Tablighi Jamaat Reports Can’t Be Censored, Indian Government Tells Supreme Court
New Age Islam News Bureau
8
Aug 2020
The Tablighi Jamaat
congregation held in March, attended by over 8000 members from across the
world, was then called a super-spreader event of the novel coronavirus
------
• Not Many
Countries Willing to Accept Zakir Naik: Former Malaysia PM
• Islamic State
Video Urges New Recruits to Light Bushfires In Australia
• Military
speaks on alleged Al-Qaeda, ISIS inroad in Nigeria
• No Colonial
Power Can Return to Lebanon, President Aoun Says, Rebuffing Macron
• Cartographer
Shows Scale of Beirut Explosion If It Happened in London Or New York
• Bosnia Imam
Thanks God for Virus Cancelling Pride March
• Snubbed by OIC
on J&K, Pak Threatens to Revolt
India
• Tablighi Jamaat
Reports Can’t Be Censored, Centre Tells SC
• Follow Rituals
Online: Shia Board’s Muharram Advisory
• Bengal Muslims
Cremate Their Hindu Neighbour
• UP: Two Held
Over Photo with Saffron Flag atop Meerut Mosque
• Man killed; 5 civilians
injured in Pakistan shelling along LoC
• Pak court
constitutes larger three-member bench in Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case
• As Lebanon
fears food and medicine shortage, India plans to lend a hand
• NGO ties up
with Centre, Afghan consulate to bring 400 Sikhs, Hindus back to India
--------
Southeast Asia
• Not Many
Countries Willing to Accept Zakir Naik: Former Malaysia PM
• Sabah governor
will not abuse position over political crisis, says Hamzah
• Malaysia seeks
US help in solving Rohingya refugee issue
--------
Australia
• Islamic State
Video Urges New Recruits to Light Bushfires In Australia
--------
Africa
• Military
speaks on alleged Al-Qaeda, ISIS inroad in Nigeria
• Boko Haram:
Fresh action to end terrorism, banditry revealed
• Suicide car bomb
explodes near Somali military base
• More Than 100
Boko Haram, Captives Surrender Along Cameroon-Nigeria Border
--------
Arab world
• No Colonial
Power Can Return to Lebanon, President Aoun Says, Rebuffing Macron
• Beirut
Explosion: Nearly 60,000 Sign Petition to Place Lebanon Under French Control
• Beirut Blast
Is the Most Tragic: 6 Explosions, Fires Around The World Within 72 Hours
• Beirut
explosion: Trump to participate in conference call about Lebanon on Sunday
• Beirut
explosion: Hezbollah ‘categorically denies’ storing arms at blast site
• Beirut
explosion: US pledges over $17 mln in disaster aid for Lebanon
• Lebanese
father and daughter shot dead in Tehran: Iran media
• Infighting
erupts among Turkish-backed militants over stolen objects in northern Syria
--------
North America
• Cartographer
Shows Scale of Beirut Explosion If It Happened in London Or New York
• FM, Pompeo
Discuss Peace Process as Jirga Meets in Kabul
• US, Israel
seek to neuter Iran as a regional power to obtain complete hegemony: Scholar
• Bolton: Trump
should push to bring down Iran’s government
• AG Barr
promises to rule out death penalty for ISIS 'Beatles', victims' families say
• Iran Is No. 1
Sponsor of Terrorism, U.S. Says Ahead Of UN Arms-Embargo Talks
--------
Europe
• Bosnia Imam
Thanks God for Virus Cancelling Pride March
• Macron’s
Colonial-Style Lebanon Sojourn Sparks Derision, Outcry
• ISIS terrorist
fails in test case to overturn UK's new terror laws
--------
Pakistan
• Snubbed by OIC
on J&K, Pak Threatens to Revolt
• Pakistan
Parliament approves FATF-related bill
• WB says cannot
mediate in Pakistan-India water dispute
• Punjab
legislators regret voting for Tahaffuz bill
• Karachi police
shoot unarmed civilian to death, hurt another near Techno City
• Name of
‘groom’ in same sex marriage case put on ECL
• Shehbaz
denounces Qureshi’s comments on OIC
--------
South Asia
• U.S. Attorney Reacts
to MTN Afghanistan’s Exit Amid Alleged Links to Iran’s IRGC, Al Qaeda
• Anti-Muslim
monk wins seat in Sri Lanka’s parliament
• Afghan
Civilians, Taliban Militants Killed in Attacks Across Afghanistan
• Afghan
gathering to decide fate of 400 Taliban prisoners
--------
Mideast
• Supreme
Leader: Hiroshima Bombing Unmasks US Nature
• Zarif: US
First User of N. Arms, Threatening Region with Israel
• Iran's Top
Security Official: Pompeo May Also Be Forced to Leave After Hook
• Turkish lira
collapses to new low: ‘Soon we will be like Syria or Libya’
• Israel says
sirens sounded in false alarm, then claims downing drone
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/tablighi-jamaat-reports-cant-be/d/122580
--------
Tablighi Jamaat
Reports Can’t Be Censored, Indian Government Tell supreme Court
August 8, 2020
The Tablighi Jamaat
congregation held in March, attended by over 8000 members from across the
world, was then called a super-spreader event of the novel coronavirus
------
Citing press
freedom, the Centre has told the Supreme Court that the spread of Covid-19
among attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat convention in Nizamuddin Markaz, attacks
on health workers by some sections, etc, were all matters of fact and that
“news reports based on facts… cannot be censored”.
