Supreme Court Grants Bail To 8 UP Ex-Cops Convicted In 1987 Hashimpura Massacre Case, That Killed 38 Muslims
New Age Islam News Bureau
6 December 2024
The investigation was handed over to the Crime Branch, Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID), Uttar Pradesh. (File Photo)
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· Supreme Court Grants Bail To 8 UP Ex-Cops Convicted In 1987 Hashimpura Massacre Case, That Killed 38
· Gyanvapi Mosque Panel Seeks Intervention In Pleas Challenging The Validity Of The Places Of Worship Act, In Supreme Court
· Imran Khan Warns Of Civil Disobedience If Crackdown Probe Demand Not Met
· Islam Not Against Girl Child Education – Sultan Of Sokoto
· Saudi Researchers Secure US Patent For Innovative Medical Material
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India
· Ladakh-Based Political Activist Writes To Minority Affairs Minister To Introduce 'Shia Theology' In Jamia Millia Islamia
· Muslims Fear Uttarkashi Mosque Land Records 'Altered'
· Uttar Pradesh: Prayers at mosque inside Varanasi college spark tensions
· Joint Waqf panel holds first meet after tenure extension
· Sambhal administration may put up posters of people involved in mosque survey violence today
· Tripura Muslim body demands immediate stop to incidents of disrespect to Indian flag in Bangladesh
· Targeting of mosques,shrines a planned conspiracy: Omar
· Housing society members in UP’s Moradabad on relay dharna to expel sole Muslim family
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Pakistan
· Multi-Party Moot Seeks Measures To Tackle KP’s Crises
· Army wants action against those behind ‘disinfo’ on protesters’ deaths
· Imran, other PTI leaders indicted over GHQ attack
· PTI snubs KP governor’s invite for his Kurram moot
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Africa
· Churches, traditional institutions leading causes of maternal, infant mortality in Nigeria – Lawmaker
· Corruption Will Kill Nigeria If The People Refuse To Kill It – ICPC
· Nigeria Cities Are Either Poorly Numbered Or Not Numbered – FG
· ‘It Was A Cowardly Attempt’ – NGF Mourns Victims Of Zamfara Bomb Explosion
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Arab World
· Saudi Arabia, France civil aviation authorities discuss boosting air connectivity
· How Saudi Arabia is leveraging artificial intelligence to tackle land degradation
· Jazan governor inaugurates Saudi International Medical Education Conference
· Innovation forum connects French companies with Saudi partners
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Europe
· Prevent Data Reveals ‘Islamist’ Referrals On The Rise in UK
· NATO member state comments on Trump’s desire to end Ukraine conflict
· Ukraine preparing for end to conflict – media
· Romania's far right presidential frontrunner vows to end Ukraine aid
· Some 105,000 Ukrainian troops killed or missing – journalist
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Mideast
· Flareup Of Syria Civil War Is ‘Bitter Fruit Of Collective Failure’ Of Diplomacy: UN Chief
· Israel Reportedly Strikes Sensitive Weapons In Syria As Islamist Rebels Capture City Of Hama
· Strikes on key bridge linking Syria’s Homs, Hama: war monitor
· Palestinian security forces exchange gunfire with militants in West Bank
· Syria war monitor says tens of thousands flee Homs as rebels advance
· Hezbollah leader says $77m allocated to Lebanon war displaced
· Lebanon medics flee from border area amid Israeli strikes
· Bereaved Gazans clear charred remains after deadly strike on camp
· Hamas official says Gaza ceasefire talks have resumed after weekslong hiatus
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South Asia
· Bangladesh CID Arrests One For Impersonating Imam Of Masjid Nabawi To Deceive People
· Afghanistan and Malaysia Pledge Continued Cooperation in Diplomatic Talks
· Khost Province Launches Infrastructure Projects Worth 93 Million AFN
· Over 90 Afghan families deported from Pakistan and Iran
· Iran: 12 Afghan citizens executed in the past month
· EDB plans to introduce Islamic financing instruments in 2025
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North America
· CAIR Calls for Internal Review, Policy Changes at U of Maryland After Reported Assault of Muslim Students During Flag Football Tournament
· Nasa delays astronaut flight around the Moon
· Disappearances double in Sinaloa amid Mexican cartel rift
· ‘Enough Work For Women’ In Ukrainian Army – Retired US General
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Southeast Asia
· Jailed Islamic Preacher PU Azman To Spend 14 More Months Behind Bars For 2022 Sexual Assault Against Teen In Klang After AGC Accepts Plea Change To Guilty
· FT Minister Dr Zaliha denies issuing statement on Najib’s house arrest
· Selangor Sultan officiates Klang Chinese Muslim Jamek Mosque, reminds adherents against spread of deviant teachings
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/supreme-court-bail-hashimpura-massacre-case/d/133949
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Supreme Court Grants Bail To 8 UP Ex-Cops Convicted In 1987 Hashimpura Massacre Case, That Killed 38
By: Express News Service
New Delhi : December 6, 2024
The investigation was handed over to the Crime Branch, Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID), Uttar Pradesh. (File Photo)
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The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to eight of the 16 former members of the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) whose acquittals by the trial court in the Hashimpura massacre case were reversed by the Delhi High Court.
A bench of Justices A S Oka and A G Masih took note of their submission that they were suffering prolonged incarceration after the high court overturned their acquittal in 2018.
Senior Advocate Amit Anand Tiwari, who appeared for them, pointed out that the trial court judgment – dated March 23, 2015 – acquitting them was well reasoned and the high court’s reasoning was erroneous. He also sought to highlight that they displayed exemplary conduct during the trial as well as appeal.
As per the prosecution’s case, communal riots took place in Meerut district in May 1987. As a result, the police, paramilitary and military forces had been posted in Hashimpura mohalla for riot control and security. This included the ‘C-Company’ of the 41st Battalion of the PAC. On May 21, 1987, the brother of an Army Major was killed in the mohalla adjacent to Hashimpura and two rifles belonging to the PAC personnel were looted by certain anti-social elements.
On May 22 evening, the PAC personnel allegedly rounded up around 42-45 Muslim men and took them away in a truck. They were later shot and the bodies dumped in the Gang Nahar and Hindon canal. Some of those who were shot managed to survive. Of the 38 who were killed, the dead bodies of only 11 were identified by relatives later. The remaining bodies were not recovered.
The investigation was handed over to the Crime Branch, Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID), Uttar Pradesh.
The CB-CID filed a chargesheet before the criminal court in Ghaziabad in 1996. Eighteen officers of the PAC were arraigned as accused in the first chargesheet. The 19th accused was arraigned in the supplementary chargesheet. Under the orders of the Supreme Court, passed in 2002 and 2007, the trial of the cases was transferred to Delhi.
During the pendency of the trial, three of the accused died. The remaining 16 accused were acquitted by the trial court.
On appeal, the high court permitted the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to intervene and on its plea, allowed additional evidence to be recorded by the trial court, while the appeals were kept pending.
The high court reversed the acquittal and held the accused guilty of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, murder and causing evidence of the crime to disappear. In arriving at the conclusion, it also relied on the additional evidence recorded. The convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/supreme-court-grants-bail-up-ex-cops-convicted-1987-hashimpura-massacre-case-9710172/
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Gyanvapi Mosque Panel Seeks Intervention In Pleas Challenging The Validity Of The Places Of Worship Act, In Supreme Court
Dec 5, 2024
Srishti Ojha
The Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi. (File photo)
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The committee managing the Gyanvapi Mosque has moved the Supreme Court seeking intervention in pleas challenging the validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
The Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, Varanasi, filed an intervention application in the court, stating that the mosque has been made the subject of multiple suits and the committee is therefore a crucial stakeholder in the petitions challenging the Places of Worship Act.
The committee stated that it was compelled to intervene in the case as the Act was being misinterpreted and undermined through the filing of suits against mosques. It added that interim directions for surveys of the mosques were being sought even before the core issues were identified.
It said in its petition that it relies on the Supreme Court's verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi case to defend the validity of the Act. The committee stated that the judgement in the case recognised the principle of non- retrogression as a core component of secularism, which in itself is the basic structure of the Constitution. Notably, non-retrogession refers to the idea that a government cannot reduce the protection it provides once it has been extended.
According to the committee, the verdict had left no manner of doubt as to the reasons for the enactment and the provisions being a core component of the principle of non-retrogression and secular values.
The committee claimed that the pleas challenging the Act were "rhetorical" and said that the actions of ancient rulers cannot be addressed by the Supreme Court, nor is it a valid ground for challenging the constitutional validity of the Places of Worship Act.
It referred to the verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi case which stated that the court cannot entertain claims that stem from the actions of the Mughal rulers against Hindu places of worship in a court of law.
The committee referred to the violence that broke out in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal recently and said that the consequences of the declaration sought in these pleas are bound to be drastic.
While pointing out the cases where claims have been made about mosques being ancient temples across the country, the application further stated that the declaration sought by the petitioner would mean "such disputes rising their heads in every nook and corner of the country and ultimately obliterating the rule of law and communal harmony".
The committee further said that the Supreme Court should keep the intent of the Parliament in enacting the Places of Worship Act in 1991. It said that only after a thorough deliberation and debate "the Parliament, in its wisdom and legislative competence, enacted the 1991 Act as a conscious decision to let the past not haunt the future of the country".
In 2021, several Hindu activists claimed that a temple existed earlier at the site of the Gyanvapi mosque, and it was demolished in the 17th century on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, a claim rejected by the Muslim side.
In February this year, a Varanasi court allowed Hindu devotees to worship inside the sealed basement of Gyanvapi mosque. As per the court order, Hindu devotees were allowed to offer prayers at 'Vyas Ka Tekhana', a restricted area inside Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque.
In October, a Varanasi court had rejected the plea filed by Hindu petitioners seeking additional survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) of the entire premises of the Gyanvapi complex.
Source: indiatoday.in
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https://www.indiatoday.in/india/law-news/story/supreme-court-gyanvapi-mosque-committee-places-of-worship-act-management-anjuman-intezamia-masajid-varanasi-2645465-2024-12-05
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Imran Khan warns of civil disobedience if crackdown probe demand not met
By Web Desk
December 06, 2024
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan speaks with Reuters during an interview, in Lahore, Pakistan on March 17, 2023. — Reuters
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Expressing dismay over the crackdown on the supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in its protest at D-Chowk last month, incarcerated party founder Imran Khan has issued a warning to the government, vowing to launch a civil disobedience campaign if his party's demands are not met.
In a late night announcement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the former premier said he he had formed a five-member negotiation team, comprising Omar Ayub Khan, Ali Amin Gandapur, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Salman Akram Raja, and Asad Qaiser.
The latest move which he termed as his "trump card", the 72-year-old cricketer-turned-politician said that the committee would negotiate with the federal government on two points — the release of “political prisoners” facing trial and the constitution of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9, 2023 and a late-night crackdown on PTI protesters on November 26.
“If these two demands are not accepted, a civil disobedience movement will be launched from December 14,” the jailed premier said, adding that the government would be responsible for the results of this movement.
The former ruling party's much-hyped protest in Islamabad, aimed at securing the PTI founder's release who has been behind bars for more than a year, culminated in party’s hasty retreat after the government's midnight crackdown on the protesters.
The Imran-founded party has since claimed that at least 12 of its workers were killed and 1,000 were arrested. However, the government has categorically denied using live ammunition against the protesters and said that four law enforcers including three Rangers personnel and policeman were martyred during the protest.
Furthermore, Imran — in his message today — also announced a "grand gathering" in Peshawar on December 13 to “pay homage to the martyrs” that, according to him, were killed during the PTI’s Islamabad protest.
He claimed that hunderds of PTI workers were "still missing," urging the Supreme Court to take notice of the incidents and "play its constitutional role."
“We approached the Supreme Court, Lahore and Islamabad high courts over serious violations of human rights, but no action was taken,” he added.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1258621-imran-khan-warns-of-civil-disobedience-if-crackdown-probe-demand-not-met
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Islam not against girl child education – Sultan of Sokoto
December 5, 2024
By Seun Opejob
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has said Islam is not against the girl child education.
He spoke on Thursday in Bauchi during the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment, AGILE project, organised by the Ministry of Education, with support from the World Bank.
According to Abubakar: “Islam is not against the education of the girl child. There are a couple of reasons the issue is not tackled here and in other states. The main thing is how it is being done to educate people.
“When I was coming here, I saw some children hawking on the street and I was wondering, I asked some of them and they told me that they have morning and afternoon sessions at school.
“I think it is very important to talk to ourselves. Giving the girl child education is the best thing to do because she will use it to better the society as she will take care of herself, her family and the community.”
Source: dailypost.ng
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https://dailypost.ng/2024/12/05/islam-not-against-girl-child-education-sultan-of-sokoto/
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Saudi researchers secure US patent for innovative medical material
December 05, 2024
King Saud University announced on Thursday that two of its team have secured a US patent for a novel material designed to inhibit bone bleeding and combat microbial infections. (SPA)
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RIYADH: King Saud University announced on Thursday that two of its team have secured a US patent for a novel material designed to inhibit bone bleeding and combat microbial infections, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Dr. Nasser bin Salem bin Noah, a consultant specializing in maxillofacial surgery at the College of Dentistry and University Dental Hospital, and Dr. Muhammad bin Salah, an assistant consultant at the Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics, developed the material using circular silver particles extracted from nettle leaves through nanotechnology.
The material not only helps stop bleeding but also reduces inflammation rates compared with existing alternatives, SPA added.
The material supports the regeneration of bone tissue across various parts of the body, as demonstrated by clinical trials involving advanced micro-CT scans and bone tissue analysis.
A study highlighting the material’s efficacy and potential applications has been published in high-ranking scientific journals, SPA reported.
Salah emphasized the significance of the advancement, saying that it represented a step forward in enhancing surgical outcomes and improving patient care.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2581941/saudi-arabia
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India
Ladakh-Based Political Activist Writes To Minority Affairs Minister To Introduce 'Shia Theology' In Jamia Millia Islamia
06.12.24
Ladakh-based political activist Sajjad Hussain Kargili has submitted a memorandum to Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, requesting the introduction of Shia theology as part of the Department of Islamic Studies at the Jamia Millia Islamia here.
Kargili, a representative of Ladakh's largest Islamic organisation Jamiat Ul Ulama Isna Asharia Kargil, also requested the Centre to establish a residential coaching institute in Ladakh to prepare students for national competitive exams like the UPSC, NEET, JEE, and others.
The memorandum submitted on Thursday included several other proposals to empower the youth of Ladakh and promote the region's cultural heritage.
It proposed to provide a special fellowship programme under the Ministry of Minority Affairs for the youth of Ladakh, aimed at giving young people exposure to governance and leadership training.
Furthermore, it also urged the Ministry of Minority Affairs to provide financial and logistical support to students from Ladakh aspiring to pursue higher education abroad.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/ladakh-based-political-activist-sajjad-hussain-kargili-writes-to-kiren-rijiju-to-introduce-shia-theology-in-jamia-millia-islamia/cid/2068632
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Muslims fear Uttarkashi mosque land records 'altered'
Dec 6, 2024
DEHRADUN: Days after the 'Hindu mahapanchayat' held by right-wing groups against a nearly six-decades-old mosque in Uttarkashi which they claimed was "illegal", members of the minority community in the area have expressed apprehensions regarding "tampering of the masjid's land records by the administration."
