Supreme Court Overrules 1967 Verdict, Refrains from Deciding Whether Aligarh Muslim University Is a Minority Institution
New Age Islam News Bureau
08 Nov2024
Aligarh Muslim University Campus. | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena
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· Supreme Court Overrules 1967 Verdict, Refrains from Deciding Whether Aligarh Muslim University Is a Minority Institution
· 4 soldiers martyred, 5 terrorists killed during exchange of fire in South Waziristan: ISPR
· Gaza tragedies surpass all crimes descriptions: Azhar grand imam to Estonia president
· How Google aims to bridge the AI skills gap in Saudi Arabia and the wider region
· World needs Russia – Putin
· Trump’s ‘new conservatism’ can bring a revival of the true American spirit
· 481 Terrorists Eliminated, 741 Suspects Arrested In October Operations – DHQ
· Japan to Host Conference Focused on Preserving Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage
· Six Malaysian peacekeepers injured in blast targeting convoy near Saida stadium, Lebanon
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India
· Salman Khan gets another threat; message sent to Mumbai traffic police helpline; case registered
· In a first, India holds talks with Taliban; MEA official meets Mullah Omar’s son in Kabul
· Congress anti-Hindu, 'B-Team of Muslim League': BJP's Nitesh Rane
· "Loudspeakers on mosques illegal; violate High Court's order": BJP's Nitesh Rane backs Raj Thackeray
· Kerala: CM Pinarayi Vijayan alleges Priyanka contesting Wayanad bypoll with Jamaat-e-Islami support
· UP court orders demolition of 60-yr-old mosque for ‘encroaching on pond’
· SDPI protests against portrayal of Muslims in Amaran
· Communal tension in Uttarakhand town after Muslim man posts allegedly explicit video of woman online
· Waqf row: Parliament panel chief visits Karnataka amid BJP's land jihad charge
· Two village defence guards abducted and killed as militants break Jammu lull
· Shah Rukh Khan after Salman Khan. Threats to filmstars return to Bollywood
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Pakistan
· FO dismisses speculation that Trump will influence, pressurise Pakistan’s internal politics
· Pakistan eyes strong ties with Trump admin
· Quetta administration denies PTI's rally request
· KP House 'raid': Gandapur-led govt to take legal action against Islamabad police chief
· Interior minister assures Chinese envoy of additional security measures for citizens
· PM to attend Arab Islamic moot before COP29
· Plans set in motion to clear judicial backlog
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Mideast
· Residents of Israeli settlement ‘Trump Heights’ welcome Donald’s return to US presidency
· Iran’s Pezeshkian says Tehran indifferent to US election result
· Israel escalates attacks on Lebanon as strikes hit near Beirut airport
· Sayyed Khamenei: Jihad in Lebanon & Gaza will inevitably lead to Resistance Front victory
· Protecting environment enshrined in Islamic principles: Official
· US says Israel to open new Gaza crossing as aid deadline looms
· Lebanon says 3 killed, UN peacekeepers wounded in Israel strikes
· UN to consider ‘enhanced protection’ as Lebanon warns heritage at risk
· France mulling new sanctions on Israeli settlers, minister says in West Bank
· Families stream out of northern Gaza, as tanks push deeper
· Israeli police briefly arrest two French officials in ‘unacceptable’ move, France says
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Arab World
· Saudi Arabia’s recreational spaces ready for holiday season
· Solo dining an emerging trend challenging Saudi traditional culture
· Qassim governor receives British ambassador to Riyadh
· At Riyadh confab, international expert highlights importance of following fire safety measures
· Global AI competition aims to revolutionize Arabic language technology
· Saudi Quality of Life Program’s CEO stresses ‘people first’ approach
· Falcons club, NEOM in preservation drive
· Saudi arts and culture association hosts captivating ‘Ready for Display’ show
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Europe
· Ħamrun resident tried to recruit vulnerable people for 'jihad': police
· World religious leaders perform namaz in Azerbaijan's Aghdam Juma mosque
· Tackling the challenge of Islam in the UK
· Ukraine suffering ‘colossal’ losses in Kursk – Putin
· Ukraine must be neutral – Putin
· Putin hails 'courageous' Trump after election win
· Caucasus Muslims Office's chairman addresses world religious leaders from Azerbaijan's Aghdam (PHOTO)
· Swedish court convicts far-right activist for hate speech against Muslims
· Blackburn: Road used to access health centre and mosque shut
· Germany engulfed by political crisis as Scholz coalition falls apart
· Russian anti-war teenager faces five years in jail after failed appeal
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North America
· Trump says he’ll talk to Putin
· FBI probes imam on allegations of exploitation involving minors
· In defeat, some Harris supporters scapegoat Arab, Muslim voters for Trump win
· Trump hires campaign aide as White House chief of staff
· Did the US election polls fail?
· Will Republicans win the House? The outstanding races to watch
· Justice officials in talks to drop Trump criminal cases
· Biden promises 'peaceful transfer of power' amid Democratic blame game
· US central bank boss says Trump can't fire him
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Africa
· You Can’t Put Life Of 20 Million At Risk Because Two Females Fought – Gov Yusuf Begs Doctors
· Terrorist Leaders Begging To Surrender – Nigerian Military
· We Commend Nigerians For Endurance Despite Hardship – FG
· FG Promises 20-hour Daily Electricity Supply Amid Incessant National Grid Collapse
· ‘I Will Hand Myself Over To EFCC, I’m Not Afraid’ – Obaseki
· Dark Petrol In Bottles, Jerrycans Not From Our Filling Station – NNPC Denies
· ‘Shun Personal, Ethnic And Sectional Interests’ – Akume Tells New Ministers
· Post-election violence intensifies in Mozambique ahead of SADC meeting
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South Asia
· Turkish Police detain 10 Afghan migrants over lack of work permits
· BB to lift LC margin on essentials import ahead of Ramadan
· Environmental action plan a top priority
· MMD Seeks Qatari Assistance for Vulnerable Afghan Families
· Afghans make up 25% of Refugees reaching Greece by Sea: UNHCR Report
· BGB seized goods worth Tk 225.88cr in October
· Rezaul Karim passes away
· Three killed in Satkhira road accident
· DAB Governor Advocates for Islamic Financial Reforms at AAOIFI Annual Meeting
· Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs and Islamic Relief Ink 131 Million AFN Deal to Boost Youth Empowerment
· FM Mawlawi Muttaqi Urges India to Ease Visa Process for Afghan Nationals
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Southeast Asia
· Court orders Muhyiddin to pay RM1.35m to Guan Eng for defamation over Albukhary tax exemption claim
· RM1 million cash bag missing: Police detain two security guards
· SIRIM launches SIRIM ESG Holistic Ecosystem to accelerate ESG practices among industries
· Muhyiddin says ‘disappointed’ after losing defamation suit by Guan Eng, set to appeal decision
· Amid questions of autonomy, PM Anwar says federation members free to negotiate but Putrajaya will draw the line if needed
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Supreme Court overrules 1967 verdict, refrains from deciding whether Aligarh Muslim University is a minority institution
November 08, 2024
Krishnadas RajagopalKRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL
Aligarh Muslim University Campus. | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena
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A seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, in a majority judgment of 4:3 ratio, overruled a 1967 Constitution Bench decision which held that a minority community cannot claim to have established an educational institution if it was created by a statute.
What is the legal dispute over AMU’s minority status? | Explained
The majority judgment authored by the Chief Justice was based on petitions seeking minority status to the Aligarh Muslim University.
Chief Justice Chandrachud said an institution established by a minority community is indeed a minority educational institution. Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and SC Sharma were in the minority.
Also read: Tracing the roots of Aligarh and its famous university, often hailed as a mini-India
A five-judge Bench, in S Azeez Basha versus Union of India case in 1967, had held that AMU was a central university and cannot be considered a minority institution. The five-judge Bench had held that the varsity was neither established nor administered by the Muslim minority, and cannot claim protection under Article 30(1) of the Constitution. Article 30(1) upholds the right of religious and linguistic minorities to establish and administer their own educational institutions.
“Azeez Basha’s conclusion, that an educational institution is not established by a minority community if it derives its legal character through a statute, is overruled,” Chief Justice Chandrachud held.
SP MP moves Private Member bill to declare AMU minority institution
The minority status of the AMU, established in 1875, was restored by the Parliament through the AMU (Amendment) Act in 1981. In January 2006, the Allahabad High Court had however struck down the provision of the 1981 law by which the university was accorded the minority status. The issue was referred to a seven-judge Bench in 2019.
In his majority opinion, Chief Justice Chandrachud observed that minority institutions are established with the goal to preserve the cultural fabric of the community. The state regulation of minority institutions is permissible, but it must not infringe on the minority character of the institution.
Chief Justice Chandrachud observed that it was not necessary that an educational institution should have been established for the purpose of the minority community alone. It must have been only “predominantly” for the benefit of the community. The fact whether an institution was established for the purpose of preserving the cultural fabric of the particular community had to be discerned from primary sources of information like the documents of the formation of the university, letters, speeches, assets involved to establish the institution, the steps taken to implement the idea at the time of its creation, etc.
The majority judgment said an institution did not lose its minority character merely because the administration was no longer vested with the community.
The very purpose of Article 30(1) of the Constitution is to grant special rights on the administration of a minority institution as a consequence of its establishment by a minority community. The consequence cannot be converted into a pre-condition, Chief Justice Chandrachud reasoned.
“The right to administer is guaranteed to minority education institutions to enable them to preserve sufficient autonomy to model the institutions according to the educational values which the community wishes to emphasise. It is not necessary that the purpose can only be implemented if persons belonging to the community helm the administrative affairs… This is so particularly if the minority institution may wish to emphasise on secular education,” Chief Justice Chandrachud wrote.
The court returned the case to the Regular Bench to examine the question of minority status of AMU on the basis of the seven-judge Bench on Friday.
In its written submissions during the hearing, the Centre had contended that AMU cannot be considered a minority institution given its “national character”. The government had said AMU was not and cannot be a university of any particular religion or religious denomination. It said a university declared as an institution of national importance cannot be a minority institution.
The university, on the other hand, had contended that it was established by the Muslim community for educating and empowering the community.
Source:thehindu.com
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/aligarh-muslim-university-is-minority-institution-supreme-court/article68844050.ece
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4 soldiers martyred, 5 terrorists killed during exchange of fire in South Waziristan: ISPR
November 7, 2024
aib Subedar Taib Shah, Lance Naik Gulab Zaman, Lance Naik Muzammil Mehmood and Lance Naik Habibullah. — ISPR
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Security forces have killed five terrorists during an exchange of fire in the South Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while four soldiers were martyred in the operation, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “During the intense fire exchange, four brave sons of the soil, Naib Subedar Taib Shah (38), Lance Naik Gulab Zaman (30), Lance Naik Muzammil Mehmood (30) and Lance Naik Habibullah (28), having fought gallantly, embraced” martyrdom.“
A sanitisation operation was being conducted to eliminate any other Khawarij found in the area, the ISPR said.
“Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve” it added.
In July, the government, through an official notification, designated the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna al Khawarij, while mandating all institutions to use the term khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan.
The country has lately witnessed a sharp uptick in the number of attacks targeting security forces, other law enforcement agencies, and security checkpoints, particularly in Balochistan and KP.
Attacks escalated after the TTP broke a fragile ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022 and vowed to target security forces.
On November 2, four terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation in KP’s South Waziristan region.
In another incident on Nov 4, security forces killed seven terrorists in separate operations on Monday, with one terrorist killed in Balochistan and the other six killed during two operations in KP.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1870778/4-soldiers-martyred-5-terrorists-killed-during-exchange-of-fire-in-south-waziristan-ispr
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Gaza tragedies surpass all crimes descriptions: Azhar grand imam to Estonia president
7 Nov 2024
Al-Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb with Estonian President Alar Karis during their meeting at Al-Azhar headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. Al-Ahram.
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This came during a meeting between Sheikh El-Tayyeb and Estonian President Alar Karis on Wednesday in Cairo at Al-Azhar headquarters to discuss strengthening joint cooperation.
The grand iman stated that peace has become a lost dream, with contemporary global events shattering hopes for its attainment.
However, he expressed faith in people’s ability to uphold religious and ethical values, calling for the spread of brotherhood and equality principles.
The rest of the world is not immune to the impact of wars in the Middle East — in Gaza, Lebanon, and Sudan — or Ukraine, he stressed.
He emphasized that these conflicts fuel global hatred and intolerance, undermining peace.
Sheikh El-Tayyeb recognized Estonia’s stance in condemning the attacks on Gaza and supporting Palestine's full membership in the United Nations, urging the international community to take decisive actions to halt these aggressions.
He noted how this stance underlines Estonia's commitment to humanitarian principles and international justice.
The grand imam also affirmed that Islam’s message is one of peace, a principle Al-Azhar has upheld for over a thousand years.
He explained that Al-Azhar has taught religious sciences and Arabic to Muslim students from around the world, helping them bring values of peace and fraternity back to their home countries.
He noted that Al-Azhar hosts over 60,000 international students from over 100 countries at all educational levels, from kindergarten to post-graduate studies. It also offers scholarships for Estonia’s Muslim community to study at Al-Azhar University.
For his part, President Karis expressed admiration for Al-Azhar as an esteemed Islamic institution and appreciation for the grand imam’s offer of scholarships for Estonian students.
Additionally, he highlighted Estonia’s keenness to strengthen ties with Al-Azhar, considering the scholarships a way to foster closer relations.
Karis also affirmed Estonia’s readiness to share its expertise in information technology and digital transformation with Al-Azhar's faculty and students through a protocol for academic exchange and researcher mobility.
The Estonian president expressed his hopes for ending conflicts around the world, especially the wars in Ukraine, Palestine, and Sudan, and allowing humanitarian aid to reach those in need.
Source:ahram.org.eg
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https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/534877.aspx
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How Google aims to bridge the AI skills gap in Saudi Arabia and the wider region
LAMA ALHAMAWI
November 08, 2024
Google’s largest AI project in the region, the AI Opportunity Initiative will focus on AI skills development, research, products, and infrastructure. (Supplied)
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DUBAI: As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes industries, job roles and skill requirements, the Middle East and North Africa region is actively embracing advanced technologies and collaborating with tech giants to bridge the skills gap in an evolving labor market.
One such collaboration is with Google’s newly launched AI Opportunity Initiative, which offers training and education opportunities to make AI technologies more accessible and inclusive across the region.
By collaborating with local organizations, the AI Opportunity Initiative seeks to “train half a million people in the next two years,” Anthony Nakache, managing director of Google MENA, told an audience at the recent AI Connect MENA event at Dubai’s Etihad Museum.
To achieve this, Google “will give a grant of $15 million to fund local organizations,” Nakache said.
Najeeb Jarrar, regional director of marketing at Google MENA, told Arab News: “We are very excited about this AI Opportunity Initiative, especially since we are seeing the Saudi community is fully embracing AI both on the consumer side and on the developer and resource side.
“This is an initiative that we have launched globally and we now are bringing to the region. One of the aims of this initiative is how we are leveling the playing field for AI and AI education and skilling across the entire region,” he added, noting that students will learn to use AI more productively, including skills such as prompt engineering.
To bridge the digital divide in the labor market, Google’s AI Opportunity Initiative aims to upskill underserved workers in AI by offering tailored training materials in Arabic, in partnership with the non-profit Manarat, online course provider Coursera, and other organizations.
Google’s largest AI project in the region, the AI Opportunity Initiative will focus on four key areas: AI skills development, research, products, and infrastructure.
“We also worked with local NGOs and local players in the market to ensure that we are also reaching out to different partners,” Jarrar said.
Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, has announced plans to contribute $15 million between this year and the end of 2027, providing funding to organizations across the region to ensure accessibility to AI opportunities.
The AI Opportunity Initiative also aims to equip 500,000 people in the MENA region with AI skills in the first two years. This includes students, academics, developers, entrepreneurs and underrepresented groups.
Speaking about the issue of accessibility, Jarrar said: “We wanted to ensure first that this local initiative does not feel like an initiative that is hard to get for the average user.”
He pointed out that both language and local partners, such as Injaz and Raspberry Pi Foundation, play a major role in improving accessibility.
“The content is all in Arabic, we have local examples that we are actually able to showcase,” he said. “We are partnering with local partners that know the market and the community very well and are able to reach more people that are beyond what we can initially reach to.”
The AI Opportunity Initiative enables Google to expand the Maharat min Google program, which targets high school and university students, by introducing a new AI curriculum in Arabic.
As part of its mission to support underserved communities, Google.org is funding Village Capital, a non-profit that supports entrepreneurs tackling environmental, social and economic challenges.
Village Capital will equip business support organizations to offer AI upskilling opportunities to underserved workers.
The program targets women, youth, migrants and rural communities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Bahrain and Iraq.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation will use grant funding from Google.org to train teachers in AI literacy, equipping students aged 11-14 in the region with AI safety skills to better understand and navigate the challenges of AI technologies.
Speaking at the Google AI Connect Event, Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer for Alphabet and Google, said: “AI is estimated to contribute $320 billion in economic growth for the Middle East by 2030.
“Google is working to ensure that people and communities throughout the region have the skills needed to capture the upside of this emerging technology.”
She added: “Our local non-profit and university partners will help bring this program to people and communities throughout the region, ensuring that everyone can benefit from the opportunities that AI can deliver.”
Since 2005, Google has invested more than $400 million in academic research globally.
The tech giant also announced during its Dubai event the launch of new Arabic AI products, including Gemini Live in Arabic, Gemini for Teens, Imagen3, and Gems on Gemini in Arabic.
“For the previous year, we have worked hard with partners, with experts globally and from the region, to understand what are the constraints that we need to implement to make this product safer for teens, teens aged 13 to 18,” Jarrar said.
“We worked tirelessly to make sure we have the right guardrails to ensure that we had the right controls and the proper Q and A and testing, and today we are happy to say that Gemini for Teens is available for users and teens here in the region.”
These efforts are expected to support Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become an AI leader, ensuring its population stays aligned with the latest developments in the labor market.
A September report by the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence showed that 75 percent of the Saudi population is familiar with the concept of AI, and 64 percent are aware of its applications.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2578462/saudi-arabia
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World needs Russia – Putin
7 Nov, 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the 'Security for Each and Everyone. Together Into a New World' plenary session of the 21st annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, in Sochi, Krasnodar region, Russia. © Sputnik / Kristina Kormilitsyna
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The world needs Russia and there is nothing Washington or Brussels can do about it, President Vladimir Putin told the Valdai Forum on Thursday. America and its allies are simply trying to go against the march of history as they pursue their hegemonistic aspirations, he said.
“The flow of international politics is..... running counter to the aspirations of the West,” Putin said. The world is moving away “from a fading hegemonistic world towards a rising multipolarity.”
The “old hegemons” that had become accustomed to ruling over the world as they did during colonial times see that they are no longer being listened to, the president said. Putin also warned that the West’s beliefs about its own exceptionalism could potentially “lead to a global tragedy.”
Calls by the US and its allies to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia – a nation with one of the biggest nuclear arsenals – demonstrate the recklessness of Western politicians that just goes beyond all bounds, the president stated, warning the West against “blind faith in its own impunity.”
No one can guarantee that nuclear weapons won’t be used if the moral and legal foundations of international relations are destroyed, Putin said. Attempts by the West to keep its “elusive power” through the use of force would only lead to global instability, tensions, casualties and destruction, he warned.
The policies of the Western elites cannot bring about the result they are seeking, according to Putin. Instead, this constant race for world dominance and its “liberal globalist messianism” only drain the power of their own nations and “go against the true interests of the people in the US and the European nations.”
Modern liberalism in the West has degenerated into its very opposite, the Russian president believes. It is now characterized by “extreme intolerance and aggression towards any alternative [views], to any independent thought,” he said, adding that its proponents still “justify neo-Nazism, terrorism, and racism, as well as the massive genocide of civilians.”
The West has also started treating democracy not as the majority rule but minority rule, according to Putin. “Traditional democracy and the popular rule are set against some abstract “freedom” that is apparently worth … sacrificing the will of the majority, freedom of speech and media independence,” he said.
Unlike its opponents, Russia does not treat Western civilization as an enemy, Putin stated. “We never say: you’re either with us, or against us’,” the president said. “Our position is an open one,” he told the forum, adding that Moscow is not planning to impose its worldview on anyone.
Russia acknowledges that the West is one of the key elements of the international political system that has accumulated vast human, intellectual and material resources, the president said. Yet, “any hegemonism is off the table in the new international system,” he added. When Washington and its allies finally accept this fact, a true era of constructive cooperation will follow, Putin believes.
“I hope to God it will happen as soon as possible. It is in everyone’s interests, including the interests of the West itself,” the president concluded.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking part in a plenary session at the 21st Annual Meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club in Sochi this week. The topic of the session is ‘Security for Everyone. Together – Into a New World’. This year’s event is taking place under the motto ‘A Lasting Peace – On What Basis? Universal Security and Equal Opportunities for Development in the 21st Century’.
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/607307-putin-russia-west/
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Trump’s ‘new conservatism’ can bring a revival of the true American spirit
7 Nov, 2024
Donald Trump has accomplished the improbable once more – mastering every obstacle and surviving two assassination attempts – to reclaim the throne as president of the United States. In a nation whose corrupt establishment sought to sideline him, he returns not as a defeated man but as one propelled by a profound connection with the American spirit, a connection that no attack could diminish in the slightest. Trump’s return embodies resilience and an enduring rapport with the people, marking the most remarkable comeback in American history. He has taken political center stage again to revive America’s core values and lead his supporters towards a renewal of genuine American principles.
Trump’s return has reignited the aura of the time up through the 1980s when America’s moral and cultural values were clear, stable, and honored by the everyday citizen. The nuclear family, veneration of one’s heritage, gun rights, and unfiltered patriotism – the values cherished in the past are now considered “reactionary.” However, with Trump’s victory, these values might regain their prominent place, repelling the leftist currents that have tried to undermine them for decades.
This signals a dramatic shift in America’s ideological trajectory. Trump’s election acts as a direct response to decades of leftist domination in media, academia, and politics. The “new conservatism” inaugurated by Trump is guided by precepts that once defined the American way of life, including the acceptance of traditional gender roles, religion’s high status in public life, and a perception of freedom based on constructive individualism, not coercive rhetoric. Trump’s base, often labeled “backward,” sees itself as repossessing the dignity of the average, and thus quintessential, American. It understands that what was once normal is now framed as “right-wing extremist” or “radical” simply because the ground beneath America’s cultural landscape has shifted so far left.
The anti-liberal movement that Trump embodies has roots in George Wallace Jr.’s presidential campaign in 1968 and Pat Buchanan’s populist challenge to the Republican establishment in the 1990s. Trump continues these legacies, proving that his message is heard by those who feel alienated by the sterile and homogenized culture foisted upon them. His leadership represents a recapture of cultural space that many Americans feel has been taken from them. With Trump’s win, America is going to regain its sanity – its center.
In the aftermath of Trump’s triumph, our expectation is shifting forward, where J. D. Vance is positioned as a fitting successor. In his autobiographical account Hillbilly Elegy, Vance describes with unflinching clarity the plight of the white working class, revealing the same wounds of disintegration and despair that stirred Trump’s ascent. His book lays bare the erosion of blue-collar America – the scourge of addiction, the decay of family bonds, and the economic desolation haunting rural communities. These communities, spurned and mocked by the urban mainstream and coastal cosmopolitans, have become Trump’s most loyal supporters. Vance, with his intellectual acuity and profound understanding of this demographic, stands ready to carry the torch of Trump’s populist message, built on a more conceptual foundation.
One of Trump’s most significant pronouncements in his 2016 campaign – “Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo” – was far more than simple rhetoric; it was a fierce call to renounce the burdens of global stewardship. With “America First,” Trump tapped into the psyche of a people weary of perpetual wars and foreign obligations that sapped the nation’s strength and spirit. The 2017 National Security Strategy echoed this reorientation, asserting that “the American way of life cannot be imposed upon others, nor is it the inevitable culmination of progress.” Here, Trump’s message resonated with unmistakable clarity: the duty of the American government lies foremost with its own citizens, firmly tied to the preservation of its own destiny.
In the globalized 2020s, this message is more powerful than ever. Trump’s winning of the popular vote not only affirms his mandate but highlights his position as a truly popular leader, beloved by the masses, rather than an elite figure propped up by the deep state intelligentsia. The left’s accusations of “fascism” miss the point. Trump’s America rejects an internationalist agenda in favor of protecting its own borders, culture, and economy. Critics may scream “fascism,” but Trump’s response is as dismissive as it is confident. As his followers might say, “Looks like we’re living under ‘Hitler’ now – might as well kick back and binge-watch Netflix.” For all their fury, the left cannot mask their desperation as they witness the unraveling of their own idiotic narratives.
The essence of America has always been Faustian, marked by a relentless drive towards self-overcoming, expansion, and discovery of uncharted territory. This is the mark of the true West, as the German historical philosopher Oswald Spengler described: a culture obsessed with the seemingly unreachable, gripped by a yearning that is never satisfied, forever reaching beyond itself. America embodies this will to boundlessness, its people animated by the strong desire to investigate new realms – material, intellectual, cosmic. Here lies the pulse of a civilization that refuses confinement, whose gaze is cast towards the stars, restless, defiant, and inexorably driven to pierce the limits of mere existence. Trump’s presidency reflects this innate drive, drawing on a uniquely American desire to go further and aim higher. With figures like Elon Musk aiming for the stars, Trump’s vision encompasses a broader sense of boundless opportunity, blending the practical with the transcendent.
America’s Faustian fire is anchored in its pragmatism and its love for the infinite – a duality that drives its people to both conquer the land and explore the universe. By backing Musk and his plans for space colonization, Trump taps into this primal urge to break through boundaries. Space, in Trump’s view, is not a sterile scientific endeavor but a mission to secure America’s future among the stars, embodying the very essence of the Faustian motto: always striving, always advancing.