“All the
aforesaid facts are neither per se false nor per se fake. Though in isolated
cases it may be exaggerated… news reports based on facts which are not prima
facie not per se false or fake cannot be censored under Article 19(2) of the
Constitution of India,” the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said in an
affidavit filed in the top court.
The affidavit
was filed in response to a plea by the Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind, which sought
directions to prevent what it claimed was the communalisation of the Nizamuddin
Markaz issue by certain sections of the print and electronic media.
Taking note, a
bench headed by Chef Justice S A Bobde on Friday sought responses from the
Press Council of India (PCI) and National Broadcasters Association (NBA).
The PCI counsel
told the bench — also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian —
that it had taken cognizance of “around 50 cases” and will be passing orders on
the quasi-judicial side.
The Centre’s
affidavit said that the plea raised grievances against “certain section of
media” without naming any and “certain news reports” without producing these
reports. Instead, it “merely relied upon ‘certain fact check news reports’ to
contend that entire media is perpetrating communal disharmony and hatred
towards Muslims, and is therefore required to be censured/gagged”, the government
said.
Saying that no
relief should be granted on the basis of such “general assertions”, the
ministry said that “attempt to seek a blanket ‘gag order’ against the entire
media in respect of Markaz Nizamuddin will effectively destroy freedom of the
citizen to know about the affairs of the respective sections of the society in
the nation and the right of the journalist to ensure an informed society”.
The government
said that it is only per se false and fake news that do not enjoy
constitutional protection of free speech and pointed to instances where
prosecution has been launched in individual cases of false reporting. The
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had issued directions to
social media platforms to remove/block 739 URLs and four accounts that spread
misinformation on the virus that could lead to communal disharmony
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/supreme-court-nizamuddin-markaz-tablighi-jamat-media-coronavirus-6544032/
--------
Not Many
Countries Willing To Accept Zakir Naik: Former Malaysia PM
August 7, 2020
Zakir Naik. Photograph:( DNA )
-----
Malaysia was
looking for a country except India to send Zakir Naik, but not many countries
are willing to accept the controversial preacher, former prime minister
Mahathir Mohamad has said.
Naik, a
54-year-old radical Islamic preacher wanted by the Indian authorities for
alleged money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches, left
India in 2016 and subsequently moved to the largely Muslim Malaysia, where he
was granted permanent residency when Mahathir was the prime minister.
Claiming that
the fugitive Islamic preacher would not be safe from the Indian public, the
95-year-old politician, who is eyeing a comeback, said he would like to send
Naik to some country where we feel he will be safe.
"For the
time being he (Naik) can stay here but we would like to send him to some other
country where he would be safe. Unfortunately, not many countries are willing
to accept him, Mahathir was quoted as saying by the WION news channel.
When asked
whether he would extradite Naik if he becomes the Prime Minister of Malaysia
again, Mahathir said, Well, we would like to send him to some country where we
feel he will be safe.
He once again
refused to send Naik to India, saying at this moment we feel that he would not
be safe from the Indian public.
Naik has been
banned from any public activities in the multi-ethnic country after his
controversial remarks against Malaysian Hindus and Chinese last year.
When Mahathir
was the prime minister he had said that his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi
did not request the extradition of Naik during a bilateral meeting in Russia in
September 2019, a claim contested by India which has sought the extradition of
the fugitive preacher.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/not-many-countries-willing-to-accept-zakir-naik-former-malaysia-pm-120080701656_1.html
--------
Islamic State Video
Urges New Recruits To Light Bushfires In Australia
AUGUST 7, 2020
Fire fighters battle a blaze
in Central Queensland in December last year.
------
Prime Minister
Scott Morrison has confirmed a “sick” video has been released by Islamic State
encouraging new recruits to set fire to bushland in Australia.
Today, Mr
Morrison said there was a “new recruitment video this morning telling followers
to deliberately light bushfires in places like Australia” when asked by 2GB’s
Ben Fordham.
He said as
Australia was gripped by the coronavirus crisis, there were still “plenty of
creeps out there who would want to hurt us”.
