stance.
“The stance of not agreeing with the
implementation of hudud does not mean that it is fighting against Islam... Why
only DAP is constantly labelled by PAS as the enemy of Islam? Isn’t that a
blatant lie PAS is making up to make DAP a punching bag in its political
charter?” Loke said.
Yesterday, Hadi addressed a ceramah held
in conjunction with the Simpang Jeram by-election.
He reportedly accused DAP of asking his
party to “throw away” Islam in the party’s struggles.
According to Hadi, DAP purportedly did
so as it could not agree with a country governed by Islamic laws.
Source: malaymail.com
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------
Africa
Islamic group urges ECOWAS to use
diplomacy in resolving Niger crisis
AUGUST 27, 2023
An Islamic group, the international
organisation of Tijaniyyah Brotherhood, has called on ECOWAS to opt for a
diplomatic solution in resolving the leadership crisis in Niger Republic.
The advice is contained in an open
letter to President Bola Tunibu of Nigeria, who is also the chairman of the
regional body, ECOWAS.
The letter signed by the chairman of the
brotherhood, Abdullahi El-Okene and secretary, Mustafa Gwadabe, was issued on
Sunday in Abuja.
It urged: “The crisis should be handled
with caution and maturity, so as not to inflict more hardship and economic
dislocation on the people of Niger and those in Nigeria around the border with
Niger.
“Already, people are living in hard
times and require sympathy rather than dragging them into a war,” it said.
According to the brotherhood, although
the military intervention in Niger politics is not a welcome development, the
use of military force to restore the ousted government will only lead to more
chaos.
“Indeed the economic sanctions which
were imposed under the directive of ECOWAS will inflict more suffering on the
ordinary people of Niger.
“These sufferings have a direct impact
on the inhabitants of the border towns in Nigeria,’’ the Tijjaniyya said.
The organisation posited that instead of
enhancing democracy, military intervention in the crisis would further
undermine the future of democracy in the sub- region.
The Muslim group said it was
categorically against any military intervention in Niger Republic.
It enjoined Nigerians to continue
praying for peace and stability in Nigeria, Niger Republic and the sub-region.
Source: gazettengr.com
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------
Lawyer Calls For National Minimum Wage
Using Nigerian Prisoners’ Template
August 28, 2023
A Nigerian lawyer, Femi Emmanuel
Emodamori, has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to provide a
decent national minimum wage for Nigerian workers using the prisoners’ template.
Emodamori, who made the call on Sunday
in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists, said on
October 27, 2021, the Senate Committee on Interior approved a modest increase
in the daily feeding allowance of each inmate in the Nigerian Correctional
Services from N450 to N1,000, which ironically translates to N30,000 per month,
which is exactly the same official minimum wage being paid to the Nigerian
workers.
He said, “A prisoner pays no rent,
transport fares, electricity bills, or any other utility bills, therefore,
paying the same N30,000 approved for feeding (just feeding) each of the
inmates, to a Nigerian worker with a wife and at least two children, paying
annual house rent, daily transport fares, school fees, electricity bills and
other utilities, and still expected to support his aged parents, is, in my
candid opinion, completely unjust, and tantamount to servitude.
“It is a gross violation of Article
23(3) of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which provides
that:
“Everyone who works has the right to
just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an
existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by means of
social protection.”
He stressed that there is no better time
to seriously interrogate what qualifies as a decent minimum wage than now that
President Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives are all vowing to ensure that Nigerian workers earn
what they have all described as “a decent living wage”.
He said, “In fairness to this
government, it appears to have inherited a quite pathetic economic situation.
But Mr. President rightly said we should not pity him, since he even danced all
over the country to apply for the job; and so be it. Let us not cry louder than
the bereaved.
“My simple submission, therefore, is
that we cannot have a decent living or minimum wage with anything worse or less
than the Nigerian prisoners’ ‘template’.
“If we feed every prisoner with N1,000
daily, then a man should not feed himself and a wife as well as two children
with less than N4,000 daily (which translates to N120,000 monthly) for him and
his family to enjoy just the prisoners’ portion. Would that be asking for too
much? The N120,000 is just about $160, using an exchange rate of N750 to a
dollar.”
Emodamori pointed out that statistics in
2023 show that many African countries pay far higher than the $160 minimum wage
than Nigeria does.
He said that African countries including
Seychelles pay $456 (N342,000) as minimum wage while Libya pays $322 (N241,000)
as minimum wage; Morocco - $315 (N236,000); Gabon - $256 (N192,000); South
Africa - $242 (N181,500); Mauritius - $240 (N180,000) and Equatorial Guinea -
$200 (N150,000).
“The current N30,000 minimum wage in
Nigeria translates to an abysmal $40. That, to me, is nothing but a slave wage.
“The official revelation we now have is
that the value of the gold being plundered and smuggled out of Nigeria with
private jets by some private businessmen who pay virtually nothing in tax is
about $10 billion or N7.5 trillion annually.
“The data obtained from the budget
implementation report of the Federal Government also states that our annual
personnel cost in 2022 was N4.11 trillion.
“That means the value of gold (just
gold) being illegally plundered from Nigeria annually may be enough to triple
our current minimum wage to N90,000 ($120), and that would still be lower than
the N150,000 ($200) being paid by Equatorial Guinea, the least of the above listed
seven African countries.
“In fact, earlier today (Sunday), the
National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, was quoted in the national
dailies to have confirmed that Nigeria is still losing about 400,000 barrels of
crude oil daily to local and international thieves, despite the government’s
efforts to curtail the menace. At $76 per barrel, that would be $30,400,000
daily. Using an exchange rate of N750 to a dollar, it would be N22.8 billion
daily. In 365 days, that would be over N8 trillion.
“So, the value of the gold and crude oil
being stolen in Nigeria annually alone could conveniently catapult our minimum
wage to N180,000, apart from leakages through theft of other natural resources,
and the “fantastically corrupt” system in Nigeria (to borrow the May 2016
notorious phrase of David Cameron, former UK Prime Minister).
“No Nigerian worker and members of his
family deserves, in aggregate, anything less than the daily feeding allowance
of each prisoner. Otherwise, we may be consciously or unconsciously saying that
the whole nation is no better for our workers than a big ‘prison’, with our
political leaders acting as Warders and/or Chief Superintendents.
“In that case, perhaps our national
identity registration is nothing but prisoners’ smug shots, and curtailing the
‘Japa’ syndrome and its adverse economic effects, including brain drains, may
be nothing other than a fruitless effort to prevent some massive jailbreaks.
“We have too much anger, anguish,
dissatisfaction, disenchantment and disillusionment in our nation today. People
are hungry and angry.