Trump’s America also pays homage to the likes of Jack Kerouac, the iconic American writer who celebrated independence, wandering the roads with a desire for unrestrained roaming. Although often claimed by the leftist counterculture, Kerouac was a Catholic and a conservative at heart. His America was one of freedom, positive anarchy, and boundless possibility. Trump’s new administration is in tune with this America, offering a healthy alternative to the bureaucratic encumbrances of modern government. The new president sees America not as a land of regulations and bizarre social engineering but as a frontier of individual potential.
Trump’s victory goes beyond politics; it marks the resurgence of America’s Faustian character, an awakening of the original engine that drives a civilization to assert itself against decline. In casting their votes, the people have summoned a leader who embodies their deepest values, their aspirations, and their grievances. The left may wail and beat its oversensitive chest, but its howls are empty, fading echoes in a hollow hall.
Trump is a voice crying out from the wilderness, the embodiment of the people’s will, come to wrest the land from powers of darkness that feign themselves as “progress.” This is proven by Trump’s triumph in the popular vote, for the people have chosen him as their champion. The left’s false “progress” is but the worship of Satan, clothed in the garments of liberalism, and seeks to lay waste the soul of the nation. Yet fear not, for Trump shall rise up and smite this menace, and the people shall be delivered from its snares, and the land shall be restored unto righteousness.
Source:rt.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.rt.com/news/607284-trump-conservatism-bring-us-spirit/
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481 Terrorists Eliminated, 741 Suspects Arrested In October Operations – DHQ
8 November 2024
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has reported significant achievements in its operations across Nigeria for October, revealing that troops eliminated 481 terrorists, apprehended 741 suspects, and rescued 492 kidnapped hostages.
This update was provided by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
Buba highlighted the extensive efforts of the military to combat insurgency and criminal activities throughout the country.
In addition to these results, Buba stated that the troops recovered 480 weapons and 9,026 assorted rounds of ammunition. The cache included 263 AK47 rifles, 81 locally fabricated guns, 91 Dane guns, and 76 pump-action guns.
Further detailing the stockpile, Buba noted that troops seized 5,683 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 1,944 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, 642 cartridges, 160 assorted arms, and 1,526 assorted rounds of ammunition.
He said, “Our strategy remains to undermine the ability of these terror groups and their cohorts.
“Troops conducted simultaneous strikes on several terrorist enclaves and hideouts across the country.
“The Air force carried out bombardments and air interdiction on these terrorist hideouts and enclaves with precision, thereby diminishing the fighting capabilities of these terrorists.
“On the whole, even as the armed forces mourn the tragic passing away of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. T.A. Lagbaja, we will not allow his passing to derail our focus to destroy the terrorists.
“We are rather inspired by his actions on the battlefield as a war commander as well as his strong desire to defeat the terrorists in order to end the war.”
In the North-East, Buba said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai conducted synchronized offensives between the air force and ground forces, striking and dislodging terrorists from their hideouts and strongholds.
He said the exerted military pressure on the terrorists in the North East resulted in the killing of 198 terrorists, the apprehending 166 suspects and rescuing 156 kidnapped hostages.
He added that the troops recorded 257 surrendered BH/ISWAP terrorists’ combatants and their families, as well as recovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition.
In the North Central, Buba said the troops of Operations Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke neutralized 50 violent extremists, apprehended 202 and rescued 165 kidnapped hostages during the month.
In the northwest, the defence spokesman said the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji had remained focused on their mission to create a conducive and stable security environment for agricultural activities and other forms of socio-economic activities in the zone.
According to him, troops embarked on several offensive operations, canalizing and destroying these terrorists in their hideouts and enclaves through ground and air operations.
He said that the troops neutralized 163 terrorists, apprehended 82 suspects and rescued 80 kidnapped hostages.
“Additionally, troops recovered 121 AK47 rifles, 32 fabricated guns, 53 assorted arms, 2,134 rounds of 7.62mm special, 1,015 rounds of 7.62mm NATO and 75 assorted ammunition.
“Also, troops of Operation Whirl Punch neutralized 30 terrorists, arrested 111 suspects and rescued 52 kidnapped hostages.
“They recovered nine AK47 rifles, 16 assorted arms, 160 rounds of 7.62mm special, 43 rounds of 7.62mm NATO and 36 assorted ammunition,” he said.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/11/08/481-terrorists-eliminated-741-suspects-arrested-in-october-operations-dhq/
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Japan to Host Conference Focused on Preserving Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage
2024-11-07
KABUL (BNA): Mawlawi Atiqullah Azizi, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Arts at the Ministry of Information and Culture, held a meeting today in Kabul with the Japanese Ambassador to Afghanistan, Takayoshi Kuromiya, accompanied by his deputy.
During this engagement, Deputy Minister Azizi highlighted the deep-rooted historical and cultural bonds between Afghanistan and Japan, describing them as enduring and invaluable.
In his remarks, Deputy Minister Azizi commended Japan’s longstanding contributions to the restoration of Afghanistan’s historical monuments, acknowledging its financial support for numerous preservation projects. He expressed hope that Japan would continue to play a central role in safeguarding Afghanistan’s cultural heritage, which remains essential for preserving the nation’s identity.
Furthermore, the Deputy Minister identified several significant historical sites within Afghanistan that are in urgent need of restoration and stabilization, underscoring their importance to the nation’s cultural heritage.
Ambassador Kuromiya commended the Ministry’s ongoing efforts in cultural preservation, expressing Japan’s appreciation for these initiatives. He emphasized that Japan views Afghanistan’s cultural heritage preservation as critical and encouraged continued dedication to these projects. The Ambassador noted that consistent commitment from Afghanistan would likely attract further support from the international community for cultural initiatives.
Ambassador Kuromiya also revealed Japan’s plans to host an international conference in Tokyo dedicated to Afghanistan’s cultural heritage. This conference will serve as a platform to raise global awareness and mobilize international support for the preservation and restoration of Afghanistan’s historical and cultural assets.
The Ambassador reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to Afghanistan’s cultural needs, stating that Japan separates cultural concerns from political matters, pledging to support these initiatives unconditionally.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/japan-to-host-conference-focused-on-preserving-afghanistans-cultural-heritage/
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Six Malaysian peacekeepers injured in blast targeting convoy near Saida stadium, Lebanon
08 Nov 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) confirmed that six members of the Malaysian Battalion (MALBATT) were injured in an explosion near Saida Stadium, Lebanon, yesterday.
According to a statement from the MAF Headquarters, the incident occurred at 1.54 pm local time (7.54 pm Malaysian time) while the MALBATT 850-12 team was travelling from Beirut to Marakah Camp.
It said that the explosion targeted a civilian vehicle heading to Beirut but also caused damage to a bus transporting MALBATT 850-12 personnel.
“The incident left six members of MALBATT injured, including five MALBATT 850-12 personnel who suffered various minor injuries, with one member sustaining a suspected closed fracture to the left arm.
“Another member from MALBATT 850-11 also sustained minor injuries,” said the statement.
According to the MAF, the member who sustained an arm injury was immediately taken to Hamood Hospital in Saida for treatment by the MALBATT 850-11 medical officer.
“The MAF will continue to closely monitor this situation and will provide updates on the incident from time to time.
“The MAF remains committed to the safety and well-being of its members as they carry out peacekeeping missions under the United Nations (UN) banner,” the statement read.
Earlier, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin when contacted confirmed the incident.
The first deployment of the MALBATT 850-12 team, consisting of 220 officers and members of other ranks, began yesterday and will continue in stages until Nov 18 as part of their peacekeeping mission under the UN in Lebanon. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/11/08/six-malaysian-peacekeepers-injured-in-blast-targeting-convoy-near-saida-stadium-lebanon/156164
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India
Salman Khan gets another threat; message sent to Mumbai traffic police helpline; case registered
08.11.24
Another threat has been issued to Bollywood actor Salman Khan, with the sender demanding Rs 5 crore on “behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang”, officials said on Friday.
The threat message was sent to Mumbai traffic police’s WhatsApp helpline on Thursday night, an official said.
The sender of the message threatened the actor and demanded Rs 5 crore, claiming it was being made on behalf of the Bishnoi gang. Besides, the individual also threatened the lyricist of the song ‘Main Sikandar Hoon’, the official said.
On a complaint by traffic officials, the Worli police have registered a case and launched a probe, he said.
In the past few weeks, the traffic police helpline has received many threat messages for Salman Khan.
Khan had earlier received death threats from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. While Bishnoi himself is lodged in Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati jail in cases including attempted murder and extortion, suspected members of his gang opened fire outside the actor’s Bandra home in April.
Weeks after that, Navi Mumbai Police claimed to have uncovered a plot by the Bishnoi gang to kill Khan while on his way to his farmhouse at Panvel near Mumbai.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/salman-khan-gets-another-threat-from-lawrence-bishnoi-gang-message-sent-to-mumbai-traffic-police-helpline-case-registered/cid/2061534
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In a first, India holds talks with Taliban; MEA official meets Mullah Omar’s son in Kabul
November 7, 2024
In a significant diplomatic move, India held its first talks with the Taliban administration of Afghanistan. MEA joint secretary J P Singh discussed India and Afghanistan relations with Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, the son of the former supreme leader of the group and emir of Afghanistan and the acting defence minister.
According to a report by the Times of India, Singh, who is responsible for the handling of matters pertaining to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, travelled to Kabul on Wednesday to hold the meeting with Yaqub.
The Indian official also met Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and former Afghan president Hamid Karzai during this visit as India tries to engage more with the country.
Talking about the meeting, the Taliban foreign ministry said, “In this meeting, the two sides emphasized their common desire to expand bilateral relations, especially in the fields of humanitarian cooperation and other issues, and expressed their interest in strengthening further interactions between Afghanistan and India.”
An anonymous Afghan official told TOI that the meeting signals India’s readiness to increase not only its humanitarian support to Afghanistan but also its involvement in reconstruction efforts, despite not formally recognizing the Kabul regime.
Meanwhile, the Taliban, for quite some time, has been urging New Delhi to authorise the appointment of an ambassador from its administration in the Afghan Embassy, saying its ties with India are important.
Source:firstpost.com
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https://www.firstpost.com/world/in-a-first-india-holds-talks-with-taliban-mea-official-meets-mullah-omars-son-in-kabul-13833157.html
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Congress anti-Hindu, 'B-Team of Muslim League': BJP's Nitesh Rane
Nov 07, 2024
Nitesh Rane, the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate from Maharashtra's Kankavli, called the Congress party the B-Team of the Muslim League. He also called the party "anti-Hindu".
"We saw Congress' manifesto yesterday, it is a copy of the manifesto of BJP and Mahayuti. Rahul Gandhi should have clarified yesterday how many guarantees the Congress govt in Karnataka and other Congress-ruled states have fulfilled. Before forming the government, Congress gives guarantees, but after forming the government they say there is no budget. Their false guarantees will not work here...Congress is an anti-Hindu party, they are the 'B-team' of Muslim League," he told ANI.
He also supported MNS chief Raj Thackeray's statement over loudspeakers on mosques and called them illegal and a violation of the high court's order.
"Look, the loudspeakers that are installed on mosques are all illegal; they violate the High Court's order. What Raj Thackeray ji is saying, and what every Hindu activist says, is that if there is to be religious harmony in Maharashtra, and if one law is to apply to all religions, then the laws that apply to Hindus must also apply to others. If Hindus are not allowed to play music after 10pm during our festivals like Navratri or Ganesh Chaturthi, then it should be the same for the loudspeakers at mosques, which are often played five times a day," he told ANI.
Rane said that the laws applicable to Hindus should also be applicable to the Muslim community.
"They cannot just come here and play loudspeakers. Therefore, what Raj Thackeray ji is saying, and what we all believe, is that in Maharashtra, law and order must be followed, and the same law that applies to Hindus must also apply to the Muslim community," he added.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole condemned Raj Thackeray's statement.
"It is better to not discuss those who do not accept the Constitutional system. Our Constitution says that everyone can follow their own religion and not take an objection to anyone else's religion. But people who want to create divisions in society on the basis of religion, who do not accept the Constitution - it is better to not talk about them," he said.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections will take place on November 20. The results will be declared on November 23.
In 2019, the BJP won 105 seats, the undivided Shiv Sena secured 56, and Congress 44.
The opposition's MVA alliance, comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) will take on the Mahayuti alliance, which includes Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/congress-anti-hindu-b-team-of-muslim-league-bjps-nitesh-rane-101730975522954.html
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"Loudspeakers on mosques illegal; violate High Court's order": BJP's Nitesh Rane backs Raj Thackeray
Nov 07, 2024
Sindhudurg (Maharashtra) [India], November 7 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (/topic/bjp)) candidate from Kankavli assembly constituency, (/topic/nitesh-rane)Nitesh Rane (/topic/nitesh-rane) on Thursday supported MNS (/topic/mns) chief Raj Thackeray (/topic/raj-thackeray)'s statement over loudspeakers (/topic/loudspeakers) on mosques (/topic/mosques) and called them illegal and a violation of the High Court's order. Reportedly, Raj Thackeray (/topic/raj-thackeray) has said that if given power he would ensure that no mosque in Maharashtra has loudspeakers (/topic/loudspeakers). Speaking to ANI, Rane said, "Look, the loudspeakers (/topic/loudspeakers) that are installed on mosques (/topic/mosques) are all illegal; they violate the High Court's order. What Raj Thackeray (/topic/raj-thackeray) ji is saying, and what every Hindu activist says, is that if there is to be religious harmony in Maharashtra, and if one law is to apply to all religions, then the laws that apply to Hindus must also apply to others. If indus are not allowed to play music after 10pm during our festivals like Navratri or Ganesh Chaturthi, then it should be the same for the loudspeakers (/topic/loudspeakers) at mosques (/topic/mosques), which are often played five times a day." Rane said that the laws applicable to Hindus should also be applicable to the Muslim community. "They cannot just come here and play loudspeakers (/topic/loudspeakers). Therefore, what Raj Thackeray (/topic/rajthackeray) ji is saying, and what we all believe, is that in Maharashtra, law and order must be followed, and the same law that applies to Hindus must also apply to the Muslim community," he added. Maharashtra Congress President & party's candidate from Sakoli, Nana Patole (/topic/nana-patole) condemned Thackeray's statement, asserting that the Constitution guarantees the right to follow one's religion. Speaking to ANI, Patole said, "It is better to not discuss those who do not accept the Constitutional system. Our Constitution says that everyone can follow thei r own religion and not take an objection to anyone else's religion. But people who want to create divisions in society on the basis of religion, who do not accept Constitution - it is better to not talk about them." (ANI) Source:aninews.in
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/loudspeakers-on-mosques-illegal-violate-high-courts-order-bjps-nitesh-rane-backs-raj-thackeray20241107144515/
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Kerala: CM Pinarayi Vijayan alleges Priyanka contesting Wayanad bypoll with Jamaat-e-Islami support
08.11.24
Kerala Chief Minister and veteran Marxist leader Pinarayi Vijayan intensified his attack on the Congress, alleging that its general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, is contesting the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election with the backing of Jamaat-e-Islami.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Vijayan claimed that by-election in Wayanad has "exposed the Congress party's secular mask completely." "Priyanka Gandhi is running as a candidate there with the backing of Jamaat-e-Islami. So, what exactly is Congress's stance? Our country is not unfamiliar with Jamaat-e-Islami. Does that organisation's ideology align with democratic values?," he asked.
Stating that Jamaat-e-Islami does not value the nation or its democracy and disregards the nation’s governance structure, Vijayan said the organisation was operating under the guise of political involvement through the Welfare Party, and this facade was evident in Jammu and Kashmir.
The chief minister alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami had long opposed elections in Jammu and Kashmir, promoting strong sectarian positions. "Later, they aligned themselves with the BJP (in Kashmir)," he said.
Referring to the recent elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Vijayan claimed that Jamaat-e-Islami planned to contest three or four seats there, ultimately focusing on the seat where CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami was standing.
"The goal was to defeat Tarigami, and the BJP shared this objective. However, despite this alliance of extremists and the BJP, the people chose Tarigami," the CPI(M) veteran said.
He said the Jamaat-e-Islami in Wayanad claims they are different from the Jamaat-e-Islami in Kashmir. "However, the ideology remains the same--one that does not accept any form of democratic governance. This time, they feel like supporting the Congress-led UDF," he said.
Targeting the Congress, Vijayan asked, "Shouldn't those who stand for secularism oppose all forms of sectarianism?" "Can the Congress do that? The Congress and allies, including the Muslim League, seem to be making certain 'sacrifices' to maintain their alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. Can the Congress reject Jamaat-e-Islami's votes?," he asked.
The CPI(M) Politburo member urged Congress leaders to recall a statement by the late Marxist leader EMS Namboodiripad, highlighting his firm stance against communal alliances.
He said in a by-election in Thalassery, EMS had openly stated, "We do not want RSS votes." Referring to this example, Vijayan questioned whether Congress could take a similarly principled stand.
Vijayan made similar allegations while addressing a by-election meeting in support of the Left candidate in Wayanad, CPI's Sathyan Mokeri.
Kozhikode Corporation Councillor Navya Haridas is the BJP candidate in the hill constituency.
The Wayanad by-election was triggered after Rahul Gandhi, who won seats in both Wayanad and Raebareli, chose to vacate the Wayanad seat. The by-election will be held on November 13.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/kerala-chief-minister-pinarayi-vijayan-alleges-priyanka-gandhi-contesting-wayanad-bypoll-with-jamaat-e-islami-support/cid/2061497
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UP court orders demolition of 60-yr-old mosque for ‘encroaching on pond’
Nov 7, 2024,
Meerut: A court in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, has ordered the demolition of a 60-year-old mosque that was allegedly "constructed on encroached pond land" in the Baraut area. It also imposed a Rs 4.2 lakh fine on the mosque's trustee. The order came after a directive from the Allahabad high court mandating resolution of the matter within a 90-day period.
Abhishek Kumar Singh, a district official, told TOI on Thursday, "On July 29, the HC directed the Baghpat administration to register a case and conclude the proceedings within a specific time. We complied with the directive and ordered demolition of the mosque. The tehsil court has now given the mosque trustee 30 days to either comply with the order to remove the structure or challenge the decision in a higher court."
The case came to light when Mohd Gulshar Malik, a Baraut resident, filed a writ petition in the HC, urging action against the alleged encroachment. Malik said, "Before filing the petition, I submitted several applications to the district administration, but the previous officials took no action. I even lodged complaints on the Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGRS) and CM portal, but false reports were submitted in all cases. Eventually, we approached the HC."
He added, "The mosque is very old, but the pond was encroached upon in 2005 during the mosque's expansion. I managed to obtain govt documents related to the land."
According to the court's findings, evidence presented during the inquiry indicated that the "religious structure was illegally built on talabh (pond) land." The court subsequently instructed the district administration to take the "necessary measures."
The court's ruling highlighted that the land in question was classified as "talabh" in revenue department records. Meanwhile, the mutawalli (manager) of the mosque said he will appeal the decision in a higher court.
Source:indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/meerut/uttar-pradesh-court-orders-demolition-of-60-year-old-mosque-for-pond-encroachment/articleshow/115059714.cms
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SDPI protests against portrayal of Muslims in Amaran
November 08, 2024
The members of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) on Thursday staged a protest outside the office of actor and producer Kamal Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International, which produced the film Amaran, starring Sivakarthikeyan, for allegedly portraying Muslims in a bad light.
Around 150 SDPI cadre gathered in Alwarpet and raised slogans against the film. The police intensified security around the location. The protesters said the Tamil Nadu government should not support the film and demanded an immediate ban. They also burned an effigy of Mr. Haasan. The protest was held on the actor’s birthday.
A.K. Kareem, State secretary, SDPI, said: “The film Amaran is thrusting anti-minority sentiments among the people, and it is not a complete biopic. On the contrary, the film was made to sow hatred against Muslims. So, we strongly condemn it. Earlier, Mr. Haasan made the film Vishwaroopam, which also had elements of hatred towards Muslims.”
Source:thehindu.com
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/sdpi-protests-bad-portrayal-of-muslims-in-amaran/article68841537.ece
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Communal tension in Uttarakhand town after Muslim man posts allegedly explicit video of woman online
Nov 07, 2024
A Muslim man has been arrested in the Paithani area of Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district for allegedly sharing explicit photos and videos of a 21-year-old woman on social media, reported PTI on Wednesday.
The news agency did not clarify which faith the woman belongs to.
The man, identified as 24-year-old Shahnawaz Mirza, reportedly owns a barbershop in the Paithani village. He has been booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.
After the arrest, Muslim shopkeepers in the area kept their establishments closed on Wednesday.
Sufficient police force had been deployed in Paithani after the incident, PTI quoted unidentified officials as saying.
The news agency quoted a senior superintendent of police as saying that the woman’s brother-in-law had filed a complaint against Mirza at the Paithani police station on Tuesday.
The relative claimed that the woman had left home without notifying anyone.
The police reportedly traced the woman to the town of Kotdwar. On being found, she told them that Mirza had shared explicit photos and videos of her on the social media platform Facebook, prompting her to flee her home, fearing public disgrace.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Pauri Garhwal district senior vice president Lakhpat Singh Bhandari visited Paithani and claimed that residents had given authorities a two-day ultimatum to file charges of forced religious conversion, rape, kidnapping and blackmail against Mirza.
Source:scroll.in
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https://scroll.in/latest/1075359/communal-tension-in-uttarakhand-town-after-muslim-man-posts-allegedly-explicit-video-of-woman-online
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Waqf row: Parliament panel chief visits Karnataka amid BJP's land jihad charge
Nov 7, 2024
The Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Jagdambika Pal, met with farmer delegations in Karnataka on Thursday following claims that some lands in the state were marked as Waqf properties without the owners' consent. The BJP has labelled these actions as ‘land jihad’.
Pal said he’s in the southern state "for a fact-finding visit". BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who petitioned Pal to address the farmers’ grievances, had announced the visit on social media. The visit includes stops in Hubballi, Vijayapura, and Belagavi to meet with affected farmers and other stakeholders.
"The farmers of north Karnataka...they handed over one memorandum saying that a piece of land which was belonging to them, Waqf Board is claiming it is theirs," Pal told news agency ANI. He added that some farmers claimed to have held these lands for "more than 50-70 years."
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar dismissed the BJP's 'land jihad' charge against the Congress government and protests over it as "political drama" and claimed, "BJP themselves started this in 2019â€æBut my government is committed, we will not change any record... They are trying to put the blame on us."
Shivakumar argued that the parliamentary committee lacks authority to interfere in state land issues, stating, “JPC doesn’t have any powers to enter; they might have come for their political purposes.”
Pal’s trip has also been met with pushback from some opposition lawmakers on the panel, who alleged that it was conducted unilaterally, without committee consultation.
“This is just an example where the chairperson has decided to take this trip alone, which has not been mandated by the committee while the official trip will come later,” an opposition MP told India Today TV on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje tweeted her support, saying, "This ‘land terrorism’ must end! I request the Chairman to listen to our farmers and Swamijis and find a permanent solution."
The entire parliamentary committee is scheduled to visit multiple cities, including Lucknow and Hyderabad, from November 9 to November 14 to meet with stakeholders and prepare a report on the contentious issue.
Source:indiatoday.in
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https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/waqf-row-joint-parliamentary-committee-chief-visits-karnataka-bjp-farmers-land-jihad-2629586-2024-11-07
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Two village defence guards abducted and killed as militants break Jammu lull
Muzaffar Raina
08.11.24
Two village defence guards were abducted and killed by militants in Jammu’s Kishtwar district on Thursday.
The Kashmir Tigers militant group has claimed responsibility for the killings. The attack came after a weeks-long lull in militant attacks in the Jammu region, the period marked by a spurt in attacks in Kashmir.
The village defence guards are civilian counter-insurgency militia who play a key role in countering militancy in Jammu’s 10 districts. There are more than 30,000 village defence guards, who are armed with sophisticated arms. Officials identified the slain men as Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar, both killed in the Ooli Kuntwara forests of Kishtwar district.
The Kashmir Tigers claimed that the two were killed after they continued to chase the duo despite warnings. A viral photograph on social media shows the two blindfolded and their hands tied from behind.
Police are yet to officially confirm the killing or authenticate the photograph which also shows the two were bleeding profusely from face and nose. While militant attacks had abated for weeks in Jammu, security forces killed three militants in Akhnoor on October 29. The attack came on a day the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly saw a heated exchange of words between the BJP and the National Conference.
Kishtwar BJP MLA Shagun Parihar, in multiple interviews during the day, said that the BJP had hammered the final nail in the coffin of Article 370, “burying it for good, and now its return is impossible under any circumstances”, adding that it had brought peace to the Union Territory.
In April, militants killed a village defence guard member, Mohammad Shareef, 48, a resident of Lower Ponar at Basantgarh in Udhampur.
Reacting to a grenade attack in Srinagar on Sunday, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah had written on X: “The last few days have been dominated by headlines of attacks and encounters in parts of the Valley. Today’s news of a grenade attack on innocent shoppers at the ‘Sunday market’ in Srinagar is deeply disturbing. There can be no justification for targeting innocent civilians. The security apparatus must do everything possible to end this spurt of attacks at the earliest so that people can go about their lives without any fear.”
The attacks in Jammu have increased after the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 9, leaving 10 security force personnel and nine pilgrims dead and dozens injured.
Four die in accident
Four persons, including a minor, died and two others were injured when a vehicle skidded off the road and rolled into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Thursday, officials said.
The SUV skidded off the road, rolled down a hill, and plunged into a deep gorge in Ganjote of Mahore after the driver lost control, they said. Three persons died on the spot, while three others suffered injuries and were rushed to a hospital, they said.