The move comes after the administration constituted an "encroachment probe committee to examine the documents".
The committee formed by Uttarkashi DM is headed by SDM of Bhatwari, under which the mosque falls. The committee had last week issued notices to the landowners of the mosque, stating that they "doubt the authenticity of the documents with them". The notice was issued on Nov 24, and the Muslim side submitted its reply along with the land registration documents on Nov 26.
SDM Bhatwari, Mukesh Ramola, told TOI: "The committee will finish examining the documents submitted by mosque landowners soon... They were served notices after we suspected the documents might be forged. Once their examination is done, the air will be cleared. The panel will soon submit the report to the DM after which further action will be taken in the matter.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/muslims-fear-uttarkashi-mosque-land-records-altered/articleshow/116022710.cms
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Uttar Pradesh: Prayers at mosque inside Varanasi college spark tensions
Dec 5, 2024
Tensions prevailed this week at Udai Pratap Degree College in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi as several students protested on Tuesday after a large number of devotees offered prayers at a mosque located inside the campus, The Indian Express reported.
Seven students were also detained and booked by the police during the protests on charges of breaching the peace.
The college has been witnessing unrest surrounding the religious structure inside the campus ever since the violence that broke out in Sambhal on November 24 over a court-ordered survey of another mosque, according to the newspaper.
Following the violence in Sambhal, a notice issued in 2018 by the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board about the mosque inside Udai Pratap Degree College was widely shared on social media, The Indian Express quoted unidentified authorities from the institution as saying.
A waqf is a property dedicated to a religious, educational or charitable cause under Islamic law. In India, waqfs are governed under the Waqf Act. Each state has a waqf board led by a legal entity that is vested with the power to acquire, hold and transfer property.
The 2018 notice, which was addressed to the manager of the college, sought a response from the institution on a demand by a person named Waseem Ahmed. He sought the registration of the land where the mosque was situated as waqf property.
The college, however, clarified that there was no pending dispute with the waqf board regarding the land, The Indian Express reported.
After the 2018 notice was shared online, more than 600 persons visited the mosque on November 29 for prayers, the newspaper quoted unidentified protestors as saying.
The number of devotees on a typical Friday for prayers used to be 40 to 50, they added.
In response to this, several current and former students from the college gathered at the gate of the campus on Tuesday and recited the Hindu hymn Hanuman Chalisa, according to The Indian Express.
Vivekanand Singh, a former student, said that many were upset by the large number of devotees who came to the campus for prayers. “Since this is a college with a significant student population, outsiders holding prayers at the masjid should be stopped,” he said.
Police were deployed at the site in view of the protests. They prevented students from approaching the mosque. Subsequently, seven former and current students were detained. They were released on bail on the same day.
The principal of the college, Dharmendra Kumar Singh, told The Indian Express that he has asked the district administration and the police to ensure that only persons with a valid Aadhaar card are allowed to enter the campus for prayers at the mosque.
“We are unsure why this issue is being raised now as the masjid has existed here for a long time and was renovated twice, most recently in 2012,” the newspaper quoted Singh as saying. “According to revenue records, the entire land was registered in the name of Udai Pratap College.”
He also cited a letter from the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board that declared that there was no dispute pending before it regarding the college land.
On December 3, SM Yaseen, who is the joint secretary of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which takes care of the Gyanvapi mosque, wrote to the waqf board about the confusion arising from the 2018 notice, The Indian Express reported.
He called the mosque inside the campus “a symbol of communal harmony on the campus” and requested clarity on the current status of the notice.
In a response on the same day, the waqf board said that the notice had been revoked by an order on January 18, 2021. “No further action is in progress in this regard,” it added.
“With the clarification from the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, the matter should now be resolved,” Yaseen told the The Indian Express. “The protests arose due to a misunderstanding.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police Chandra Kant Meena said that personnel had been deployed at the site to prevent an escalation of tensions and that the situation was under control.
Source: scroll.in
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https://scroll.in/latest/1076476/uttar-pradesh-prayers-at-mosque-inside-varanasi-college-spark-tensions
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Joint Waqf panel holds first meet after tenure extension
Dec 06, 2024
The joint parliamentary panel on Waqf Amendment Bill has written to states, seeking details of all disputed Waqf properties under their jurisdiction, head of committee Jagdambika Pal said on Thursday.
He said this after a meeting of the panel, which met for the first time after it was granted an extension by Parliament last week till next year's budget session, to submit its report on the contentious Bill.
Pal said the committee would also call states' chief secretaries to appear before it if required.
On Thursday, the officials of the Minority Affairs Ministry had briefed the panel and submitted responses to queries posed by various members of the panel.
"The replies run into 887 pages and will be scrutinised over the next few days," Pal said, adding that the next round of meetings will be held on December 11 and 12.
A member of the panel claimed that the responses submitted by the ministries were drafted poorly and that the Opposition would seek clarifications over those in the next few days.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill had faced flak from Opposition parties and Muslim groups for its alleged attempts to interfere in religious matters. Pal said the parliamentary panel had decided to get an update on the points made by the Sachar Committee on the Waqf properties, alleged to be in unauthorised occupation of state governments or their official agencies.
The Sachar Committee was informed by various state Waqf boards during 2005-06 about the alleged unauthorised occupation. According to the information submitted to the committee, there are 316 such disputed properties in Delhi, 60 in Rajasthan and 42 in Karnataka that were reported to the Sachar Committee in 2005-06.
Source: tribuneindia.com
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https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/joint-waqf-panel-holds-first-meet-after-tenure-extension/
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Sambhal administration may put up posters of people involved in mosque survey violence today
by Neetika Jha
December 5, 2024
The district administration in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal may on Thursday put up posters of those involved in the violence that led to four deaths during a court-ordered survey of Shahi Jama Masjid on November 24.
“After studying the footage of the sample collected by a drone, we were able to get pictures of those involved in the violence and now we will most likely put up their posters today,” said District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya.
Pensiya told The Indian Express that the administration has identified at least 400 people, 34 of whom have been arrested. “We are working on designing the poster so that we can exclude those who have already been arrested,” he said.
Pensiya also said that keeping the Friday prayers in mind, 30 magistrates have been deployed and the presidents of all the mosques in Sambhal have been called for a peace meeting. There will be three-layer security at the mosque on Friday.
The violence erupted over the second round of the survey conducted at the mosque in Kot by a team of the Archaeological Survey of India. The first round of the ASI survey was initiated on November 19, hours after a Chandausi court ordered it on applications filed by eight petitioners claiming that the mosque had been built after destroying a temple.
On November 27, Superintendent of Police Krishnan Kumar Bishnoi said 25 people had been arrested over the violence. “We have collected the CCTV footage and anyone who is involved in destroying the state property will be severely punished,” he added.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/sambhal-administration-posters-people-mosque-survey-violence-today-9708380/
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Tripura Muslim body demands immediate stop to incidents of disrespect to Indian flag in Bangladesh
05.12.24
The Tripura Gousia Samity, a Muslim organisation in the northeastern state, on Thursday demanded an immediate stop to incidents of disrespect to the Indian national flag in neighbouring Bangladesh.
"We are anxiously witnessing the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh for the past few months. People who believe in Sanatan Dharma are being continuously oppressed there. Their properties are being burnt. It is highly condemnable," Abdul Barik, president of Tripura Gausia Samity, told reporters here.
"It is heart-wrenching to see our national flag being disrespected in Bangladesh. We want an immediate stop to such incidents and seek clarification on videos showing such incidents," he added.
Barik said the organisation has submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate of West Tripura, addressing the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, seeking immediate remedial measures in the neighbouring country.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/tripura-muslim-body-demands-immediate-stop-to-incidents-of-disrespect-to-indian-flag-in-bangladesh/cid/2068473
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Targeting of mosques,shrines a planned conspiracy: Omar
December 5, 2024
In a veiled attack at the ruling BJP, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that our (Muslim) mosques and shrines are being targeted across the country as part of a “well-planned conspiracy.”
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the 42nd foundation day function of the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar, he said; “Our Constitution guarantees the right to live freely, irrespective of one’s religion or even if one chooses not to follow any religion. This fundamental principle of secularism must be upheld. However, a systematic effort seems to be underway to target our mosques and religious institutions. This is unacceptable.”
“We (Muslims) don’t want appeasement. But don’t target us. By attacking our mosques, shrines and the way we practice our religion, you are victimising us and this is not the India that J&K was a part of. This is not the India our founding fathers envisioned”, he said.
In an obvious reference to BJP, Omar said through the Parliament you should get the word “Secular” deleted from the Constitution if you don’t want India to continue as a secular country.
He said restoring the autonomy of SKIMS was his government’s top priority.
Responding to questions about yesterday’s assassination attempt at Punjab’s former deputy CM and Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, Omar said that he spoke to Badal after the attack. It is a matter of concern if in daylight a former deputy CM can be attacked like this. This needs to be looked into. How did this happen and to ensure that it doesn’t happen in the future”.
Meanwhile, National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah and CM Omar Abdullah earlier in the morning, visited Naseem Bagh, Hazratbal, to pay tributes to the founder of NC and former J&K Chief Minister, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, on his 119th birth anniversary.
Popularly known as Sher-e-Kashmir, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah is remembered for his visionary leadership and his enduring contributions to Jammu and Kashmir. He was the father of NC President Dr. Farooq Abdullah and the grandfather of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.They also offered Fateha (special prayers) at his grave to honour his legacy and reaffirm their commitment to the ideals he stood for.
Speaking on the occasion, Omar reflected on Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s enduring impact on Jammu and Kashmir, stating, “Sher-e-Kashmir’s vision continues to inspire us to work tirelessly for the betterment of our people. Today, we remember his sacrifices and reaffirm our dedication to his ideals of justice, equality, and communal harmony.”
Dr. Farooq Abdullah also expressed his deep respect for his father’s contributions, calling him “a guiding light whose principles will always lead us forward.”
Source: thestatesman.com
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https://www.thestatesman.com/india/targeting-of-mosquesshrines-a-planned-conspiracy-omar-1503372550.html
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Housing society members in UP’s Moradabad on relay dharna to expel sole Muslim family
by Amit Sharma
December 5, 2024
Hindu flat owners in a posh residential society in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad city have been holding a relay dharna since Tuesday demanding the ouster of the society’s sole Muslim family, a doctor couple who bought a flat there recently.
They have threatened to continue their protest till the local administration cancels the flat’s registry.
District Magistrate Anuj Singh said the administration’s priority is to maintain law and order at the place. “We are talking to both groups to find an easy and amicable solution to the issue,” he added.
The protesters said one Dr Ashok Bajaj sold his flat last week to Iqra and Yunus Chaudhary and that the flat is situated exactly opposite to a temple on the society’s premises.
‘Don’t want Muslim families here’
“We have the TDI City Housing Society, in which nearly 450 Hindu families have been living for the last few years and we do not want Muslim families here. We will be forced to move out of the society as more and more Muslim families will start moving here. We have met local officers and demanded that the registry be annulled soon,” said Arvind Agarwal, a resident of the society.
The society members held a meeting at the main gate on Wednesday evening. “We have decided that our agitation will continue till that family is ousted from here,” said Amit Verma, president of the housing society.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/housing-society-members-up-moradabad-relay-dharna-muslim-family-9708193/
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Pakistan
Multi-party moot seeks measures to tackle KP’s crises
Umer Farooq
December 6, 2024
PESHAWAR: A multi-party conference (MPC) on Thursday expressed serious concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and noted that federal and provincial governments have apparently failed to address the challenges effectively.
The forum decided to form a political and technical committee to safeguard the province’s financial and political interests.
The ruling PTI skipped the moot, which was attended by the representatives of major political parties including the PPP, JUI-F, ANP, PML-N, QWP, JI and others.
“We extended an invitation to PTI but perhaps they are unable to talk about peace,” Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said, assailing the party for its ‘violent rhetoric’.
A declaration issued after the conference, held at the Governor House in Peshawar, revealed that over 70 security personnel were martyred in 2024, with more than 200 lives lost in armed clashes in Kurram district.
The declaration regretted that the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) award had been inactive for almost two and a half years and demanded that the 11th NFC be issued immediately.
It sought the immediate release of the 3 per cent share allocated for merged districts, pending for five years, and urged compliance with the Sartaj Aziz Committee’s recommendations.
The declaration called for an NFC formula reflecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s population and natural resources, including forests and environmental factors.
It also demanded transparency in mining leases and the reopening of all trade routes with Afghanistan.
The MPC asked the federal government to prioritise gas supply to KP under Article 158 of the Constitution and ensure the payment of Net Hydel Profit and the federal excise duty on oil to the province as outlined in Article 161.
“Meetings of the Council of Common Interests should be convened regularly as per the constitutional period,” the declaration said, adding that the KP government should form the provincial finance commission to distribute resources fairly.
An effective local government system with non-discriminatory funding was also emphasised, alongside a demand to abolish the 2pc Infrastructure Development Cess, which has reportedly hindered Afghan trade.
The declaration stressed the need for repatriating internally displaced persons with dignity and called for an end to harassment of peaceful Pakhtuns in other provinces and Islamabad.
The conference also urged a performance audit of the provincial government to ensure accountability.
Governor Kundi, who called the MPC, said on the occasion that the declaration would be tabled in the provincial assembly and shared with the federal government.
“The presence of political leadership in the MPC proves that we are all united over the issues being faced by the province,” the governor said, adding that the “ruling party’s provincial president should also have been here”.
He called for unity among political parties to address Kurram’s deteriorating situation and proposed holding a similar MPC at the Chief Minister’s House.
Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Amir Maqam underlined the province’s need for support in combating terrorism, asserting that KP’s demands must be met.
He criticised PTI’s governance and said the party had the mandate of people “but failed to utilise it effectively.”
ANP’s Mian Iftikhar Hussain alleged that militancy had become a lucrative enterprise and questioned why militants were trained and who brought 40,000 militants back from Afghanistan.
“The province has been handed over to militants, and sectarian conflicts are being fuelled,” he claimed. “We face threats when we talk about natural resources.”
National Democratic Movement leader Mohsin Dawar said they wanted a good relationship between the Centre and the province, adding that multiple issues should be resolved according to the 18th constitutional amendment.
JUI-F’s Maulana Lutfur Rehman highlighted law and order, economic instability and political uncertainty as major challenges, urging parliament’s supremacy in tackling militancy.
He said billions of the rupees meant for the merged districts were yet to be paid and questioned how militancy could be controlled if trade routes remained closed.
Former KP chief minister and Qaumi Watan Party leader Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao said law enforcement agencies and the federal and provincial governments should go beyond politics to play their role, expressing concerns over rising militancy in southern KP districts.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1876928/multi-party-moot-seeks-measures-to-tackle-kps-crises
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Army wants action against those behind ‘disinfo’ on protesters’ deaths
Baqir Sajjad Syed
December 6, 2024
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army on Thursday decried a social media campaign spreading allegations of protesters’ killings during a recent PTI demonstration in Islamabad, labelling it a “pre-planned, coordinated, and premeditated” propaganda effort aimed at sowing discord between the military and the public.
This marks the first formal reaction from the military since the protests in the federal capital on Nov 26, issued through a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) at the conclusion of the 84th Formation Commanders Conference at the General Headquarters.
The meeting, chaired by Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir and attended by corps commanders, principal staff officers, and all formation commanders of the Pakistan Army, also demanded swift action against those responsible for propagating these claims.