“There is an urgent need for us to
assuage their despondency by paying them a decent and realistic living wage,
which cannot in any way, be less than our own prisoners’ feeding template,” he
said.
Source: saharareporters.com
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------
Niger protesters vow to storm French
base if troops do not leave within a week
28 August 2023
Thousands of protesters in Niger have
staged a rally near a French military base in the capital Niamey to voice their
support for the military government and demand the immediate withdrawal of
French troops from the West African country.
The demonstrators gathered near the
French military base in the capital on Sunday, as they waved Nigerien flags and
carried placards with anti-French slogans.
“We don’t want the French army in
Niger,” said one demonstrator, “Let the French leave.”
“The French say that Niger is a poor
country, but when we tell them to go home, they refuse,” another protester
said.
The protesters also chanted slogans
against the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has
imposed economic sanctions on Niger and has threatened military action to
return the former president to power.
The demonstrators threatened to storm
the French military base if the troops did not leave the country within a week.
Tens of thousands of supporters of Niger
They also called for the removal of
French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, after the diplomat was given a 48-hour
ultimatum to leave the country.
On Friday, the country’s foreign
minister announced that the French ambassador had 48 hours to leave, saying he
had refused to meet with the new rulers and citing the French government’s
actions that were “contrary to the interests of Niger.”
Niger’s army generals overthrew the
country’s Paris-allied President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26. Ever since
Nigerians have accused France of seeking to intervene militarily in the West
African country to reinstate Bazoum.
Niger has given France
The military takeover in Niger came amid
a growing wave of anti-French sentiment, with the people of Niger accusing the
European country of interfering in their affairs.
Since the takeover, Nigerians have on
several occasions come out in force to display support for the military leaders
and reject former Western-backed authorities.
Earlier this month, thousands of
anti-West protesters took to the streets to protest against plans by West
African nations to deploy a military force to the country.
The protesters surrounded the French
military base in Niger, protesting against years of military intervention by
the European country in the West African nation.
France was a colonial power in West
Africa until 1960. Since independence, the European country has maintained
trade relations and a military presence in the region.
Source: presstv.ir
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------
Doctors’ strike worsens healthcare
collapse in Port Sudan as army chief visits
August 28, 2023
PORT SUDAN: Sudan’s Armed Forces chief,
Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, arrived in the city of Port Sudan on Sunday, with
the country in its fourth month of fighting between the army and the
paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
According to a statement from the ruling
sovereign council, Al-Burhan was met by his deputy Malik Agar and other
government officials who — like the UN — have relocated operations to Port
Sudan, which has been spared the fierce fighting that has gripped other parts
of the country.
His visit came amid reports the city's
health system was near to collapse due to power cuts and scarce supplies, and
with staff shortages now exacerbated by striking doctors.
Medics in the Red Sea city say they have
not been paid for four months, as the Sudanese government’s budget has been
decimated by the conflict.
“It is exhausting, there are many
patients and there’s a lot of suffering,” said Omar Al-Saeed, a striking nurse
at Port Sudan Teaching Hospital.
“We only demand they just pay people
something small so that they can keep going.”
While the airport in the capital
Khartoum has been out of service since the conflict began, Port Sudan’s has
remained operational for evacuation and relief flights, fuelling speculation of
an overseas trip for Al-Burhan.
According to the UN, more than 100,000
people have fled to Port Sudan, filling up the already dense city’s hospitals
and shelters, while fighting is focussed in Khartoum and the west of the
country.
UN aid chief Martin Griffiths has warned
that the war was fueling “a humanitarian emergency of epic proportions” in
Sudan and that several diseases, including malaria, measles, and dengue fever,
were on the rise.
Sudanese hospitals have long been
under-funded, and strikes by medical staff have been frequent.
The war, which has damaged numerous
medical facilities, has brought the healthcare system to its knees.
Doctors in Port Sudan have had to
grapple with power cuts, intense humidity and medicine shortages, while
patients are kept in close confines despite many having respiratory illnesses,
hospital officials say.
“We are in a crisis, we pray that God
eases it on us,” said Ayat Mohammed, supervisor at Dar Abnaa Al-Shamal medical
center, which is dealing with overflow from hospitals with striking staff.
Local journalists who have flocked to
Port Sudan to track Al-Burhan’s movements have floated the possibility that he
will travel to Cairo.
Conservative estimates from the Armed
Conflict Location & Event Data project show that nearly 5,000 people have
been killed in the fighting.
The real figure is thought to be much
higher, with many victims unable to reach health services, entire cities cut
off from the world and both sides refusing to report fatalities.
More than 4.6 million people have been
displaced by the fighting both across borders and within Sudan, where 6 million
people are “one step away from famine,” according to the UN.
Sudan’s Armed Forces have been fending
off an unceasing offensive on their headquarters by the RSF.
“Rockets fell on houses, killing five people,”
a medical source said on Sunday from Khartoum, where witnesses also reported
airstrikes.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2362721/middle-east
-----
Niger coup supporters rally after French
ambassador ordered out
27 Aug 2023
Tens of thousands of people rallied in
Niamey Saturday in support of last month's coup, a day after the country's new
military rulers gave France's ambassador to Niger 48 hours to leave the
country.
The SeyniKountche stadium, the largest
in Niger with a capacity of 30,000 seats, was two-thirds full and the sound of
vuvuzelas rang out, AFP journalists noted.
The flags of Niger, Algeria, and Russia
dotted the stands, while acrobats painted in Niger's national colours put on a
show in the centre of the pitch.
"We have the right to choose the
partners we want," said Ramatou Ibrahim Boubacar, wearing Nigerien flags
from head to toe. "France must respect this choice.
"For sixty years, we have never
been independent, only since the day of the coup d'etat," she said.
Boubacar added that the country fully
supported the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), which
seized power after overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum's government on July
26.
The CNSP is led by General Abdourahamane
Tiani, who has made former colonial power France its new target.
"The fight will not stop until the
day there are no longer any French soldiers in Niger," CNSP member Colonel
Obro Amadou told the stadium crowd on Saturday.
"It's you who are going to drive
them out," he said.
- 'Ready to fight' -
On Friday, Niger's foreign ministry
announced that French ambassador Sylvain Itte had 48 hours to leave, claiming
he refused to meet with the new rulers and citing French government actions
that were "contrary to the interests of Niger".
Paris has since rejected the demand,
saying that "the putschists do not have the authority to make this
request."
"The French ambassador, instead of
leaving, thinks this is the land of his parents," said Idrissa Halidou, a
healthcare worker and CNSP member who was attending Saturday's rally.
"We are people of war, we are ready
to fight against" the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),
he added.
The West African bloc has applied
sanctions against the new regime and threatened to use military means to remove
it if the new rulers do not hand back power to Bazoum.