After receiving first aid, the injured were referred to the district hospital in Reasi, where one of the three injured succumbed to his injuries.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/two-village-defence-guards-abducted-and-killed-as-militants-break-jammu-lull/cid/2061419
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Shah Rukh Khan after Salman Khan. Threats to filmstars return to Bollywood
07.11.24
Bombay in the 1980s and 90s was different from what it is today. The underworld, three different gangs, run by Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Rajan and Arun Gawli, held a firm grip over the city. Bollywood, a cash cow, was an obvious target for extortion and intimidation.
High-profile actors, directors, and producers regularly faced threats, often having to comply with the demands of these mob bosses. Some like Gulshan Kumar even lost their lives to the violence.
With the coercive actions of the cops, some of whom killed at will, and Dawood and Rajan’s flight from the city, led to a long lull in this atmosphere of fear pervading over Bollywood.
But these threats to filmstars seem to have returned. The latest is Shah Rukh Khan, who received a death threat on Tuesday, which has led to Mumbai police launching a thorough investigation on Thursday.
This comes amidst repeated threats to Salman Khan by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, following the assassination of his friend and politician, Baba Siddique. Siddique was a friend of Shah Rukh Khan too.
Here is a look at Bollywood celebrities who have received threats from gangsters over the years.
Gulshan Kumar
Gulshan Kumar's rise from running a juice stall at Delhi’s Paharganj area to becoming the person who revolutionised India’s music industry with T-series, is nothing short of a dream. In 1997, Kumar received a call from Abu Salem, one of Dawood Ibrahim’s close associates, demanding a sum of ₹10 crore. Kumar refused to pay heed to the pressures of the underworld. On August 12, 1997, he was shot dead outside a temple in Andheri, Mumbai—a moment that shocked Bollywood. Music director Nadeem reportedly played a role in the murder. It exposed the harsh reality of underworld influence on the industry.
Rakesh Roshan
After the phenomenal success of Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, which launched his son Hrithik Roshan to stardom, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan found himself in the crosshairs of Mumbai’s underworld. In January 2000, as he stepped out of his office in Santacruz, Mumbai, two gunmen ambushed him, opening fire and injuring him. Thanks to his driver’s swift response in rushing him to the hospital, Roshan survived.
The attack was reportedly driven by his refusal to share overseas profits from the blockbuster. The assailants, later identified as Sunil Vithal Gaikwad and Sachin Kamble, were linked to Bahrain-based gangster Ali Budesh.
Budesh had gained notoriety for challenging Dawood Ibrahim’s influence and aligning with UP don Subhash Singh Thakur, solidifying his control over parts of Mumbai’s underworld. Four years later, Roshan continued to receive threats, highlighting the enduring influence of organised crime over Bollywood’s elite.
Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt’s association with underworld figures has been the subject of much scrutiny and controversy. Over the years, he has reportedly received multiple threats, some from notorious gangsters like Abu Salem during the late 1990s. Dutt’s turbulent history highlights how actors in Bollywood can become targets because of their past connections.
The period from 2000 to 2010 was a lull. Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan’s grip over the city had loosened and Arun Gawli, was into politics, and later behind bars.
But from the 2010s to 2020, another gangster, Ravi Pujari gained infamy.
Sajid Nadiadwala
In April 2010, members of the Ejaz Lakdawala gang stormed into producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s office, issuing threats and demanding money. Following this incident, Nadiadwala was given police protection, a stark reminder that even Bollywood’s powerhouses were not immune from intimidation by criminal elements.
Vivek Oberoi
In 2011, Vivek Oberoi and his family faced threat calls from the underworld. Oberoi’s father, veteran actor Suresh Oberoi, went to the authorities, highlighting the persistent fears that stalk even lesser-connected celebrities.
Sohail Khan and Ritesh Sidhwani
Actors and producers Sohail Khan and Ritesh Sidhwani both were victims of threats from gangster Ravi Pujari in September 2011. Each filed separate complaints with the police, an indication that the reach of underworld threats continued to pervade even those beyond the frontline stars, casting a shadow over the broader Bollywood fraternity.
Karan Johar
The celebrated director-producer Karan Johar received extortion demands from an unknown source via text in September 2013. The Mumbai police assigned armed guards to protect him.
Ram Gopal Verma
Famed for his realistic portrayals of Mumbai’s underworld, Ram Gopal Verma became a target of people who he directed on screen in July 2013. He received a call demanding that he alter parts of his movie Satya 2, a movie based on the Mumbai underworld.
Amitabh Bachchan
The legendary Amitabh Bachchan received a bomb threat in August 2022 that left Mumbai police scrambling. A caller claimed to have planted a bomb near Bachchan’s residence, causing a flurry of security activity until the threat was proven false.
Akshay Kumar
Actor Akshay Kumar, one of Bollywood’s highest-paid stars, was reportedly threatened by gangster Ravi Pujar in 2013i. The incident highlighted how even Bollywood’s most established names face the prospect of threats, despite their influence and stature in the industry.
These tales from Bollywood reveal a dark side to stardom, where fame and glamour come intertwined with danger. Bollywood’s stars, adored by millions, walk a fine line between reverence and risk.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/gallery/shah-rukh-khan-after-salman-khan-threats-to-filmstars-return-to-bollywood-photogallery/cid/2061383?slide=10
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Pakistan
FO dismisses speculation that Trump will influence, pressurise Pakistan’s internal politics
Abdullah Momand
November 7, 2024
Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday dismissed speculations that US president-elect Donald Trump would try to “influence or pressurise Pakistan’s internal politics”.
Republican candidate Trump on Wednesday triumphed in a stunning US election victory over Democrat rival Kamala Harris.
Soon after Trump started his election campaign for the 2024 race, unsubstantiated reports began circulating on social media, stating that if Trump were to win the US presidential election, it would bring favourable outcomes for Imran Khan and US-Pakistan relations.
However, senior PTI leader and former central spokesman, Raoof Hassan, has asserted that no one in the party had ever thought that Imran would be released if Trump won the US elections. Calling the narrative “mere propaganda”, Hassan said that Khan’s release would only materialise after the PTI sat across the table and held dialogue with the powerful establishment in the country.
During a weekly press briefing of the foreign ministry on Thursday, Baloch was asked whether Trump, after becoming the president, would influence Pakistan’s internal politics and whether the Pakistan government would possibly be pressurised by his administration.
“We see this as speculative reporting, and as I just said, Pakistan and the United States are old friends and partners, and we will continue to pursue our relations on the basis of mutual respect, mutual confidence and non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs,” Baloch responded.
She went on to say that Pakistan’s relations with the US were decades old and the country was looking forward to further strengthening and broadening the relationship in all fields.
“As the deputy prime minister said in a tweet yesterday, we look forward to fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation between Pakistan and the United States.”
Pakistan and the United States established diplomatic relations on August 15, 1947, making the US one of the first nations to recognise Pakistan. The two countries have had a multi-faceted relationship for decades in areas ranging from counter-terrorism to energy to trade and investment.
The US approach towards Pakistan has been called largely “paradoxical” due to varying US interests in the region. While the countries have continued to foster bilateral ties, the constant ups and downs reflect that their relations remain unpredictable when it comes to serving national interests.
In September, US President Joe Biden emphasised that an enduring partnership between Pakistan and the United States was crucial for global and regional stability.
“The enduring partnership between our countries is crucial for global and regional stability,” Biden said in his brief remarks, commending US-Pakistan cooperation in countering terrorism and stressing the importance of building on their shared interests in security, trade, investment, and economic growth.
FO concerned for Kashmiri leader’s deteriorating health
The spokesperson also expressed concern over the deteriorating health of imprisoned Kashmiri leader Muhammad Yasin Malik — former chief of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) sentenced to life imprisonment by an Indian court last year — who went on a hunger strike last week.
Malik had refused to accept a government-appointed lawyer or to defend himself against the charges.
The 57-year-old is a chronic heart patient who requires lifelong anticoagulants and regular INR testing following a heart valve replacement surgery in 1992.
During the press briefing today, the FO spokesperson said, “We are concerned about the reports of deteriorating health of Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik as he observes a hunger strike in protest for the poor conditions and insufficient medical care in New Delhi’s Tihar jail.”
“After being framed in fictitious cases, Malik remains incarcerated for the last several years and is facing a death sentence,” she stated urging “Indian authorities to provide quality medical care to Malik and immediately release him.”
Baloch reiterated Pakistan’s “political, diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiri brothers and sisters for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.”
Earlier this week, JKLF expressed deep concern over the deteriorating health of its imprisoned chairman stating that he had been unjustly targeted by the Modi-led government.
Second Arab-Islamic Summit
FO announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit Saudi Arabia to participate in the second joint Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh on November 11.
“The summit is being convened at the initiative of the government of Saudi Arabia to discuss the situation in the Middle East,” the spokesperson said.
Baloch stated that heads of states, governments, and senior officials from the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation member countries are expected to participate in the summit.
“At the summit, the PM will reiterate Pakistan’s full support to the Palestinian cause,” calling for an immediate end to the “genocide in Gaza” and “ongoing Israeli adventurism in the region that is endangering the security of the countries in the Middle East.”
COP 29 visit
PM will visit Baku, Azerbaijan to participate in the World Leaders Climate Action Summit at COP 29 taking place on Nov 12 to 13, FO spokesperson stated.
“As part of the 29th UN climate change conference, the PM will be accompanied by foreign minister Ishaq Dar, other cabinet members and senior officials,” Baloch said.
She added, “PM will make a robust call for climate solidarity and climate justice based on the established principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.”
Gaza
FO welcomed United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese’s latest report which called out Israel for “a systematic agenda of forced displacement, annihilation and genocide” in Gaza and the West Bank.
According to Baloch, the report highlights how “Israel has been committing genocide against the Palestinian people through acts of territorial expansion and ethnic cleansing.”
While endorsing Albanese’s stance on Israel obstructing international investigation efforts, the FO spokesperson affirmed Pakistan’s support in urging the international community to act “in bringing an end to Israel’s unbridled atrocity against the Palestinians and ensure unhindered humanitarian assistance to Gaza and full financing and protection of United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)”.
Baloch said, “Pakistan calls for an immediate secession of hostilities in Gaza, Palestine and Lebanon, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and unhindered humanitarian access and health care to those in urgent need.”
Source:dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1870730/fo-dismisses-speculation-that-trump-will-influence-pressurise-pakistans-internal-politics
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Pakistan eyes strong ties with Trump admin
Baqir Sajjad Syed
November 8, 2024
• FO spokesperson says non-interference in domestic matters cornerstone of Pak-US ties
• Believes change in US administration will not affect ties with China, terms relations with Beijing source of stability
• Dismisses talk of pressure for Imran’s release as speculative
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday emphasised that ‘non-interference’ should be the cornerstone of Pakistan-United States ties, expressing the hope for a strengthened relationship under the Trump administration.
Speaking at the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch commented on Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election. She conveyed that Pakistan anticipated its longstanding ties with the US to “further strengthen and broaden” across all sectors under the new leadership.
Ms Baloch noted that President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had already congratulated Donald Trump on his election as the 47th President of the United States. She highlighted Pakistan’s desire for fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation with the US.
Addressing claims that Mr Trump would, upon taking office, pressure Pakistan on domestic matters, such as the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, she dismissed these suggestions as “speculative”.
These claims have been largely promoted by the PTI’s US chapter, which actively supported Trump’s campaign in hopes of securing his support for Imran Khan’s release.
The PTI previously accused the Biden administration of colluding with elements within Pakistan to dismiss his government in 2022 — a claim the outgoing administration consistently denied.
“Pakistan and the United States are old friends and partners, and we will continue to pursue our relationship based on mutual respect, confidence, and non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs,” she asserted.
Although the Biden administration did not respond to requests from US Congressional leaders for pressing Islamabad for the release of political prisoners in Pakistan, it did express concern about alleged irregularities in Pakistan’s elections earlier this year and called for a transparent investigation.
Islamabad viewed a US House of Representatives resolution passed in June, which called for a “full and independent” investigation into alleged election irregularities, as an attempt to “interfere” in its internal affairs.
Relationship with China
The FO spokesperson further affirmed that Mr Trump’s return to the presidency would not impact Pakistan’s close relationship with its ally, China.
Ms Baloch emphasised that Pakistan-China relations have historically been unaffected by international developments, adding that a “domestic development in another country” would likely not alter this dynamic.
She described Pakistan’s relationship with China as “all-weather”, “strategic”, and a “source of stability in our foreign policy”.
The US views China as its primary long-term strategic adversary, and tensions between Washington and Beijing remain high over issues like trade, technology, Taiwan, and the South China Sea.
For Pakistan, balancing its relationships with both the US and China requires careful diplomacy amid these global dynamics.
PM’s visit to Saudi Arabia
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to visit Saudi Arabia to participate in the second Joint Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh on Nov 11, Baloch said. The summit will follow a preparatory session of the Council of Foreign Ministers on Nov 10.
The summit will focus on addressing the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, with specific attention to the situation in Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories. This year’s gathering builds upon discussions from the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit held on Nov 11, last year, also in Riyadh, which highlighted the situation in Gaza.
During the summit, PM Shehbaz will reaffirm Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause. He is expected to call for an immediate end to the genocide in Gaza, advocating for an urgent, unconditional ceasefire to halt the ongoing hostilities that threaten regional stability. Pakistan will also stress the need for international protection for Palestinian civilians and urge for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Pakistan has also expressed support for the report from United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, which condemned Israel for pursuing a “systematic agenda of forced displacement, annihilation, and genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza.
Source:dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1870912
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Quetta administration denies PTI's rally request
By Nadeem Kausar
November 08, 2024
QUETTA/ SWABI: Despite a "court order," the Quetta administration on Friday refused to allow the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to organise a public gathering in the district due to security concerns.
The PTI had announced to stage a rally on Saturday at Quetta's Hockey Ground and sent a request to the city administration in this regard.
Quetta Deputy Commissioner Saad bin Asad asked the PTI to defer its plan of gathering people, citing issues related to the law and order in the city this month.
Saad said examinations of public service commission were being held at the Ayub National Stadium. Whereas, he said, various games were being played in the Hockey Ground.
The DC warned those who violated the orders would face the music.
A PTI’s provincial spokesperson said the court had obliged the local administration to provide a place for the rally. However, he said, the DC was employing delaying tactics in giving permission despite the court directive.
On the other hand, the PTI is prepping to hold a public gathering in Service Area, near Swabi Interchange. The rally was announced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur last Saturday.
Announcing a modification in the PTI’s power show scheduled for November 8 in Peshawar, Gandapur said on November 2 that the public meeting would be held on November 9 at Swabi Interchange before announcing a "final call" to get rid of the incumbent government.
Gandapur had made the announcement while addressing a press conference outside Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail after meeting PTI founder Imran Khan, saying that they were done being peaceful which resulted in torture and arrest of the PTI workers despite not responding to the harsh actions of the authorities.
District President Suhail Yousufzai said 10-15,000 chairs were being placed for the party supporters.
He said PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, the KP chief minister, National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, Asad Qaiser and other leaders would address the gathering.
“The chief minister will announce the next course of action in the rally,” he said.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1248729-quetta-administration-denies-ptis-rally-request-citing-security-concerns
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KP House 'raid': Gandapur-led govt to take legal action against Islamabad police chief
By Arooba Ibrahim & Rasool Dawar & Shakeel Farman Ali
November 07, 2024
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur administration has decided to register a first information report (FIR) against the Islamabad inspector general of police (IGP) for "raiding" the KP House in the federal capital during the PTI’s D-Chowk protest last month.
The decision was taken by the provincial cabinet in a session chaired by CM Gandapur to book Islamabad IGP Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi along with 600 police officials "under sections of terrorism, vandalism, and theft" for allegedly conducting a raid at KP House in the federal capital.
During the session, a report was presented before the cabinet members to highlight damages to the KP House during the police "raid", amounting to more than Rs10 million, including several expensive items belonging to the KP chief minister and provincial lawmakers vanished from the building, sources told Geo News.
KP CM's brother and a Member of the National Assembly (MNA), Faisal Amin Gandapur, told Geo News that they moved to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to register an FIR against the Islamabad police chief.
He announced that the FIR would be based on opinions from the KP law secretary and legal experts, adding that the case would be filed against the Islamabad IGP at all costs.
Adviser to the Chief Minister on Information Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif and KP Minister for Public Health Engineering Pakhtoon Yar Khan have also confirmed the development to Geo News, pointing towards legal action against those who violated the law by raiding the KP House.
The provincial minister claimed the case would be filed against the federal capital’s top cop and others for “vandalism, terrorism, and theft”.
KP Advocate General Shah Faisal Uthmankhel further detailed that under Article 179, FIR would be filed in the jurisdiction of a crime scene, whereas, in some scenarios, cases were also filed outside the prescribed limits.
Speaking to Geo News, the lawyer claimed that some FIRs had been registered in KP of incidents that took place in a foreign country.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) firebrand politician and KP CM Gandapur had blamed the Islamabad police for "raiding" the KP House, a provincial government’s residence in the federal capital, during the party's Islamabad protest which saw clashes between law enforcers and workers from the Imran Khan-founded party last month.
During the former ruling party's protest, Gandapur went into self-imposed hiding and later resurfaced in the provincial assembly after a daylong disappearance and demanded the Centre to immediately remove the Islamabad IGP for raiding the KP House.
The KP chief executive said that he remained hidden on the rooftop of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House building for about four hours before exiting the building by jumping the wall in the darkness.
Gandapur claimed that he had witnessed ransacking, beating of provincial police personnel and other staff in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House at the hands of Rangers who "had not only violated the sanctity of the Pakhtunkhwa House but also insulted the entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was an integral part of the federation of Pakistan".
Source:thenews.com.pk
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Interior minister assures Chinese envoy of additional security measures for citizens
November 07, 2024
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday assured Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong of additional security measures for the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan.
The minister, during a meeting at the Chinese embassy in Islamabad, expressed solidarity with Ambassador Zaidong over an incident which saw two Chinese citizens being injured after being shot by a security guard in Karachi.
The foreign nationals were wounded after they were fired upon at a textile mill in Karachi's Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (Site) area.
Moving on, the security czar highlighted that Pakistan prioritises the well-being and security of Chinese citizens, particularly those working on projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The minister also briefed the ambassador on the incident's details, assured him of a swift, transparent investigation and reiterated Pakistan's commitment to ensuring justice.
Addressing concerns surrounding the security of CPEC projects, Naqvi affirmed that Pakistan is taking "all possible measures" to protect Chinese citizens and assets linked to CPEC.
Underscoring security protocols for creating a safe and stable environment, especially in regions where Chinese nationals reside or work, he said: "We fully agree with the Chinese approach of combining development with security, and we will ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and projects as a top priority".
Security forces were actively working to bolster protective measures, particularly in Karachi, to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future, Naqvi noted.
The minister's meeting with the Chinese envoy comes a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the incident of firing on Chinese nationals during his visit to Beijing's embassy.
The PM said instructions have already been issued to provide the best medical facilities to the injured and that he was personally monitoring the investigation process to ensure that those responsible for the attack are brought to justice.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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PM to attend Arab Islamic moot before COP29
November 8, 2024
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan next week to attend the Second Joint Arab Islamic Summit being held in Riyadh and World Leaders Climate Action Summit in Baku.
The prime minister will visit Saudi Arabia to participate in the Arab Islamic Summit being held in Riyadh on Nov 11.
Being convened at the initiative of the Saudi government, the summit will be a follow-up to the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit held on Nov 11, last year in Riyadh to discuss the situation in Gaza and other occupied territories, the FO spokesperson said at her weekly press briefing.
PM Shehbaz will also visit Baku, Azerbaijan, to participate in the World Leaders Climate Action Summit being held on Nov 12-13 as part of the 29th UN Climate Change Conference.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, some cabinet members and senior officials will accompany the prime minister.
COP29 is taking place at a time when millions around the world, including in Pakistan, are facing severe adverse impacts of climate change.
Ramday University
The PM on Thursday laid the foundation stone of Ramday University to be constructed in Thagos, district Ghanche of Gilgit Baltistan. The ground-breaking ceremony was held in Islamabad.
Ramday University is being built under a trust, with construction set to be completed through the donations of overseas Pakistanis.
Addressing the ceremony, the prime minster extended his heartfelt felicitations to retired Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday and his friends on the establishment of the university in Ghanche in Gilgit-Baltistan.
“The efforts of all individuals and the institutions who contributed to the establishment of Ramday University are appreciable,” he added.
Justice Ramday said that Ramday University was being established on a tract measuring 200 kanals.
“Ramday University will be one of the highest universities to be built at one of the world’s highest altitudes,” he said, adding that the university would offer education in subjects such as environmental studies, climate change, hydrology, minerals, and others
Turkish envoy
PM Shehbaz while expressing satisfaction at the growing bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Turkiye, stressed the need to further deepen bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and defence sectors.
The prime minister said this in a meeting with newly-appointed Ambassador of Turkiye to Pakistan Irfan Neziroglu, who called him at the PM House.
The prime minister welcomed Ambassador Neziroglu and said he looked forward to working closely with the ambassador to further strengthen bilateral relations.
The regional situation, particularly in Gaza and the Middle East, also came under discussion.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1870924/pm-to-attend-arab-islamic-moot-before-cop29
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Plans set in motion to clear judicial backlog
Nasir Iqbal P
November 8, 2024
• CJP ropes in experts to clear pending revenue, terror cases; forms committees to expedite over 3,000 tax matters worth Rs97bn
• JCP meets today to pick judges for SHC constitutional bench
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has set in motion plans to clear a backlog of thousands of pending cases before the Supreme Court, and special courts for terrorism and revenue.
In a series of meetings on Thursday, the CJP formed committees comprising judges and experts to devise a plan for clearing 59,435 cases pending in the Supreme Court, including over 3,000 related to revenue and taxation.
The CJP had ordered a “diagnostic study” to devise and execute short- and medium-term plans to clear pending cases, according to an official announcement issued after the meeting.
The strategic plan will be put to public debate and feedback before being finalised.
Professionals from various fields will assess the available resources, the effectiveness of existing court processes, and other challenges before finalising a “workable reform plan with timelines and impact assessment mechanism”.
The proposed interventions will focus on reducing case backlog by improving accessibility and transparency, simplification of processes, technological integration and public-centric approach within the existing legal framework.
In one of the meetings, CJP Afridi expressed concerns over the 3,496 pending tax and revenue matters in the Supreme Court, which have stalled the recovery of Rs97 billion, the statement added.
Emphasising the need for realistic actions, the CJP stressed the importance of swiftly deciding the pending cases and asked the stakeholders to stop the filing of needless cases before the Supreme Court.
The top judge called for shortening the duration of tax cases by not granting unnecessary stays and adjournments.
He also stressed that the government and lawyers should play an active role in clearing the backlog of fiscal cases.
The CJP sought “active assistance” from the Bar and sought recommendations for fixing tax cases as per the lawyers’ convenience for swift adjudication.
He also emphasised the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms in fiscal cases.
During the meeting, the Law and Justice Commission presented a plan, aligned with global best practices, to quickly dispose of fiscal cases.
The plan’s key components included stakeholders’ engagements and structured measures to speed up adjudication and the formation of a high-level committee.
The committee will evaluate the existing practices, integrate successful global strategies, employ ADR methods, enhance FBR’s legal capabilities and finalise TORs to guide efficient resolution of tax cases.
Taking up the recommendation, the CJP constituted a committee that included SC Registrar Muhammad Salim Khan, tax experts Asim Zulfiqar Ali and Imtiaz Ahmed Khan, and a senior FBR official.
Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan will support the committee, while tax expert Sher Shah Khan will serve as the committee’s coordinator.
The committee will submit recommendations for reforms to swiftly decide fiscal cases.
It will also propose strategies for categorising fiscal cases, reducing backlogs, and reducing case duration from the initial to the appellate stage.
The initiative will prioritise fiscal cases, make the judicial system more efficient and support economic growth and effective revenue collection.
The meeting, headed by the CJP, was attended by FBR chairman and other officials, tax experts, industrialists, attorney general and secretaries of law and finance ministries.
Pending cases in ATCs
Another meeting, led by the CJP, reviewed the performance of Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATC) and deliberated upon key challenges to ensure the swift and efficient dispensation of justice in terrorism cases, the statement added.
The meeting was attended by ATC monitoring judges from Supreme Court justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Musarrat Hilali, Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan; provincial oversight judges; prosecutors general from all four provinces and Islamabad.
During the meeting, CJP Afridi outlined the need to assess the current status of pending cases in ATC and identify barriers to the efficient delivery of justice.
The meeting was told that 2,273 ATC cases were currently pending across the country, with a significant portion, 1,372, awaiting resolution in Sindh alone.
The CJP expressed concern over the backlog and emphasised the importance of expediting the cases to ensure swift justice.
The meeting also discussed key challenges faced by ATCs, including adequate security for witnesses, facilitating online appearances for witnesses, enhancing the forensic capacity of courts to support evidence-based decisions and creating additional courts.
He issued directions for the forensic lab in Sindh to help authorities in Balochistan to operationalise similar labs in Quetta.
He called upon the attorney general and prosecutors general to take up the issues faced by ATCs with their respective governments and called for coordinated action to address the paucity of resources.
JCP meeting
A meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) will take place today (Friday) to discuss the formation of a constitutional bench at the Sindh High Court (SHC).
The meeting will be held in line with a resolution passed by the Sindh Assembly to form the constitutional bench in the province.
The JCP may nominate SHC judges as members of the constitutional bench in the province.
In another development, the CJP, who also heads the Board of Governors of the Federal Judicial Academy, appointed former Supreme Court registrar Jazeela Aslam as the academy’s senior director of administration. Ms Aslam will serve at the post for the remaining period of her deputation to the SC.