“Forum noted with concern the malicious propaganda done in the aftermath of the lawful deployment of the Army in the capital to secure key government buildings and provide safe and secure environment for the valued visiting delegations,” ISPR said, and alleged that this propaganda, aimed at creating divisions between the public and the armed forces, was being backed by “external players”.
However, ISPR did not elaborate on or identify the foreign entities it accused of supporting the campaign.
“Any attempt to pitch innocent people against each other and use of violence as an instrument for vested gains can never be tolerated,” it stressed.
Thousands of PTI activists rallied in the federal capital last week, demanding the immediate release of their jailed leader Imran Khan, but the protests escalated into clashes, resulting in the deaths of four security personnel, besides leaving hundreds injured. PTI, meanwhile, alleged that authorities had killed 12 of its supporters, claiming to have evidence.
The party mounted an aggressive social media campaign to reinforce its allegations, focusing primarily on the question of why force was used against protesters.
The army has found itself at the centre of the controversy because its soldiers were deployed in the capital by the government after the PTI rally from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa breached the security cordon and entered the city.
The civilian government has denied the killings of any protesters and vowed to hold accountable all those propagating the claim.
The military, which has for months now been pushing for tightening the noose on social media, also reiterated its demand for introducing and enforcing strict legislation to prevent what it perceives as the exploitation of freedom of expression.
“Those spreading fake news for vested political / financial interests need to be identified and brought to justice,” the ISPR statement said.
Counterterrorism ops
The commanders reviewed ongoing counterterrorism operations and reaffirmed their commitment to firmly tackling terrorists and their facilitators and abettors.
A key point of discussion was the increased focus on operations against terrorist groups operating in Balochistan, including the Baloch Liberation Army’s Majeed Brigade.
The commanders also expressed concern over the continued use of Afghan soil by terrorists, particularly those linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, who have been targeting Pakistan.
The army emphasised the need for both neighbouring countries to focus on mutually beneficial engagements, urging Afghanistan to take visible steps to prevent its territory from being used as a safe haven for terrorists.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1876926/army-wants-action-against-those-behind-disinfo-on-protesters-deaths
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Imran, other PTI leaders indicted over GHQ attack
Malik Asad
December 6, 2024
• Omar Ayub, Raja Basharat arrested after hearing; non-bailable warrants issued after Bushra skips another hearing of Toshakhana case
• Shaheen accuses police of racial profiling, breaching privacy by checking mobile phones; 146 PTI supporters sent on five-day remand
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan and other PTI leaders were indicted on Thursday in a case concerning the attack on the army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi during violent protests, prompted by the arrest of the PTI founder in a corruption case on May 9 last year.
Mr Khan, who has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since August 2023, was arrested by the Rawalpindi police in the May 9 protest case in January, whereas the police arrested his aides Omar Ayub and ex-Punjab law minister Raja Basharat after the indictment by an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi.
ATC judge Amjad Ali Shah also indicted several leaders and supporters of the PTI in the same case.
In a late-night development, sources said the custody of PTI leaders Omar Ayub Khan, Raja Basharat and Ahmed Chattha had been handed over to Attock police as they were nominated in various cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act, registered at various police stations of Attock, Hazro and Hassanabdal.
Sources said that all the three arrested leaders had been shifted to Police Lines from where they would be handed over to a team sent by the Attock district police officer.
Separately, a special court presided over by judge Shahrukh Arjumand issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Bushra Bibi, spouse of Imran Khan, after her repeated absences in the Toshakhana case regarding the Bulgari jewellery set. The court questioned her failure to appear despite previous assurances from her legal team.
Special public prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi claimed that this was the 10th hearing without an indictment, and called for the issuance of arrest warrants. He argued that the trial could not be indefinitely stalled due to Bushra Bibi’s non-appearance, saying that she attended only two out of ten hearings after the approval of her bail.
Bushra Bibi’s lawyer Usman Gill assured the court that she would cooperate fully with the trial, promising her presence or representation at the next hearing. He cited her poor health and the numerous FIRs registered against her as reasons for her absence.
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan urged the court to exempt her from personal attendance, stressing that their cases were being handled on a fast-track basis.
The prosecution countered these pleas, arguing that Bushra Bibi’s repeated absences demonstrated a lack of regard for the legal process.
“She does not deserve further relief,” the prosecutor stated, adding that the court had already shown leniency on multiple occasions. Eventually, the judge issued warrants for her arrest and dismissed her exemption plea.
The court also issued a notice to her guarantor, questioning why the surety bond should not be confiscated if she still failed to appear for the next hearing.
146 remanded
Meanwhile, in Islamabad, ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra granted a five-day physical remand for 146 individuals arrested in connection with the D-Chowk protest. The suspects were presented before the court on Tuesday, where prosecutors sought additional time for investigation and evidence collection.
During the hearing, the court confirmed the headcount of the accused and inquired about their previous remand periods.
Prosecutor Raja Naveed informed the court that the individuals had initially been remanded for five days and requested an extension, arguing that further inquiries and evidence recovery were necessary.
The defence lawyers contested the remand, highlighting alleged discrepancies in the arrests. Counsel for two accused, Ziaul Haq and Zahoorul Haq, argued that their clients, both labourers from Kohistan, were arrested two days before the case was officially registered.
Another lawyer claimed that two individuals, Sheikh Farid and Khurram Shahzad, were detained from Pims without proper evidence or warrants. Judge Sipra expressed frustration over the lack of clarity regarding the specifics of the arrests. The court also addressed concerns regarding the arrest of Afghan nationals and other ethnic groups involved in the case.
The judge stressed the importance of impartiality, remarking, “The Pashtuns have suffered greatly from bomb blasts for decades. We must not generalise or discriminate.”
‘Racial profiling’
Separately, PTI leader Shoaib Shaheen, while talking to the media outside the ATC, accused the police of engaging in racial profiling.
“They just look at the CNICs and pick up anyone who had his [card] made in KP,” he claimed, adding that the police were checking the mobile phones of people, regardless of their ethnicity and if they “find any photo, video, group or message Imran Khan, they put them in jail”.
He went on to say that family members visiting their relatives, who had been detained, were also taken into custody. “This is an extremely dangerous act and a conspiracy to break Pakistan. We strongly condemn this,” he added.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1876930/imran-other-pti-leaders-indicted-over-ghq-attack
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PTI snubs KP governor’s invite for his Kurram moot
December 5, 2024
PESHAWAR: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday decided not to attenda multiparty conference arranged by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi today (Thursday) to discuss the recent violence in Kurram tribal district.
In a statement issued here, the PTI said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was working with the federal government to get the PTI banned and even got a resolution about it passed by the Balochistan Assembly.
It insisted that, unlike the PPP, it had a mandate from residents to rule KP and was performing its duties well.
“Our [PTI’s] government in the province will definitely consider any serious input from the governor on any issue,” he said.
Earlier, adviser to the chief minister on information Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif told reporters on the premises of the Peshawar High Court that the provincial government had so far not made any decision about the governor’s invitation to attend his MPC.
Meanwhile, the governor told reporters here that 16 political parties had agreed to attend his moot on the Kurram crisis.
“I personally invited the leadership of all parties to the conference. Political leaders are concerned about the deteriorating situation in Kurram, as neither the provincial cabinet nor the assembly has addressed the issue,” he said.
Mr Kundi said the MPC was meant to discuss the current Kurram situation and find an amicable and lasting solution to it.
He appreciated all the politicians who accompanied him to Kohat to participate in a jirga over Kurram situation.
The governor deplored the provincial government’s “apathy” to address the province’s issues and complained that when people were killed in Kurram, the chief minister and his cabinet members were busy with violent protests.
He claimed that no one from Punjab and Sindh province responded to the PTI’s recent march on Islamabad.
Mr Kundi questioned the provincial government’s priorities, saying that millions of rupees have been released for “martyrs” but no tangible relief has been provided to the residents of violence-hit Kurram.
He said that the families displaced from Kurram had got no relief from the provincial government, and even tents, food and necessary aid were provided to them by the Pakistan Red Crescent Society.
The governor said that a jirga would be formed to urge the federal government to prioritise peace and development for the people of KP in the MPC.
He said that the multiparty conference would also evaluate the provincial government’s performance.
“If the provincial government continues to fail in fulfilling its responsibilities, the federal government will be requested to take the necessary steps,” he said.
Mr Kundi said that the federal government could promulgate the governor’s rule in the province to address issues.
He said that it was the prime responsibility of the chief minister to maintain law and order in the province, but unfortunately, he was busy with one-point agenda of holding street protests against the federal government.
The governor also criticised the provincial government for passing resolutions against national institutions in the assembly while “neglecting to call a cabinet or assembly meeting to discuss Kurram crisis.”
He also resented the arrest of Pakhtuns by the Islamabad police instead of the political leaders responsible for violent protests in the federal capital.
“Pakhtuns should not be linked with the PTI. Their limited participation in the Islamabad march did not mean that the entire Pakhtun nation was supporting the party, which deceived the people of KP in the name of a positive change in their lives,” he said.
Mr Kundi said that law-abiding Pakhtun workers in Islamabad should be facilitated and not harassed.
Sources told Dawn that Mr Kundi had extended an invitation to the provincial government and the ruling PTI through provincial assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati over the phone.
They added that Mr Swati later informed the governor that he had forwarded his message to the provincial government.
Last Sunday, Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur rejected the governor’s MPC, insisting that it is not the governor’s job to call such moots and instead, as the elected leader of the province, he was to lead discussions on the law and order situation in the province.
Source:dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1876719/pti-snubs-kp-governors-invite-for-his-kurram-moot
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Africa
Churches, traditional institutions leading causes of maternal, infant mortality in Nigeria – Lawmaker
December 5, 2024
By Enahoro Iyemefokhai
Dr Richard Edosa, the member representing Oredo West in the Edo State House of Assembly, has identified traditional institutions and churches as among the leading causes of maternal and infant mortality in the country.
Edosa also listed lack of knowledge and quackery in the medical profession as contributing factors.
The lawmaker, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Health, made the remarks when staff of the National Population Commission, led by Tony Aiyejina, the Federal Commissioner in Edo State, visited the deputy speaker of the House, Maria Edeko, at the Assembly Complex in Benin City.
While speaking on the NPC’s 2024 Verbal and Social Autopsy (VASA) programme, the lawmaker added that 158 women die daily from childbirth complications.
According to him, the leading causes of maternal and infant mortality include lack of knowledge and quackery in the medical profession.
“The traditional institutions and churches also contributed to maternal and infant mortality.
“When some pregnant women come to the hospital and are told that the baby is not well-positioned, requiring surgery to deliver the baby, they often run to the church.
“In most cases, by the time they return to the hospital, it is already too late,” he said.
The only Labour Party, LP, in the House, who commended the National Population Commission for the initiative on e-birth registration, noted that children aged 0-5 years are vulnerable to complex diseases.
He opined that taking a census of children would help create a database for planning and policymaking to secure their future.
The lawmaker said the House was ready to cooperate with the Commission to ensure that it achieves its goals.
“You need to try and convince the people because Nigerians have become pessimistic. They tend to doubt every initiative presented by the government.
“People don’t understand that data collection is very vital to national development. Without data, the government cannot plan for its people,” he added.
Earlier, the NPC Federal Commissioner in Edo, Dr Tony Aiyejina, said the visit was to inform the House of the Commission’s plan to carry out e-registration of children under 0-5 years in the state.
Aiyejina explained that children aged 0-5 years would be registered and provided with a National Identification Number and birth certificate at no cost.
He said the exercise, which commenced in August last year in other states of the federation, is scheduled to end on December 31, 2024.
He attributed the delay in commencing the exercise in Edo to the just-concluded governorship election in the state.
Aiyejina solicited the support and collaboration of all lawmakers in the Edo Assembly in creating awareness about the ongoing exercise.
He noted that the initiative is aimed at ensuring that every child in Nigeria has access to essential services such as education and healthcare.
The federal commissioner also informed the lawmakers of the NPC’s ongoing 2024 Verbal and Social Autopsy (VASA) study, which investigates the causes and contributory factors of deaths among children under five years of age and women of reproductive age.
Source:dailypost.ng
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https://dailypost.ng/2024/12/05/churches-mosques-leading-causes-of-maternal-infant-mortality-in-nigeria-lawmaker/
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Corruption Will Kill Nigeria If The People Refuse To Kill It – ICPC
5 December 2024
By Richard Ogunsile
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has stressed the need for the people to end corruption in Nigeria before the practice does more harm to the country.
The anti-graft agency asserted that corruption has severely undermined Nigeria’s economic and social fabric, urging citizens to demonstrate the bravery necessary to expose corrupt practices.
Naija News reports that Ekere Usiere, the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner for the Commission, emphasized this during an event in Yenagoa commemorating Anti-Corruption Day.
The Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board organized the event.
In her presentation titled From Fear To Courage: Overcoming Barriers To Whistleblowing In Nigeria, Usiere warned that without the courage to confront corruption, Nigeria faces the peril of being overwhelmed by it in the foreseeable future.
She stressed that to combat corruption effectively, the nation must adopt a mindset of courage and reject fear.
She said, “There is no gainsaying that the scourge of corruption has brought Nigeria to its knees, from economic underdevelopment to socio-political decadence. If we don’t kill corruption, corruption will definitely kill Nigeria. That is why we need an effective whistleblower mechanism as a critical tool to fight against corruption.
“To effectively blow the whistle against corruption, we, the citizens, need courage. The absence of fear is simply the definition of courage. Citizens need to overcome cultural, psychological and systemic challenges to blow the whistle against corruption and other ills bedevilling our country, Nigeria.
“This programme is therefore a timely and welcome development. The aim of this paper is to charge participants to obliterate fear from their mindset and embrace courage in order to blow the whistle against corruption. If we must fight corruption in Nigeria and reduce it to the barest minimum, then we must put on the armour of courage to surmount the fear of whistleblowing.
“If you see something, you must say something! If you hear something, you must say something.”
Earlier, the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Felix Ogbe, commended the Anti Corruption and Transparency Unit for the excellent job done in putting the event together while reiterating his resolve to staff to protect the institution from all forms of corrupt tendencies through preventive strategies.
His words: “Today, we are marking and celebrating the International Anti-Corruption Day, with a focus on raising the consciousness of our youths to the ills of corruption and how it turns the socio-economic development of any nation.
“This is to send a strong message for extra-vigilance by all of us in combating the menace. In NCDMB, we have taken deliberate steps to curb corruption. We have provided adequate support to our ACTU members by providing a functional office and giving them a free hand to discharge their functions.
“In the area of capacity building and awareness, we have deepened our participation in the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria through capacity building training for staff, including training in corruption prevention techniques, strategies for effective workplace anti-corruption campaign, bribery and corruption risk assessment, etc.; all these underline the board stance against corruption.
“In the area of system check, we have instituted corrupt risk assessment probing major functions of the board including human resources, procurement, monitory, evaluation, planning, research and statistics, all in a bid to mitigate vulnerability to corruption across the board.”
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/12/05/corruption-will-kill-nigeria-if-the-people-refuse-to-kill-it-icpc/
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Nigeria Cities Are Either Poorly Numbered Or Not Numbered – FG
5 December 2024
By Udeze Ekene
The federal government has set motion to correct the poor addressing system of Nigerian cities to meet international standards.
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, said most of the nation’s cities are either poorly numbered or not numbered at all, emphasizing the need to reset the country’s National Addressing Council (NAC) to address the menace.