Efforts to find a diplomatic solution
are continuing, however, with Molly Phee, the top US diplomat for sub-Saharan
Africa, visiting Nigeria to meet ECOWAS officials.
They met in Nigeria's capital Abuja,
which holds the ECOWAS presidency.
The US State Department said Phee was
also consulting senior officials in Benin, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Togo --
fellow members of the ECOWAS regional bloc.
The new rulers in Niamey accuse ECOWAS
of being in France's pocket.
France has 1,500 soldiers based in Niger
who had been helping Bazoum in the fight against jihadist forces that have been
active in the country for years.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/08/27/niger-coup-supporters-rally-after-french-ambassador-ordered-out/
------
Speeding truck rams into Bugiri mosque,
kills two
August 28, 2023
A speeding truck on Sunday knocked two
people dead before ramming into a mosque in Busowa town council, Bugiri
district, along the Jinja-Iganga-Busia highway.
The deceased including a pregnant woman
whose particulars are not yet known, were taken to Bugiri general hospital's
mortuary, awaiting postmortem.
The driver of the truck, reg no. KDE
144Q reportedly fled the scene for fear of attacks from the angry locals.
Eyewitnesses say that the fuel track which was coming from Iganga district ran
over the two victims, rammed into the mosque, and destroyed part of it.
The Imam of the mosque, Mohammed Naminya
says that a dozen of pupils who were studying Quran teachings escaped from the
mosque unharmed but, all the learning materials were destroyed.
Source: observer.ug
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https://www.observer.ug/news/headlines/79000-speeding-truck-rams-into-bugiri-mosque-kills-two
-----
Libya suspends foreign minister over
Israeli talks amid angry protests
28 August 2023
Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah
says he has suspended the North African country’s top diplomat after Israel's
foreign ministry said their foreign ministers had met the previous week.
Najla el-Mangoush has been “temporarily
suspended” and will be subject to an “administrative investigation” by a
commission chaired by the justice minister, Dbeibah said on Sunday evening in
an official decision posted on Facebook.
The Libyan foreign ministry sought to
play down the matter, and described it as a “chance and unofficial encounter”,
but news of the meeting had already led to street protests in several cities.
The political row broke out Sunday after
the Israeli foreign ministry said the two top diplomats had met the previous
week.
The ministry said Israeli foreign
minister Eli Cohen and Mangoush, his Libyan counterpart in the Tripoli-based
Government of National Unity, spoke at a meeting in Rome hosted by Italian
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
“I spoke with the foreign minister about
the great potential for the two sides from their relations,” Cohen asserted in
a statement.
A recent opinion poll has revealed that
support for the controversial normalization deals with Israel has plummeted in
Persian Gulf Arab nations.
The Libyan foreign ministry, however,
announced on Sunday evening that Mangoush had “refused to meet with any party”
representing the Israeli regime.
“What happened in Rome was a chance and
unofficial encounter, during a meeting with his Italian counterpart, which did
not involve any discussion, agreement or consultation,” the ministry said in a
statement.
In the encounter, the statement said,
Mangoush had reiterated “in a clear and unambiguous manner Libya's position
regarding the Palestinian cause".
The ministry also criticized Israel for
attempts to “present this incident” as a “meeting or talks”.
Street protests
On the streets of Tripoli and its
suburbs, protests erupted Sunday evening to condemn any normalization with
Israel.
The protests spread to other cities where
young people blocked roads, burned tires and waved the Palestinian flag.
The protesters set fire to the Israeli
flag during demonstrations in the northwestern cities of al-Zawiya and Tajoura.
In Tajoura, demonstrators closed a major
street in protest against the meeting. They threatened to escalate their
actions, including blocking railway access to Tripoli.
The deputy speaker of the Algerian
parliament says the North African country will not join other Arab countries in
normalization of ties with Israel.
Under the so-called Abraham Accords, the
United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco signed US-brokered
normalization deals with the Israeli regime in late 2020. Palestinians have
denounced the deals as a “betrayal” to their cause.
on Sunday, Palestinian resistance
movement Islamic Jihad said the meeting between Mangoush and Cohen is "a
dangerous step back from the principles of the Ummah (Islamic nation) and
falling into the swamp of normalization of relations with the Zionist
regime".
"We are confident that the
brotherly nation of Libya will not accept these concessionist talks, and as a
free nation it will not surrender to ransom," it added.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/08/28/709766/Top-Libyan-diplomat-suspended-over-talks-with-Israeli-counterpart-Eli-Cohen-in-Rome
------
Pakistan
Steps Being Taken to Uproot Menace of
Terrorism: Caretaker Interior Minister
August 27, 2023
Caretaker Interior Minister Mir Sarfaraz
Bugti visited the headquarters of Frontier Corps Balochistan in Quetta, where
he was briefed about the security situation in the province, border management
and other matters.
Speaking on the occasion, Sarfaraz Bugti
said all possible measures are being taken to uproot the menace of terrorism
from the country.
The Interior Minister appreciated the
role of FC in maintaining peace and carrying out welfare works in Balochistan.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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https://www.radio.gov.pk/27-08-2023/steps-being-taken-to-uproot-menace-of-terrorism-bugti
------
‘Malicious’ social media drive against
IHC CJ denounced
August 28, 2023
Kashif Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court Bar
Association (IHCBA) on Sunday condemned the ongoing “malicious campaign
circulating on social media targeting the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High
Court (IHC), Justice Aamer Farooq”.
A statement issued by IHCBA president
Naveed Malik stated that the bar strongly condemned the ongoing malicious
campaign circulating on social media against the IHC chief justice, although it
did not mention anyone as responsible for it.
The ministry of law, as reported by PPI,
held the PTI responsible for the campaign.
Justice Farooq, who has been hearing
Imran Khan’s appeal against the trial court’s decision that convicted the PTI
chairman in the Toshakhana case, was recently accused by the former prime
minister of trying to keep the petitioner behind bars to prevent him from
contesting general elections.
The chief justice is scheduled to hear
the final arguments on Monday (today).
The IHCBA statement noted, “Justice
Farooq, renowned for his unwavering commitment to the principles of honesty and
competence, has consistently demonstrated these qualities through his impartial
and merit-based judgements.”
It further said that relentless
campaign, driven by ulterior motives to tarnish the impeccable reputation of
the chief justice, can only be perceived as deliberate and malevolent effort to
undermine the stature of a distinguished judge and erode public trust in the
judiciary.
“We are resolute in our determination to
prevent such evil intentions from coming to fruition at any cost,” the
statement said.