She was a district and sessions judge, serving under the Lahore High Court, when former chief justice Qazi Faez Isa brought her to the apex court and made her registrar on Sept 17, 2023.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1870907/plans-set-in-motion-to-clear-judicial-backlog
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Mideast
Residents of Israeli settlement ‘Trump Heights’ welcome Donald’s return to US presidency
November 08, 2024
RAMAT TRUMP, Golan Heights: Israeli residents of “Trump Heights” are welcoming the election of their namesake, hoping Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency will breathe new life into this tiny, remote settlement in the central Golan Heights.
During his first term, Trump became the first and only foreign leader to recognize Israel’s control of the Golan, which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel thanked him by rebranding this outpost after him.
But a large-scale influx of new residents never materialized after that 2019 ceremony, and just a couple dozen families live in Trump Heights, or “Ramat Trump” in Hebrew. Job opportunities are limited, and Israel’s more than yearlong war against Hezbollah militants in nearby Lebanon has added to the sense of isolation.
Trump’s election has inspired hope in the community that it will attract more members and also more funding for security improvements.
“Maybe it can raise more awareness and maybe some support to help here and help our kids here,” said Yarden Freimann, Trump Heights’ community manager.
Ori Kallner, head of the Golan’s regional council, showed off dozens of plots of land, replete with new asphalt roads, lampposts and utility lines, that residents have prepared for future housing developments.
“President Trump’s return to the White House definitely puts the town in the headlines,” he said.
Hanging on while war rages nearby
Kallner stood next to a metal statue of an eagle and a menorah, symbolizing the United States and Israel, as Israeli warplanes flew overhead. Two explosions from rockets fired from Lebanon punched the hills nearby, and just across the border in Lebanon, plumes of smoke rose into the air from Israeli airstrikes.
An enormous sign with the settlement’s name in Hebrew and English gleamed in the sun, while two large sunbaked metal flags of Israel and the United States were faded almost beyond recognition.
Surrounded by ashen ruins of villages fled by Syrians in the 1967 war, the town is perched above the Hula Valley, where Israel has amassed tanks, artillery and troops for its fight in Lebanon. Most towns in the valley have been evacuated. Trump Heights sends its kids to a makeshift daycare in a nearby settlement after the government shuttered all schools in the region in the wake of the Oct. 1 invasion of Lebanon.
“We find ourselves hanging by our fingernails to be in our own community, not be evacuated, and on the other hand, we cannot work, we cannot send our kids to any kind of an education system,” said Freimann.
Trump Heights is only about 12 kilometers from Lebanon and Syria. Alerts for incoming fire gives residents about 30 seconds’ head start to get to a bomb shelter.
Trump broke with other leaders on the Golan Heights
Israel annexed the Golan, a strategic plateau overlooking northern Israel, in 1981 in a move that is not internationally recognized.
That changed in March 2019 when Trump, without notice, tweeted that the US would “fully recognize” Israel’s control of the territory. His announcement drew widespread condemnation from the international community, which considers the Golan to be occupied Syrian territory and Israel’s settlements to be illegal. The Biden administration left the decision intact, but the US remains the lone country to recognize the Israeli annexation.
Kallner said he hopes Trump will now persuade European countries to recognize Israeli sovereignty there.
According to Israeli figures, the Golan is home to about 50,000 people — roughly half of them Jewish Israelis and the other half Arab Druze, many of whom still consider themselves Syrians under occupation.
Israel has encouraged and promoted settlements in the Golan, and the Druze residents operate farms and a tourism and restaurant sector popular with Israelis. But the area has struggled to develop because of its remoteness, several hours from Israel’s economic center in Tel Aviv.
That economic hardship has only worsened during the war as the hospitality sector cratered. On July 28, a rocket killed 12 Druze children on a soccer field in the city of Majdal Shams, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) away. Israel invaded Lebanon months later.
In June 2019, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led an inauguration ceremony for Trump Heights. The US ambassador at the time, David Friedman, noted that the ceremony came days after Trump’s birthday and said: “I can’t think of a more appropriate and a more beautiful birthday present.”
As president, Trump was close with Netanyahu
The Golan recognition was among a series of diplomatic gifts that Trump delivered to Israel during his first term. They included recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the American embassy to the contested city, and a series of diplomatic agreements with Arab countries known as the Abraham Accords.
He has vowed to bring peace to the tumultuous region during his second term, but has not said how.
Netanyahu enjoyed a close relationship with Trump during his first term but ran afoul of the former president when he congratulated Joe Biden on his 2020 victory. The Israeli prime minister announced Tuesday that he was one of the first foreign leaders to call the president-elect and congratulate him on his victory. An official in his office, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal communications, said aides were upbeat and giddy.
“Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!” the Israeli leader said in a statement. “Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”
At Trump Heights, Kallner was optimistic too: “The Golan community is strong and resilient, and people that want to come and live here are from the same material. I believe we will overcome these challenging times and won’t stop growing.”
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Iran’s Pezeshkian says Tehran indifferent to US election result
November 07, 2024
DUBAI: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the result of the US election did not matter to his country, state media reported on Thursday, amid heightened tensions with Washington over its support for Iran’s arch-enemy, Israel.
Donald Trump’s return to the White House following his election victory this week could mean tougher enforcement of US oil sanctions against Iran, which he initiated in 2018 after quitting a nuclear pact between Tehran and global powers.
The Biden administration has strongly supported Israel in its wars against the Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as Israeli actions against Iran itself.
Some analysts believe Trump will give Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a greater free hand in dealing with Iran.
“To us it does not matter at all who has won the American election, because our country and system relies on its inner strength and a great and honorable nation,” Pezeshkian said late on Wednesday, quoted by the state news agency IRNA.
It was his first comment on Trump’s election victory.
“We will not be close-minded in developing our relations with other countries (while) we have made it our priority to develop relations with Islamic and neighboring countries,” Pezeshkian said.
It was not immediately clear if Pezeshkian was also referring to the United States, with which Iran does not have diplomatic relations. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of state, has banned holding any direct talks with the United States.
An Iranian government spokesperson earlier played down the importance of the US election, while a Revolutionary Guards commander voiced readiness for confrontation.
The Iranian leaders’ main concern is the potential for Trump to empower Netanyahu to strike Iran’s nuclear sites, conduct assassinations and reimpose his “maximum pressure” policy through heightened sanctions on the country’s oil industry.
Some, however, suspect Trump will be cautious about the possibility of war.
In 2018, the then-Trump administration exited Iran’s 2015 nuclear pact with six world powers and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to violate the pact’s nuclear limits.
International sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program forced Tehran to reach the 2015 pact under which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program in exchange for lifting the punitive measures.
Trump’s tough stance could force Ayatollah Khamenei to approve talks “whether direct or indirect” with the United States, two Iranian officials have told Reuters.
In September, Pezeshkian said Tehran was ready to end its nuclear standoff with the West, which accuses it of seeking capacity to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
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Israel escalates attacks on Lebanon as strikes hit near Beirut airport
NAJIA HOUSSARI
November 07, 2024
BEIRUT: At least 10 people were killed in Lebanon on Thursday in Israeli drone attacks on roads across the south, Mount Lebanon and Bekaa.
Former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s uncle and his family members were also killed by strikes in southern Lebanon.
In Baalbek-Hermel, dozens of victims were laid to rest. They died trapped under the rubble of several flattened buildings, some adjacent to the Baalbek Temple.
In the afternoon, an Israeli strike targeted Tyre.
An Israeli drone hit a car on the Araya road in Mount Lebanon, killing the driver, a 30-year-old woman, making her Israel’s first female target.
Doaa Mattar’s family said that they lost contact with their daughter at the time of the raid.
A relative said that Mattar had taken her friend’s car to drive her family from Beirut to Bhamdoun.
Her body was taken to Hezbollah’s Al-Rassoul Al-Azam Hospital, while two injured passersby — a man and his grandson — were transported to the Sacre Coeur Hospital.
Hours later, another Israeli drone targeted a car on the Awali River road at the entrance to the city of Sidon, south of Beirut.
The strike killed three people inside the vehicle, injured three Lebanese soldiers at a nearby checkpoint and damaged several cars, including a passing UNIFIL convoy bus.
It resulted in five minor injuries among Malaysian UNIFIL soldiers and two civilian injuries.
Meanwhile, Beirut’s southern suburb experienced a violent night of airstrikes that continued until the early hours of Thursday morning, targeting Haret Hreik, Burj Al-Barajneh, Tahwitat Al-Ghadir and Ouzai.
One of the strikes came close to a runway at Beirut airport, causing damage to facilities.
However, airport operations continued, with Middle East Airlines switching to alternative runways for landing minutes after Israel issued evacuation warnings.
All planes heading for Beirut landed shortly before midnight ahead of the Israeli-imposed deadline.
The airstrikes on the southern suburb of Beirut caused extensive damage to residential buildings, shops, schools, social facilities and health centers.
A week of relative calm in Beirut’s southern suburb was shattered as warning sirens caused recently returned residents to flee north.
Many families were forced on to the streets, waiting in their vehicles at a safe distance from the targeted areas.
The Israeli military claimed to have conducted precision strikes against Hezbollah command centers and military infrastructure in the Lebanese capital, according to military spokesman Avichay Adraee.
Israel’s systematic destruction of southern Lebanese towns continued with renewed intensity. Israeli forces reportedly rigged and detonated entire neighborhoods in the border town of Mays Al-Jabal.
Israeli warplanes conducted strikes on the outskirts of Yahmar Al-Shaqif near the Litani River, hitting the town center and eastern areas. The predominantly Christian town of Rmeish, whose residents have steadfastly refused to leave, was also targeted.
In Jbaa, located in the Tuffah region, airstrikes caused significant damage. A separate strike on Bazouriye killed four members of Nasrallah’s extended family, including his uncle, cousins and their grandson.
Reports indicate that Israeli forces used internationally prohibited cluster bombs in their targeting of agricultural fields.
The scope of destruction has reached unprecedented levels in Nabatieh, where medical facilities, businesses, institutions, warehouses and residential buildings have been severely damaged.
Footage shared on social media revealed that entire neighborhoods had been turned into rubble.
Violent clashes erupted on Wednesday evening between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces near Rmeish and Yaroun, opposite the Dovev settlement.
Exchanges of fire were also reported near Aita Al-Shaab when Israeli forces attempted to advance into Lebanese territory.
The death and injury toll continues to mount, with the Bekaa region alone reporting 60 casualties, with dozens wounded.
Scenes of mass burials echoed those from Gaza. Among the dead are multiple generations of families, including the Abu Asbar family, who lost parents, children, grandchildren and in-laws during a single Israeli strike.
The attacks have also threatened Lebanon’s cultural heritage, with damage reported near the historic Baalbek Castle complex and the century-old Al-Manshieh building, known for its cultural artifacts.
The Palmyra Hotel, which has hosted decades of Baalbek festivals, also sustained damage.
Baalbek Mayor Mustafa Al-Shall said: “The enemy is targeting poor and residential neighborhoods, and it did not spare archaeological, heritage and historical sites. The number of martyrs in Baalbek is very high.”
One Israeli strike targeted soldier Raed Dandash, born in 2003, as he was driving his car in the town of Talia, in the Bekaa.
An official statement said: “Along with Raed, the strike killed his sister Nathalie and his brother Mohammed, while their mother was seriously injured.”
Airstrikes hit new areas in northern Bekaa, including the towns of Fakeha and Harfouch, killing one.
Lebanon’s officials were shocked by the attacks that targeted the vicinity of Baalbek Castle.
Culture Minister Mohammed Wissam Mortada sent an urgent appeal to UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay through the head of Lebanon’s permanent mission to the organization, Mustafa Deeb, to “save the castle.”
Several MPs also sent a letter to Azoulay, calling on the international organization to “protect the common heritage of humanity.”
In the letter, MP Najat Saliba called for “the protection of historical sites in Lebanon, especially Baalbek, Tyre, Sidon and other valuable landmarks that are in grave danger due to the escalation of atrocities.”
She said: “These landmarks are priceless not only for our nation but for humanity. They are facing a growing danger with the escalation of the war. Their protection is a responsibility that needs to be assumed in order to preserve a part of human civilization that belongs to our common global and international heritage.”
One building destroyed by Israeli strikes bore an etching showing the year 1928. It was once frequented by French officers during France’s rule over the country.
The Israeli army announced that one of its soldiers “was killed in battles in southern Lebanon, while 60 Hezbollah members were killed during the past 24 hours.”
Hezbollah issued a statement calling on settlers in northern Israel to leave their settlements, warning that they had become become military targets.
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Sayyed Khamenei: Jihad in Lebanon & Gaza will inevitably lead to Resistance Front victory
07 Nov 2024
The Revolution Leader and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said on Thursday that "the ongoing jihad in Lebanon, Gaza Strip and occupied Palestine will inevitably lead to victory."
Addressing a meeting with members of Iran's Assembly of Leadership Experts, Sayyed Khamenei said: "According to current developments and the divine promise, the victory of the truth, the axis of truth and the resistance front is certain."
Sayyed Khamenei stressed that "the martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and other dear martyrs of these days have truly raised the dignity of Islam and the dignity and strength of the resistance front."
He continued about Sayyed Martyr of the Ummah. He said: "Our dear master was martyred and with his martyrdom he attained the highest ranks and what he wished for, but he left here a great legacy, which is Hezbollah."
"In nearly 40 years, Hezbollah forced Israel to withdraw from Beirut , Sidon and completely cleansed southern Lebanon from the presence of the Zionists, which means that its capabilities have grown and are growing," Sayyed Khamenei said. He commented: "Whoever thinks that Hezbollah has weakened is wrong, it is a strong party that continues to confront."
"Hezbollah has transformed from a small group of mujahideen for the sake of God into a great force capable of achieving these achievements , forcing the enemy armed with all kinds of weapons , supported politically, economically and media by the world tyrants to retreat, and this is a historical experience that we have witnessed," he said.
He added: "The enemy wanted to eliminate Hamas and failed, so it killed thousands of innocent people, showed its ugly face to the world and isolated itself."
"The enemy thinks that by assassinating resistance leaders, Hamas will end, but the movement continues to fight, which means that the entity has failed to achieve its goals," Sayyed Khamenei said.
A few days ago, Sayyed Khamenei stressed that the enemies, especially the United States and the Zionist entity, should know that they will receive a harsh response to what they do against Iran and the resistance front."
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Protecting environment enshrined in Islamic principles: Official
November 07, 2024
KUWAIT: Undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Bader Al-Mutairi emphasized that Islamic law encourages the protection of the environment and advocates for environmentally friendly practices that align with the Islamic values of moderation and avoiding excess. These principles promote a culture of sustainability and the protection of natural resources.
Mutairi made this statement during his participation in the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) on climate change, held in Baku, Azerbaijan. According to a press release from the Ministry of Awqaf, Mutairi highlighted Kuwait’s commitment to international cooperation in addressing climate change and the country’s belief in the importance of environmental issues and the need for joint action to counter the effects of climate change.
He explained that the presence of religious leaders at the conference reflects the growing importance of finding comprehensive solutions that include social and religious dimensions to confront climate change, with the ultimate goal of protecting the environment for future generations. Mutairi also pointed out that Kuwait is making great efforts to achieve a balance between development and environmental protection in line with global sustainability goals. This is being done through environmental programs and plans that are in accordance with best international practices.
He noted that cooperation between nations and religious leaders is an important step toward raising societal awareness of environmental issues. He expressed hope that continued collaboration among countries and organizations would help achieve common goals in combating climate change and developing solutions to environmental challenges.
The COP29 conference serves as a global platform bringing together world leaders and decision-makers from various sectors to discuss environmental challenges and the increasing impacts of climate change. The conference aims to foster international cooperation in adopting sustainable strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change. Special attention is given to the role of cultural and religious values in achieving environmental sustainability, highlighting the importance of collaboration between countries and religious leaders to achieve these objectives. — KUNA
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US says Israel to open new Gaza crossing as aid deadline looms
November 07, 2024
WASHINGTON: Israel has informed the United States that it will open an additional crossing for aid into Gaza, the State Department said Thursday, as a US-imposed deadline looms next week.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have given Israel until November 13 to improve the humanitarian situation in the war-besieged Gaza Strip or risk the withholding of some military assistance from the United States, Israel’s biggest supporter.
They made the demands in a letter before Tuesday’s election of President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to give freer rein to Israel.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Israel, after recently reopening the Erez crossing, has informed the United States that they “hope to open an additional new crossing at Kissufim” in “the next few days.”
“We have continued to press them, and we have seen them, including in the past few days since the election, take additional steps,” Miller told reporters.
He stopped short of saying how the United States would assess Israel’s compliance with the aid demands.
In the letter, Blinken and Austin had urged Israel to “consistently” let aid through four major crossings and to open a fifth crossing.
Kissufim, near a kibbutz across from southern Gaza that was attacked in the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault that sparked the war, has mostly been in disuse except by the military since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
The letter called for a minimum of 350 trucks per day to be allowed into Gaza. Miller said 229 trucks entered on Tuesday.
Outgoing President Joe Biden has repeatedly pressed Israel to improve humanitarian aid and protect civilians, while mostly stopping short of using leverage such as cutting off weapons.
Miller said Blinken hoped to keep using the rest of his term to press for an end to the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
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Lebanon says 3 killed, UN peacekeepers wounded in Israel strikes
November 07, 2024
SIDON: The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike on a vehicle near a checkpoint in the southern city of Sidon on Thursday killed three people and wounded troops and UN peacekeepers.
“The Israeli enemy targeted a car while it was passing through the Awali checkpoint,” the main northern entrance to Sidon, the army said.
With the exception of a few limited strikes, Sidon, a Sunni Muslim-majority city, has been relatively spared the deadly air raids targeting south Lebanon in Israel’s war against the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.
The strike killed three people, all of them passengers in the targeted vehicle, the army said.
Three Lebanese soldiers manning the checkpoint were also wounded alongside members of the Malaysian contingent of UNIFIL, according to the army.
The UNIFIL peacekeeping force said a “convoy bringing newly-arrived peacekeepers to south Lebanon was passing Sidon when a drone strike occurred nearby.”
“Five peacekeepers were lightly injured and treated by the Lebanese Red Cross on the spot. They will continue to their posts,” it said, urging warring parties “to avoid actions putting peacekeepers or civilians in danger.”
UNIFIL has thousands of peacekeepers
Lebanon’s official National News Agency said a UNIFIL vehicle was on the “same lane” during the strike, which left UN peacekeepers with “minor injuries.”
An AFP correspondent in the area saw the charred, mangled remains of the targeted vehicle which was only a few meters away from an army checkpoint.
The correspondent saw UNIFIL peacekeepers gathered on the sidewalk near the checkpoint, some of them bloodied and wounded after the raid, as paramedics attended to their injuries.
The UNIFIL convoy comprised a number of busses, the correspondent said.
Israeli raids have intensified in recent weeks on Haret Saida, a densely-populated Sidon suburb that has a significant population of Shiite Muslims.
Israel has also increasingly launched targeted strikes on vehicles. A woman was killed Thursday in an Israeli strike targeting a car on a key road linking the capital Beirut with the Bekaa Valley and Syria, a security source told AFP.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported earlier that “an enemy drone targeted a car in Araya,” adding that the strike left the route blocked to vehicular traffic.
The highway links Beirut to the Syrian capital of Damascus, through the Lebanese mountains.
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UN to consider ‘enhanced protection’ as Lebanon warns heritage at risk
November 07, 2024
BEIRUT: The UN cultural agency UNESCO said Thursday it would consider enhanced protection of ancient sites in Lebanon after a wave of near-misses in strikes by Israel triggered an appeal by Lebanese lawmakers.
Several Israeli strikes in recent weeks on the eastern city of Baalbek and the southern city of Tyre — both strongholds of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah — have hit close to ancient Roman ruins designated by UNESCO as World Heritage sites.
A UNESCO committee will meet in extraordinary session in Paris on November 18 to consider the inscription of Lebanese heritage sites on UNESCO’s list of sites under “enhanced protection,” the agency said.
Enhanced protection status gives heritage sites “high-level immunity from military attacks,” UNESCO said, warning that “criminal prosecutions and sanctions, conducted by the competent authorities, may apply in cases where individuals do not respect the enhanced protection granted to a cultural property.”
The announcement came after more than 100 Lebanese lawmakers appealed to UNESCO to ensure the preservation of heritage sites in areas heavily bombed by Israel during its war with Hezbollah.
“During the devastating war on Lebanon, Israel has caused grave human rights violations and atrocities,” the lawmakers said in their appeal to UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay.
“As parliamentarians, we bring to your attention an urgent need: the protection of Lebanon’s historic sites in Baalbek, Tyre, Sidon, and other invaluable landmarks currently at risk due to the escalation of the atrocities,” it said.
“These cherished landmarks, treasured not only by our nation but by the world, face imminent risk as the war escalates.”
Lebanon is home to six UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Roman ruins in Baalbek and Tyre.
In Baalbek, Israeli strikes on Wednesday destroyed a heritage house dating back to the French mandate and damaged the historic Palmyra Hotel near the city’s Roman temples, according to local authorities.
During its 150-year history, the Palmyra Hotel has welcomed guests including post-war French president Charles de Gaulle and US singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone.
The strikes hit just a few meters (yards) from the ruins, the closest since the start of the war, officials said.
“We are waiting for specialists from UNESCO and the Directorate General of Antiquities” to determine if there was any damage, Baalbek mayor Mustafa Al-Shall told AFP.
Hezbollah and Israel have been at war since late September, when Israel broadened its focus from fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip to securing its northern border, even as the Gaza war continues.
Since September 23, more than 2,600 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, according to Health Minister Firass Abiad.
Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah positions and infrastructure, including in Tyre and Baalbek.
“To date, the first remote analyzes have not yet identified visible damage to the World Heritage sites of Baalbek and Tyre,” UNESCO said.
“However, these preliminary assessments will have to be complemented by more precise field inspections when the situation permits.”
UNESCO said it was providing expertise and technical support to Lebanon’s antiquities department to help transport and store artefacts from Tyre, Sidon and Baalbek.
The Lebanese MPs called on Azoulay to “urgently prioritize the protection of these historic sites by mobilizing UNESCO’s authority, securing international attention and advocating for protective measures.”
“This appeal goes beyond physical preservation; it is about safeguarding the traditions, stories and values these sites represent — legacies that connect our past to our future.”
Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on Monday for a ceasefire “to protect our country’s cultural heritage, including the ancient archaeological sites of Baalbek and Tyre.”
He called on the UN Security Council to “take swift and decisive action to protect these historical treasures.”
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France mulling new sanctions on Israeli settlers, minister says in West Bank
November 07, 2024
RAMALLAH: France is mulling new sanctions on those enabling the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, regarded as illegal under international law, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on a visit to the territory on Thursday.
“France has been a driving force to establish the first sanction regime at the European level targeting individuals or entities, either actors or accomplices of settlement activities,” Barrot said after talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah.
“This regime has been activated two times already and we’re working on a third batch of sanctions targeting these activities that again are illegal with respect to international law.”
Barrot renewed France’s commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and warned settlement activities “threaten the political perspective that can ensure durable peace for Israel and Palestine.”
Before meeting Abbas, Barrot visited the adjacent town of Al-Bireh, where Israeli settlers set fire to 20 cars on Monday, damaging a nearby building.
After speaking with residents and local officials at the scene, Barrot noted that the attack took place in a part of the West Bank where the Palestinians were supposed to enjoy both civil and security control under the Oslo Accords of the 1990s.
“These attacks from extremist and violent settlers are not only completely inexcusable, not only contrary to international law, but they weaken the perspective of a two-state solution,” Barrot said.
Ramallah and Al-Bireh governor Laila Ghannam expressed outrage that settler attacks were “taking place in full view and hearing of the entire silent international community.”
“Perhaps today, with the visit of the French foreign minister, there will be a spotlight here,” she told AFP.
Speaking in Jerusalem earlier Thursday, Barrot said he saw prospects for ending Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon after Donald Trump’s re-election, citing the Republican’s “wish to see the end of the Middle East’s endless wars” as well as recent “tactical successes” for Israel.
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Families stream out of northern Gaza, as tanks push deeper
November 07, 2024
GAZA: Israeli forces stepped up bombardment across the Gaza Strip on Thursday and ordered more evacuations, creating a fresh wave of displacement from northern Gaza, where Palestinians fear they will not be able to return.
As Israeli tanks advanced in Beit Lahiya a month into a new push on northern Gaza, dozens of families streamed out, arriving at schools and other shelters housing displaced people in Gaza City with whatever belongings and food they could bring.
Drones hovered overhead, broadcasting evacuation orders, which were also carried on social media outlets. A displaced man said audio and text messages were sent to residents’ phones.
“After they displaced most or all of the people in Jabalia, now they are bombing everywhere, killing people on the roads and inside their houses to force everyone out,” the man said, giving only one name, Ahmed, for fear of repercussions.
Palestinian officials say Israel is carrying out a plan of “ethnic cleansing,” and they and residents say no aid has entered Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun since the raid began on Oct 5.
The Israeli military says it was forced to evacuate Jabalia and start evacuating nearby Beit Lahiya on Wednesday so it can take on militants it says have regrouped there.
It denied press reports that people evacuated from northern Gaza would not be allowed to return.
It said it was continuing to allow aid into northern Gaza and the Jabalia area, where it said it was engaged in “intense combat.”
“The statement attributed to the Israeli forces in the past 24 hours, claiming that residents of northern Gaza will not be allowed to return to their homes, is incorrect and does not reflect the army’s objectives and values,” it said.
Palestinian medics said Israeli fire had killed six people in Jabalia, the largest of the enclave’s eight historic refugee camps, four in Beit Lahiya and seven in Rafah, near the border with Egypt in southern Gaza.
The Israeli military said forces operating in Jabalia had killed about 50 militants in the past 24 hours and had facilitated the exit of Palestinians from combat zones through organized routes.