Accordingly, a new NAC and a technical committee are to be inaugurated next year to drive the country’s agenda on planning, economic, and financial inclusion, as well as ensuring an effective national addressing system.
The decision was taken on Wednesday during a pre-meeting of the council chaired by Shettima at the Presidential Villa.
Underscoring the need for the immediate standardization of Nigeria’s addressing system, the Vice President described the move as essential for improving service delivery, enhancing urban planning, and driving economic growth.
Addressing stakeholders at the meeting, he noted that standardizing Nigeria’s addressing system is long overdue, adding that it will end decades of infrastructural deficits and create a systematic approach to national address mapping.
“We cannot solve the challenges of urban planning, service delivery, or even basic navigation unless we establish a system that creates order. A robust addressing system is not just about convenience; it is about national development, security, and socio-economic progress,” Shettima said.
He decried the consequences of the current disorganized system, noting its impact on governance, logistics, and the financial inclusion of many Nigerians.
“We live in cities where most houses are either haphazardly numbered or not numbered at all. This does more than complicate address mapping, it undermines trust in address verification, slows emergency responses, and excludes millions from financial services,” he explained.
Shettima praised the foundational work done seven years ago when the National Addressing System initiative was introduced, noting, however, that there is a need to move beyond frameworks to actionable implementation.
“This was not a vision to be left in dusty drawers or delayed indefinitely. Addressing is fundamental to our aspirations of becoming a 21st-century economy.
“A standardized addressing system will enhance logistics, strengthen e-commerce, and foster trust in financial services. It will also enable accurate emergency response and disaster management, ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind.
“The challenge before us is not about delegating responsibilities but about creating a synergy that cuts across federal, state, and local governments. Political will and technical expertise must work hand in hand to make this initiative a success,” Shettima.
The Vice President further explained that the meeting marked the beginning of a transformative journey towards a Nigeria defined by order, trust, and opportunity.
“We are not just solving logistical challenges; we are laying the foundation for a more organized, secure, and prosperous Nigeria. This is our collective responsibility, and we must see it through,” he added.
Earlier in his remarks, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, said the focus of the meeting was to galvanize the federal government’s renewed efforts in driving economic and financial inclusion, among other targets.
He said leveraging opportunities in the National Addressing System would fast-track the government’s vision of attaining inclusivity and economic prosperity, especially for Nigerians in rural areas.
The presentation by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) focused on enhancing the nation’s address verification system and building a critical infrastructure for the national addressing database project.
The overview of the National Addressing System by NIPOST highlighted the work done by the current management, emphasizing the need for harmonizing the address database in Nigeria.
The NIPOST presentation focused more on harmonizing the postcode with the national addressing system, deploying the latest technology, particularly geo-locating the physical addresses of Nigerians captured in the project.
Present at the meeting were the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata; the Director General of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote; Post Master General of the Federation/CEO, Engr. Omotola Odeyemi; representatives of Moniepoint, Konga and other stakeholders in the fintech, e-commerce and identity management sector.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/12/05/nigeria-cities-are-either-poorly-numbered-or-not-numbered-fg/
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‘It Was A Cowardly Attempt’ – NGF Mourns Victims Of Zamfara Bomb Explosion
5 December 2024
By Oladipo Abiola
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has described the recent bomb explosion in Zamfara State as a cowardly act carried out by the perpetrators.
The NGF, in a statement on Thursday by its Chairman and Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, mourned those who lost their lives and commiserated with the families of those affected by the incident.
It also expressed support for the Nigerian Military in the task of defeating the terrorists and other criminal elements in the country.
Abdulrazaq said the incident stands condemned in its entirety and sent heartfelt condolences to the people and government of Zamfara State on the unfortunate road explosion in which six persons reportedly lost their lives.
The Forum says the incident, which the police have blamed on the run-away local terrorist group, was a cowardly attempt to inflict collateral harm on the people.
“We condemn the development in its entirely, and wholeheartedly throw our weight behind the efforts of the Nigerian military to rout these violent, criminal elements from our land.
“As the security agencies finish off these elements, we call for improved vigilance and prompt report of suspicious activities to the authorities. This is necessary for the good of all.”
The Forum commiserated with Governor Dauda Lawal and the families of the victims of the sad incident, and prayed to God to admit the victims to paradise.
Meanwhile, the Police have submitted that the Lakurawa terrorist group is responsible for the recent bomb explosions that rocked some communities in Zamfara State.
The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Dalijan, said they are sure the Lakurawa group is responsible for the explosions because the bandits that operate in Zamfara don’t know how to make or use explosive devices.
Source:naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/12/05/it-was-a-cowardly-attempt-ngf-mourns-victims-of-zamfara-bomb-explosion/
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia, France civil aviation authorities discuss boosting air connectivity
December 06, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabian and French civil aviation authorities signed a record of discussions to boost air transport connectivity between the two countries on Thursday.
Bader Al-Sagri, the director of the international cooperation department at the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation, and Emmanuel Vivet, the deputy director of air services at the French Civil Aviation Authority, signed the document in Paris.
The document aims to strengthen the partnership between Riyadh and Paris in civil aviation, increase the number of flights, and grow air transport between the two countries.
The cooperation will further enhance Saudi Arabia’s position as a global logistics center for civil aviation and air transport services, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 aims to position the country as a hub for aviation connectivity to 250 international destinations, serving an expected 330 million passengers annually by 2030.
This week, during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Saudi Arabia, Riyadh and Paris have inked numerous pacts across diverse sectors.
On Wednesday, the Kingdom’s national carrier, Saudia signed a strategic partnership with Air France-KLM to collaborate in aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul services.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2581973/saudi-arabia
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How Saudi Arabia is leveraging artificial intelligence to tackle land degradation
SULAFA ALKHUNAIZI
December 05, 2024
RIYADH: As land degradation becomes an increasingly urgent environmental issue for Gulf nations, where arable land and permanent crops make up less than 2 percent of the total area, countries like Saudi Arabia are leveraging artificial intelligence to help forecast trends and guide decisions on land management and conservation.
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction defines land degradation as the reduction or loss of land’s biological or economic productivity caused by human-induced activities, including deforestation, overgrazing and unsustainable agricultural practices.
Saudi Arabia’s Climate Envoy and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir believes land degradation is driving the displacement of millions and destabilizing entire regions across the globe.
“When people cannot grow food, they migrate,” he told delegates at the COP16 summit in Riyadh on Tuesday.
“This migration often leads to tension and conflict in the receiving areas, creating a cycle of dislocation and violence. This is an issue that touches every aspect of our lives — food security, national security, migration, air quality and biodiversity,” he said, urging nations to collaborate on finding solutions to reverse environmental degradation.
Samer Al-Chikhani, a partner with the consulting firm Strategy& Middle East, believes the main cause of land degradation in the Gulf region is overgrazing, which has been linked to more than 90 percent of land loss.
“Land degradation affects 20 to 40 percent of land, with the world witnessing the loss of more than 100 million hectares of land each year between 2015 and 2019, roughly twice the size of Saudi Arabia,” he told Arab News.
Unregulated access to natural areas was another factor leading to “notable habitat damage,” he said, while “unsustainable agricultural practices contribute to soil degradation by causing salinization, erosion and loss of productivity.”
Meanwhile, urban expansion exacerbated land degradation by encroaching on natural habitats and diminishing the land available for agriculture, Al-Chikhani said.
“It is estimated that urbanization and human activities have led to the modification of 40 percent of the GCC coastline,” he said, adding that similar issues, including deforestation, forest fires, invasive species, drought and other climate impacts, also affected the Levant region and North Africa.
“The loss of healthy ecosystems affects communities that depend on the land for grazing, agriculture and other traditional livelihoods,” he said.
“Grazing is deeply tied to the Bedouin lifestyle, a defining feature of GCC history and culture. Healthy and thriving rangelands support the livestock sector, which contributes significantly to food security and rural economies.”
Moreover, as land degradation, erosion and salinization increased, land productivity declined, resulting in lower crop yields, Al-Chikhani said.
“For example, studies suggest that salinization has a negative effect on crop yields of up to 38 percent in Saudi Arabia. This impacts key produce such as dates and fodder crops.
“In the long term, land degradation weakens both the environment and the economy, posing a serious challenge to the region’s growth and stability.”
Land plays a crucial role in both adapting to and mitigating climate change, making the fight against land degradation all the more critical.
Al-Chikhani highlighted the emergence of AI as a powerful tool in land conservation and restoration projects worldwide.
In Saudi Arabia, “AI is being used to support the Saudi Green Initiative and identify optimal planting locations,” he said.
The Saudi Data and AI Authority has partnered with several government entities to harness AI solutions in support of the SGI, creating smart solutions for combating climate change. In pursuit of the SGI’s goal to plant 10 billion trees and rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, AI is used to analyze regional climate data, soil conditions and water availability to identify optimal planting locations and determine requirements for maximum efficiency.
By using satellite imagery and remote sensing technologies, Al-Chikhani said AI could analyze vast amounts of data to detect land degradation early and identify potential solutions.
AI-driven models and digital twins could predict future land degradation trends by analyzing climate data, rainfall patterns and land-use practices, enabling more informed decisions on land management and conservation, he said.
“Bespoke AI solutions adapted for the specificities of our Middle East environment can go a long way in restoring our degraded lands and reducing the long-term impacts of land degradation.”
In the UAE, the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi recently piloted AI and drone systems to assess soil quality and used AI-powered drone-seeding to help rehabilitate the emirate’s deserts and mangroves.
“AI-driven data analytics can transform decision making by generating precise, actionable insights regarding land management and automatically proposing potential solutions for areas that need interventions,” Al-Chikhani said.
“By consolidating data from satellites, drones, sensors and weather models, AI can help decision makers identify at-risk areas, predict future changes and recommend effective restoration strategies, enabling better resource allocation.”
In fact, the power of AI is being harnessed globally to address environmental issues.
“MIT’s AI-Screening Reforestation Project uses AI to identify optimal restoration sites across the globe, based on factors such as current soil health, restoration potential and carbon capture potential,” Al-Chikhani said.
“In the Great Green Wall initiative in Africa, AI is being utilized to optimize tree planting locations and monitor soil restoration — in arid regions similar to the Middle East.
“AI tools are also being leveraged in Canada and Spain to predict and detect wildfires, hence supporting in combating deforestation.
“AI can also optimize agricultural water use by analyzing soil moisture, crop health and climate data, potentially reducing water consumption by 30 percent or more compared to traditional practices,” he said.
“In a region where agriculture accounts for 70-80 percent of total water use, this can significantly help reduce water waste and prevent groundwater depletion.”
The Gulf region, in particular, is in need of innovative, low-cost and water-efficient techniques for land restoration.
“This will be key for the successful delivery of large-scale greening programs with ambitious targets such as the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives,” Al-Chikhani said.
“Combining traditional knowledge with AI technologies offers a comprehensive approach to sustainable land management in the region.”
He highlighted the importance of engaging rural communities and the private sector, which should be supported by the development of practical, bankable business models.
“Advanced technologies, such as AI and satellite remote sensing, will accelerate progress, while cost-effective, water-efficient restoration techniques can also address local challenges at scale,” he said.
“It is important to empower ‘land champions’ and for all stakeholders to leverage platforms like the COP16 meeting in Riyadh, which are significant to spotlight the issue.
“Ultimately, sustainable land management will serve as a cornerstone for securing land and water resources, protecting biodiversity, building climate resilience and achieving lasting socioeconomic stability.”
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2581960/saudi-arabia
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Jazan governor inaugurates Saudi International Medical Education Conference
December 05, 2024
JAZAN: Jazan Governor Prince Mohammed bin Nasser inaugurated the Saudi International Medical Education Conference at Jazan University on Wednesday.
The two-day conference was organized by the university’s faculty of medicine in partnership with the Saudi Society for Medical Education and the Deans’ Committee of Medical Colleges in the Kingdom.
In his welcome speech, the president of Jazan University, Mohammed Abu Rasin, said that the conference is being organized to keep pace with the world in the field of medical education, which manifests the Kingdom’s vision to foster medical innovation, enhance development, and signifies the support of the Saudi leadership for higher education.
Abu Rasin said that medical professionals from within and outside the Kingdom, will enrich educational processes and contribute to the creation of an effective scientific platform that keeps pace with global technology.
President of the Saudi Society for Medical Education Dr. Hussein Al Zahrani, said that the conference was initiated to facilitate communication between health professionals and researchers and to ensure continual cooperation between institutions for medical education.
Al Zahrani pointed out that the conference, held under the slogan “Education Cooperation among Health Professions: Expectations and Challenges,” will discuss the strategies of empowering medical faculty members and enhancing their competencies in medical education, and identify challenges, organize conferences and provide opportunities for the development of medical education in the Kingdom.
He said that in addition to contributions and recent developments in medical education, such as e-learning, simulation and virtual reality, the research abstracts in the conference totalled 200, of which 90 were accepted as scientific posters; not to forget the achievement of hosting an elite group of participants in the field of health education at an international level.
The governor attended the cooperation signing ceremony between Jazan University, the Armed Forces Hospital in Jazan, and Abha International Private Hospital.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2581928/saudi-arabia
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Innovation forum connects French companies with Saudi partners
SAMIA HANIFI
December 05, 2024
RIYADH: A delegation of 20 top French technology companies gathered in Riyadh for the third French-Saudi Innovation Forum at the Crowne Plaza Digital City on Wednesday.
Companies were able to connect with potential Saudi partners, showcase their skills, and assess their expectations and needs with a view to establishing formal partnerships.
Solar-powered drone manufacturer Xsun was one such company. Benjamin David, CEO and founder, told Arab News: “We have signed a contract to create a subsidiary of the Xsun group in Saudi Arabia with a local partner wishing to deploy this technology.
“Our Saudi partner aims to build an assembly plant for our machines, which will also serve as a maintenance center, pilot training center and flight center for flying these machines.
“This center will also be able to welcome visitors for demonstration flights and offer services for using our systems. All these things will be possible thanks to this partnership.
“The advantage is that it’s very sunny in Arabia most of the time. For example, if we look back over the last 25 years, we can see that the amount of sun falling on the ground is completely reproducible every month of the year.
“This means we can accurately predict the amount of solar energy and fully anticipate the autonomy of these solar machines.
“This autonomy will enable us not only to cover great distances and large areas, but also to acquire a considerable amount of data for monitoring marine biodiversity and environmental monitoring of projects.
“We are currently in discussions with the major Saudi nature reserves to preserve the environment and its flora and fauna,” he said.
David said that the Saudi market was very dynamic and keen on innovation, with a young and well-educated population, “which is a perfect match for our needs.”
This year’s symposium featured high-level discussions between French and Saudi industrial leaders, including representatives of the Saudi Made initiative and La French Fab, to foster strategic partnerships to support sustainable industrial growth in the region.
Panel discussions explored how sustainable technologies could transform the industrial landscape in Saudi Arabia while respecting the environment.
Discussions also focused on Saudi Arabia’s commitment to localize industries and integrate women into its industrial sector.