“We will call upon the authorities to
take swift and decisive action against the instigators of this malicious
propaganda, holding them accountable for their actions in a court of law. It is
imperative that their true motives and the full extent of their disinformation
efforts be exposed and addressed promptly,” it said.
It is relevant to note that the former
prime minister, Mr Khan, through his lawyers, had filed a petition before the
Supreme Court, requesting the transfer of all his cases being adjudicated in
the IHC to some provincial high courts.
The ministry of law also strongly
condemned the campaign being run against the IHC chief justice and held the PTI
responsible for it. According to PPI, the ministry said that political parties
should refrain from attacking state institutions.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1772603/malicious-social-media-drive-against-ihc-cj-denounced
------
15 cable cars sealed in Abbottabad over
safety concerns
August 28, 2023
Rashid Javed
ABBOTTABAD: At least 15 cable cars were
sealed by the district administration in Havelian and Galiyat due to their poor
conditions and lack of safety measures during the last three days.
Tehsildar Havelian Muhammad Ejaz along
with technical team, tehsil municipal administration (TMA), Communication and
Works Department (C&W) and revenue staff, took action against the cable
cars for violation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) during inspections.
The cable cars were sealed at Puna, Harlan and Satora in Havelian tehsil, while
two others were sealed in Kokal Bursain tehsil.
Assistant commissioners are currently
conducting site visits alongside technical teams in their respective areas,
ensuring strict action against any cable cars found in violation of SOPs.
Assistant Commissioner Lubna Iqbal led a team comprising TMA, C&W, and revenue
staff to inspect cable cars in various parts of Tehsil Havelian.
She evaluated the fitness of these cable
cars and instructed relevant individuals to fully adhere to SOPs, guaranteeing
the safety of citizens’ lives and property, while also ensuring the cable cars’
fitness.
The Abbottabad district administration
is strictly enforcing the law to safeguard the lives and property of citizens
and prevent potential untoward incidents in the future.
However, these measures have caused
problems for a large number of people in these areas. This is particularly
evident as cable cars serve as the solitary mode of communication for residents
inhabiting remote hilly regions. A multitude of individuals, including
students, daily commuters, and the general public, heavily relied upon these
cable cars for their transportation needs. The people have also shown concern
over closure of the cable cars which is the only means of communication to
hundreds of villages.
Sardar Gohar Zaman, Chairman of Tehreek-i-Hazara,
urged the administration to reopen the Havelian Puna cable car, which serves as
a connection for around two dozen villages and is extensively utilised by both
students and the general public. He called upon the administration to establish
alternative transportation arrangements for the affected people.
Public representatives from Union
Council Deal and Nara staged a protest demonstration at Harlan chairlift site.
They said that the closure of the chairlifts has created numerous problems for
the local population.
Chairman of Village Council Diwali
Sardar Asad Javed Khan, Vice President of Tehreek-i-Insaf Tehsil Havelian
Sardar Munir Safdar, Chairman Sardar Rashid Barkat, Chairman of Village Council
Gohra Abdul Rashid Awan, Chairman Bodla Sajid Qureshi, and Councilor Nawaz
highlighted that the decision to take action against the chairlifts has been
taken in the wake of the Battagram chairlift incident.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1772606/15-cable-cars-sealed-in-abbottabad-over-safety-concerns
-----
PM Kakar vows to bring higher education
in Pakistan at par with world standards
August 27, 2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq
Kakar has reiterated to remove all hurdles in the way of bringing the level of
higher education in Pakistan equal to the international standards.
He was chairing a meeting of the
vice-chancellors of all the public sector universities of Balochistan in Quetta
on Sunday.
The Prime Minister said our youth and
human resource are an important asset for the better future of Pakistan. He
said multiple opportunities will be provided to youngsters in the field of
higher education in Pakistan, enabling them to play an effective role in the
development of the country.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said the lack of
innovation is directly linked to the lack of research and higher education in
Pakistan. He called for promoting
research and new inventions in the universities.
The Prime Minister directed participants
of the meeting to undertake effective planning to strengthen the foundations of
higher education and modern research in the universities. He said it should be
ensured that our graduates have sufficient professional training and skills to
meet the requirements of the industries.
He also urged the industrial sector to
make incubation centers at the universities to provide students with
opportunities for the latest research.
He said such measures would not only
provide trained manpower to the country's industries but also pave the way for
an industrial revolution in Pakistan. He
said consistent provision of quality higher education will improve all spheres
of life in Pakistan.
Participants also briefed the Prime
Minister about the progress on higher education in Balochistan and the problems
being faced in this regard.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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https://www.radio.gov.pk/27-08-2023/pm-kakar-vows-to-bring-higher-education-at-par-with-world-standards
-----
Imran ‘satisfied’ with facilities at
Attock Jail
August 28, 2023
PTI chairman Imran Khan on Sunday
expressed his satisfaction over the facilities provided to him at Attock
District Jail when Punjab IG Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir visited him there.
The Punjab police official met with the
deposed premier, who was serving a three-year prison term at Attock Jail after
he was found guilty in the Toshakhana (gift repository) case, and inquired
about the facilities provided to him there.
According to the jail officials, the IG
prisons reviewed the location of the cameras installed in the PTI chairman’s
barrack to ensure his privacy.
The jail officials said the PTI chief
had been provided with a bed, pillow, mattress, chair, and air-cooler as per
the prison law.
They added that the former premier had
also been provided with a fan, prayer room, the Holy Quran with English
translation, books, newspaper, thermos, dates, honey, tissue papers, and
perfume as well.
The officials continued that there was a
Western toilet seat, wash basin, soap, air freshener towel, and tissue papers
in the washroom for Imran.
They further said five doctors had been
appointed to provide medical facilities to the PTI chairman – each of them
present on duty for eight hours.
Special food is also provided to the PTI
chief with the approval of the IG prisons. The food is served to him by a
special team after being examined by a doctor.
Around a week ago, the PTI core
committee had claimed that there was a growing apprehension that Imran might be
subjected to a sinister tactic by being administered slow poison during his
incarceration.
The party alleged that its chief was
being denied the right to order food and water from home, exacerbating concerns
for his well-being and safety.
The core committee further voiced its
distress over the sluggish decision-making process regarding the transfer of
Imran Khan from Attock Jail to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
The PTI contended that the facilities
available at Attock Jail were inadequate, particularly given Imran’s status as
a former premier.
The party deemed his imprisonment in
Attock Jail as a breach of regulations.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2432776/imran-satisfied-with-facilities-at-attock-jail
------
Pressure tactics: Why targeting
judiciary becomes a norm
Hasnaat Malik
August 28, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Political parties particularly the PTI
and the PML-N have targeted superior court judges in recent years whenever the
judiciary issued verdicts that did not go in their favour.