Palestinian and UN officials say there are no safe areas in the enclave, where most of its 2.3 million people have been internally displaced.
Israel’s more than year-long ground campaign to eradicate the movement has turned much of the Gaza Strip into a wasteland with an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.
“With Trump back, (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu will become more brutal,” Ahmed said, referring to the US election winner, former President Donald Trump, who portrays himself as a more reliable ally for Israel.
More than 43,300 Palestinians have been killed in more than a year of war in Gaza, health authorities in the enclave say.
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Israeli police briefly arrest two French officials in ‘unacceptable’ move, France says
November 07, 2024
PARIS: France’s foreign minister refused to enter a holy site under French administration in Jerusalem on Thursday due to the presence of Israeli security forces, who briefly arrested two French officials in the latest rift between the two countries.
The incident, which comes amid strained diplomatic relations over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, occurred when Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot was due to visit the compound of The Church of the Pater Noster on the Mount of Olives.
“During the visit, an argument arose between the Israeli security forces and two French security guards,” the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement, adding they were released immediately after they identified themselves as diplomats.
The Israeli ministry added that every visiting foreign leader is accompanied by its security personnel, a point that had been “clarified in advance in the preparatory dialogue with the French Embassy in Israel.”
The compound, called Eleona in French, also houses a monastery and is under French administration.
“This violation of the integrity of a site under French responsibility risks undermining the ties I had come to nurture with Israel at a time when we all need to move forward the region on the path to peace,” Barrot said.
The Israeli ambassador to Paris will be summoned in the coming days, it said in a statement.
Diplomatic relations between France and Israel have worsened since President Emmanuel Macron called for an end to the supply of offensive weapons, and urged Israel to cease hostilities and focus on diplomacy.
French officials have repeatedly said that Paris is committed to Israel’s security and that its military helped defend Israel amid Iranian missile attacks earlier this year.
It was not the first time that tensions have arisen surrounding France’s historic holdings in the city.
In 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron lost his temper when visiting the Church of St. Anne, another site under French administration, demanding Israeli security personnel leave the Jerusalem basilica.
A similar incident took place in 1996 involving France’s then-president Jacques Chirac, who saw his treatment by Israeli security as a “provocation.”
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia’s recreational spaces ready for holiday season
November 08, 2024
AL-BAHA: Saudi authorities have announced extensive preparations of public recreational facilities ahead of the school holiday season.
The Al-Baha municipality has readied 142 parks and recreational areas, along with municipal squares, public spaces and streets, to welcome visitors and tourists.
According to regional secretary, Ali bin Mohammed Al-Sawat, these facilities span more than 4,188,559.98 million square meters and feature amenities including children’s playgrounds, green spaces, shade structures, lighting, sidewalks, seating areas and parking, and facilities for activities such as walking and cycling.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Region Municipality has completed the preparation of 979 parks and public squares, 18 public recreational parks, 14 waterfront areas and 213 walking tracks.
The facilities are timely as moderate weather conditions and school breaks attract more outdoor activity.
The municipality emphasized its commitment to regular maintenance of these facilities, considering them vital breathing spaces for citizens and residents.
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Solo dining an emerging trend challenging Saudi traditional culture
WAAD HUSSAIN
November 07, 2024
RIYADH: In Saudi Arabia, dining out has long been a social ritual, an experience shared with family and friends over lavish meals, full of conversation and camaraderie.
However, a subtle yet noticeable shift is taking place as more Saudis, especially the younger generation, are choosing to dine alone, seeking moments of solitude amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Once considered a rare sight, solo diners are now becoming more common in cafes, restaurants and eateries across the Kingdom. For some, it is a matter of convenience, while for others it is a form of self-care, a way to recharge and reconnect with themselves.
This emerging trend challenges traditional Saudi dining culture, creating new opportunities for restaurants and altering societal perceptions.
For Zain Al-Mansour, solo dining is more than just an alternative to dining with others, it is an experience that he actively cherishes. “I much prefer it over dining with someone,” he says. “I seek it out and make a day out of it for myself. It’s relaxing, and it charges my energy.”
Solo dining has become Al-Mansour’s way to unwind, offering him a chance to indulge in his favorite foods without the distraction of company.
He acknowledges that not everyone feels comfortable dining alone, particularly in a culture where social gatherings are so deeply ingrained.
“Plenty of people would not go out unless it’s with someone else,” Al-Mansour said. “I think everyone should at least try solo dining once and truly treat themselves. Bring a book if you’re worried about boredom, and don’t think twice about what people might think. What matters is that you’re happy.”
Al-Mansour sees solo dining as a form of empowerment, encouraging others to overcome social anxieties and embrace the experience. “It pushes you to talk, at least to the workers, which helps improve social skills.”
In Saudi culture, dining has traditionally been a collective activity, with meals often serving as the focal point of family and social gatherings.
For Bashayer Al-Bloushi, dining alone offered a refreshing change from this norm. “What inspired me to start dining alone was my desire to explore a new experience that offers me space to reflect and relax away from the hustle of daily life,” she said.
Dining alone allows her to savor the ambiance and immerse herself in the restaurant environment without the usual pressure of conversation.
This experience of dining independently has become a cherished form of personal time for Al-Bloushi, allowing her to enjoy moments of solitude. She sees it as an act of self-care and independence, a rare opportunity to connect with oneself.
Al-Bloushi also believes that Saudi restaurants could do more to support this trend. “They could designate cozy, quiet spaces for individual diners and offer meals suitable for one person,” she said. By creating a welcoming and informal atmosphere, restaurants could encourage more people to dine solo without feeling out of place.
For Mira Fahad, solo dining started as a necessity due to her flexible remote job schedule. “As a morning person, I always wanted to go out during the day but couldn’t find anyone available in the mornings,” she said. Over time, solo dining became a cherished ritual. “It’s one of those ‘I need to do it at least once a month’ things, whether in the mornings or nights.”
She finds the experience peaceful and liberating. “You can choose the time and place to your liking, people-watch, read a book, plan your week, or just savor your meal in peace.” However, she admits that solo dining can lose its charm if overdone, emphasizing the importance of balance.
For some solo diners, cultural perceptions remain a challenge. Linah Al-Ahmadi has been dining alone since 2016 and considers it a normal part of her lifestyle. “I didn’t start this habit recently; I’ve been solo dining since I was a teenager,” she said. While she embraces the experience, she is aware of the societal views that make solo dining an unusual choice in Saudi Arabia. “We are a collective society, and we tend to do things within a circle. As a society, we have this notion that it’s abnormal to do things alone.”
Al-Ahmadi describes dining alone in a culture that values group activities as being “the stranger in the middle of the diner.” Despite this, she remains committed to her choice, valuing the independence and freedom it provides. For her, solo dining is not about isolation but rather about enjoying personal time without depending on others to accompany her.
The growing interest in solo dining presents an opportunity for Saudi restaurants to adapt and cater to individual diners. Al-Ahmadi points out that making reservations for one can be difficult, as many restaurants and apps only accept bookings for groups.
Additionally, solo diners are often directed to bar seating or shared tables, which may not suit everyone’s preference for privacy.
“I struggle a lot with reservations,” Al-Ahmadi said. “Sometimes, I go out alone with the intention of not socializing, but being at a bar feels too intimate.” She advocates for solo diners to be given the choice of regular tables, creating a more inclusive environment for those who want to enjoy a meal without the company of others.
Mira Fahad offers additional suggestions, including creating solo dining tables in corners or quieter spots and offering digital menus for easy ordering. “Maybe provide small, single-portion meals and digital entertainment options for solo diners,” she said, adding that these touches could make the solo dining experience even more enjoyable.
As more Saudis explore the joys of solo dining, the trend reflects a broader shift in societal norms and individual lifestyles. Young people are carving out spaces for self-reflection and independence, challenging traditional perceptions about social activities. The popularity of solo dining represents a growing acceptance of self-care and personal freedom in Saudi Arabia, where dining alone is no longer seen as a solitary act but rather as a celebration of individuality.
Solo dining is more than just a meal, it is an experience that allows you to connect with yourself in a way that is both empowering and refreshing.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2578452/saudi-arabia
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Qassim governor receives British ambassador to Riyadh
November 08, 2024
BURAIDAH: Qassim Gov. Prince Faisal bin Mishaal received the British Ambassador to the Kingdom, Neil Crompton, on Thursday during a visit to the region.
They held cordial talks in their meeting.
Source:arabnews.com
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At Riyadh confab, international expert highlights importance of following fire safety measures
HEBSHI ALSHAMMARI
November 07, 2024
RIYADH: A fire safety and occupational health expert said that neglecting safety precautions and preventive measures is one of the leading causes of fires.
Jiff Dulin, a strategic adviser at the International Association of Fire Chiefs, shared his insights at the 4th International Fire Operations Conference, held in Riyadh from Nov. 3-7.
International experts and other officials from more than 24 countries participated in the conference, which focused on the latest developments in firefighting and crisis management.
The conference was organized by the General Directorate of Civil Defense in collaboration with Saudi Aramco and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
Dulin urged city planners to consider safety rules and standards that help reduce the occurrence and impact of fires, as well as to enhance preparedness for crisis management through training and advance planning.
He also called for the continuation of specialized conferences and exhibitions focused on firefighting equipment and studies, emphasizing their role in exchanging experiences and enhancing the capabilities of firefighting and civil protection agencies.
Col. Mohammed Al-Hammadi, spokesperson for the Saudi Civil Defense, has stated that the directorate pays more attention to proactive preparedness and high-level readiness to handle incidents and combat fires; this is achieved through pre-established plans and scenarios based on a risk matrix.
IFOC was an exceptional opportunity for networking and exchanging expertise among specialists and experts in the firefighting field, boosting public safety standards and fostering a secure environment for all, Al-Hammadi said.
Such events address the growing challenges and serve as a key driver for advancement and innovation in the civil protection sector, he added.
Technical sessions during the conference covered safety standards and approved codes in firefighting, as well as displaying technologies in electric vehicles and fuel cell applications.
One panel discussion focused on the readiness of the local workforce to respond to crises and disasters, while another focused on leadership and control in emergency situations.
There were special sessions on the sidelines of the conference, addressing environmental protection issues and urban fires. Participants reviewed innovative solutions for tackling emerging challenges in this field, discussed the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing firefighting capabilities, and explored industrial fires and prevention strategies.
In a dedicated session, participants discussed occupational medicine and health, the importance of promoting fire safety culture, and reviewed issues related to crowd management and conducting investigations and studies concerning major incidents.
The conference was accompanied by an exhibition showing the latest innovations and advanced technologies in firefighting and crisis management. Leading global companies participated in the exhibition to display their products and technical solutions.
Source:arabnews.com
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Global AI competition aims to revolutionize Arabic language technology
November 07, 2024
RIYADH: The finals of the Allam Challenge are taking place in Riyadh, bringing together tech talent from 17 nations in an initiative to advance Arabic language technology, the Saudi Press Agency has reported.
The three-day event, which finishes on Saturday, is being hosted at Digital City’s Crowne Plaza and is a collaboration between the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority and the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, with technical support from IBM and the National Technology Development Program.
The challenge aims to develop AI models capable of composing and analyzing Arabic poetry; performing complex grammatical analysis; and creating engaging Arabic language learning tools for children, with a prize pool of SR1 million ($260,000).
Participants will be showcasing their capabilities in developing innovative solutions through the enhancement of large language models. They will benefit from training opportunities and workshops led by more than 50 mentors and 40 judges, and comprising AI experts and Arabic language specialists.
These experts will support participating teams and evaluate their projects according to criteria, ensuring the sustainability of solutions and their potential transformation into real-world AI projects serving the Arabic language across various sectors, the SPA added.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi Quality of Life Program’s CEO stresses ‘people first’ approach
November 07, 2024
CAIRO: CEO of the Quality of Life Program Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Bakr has reaffirmed that the initiative places people at its heart.
This human-centered approach drives a range of projects across the Kingdom, aligned with the objectives of Vision 2030 to transform urban landscapes, elevate the quality of city services, and foster innovation through the adoption of modern technologies.
The statement was delivered during a dialogue session called “Putting People First in a Digital Era,” which was organized by the UN as part of the 12th World Urban Forum. The session featured the participation of experts and specialists from across the world.
Source:arabnews.com
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Falcons club, NEOM in preservation drive
November 07, 2024
NEOM: The Saudi Falcons Club’s Hadad program has announced a strategic partnership with NEOM to improve falcons’ habitat in the NEOM Nature Reserve.
The partnership, which was signed during Hadad’s annual meeting hosted by NEOM on Thursday, is part of the second phase of the program, which focuses on protecting endangered species and reviving habitats by employing the latest international standards in wildlife conservation.
The partnership is a major step in promoting the concept of sustainable falconry by preserving cultural and environmental heritage while integrating ancient traditions with modern practices.
The Hadad program works to revitalize the habitat of peregrine falcons at the NEOM reserve and implement effective environmental measures to ensure the sustainability of the species.
The partnership reflects NEOM’s efforts to preserve 95 percent of its land for nature, set new international standards to preserve the environment, and rehabilitate wildlife through its reserve.
It also illustrates the Kingdom’s commitment to enhancing its global leadership position in sustainable development and environmental protection, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi arts and culture association hosts captivating ‘Ready for Display’ show
HIND AL-KHUNAIZI
November 07, 2024
DAMMAM: The Saudi Arabian Society for Arts and Culture in Dammam began cultural programs with the seventh “Ready for Display” exhibition, showcasing works from 47 artists, including participants from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, the Philippines, India and Pakistan.
The exhibition aims to highlight a range of artistic styles, techniques and approaches while reflecting the beauty and essence of the local environment.
Running from Nov. 1 to Nov. 10, the show provides an important platform for local and resident artists.
Each artist brings their individual approach to the canvas, with some embracing abstraction while others focus on realistic representations.
Their works captured a variety of subjects, including people, places, animals and shapes, highlighting the rich diversity of artistic expression and individual creativity.
Artists display various mediums, with some using stretched canvas while others experiment with materials such as wood panels and clay, adding distinctive textures and dimensions.
This blend of techniques and media invites viewers to recognize the interconnectedness of art and cultural identity worldwide.
Visitors can appreciate how elements from the land and sea bring life to the displayed artworks’ color palettes and artistic designs.
The still-life drawings also showcase the artists’ attention to detail and innovative creative abilities.
Yousef Al-Harbi, director of the association’s branch in Dammam, said that such exhibitions helped visitors to “gain a deeper understanding of their history and identity,” fostering a sense of pride.
The event has drawn significant interest, with the selection committee receiving 167 submissions from 98 artists, ultimately selecting 47 artworks for display, each representing different schools of thought and techniques in the art world.
In addition, the exhibition featured interactive events, including a workshop on acrylic painting on Nov. 2 and a live painting session on Nov. 3.
Al-Harbi highlighted the association’s broader impact, saying: “In the past four months, we have delivered 38 training workshops, held eight art exhibitions and presented 21 theatrical performances,” aiming to establish the Eastern Province as a center of artistic creativity.
The association is dedicated to nurturing local talent in harmony with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, focusing on cultural identity and sustainable development.
Source:arabnews.com
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Europe
Ħamrun resident tried to recruit vulnerable people for 'jihad': police
November 07, 2024
A Ħamrun resident tried to recruit “vulnerable people” across Europe to carry out terrorist attacks, a court heard on Thursday.
Mouhamadou Dosso, 32, who holds an Italian identity card, stands accused of spreading extremist material and attempting to recruit people in Europe to carry out terrorist attacks.
Mohammed Shurrab, an inspector in the counter-terrorism unit, said five mobile phones were seized from Dosso during a dawn raid in Ħamrun on October 31.
Police first received a tip-off about a Facebook profile spreading extremist material in April.
Dosso was placed under surveillance once investigators established he was behind the profile.
Various Facebook messenger accounts found on Dosso’s phone were allegedly used to recruit people into terrorism.
The inspector said the accused encouraged “vulnerable people” around Europe to carry out terrorist attacks.
Shurrab said open-source investigations indicated the people being recruited were asylum seekers who lived alone and had left war-torn countries.
He communicated with them via Facebook.
In one message read out in court, Dosso told an unnamed individual that he would find a place in heaven if he carried out a suicide attack.
“We are recruiting volunteers to the jihad. If you die in this fight you will go to heaven,” the message said.
Further “anti-West” material was found on his phones, including pictures of “crossed out” American, French and Israeli flags.
There were also lots of photos linked to the terrorist group ISIS, and various speeches by ISIS leaders seeking to radicalise people, the inspector said.
Photos of explosives as well as a photo of one of the terrorists who carried out the 9/11 attacks in America were also found.
Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech ruled there is enough evidence for a bill of indictment to be issued against the accused.
Source:timesofmalta.com
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https://timesofmalta.com/article/hamrun-resident-tried-recruit-vulnerable-people-jihad-police.1100679
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World religious leaders perform namaz in Azerbaijan's Aghdam Juma mosque
7 November 2024
AGHDAM, Azerbaijan, November 7. The Jamaat Namaz (collective namaz) was performed in Aghdam's Juma Mosque with the participation of world religious leaders, Trend's Karabakh bureau reports.
According to the information, following the call to prayer by the Chairman of the Religious Affairs Department of Türkiye Ali Erbaş, the attendees started to perform namaz.
Afterward, they were shown the consequences of vandalism committed against the mosque and other sanctuaries and religious monuments during the occupation.
To note, the participants of the Global Summit of World Religious Leaders are in Karabakh. Within the framework of the trip, the delegation headed by the Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Authority Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade will review the consequences of Armenian vandalism during the period of occupation, as well as the ongoing restoration and construction works, and visit religious sites.
Source:trend.az
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https://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/society/3966551.html
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Tackling the challenge of Islam in the UK
7 November 2024
Nabila Roukhamieh-Mckinna reports on the recent Mission of God conference and explains the key takeaways and important subjects tackled by speakers
Christian Concern, in partnership with the Ezra Centre for Christian Thought, held the annual Mission of God conference in Birmingham on Saturday 2 November.
Over 170 Christians gathered from across the country, in a city that is 30% Muslim, to learn about the challenge of Islam and how Christians should respond.
The palpable enthusiasm in the crowded conference room was a testament to the pertinence of the subject to the lives of ordinary Christians, who are becoming acutely aware of the need to be equipped for their increasing encounters with Islam and Muslims.
The Crescent and the Cross
Director of the Ezra Institute Joe Boot began the conference by comparing the foundations of Islamic and Christian culture. Contrasting two diametrically opposed understandings of God’s nature, the Islamic doctrine of Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, Joe elucidated the cultural implications of these doctrines.
He argued that the cultural outworking of a god who is an impersonal singular unity is the suppression of diversity, plurality and individuality, as is evident in the cultural stagnation of the Islamic world.
Unlike the covenantal God of the Bible, Allah does not interact with his creation or enter into relationship with his people. Instead, Muhammad is elevated as the focal point of Islamic practice, such that his life of military conquest and subjugation is regarded as the highest moral example.
Joe encapsulated well the practical consequences of this with a quotation from a seventh century Jewish text responding to the expansion of Islam: “there was no truth to be found with the so-called prophet, only the shedding of men’s blood”.
Islam and the nation
This quote served as a fitting introduction to the next presentation, in which Christian Concern’s Head of Public Policy, Tim Dieppe, turned from foundational principles to practical realities. He detailed, with shocking statistics and harrowing stories, the extent and consequences of Islam’s rapid growth and increasing political influence in the UK.
Tim condensed extensive research into a single overview presentation, but his numerous articles online articles explore the issues raised in greater depth, such as grooming gangs and attempts to suppress criticism of Islam.
Substantiated as it was by empirical evidence displayed on over 100 slides, Tim’s talk powerfully impressed upon the audience the gravity of the situation. The resounding message was that Islam threatens to completely engulf the church if it is not countered by a robust biblical faith grounded in love and truth.
Tim closed with ‘five pillars’ of a Christian response to Islam. He urged us to love our Muslim neighbours, labour in prayer, confront Islam as a false ideology raised against the knowledge of God, expose the reality of Islam and resist its advancement in the UK.
Islam and the Church
Following Tim’s talk, it was no surprise that the audience eagerly awaited apologist Bob of Speakers’ Corner, as he approached the stage to speak about confronting Islam evangelistically.
Bob began by exhorting us to be ‘prepared to die’ as we face the challenge of Islam. He gave a sobering reminder that, while our policy debates centre around “islamophobia”, the global reality is that it is Christians in Islamic nations who are facing imprisonment, torture and death for their faith.
Bob’s presentation had two main focal points. First, the recovery and defence of Christendom, which has been abandoned in mainstream evangelicalism in favour of an individualistic emphasis on personal salvation over national and cultural transformation. This leaves us almost powerless in the face of Islam, a holistic worldview with its own legal and political system.
Second, the importance of living as a visible Christian community outside of formal church meetings. Muslims who convert to Christianity often sacrifice everything, including the strong communal bond that is so central to Islamic culture. They need to be embraced by a Christian brotherhood and receive a new family in place of the one they will inevitably lose.
Showing Christ to our Muslim friends
Following Bob’s focus on the church’s collective response, CEO of the One Truth Project, Beth Peltola, turned our attention to our individual evangelistic efforts, breaking down myths that hinder us from evangelising to Muslims.
In response to the popular assertion that Islam is “Abrahamic” Beth referred us to biblical teaching regarding the substance and object of Abraham’s faith (Genesis 18, Galatians 3:7).
Christians are frequently dissuaded from focusing on the deity of Christ and the Old Testament. However, Beth encouraged us to open the scriptures with Muslims, drawing their attention to the theophanies of the pre-Incarnate Christ, who is the image of the invisible God.
Christians are often deterred from evangelism because of their ignorance of Islamic beliefs, but Beth exhorted us to begin with ‘what we know’ and ‘who we know’: the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It was an encouragement to hear that if we have the word of God written in our hearts and minds, we will always be ready to answer Muslims.
Rising to the challenge of Islam
In the final Q&A session, the panellists were only able to answer a fraction of the long list of questions posed by the audience via Slido.
These questions mainly focused on some of the more practical challenges raised throughout the day, such as reaching men, young people, and Muslim women.
The panellists discussed combatting the perceived effeminacy of the church by recovering something of the militancy of the Christian faith, countering the evangelical over-emphasis on meekness, as well as challenging the prevalent truncated view of Christianity that confines our faith’s relevance to ecclesiastical life.
Bob commissioned us to take our evangelism to the ‘new Areopagus’ of social media, while Beth used personal testimonies from her long ministry to Muslim women to demonstrate the power of focusing on the distinctives of Christian theology.
The overarching message of the day was that Christians need to rise to the challenge of Islam, and we do this primarily by knowing and living out our own faith.
As the day closed, it was evident that attendees felt encouraged to continue growing in knowledge and faithfulness. For many, the conference will have only been the beginning of a long journey of contending for the advancement of the kingdom of Jesus Christ in every sphere of life.
Source:christianconcern.com
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Ukraine suffering ‘colossal’ losses in Kursk – Putin
7 Nov, 2024
Ukraine has lost more than 30,000 troops in just three months of fighting since its large-scale incursion into Russia's Kursk Region, President Vladimir Putin told the Valdai Forum on Thursday, adding that the Ukrainian people are paying a “terrible price” for Kiev’s decision to do Washington’s bidding.
Kiev launched an incursion into the region on August 6, deploying some of its best-equipped units. It was contained by the Russians and is steadily being pushed back, while suffering immense losses, according to Moscow.
“Just look at what is happening now at the front line… They raided Kursk Region... their losses are colossal – in just three months of fighting, the Kiev regime suffered more casualties than in the whole of last year: Over 30,000,” Putin said at the 21st annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club in Sochi.
Putin noted that the decision to invade Kursk made little military sense and was dictated by purely “political considerations” imposed on Kiev by its “overseas” sponsors.
“Why are they sitting there, bearing such losses? Because they were ordered – from overseas – to hold on at any cost, at least until the US election, to show that all the efforts of the Democratic administration to support Ukraine were not in vain,” the Russian leader said.
“That’s the price. A terrible tragedy, I think, both for the Ukrainian people and for the Ukrainian army.”
The Ukrainian incursion has come at a great cost to Kiev, not only in terms of manpower but also regarding the dwindling stocks of Western-supplied weapons. The latest update from the Russian Ministry of Defense estimated Kiev's losses at 29,600 casualties, 184 tanks, 106 infantry fighting vehicles, more than 1,000 armored vehicles, and scores of other pieces of heavy weaponry, including 26 military engineering vehicles.
Ukrainian officials have claimed that the operation has slowed Russian advances along the eastern front line. However, according to media estimates, Russian troops gained more ground in October than in any month this year.
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/607324-putin-kursk-colossal-ukrainian-losses/
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Ukraine must be neutral – Putin
8 Nov, 2024
Ukraine will remain a tool in foreign hands and will never achieve true independence and sovereignty unless it becomes neutral, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.
Neutrality for Kiev is a key prerequisite for ending the conflict with Moscow permanently, Putin told the press at the Valdai International Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday.
“If there’s no neutrality, it’s hard to imagine any kind of good-neighborly relations between Russia and Ukraine,” the president said.
Putin explained that without neutral status, “Ukraine will constantly be used as a tool in foreign hands, to the detriment of the interests of the Russian Federation.” This would mean there is no basis for normalizing relations, a scenario Moscow wishes to avoid, he added.
Putin said Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region was a stark example of a senseless move imposed on Kiev by its Western sponsors, with the Ukrainian people now paying a heavy price as their army suffers “colossal” losses.
Previous temporary solutions to curb the conflict, namely the 2014-2015 Minsk Agreements, were used by the West to buy “time to arm the Ukrainian army,” Putin stated at a press conference following the BRICS Summit in Kazan last month.