The event was held in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Investment and the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2581922/saudi-arabia
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Europe
Prevent Data Reveals ‘Islamist’ Referrals On The Rise in UK
5 December 2024
While all eyes were on the Prime Minister’s big ‘plan for change’ announcement today, the government also chose this morning to release some new data to the public. One of the reports published today includes the latest Prevent stats – and they paint a rather interesting picture. Between March 2023 and 2024, there were a staggering 6,922 referrals to the programme which when broken down reveal an uptick in cases being referred due to ‘Islamist concerns’, a rise of over 130 from the previous year. How very interesting…
The gap between referrals for extreme right wing behaviour and Islamist concerns has narrowed notably in the year ending March 2024, with the number of extreme right wing referrals remaining fairly similar to those recorded in previous reports. Meanwhile, concerns about Islamist radicalisation saw a rise in referrals by 5 per cent on the previous year – although cases overall are still much lower than the 2017 peak of nearly 4,000 annual referrals. Cases referred over ‘school massacre’ concerns have been increasing slightly year on year since 2021 and – rather bafflingly – those cases flagged to Prevent over ‘incel’ concerns shot up during Q4. Cuffing season going down badly, perhaps?
Those most likely to be reported to the programme are boys aged between 11 and 15, with this age group curiously accounting for an increased proportion of referrals each year since 2020. And England’s east coast doesn’t come out of all this particularly well, either – with the highest numbers of Prevent referrals coming from the South East and North East, where figures stand at 1,200 and 1,040 respectively. Crikey.
Take a look at how the figures have changed over the last seven years here…
Source:spectator.co.uk
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https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/prevent-data-reveals-islamist-referrals-on-the-rise/
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NATO member state comments on Trump’s desire to end Ukraine conflict
5 Dec, 2024
US President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to resolve the Ukraine conflict could soon become a reality and Budapest intends to help the Republican achieve that goal, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto has said.
Following a meeting in Washington on Wednesday with Trump’s candidate for National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, Szijjarto noted that the current US administration under President Joe Biden appears to only wish to prolong the Ukraine conflict and is trying to make it harder to establish peace after Trump takes office in January.
Szijjarto stated that in the US, the Democrats appear to be “on the side of war” while the Republican party is “on the side of peace.” Because of this, the issue of establishing peace in Ukraine became one of the key topics in his conversations with Waltz, the Hungarian diplomat said.
”The American Republicans and we, Hungarian patriots, think similarly, and even in some cases completely identically, about the most important things in the world,” Szijjarto said, noting that this provides a “very stable basis” for future bilateral relations between the two countries.
The diplomat added that Hungary is “pressing hard so that Donald Trump’s goal of ending this war quickly becomes a reality,” and warned that failure to achieve peace in Ukraine would increase the risk of escalation on a daily basis.
“We can only hope that nothing will happen in Ukraine before January 20 that will irreversibly change the situation and significantly complicate efforts to achieve peace,” the Hungarian minister said.
Meanwhile, Moscow has said that it has yet to receive a detailed plan from Trump or his team regarding a potential resolution of the conflict. However, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has stated in an interview with CNN that Russia would carefully examine such a plan when it is submitted, but noted that it would not agree to any concessions that compromise its national security interests.
Ryabkov also issued a warning to the outgoing Biden administration that Russia would respond to any provocations and urged the West not to underestimate Moscow’s resolve to defend its core interests using all means necessary.
Source:.rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/608800-hungary-trump-ukraine-plan/
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Ukraine preparing for end to conflict – media
5 Dec, 2024
Kiev’s public opposition to Western calls that it draft 18-year-olds for military service is part of a strategy for winning an election if the conflict with Moscow ends next spring, the Ukrainian outlet Strana has claimed.
Washington and its allies have publicly demanded the expansion of the draft to mobilize the 18-to-25 demographic, most recently on Wednesday, when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the argument in Brussels.
According to sources in the Ukrainian presidency, however, Kiev has opposed this as part of “a strategy to prepare for the scenario of a quick end to the war and the election afterward,” Strana reported on Thursday.
One possibility considered by Vladimir Zelensky is a negotiated end to the hostilities shortly after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump on January 20, the outlet said. The other option is that the talks will fail and the fighting will go on “for a long time.”
Public statements about lowering the mobilization age “are being made in case the war ends soon and there are elections, so that they can talk about how they saved the gene pool of the nation,” Strana’s source in Kiev said.
In case the talks fail and the fighting continues, the mobilization will have to be expanded sooner or later, “and Bankovaya will go for it, finding hundreds of reasons to explain the change in position,” the outlet’s source added, referring to the address of the Ukrainian president’s office.
Speaking to Reuters on Wednesday, Blinken argued that Kiev had “hard decisions” to make about further mobilization. Even if Ukraine got all the money and the ammunition it wanted from the West, Blinken said at a NATO press conference, “there have to be people on the front lines,” he said.
“Getting younger people into the fight, we think, many of us think, is necessary,” the US diplomat told Reuters. “Right now, 18- to 25-year-olds are not in the fight.”
The Russian Defense Ministry has estimated Ukraine’s losses at more than 500,000 since February 2022, though Zelensky has publicly admitted to less than a tenth of that. Kiev has sought to mobilize another 160,000 fighters in the coming months, to replenish depleted frontline units, as Russian forces gain ground.
Source:.rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/608810-ukraine-preparing-peace-elections/
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Romania's far right presidential frontrunner vows to end Ukraine aid
6 December 2024
Sarah Rainsford
Calin Georgescu, the fringe nationalist politician leading the presidential race in Romania, has told the BBC that he would end all support for Ukraine if elected.
He is facing a second-round run-off in the elections on Sunday, where he will run against Elena Lasconi, a former TV presenter who is campaigning on a firmly pro-EU platform.
Georgescu, whose only election campaigning has been on social media, said he would make "the Romanian people" his priority.
But he denied that his surprise success so far was the result of a Russian-backed influence operation, saying he did not care about the "lies" of his country's intelligence agencies as he was working with God and the people.
On Wednesday, in a highly unusual move, Romania's outgoing president published declassified documents that detailed what was called a massive and "highly organised" campaign for Georgescu on TikTok co-ordinated by a "state actor".
The papers included an intelligence assessment that Russia was carrying out hybrid attacks on Romania, which it sees as an "enemy state".
The constitutional court is now being flooded with requests to look into the allegations of meddling with a view to possibly cancelling the election.
Prosecutors today announced they were opening a criminal investigation but there is no timeline on when that might conclude.
"They are afraid," is how Georgescu brushed away evidence that hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent pushing campaign content for him, breaking both Romanian election law and TikTok's own rules.
He denied that he was "Moscow's man", referring derisively to Romania's "un-intelligence agencies".
"They can't accept that the Romanian people finally said, 'we want our life back, our country, our dignity'," he said, portraying himself as battling against an unyielding establishment.
In a sometimes tetchy interview in which he praised Donald Trump and the Hungarian populist leader Viktor Orban, Georgescu referred to Vladimir Putin as a "patriot and a leader".
He then added: "But I am not a fan."
But when questioned about Russia's war on Ukraine, he first asked, "Are you sure of that?", appearing to deny the war's very existence.
He then said Romania was interested only in pushing for peace on its border but refused to say that this should be on Kyiv's terms.
When asked whether he agreed with standing by Ukraine, as the EU puts it, "for as long as it takes", Georgescu said "No." He said things would change.
"I agree just that I have to take care of my people. I don't want to involve my people," he replied, clarifying that Romania – an EU and Nato member - would provide no more military or political support for its neighbour.
"Zero. Everything stops. I have to take care just about my people. We have a lot of problems ourselves."
It would be a dramatic change in position for Bucharest, and one that would be music to Russian ears.
The president in Romania has considerable power, including influence on areas such as foreign policy. He is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and appoints the prime minister.
Romania shares a long border with Ukraine and has been a staunch supporter of Kyiv since the full-scale invasion in 2022.
It's provided a Patriot missile defence system as well as financial support. It's also become a key export route for Ukrainian grain, as Russian bombardments have crippled the work of ports there.
Under a Georgescu presidency, Romania would join Hungary and Slovakia as Russia-sympathisers on the eastern flank of Nato.
It would also be a serious dent to EU solidarity on Ukraine, just as it faces the prospect of assuming more responsibility for aiding Kyiv with Donald Trump back in the White House.
Georgescu underlined that he would keep Romania inside the EU and Nato, but that everything from now on would be "negotiated" and focus on his country's interests.
He refused to say that Vladimir Putin's Russia was a security threat for the West.
His endorsement of conspiracy theories has also sparked concerns, including denying the Covid pandemic and doubting that anyone ever landed on the Moon.
Romania is home to a giant Nato military base, close to the Black Sea, as well as a US missile defence facility.
Georgescu now describes himself as a university teacher, but has previously worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the UN.
He clearly does have supporters – his clean-living, Romania-first message has popular appeal, especially outside Bucharest.
But in the capital many people are worried about the direction their country may be taking.
When asked if he understood why they were scared, Georgescu shook his head: "That's just propaganda."
On Thursday evening, several thousand protesters gathered in central Bucharest to call for Romania to remain closely allied with Europe - many holding the blue EU flag.
Others brought Romanian flags with a circular hole in the centre, a reminder of how after the 1989 revolution people cut out the communist symbols.
Talk of Russian influence - Moscow meddling in any form - is an emotional topic for many. Several chanted "Freedom!" and "Europe!"
One man told the BBC he and his friends had been with protesters on the streets of Bucharest 35 years ago, and couldn't bear to think of Romania going back to the past.
Another woman, Anca, said she saw the "long arm of Russia" at work in Romania's presidential election and had come to the rally to show she believes her country's future has to be firmly in Europe.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg6l06ldpqo
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Some 105,000 Ukrainian troops killed or missing – journalist
5 Dec, 2024
The Ukrainian military has had at least 70,000 soldiers confirmed dead and another 35,000 missing in the conflict with Russia, journalist Yury Butusov, widely believed to be associated with former President Pyotr Poroshenko, has claimed, citing confidential data provided by the country’s general staff to Vladimir Zelensky.
Butusov, editor-in-chief of the popular news website Censor.net, made the revelation on Thursday while responding to a question on whether rumored figures of 100,000 killed in action and 200,000 deserters held any merit.
“Unfortunately, our irrecoverable losses in the war, they really amount to, according to the data that the General Staff transmitted to the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, if you count the dead and missing together, they amount to about 105,000 servicemen,” he stated.
Some 70,000 soldiers have been confirmed dead, with another 35,000 considered missing in action, Butusov noted. The journalist did not comment on the massive figure believed to reflect the number of soldiers who had gone AWOL.
The journalist also referred to a recent report by The Economist, which cited leaked intelligence memos on the Ukrainian casualties. The weekly suggested Kiev has lost almost 500,000 troops, with “at least” 60,000-to-100,000 believed to be dead and “perhaps a further 400,000 too injured to fight on.” Butusov alleged the Western reporters likely got their figures from the same document he did.
The Economist report invoked a reaction from Zelensky himself, with the Ukrainian leader disputing the figure.
“Someone recently gave information in the American media that 80,000 Ukrainians have been killed. But I want to tell you that no, less. Much less,” he told Kyodo News earlier this week.
Kiev has been extremely secretive about the casualties its military has sustained over the course of the conflict. The only time when an official figure was provided was in February this year, when Zelensky claimed some 31,000 troops had been killed since the beginning of the hostilities and dismissed any higher tallies as Russian propaganda. Earlier this year, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukraine’s military losses, both killed and injured, since February 2022 had reached almost 500,000.
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/608812-ukrainian-troops-casualties-revealed/
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Mideast
Flareup of Syria civil war is ‘bitter fruit of collective failure’ of diplomacy: UN chief
EPHREM KOSSAIFY
December 05, 2024
NEW YORK: The current flareup of the Syrian civil war is the “bitter fruit of a chronic collective failure” to agree a nationwide ceasefire and implement Security Council resolutions, the UN secretary-general said on Thursday.
Calling for the restoration of Syria’s “sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity,” Antonio Guterres added that “after 14 years of conflict, it’s high time for all parties to engage seriously with Geir Pedersen, my special envoy for Syria, to finally chart a new, inclusive and comprehensive approach to resolving this crisis, in line with Security Council Resolution 2254. It’s time for serious dialogue.”
Resolution 2254, adopted in 2015, outlines a roadmap for a political resolution to the conflict, calling for a ceasefire, humanitarian access, and a Syrian-led political process involving all parties.
It emphasizes free and fair elections, constitutional reform and a transitional government, with the goal of achieving peace and stability in Syria.
The civil war, which had been at a stalemate for the past few years, was reignited last week when a coalition of opposition forces, including Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham — which is sanctioned by the UN Security Council — and an umbrella group of Turkey-backed militias called the Syrian National Army launched their largest offensive against the government in years.
They quickly swept through villages outside Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, much of which they now control. They met little resistance there as the Syrian military quickly withdrew.
On Thursday, they swept into the central city of Hama from which government forces again redeployed.
Rebels now appear to be heading further south, inching ever closer to the capital Damascus, President Bashar Assad’s seat of power.
There have been reports of civilian casualties, displacements of tens of thousands of people, damage to civilian infrastructure, and interruptions in essential services and humanitarian aid. 
Guterres discussed the current “grave developments” with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He told reporters in New York that he emphasized to Erdogan “all” parties’ obligations to protect civilians, “the urgent need for immediate humanitarian access to all civilians in need, and a return to the UN-facilitated political process to end the bloodshed.”
Erdogan’s office said he told the UN chief that the conflict has reached a new phase that is “being managed calmly.”
Guterres said: “Syria is a crossroads of civilization. It’s painful to see its progressive fragmentation.”
He added that during his tenure as high commissioner for refugees, he witnessed “the immense generosity” of the Syrian people who opened “their hearts and their homes” to countless Iraqi refugees.
“There were no refugee camps in Syria. Refugees lived among the Syrian people,” he said. “It breaks my heart to see their suffering grow, along with the threats to regional and indeed international security.”
Guterres again urged “all those with influence to do their part for the long-suffering people of Syria.”
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2581966/middle-east
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Israel reportedly strikes sensitive weapons in Syria as Islamist rebels capture city of Hama
December 5, 2024
Israeli airstrikes destroyed caches containing advanced weapons in northern Syria to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Islamist rebel groups advancing there, according to Syrian reports, cited by Army Radio
The overnight airstrikes hit areas that at the time were still controlled by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, Army Radio military correspondent Doron Kadosh wrote.
Mere hours after these reports, the Syrian regime announced that its forces were leaving the town of Hama, a crucial stronghold and the country’s fourth-largest city, amid the onslaught of a rebel coalition spearheaded by the jihadist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group.
Syrian opposition sources reported that the Israeli strikes were carried out in an area where the facilities of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (CERS)are located. The institute serves as the regime’s military industry and is tasked with producing advanced weaponry, including chemical weapons.
“It seems that these are weapons that Israel did not want to fall into the hands of the rebels, if they advance and take over that area,” Kadosh commented.
Rebel groups began their lightning advance last weekend, capturing large areas of territory, including Aleppo, the nation's second-largest city and economic hub.
“This is the first time since the start of the rebel attack in northern Syria that Israel has carried out an air strike in the region… bottom line – it seems that Israel still stays on the sidelines and does not intervene militarily in the events in Syria, but also takes care to preserve its interests and make sure that the new developments in the Syrian arena don’t immediately negatively impact Israel.”
According to an Israeli official who spoke with The Times of Israel, it is in Israel's interest “that they continue fighting one another.”
“It’s entirely clear to us that one side are Salafi jihadists and the other side is Iran and Hezbollah,” he continued. “We want them to weaken one another.”
“We are prepared for any scenario, and we will act accordingly,” he added.