The judges who resist “powerful circles”
in high-profile cases have also faced tough times, sometimes in the shape of
misconduct allegations and subsequent trials at the Supreme Judicial Council
(SJC).
Currently, the PTI is running a campaign
against Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, accusing him of
being biased against former premier Imran Khan.
The PDM parties especially the PML-N are
upset with Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and his “like-minded”
judges for giving “undue” relief to the PTI and its chief.
Now when the superior judiciary,
especially the apex court, is divided along ideological lines, it is easy for
the political parties and the establishment to target particular judges.
Even some judges have given “these
opponents” a chance by issuing controversial judicial or administrative orders.
At the apex court, some senior judges have also been questioning each other's
conduct, a practice that weakens the judiciary.
Although the law ministry has issued a
statement in favour of IHC chief justice, the apex court has remained silent
over the PTI's application in which it has levelled serious allegations against
Justice Farooq and requested it to transfer all PTI related cases from the IHC
to other high courts.
Some senior lawyers are expressing
disappointment that instead of defending each other, the judges are more keen
on protecting “the outsiders”.
They say if CJP Bandial had given a
coercive judgement against “architects” of presidential reference filed against
senior SC judge Qazi Faez Isa then the situation would have been different.
Campaigns against judges
The PTI has been successful in
influencing the superior judiciary through its social media campaigns since the
Panamagate case in 2016.
In October 2016, PTI Chairman Imran Khan
had announced a plan to impose a “lockdown” in Islamabad to exert pressure for
the expeditious disposal of the Panamagate case. When the PTI began its long
march, former top judge Anwar Zaheer Jamali had formed a larger bench to hear
the case.
The top court on November 1, 2016
averted an impending political showdown between the PML-N and the PTI by
ordering a judicial probe into the Panamagate scandal.
The bench expressed its desire that all
political parties, including the PTI, should reconsider their position, adding
that all concerned should hold their horses.
“Politics will continue. Let people have
some peace now,” SC judge Asif Saeed Khosa had remarked. Later, the PTI wound
up the “lockdown" plan and joined the proceedings.
In December 2016, when then Chief
Justice Jamali offered to make an inquiry commission to probe the Panamagate
case, PTI's attorney Naeem Bukhari rejected the proposal. Subsequently, the
case was adjourned for 15 days before former CJP Jamali's retirement.
Upon this, a malicious campaign was
started against Supreme Court judges, especially the then new CJP Mian Saqib
Nisar, on account of his past association with the PML-N. Former CJP Nisar had
formed a larger bench minus himself to resume the hearing.
Even in January 2017, a one member of
the bench, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, referring to the campaign against the
judges, asked the PTI counsel what kind of justice his client wanted.
In April 2017, the court announced a
split judgment in the Panamagate case as two judges disqualified Nawaz Sharif
as a lawmaker. However, three members of the lager bench referred the matter to
a joint investigation team (JIT) for further probe into the matter.
Once again, a campaign on social media
was initiated against the judges who had not disqualified Nawaz and formed a
JIT for further probe.
When the JIT report revealed its
findings against the Sharif family, the PML-N supporters also started
campaigning against the judges, badly affecting the interests of their party.
Three lawmakers were disqualified in
contempt cases. Several party activists were sent behind bars on account of
using abusive language against former CJP Nisar.
The PML-N lawyers believed that former
CJP Nisar's orders had badly affected the party’s position in the 2018 general
elections. When the PTI came into power, there was a perception that the
executive, judiciary and establishment were on the same page against opposition
parties.
The superior courts did not timely
rescue the opposition leaders, who faced a tough time at the hands of the PTI
government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mian
Gul Hasan were also being targeted on account of granting bail to Nawaz Sharif
and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in the Avenfield case.
When Nawaz went abroad, former PM Imran
had accused the courts of facilitating him. However, former CJP Asif Saeed
Khosa in his speech rejected Imran's claims.
The PTI also continued a campaign
against one section of judges in the Justice Qazi Faez Isa case.
Justice Isa and his family members were
targeted by social media trolls. No state agency took notice of the malicious
campaign against him and a few other judges.
During the tenure of former CJP Gulzar
Ahmed, the PTI did not face a tough time in any matter as former attorney
general for Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan played a key role in this regard.
The PTI again started a campaign against
the Supreme Court for declaring the National Assembly deputy speaker's ruling
and dissolution of the house as unconstitutional on April 7, 2022. The SC order
had allowed a no-confidence motion against then PM Imran under Article 95 of
the Constitution.
Despite clear SC direction, the NA
speaker was delaying the process which might have invited extra-constitutional
forces to take over the country.
In view of the bar representatives’
concerns, the Supreme Court and the IHC were opened at night. However, the NA
speaker resigned and later the no-confidence process against Imran was
completed that resulted in his ouster from the position.
However, the SC's move to save the
Constitution was not appreciated by the PTI. In every subsequent rally, Imran
questioned the opening of courts at midnight as the PTI supporters started a
malicious campaign against judges.
When one section of judges had given
judgement on the interpretation of Article 63 A of constitution as well as
setting aside Punjab Assembly deputy speaker Dost Mazari's ruling, the PTI was
jubilant but the PDM government started a campaign against them.
The PDM government expressed mistrust of
CJP Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar and requested for
the formation of a full court.
In February, CJP Bandial and his
like-minded judges initiated suo motu proceedings regarding the delay in the
announcement of date for elections for two provincial assemblies.
These judges were severely attacked by
the PDM parties and other forces. Even audio leaks surfaced, which embarrassed
one section of judges. However, no action was taken against these leaks by the
SC.
The government formed an inquiry
commission led by Justice Qazi Faez Isa to probe the matter. However, the CJP
and his like-minded judges were visibly unhappy over the formation of the commission.
Once the PDM leadership led by Maulana
Fazlur Rehman organized a protest against CJP Bandial and his fellow judges
outside the SC premises. When IHC Judge Mohsin Akhtar Kayani gave some relief
to the PTI leaders, he also came under attack by some by “unseen forces”.
Lawyers agree that grouping within SC
has weakened the institution. They say judges should think beyond themselves
for the betterment of the institution.
Currently, the PML-N has been
questioning the conduct of CJP Bandial and like-minded judges for the last one
year. The PTI is campaigning against Justice Farooq. However, bars are also
divided. It is expected that the situation within the superior judiciary will
improve during the tenure of the next CJP, Qazi Faez Isa.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2432773/pressure-tactics-why-targeting-judiciary-becomes-a-norm
-------
North America
Thousands gather in Washington for 60th
anniversary of civil rights march
27 August, 2023
On Saturday, thousands of people
gathered in Washington, DC to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the famous
civil rights march that became a milestone for the civil rights movement.