While Russia recognized Ukraine’s borders after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Kiev’s declaration of independence at the time stated that the country would remain a neutral state, the Russian leader emphasized on Thursday. “But later, the Ukrainian leadership amended the constitution and announced its desire to join NATO, and that’s not what we agreed upon,” he said.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that it sees the US-led military bloc’s expansion toward Russia’s borders as an existential threat. Putin has identified Ukraine’s ambition to join NATO as one of the key reasons for the current conflict, which Moscow views as a de facto proxy war waged by Kiev’s Western sponsors against Russia.
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/607326-ukraine-neutrality-sovereignty-putin/
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Putin hails 'courageous' Trump after election win
08 November, 2024
George Wright
Vladimir Putin has congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory, calling him a "courageous man".
Speaking at an event in the Russian city of Sochi, the Russian president said that Trump was "hounded from all sides" during his first term in the White House.
Putin also said that Trump's claim that he can help end the war in Ukraine "deserves attention at least".
During his campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly said he could end the war “in a day” but has never elaborated on how that could happen.
During Putin's address, which lasted several hours and covered a wide range of topics, he also spoke of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in July, saying it "made an impression" on him.
After being shot, Trump punched his fist into the air and mouthed the words "fight, fight, fight", before being hauled away by Secret Service agents.
"He behaved, in my opinion, in a very correct way, courageously, like a man," Putin said.
Asked if he was ready to have discussions with Donald Trump, Putin replied: "We're ready, we're ready."
Trump had already said on Thursday that he was prepared to speak with Putin, telling NBC News: "I think we'll speak".
The Kremlin was widely accused of interfering in the 2016 presidential election to boost Donald Trump's campaign against Hilary Clinton, claims rejected by Moscow.
US Special Counsel Robert Mueller investigated allegations of collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia in 2016, but said in a report three years later that had found no evidence of conspiracy.
Elsewhere on Thursday, leaders gathering for the European Political Community in Budapest discussed Trump's return to the White House.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a "very warm" and "productive conversation" with the president-elect.
"But we have to do everything to ensure that the results of our interaction between Ukraine and America, the whole of Europe and America, are productive and positive," he added.
Many in Ukraine and Europe are worried that Trump might slow, if not halt, the flow of American military aid to Kyiv upon taking power in January.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer assured Zelensky at the summit that the UK's support for Ukraine in its war with Russia remains "iron-clad".
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban - who previously said he celebrated Trump's win by "tapping into the vodka supply happily" - said the US and Europe now face tough talks on trade.
Orban, who is a close ally of Trump, told a press conference that "the trade issue with the US will come up and it will not be easy".
Before winning the election, Trump said he would impose tariffs of 10% on all imports.
“There was an agreement that Europe should assume greater responsibility for its own peace and security in the future. To put it even more bluntly, we cannot expect Americans to be the only ones to take care of us," Orban said.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1mlp5p4lvko
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Caucasus Muslims Office's chairman addresses world religious leaders from Azerbaijan's Aghdam (PHOTO)
7 November 2024
AGHDAM, Azerbaijan, November 7. The Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade has addressed the world’s religious leaders from the Aghdam Juma Mosque, Trend's Karabakh bureau reports.
This issue was discussed during his conversation with participants of the Global Summit of Religious Leaders at the mosque.
Pashazade asked the religious leaders to convey to the world the information about the ruins seen by them in Azerbaijan's Karabakh, the Armenian atrocities, acts of vandalism, and events of genocide.
"We only ask one thing from you: to tell the world the truth about what you saw here, so that these horrors do not fall upon other people. The Aghdam Juma Mosque is a historic mosque. Armenians kept pigs here. This was their attitude towards religion, towards Islam. Thank God, Azerbaijan put an end to this," he added.
To note, participants of the Global Baku Summit of World Religious Leaders under the motto “World Religions for a Green Planet," held within the framework of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, have started their visit to Karabakh.
The delegation touched down at Fuzuli International Airport by plane.
The Jamaat Namaz (collective namaz) was performed in Aghdam's Juma Mosque with the participation of world religious leaders.
During the visit, the guests will take a deep dive into the rich tapestry of cultural, spiritual, and historical heritage woven into the fabric of Aghdam and Shusha.
Source:trend.az
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https://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/society/3966618.html
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Swedish court convicts far-right activist for hate speech against Muslims
07 November, 2024
A SWEDISH court has convicted far-right activist Rasmus Paludan on two counts of hate crime for statements made while burning copies of the Qur’an. The Malmö district court sentenced Paludan, founder of a small political party, to four months in prison for what it ruled as agitation against Muslims.
Paludan, a dual Danish and Swedish citizen, has publicly burned Islam’s holy book several times, sometimes also draping it in bacon, actions that have sparked outrage among Muslims both in Sweden and internationally.
While Sweden’s freedom of speech laws permit the burning of religious texts, actions that insult or offend an ethnic or national group, such as Muslims, can be prosecuted as hate crimes. Paludan faced charges for making offensive remarks about Islam, Muslims, and counter-demonstrators.
According to the ruling, “The court makes the assessment that at the gatherings (Paludan) expressed disrespect towards, among others, Muslims, and that his actions can’t be excused as criticism of Islam or as political campaigning.”
Paludan, 42, who had previously been convicted on similar charges in Denmark in 2020, pleaded not guilty. His lawyer stated that they would appeal the verdict.
The Swedish government, concerned that Qur’an burnings by Paludan and others could provoke Islamist extremist attacks, is considering measures to allow police to deny permits for public gatherings if they pose a threat to national security. Last year, Denmark tightened laws to ban public Qur’an burnings.
Source:easterneye.biz
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https://www.easterneye.biz/far-right-activist-sweden-hate-speech-muslims/
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Blackburn: Road used to access health centre and mosque shut
7th November
A Blackburn road used to access a health centre and a mosque is closed to traffic due to resurfacing.
Work is taking place on Troy Street and Baywood Street this week and there is no access for traffic between 8am and 6pm.
The work which began on Tuesday is expected to last five days.
Residents and those using Masjid E-Anisul Islam, the Shifa Surgery, Brookhouse Primary School and Bangor Street Community Centre are being asked to park elsewhere or use Calder Street.
A Blackburn with Darwen Council Highways team notice to residents and users read: “Emergency access through the site will be maintained at all times.
“We would ask your understanding and cooperation to ensure the works are carried out safely and to remove all parked vehicles from the works areas between 8am and 6pm.”
The road had deteriorated in recent years with large sections of the surface worn out. The resurfacing work comes after other roads in the borough were also fixed.
Most notably, West Park Road which leads to Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS) has been resurfaced.
The borough has also seen main roads and side street lines re-painted.
On Whalley Range, the section close to Whalley New Road is still closed to all traffic.
Source:lancashiretelegraph.co.uk
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https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/24707575.blackburn-road-used-access-health-centre-mosque-shut/
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Germany engulfed by political crisis as Scholz coalition falls apart
08 November, 2024
Damien McGuinness
While the world has been watching Washington, Germany is quietly going into political meltdown.
This is a very German crisis involving coalition infighting and complicated constitutional questions.
But behind the complex political wrangling, Europe’s most powerful economy has been left rudderless, at a time when economic growth has stalled and EU leaders are nervous about an impending Trump presidency.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner, the leader of one of the three coalition parties, on Wednesday night. Two of Lindner's three colleagues in cabinet promptly quit, effectively breaking apart the coalition government.
Scholz now leads a minority government until fresh elections, which means ordinary business can continue.
But because he no longer has a majority in parliament, the chancellor now needs opposition support to push through anything new, including crucially the 2025 budget, which is supposed to be agreed next week.
New measures to help Ukraine or boost defence spending would also be difficult to agree without help from opposition parties.
The Social Democrat chancellor has called on opposition conservative leader Friedrich Merz to support him to push through key policies, many of which the conservatives also agree with, such as more support for Ukraine.
They met on Thursday, with Scholz appealing for "constructive co-operation on issues that are crucial for our country".
Donald Trump's victory is likely to mean less funding for Ukraine, and as Germany is second to the US in financial support for Kyiv, the onus may fall on Berlin to increase its help.
Greens Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had just returned from a visit to Ukraine when she said the coalition collapse was "not a good day for Germany and not a good day for Europe".
Scholz wants to hold a parliamentary vote of confidence on 15 January, which would then lead to elections in March, six months before their scheduled date.
But it looks like Merz, who wants to be Germany's next chancellor as head of the Christian Democrats, is not playing ball.
He has demanded an immediate vote of confidence and snap elections in January, saying there is a range of decisions within the EU that need to be made, and that they need a functioning German government.
“We just cannot afford to have a government without a majority for several months, and then another few months of election campaigning, and then possibly another few months of coalition negotiations,” he said.
Other opposition parties have called for snap elections too.
Whenever they do happen, it's clear that campaigning season has already begun.
Germany's president has called for "reason and responsibility" to prevail, but this was a coalition collapse that was months in the making. And it was all about money.
This uncomfortable three-way coalition was pulled apart by two very different visions of how to stimulate Germany’s flagging economy.
Olaf Scholz’s centre-left Social Democrats and the Greens want to use debt to modernise infrastructure, shift to environmental energy and help industry, as well as Ukraine.
But Christian Lindner’s free-market liberal FDP is ideologically opposed to new borrowing, instead calling for lower taxes, cuts in social spending and pushing back environmental targets.
The crunch came in crisis talks this week, when it became clear that both sides were irreconcilable.
After the talks collapsed on Wednesday night, the chancellor delivered a scathing attack on his finance minister, calling Lindner egotistical and irresponsible for his unwillingness to compromise for the good of the country.
“He broke my trust too often,” said the chancellor, accusing Lindner of putting the short-term survival of his party over the welfare of the country.
Such public vitriol from a chancellor about a minister and coalition partner is unprecedented in German politics. If this was the televised public statement, just imagine what the mood was like behind closed doors.
Before the US election, Scholz allies argued that now was not the time for early elections and political instability in Germany.
But for the past year, coalition rows have regularly blown up over spending. And for voters, the bickering has become unbearable, meaning that poll numbers for all three parties have slumped.
Some argue that allowing a dysfunctional government to hobble on for another year would have led to more instability and deadlock.
There are also fears that a perceived inability of mainstream parties to govern plays into the hands of the far-right AfD and the new populist far-left BSW party.
Although the conservative Christian Democrats and their allies are well ahead in the polls, the AfD regularly comes second.
The prospect of a Trump presidency has begun to concentrate minds in Berlin. It could harm the German economy with tariffs and undermine national security by rolling back support for Ukraine.
Many have now come to the conclusion that Germany needs a united and effective government now more than ever.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd9n79w8p7po
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Russian anti-war teenager faces five years in jail after failed appeal
08 November, 2024
Maria Jevstafjeva
One of Russia's youngest political prisoners has lost an appeal to overturn a five-year jail sentence.
Arseny Turbin was only 15 when he was arrested in the summer of 2023.
Authorities accused him of joining the Freedom of Russia Legion - a paramilitary unit composed of Russian volunteers fighting for Ukraine against the Russian army.
The Freedom of Russia Legion is designated as terrorist organisation by Russia, and Arseny was sentenced to five years in a juvenile colony. On Thursday, the court of appeal reduced his five-year term - but only by 24 days.
Arseny is one of nine minors who have faced politically motivated criminal charges since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent crackdown on civil liberties, according to Russian human rights organisation OVD-Info.
He denies all the charges against him. He says he researched the legion but that he never applied and has committed no crime. His mother Irina also maintains he is innocent.
“I just don’t understand the judge who handed down the sentence,” she told the BBC.
Investigators have also claimed Arseny distributed leaflets critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the legion’s behalf.
He admitted to distributing leaflets but denied following instructions from anybody.
Arseny did openly criticise Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin in school.
He was also politically active on social media, reposting content from Russian opposition figures and occasionally sharing his own political content, including a video in which he can be seen holding a solo picket in support of late opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
His mother says he was acting of his own accord and not on the instructions of the Freedom of Russia Legion.
Yet, in late August 2023, agents from the FSB, Russia’s security service, searched Arseny’s home in the small town of Livny, 450km (280 miles) south of Moscow, and confiscated his electronic devices.
The next day he was summoned for questioning and accused of joining the Freedom of Russia Legion.
“I was hysterical, I was shaking, crying," says his mother. "Arseny told me: 'Mum, calm down, I didn’t commit any crime, they will work it out.'"
No lawyer was present during the interrogation, which Irina deeply regrets. She believes the FSB subsequently added to the transcript a confession of guilt that Arseny never made.
Some of his schoolmates were questioned by investigators and said Arseny would often criticise Putin and Russia's actions in Ukraine. But in their statements - which the BBC has seen - none of them said he had a connection to the Freedom of Russia Legion. Source:bbc.com
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Nevertheless, Arseny was formally arrested the following week.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8ekwzkj2ejo
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North America
Trump says he’ll talk to Putin
7 Nov, 2024
US President-elect Donald Trump has said that he has not talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin yet, but that the pair will likely speak in the near future. Putin earlier said that he was ready to talk to Trump.
In an interview with NBC News on Thursday, Trump said that he had spoken to “probably” 70 world leaders since his election victory, but that Putin was not among them. However, he added, “I think we’ll speak.”
Speaking at a meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club in the southern Russian city of Sochi around an hour before, Putin congratulated Trump on his win, and said that he is open to a phone call with the president-elect. “It wouldn’t be beneath me to call him myself,” Putin added.
Throughout his campaign, Trump promised to bring a swift end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict if elected, and said that he would talk with both Putin and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky to achieve this goal. Trump offered few further details, and Moscow responded cautiously, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating last month that he does not “think there is a magic wand” that can stop the fighting overnight.
Moscow maintains that any settlement must begin with Ukraine ceasing military operations and acknowledging the “territorial reality” that it will never regain control of the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye, as well as Crimea. In addition, the Kremlin insists that the goals of its military operation – which include Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification – will be achieved.
However, Putin said on Thursday that he takes Trump’s statements seriously, and that his proposals aimed at stopping the conflict “deserve attention, at the very least.”
Putin and Trump met in Helsinki in 2018, and again at the following year’s G-20 summit in Osaka. Trump’s first term in office was dominated by false accusations that he colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election, and he was heavily criticized in the US media for meeting with his Russian counterpart.
“During his first presidency…he was harassed by everyone on all sides, he was bullied, he was afraid of making a step to the left, to the right, saying the wrong thing,” Putin said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen now during his new presidency. Whatever he does is up to him.”
Last month, American journalist Bob Woodward claimed that Trump had secretly spoken to Putin seven times since leaving office in 2021. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that any calls took place, while Trump struck a more ambiguous tone.
“I don’t comment on that, but I will tell you that if I did, it’s a smart thing,” he told Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait. “If I’m friendly with people, if I can have a relationship with people, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing, in terms of a country… he’s got 2,000 nuclear weapons and so do we.”
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/607316-trump-putin-will-talk/
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FBI probes imam on allegations of exploitation involving minors
07 November, 2024
THE FBI is investigating Texas-based imam Wisam Sharieff in the US, known for his association with AlMaghrib Institute and as the founder of Advocating Qur’anic Literacy (AQL), on allegations involving explicit videos with minors.
In an affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Eric Salvador in Birmingham, Alabama, Sharieff is accused of grooming a mother, identified as Blake Miller Barakat, and her young daughter for exploitation under the guise of religious instruction, according to The Express Tribune.
According to the affidavit, Sharieff allegedly convinced the mother that achieving orgasm could enhance her spiritual connection to Allah.
FBI documents indicate that the two shared explicit videos over the messaging app Telegram, with Sharieff reportedly reciprocating with explicit videos of himself. The investigation began after Sharieff’s wife reportedly found the videos on his phone and contacted authorities, The Express Tribune reported.
Barakat, a resident of Shelby County, Alabama, was arrested on October 21 and faces 23 charges, including production and distribution of explicit material involving a minor and child abuse. Court documents allege that Barakat created explicit videos involving her young daughter, The Express Tribune reported.
Federal charges against Sharieff include conspiracy to produce child pornography under 18 USC Section 2251(a) and (e). AlMaghrib Institute, where Sharieff had taught, responded by terminating his employment and reaffirming its “zero-tolerance policy” on misconduct.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the institute emphasised its commitment to community safety, noting that none of its students were involved. MuslimMatters, an online Muslim publication, also ended its association with Sharieff, calling the allegations “an unspeakable betrayal.”
Source:easterneye.biz
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https://www.easterneye.biz/fbi-probes-imam-exploitation-minors/
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In defeat, some Harris supporters scapegoat Arab, Muslim voters for Trump win
07 November, 2024
As the United States reacts to the results of the 5 November election, some supporters of the Democratic Party have turned their anger on Arab and Muslim voters for opposing Vice President Kamala Harris over her support for Israel's wars on Gaza and Lebanon.
This is despite polling showing that president-elect Donald Trump outperformed his Democratic rival across many sectors, currently leading in the popular vote by some 4.5 million ballots.
Among the key statistics that have emerged, an NBC News exit poll conducted with several other news outlets found that 57 percent of White Americans voted for Trump.
According to a poll by Edison Research, Trump increased his support from 2020 among Hispanic voters by 14 percentage points, winning 46 percent of votes in that demographic.
Among Muslim voters, less than half voted for Harris, according to an exit poll conducted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The Biden-Harris administration's support for Israel's war on Gaza, where over 43,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, was a key issue, leading many long-time Democrats to abstain, back Trump or choose third party candidates.
In the battleground state of Michigan, home to the cities with the highest Arab-American populations, a clear backlash against Harris was noted.
Dearborn — a city whose population is 55 percent Arab — voted by more than 42 percent for Trump, while 36 percent chose Harris, Voice of America reported. In the last presidential election, nearly 70 percent of the Arab-majority city voted for Joe Biden.
While the numbers show that Harris failed to secure broad appeal across US society, some have chosen to scapegoat Arab and Muslim voters for the defeat.
Several anonymous accounts supportive of Harris made bigoted statements, with one expressing hope that Trump will turn Gaza into a "parking lot".
"When Gaza is blown off the map they’ll have their Trump Vote as thanks," said one X user.
However in response, many highlighted that with the support and military aid of the Biden-Harris administration, most of Gaza has been flattened by the Israel, which is accused of carrying out a genocide.
Other Harris supporters took jabs at those who decided to back third party candidates, particularly the Green Party's Jill Stein.
"Well to the non-voters & 3rd party voters in Michigan. Particularly in the Arabic communities. You gave Trump & Netanyahu the green light to destroy Palestine & screwed over democracy in the United States. But principles right?" wrote one X user.
Stein won 22 percent of the vote in Arab-majority Dearborn, but only secured 0.4 percent of the national vote. Many observers have highlighted that Harris would still have failed to secure the presidency due to her performance across the key swing states. "Even if all Green Party voters had voted for Harris, Trump would still have won in each battleground state," wrote one X user.
Hitting back at the accusations, many in the anti-Harris camp highlighted how the Democratic candidate had made a number of missteps regarding Arab and Muslim communities.
"As it stands, Harris is on track to lose Michigan by about 80,000 votes. There are 200,000 Muslim voters in that state. I really hope sending Ritchie Torres and Bill Clinton to these communities to berate and antagonize them was worth it," wrote one X user, referring to the Harris campaign's deployment of vocally pro-Israel lawmaker Torres and former president Clinton to Michigan.
In the runup to the election, Clinton gave a speech in Michigan in which he appeared to justify Israel's killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians, while also citing the Bible as evidence of Israel's claim over historical Palestine.
"They wanted to kill Israelis and make Israel uninhabitable. Well, I got news for them. They were there first before there was—their faith existed," Clinton said. "They were there in the time of King David in the southernmost tribes had Judea and Samaria," he added, using the biblical names often used by pro-settlement Zionists for the occupied West Bank.
Social media users also highlighted how the Harris campaign declined requests from Arab-Americans to speak at campaign rallies, while Trump — despite his history of anti-Muslim rhetoric — platformed and sought endorsements from Arabs and Muslims.
Source:newarab.com
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https://www.newarab.com/news/harris-supporters-scapegoat-arab-muslim-voters-trump-win
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Trump hires campaign aide as White House chief of staff
08 November, 2024
Max Matza
US President-elect Donald Trump has announced his campaign manager, Susan Summerall Wiles, will serve as his White House chief of staff when he takes over the presidency next year.
In a statement, Trump said that Wiles "just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history" and "is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected".
"It is a well deserved honour to have Susie as the first-ever female chief of staff in United States history," he continued. "I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”
Wiles, 67, is the first woman to be appointed White House chief of staff.
The Trump transition team is currently working to choose top members of the incoming Republican administration, including the heads of all 15 executive departments, such as the secretaries of state and defence, from 20 January.
A quick guide to Donald Trump
In his victory speech this week, Trump referred to Wiles as "the ice maiden" as she stood behind him on stage.
She operates mostly “in the back”, the president-elect said, but she is known as one of the most feared political operatives in the US.
"Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again," he added in his statement on Thursday, referring to his oft-repeated campaign slogan.
Who is Susie Wiles?
A profile by Politico earlier this year described Susie Wiles as feared but little known.
Less than a year after Wiles started working in politics, she joined Ronald Reagan’s campaign ahead of his 1980 election.
She went on to play a key role in transforming politics in Florida, where she lives.
In 2010, she turned Rick Scott, a then-businessman with little political experience, into Florida’s governor in just seven months. Scott is now a US senator.
Wiles met Trump during the 2015 Republican presidential primary and became the co-chair of his Florida campaign. He went on to win the state over Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, who put her in charge of his successful gubernatorial race two years later, described Wiles as “the best in the business”.
Wiles worked on the Trump campaign alongside Chris LaCivita, a veteran of Republican politics with decades of experience.
The two worked with Trump to formulate a winning presidential primary strategy.
In her Politico profile, the 67-year-old grandmother - who is the daughter of late football player and broadcaster Pat Summerall - said that she comes from a "traditional" political background.
“In my early career things like manners mattered and there was an expected level of decorum," she said, describing the Republican party as significantly different than the one of several decades ago.
"And so I get it that the GOP of today is different," she said, referring to the Republican party, who are also called the Grand Old Party (GOP).
"There are changes we must live with in order to get done the things we’re trying to do."
The chief of staff is considered to be the president's top aide, and plays a crucial role in every president's administration.
They essentially serve as the manager of the White House and are responsible for putting together a president's staff. A chief leads the staff through the Executive Office of the President and oversees all daily operations and staff activities.
They also advise presidents on policy issues and are responsible for directing and overseeing policy development.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd0gdnp9d3ko
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Did the US election polls fail?
08 November, 2024
Natalie Sherman
For much of the 2024 US presidential campaign, polls and pundits rated the race too close to call.
Then Donald Trump delivered a commanding victory over Kamala Harris, winning at least five battleground states, and performing unexpectedly well in other places.
He is now poised to become the first Republican in two decades to win the popular vote, and could enter office with a Republican-controlled House and Senate at his back.
So were the polls wrong about it being a tight contest?
At the national level, they certainly appeared to underestimate Trump for the third election in a row.
But in the battleground states such as Pennsylvania, where most of the polling was focused, Trump's margin of victory was typically within striking distance of his performance in the polls, even if the forecasts were slightly lower than the final outcome. The average polling error seen in these swing states was not actually that big. Still, in tight campaigns, small changes can make a big difference.
Ahead of the results, media outlets including the BBC warned that despite the close race in the polls, it could end up looking like a landslide for either candidate, given the margin of error.
In some less closely-watched parts of the US, polls underestimated Trump's support more significantly - a sign of some blind spots, said Michael Bailey, a professor at Georgetown University and author of the book Polling at a Crossroads.
"At a glance, in the battleground states, polls ran a little hot for Harris but really not so bad, but when you dig deeper, it's all a little less impressive," he said.
In Florida, for example, polls tracked by RealClearPolitics in the final weeks of the election put Trump ahead by about five points. He won by a greater margin of 13.
In New Jersey, Harris was expected to win by nearly 20 percentage points, based on the two most recent polls tracked by the site. Her margin was more slender, closer to 10.
"Just imagine if we knew that or had a better sense of that a month ago. I don't know that it would change the election but it would certainly change our expectations," Prof Bailey said.
He said pollsters this year may have leaned too heavily on bets that people would behave roughly as they did in 2020 - failing to anticipate the depth of the swing among Latino and young voters toward Trump.
"These models that assume so heavily that we're going to get a repeat... they're a disaster when there's a big change," he said.
But pollster Nate Silver, founder of the 538 polling analysis site, said there were signs of peril for those who were looking.
Writing about the election results, he noted a poll from New York City last month, which indicated Trump making major inroads in the traditional Democratic stronghold.
"This is a problem the party should have been prepared for, because there was plenty of evidence for it in polls and election data," he wrote.
Debate about the polls is sure to continue in the months ahead.
That is particularly true in a year in which figures like Trump and billionaire supporter Elon Musk have promoted betting markets - many of which did forecast a decisive Trump victory - as a more accurate alternative.
Experts said the polling profession does face challenges.
Response rates to surveys have plunged, as it becomes easier for people to screen calls from unknown numbers.
The fall has also coincided with rising distrust of media and institutions - a feature particularly pronounced among Trump supporters that some argue has led to their under-representation.
Prof Bailey said the big miss in the much-discussed poll of Iowa by Ann Selzer - that was released days ahead of the election and indicated a three-point lead for Harris in the state - showed the risks of the traditional approach.
To make up for such issues, many of the most high-profile polls now function more like models, with firms weighting responses from different groups and making other assumptions about factors such as turnout.
Many pollsters have also shifted to using online surveys, but experts said those were known for being unreliable.
This year, voters who were inclined to fill out online polls were more likely to be Democrats, James Johnson of London-based polling firm JL Partners told the Times of London newspaper. They were "more likely to be young, they’re more likely to be highly-engaged, they’re more likely to be working from home," he said.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj4ve004llxo
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Will Republicans win the House? The outstanding races to watch
07 November, 2024
The party that will control the US House of Representatives for the next two years is still in the balance.