In the early afternoon, the Syrian regime army announced that its forces were withdrawing from Hama after intense clashes with HTS forces, in order to “protect the lives of civilians and prevent urban warfare.”
Shortly after, the rebel leader Abu Muhammad al-Jolani confirmed his troops were moving into the city in a video statement. He emphasized his group had “no ambitions” regarding Iraq and called on its government not to send Iranian-backed militia troops to Syria to help Assad's regime.
Video clips circulating on social media showed rebel troops flooding into Hama, capturing several army posts, including a military airport that was being used to bombard rebel-held areas just hours before.
“Worth recalling reports from the Syrian opposition over the years that Hama Military Airport was a transportation hub for Iran weaponry to Hezbollah,” noted Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran.
“There was even a story at one point that the Iranians established an intelligence base in the area. This further constrains Tehran in Syria,” he added.
The capture of Hama just days after Aleppo fell into rebel hands is a dramatic achievement and one that critically endangers the stability of the Syrian regime.
Hama is located around 45 km (29 miles) from the city of Homs, which remains the regime’s last major stronghold before the capital Damascus, which lies some 130 km (80 miles) further south on the main M5 Highway.
Capturing Homs would allow the rebels to cut off the connection between the capital and the coastal areas in the West, where the regime has its support base among the Alawite population, and where Russia operates several military bases and ports.
Source:allisrael.com
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https://allisrael.com/israel-reportedly-strikes-sensitive-weapons-in-syria-as-islamist-rebels-are-about-to-capture-city-of-hama
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Strikes on key bridge linking Syria’s Homs, Hama: war monitor
December 06, 2024
BEIRUT: Air strikes targeted a bridge on the highway linking the Syrian cities of Homs and Hama, a war monitor said Friday, as government forces scramble to secure Homs after Islamist-led militants captured Hama and commercial hub Aleppo.
“Fighter jets executed several airstrikes, targeting Al-Rastan bridge on (the) Homs-Hama highway... as well as attacking positions around the bridge, attempting to cut off the road between Hama and Homs and secure Homs,” the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The militants led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) launched their offensive a little more than a week ago, just as a ceasefire in neighboring Lebanon took hold between Israel and Syrian President Bashar Assad’s ally Hezbollah.
To slow the militants advance, the Observatory said Assad’s forces erected soil barriers on the highway north of Homs, Syria’s third-largest city which lies just 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Hama.
Tens of thousands of members of Assad’s Alawite minority community were fleeing Homs on Thursday, for fear that the militants would keep up their advance, the Observatory said earlier.
The militants captured Hama on Thursday following street battles with government forces, announcing “the complete liberation of the city” in a message on their Telegram channel.
Militant fighters kissed the ground and let off volleys of celebratory gunfire as they entered Syria’s fourth-largest city.
Many residents turned out to welcome the militants. An AFP photographer saw some residents set fire to a giant poster of Assad on the facade of city hall.
The army admitted losing control of the city, strategically located between Aleppo and Assad’s seat of power in Damascus.
Defense Minister Ali Abbas insisted that the army’s withdrawal was a “temporary tactical measure.”
“Our forces are still in the vicinity,” he said in a statement carried by the official SANA news agency.
Aron Lund, a fellow of the Century International think tank, called the loss of Hama “a massive, massive blow to the Syrian government” because the army should have had an advantage there to reverse militants gains “and they couldn’t do it.”
He said HTS would now try to push on toward Homs, where many residents were already leaving on Thursday.
Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman reported a mass exodus from the city of members of Assad’s Alawite minority community.
He said tens of thousands were heading toward areas along Syria’s Mediterranean coast, where the Alawites, followers of an offshoot of Shiite Islam, form the majority.
“We are afraid and worried that what happened in Hama will be repeated in Homs,” said a civil servant, who gave his name only as Abbas.
“We fear they (the militants) will take revenge on us,” the 33-year-old said.
Until last week, the war in Syria had been mostly dormant for years, but analysts have said it was bound to resume as it was never truly resolved.
In a video posted online, HTS leader Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani said his fighters had entered Hama to “cleanse the wound that has endured in Syria for 40 years,” referring to a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in 1982, which led to thousands of deaths.
In a later message on Telegram congratulating “the people of Hama on their victory,” he used his real name, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, instead of his nom de guerre for the first time.
The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria, said 826 people, mostly combatants but also including 111 civilians, have been killed in the country since the violence erupted last week.
It marks the most intense fighting since 2020 in the civil war sparked by the repression of pro-democracy protests in 2011.
Key to the militants’ successes since the start of the offensive last week was the takeover of Aleppo, which in more than a decade of war had never entirely fallen out of government hands.
While the advancing militants met little resistance earlier in their offensive, the fighting around Hama has been especially fierce.
Assad ordered a 50-percent raise in career soldiers’ pay, state news agency SANA reported Wednesday, as he seeks to bolster his forces for a counteroffensive.
Militants drove back the Syrian armed forces despite the fact that the government sent in “large military convoys,” the Observatory said.
The militants launched their offensive in northern Syria on November 27, the same day a ceasefire took effect in the war between Israel and Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon.
Both Hezbollah and Russia have been crucial backers of Assad’s government, but have been mired in their own conflicts in recent years.
HTS is rooted in Syria’s Al-Qaeda branch.
The group has sought to moderate its image in recent years, but experts say it faces a challenge convincing Western governments it has fully renounced hard-line jihadism.
The United States maintains hundreds of troops in eastern Syria as part of a coalition formed against Daesh group jihadists.
Source:arabnews.com
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Palestinian security forces exchange gunfire with militants in West Bank
December 06, 2024
JENIN: Gunfights erupted in Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank on Thursday between militants and Palestinian security forces following the theft of vehicles belonging to the Palestinian Authority, according to AFP journalists in the city.
The intense exchanges of fire began around 9:30 PM (1930 GMT) and followed the deployment of members of the security forces around the Jenin refugee camp, which is adjacent to the city and a stronghold for armed groups in the territory, according to the journalist.
Witnesses reported that the Palestinian security forces set up roadblocks on routes leaving the camp.
Tensions were running high in Jenin earlier in the day after a group of armed men seized two vehicles belonging to the PA and paraded through the streets waving Islamic Jihad flags.
In a statement, General Anwar Rajab, spokesman for the security forces, said “a group of outlaws opened fire on the headquarters of the security services” and stole two vehicles.
He said the security forces would “recover the vehicles and hold accountable anyone who committed this act.”
Tensions between the PA and armed groups appear to have been exacerbated by recent arrests by the security forces.
At a press conference inside Jenin camp, Mahmud Abu Talal, spokesman for a collective of local armed groups, said the PA had “abandoned its people in the most difficult circumstances.”
He rejected the label of outlaws and accused the PA of “carrying out a continuous operation to undermine those who protect their people.”
Jenin has long been a bastion of Palestinian armed groups and was the focus of a major Israeli raid launched at the end of August.
Violence in the West Bank, already increasing, surged after the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
Israel has occupied the territory since 1967.
Source:arabnews.com
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Syria war monitor says tens of thousands flee Homs as rebels advance
December 06, 2024
BEIRUT: Tens of thousands of members of President Bashar Assad’s Alawite minority community were fleeing Syria’s third city Homs Thursday, for fear that Islamist-led rebels would keep up their advance, a war monitor said.
Homs lies just 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Hama, which the rebels captured on Thursday.
Analysts said they expected the fighters led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) to push on toward the city, a key link between Damascus and the Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean coast.
Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported “the mass exodus of Alawites from Homs neighborhoods, with tens of thousands heading toward the Syrian coast, fearing the rebel advance.”
Khaled, who lives on the city’s outskirts told AFP that “the road leading to (coastal) Tartus province was glowing... due to the lights of hundreds of cars on their way out.”
In April 2014, at least 100 people, mostly civilians, were killed in twin attacks in Homs that targeted a majority Alawite neighborhood.
The attacks were claimed by the Al-Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda which now HTS leader Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani previously led.
Jolani announced his group had cut ties with the jihadists in 2016, and Al-Nusra was dissolved the following year, to be replaced by the key component of HTS.
Haidar, 37, who lives in an Alawite-majority neighborhood, told AFP by telephone that “fear is the umbrella that covers Homs now.”
“I’ve never seen this scene in my life. We are extremely afraid, we don’t know what is happening from one hour to the next,” he said.
He has managed to send his parents to Tartus, but has not found a car to take him and his wife “due to the high demand.”
“When we find a car, we’ll leave as fast as possible for Tartus.”
The province, which hosts a naval base operated by Assad ally Russia, has remained safe though 13 years of war.
Source:arabnews.com
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Hezbollah leader says $77m allocated to Lebanon war displaced
December 05, 2024
BEIRUT: Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said Thursday that his group and its backer Iran had allocated $77 million so far to Lebanese displaced by its war with Israel, with more to come.
“In November, Hezbollah decided to give a monetary gift — a gift from the Iranian people and Hezbollah — of between $300 and $400 for each family,” out of more than 233,000 families who registered for its assistance, Qassem said.
“A total of $57 million has been paid,” covering 172,000 families, or some 75 percent of those registered, while the rest will receive a total of $20 million, he added in a televised address.
Qassem thanked Iran for “the generous support,” emphasising Hezbollah’s commitment to shelter and reconstruction.
Israel stepped up its campaign in south Lebanon in late September after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges begun by Hezbollah in support of its ally Hamas following the Palestinian group’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.
In a report released last month, the World Bank provided estimates for damage between October 8, 2023, and October 27, 2024, saying “the conflict has caused $5.1 billion in economic losses,” with damage to physical structures amounting to “at least $3.4 billion” on top of that.
It has also “damaged an estimated 99,209 housing units” — mainly in the south near the border with Israel — totalling $2.8 billion in damage, it said.
Eighty-one percent of damaged and destroyed houses are in the southern districts of Tyre, Nabatiyeh, Sidon, Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun, it said.
Qassem said that in addition to the $77 million already set aside, for “all those whose homes have been completely destroyed and cannot return to them” in Beirut and its southern suburbs, Hezbollah will pay “$14,000 over one year” to cover rent and furniture.
Those living in other areas will receive $12,000 for the same purpose, he added.
“Most of the amount will be offered in cash by the Islamic republic (of Iran) for shelter,,” Qassem said, calling on “brotherly Arab countries and friendly countries to contribute to the reconstruction.”
After Hezbollah and Israel went to war in 2006, Gulf countries led by Qatar helped with reconstruction, while Iran assisted with rebuilding bridges, roads and establishing service centers.
Source:arabnews.com
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Lebanon medics flee from border area amid Israeli strikes
NAJIA HOUSSARI
December 05, 2024
BEIRUT: The Israeli military on Thursday launched an attack near Lebanese Civil Defense members recovering bodies from clashes between Hezbollah and Israel by the border, forcing paramedics to leave the area.
A few hours before the attack, the paramedics were subject to Israeli artillery shelling while they were looking for bodies under the rubble of destroyed buildings in Chamaa village.
Several villages in Tyre, which were previously invaded by the Israeli military before the ceasefire agreement took effect on Nov. 27, remain subject to Israeli hostilities under the pretext that the Israeli military has 60 days to withdraw from the area under the ceasefire agreement.
The Israeli forces prevented the area’s residents from returning until further notice and imposed a curfew on those already residing in the region.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health’s statistics, the expanded war resulted in over 4,047 deaths and 16,638 injuries, most of which were recorded during the last weeks as Israeli hostilities escalated in different Lebanese areas.
The Lebanese Civil Defense headed on Thursday morning to three villages that were subject to previous confrontations, using large machinery to continue searching for bodies, most of which were Hezbollah members.
They found nine bodies in Chamaa, six in Al-Bayadah, and one in Naqoura.
A resident of one of the areas that witnessed the confrontations said dozens of Hezbollah members had been killed, and “we were unable to contact them for weeks to avoid revealing their locations.”
The Israeli military continued on Thursday morning to destroy houses and facilities in the border area.
Its attacks included neighborhoods in Yaroun and Bint Jbeil.
The Lebanese National News Agency reported that an Israeli infantry force — backed by a bulldozer and Merkava tanks — advanced on Thursday morning to the western side of Shebaa town, where it erected earthen barriers blocking the road linking the border village to the Naqqar Pond front.
Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab emphasized that Israel’s attacks “are a flagrant violation of the agreement.”
He added: “These attacks are unjustified. The agreement does not allow Israel to do what it is doing.”
Bou Saab said Israel “tries to justify its actions to the international community under the pretext of self-defense, but in reality, these are hostile acts and a breach of the agreement.”
Bou Saab affirmed that the ceasefire “was designed to remain in place and succeed,” adding that “in the coming days, the situation will change ... the committee tasked with monitoring the implementation process will become effective, and violations and attacks on the Lebanese will stop.”
Representatives of the committee tasked with monitoring the ceasefire agreement’s implementation in accordance with UN Resolution 1701 have arrived.
On Wednesday, the Lebanese military redeployed in three locations in Shebaa while consolidating its forces in Tyre over the past two days in preparation for redeployment in the border area following the withdrawal of the Israeli military.
Also on Thursday, the head of the ceasefire monitoring committee, US Gen. Jasper Jeffers, and the accompanying military delegation met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
Berri’s media office said the meeting included “a review of the field conditions since the ceasefire took effect and the committee's tasks.”
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati received the French representative, Gen. Guillaume Ponchin, who arrived in Beirut at the head of a military delegation.
Mikati’s media office said he emphasized the Lebanese priorities, which include the cessation of fire, halting Israeli violations, the withdrawal of the Israeli military from Lebanese territories, and strengthening the deployment of the Lebanese military in the south.
The ceasefire monitoring committee is scheduled to hold its first official and operational meeting next Tuesday in Naqoura, a border town that hosts the UNIFIL headquarters.
Representatives from Lebanon, Israel, and UNIFIL will join.
A preliminary meeting of the committee is expected within the next 24 hours.
Lebanon is closely watching the start of the monitoring committee’s work, which relies on halting the Israeli violations, officially recorded as exceeding 100 breaches.
The committee’s work under the agreement will focus on “monitoring the borders and preventing violations, with each party (Lebanon and Israel) reporting any perceived threats to the committee.”
The Lebanese Cabinet is scheduled to hold an exceptional session on Saturday in a military barracks in the southern city of Tyre.
This symbolic step aims to show solidarity with the areas affected by Israeli attacks, including Tyre, which lies just a few kilometers from the confrontation lines with the Israeli military.
The Lebanese Cabinet will hold a special session on Saturday at a military barracks in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre in a symbolic move aimed at expressing solidarity with the areas affected by Israeli attacks, including Tyre, which is just a few kilometers away from the frontlines with the Israeli military.
The session will be attended by Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun, who will brief ministers on the army’s deployment plan in the south.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah organized a field tour for media professionals in the south, starting in Chehaybiyeh and its commercial market, followed by Khirbet Selm and Souaneh.
Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad said: “The operation carried out by Hezbollah last Monday, which targeted the Israeli Ruwaysat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms, was a preliminary defensive reminder in response to the attacks and violations carried out by Israel over the past few days.”
He said Israel had left no act undone in its attack on civilian targets.
In Kfarkela, Israeli forces targeted sports facilities, and in Khiam, they continued to destroy homes and demolish roads. They have also demolished places of worship in other areas.
He added: “These practices cannot be seen as adherence to the ceasefire agreement procedures.