On a hot August day, at the Lincoln
Memorial on the National Mall, people of all ages and backgrounds came together
to hear speeches celebrating gains in civil rights, and also hearing about what
remains to be done to reach a more equitable society.
"Sixty years ago, Martin Luther
King talked about a dream. Sixty years later we’re the dreamers. The problem is
we’re facing the schemers," Reverend Al Sharpton, the last speaker, told
the crowd. "The dreamers are fighting for voting rights. The schemers are
changing voter regulations in states. The dreamers are standing up for women’s
right to choose. The schemers are arguing whether they are going to make you
stop at six weeks or 15 weeks."
The gathering was a a commemoration of
Martin Luther King Junior's "I have a dream" speech which he gave on
28 August 1963 in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Like 60 years
ago, the speeches focused on racial and economic equality, with a strong presence
of union leaders.
This time, there were more backgrounds
and causes represented, though the focus on civil rights in the South,
particularly in Florida, remained front and centre.
As the speakers gave their speeches,
attendees gathered under the shade of trees to escape the scorching heat.
Among them was Glendia Cannon, co-pastor
of Grace Lutheran Church in Jersey City, who was sitting quietly on a lawn
chair with a group of her fellow church members. She was used to the scene,
having attended the March on Washington ever since it was first held in the
1960s, when she was a young girl.
"It was an experience of a
lifetime," she told The New Arab. "Dr. King talked about Black people
and the oppression we were going through, and how we needed to stick together
in unity. And how if we didn't march, nothing would get done and there would be
no equality."
Cannon, who grew up attending segregated
schools in Atlanta and was required by law to sit at the back of the bus, was
now sitting facing the Lincoln Memorial.
"I sat on the memorial as a young
girl. What I learned was that we can do anything if we stick together. The
thing is, we're going to need one another," she said.
"I pray that the young people that
are coming up today will catch hold of that dream and never let that dream
die," she said.
Indeed, Saturday's march had drawn
youths from all over the country who saw the gathering as an important platform
to advance civil rights.
"We're basically trying to continue
the dream," Joseph Camel, vice president of Youth Voice of Nevada, told
TNA.
"The youth, especially Generation
Z, is going to have a huge impact on the 2024 election because their rights are
being targeted. My grandparents told me about this march when they were growing
up. I came out to support and keep their dream alive. There's still a lot of
work that has to be done."
After the speeches, the attendees
marched together to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, as they chanted
"No justice, no peace" and other phrases of the continuing civil
rights and social justice movement.
Source: newarab.com
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https://www.newarab.com/news/thousands-gather-us-capital-60-years-after-rights-march
-----
Trump lawyers back in DC court as two
sides differ over trial date in election subversion case
August 28, 2023
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for Donald
Trump are due back in court Monday as a federal judge considers radically
conflicting proposals for a trial date in the case accusing him of working to
overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the run-up to the
Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Special counsel Jack Smith’s team has
proposed a Jan. 2, 2024 trial in federal court in Washington, one of four
cities where Trump could face trial as soon as next year. Trump’s lawyers,
citing the time they say is needed to review 11.5 million pages of documents
they’ve received from prosecutors, have asked for a trial in April 2026 — about
a year and a half after the presidential election.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is
expected to set at least a tentative trial date during Monday’s status
conference.
Another potential agenda item could be
additional discussion on any constraints on Trump in publicly discussing
evidence in the case. Chutkan said at a hearing earlier this month that she
would “take whatever measures are necessary to safeguard the integrity of the
case” and warned that “inflammatory” statements about the proceedings could
prompt her to move the case more quickly to trial to prevent witness
intimidation or jury pool contamination.
The federal election subversion
prosecution is one of four criminal cases against Trump. Smith’s team has
brought a separate federal case accusing him of illegally retaining classified
documents at his Florida property, Mar-a-Lago, and refusing to give them back.
That case is currently set for trial next May 20.
He also faces state cases in New York
and Georgia. Manhattan prosecutors have charged him with falsifying business
records in connection with a hush money payment to a porn actress who has said
she had an extramarital affair with Trump, while prosecutors in Fulton County,
Georgia have charged Trump and 18 others in a racketeering conspiracy aimed at
undoing that state’s 2020 election.
Trump surrendered Thursday in that case,
posing with a scowling face for the first mug shot in American history of a
former U.S. president.
Source: apnews.com
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US Navy vows to counter China’s
‘aggressive behaviour’ – media
27 Aug, 2023
An American vice admiral has reportedly
called for pushing back against Beijing in the South China Sea
The commander of the US Navy’s largest
forward-deployed fleet has reportedly responded to a recent confrontation
between Chinese and Philippine ships in the South China Sea by pledging to push
back against the alleged aggression of Beijing’s forces in the region.
Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, commander of
the US Seventh Fleet, on Sunday assured the Philippines of Washington’s backing
in countering China’s “aggressive behavior,” Reuters reported. “My forces are
out here for a reason,” he said, citing the “shared challenges” faced by the US
and its Philippine ally.
Thomas made his comments about three
weeks after an incident in which the Chinese Coast Guard deployed water cannon
against Philippine vessels that were trying to resupply a warship that Manila
had intentionally grounded on a contested South China Sea shoal in 1999. The
resupply mission was finally completed on Tuesday, delivering food and other
goods to troops stationed on the World War II-era ‘Sierra Madre’ transport
ship.
China claims US ally seeks to
‘permanently occupy’ disputed islandREAD MORE: China claims US ally seeks to
‘permanently occupy’ disputed island
“You have to challenge people, I would
say, operating in a grey zone,” Thomas told Reuters. “When they’re taking a
little bit more and more and pushing you, you’ve got to push back. You have to
sail and operate.” He added, “There’s really no better example of aggressive
behavior than the activity on 5 August on the shoal.”
Thomas held talks with Vice Admiral
Alberto Carlos, who heads the Philippine Western Command overseeing Manila’s
South China Sea interests. “We certainly shared challenges,” the US commander
said. “So, I wanted to better understand how he views the operations that he’s
responsible for, and I want to make sure that he understood what I had
available.”
The US Seventh Fleet, based in Japan,
covers an area of operations spanning more than 124 million square kilometers
in the Western Pacific, from the International Date Line to the India-Pakistan
border. It boasts about 60 ships and submarines, as well as 140 aircraft and
about 20,000 sailors. Its operational zone encompasses half of the world’s population
and the five largest military powers outside the US, including Russia and
China.
China warns neighbor against ‘bringing
wolves into the house’READ MORE: China warns neighbor against ‘bringing wolves
into the house’
Tensions between the Philippines and
China have escalated since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office as president in
Manila last year. Marcos has forged closer defense ties with the US and
asserted his country’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. For instance,
the Philippines placed navigational buoys around the Spratly Islands in May,
staking its claim to an area over which Beijing claims sovereignty.