Republicans were seven seats short of the 218 seats needed to take control on Thursday morning. Democrats need 15 more.
The Senate, or upper chamber, and the White House have already flipped to Republicans so President-elect Donald Trump could have total control when he is sworn in on 20 January 2025.
Control of the House, the lower chamber, gives a party the power to initiate spending legislation and launch impeachment proceedings against officials.
Under Trump, a unified Republican Party could more easily push through tax cuts and introduce border control measures.
But Democrats hope the last votes trickling in from a handful of tight races will be enough to give them a majority in the House.
Here are some of the races that have yet to be called.
Democrats are closely monitoring five seats in California as crucial to winning back the House.
Challengers are hoping to defeat the incumbent Republicans and flip the seats blue, but initial polling shows incumbents holding onto their seats by narrow margins.
The key races to watch are:
California's 45th: Republican Congresswoman Michelle Steel, the incumbent, is currently leading against Democrat Derek Tran with 70% of votes reported. She has a lead of 4 points.
California's 27th: Democrat George Whitesides is challenging incumbent Republican Congressman Mike Garcia. With 69% of votes counted, Garcia leads by a narrow margin 2 points.
California's 41st: Incumbent Republican Congressman Ken Calvert is running against Democrat Will Rollins. Calvert is winning by a narrow margin of 2% with 76% of votes counted.
California's 22nd: Democrat Rudy Salas is challenging incumbent Republican Congressman David Valadao, who currently leads with a margin of 10 points. A little over 56% of votes have been counted.
California's 13th: Incumbent Republican Congressman John Duarte is running against Democrat Adam Gray. With 52% of votes counted, Duarte is leading by 2 points.
The two closely watched races in the state currently have margins of less than 2%.
Republican Juan Ciscomani currently leads his Democratic challenger, Kirsten Engel, by 0.5 points in Arizona's 6th district located in the southeast corner of the state. About 67% of votes have been counted.
In Arizona's 1st district, David Schweikert has a lead of 1% over Democratic challenger Amish Shah, with 69% of votes counted.
Schweikert's district covers north-eastern Maricopa County, outside of Phoenix.
In Maine, incumbent Democratic Congressman Jared Golden is fighting to keep his seat - one of two congressional districts in the state.
Maine's 2nd Congressional district encompasses the majority of the state north of Augusta and Portland.
Golden is currently leading in the race against his Republican challenger, Austin Theriault, by less than a point. Around 93% of votes have been counted.
Democrats are looking to hold onto one seat in Ohio's 9th congressional district, which encompasses Toledo in northern Ohio.
Incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, who has served in Congress since 1983, leads in the race against her Republican challenger, Derek Merrin.
Kaptur has a narrow 0.3 point lead. Around 95% of votes have been counted.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04ld19vlg6o
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Justice officials in talks to drop Trump criminal cases
07 November, 2024
The US Department of Justice is in talks with the office of special counsel Jack Smith over winding down the two federal cases he is overseeing against president-elect Donald Trump, according to US media reports.
Last year, Mr Smith brought charges against Trump over the alleged mishandling of classified documents and his suspected role in attempting to thwart the transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election.
But the justice department has a long-standing policy that sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted - which would apply when Trump returns to office in January.
Trump said during the election campaign that he would fire Mr Smith "within two seconds" if he was returned to office.
, two sources close to the talks say they centre on rules which prevent sitting presidents from being prosecuted and the need for a smooth transition between the outgoing Biden administration and Trump.
Deciding not to continue with the federal cases before Trump's inauguration in January would also avoid a showdown between the incoming president and the justice department, the Associated Press reported.
Mr Smith was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022.
The two indictments brought by Mr Smith accuse Trump of conspiracy to reverse the 2020 election results in the run-up to the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot, and with retaining top secret records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and obstructing FBI efforts to recover them.
The classified documents case is currently stalled in the appeal court after a US judge dismissed it on the grounds that Mr Smith was not properly appointed by the justice department. Mr Smith appealed against the ruling and the case is currently pending. The election interference prosecution has been put on hold after the US Supreme Court ruled that presidents have some immunity from criminal charges relating to official actions. Mr Smith's team revised the indictment in August saying it showed the actions alleged in the indictment were carried out by Trump as a political candidate.
The two sides in that case are currently debating whether the charges still stand.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2n4x1p70ro
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Biden promises 'peaceful transfer of power' amid Democratic blame game
08 November, 2024
US President Joe Biden has vowed to ensure a "peaceful and orderly transition" to his Republican predecessor and now successor, Donald Trump.
"We accept the choice the country made," the Democrat said, repeating that he believes "you can't love your country only when you win".
Biden also saluted Vice-President Kamala Harris as "a partner and a public servant" who ran an "inspiring" campaign after he dropped out.
His first public remarks after Tuesday's election, in the White House's Rose Garden, came as Democrats in Washington began seeking someone to blame for Harris's large loss to Trump.
Much of the blame is being laid on Biden, with some saying that he should have dropped out of the race sooner and others that the 81-year-old should never have run for a second term at all.
The incumbent sought to balance a conciliatory tone with a message of reassurance, after a bleak campaign season where Harris frequently said that a Trump victory would threaten democracy and Trump often described the US as a "nation in decline" and a "failed nation".
American democracy is "the greatest experiment in self-government in the world" and "the will of the people always prevails", Biden said.
"We lost this battle," he said. "The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back."
In the comments before a crowd of White House staff and top members of his administration, Biden took on an issue that may have cost Harris the White House: the economy.
Voters in the swing states that decided the election listed the economy as a top issue driving them to the polls, and Trump in his rallies cast Biden as directly responsible for inflation spiking to a 40-year high in June 2022.
While Harris pointed to the steep recession when Trump was in office and significant improvements in inflation, she could not win over Trump voters who said they felt better about the economy during his first term.
But Biden said supporters should be proud of his "historic" term that had left behind "the strongest economy in the world" and "over $1tn worth of infrastructure work done".
"I know people are still hurting, but things are changing rapidly," he said.
Promising to work with Trump's transition team without delay, Biden said it was time to "bring down the temperature" in the country.
"I also hope we can lay to rest the question about the integrity of the American electoral system," he said, a a nod to the president-elect's unproven allegations of fraud after his defeat in 2020, which led many to riot on 6 January 2021.
"It is honest, it is fair, it is transparent and it can be trusted, win or lose."
Biden was the first incumbent to not compete for re-election since Lyndon Johnson in 1968.
His approval rating as president has been in negative territory for more than three years - since his administration's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. On top of that, a majority of voters, including most Democrats, have expressed concerns over his advanced age in a steady stream of polls.
But the Democrat launched his re-election bid in April 2023 with a promise to "finish the job".
Typically, political parties do not follow a strenuous primary process when they control the White House and Biden did not have to face campaigns from serious rivals or debates to become the 2024 Democratic nominee. More than 14 million Americans voted for him during the Democratic primaries.
Then, in June 2024, Biden frequently lost his train of thought and meandered through several responses in a debate with Trump watched by millions on live television.
A month later, after a public push from Democratic heavyweights, he withdrew his candidacy and endorsed his vice-president. The election was a little more than three months away.
Democrats are trying to make sense of how they could win in 2020 and then lose four years later to the same opponent. Biden is not the only person being put at fault.
Some are saying Harris was a weak candidate who struggled with media appearances. Others say her campaign was heavy on celebrity involvement but light on policy substance.
One-time Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and others have suggested Harris erred in picking Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, an older progressive, as her running mate instead of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a more youthful, Jewish-American moderate.
Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who ran for president as a Democrat in 2016 and 2020, blasted the party itself, putting out a lengthy statement that accused it of abandoning working people.
"While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change," he wrote. "And they’re right."
But Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison responded on X that the accusation was "straight up BS", saying Biden was "the most-pro worker President of my life time".
Ritchie Torres, a moderate New York congressman, blamed "the far left, which has managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and Jews from the Democratic Party with absurdities like ‘Defund the Police’ or ‘From the River to the Sea’ or ‘Latinx’”.
Meanwhile, in his first public remarks since winning the election President-elect Donald Trump doubled down on his campaign promise of the mass deportation of illegal immigrants.
Trump said his priority upon taking office in January would be to make the border “strong and powerful", and that the cost of deporting millions of undocumented immigrants would not be a deterrent.
"It’s not a question of a price tag. It’s not - really, we have no choice," Trump told NBC News.
"When people have killed and murdered, when drug lords have destroyed countries, and now they’re going to go back to those countries because they’re not staying here. There is no price tag."
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2y3mdv2y7o
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US central bank boss says Trump can't fire him
08 November, 2024
Natalie Sherman
The head of the US central bank has hit back at speculation that his post might be in jeopardy as Donald Trump prepares to assume power in Washington.
Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said he would not step down if Trump asked and that it is "not permitted under law" for the White House to force him out.
Mr Powell was responding to questions from reporters at a press conference after the bank announced a cut to borrowing costs, lowering the Fed's key lending rate to the range of 4.5%-4.75%.
Forecasters have been expecting borrowing costs to fall further in the months ahead but warned that Trump's plans for tax cuts, immigration and tariffs could keep pressure on inflation and drive up government borrowing, complicating those bets.
Trump has pledged to impose import duties of at least 10% on all goods coming into the country, costs that economists say would be passed onto consumers, helping to drive up prices.
Tax cuts could also stoke inflation by encouraging spending, while the mass deportations of immigrants proposed by Trump would create a big hole in the US workforce that could drive up wages.
Interest rates on US debt have already jumped this week, reflecting those concerns.
Mr Powell said on Thursday that it was too early to tell how the new administration's agenda might affect the US economy - or how the Fed should respond.
"It's such an early stage - we don't know what the policies are, we don't know when they will be implemented," he said. "In the near term, the election will have no effects on our policy decisions."
Mr Powell was named chairman of the Fed by Trump in 2017, but later became a frequent target of his criticism.
During his first term, Trump called bank officials "boneheads" on social media and reportedly consulted advisers about whether he could fire Mr Powell.
This year, US media have reported that Trump allies have been looking at ways for the White House to assert more control over the Fed, including potentially sidelining Mr Powell by prematurely naming his replacement.
Trump has said repeatedly he believes he has the right to voice his views on Fed actions. He told Bloomberg over the summer that he would let Powell serve out his term, which ends in 2026, "especially if I thought he was doing the right thing".
However, Powell said on Thursday that he would not step down if ordered to by Trump, and that an attempt to oust him before his term is over is "not permitted under the law".
Mr Powell has faced heavy scrutiny over the last few years, as prices started surging in 2022.
The bank responding by hiking rates rapidly that year, ultimately raising them from near zero to roughly 5.3% as of July - the highest rate in more than two decades.
Those rises affected the public in the form of higher borrowing costs for credit cards, mortgages and other loans, helping to fuel discontent about higher living costs, especially for housing, that played a role in the election.
The Fed started to reverse course in September, slashing rates by a bigger-than-usual 0.5 percentage points, saying it was confident that the pace of price rises in the US was stabilising.
Inflation in the US stood at 2.4% in September, down from more than 9% in June 2022, according to the latest official figures.
The cut announced on Thursday, which was widely expected and unanimous, marked the second drop in a row, lowering rates by a further 0.25 percentage points.
Mr Powell said on Thursday officials remained equally focused on keeping prices stable and the job market healthy.
Though concerns flared earlier this year about rising unemployment, those quietened in September, after data showed an unexpectedly strong burst of hiring.
However, the latest figures showed almost non-existent job growth in October, when the country was grappling with hurricanes and strike actions.
Mr Powell said officials expected to continue to cut rates, but how fast and how far remained to be seen. He resisted questions seeking more precise guidance.
"We don't think it's a good time to be doing a lot of further guidance - there's a fair amount of uncertainty," he said. "The point is to find the right pace and destination as we go."
Whitney Watson, co-chief investment officer of fixed income at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, said her firm expected to see another rate cut in December, but acknowledged questions about the path ahead.
"Stronger data and uncertainty over fiscal and trade policies mean rising risks that the Fed may opt to slow the pace of easing," she said, noting that the central bank might start to "skip" rate cuts next year.
The decision by the Fed came the same day that the Bank of England warned that it could take longer for borrowing costs to fall, warning that inflation could creep higher after last week's Budget.
“On both sides of the pond, we are seeing expectations for future rate cuts being scaled back considerably compared to what many had originally hoped for," said Lindsay James, investment strategist at Quilter Investors.
"In the US, it seems interest rates will stay higher for longer as the Fed will need to tread very carefully until it is better able to assess the true impact of Trump’s plans.”
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4v7vwgqj0o
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Africa
You Can’t Put Life Of 20 Million At Risk Because Two Females Fought – Gov Yusuf Begs Doctors
7 November 2024
By Udeze Ekene
The Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, has appealed to doctors in the state to shelve their planned strike in protest to an incident that occurred at Murtala Muhammed Specialists Hospital.
Naija News reports that the Kano State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Amina Abdullahi, allegedly assaulted a female doctor on Monday at the hospital.
The assault led to a threat to declare a strike by the state’s chapter Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) if the government failed to take action against the Commissioner within 48 hours.
Governor Yusuf, on Thursday, however, advised NMA to shelve the planned strike.
He appealed to the doctors to see the incident as a fight between two women that should not lead to putting the lives of 20 million innocent residents of the state at risk.
He told NMA to allow him to take action on the incident after going through the report submitted by the investigation committee.
Governor Yusuf promised he would not spare the Commissioner if she is found wanting by the investigation report.
“I know how many industrial actions planned by NMA that were subsequently shelved because of the mutual relationship between the doctors and the Kano State Government. The NMA knows how important the government values the welfare of doctors.
“When the issue was reported to me, I immediately set up a committee to investigate and report back to me in 48 hours. As I sit here, the report is already on my table and I am going to act on this immediately.
“And, if they now felt nobody can talk to them and they cannot wait for the report and the next action is strike, they can’t avoid to put the lives of 20 million innocent residents at risk because of a fight between two females,” Daily Trust quoted Yusuf. Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/11/07/you-cant-put-life-of-20-million-at-risk-because-two-females-fought-gov-yusuf-begs-doctors/
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Terrorist Leaders Begging To Surrender – Nigerian Military
7 November 2024
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has revealed that the military had opened its surrendering corridors to those who had expressed interest in surrendering.
Naija News reports that the Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, made this known while briefing journalists on the military operations on Thursday in Abuja.
Buba said some leaders of terror groups operating in the North-central zone have indicated interest in surrendering and laying down their arms.
According to him, the terrorists knew they could not match the military strength.
He added, “The options open to them is to surrender or be killed on the battlefield.
“Accordingly, some terrorist leaders, commanders and combatants have indicated surrender.
“We are opening a surrendering corridor for that purpose.”
LUKARAWAS: DHQ Confirms New Terrorists’ Group In The North, Reveals Origin
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters has confirmed the rise of a new terrorist group called ‘Lukarawas’, which is further escalating insecurity in Nigeria’s northwest region.
Naija News reports that Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, disclosed this during a military briefing on Thursday in Abuja, where he provided an update on ongoing military operations.
According to Buba, the group originated from the Republic of Niger following the recent coup that disrupted military cooperation between Niger and Nigeria.
He noted that after the political upheaval in Niger, the group began infiltrating northern areas of Sokoto and Kebbi States, exploiting routes from Niger and Mali.
Buba highlighted that before the coup, joint border operations with Nigerien security forces were effective in curbing terrorist activities.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/11/07/terrorist-leaders-begging-to-surrender-nigerian-military/
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We Commend Nigerians For Endurance Despite Hardship – FG
8 November 2024
By Justina Otio
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has praised Nigerians for their endurance despite the economic reforms which has resulted in hardship in the nation.
He, however, stated that the Federal Government economic policies have began to yield positive result.
Edun stated this on Thursday during an interactive session with the Senate Committee on Finance in Abuja.
He claimed that the teething problems from the reforms are over and Nigerians would soon begin to experience positive indicators for better days.
“The two critical reforms on market-based price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and foreign exchange, are now at the stage of results delivery and by extension, viability of the nation’s economy through restoration of fiscal viability.
“These two pillars of the economic reforms that have taken positive shape now portend additional revenue for government, recovery of the finances of NNPCL and a strong basis for growing the economy, in terms of attracting investment and creating jobs.
“I think we need to commend Nigerians for staying the course to this stage of getting benefits,” he stated.
On his part, the chairman of the committee, Senator Sani Musa, said the session was a fact-finding one on workability or otherwise of the various reforms.
Musa said the rationale for the gathering was to deliberate on the pressing matters related to the sales of crude oil to domestic refineries in Nigeria in naira and its implication on the approved medium-term expenditure framework and fiscal strategy paper for 2024-2026 and “what we should expect for 2025-2027.”
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/11/08/we-commend-nigerians-for-endurance-despite-hardship-fg/
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FG Promises 20-hour Daily Electricity Supply Amid Incessant National Grid Collapse
7 November 2024
By Richard Ogunsile
President Bola Tinubu’s government has promised to provide at least 20 hours of daily electricity supply to Nigerians in the urban and industrial areas by 2027.
Nonetheless, this goal has been set on the basis of adequate funding for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, which it has indicated is presently falling short of what was anticipated.
The Special Advisor to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, disclosed this during the Energy Week in Cape Town, South Africa, as reported by the State House Director of Information and Publicity, Abiodun Oladunjoye, on Thursday.
“By 2027, Nigeria aims to ensure 20 hours of electricity daily for consumers in urban areas and industrial hubs,” Verheijen said.
The statement is titled, ‘At the African Energy Week in Cape Town, Olu Verheijen Encourages International Investors to Pour Money into Nigeria’s Energy Market.’
Naija News reports that Verheijen’s remarks are made amid the frequent breakdowns of Nigeria’s national power grid, which have resulted in widespread power outages throughout the nation.
The grid failed on Tuesday, becoming the 10th such event since the start of 2024. The Federal Government has blamed these ongoing failures on old infrastructure, poor upkeep, and a lack of investment in the energy sector.
Despite having the potential to produce around 12,500 megawatts, Nigeria typically only manages to generate a small fraction of this, leaving many regions without dependable power.
During Energy Week, Verheijen briefed attendees on the Tinubu government’s efforts to rejuvenate the country’s electricity sector, with plans to deliver a more dependable power supply to the 86 million Nigerians without it.
She mentioned the strategy includes enhancing income security and collection. Other critical steps involve addressing old debts, installing seven million smart meters to cut down on losses, and expanding off-grid solutions for isolated communities.
Emphasizing recent economic reforms, such as eliminating the fuel subsidy and opening the foreign exchange market, she showed optimism that Nigeria is on the brink of significant development.
“Under President Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria is championing reforms to unlock its vast economic potential and create jobs,” she said, inviting foreign partners to participate in Nigeria’s next chapter of growth.
Tinubu’s administration to attract investment, Verheijen noted that the country has historically underperformed in oil and gas production despite its wealth in the sector.
She referenced how countries like Brazil, which have only 30 percent of Nigeria’s oil reserves, have outperformed Nigeria by producing 131 percent more than the country’s current output.
“Despite our abundant resources, we have underperformed against our potential. For example, Brazil holds only 30 per cent of Nigeria’s oil reserves but produces 131 percent more. This is largely due to under-investment,” she said.
She lamented that since 2016, Nigeria had attracted only 4 per cent of African oil and gas investments, while investment has surged in other, less resource-rich nations.
“Since 2016, Nigeria has managed to attract only 4 per cent of total investments in oil and gas, while less-resourced countries in Africa have enjoyed a larger share.
“When we analysed investment data, we also found that, between 2013, when Nigeria’s last deepwater project reached FID, and now, International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria have committed more than $82bn in deepwater investments in other countries they deemed to be more attractive destinations for their capital,” she told the audience.
Tinubu Govt Making Plans To Open Up Oil And Gas Sector For Larger Investments
Acknowledging this pattern, the advisor to the president emphasized the actions taken by President Tinubu’s government to implement changes designed to transform the investment environment in Nigeria.
She pointed out the introduction of tax breaks for deep offshore and independent gas projects, which was the first time Nigeria had established a tax structure specifically for deepwater gas.
To improve the oil and gas sector at the beginning of the supply chain, she mentioned her department has worked closely with the National Security Adviser’s office to develop and share detailed Security Directives, using information from operators on the ground.
Moreover, Verheijen outlined measures to make the approval process more efficient by clearly outlining the areas covered by regulations.
This effort, she stated, is aimed at greatly reducing the lengthy project durations that have traditionally been a problem in the industry, as well as the high costs of doing business in Nigeria.
“Our target is to shorten the contracting timelines from an extensive 38 months to just 135 days while also working to eliminate the 40 percent cost premium that currently exists within the Nigerian petroleum industry,” she added.
The presidential aide also revealed efforts by the current President Tinubu administration to further open up the oil and gas sector for larger investments with a set of clear fiscal incentives for non-associated gas and deep offshore oil and gas exploration and production.
“This is the first time that Nigeria is outlining a fiscal framework for deepwater gas since exploration in the basin commenced in 1991,” she said.
According to her, amongst other initiatives, there has been a focus on midstream and downstream investments in compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and electric vehicles as part of the Presidential Gas for Growth Initiative.
She added that the administration has also worked to streamline regulatory processes, shorten project timelines, and reduce the high-cost premium of operating in Nigeria.
“We have also introduced fiscal incentives to catalyze investments in the midstream and downstream sectors, including compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and mini-liquefied natural gas.
“These align with the broader Presidential Gas for Growth Initiative, which seeks to enable the displacement of PMS and diesel in three key sectors: heavy transport, decentralized power generation, and cooking. These incentives also stimulate the demand for electric vehicles.
“Our goal is to eliminate the 40 percent cost premium within the Nigerian petroleum industry and cut down contracting timelines from 38 months to 135 days,” Verheijen stated.
She said the government has unlocked over $1bn across the energy value chain, with two more major investment projects expected by mid-2025.
“We are also facilitating the transfer of onshore and shallow water assets to local companies with the capacity to grow production while supporting the transition of International Oil Companies with resilient capital into deep offshore and integrated gas. “We have unlocked over $1 billion in investments across the value chain, and by the middle of 2025, we expect to see FID on two more projects, including a multibillion-dollar deepwater exploration project, which will be the first of its kind in Nigeria in over a decade – one of many to come,” Verheijen explained.
Source:naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/11/07/fg-promises-20-hour-daily-electricity-supply-amid-incessant-national-grid-collapse/
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‘I Will Hand Myself Over To EFCC, I’m Not Afraid’ – Obaseki
7 November 2024
By Rachel Okporu Fadoju
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has expressed his readiness to submit himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) if there is a need to account for his eight-year tenure in office.
Naija News reports that Obaseki made this known in Abuja during the EdoBEST National Results-Sharing Session, an event highlighting his administration’s achievements, particularly in the education sector.
The outgoing governor said he ignored all noise during his administration and focused on education.
Obaseki emphasized that he has nothing to fear regarding any allegations.
Obaseki, who acknowledged the hardships Nigerians are facing, called on the All Progressives Congress, APC, to shift its focus from vendetta to addressing the suffering of the people.
According to him, his political opponents in Edo State are full of vendetta and are jealous of his administration’s achievement.
He also expressed his belief that the bitterness and vindictiveness in the political landscape are secondary to addressing the real challenges faced by the country.
He said, “I’m not afraid of the EFCC. Why should I be? What is important is focus. I came into office and ignored the noise, concentrating on what I felt was important, and today you can see the results.
“If the EFCC calls on me, I will hand myself over; I have nothing to hide.
“What matters is focusing on our people and making Nigeria better. The suffering is too much. We, who are privileged, should focus on making a positive impact not on side issues like vendetta.”
Reflecting on his legacy, Obaseki said he is leaving office with his head held high, stressing that his administration’s educational reforms, including the enrollment of over 400,000 children and the establishment of a technical college, would leave a lasting impact on the state.
Obaseki pointed out that, unlike previous attempts at educational reform, his administration had implemented tangible solutions.
He added, “We are not just talking about teacher training or increasing enrollments. You can come to Edo and see the data. We have enrolled over 400,000 children, and you can identify them because the data on every child is there.”
Source:naijanews.com
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Dark Petrol In Bottles, Jerrycans Not From Our Filling Station – NNPC Denies
7 November 2024
By Udeze Ekene
The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has said the video of dark petrol in bottles and jerrycans, reportedly bought at one of its filling stations in Keffi, Nasarawa State, was false.
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, said its investigation showed that the petrol was not bought from any of its filling stations.
Soneye maintained that NNPCL does not sell adulterated products, as it adheres to rigorous standards and quality control measures at every stage of its operations.
In a statement on Thursday, Soneye said, “The attention of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has been drawn to the video clip of someone pouring a dark liquid which he claims to be Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) purportedly bought from an NNPC Retail outlet at Keffi Flyover, and wishes to state as follows:
“That we have carried out spot checks at all our outlets and found this claim to be false. The product was not, and could not have been bought from any NNPC Retail outlet as the company does not dispense petroleum products into bottles or jerrycans as displayed in the video.
“That NNPC Retail Ltd. does not deal in adulterated products as it adheres to rigorous standards and quality control measures at every stage in its operations to ensure that only high-quality, safe, and reliable petroleum products are available at its stations nationwide.
“That members of the public should discountenance the spurious claims made in the video and be wary of selfish and unpatriotic elements pushing such narrative as they do not mean well for the country.
“That we take pride in maintaining accurate pump integrity with regular inspection and calibration to ensure consistency across our stations nationwide.”
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/11/07/dark-petrol-in-bottles-jerrycans-not-from-our-filling-station-nnpc-denies/
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‘Shun Personal, Ethnic And Sectional Interests’ – Akume Tells New Ministers
7 November 2024
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, has advised the newly appointed ministers to shun personal, ethnic and sectional interests while carrying out their duties.