“They exceed the agreement, undermining both the established protocols and the credibility of monitoring bodies.”
Fayyad stressed Lebanon’s right to defend itself and the people’s right to respond to these aggressions.
“The goal of the procedures is Israeli withdrawal, not making way to villages that it did not advance toward during the confrontations with the resistance,” he added.
He said that this puts the US “in a position of direct responsibility and full partnership in these violations, which undermine the implementation of the ceasefire procedures and represent a threat to the agreed-upon mechanism.
“We emphasize our commitment to the declaration of the cessation of hostilities stipulated in the paper and Lebanon's right to defend itself.”
Fayyad reaffirmed “the confidence in the important role of the Lebanese military, which is a pillar in protecting national sovereignty and security.
“Coordination and continuous follow-up with the army are ongoing,” he said.
Hezbollah MP Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan emphasized that Hezbollah “remains committed to the cessation of hostilities with Israel and to the agreement.”
Regarding Hezbollah’s strength, Al-Hajj Hassan said that “the party has not weakened, and its will remains strong.
“It has come out of a major aggression; no one could crush it, and it will only grow stronger.
“It is not an organization isolated from its people; It has allies who stood by it during the aggression and a large parliamentary bloc with many allies.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Bereaved Gazans clear charred remains after deadly strike on camp
December 05, 2024
KHAN YOUNIS: Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip worked on Thursday to clear bent metal sheets and charred personal belongings from tents incinerated by an Israeli airstrike on a displacement camp.
Gaza’s Civil Defense agency said that the strike on the tents in the Al-Mawasi area — designated a humanitarian zone by the Israeli army — killed 21 and injured 40, “most of them children, women and the elderly.”
Agency spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said that at least five children were among the dead, most of whose bodies were left completely burnt by fires caused by the bombing.
“We heard a huge explosion, so we rushed to the place. I saw fire and smoke in the area of the displaced people’s tents. There was chaos everywhere,” said Mahmoud Shurrab, 39, who lives in his home in Al-Mawasi.
“The bodies were burned, limbs were everywhere, and there was a huge fire in dozens of tents,” said Shurrab, who lost four family members in the strike.
AFP could not independently verify Shurrab’s allegations but saw the large fire caused by the bombings Wednesday night.
On Thursday, an AFP journalist saw a large crater several meters deep in the sandy ground caused by the bomb’s impact, as well as piles of bent metal sheets that had been used for makeshift shelters.
Men carried a body away from the rubble wrapped in blankets used as a shroud.
The Israeli army said that the strike targeted “senior Hamas terrorists who were involved in terrorist activities” in Al-Mawasi.
Eyewitnesses told AFP journalists on the ground that about 50 tents for the displaced were burned in fires caused by the strike.
“A missile explosion shook the area, and a mass of flames and fire set the area alight,” Ahmad Al-Siqali, a displaced man in Khan Younis, said as he stood surrounded by the remains of the shelters that previously housed displaced families.
“Seconds later, the remains of the martyrs, women and children, who were safe in their tents, were scattered ... in the streets and on top of the tents,” Siqali added.
Ezz El-Din Abu Subha, a civil defense agency paramedic who was dispatched to the site, said that after the first Israeli strike, “we were helping the injured and helping the citizens and also retrieving the bodies, and the place was targeted again.”
“The place is full of tents for the displaced, sheltering people from all areas, most of them from different families displaced from Rafah, and each family has a tent,” he added.
Al-Mawasi is a coastal area in Khan Younis that Israeli forces unilaterally declared a humanitarian zone in the early days of the war, urging displaced Palestinians to move there.
As the nearly 14-month-long war has dragged on and almost all of Gaza’s 2.4 million inhabitants have been displaced, tents and makeshift shelters have covered the sandy area.
The area has repeatedly been hit by Israeli forces, including in significant deadly strikes in September and July.
The Oct. 7, 2023, attack sparked the war in Gaza.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has resulted in at least 44,580 deaths, mostly civilians, according to data from the territory’s Health Ministry, which the UN considers reliable.
Source:arabnews.com
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Hamas official says Gaza ceasefire talks have resumed after weekslong hiatus
December 05, 2024
ISTANBUL: A Hamas official said Thursday that international mediators have resumed negotiating with the militant group and Israel over a ceasefire in Gaza, and that he was hopeful a deal to end the 14-month war was within reach.
Ceasefire negotiations were halted last month when Qatar suspended talks with mediators from Egypt and the United States because of frustration over a lack of progress between Israel and Hamas. But there has been a “reactivation” of efforts in recent days to end the fighting, release hostages from Gaza and free Palestinian prisoners in Israel, according to Bassem Naim, an official in Hamas’ political bureau who spoke with AP in Turkiye.
Another official familiar with the talks confirmed the return of Qatari mediators. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations with the media.
Since the talks broke down, there have been significant shifts in the global and regional landscape. Donald Trump won the US presidential election, and a ceasefire was declared last week between Israel and Hamas ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Trump is a staunch supporter of Israel, but Naim said he believes the incoming administration could “affect the situation positively” given that Trump had made halting wars in the region part of his campaign platform. Trump this week called for the release of all hostages held in Gaza by the time he takes office on Jan. 20, saying there would be “hell to pay” if that doesn’t happen.
Previous rounds of negotiations focused on variations of a proposal calling for a multiphased ceasefire — beginning with a preliminary six-week halt in fighting during which female, elderly and sick hostages would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
During that time, Israel would pull back some forces, and displaced Palestinians would be allowed to return home. The sides would also begin talks on the next phase that would include the full withdrawal of Israeli forces, the release of remaining hostages and the terms of a permanent end to the war. A third, final phase would focus on reconstruction.
Naim said that no “solid, well-formed” new ceasefire proposal has yet been presented to Hamas. And even though ceasefire talks have broken down on multiple occasions throughout the war, he added: “I think it is not a big challenge to reach a deal … if there are intentions on the other side.”
Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage. Israel’s blistering retaliatory offensive has killed at least 44,500 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, whose count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
In the negotiations to end the conflict, the two sides have been at odds on some major points, including whether any halt in the fighting would be permanent or temporary and whether Israeli forces would withdraw from all of the enclave, and on what timetable. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will maintain a long-term military presence in the territory and vowed to dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities and ensure that the militant group never governs again.
Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met separately in recent weeks with Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to discuss Gaza ceasefire talks, according to a US official who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
In an interview with British broadcaster Sky News on Wednesday, the Qatari prime minister said officials in his country are aiming to reach a ceasefire before president-elect Trump takes office.
Naim said Hamas is sticking to the core demands it has held to during previous rounds of negotiations, including a permanent ceasefire, total withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, and the right of internally displaced Palestinians in Gaza to return to their homes. But he also said the Palestinian militant group is “ready to show flexibility” on implementation, including on the timeline for withdrawal of Israeli forces from key parts of Gaza.
A previous round of talks in August reached an impasse in part because Israel demanded that it after any ceasefire it should maintain a military presence in the Philadelphi corridor, a strategic strip along the enclave’s border with Egypt, and in the Netzarim corridor that cuts from east to west across the territory’s midsection.
“There can be a discussion about these points, but at the end, Israel has to withdraw totally from the Philadelphi corridor, and the Rafah border (with Egypt) has to be opened immediately,” Naim said.
Naim said Palestinian factions were also making progress in deciding who would rule Gaza politically after the war. He confirmed that Hamas and its rival Fatah — which dominates the Western-backed Palestinian Authority — have reached an agreement in principle on forming a temporary committee of Palestinian technocrats that would govern Gaza in the immediate aftermath of the war. Under this arrangement, Hamas would give up its political rule of the enclave, but not lay down its arms.
“Originally we are a Palestinian national liberation movement. We are not a movement to govern,” he said. “When it comes to the military wing ... as long as we are people under occupation, we have all the right to resist this occupation by all means, including armed resistance.
Israel says it will never let Hamas rule Gaza again, and is demanding the group disarm.
Hamas political official Khalil Al-Hayya had previously told AP that if an independent Palestinian state were established along 1967 borders, the group would lay down its arms. Naim said that remains the group’s position.
“Resistance, including armed resistance, is a tool,” he said. “It is not a goal in itself.”
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South Asia
Bangladesh CID Arrests One For Impersonating Imam Of Masjid Nabawi To Deceive People
05 Dec 2024
DHAKA, Dec 5, 2024 (BSS) - The CID Police arrested one person from Bhola on charge of cheating a woman and realized Taka 5.5 lakh personifying himself as Imam of Masjid-e-Nabawi in Saudi Arabia.
He was identified as Md Sabuj, CID said.
A team of CID Cyber Police Centre with the help of information technology identified the location of Md Sabuj and arrested him from Mulai Potton area under Borhan Uddin upazila of Bhola district on Wednesday, a CID police said here today.
Police said, a retired woman officer has been suffering family feud with her daughter-in-law for a long time and at one stage, she contacted Md Sabuj knowing about him from a facebook advertisement. Sabuj personified himself as ‘Dorbesh Baba’ and Imam of Masjid-e-Nabawi in Saudi Arabia and demanded money from her. As per the demand, the woman paid Taka 550,000 through mobile banking.
Sabuj also told her not to disclose the issue to anybody and if disclose, lives of her son and daughter-in-law will be endangered, police said, adding that at one stage of mobile conversation, the woman became doubtful about the so-called Dorbesh.
The woman later filed a cheating case against Sabuj with Kalabagan Thana on November 19 and the CID police with the help of Kalabagan Thana arrested Md Sabuj from Bhola.
CID police said arrested Sabuj confessed that he along with his local accomplices has been engaged in such type of cheating in the area. They have been cheating the innocent people through facebook, Youtube and Imo personifying them as Dorbesh Baba.
The CID Cyber Police Centre has been trying to detect the gang for bringing them to book.
Source:bssnews.net
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Afghanistan and Malaysia Pledge Continued Cooperation in Diplomatic Talks
2024-12-05
KABUL (BNA): Naqibullah Ahmadi, Acting Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to Malaysia, met with Kendy Mayung Onon, the newly appointed Director of Central and South Asian Affairs at Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During this meeting, both sides discussed the recent developments in their bilateral relations and explored opportunities for further cooperation.
According to a statement from the Afghanistan Embassy in Malaysia, Ahmadi reiterated Afghanistan’s commitment to fostering closer ties with Malaysia and assured full cooperation in future endeavors. He expressed a strong interest in advancing the bilateral relationship and emphasized the importance of continued collaboration.
Mr. Onon, for his part, outlined Malaysia’s approach to strengthening its relations with Afghanistan, providing insights into the current state of affairs and Malaysia’s future plans for engagement. He highlighted Malaysia’s commitment to supporting Afghanistan and underscored the potential for deepening ties between the two nations.
In the end, both sides expressed mutual hope that their collaboration would continue to expand, building on the existing groundwork and further enhancing the relationship through joint efforts in the years to come.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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Khost Province Launches Infrastructure Projects Worth 93 Million AFN
2024-12-05
KHOST(BNA): The construction of roads and drainage systems in Khost city has commenced with a budget of approximately 93 million Afghanis. The projects include the development of roads and drains in Nakamura Square’s northern section, the 1st and 3rd districts, and the Takhte Biko area.
According to Khost Mayor Qari Bismillah Bilal, the projects involve the construction of 2,385 meters of roads, 3,500 meters of drains, 910 meters of slabs in Nakamura Square, and six culverts in the Takhte Biko area. The construction is funded through the municipal budget and is expected to be completed within six months.
Additionally, Khost Governor Mawlawi Abdul Qayum Ruhani emphasized the importance of community collaboration for project success, stating that the implementation of such initiatives is responsibility of the Islamic Emirate. He urged citizens to cooperate with the administration to ensure the smooth execution of these projects.
Residents of Khost expressed satisfaction with the launch of these projects, highlighting the necessity of continuing such development initiatives to enhance the city’s infrastructure and beauty.
Additionally, other public utility projects are currently underway in Khost, many of which are nearing completion.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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Over 90 Afghan families deported from Pakistan and Iran
By Fidel Rahmati
December 6, 2024
Following the expulsion of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries, the Ministry of Refugees has announced the deportation of more than ninety Afghan families from Pakistan and Iran.
According to the statement, ninety-five Afghan families returned to Afghanistan through Kandahar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, and Herat provinces on Thursday, 5th of December.
The ministry added that these families received aid upon their return and were referred to domestic and international aid organizations for further assistance.
The expulsion of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries, especially Pakistan and Iran, has seen a significant increase in recent months.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Refugees also reported the expulsion of dozens of families who were sent back to Afghanistan.
This growing trend of expulsions has raised concerns about the increasing difficulties faced by Afghan refugees. As neighboring countries continue to tighten their borders, the burden on Afghanistan’s internal support systems increases, exacerbating the humanitarian situation.
In response, the international organizations, has called for greater cooperation to address the needs of these returnees, ensuring they receive adequate assistance to rebuild their lives.
Source:khaama.com
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Iran: 12 Afghan citizens executed in the past month
By Fidel Rahmati
December 5, 2024
The Iranian Human Rights Organization announced that 12 Afghan citizens were executed in various prisons across Iran in the past month.
The organization has recently published statistics showing that 16 Afghan citizens were executed in 2022 and 25 Afghan citizens were executed in 2023 in Iran.
Meanwhile, the organization also added that in just the first ten months of this year, 61 Afghan citizens have been executed in Iranian prisons.
The Iranian Human Rights Organization released these figures after Askar Jalalian, the Deputy Minister of Justice in Iran, recently stated that there are more than 8,000 foreign prisoners in the country, the majority of whom are from Afghanistan.
This Iranian official made these remarks in an interview with the Iranian news agency ISNA, adding that the crimes committed by Afghan prisoners include drug trafficking, smuggling prohibited goods, theft, and murder, with drug trafficking being the most common offense.
The increasing number of executions of Afghan citizens in Iran raises significant concerns about the human rights situation in the country.
The statistics highlight a troubling pattern of severe penalties, particularly for Afghan nationals, suggesting a harsh approach to foreign prisoners, especially those involved in drug-related offenses.
These developments may put additional strain on the diplomatic relationship between Afghanistan and Iran, particularly as the issue of Afghan prisoners and their treatment in Iranian jails remains a sensitive topic.
It is essential for international organizations and governments to address these human rights violations and push for reforms in Iran’s penal system.
Source:khaama.com
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EDB plans to introduce Islamic financing instruments in 2025
06 December 2024
According to him, the EDB is looking for new opportunities to expand its product line, so the direction of Islamic finance has been developed. By introducing them, the EDB can attract additional investments from the international market to the countries of Central Asia in the amount of up to $1 billion per year.
A steering committee for the development of Islamic financing has already been formed, and an international consultant has been engaged. The Islamic Development Bank is also helping to develop the area.
As Ruslan Dalenov told, the EDB, in accordance with its international status, has the ability to simultaneously provide conventional and Islamic financing. For this purpose, active work is underway to introduce a new product. In macroeconomic terms, these are also new investments. The states of Central Asia will be able to take advantage of the new type of financing by attracting investments from large markets in the Persian Gulf, East Asian countries and others.
For businesses, these are opportunities to finance their projects.
In turn, the Chairman of the Management Board of the EDB Nikolai Podguzov noted that Islamic finance is a dynamically growing market, and there is demand for it in the Central Asian region.
«We have one or two pilot projects planned for 2025 in this area. We want to finance several projects according to Islamic principles. This will probably be up to $10 million. We are some of the pioneers in our region. I hope that both governments and financial institutions of our countries will also pick up this work together with us, and we will get more serious dynamics,» he said.