Chinese officials have warned that
strengthening military cooperation with the US will tie the Philippines “to the
chariot of geopolitical strife,” jeopardizing the country’s security. Beijing
and Washington have repeatedly accused each other of military provocations in
the South China Sea.
Source: rt.com
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King Charles Has Given His Eldest
Grandchild Prince George Gifts Like a £18,000 Playhouse and a Field Named in
His Honor
28 August 2023
Rachel Burchfield
Did your grandfather ever get you a
£18,000 gift? Well, Prince George can answer that question with a confident
yes—and not only was the gift pricey, but it was also meaningful, too.
The gift was a Victorian style
“Shepherd’s hut,” given to George on the occasion of his first birthday. The
hut was installed at Charles’ Gloucestershire home and includes everything from
a wood-burning stove to a day bed, The Mirror reports. The hut can be spotted
by visitors during guided tours through Charles’ gardens and is thought to be a
favorite play place of not just George but also Princess Charlotte and Prince
Louis. Nearby the playhouse is a treehouse, constructed for their father,
Prince William, in 1989, when the new Prince of Wales was seven. It has since
been refurbished for William’s kids to play in.
King Charles at the Chelsea Flower Show
Charles is a grandfather of five—George,
Charlotte, and Louis, and Prince Harry’s children Prince Archie and Princess
Lilibet. He is known to be a good gift giver, and, in addition to his playhouse,
George has also been the recipient of another tribute from his grandfather. The
King opened up on The One Show, answering questions about how we can all live
more sustainably. It was filmed in Prince George’s Wood, which the King called
“an old man’s obsession.”
king charles
“This was a rather empty field that the
farm didn’t need anymore,” Charles said. “The great thing was that I managed to
plant it the same year that my grandson was born, the eldest, George—so I
thought I’d call it Prince George’s Wood. It is really for autumn color and a
bit of spring, but autumn is the magic up here. So finding all the interesting
trees and shrubs that turn an interesting color is half the battle.”
Prince George posing on steps for his
tenth birthday portrait
A grandfather that buys five-figure
playhouses and plants a field and names it in our honor? How sweet, indeed. And
beyond expensive gifts, the King is working on something far more important to
leave behind to all of his grandchildren: “It does seem to me insanity if we
are going to bequeath this completely polluted, damaged, and destroyed world to
them,” he said during a tour of Ghana in 2018. “All grandchildren deserve a
better future.”
Source: marieclaire.com
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Arab World
Grand Mufti of Egypt: Competition for
Memorizing Holy Quran Reflects the Kingdom's Care for Islam and Muslims
27 Aug, 2023
The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr. Shawki
Allam, commended the Kingdom's pioneering role in upholding and promoting the
teachings of the Quran, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and HRH the Crown Prince. He also
acknowledged Saudi Arabia's support and encouragement for young Muslims to
participate in Quran memorization and recitation competitions.
In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA),
the Egyptian Grand Mufti asserted that this event is a "blessed international
Islamic gathering" where Muslims from all over the world come together to
convey a message of tolerance, peace and moderation via Islam.
Additionally, the Grand Mufti praised the
Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance for their efforts in ensuring
the success of the competition's activities and the inclusivity demonstrated
through the participation of various countries, further emphasizing the
extraordinary nature of the event as a platform for Quran memorization.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
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Crown Prince Launches Masterplan For
Logistics Centres In Saudi Arabia
August 27, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday launched a master plan to develop logistics
centres in the Kingdom as part of its efforts to diversify the economy, the
Saudi Press Agency reported.
The crown prince unveiled a
comprehensive plan that seeks to develop 59 logistics centers, encompassing a
total area exceeding 100 million sq. meters.
These centres will span various regions,
including 12 each in Riyadh and Makkah, 17 in the Eastern Province, and 18
across other parts of the Kingdom. The strategy aims for the completion of all
centers by 2030.
The crown prince affirmed that the
initiative is integral to enhancing Saudi Arabia’s international trade
connections, particularly given its strategic geographic location that bridges
Asia, Europe, and Africa, according to SPA’s report.
The logistics centers will facilitate
faster export of Saudi products, and bolster e-commerce by ensuring quick,
efficient connections between logistics and distribution hubs nationwide.
The plan is also expected to generate
numerous job opportunities and expand the private sector’s role through
partnerships as it is an extension of a series of ongoing initiatives aimed at
elevating the Kingdom’s economic growth and enhancing its role on the global
stage.
This announcement follows Saudi Arabia’s
remarkable rise in the World Bank’s Logistics Efficiency Index last April,
jumping 17 places to rank 38th globally among 160 countries.
Additionally, the Ministry of Transport
and Logistics launched a package of initiatives in April to raise performance
efficiency, re-engineer procedures, and apply international best practices in
this vital sector.
As part of this overarching strategy, a
specialized logistics zone will be established at King Salman International
Airport in Riyadh, with Apple announced as its first international
investor.
By 2030, the Kingdom aims to be among
the top 10 countries globally in the logistics performance index, marking a
significant milestone in its Vision 2030 objectives.
This strategic move confirms Saudi
Arabia’s commitment to becoming a major player in the global logistics and
transportation sector, underscoring its ambitious plans for economic
diversification and international collaboration.
Source: arabnews.com
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Former Italy boss Roberto Mancini named
Saudi Arabia head coach
August 27, 2023
RIYADH: Roberto Mancini has been named
Saudi Arabia coach after quitting the Italy job earlier this month, the Saudi
National Team announced on social media on Sunday.
According to Italian newspaper La
Gazzetta Dello Sport, Mancini will sign a four-year contract and will be
officially announced and presented to media on Monday.
The Green Falcons, who beat eventual
champions Argentina at last year’s World Cup in Qatar, have been without a
national team coach since Herve Renard left to take charge of France’s women’s
team.
The Kingdom has made headlines this
summer by buying a host of top players from European clubs for teams in the
Saudi Pro League.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and
Neymar Jr are among a host of superstar names who have joined the SPL.
Mancini, who has been replaced by former
Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti as Italy’s coach, had a mixed time in the job;
the victory at Euro 2020 the standout moment.
But he failed to qualify for last year’s
World Cup following a disastrous play-off defeat to North Macedonia, the second
time in a row they missed the world’s biggest football tournament.
“I am immensely honored to be offered
the position as Saudi Arabia national team manager,” Mancini said. “I believe
this is a great opportunity for me, to experience football in a new country,
especially with the growing popularity of football in Asia. I firmly believe
that the passionate footballing culture of Saudi Arabia and the intrinsic
quality of Saudi players are crucial ingredients for success,” he added.