Naija News reports that Akume gave the charge on Thursday during the opening of a 2-day induction retreat organized by his office for the appointees in Abuja.
According to Akume, the ministers are expected to uphold national interest, stressing that President Bola Tinubu entrusted them with ensuring development, stability, and growth in their various sectors.
The SGF further tasked the ministers to work as a cohesive and dedicated team to achieve the administration’s goals to tackle poverty, enhance security, drive economic diversification, and improve critical infrastructure, among others.
He said, “As ministers in your respective ministries, the president has entrusted you with the mandate of driving the administration’s renewed hope agenda for development, stability, and growth in your sector.
“You are, therefore, expected to shun personal, ethnic and sectional interests and uphold our national interests.
“As ministers, your duties include upholding national cohesion and to promote peace for national unity and development.”
Tinubu Committed To New Minimum Wage, Urges State Governments To Ensure Full Implementation
Meanwhile, the federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, is fully committed to implementing the new ₦70,000 minimum wage.
This assurance was given on Monday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, after a meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Akume appreciated all the state governments that have started implementing the new minimum wage and appealed to those yet to start the implementation to do so as soon as possible.
The SGF emphasized that the new national minimum wage remains a priority for President Tinubu’s administration and urged state governments not just to implement the new minimum wage, but to implement it fully.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/11/07/shun-personal-ethnic-and-sectional-interests-akume-tells-new-ministers/
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Post-election violence intensifies in Mozambique ahead of SADC meeting
7 November 2024
Thousands protested once again Thursday (Nov. 07) in Mozambique's capital over the outcome of the Oct. 9 presidential poll which extended the rule of the Frelimo party.
Security forces responded by firing tear gas and rubber bullets.
Human Rights Watch has said the internet is being restricted and social media sites blocked.
“We are asking to march, the police can march with us. It's a peaceful march. Nobody came here with weapons, we don't have weapons, the weapons are with them,” a protester said.
Amnesty International said on Wednesday (Nov. 06) that at least 20 people have died and hundreds more have been injured and arrested since the beginning of the protests in late October.
Opposition leader, Venancio Mondlane, who came in second in the presidential election has reportedly fled the country. Prominent members of his party were killed before election results were proclaimed.
The opposition has accused the ruling Frelimo of rigging the election in favour of its presidential candidate Daniel Chapo, who was declared the winner with more than 70% of the votes by the national Mozambique Electoral Commission.
Mondlane's party Podemos had called for a days-long march to culminate in the capital.
It also took the vote rigging allegations to court.
Neighboring South Africa has shut its border post with Mozambique and heightened security around it.
SADC is set to discuss the situation during a meeting next week in Zimbabwe.
Source:africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/11/07/post-election-violence-intensifies-in-mozambique-ahead-of-sadc-meeting/
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South Asia
Turkish Police detain 10 Afghan migrants over lack of work permits
By Fidel Rahmati
November 7, 2024
Turkish media have reported the detention of 10 Afghan migrant workers for lacking work permits on an agricultural project in the city of Zonguldak. Reports indicate that these workers were hired illegally by a contracting company.
On Wednesday, November 6, Turkish media revealed that the police detained several Afghan workers at a work site in the village of Boronkaya in Zonguldak.
According to the reports, the deportation process for these workers has begun, and they are expected to be sent back to Afghanistan soon.
The Turkish police identified these migrants “following public complaints.”
Turkey does not allow undocumented refugees to work, and even for those with residence permits, obtaining a work permit is challenging.
This incident highlights the struggles faced by undocumented Afghan migrants in Turkey, many of whom take on informal labor due to limited legal employment opportunities.
Afghan migrant workers in Turkey often work under difficult conditions, as their undocumented status leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and deportation.
The Turkish government has increased efforts to identify and deport undocumented migrants as part of its immigration policies.
As Afghanistan faces ongoing instability, many Afghan migrants seek work abroad to support their families, despite the risks of deportation.
The detention of Afghan workers in Turkey underscores the complexities of migrant labor and the challenges faced by undocumented workers seeking better opportunities abroad. For Afghan migrants, the lack of legal protections and harsh immigration policies create a precarious situation.
The international community’s support for creating safer pathways for migration and addressing root causes in home countries like Afghanistan is essential. Such measures could reduce the need for dangerous and illegal labor migration and support more stable lives for migrants.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/turkish-police-detain-10-afghan-migrants-over-lack-of-work-permits/
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BB to lift LC margin on essentials import ahead of Ramadan
07 Nov 2024
DHAKA, Nov 7, 2024 (BSS) - Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur
today said that they have taken a decision to issue a circular asking all
banks not to impose LC margin on import of essential goods until at least
Ramadan.
"We will issue a circular on Sunday (10 November) not to impose LC margin on
essential goods," he said while briefing reporters after holding a meeting to
discuss inflation at finance ministry with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin
Ahmed in the chair,
The meeting also decided to relax the single borrower limit for the next two
to three months to ensure supply of essential food items during Ramadan.
Addressing about the dollar supply, the governor said, "There is currently no
dollar shortage. Anyone can approach any bank and open an LC of any amount.
Please bring any instances of payment difficulties to my attention."
To further alleviate the hardship faced by low-income households due to
inflation, he said, the government also decided to distribute 10kgs of rice
per family every month through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
Currently, TCB cardholders receive 5kgs of rice at a subsidised rate each
month, he added.
Source:bssnews.net
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https://www.bssnews.net/business/221872
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Environmental action plan a top priority
Nov 8, 2024
Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has said that the ministry's top priority is to implement a cost-effective, time-bound action plan to tackle the country's pressing environmental issues.
"We may not be able to complete the work to a large extent, but we will start this work," she said at a seminar organised by the Jatiya Nagorik Committee at the water resources ministry auditorium in the capital yesterday.
Rizwana identified air and noise pollution, soil degradation, and river pollution as Bangladesh's major environmental challenges, saying that Bangladesh faces nearly all types of global environmental problems except volcanic eruptions. "Bangladesh has the most polluted air globally and ranks first in noise pollution," she said.
"Additionally, 78 percent of Bangladesh's soil is contaminated due to excessive chemical use and salinity. Our rivers rank among the most polluted worldwide, and Dhaka is one of the most unlivable cities in the world. How many years will you give me to fix these issues?" she asked.
"This is a mess of 53 years that cannot be fixed in a short period of time," she added.
Rizwana said that the ministry instructed district commissioners to submit plans for the restoration of one polluted, and occupied river in each district, with a focus on cost-effective and timely approaches.
"Two months have passed and we have received plans from 57 districts," she said.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/environmental-action-plan-top-priority-3747541
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MMD Seeks Qatari Assistance for Vulnerable Afghan Families
2024-11-07
KABUL (BNA): Mullah Abdul Razzaq Akhund, the Technical and Professional Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs( MMD), met with Mardif Al-Qashouti, the Counselor of the Qatari Embassy in Kabul, in his office.
According to the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs, Mullah Abdul Razzaq Akhund discussed the provision of services to orphans, widows, and disabled individuals. He highlighted that due to Afghanistan’s prolonged conflicts, numerous challenges persist, with some families recorded to have as many as 36 orphans and eight widows. He emphasized the need for comprehensive support for these vulnerable groups.
Akhund added that the Ministry, using a designated budget, provides monthly financial assistance to registered orphans, widows, and disabled persons in a transparent manner through the banking system.
Meanwhile, Mardif Al-Qashouti, Counselor of the Qatari Embassy in Kabul, pledged to share the registered data and information of these individuals with the Qatar Red Crescent to facilitate necessary aid for them.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/mmd-seeks-qatari-assistance-for-vulnerable-afghan-families/
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Afghans make up 25% of Refugees reaching Greece by Sea: UNHCR Report
By Fidel Rahmati
November 7, 2024
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced that 25% of the refugees who have arrived in Greece by sea are Afghan citizens.
In a report published on Wednesday, November 6, UNHCR stated that a total of 28,352 refugees reached Greece by sea in 2024.
According to UNHCR, Afghan citizens make up the majority of these refugees after Syrians.
The report highlighted that 25% of these Afghan refugees are migrating as families.
One-quarter of these refugees are children, according to the report.
Based on UNHCR statistics, the majority of these refugees are from Egypt, Syria, Somalia, and Afghanistan, with 22% being children.
UNHCR has previously noted that Afghanistan has the highest number of displaced persons worldwide.
Afghanistan and Syria each account for 6.4 million refugees globally, which together comprise one-third of the world’s total refugee population.
The primary drivers of this migration are considered to be war, internal conflict, poverty, lack of employment, food insecurity, and limited educational opportunities.
This ongoing migration highlights the dire conditions in Afghanistan, Syria, and other regions, emphasizing the urgent need for global intervention to address the root causes of displacement and support the millions affected.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/afghans-make-up-25-of-refugees-reaching-greece-by-sea-unhcr-report/
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BGB seized goods worth Tk 225.88cr in October
Nov 8, 2024
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized arms, ammunition, drugs and other contraband items worth Tk 225.88 crore during anti-smuggling drives across the country, especially in bordering areas in October.
During this period, the paramilitary force seized goods including 986 grammes of gold, 14,302 sarees, 15,023 three-piece/shirt-piece/bed-sheet/blankets, 27,652 metre unstitched fabrics, 2,50,722 cosmetics, 3,149 cft timber, 2,265 kgs of tea leaves, 4,16,711 kgs of sugar, 4,130 kgs of fertilizer, 86,750 cubic feet coal, 20,440 mobile displays, 40,640 glasses, 942 kgs of yarn/current nets, 15,334 kgs of betel nuts, 90,904 kgs of garlic, 1,318 kgs of onion, 22,889 kgs of cumin, four touchstone statues, 21 trucks, 24 pickups, five private cars/microbuses, nine trolleys, 347 boats, 53 CNG/human haulers, 81 motorbikes and 24 bicycles, said a BGB media release signed by its Public Relations Officer Md Shariful Islam yesterday.
Seized arms included two pistols, three firearms, two magazines, one riffle, three grenades, one rocket bomb and 270 rounds of bullets.
Meanwhile, legal action has been taken against 243 alleged smugglers, 345 Bangladeshi nationals and 28 Indians for illegally crossing the border during the period, said Shariful Islam.
Besides, 1,298 Myanmar nationals have been repatriated following their detention.
Other smuggled items include 5,90,977 yaba pills, 3.195 kgs of crystal meth, 11.802 kgs of heroin, 26,599 bottles of Phensedyl, 19.333 kgs of cocaine, 21,605 bottles of foreign liquor, 444 bottles of local liquor, 988 cans of beer, 1,412 kgs of cannabis, 1,40,196 packets of bidi/cigarette, 74,956 injections, 4,362 Eskuf syrups, 42,21,346 Enegra/Senegra tablets, 1,859 bottles of MkDil/Cofidil,5,54,558 different types of medicines, 20 bottles of LSD and 7,59,340 other tablets, the release added.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/bgb-seized-goods-worth-tk-22588cr-october-3747561
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Rezaul Karim passes away
Nov 8, 2024
Dr Md Rezaul Karim, founder chairman of Tropical Homes Limited, passed away yesterday, said a press release.
He breathed his last around 4:00pm at Square Hospital in Dhaka.
His namaz-e-janaza will be held today after the Juma prayers at Allahu Mosque in Dhaka Cantonment. All are requested to attend the janaza to pray for the salvation of the departed soul.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/rezaul-karim-passes-away-3747576
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Three killed in Satkhira road accident
Nov 8, 2024
Three people were killed as a truck hit a motorcycle on Satkhira-Khulna highway in Satkhira Sadar upazila early yesterday, said police.
The deceased are Arizul Gazi, 28, of Jashore's Jhikargachha upazila and Asadul Islam Fakir, 55, and Abdus Selim, 35, of Tala upazila in Satkhira.
Confirming the accident, Sadar Police Station's Sub-Inspector Biswajit Sarkar said a truck rammed a motorbike in Binerpota BSCIC area, leaving its driver and two pillion passengers dead on the spot. After recovery, the bodies were sent to Satkhira Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy, he said.
The bodies will be handed over to the families upon autopsy, he said, adding that no one has been detained in this connection so far.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/three-killed-satkhira-road-accident-3747511
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DAB Governor Advocates for Islamic Financial Reforms at AAOIFI Annual Meeting
2024-11-07
KABUL (BNA): The Governor of Da Afghanistan Bank, Noor Ahmad Agha, attended the 19th annual meeting of the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) and the Islamic Development Bank held in Bahrain.
According to the office of Da Afghanistan Bank, Governor Agha emphasized the importance of establishing institutions to enhance the management of zakat, waqf, charity, and donations, noting the essential role these organizations play in reducing poverty and ensuring equitable wealth distribution within society.
In his address, he provided insights on Afghanistan’s prohibition of interest-based banking, the development of Islamic banking, and the stability of the country’s banking system. He appealed to AAOIFI, the Islamic Development Bank, and other relevant organizations for support in capacity building, training programs, effective management of zakat and waqf, conversion of banks to Islamic banking, and cooperation towards establishing a robust, transparent, and stable halal financial and economic system in Afghanistan.
The two-day conference, held on November 3-4, 2024, gathered around 300 representatives from central banks and Islamic commercial banks of various Islamic countries.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/dab-governor-advocates-for-islamic-financial-reforms-at-aaoifi-annual-meeting/
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Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs and Islamic Relief Ink 131 Million AFN Deal to Boost Youth Empowerment
2024-11-07
KABUL (BNA): The Deputy Ministry of Youth Affairs under the Ministry of Information and Culture has signed an agreement worth 131 million Afghanis with the Islamic Relief Organization. The agreement was signed by the Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, Mawlawi Mohammad Younus Rashid, and the head of Islamic Relief Worldwide, Mohammad Zulkarnain Abbas.
According to the terms of this agreement, seven programs will be implemented focusing on employment opportunities, capacity building, intellectual development, and economic empowerment for youth. These initiatives are expected to benefit 1,825 young individuals across Kabul, Balkh, and Nangarhar provinces.
During the signing ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to providing better opportunities and facilities for youth empowerment.
The head of Islamic Relief Worldwide also praised the efforts of the Youth Affairs department in supporting youth education, skills training, and employment services, affirming the organization’s continued dedication to prioritizing the needs of Afghanistan’s young population.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/deputy-minister-of-youth-affairs-and-islamic-relief-ink-131-million-afn-deal-to-boost-youth-empowerment/
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FM Mawlawi Muttaqi Urges India to Ease Visa Process for Afghan Nationals
2024-11-07
KABUL (BNA): The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, met with J.P. Singh, Deputy Secretary for PAI Affairs at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, in his office to discuss avenues for strengthening political and economic relations between Afghanistan and India, as well as facilitating people-to-people interactions.
In an official statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that both sides engaged in discussions on expanding bilateral relations, with a focus on political and economic cooperation.
During the meeting, Foreign Minister Mawlawi Muttaqi expressed hope for further progress in the relationship between the two nations across various sectors. He emphasized the need for India to simplify visa processes for Afghan citizens, especially businesspeople, to enhance trade relations.
Mawlawi Muttaqi also conveyed gratitude for India’s ongoing humanitarian assistance and described India’s development commitments as promising. According to the Ministry’s statement, J.P. Singh affirmed India’s commitment to its relationship with Afghanistan, noting the historical ties that bind both nations.
He highlighted that India has not only provided humanitarian aid but has also initiated development assistance and is engaged in technical discussions with relevant Afghan entities.
Mr. Singh underscored the importance of expanding ties between Afghanistan and India, revealing plans for upcoming technical discussions on the Chabahar Port involving regional countries, Afghanistan, and India. He further assured that India would enhance visa facilitation for Afghan nationals.
It is noteworthy that Mr. Singh previously met with the Acting Minister of National Defense, Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, as part of his visit.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/fm-mawlawi-muttaqi-urges-india-to-ease-visa-process-for-afghan-nationals/
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Southeast Asia
Court orders Muhyiddin to pay RM1.35m to Guan Eng for defamation over Albukhary tax exemption claim
08 Nov 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — The High Court has ordered Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to pay RM1.35 million in damages to Lim Guan Eng for defaming the DAP chairman over the revocation of Albukhary Foundation’s tax exemption.
This followed a decision by Judicial Commissioner Roz Mawar Rozain today that allowed Lim’s suit against Muhyiddin after finding that the former finance minister had proved his case against the former prime minister.
On March 27, 2023, Lim filed a lawsuit against Muhyiddin for allegedly making three Facebook defamatory statements on March 9, 11, and 12, 2023 involving him in the tax exemption issue.
Reports on the matter were subsequently published in several newspapers and news portals.
The former Penang chief minister also claimed that the defamatory statements implied that he had abused his position and power by authorising or directing the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) to impose taxes and penalties on the charitable foundation, despite being exempted.
Roz Mawar in her judgement said Muhyiddin had resources at his disposal to verify whether his understanding was correct on facts.
She said, yet Muhyiddin did not do so and continue to make further defamatory statements against the plaintiff (Lim) after the latter had brought to his attention the falsity of such allegations in the defamatory statement.
“The learnered counsel for the defendant (Muhyiddin) submitted that the language used in the defamatory statements was not inflammatory. This court is unable to accept such submissions as the context of the defamatory statements were in their natural and ordinary meaning provoked incitement of racial sentiments.
“Furthermore, now that the evidence has been adduced at trial, there was no justification to make such defamatory statements. This court finds that the defendant has failed to prove the truth of his allegations,” the judge said.
Roz Mawar further said this court finds the defence of fair comment also fails for several compelling reasons.
Roz Mawar found that Muhyiddin’s defence of justification, fair comment and qualified privilege were unsustainable because his statements were not based on a true factual foundation.
She also said that Muhyiddin had deliberately mixed his allegations with inflammatory references to race and religion by stressing Yayasan Albukhary’s role in helping Muslims through its charity work.
The judicial commissioner found that the timing of Muhyiddin’s comments also suggests that they were calculated to deflect attention from his graft charges.
She also pointed out that the evidence of the Finance Ministry’s tax division head, Hazlan Abdul Aziz, strengthened Lim’s case and weakened Muhyiddin’s defence.
The court’s breakdown of the damages is RM350,000 for each of the three statements leading to RM1.05 million in general damages, plus RM150,000 for aggravated damages and RM150,000 for exemplary damages (which totals RM1.35 million).
The court issued an order for Muhyiddin to retract all three defamatory statements from all of his social media accounts immediately.
She further gave an injunction to prevent Muhyiddin from further repeating the statements and ordered Muhyiddin to pay RM50,000 in cost to Lim.
Lim attended today’s proceedings with his lawyer, Guok Ngek Seong, while Muhyiddin was not seen in the court.
Lawyer Chetan Jethwani, who appeared for Muhyiddin, confirmed that they will be appealing today’s decision.
Meanwhile, Lim when met by reporters said he was grateful for today’s decision in which the court clearly stated that Muhyiddin’s statements against him were false and baseless.
“Today I got justice to clear my name because I really didn’t do it. Besides, it happened when Muhyiddin was Prime Minister and had nothing to do with me,” he said. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/11/08/court-orders-muhyiddin-to-pay-rm135m-to-guan-eng-for-defamation-over-albukhary-tax-exemption-claim/156175
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RM1 million cash bag missing: Police detain two security guards
BERNAMA
08-11- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have detained two security guards to assist investigations into the disappearance of a bag containing RM1 million in cash, which was reported missing after a cash collection was carried out by a security company from a bank yesterday. Ampang Jaya District Police Chief ACP Mohd Azam Ismail said the two locals, a 52-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman, were arrested in Ampang here, at 10 pm on the same day.
He said both individuals were believed to be in the security van carrying the bag with cash totalling RM1,071,000 on the day of the incident.
“Urine tests on both individuals were negative, and the security guards involved have no criminal records,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Mohd Azam said the two would be remanded for four days starting today, to assist investigations under Section 379 of the Penal Code, for theft.
The bag was reported missing at 3.55 pm before it was found by members of the public in the middle of the road on Jalan Hulu Kelang, heading towards the Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway, on the day of the incident.
The bag is believed to have fallen when the vehicle navigated a sharp corner on the route.
Source:thesun.my
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SIRIM launches SIRIM ESG Holistic Ecosystem to accelerate ESG practices among industries
BERNAMA
08-11- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: SIRIM Berhad (SIRIM) launched its ESG Holistic Ecosystem yesterday, a forward-thinking initiative aimed at supporting and accelerating environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices among Malaysian industries.
The ecosystem is designed to empower businesses to achieve sustainability goals and contribute meaningfully to both national and global environmental objectives.
SIRIM Berhad chairman Datuk Khairol Anuar Mohamad Tawi said the ecosystem acts as a pivotal solution in positioning Malaysia as a leader in sustainable and responsible practices.
He said the ecosystem is not only about compliance but also about enabling industries to thrive on a global scale by embracing sustainable growth and innovation.
“Through rigorous certification, training and advance testing capabilities, SIRIM’s role extends far beyond certifications; we are empowering companies with a ‘passport for prosperity’, enabling them to thrive in a market that values ESG integrity and competitiveness.
“By investing in this ecosystem, we are preparing our industries to succeed in the global market and proudly uphold Malaysia’s place on the World Competitiveness Index,“ he said when met during the Majlis SIRIM Industri 2024 held at Sunway Resort Hotel in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
Majlis SIRIM Industri 2024, themed ‘ESG: 50 Years of Change’, is an annual event focused on strengthening relationships and collaboration between SIRIM, the industry and government agencies, as well as recognising organisations and companies that received certifications from SIRIM QAS International Sdn Bhd in 2023.
Also present at the event were the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry’s (MITI) deputy secretary general (Investment and Management) Datuk Bahria Mohd Tamil and SIRIM Berhad president and group chief executive officer Datuk Dr Ahmad Sabirin Ahmad.
Earlier in his welcoming remarks, Khairol Anuar noted that SIRIM is assisting MITI with the implementation of the Smart Tech Up programme which aims to establish 3,000 smart factories by 2030.
“Priority sectors will be electrical and electronics, chemicals, medical devices, aerospace and pharmaceuticals, in alignment with the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030),“ he added.
Meanwhile, Khairol Anuar said that SIRIM’s Data Centre Guidelines have been completed and submitted to MITI for consideration.
He also said data centres have large environmental footprints and as such, it is important to ensure that the country balances its data centres’ investments with its net zero ambitions.
“Our data centre guidelines ensure that data centres address aspects such as effective cooling technology, obtaining power from renewable energy sources, and maximising energy efficiency in line with the NIMP 2030,” he added.
Source:thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/sirim-launches-sirim-esg-holistic-ecosystem-to-accelerate-esg-practices-among-industries-LF13257804
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Muhyiddin says ‘disappointed’ after losing defamation suit by Guan Eng, set to appeal decision
08 Nov 2024
By Malay Mail
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today that he is disappointed in the outcome of a defamation suit by DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng, and will be appealing the case.
In a brief statement, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman said he will however remove his related social media posts to comply with the decision.
“While I respect the decision of the Court, I am very disappointed in the outcome,” Muhyiddin said on Facebook.
“I have instructed my lawyers to appeal against the decision as I believe that my statements were not defamatory and that I have a good defence to the claim and that the amount that was awarded by the court was excessive.
“In compliance with the decision of the Court, I will be removing the postings that are the subject matter of this action from my Facebook and social media accounts,” he added.
The High Court earlier ordered Muhyiddin to pay RM1.35 million in damages to Lim for defaming the DAP chairman over the revocation of Albukhary Foundation’s tax exemption.
This followed a decision by Judicial Commissioner Roz Mawar Rozain today that allowed Lim’s suit against Muhyiddin after finding that the former finance minister had proved his case against the former prime minister.
On March 27, 2023, Lim filed a lawsuit against Muhyiddin for allegedly making three Facebook defamatory statements on March 9, 11, and 12, 2023 involving him in the tax exemption issue.
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/11/08/muhyiddin-says-disappointed-after-losing-defamation-suit-by-guan-eng-set-to-appeal-decision/156208
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Amid questions of autonomy, PM Anwar says federation members free to negotiate but Putrajaya will draw the line if needed
08 Nov 2024
By Malay Mail
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reportedly shut down any questions over secession, insisting that Malaysia operates as a federation.
Amid calls for more autonomy for members of the federation, Anwar said his administration has inherited the system and will continue to manage the relationships with its members and other minority groups.
“[Malaysia’s is] a federal system. We navigate, we negotiate, but we draw the line [if the need arises],” he was quoted telling Free Malaysia Today.
“We have to empower states where it is necessary. At the same time, the state can make demands. Sometimes they have the capability, sometimes they don’t.”
He said that the relationship between federal and state governments have been managed well by the current system.
“It will continue for decades to come. This is the system we have inherited, and I think we need to ensure we mature in this process,” he reportedly said.
“We need to ensure this process of negotiation [premised on] trust, understanding and respect continues,” he added.
Malaysia was formed in 1963 as a federation consisting of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah (then called North Borneo), and Sarawak.
Besides call for more autonomy in East Malaysia, states like Penang, Johor, Kelantan and Terengganu have also raised up issues of revenue and taxes.
In September, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said 11 demands under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) negotiation platform have been successfully resolved.
These included the designation of the Public Works Department in Sabah and Sarawak as a Technical Department; the handover of regulatory power over gas supply; and amendments to the Inland Revenue Board Act 1995 to appoint representatives from the Sabah and Sarawak state governments as permanent members of the board.
Fadillah, who is also the chairman of the MA63 Implementation Action Council Technical Committee, said the resolution also covered demands related to the administration of the judiciary in Sabah and Sarawak; special guidelines for the return of reserved land for federal purposes in Sabah and Sarawak.
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/11/08/amid-questions-of-autonomy-pm-anwar-says-federation-members-free-to-negotiate-but-putrajaya-will-draw-the-line-if-needed/156160
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