Source:24.kg
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North America
CAIR Calls for Internal Review, Policy Changes at U of Maryland After Reported Assault of Muslim Students During Flag Football Tournament
December 5, 2024
The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on University of Maryland Campus Police to conduct an internal review and implement policy changes regarding security presence at campus events following an incident in October during which several Muslim students were allegedly physically assaulted and sustained serious injuries during a flag football tournament held on campus.
On October 12, 2024, multiple University of Maryland students, who are Muslim, reported being physically assaulted during a flag football tournament hosted by the Helping Hands club on campus. It is noted on file that the Helping Hands club reserved the field to host this event, which was open to outside groups and universities.
Despite ample notice and following procedures to host this tournament, there was reportedly no security presence during the event. The allegedly unprovoked physical assault by a male, who is not a University of Maryland student, led to Muslim students sustaining serious injuries.
In at least one case, the assault reportedly resulted in one Muslim student sustaining a concussion and losing consciousness.
In a statement to CAIR, one UMD student who was assaulted and sustained a concussion said:
“It’s frustrating that we came out with the intention of doing something great but got attacked [in this way.] It’s terrible that the well-being of students was put in danger, all of this [could have been avoided] with better policies in this regard.”
“This troubling incident has raised concerns that University of Maryland is not prioritizing the well-being of its minority students, nor taking sufficient measures to protect them from threats or harm,” said CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry in part, in a statement to Director of Public Safety and Police Chief David Mitchell. “The campus must provide a safe and supportive environment for its diverse student body, free from harassment and discrimination.”
CAIR is seeking a copy of UMD Campus Police’s current policies and protocols for deploying security on campus to activities and events, especially those open to the public, and requesting a meeting to discuss how to improve campus safety for students. In addition, the civil rights group is issuing the following recommendations:
Policy Recommendations for Campus Police
Event-Specific Risk Assessments
Implement a mandatory pre-event risk assessment process for all campus events, focusing on identifying potential security risks, including hate-based violence or harassment.
Collaborate with event organizers to ensure appropriate security measures are in place without creating an intimidating environment.
Enhanced Anti-Bias Training
Require campus police officers and event security staff to undergo regular anti-bias and cultural competency training, including awareness of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim bigotry.
Partner with student groups, including the Muslim Students Association, to provide insights into community concerns and promote mutual understanding.
Clear Protocols for Hate-Based Incidents
Establish and publicize a clear protocol for responding to hate-based violence and harassment at campus events.
Ensure officers are trained to de-escalate tensions and provide immediate support to victims.
Increased Accountability and Reporting
Mandate that all incidents of physical assault or hate-based violence at campus events be thoroughly documented, investigated, and reported.
Create a public, anonymized annual report on campus police actions related to hate incidents, ensuring transparency.
Collaborative Security Planning
Encourage collaboration between campus police, student organizations, and campus diversity offices in planning security for events with high attendance or those deemed sensitive.
Avoid profiling or targeting specific groups while ensuring safety measures are adequate and inclusive.
Conflict-Free Security Presence
Reassess the visibility and role of campus police at events to ensure their presence is non-intimidating and supportive.
Explore alternative security models, such as peer-led safety teams or unarmed security personnel, to reduce the likelihood of conflict escalation.
Victim Support Services
Provide victims of assault or harassment with prompt access to culturally competent counseling, medical assistance, and legal resources.
Work with student affairs offices to create a streamlined process for reporting incidents and seeking help in ways that protect the victims’ identity and encourage reporting.
Community Engagement
Establish a Campus Safety Advisory Board that includes diverse student representation to provide regular input on policing policies and practices on campus.
Host open forums and listening sessions to allow students, particularly those from marginalized communities, to voice concerns and suggest improvements.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Source:cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-calls-for-internal-review-policy-changes-at-u-of-maryland-after-reported-assault-of-muslim-students-during-flag-football-tournament/
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Nasa delays astronaut flight around the Moon
December 6, 2024
Pallab Ghosh
US space agency Nasa has announced a further delay to its plans to send astronauts back to the Moon.
The agency's chief, Bill Nelson, said the second mission in the Artemis programme was now due for launch in April 2026.
The plan had been to send astronauts around the Moon but not land in September 2025. The date had already slipped once before, from November of this year.
That will mean that a Moon landing will not take place until at least 2027, a year later than originally planned.
The delay is needed to fix an issue with the capsule's heat shield, which returned from the previous test flight excessively charred and eroded, with cracks and some fragments broken off.
Mr Nelson told a news conference that "the safety of our astronauts is our North Star".
"We do not fly until we are ready. We need to do the next test flight, and we need to do it right. And that's how the Artemis programme proceeds."
Mr Nelson said that engineers had got to the root of the problem and believed that it could be fixed by changing the trajectory of the capsule's re-entry – but it would take time to carry out a thorough assessment.
Nasa is in a race with the Chinese space agency, which has its own plans to send astronauts to the Moon. Mr Nelson said he was confident that the Artemis programme would reach the lunar surface first, but he called on Nasa's commercial and international partners to "double down to meet and improve this schedule".
"We plan to launch Artemis 3 in mid-2027. That will be well ahead of the Chinese government's announced intention that they have already publicly stated is 2030."
The added delay, however, will increase the pressure on government-run Nasa – whose rocket system for sending astronauts to the Moon, the Space Launch System (SLS), has been criticised as being expensive and slow to develop.
This is in stark contrast to Elon Musk's private sector firm, SpaceX, which is surging ahead in its efforts to build its own, eventually much cheaper and reusable Starship rocket.
The nomination of Jared Iaacman by President-elect Donald Trump to take over from Mr Nelson as Nasa's head has added to growing concerns that big changes are in store for Nasa's Moon programme.
Mr Isaacman is a billionaire and close collaborator with Mr Musk, who has paid for two private sector missions which have taken him to space. His entrepreneurial approach might prove a shock to Nasa's system, according to Dr Simeon Barber, a space scientist at the Open University.
"SLS is an old-school rocket. It is not reusable like Starship, hence very expensive, and it has taken a long time to get it operational. And slow and expensive is a precarious position to be in when the incoming president, we expect, is looking to save costs.
"Isaacman is going to bring a new pair of eyes over how Nasa operates. And it's hard to predict what this combination of Isaacman, Musk and Trump might mean for Nasa as we know it."
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyp1v94j17o
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Disappearances double in Sinaloa amid Mexican cartel rift
December5, 2024
The number of people who have been reported missing in the violence-wracked Mexican state of Sinaloa has doubled since two rival factions of a drugs cartel started a bloody battle for control of their criminal organisation.
According to official figures, more than 200 people have disappeared since the two factions of the Sinaloa cartel declared war on each other almost three months ago.
The feud broke out after the arrest in the US of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.
His followers, known as "Los Mayos" or "La Mayiza", say he was betrayed by the son of the infamous founder of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, and have turned on members of his faction, known as "Los Chapitos".
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has despatched her security chief, Omar García Harfuch, to Sinaloa state to quell the violence.
The spike in murders and disappearances in Sinaloa has overshadowed Sheinbaum's first months in office.
She was sworn in as Mexico's first female head of state on 1 October after a campaign in which she had promised to maintain the approach taken by her predecessor in office, who avoided direct confrontations with the cartels.
"There will be no return to the irresponsible drug war," she had said in her inaugural speech, ruling out a more militaristic approach.
But faced with growing criticism in her own country and pressure from US President-elect Donald Trump, who wants Mexico to do more to curb the trafficking to the US of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, Sheinbaum on Wednesday appeared to make tackling the violence in Sinaloa her priority.
In a news conference, she said her Administration would take a "zero tolerance" approach.
She also praised the security forces for making Mexico's biggest fentanyl bust to date.
"This is an investigation that has been going on for a long time and yesterday, it gave these results. It is the largest seizure of fentanyl pills ever made," she said.
Earlier, Mexico's top security official, Omar García Harfuch, had announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the fentanyl pills seized at two properties in Sinaloa were worth $394m (£309m) and weighed more than a tonne.
"These actions will continue until the violence diminishes in the state of Sinaloa," he said in the post [in Spanish].
News of the massive fentanyl bust came just over a week after Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on goods coming from Mexico and Canada on day one of his presidency.
He said the tariffs would remain in place until "until such time as drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country".
Mexican officials also announced on Wednesday that they had detained more than 5,200 migrants across the country the previous day, in what appeared to be a response to President Sheinbaum's promise to Trump to stop a migrant caravan moving north through Mexico from reaching the US border.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdr0dg4g11do
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‘Enough work for women’ in Ukrainian army – retired US general
6 Dec, 2024
Ukraine should consider drafting women and lowering the mobilization age to 18 to boost its chances in the conflict with Russia, Ben Hodges, a former commander of US Army in Europe, has argued. Kiev lowered the conscription age to 25 earlier this year.
The former general’s statement follows multiple reports in the mainstream media of Ukraine’s severe manpower shortages, stemming from mounting losses on the frontline of the conflict with Russia.
To bolster the mobilization drive, Ukraine should draft younger people, Hodges told Ukrainian news outlet hromadske.ua in an interview published on Thursday.
“In my opinion, the conscription age in Ukraine is too high. In most countries of the world, you can join the military at the age of 18 or 19. Ukraine could also use this opportunity,” the former general said.
“I also think that there is enough work for women in the army. We need to engage women in military service more actively,” he added.
Hodges also noted that Ukrainians living abroad have no business sitting the conflict out.
“I live in Germany, and there are many Ukrainians here, I see them everywhere. This is not right. Only those who cannot help Ukraine fight should be here,” he said.
UN data suggests that as many as 6.8 million Ukrainians are living abroad, having fled the country since the conflict escalated in 2022.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken similarly said that Kiev needs to get younger people onto the front line, in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday. “Right now, 18 to 25-year olds are not in the fight,” he said.
Ukraine’s flagging mobilization drive is reportedly further exacerbated by high desertion rates. According to an article in the Financial Times last week, Ukrainian authorities opened at least 60,000 criminal cases against deserters between January and October of this year.
The actual number of desertions since 2022 could be as high as 200,000, the Associated Press wrote last week, citing a Ukrainian lawmaker with knowledge of military matters.
Moscow has repeatedly slammed Kiev’s NATO backers as pushing the country into a war “to the last Ukrainian.” Russia views the conflict as a proxy war waged by the US and its allies against Russia via Ukraine.
Source:.rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/608814-women-ukrainian-army-us-general/
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Southeast Asia
Jailed Islamic preacher PU Azman to spend 14 more months behind bars for 2022 sexual assault against teen in Klang after AGC accepts plea change to guilty
06 Dec 2024
KLANG, Dec 6 — Celebrity preacher Azman Syah Alias was today sentenced to 14 months in prison by the Magistrate’s Court here after he pleaded guilty to committing gross indecency against a teenage boy two years ago.
Magistrate Amirul Asyraf Abd Rasid handed down the sentence on the 43-year-old preacher, also known as PU Azman, 43, after the court was informed that his representation to the Attorney General’s Chamber to change his plea was accepted.
He was ordered to serve the jail sentence today.
Azman Syah submitted the representation last October.
According to the charge, framed under Section 377D of the Penal Code, he was alleged to have committed gross indecency against the boy, aged 18, at a house in Jalan Sungai Bertek, here at 9.15 pm on June 10, 2022.
It provides a prison sentence of up to two years upon conviction.
During mitigation, lawyer Fahmi Adilah, representing Azman Syah, told the court that the guilty plea by his client was motivated by the factor of remorse and regret for the act and he also promised to be a good and useful citizen.
“My client also apologises to the complainant (victim) and the Malaysian government, especially the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) as well as this honourable court for the time taken for the trial,” he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Rasyidah Murni Adzmi, who appeared with deputy public prosecutor Nadia Syuhada Rosli, insisted that as a celebrity preacher, such an act should not happen.
The guilty plea is not a factor that should be taken into account by the court to give a ‘discount’ on the sentence, she said.
Azman Syah is currently serving a 24-year prison sentence handed down by the Klang Sessions Court after he was found guilty on two charges of physical sexual assault against a 17-year-old boy.
He was also ordered to be given two strokes of the cane. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/12/06/jailed-islamic-preacher-pu-azman-to-spend-14-more-months-behind-bars-for-2022-sexual-assault-against-teen-in-klang-after-agc-accepts-plea-change-to-guilty/159074
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FT Minister Dr Zaliha denies issuing statement on Najib’s house arrest
06 Dec 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 — Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa denied issuing any media statement regarding an addendum purportedly issued by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s pardon.
Through her official social media platform today, she said the viral media statement was false and never issued by her.
“This is an irresponsible act. I will take legal action against whoever issued and spread this false media statement,” she said. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/12/06/ft-minister-dr-zaliha-denies-issuing-statement-on-najibs-house-arrest/159047
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Selangor Sultan officiates Klang Chinese Muslim Jamek Mosque, reminds adherents against spread of deviant teachings
06 Dec 2024
KLANG, Dec 6 — The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, accompanied by the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, officiated the opening of the Klang Chinese Muslim Jamek Mosque here yesterday.
Their Royal Highnesses’ arrival at 6 pm was welcomed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, and Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
Also present were Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and Selangor state secretary Datuk Haris Kasim.
Sultan Sharafuddin reminded the mosque’s committee members to constantly take proactive steps to curb the practice of deviant teachings from taking root in the mosque.
His Royal Highness said the problem of deviant teachings at present was worrying as they not only tarnished the purity of Islam but could also divide the unity of Muslims.
“Deviant teachings are a serious threat that cannot be taken lightly because it is akin to unseen danger.
“In these times, slander and confusion among Muslims are widespread, causing them to easily go astray and fall into deviant teachings,” said Sultan Sharafuddin.
His Royal Highness, in expressing his disappointment, hopes that the construction of the mosque and other houses of worship in the surrounding area will not only be a symbol of unity but also a major landmark and tourist attraction in the state.
“It is my hope and desire that the construction of these different houses of worship in the Royal City of Klang will forge understanding and mutual respect among the followers of the different faiths in the Royal City of Klang, in particular, and in Selangor, in general,” said His Royal Highness.
Sultan Sharafuddin also urged Muslims in Selangor to always pay attention to the Friday sermon delivered because it plays the role of representing the voice of the caliph (leader) to convey reminders and advice to Muslims.
“The sermon serves as a medium of knowledge and a call for Muslims to be mindful of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala and to adhere to the teachings of Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah, following the Asha’irah and Maturidiah schools of thought.
“Sermons are like a medium to invite Muslims to always live in harmony, with mutual respect and prioritising unity,” said His Royal Highness.
At the event, Sultan Sharafuddin also presented four best mosque awards, namely Masjid Al-Khairiah, Taman Sri Gombak for the worship centre category; Masjid Diraja Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, Bukit Jelutong (Islamic knowledge centre category); Masjid Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya (concern category); and Masjid As Salam, Bukit Sentosa, Hulu Selangor (dakwah centre category).
The 2024 Selangor Best Mosque Award went to Masjid Al-Hasanah, Bandar Baru Bangi, Sepang, which also received recognition as a Green Mosque at the national level. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/12/06/selangor-sultan-officiates-klang-chinese-muslim-jamek-mosque-reminds-adherents-against-spread-of-deviant-teachings/159024
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/supreme-court-bail-hashimpura-massacre-case/d/133949