He continued: “The presence of top
players in the Saudi Pro League indicates the potential for growth in the
national football scene.
“The whole world recognizes the enormous
potential of the Saudi Arabia national team during their outstanding
performance at the World Cup. The scenes of the fans following that victory was
immense. They left their mark on the global stage, filling Saudi Arabian
football fans with immense pride and accelerating the nation’s footballing
ambitions.
“We have the potential to improve
further. The squad is strong with talented players. I believe we have what it
takes to elevate our game if we work hard,” he added.
Mancini’s first match managing the Saudi
Arabia national team is set for September 8, when the Green Falcons face Costa
Rica in an international friendly.
On September 12, Saudi Arabia will take
on South Korea in another international friendly. Both matches take place at St
James’ Park in Newcastle, England.
The matches serve as part of
preparations for the team’s 2026 FIFA World Cup - Asian Qualifying campaign,
which commences in November
“We are delighted to welcome Roberto to
lead the Green Falcons. His experience and proven track record at club and
international level marks a significant step towards achieving our goals in
international football,” said Saudi Football Federation president Yasser
Al-Misehal.
“Roberto believes in Saudi football and
our desire to develop top competitive players and take them to new heights on
the world stage – including the Asian Cup in Qatar and qualification for the
2026 World Cup,” he added.
“The energy, optimism and growth of
Saudi football at all levels is inspiring our country, our men’s, women’s and
youth teams have made their mark across the Middle East and Asia.
“We’re a footballing nation and we
continuing to invest at every level in our journey to compete with the best in
the world on and off the pitch.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Qatar welcomes Danish step to ban desecration
of Holy Qur'an copies
AUGUST 27, 2023
Qatar welcomed the Danish government's
announcement that it has sent a bill to Parliament to ban the burning copies of
the Holy Qur'an, expressing its hope that all parties concerned would deal with
the bill positively and that the issuance of the forthcoming legislation would
act as a deterrent to curb hate speech and Islamophobia.
In a statement Sunday, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs expressed Qatar's appreciation for the Danish government's response
to calls to prevent the burning of the copies of the Holy Qura'n and its
aspiration for similar steps from the governments of countries that witnessed
the same incidents to stop crimes that fuel hatred, incite violence and
threaten the peaceful coexistence between people.
The Ministry reiterated Qatar's full
support for the values of tolerance and its keenness to establish the
principles of international peace and security through dialogue and
understanding.
The Iraqi Government has also welcomed the
step taken by the Danish Government to criminalise the burning of the Holy
Qur'an.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein
exchanged messages with his Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen in which he
said that this step would preserve status and respect for religious books,
which are sanctified by many societies in the world.
Source:
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Saudi ambassador to Jordan meets UNRWA
chief
August 28, 2023
AMMAN: Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to
Jordan Naif bin Bandar Al-Sudairi met with Philippe Lazzarini,
commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees,
on Sunday in Amman.
During the meeting, Al-Sudairi
emphasized Saudi Arabia’s commitment to enabling the UNRWA to fulfil its
commitments to protect the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Al-Sudairi lauded the UNRWA’s efforts to
alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians.
In turn, Lazzarini commended the Kingdom
for its work in this regard.
Over the past 20 years, Saudi Arabia has
donated more than $1 billion to the agency, making it one of the world’s
largest donors.
Source: arabnews.com
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Public Prosecution to begin judicial
duties in NEOM
August 27, 2023
RIYADH — The Public Prosecution will
start to perform its judicial duties inside NEOM city, in a way that achieves
public interest.
This has been announced during the
Public Prosecution and NEOM signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that
aims to build a strategic partnership between the two sides.
The MoU was signed by the Attorney
General and Chairman of the Public Prosecution Council Sheikh Saud Bin Abdullah
Al-Muajab in his office in Riyadh, and NEOM's CEO Eng. Nadhmi Al-Nasr.
The MoU between the Public Prosecution
and NEOM also aims to strengthen joint cooperation in line with the vision of
both sides.
The signed Memorandum of Understanding
included legal cooperation between the two sides, in accordance with
legislative development in Saudi Arabia.
This is in addition to exchanging the
experiences and human cadres in the common fields, as well as contributing in
enhancing the economic development to achieve the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
The Public Prosecution and NEOM company
are enhancing their partnerships with other sectors and entities in order to
raise the efficiency of the joint cooperation in a way that achieves their
strategic goals.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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Saudi Arabia harnesses its capabilities
to contribute in enhancing gains, continuity of cultural sector
August 27, 2023
VARANASI — Saudi Arabia has harnessed
its capabilities to contribute in enhancing the gains and continuity of the
cultural sector for local and international public interest, Assistant Minister
of Culture Rakan Bin Ibrahim Al-Touq said.
Al-Touq made these remarks while
delivering the speech of Minister of Culture Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin
Farhan, where he represented Saudi Arabia on behalf of the latter at the G20
Culture Ministers’ Meeting in Varanasi, India.
During the meeting, Al-Touq has
highlighted the contributions made by the Kingdom to enhance the gains of the
cultural sector for the local and international public interest.
He said the most prominent of which is
its support for the establishment of the (Saudi Fund at UNESCO to support the
protection and promotion of culture and heritage) in order to finance cultural
projects and strategic programs, from which, several ambitious and important
initiatives emerged.
Al-Touq confirmed Saudi Arabia’s
commitment and support for the priorities of the cultural track in the G20, and
the importance of the priorities of the Indian presidency that inspire to
rediscover what brings the countries together.
“The Kingdom has always been keen to
enable access to culture and preserve heritage with all its components,” he
said.
We believe in the power of culture to
transform for a prosperous future, Al-Touq said, indicating that the Ministry
of Culture in the Kingdom has achieved a set of achievements and projects
related to the priorities of the presidency.
He indicated that Saudi Arabia is proud
of its initiative to hold the first meeting of the G20 culture ministers on the
sidelines of the Saudi presidency in 2020.
The Kingdom also appreciates the
commitment of the member states to complete work in activating the cultural
track within their successive presidencies.
Al-Touq thanked the Indian presidency
hosting the G20 Summit 2023, and the Minister of Culture of India G. Kishan
Reddy. He also appreciated the keenness of the Indian presidency to support the
continuity of the cultural path.
On behalf of the Minister of Culture,
Al-Touq said that he looks forward to the continuity of the cultural path
during the next presidency in Brazil and beyond, to consolidate culture as a
source of inspiration and prosperity that enables societies to achieve the
goals of sustainable development.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/shobha-yatra-nuh-jagadguru-haryana/d/130546