“It’s right Ben,
it’s a reminder that while there is the great threat of the pandemic at the
moment, the other threats haven’t gone anywhere,” Mr Morrison said. “And we
need to remain vigilant about that.”
Australia’s
horror black summer saw hundreds of fires across the country, with 11 million
hectares of land burned. The land area scorched by the bushfires was larger than
Ireland or South Korea. The bushfires destroyed almost 6000 buildings, killed
34 people and wiped out an estimated 1 billion animals.
Mr Morrison
didn’t directly comment on the nature of the IS video – but said the government
remains “very vigilant” against online threats.
“Yesterday with
Peter Dutton, we launched the cyber security strategy. That‘s keeping families
safe from the dark web and the paedophiles and other creeps that go around
trying to get into our kids’ lives through the internet.
“Not just that,
but protecting major infrastructure and services and all those things and
businesses and the economy and our banking system.”
“ISIL continues
to spread messages and propaganda online and seeks to influence individuals to
act violently,” a spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs told
news.com.au.
“It’s capacity
to radicalise individuals into perpetrators here and abroad remains a very real
threat.”
“The Australian
Government continually works with digital industry, regulatory agencies, and
international partners to limit access to, and disrupt, terrorist and violent
extremist propaganda online.”
Fordham also
asked the Prime Minister about the storage of ammonium nitrate close to homes
in Newcastle, saying residents were “concerned” after the devastating blast in
Beirut this week.
“Firstly, that’s
a matter for the State Government to regulate, and the regulations here are
very strong,” Mr Morrison said. “What happened in Beirut is just the most awful
of tragedies and a terrible accident.
“But you had the
material sitting around the same place … for around six years next to fireworks
and a Hezbollah controlled port. These are not the circumstances in Australia.
“There are very
strict regulations on how they’re used. Those materials in Newcastle in
particular, they move through that fairly quickly. So it’s not just sitting
there dormant.”
The Prime
Minister said he believed the Premier of NSW could offer more information on
the ammonium nitrate in the area.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/islamic-state-video-urges-new-recruits-to-light-bushfires-in-australia/news-story/ae27498561b61694eb5f54ed4b6e8478?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1421988_
--------
Military speaks
on alleged Al-Qaeda, ISIS inroad in Nigeria
August 6, 2020
The Defence
Headquarters has allayed fears of Nigerians over alleged plans by Al-Qaeda and
ISIS to make an inroad into Southern Nigeria and penetrate the north-western
part of the country.
The Coordinator,
Defence Media Operations, John Enenche, a major general, while answering
questions from journalists at the updates briefing on military operations
across the country on Thursday in Abuja, said there was nothing to fear about
the claim.
The U.S. had
said Al-Qaeda and ISIS were looking to make an inroad into Southern Nigeria and
that Al-Qaeda had started penetrating the north-western part of the country.
The Commander of
the U.S. special operations command, Africa, Dagvin Anderson, made the claim in
a digital briefing on Wednesday.
Mr Enenche,
however, said the claim was nothing but just an alarm and that Nigeria security
agencies were equal to the task, urging the public not to be afraid of such a
claim.
The coordinator,
who described the statement as a wakeup call or form of advice, said the
security agencies were on top of the situation.
“On the issue
that terrorists from other zones are coming to the country, I think it will be
good for us to be keeping records as events are unfolding, for me this is not the
first time they are raising such an alarm.
“It’s as good as
may be five or ten years ago, and the armed forces and the country are
conscious of it.
“When the
conflict in Libya was declared ended and which actually was not, what happened?
It was we, our NIA and the SSS that said these people were moving which is
true.
“Have we not
captured foreigners that have been terrorising us in this country?
“So it is just a
piece of advice or call that you still keep doing what you are doing, of which
I can assure the general public that the security agencies are on top of that,”
he said.
Mr Enenche said
the military in their recent exploits had captured some foreigners who came
from neighbouring countries into Niger State.
“Where are they
coming from, why do we have ISWAP here now, or is ISWAP indigenous from
Nigeria? No. So it is telling you the obvious and I want to tell you that look,
continue to ensure that you have measures in place to continue taming them.
`I read the
details of the presentation, it was not accusing, it was not specific, it is
like saying you people should put efforts to continue to contain them.
“Because when
pressure is on them from other climes, they will still continue to increase
their influx,” he said.
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Mr Enenche also
said the military was winning the battle against terrorism in the country,
adding that huge successes had been recorded.
He added that
while the people outside there do expectation analysis, the military do
operational analysis based on the direction of operation.
He said, “What
has flattened it is that you will discover that from March up till now, it is
offensive, offensive with sacrifices made on the part of the military.
“Yes, of course,
we lost some people but the gains have outweighed what we lost which is what we
signed for, so what you have seen is success and it will continue to improve.
“This is
because, as it is now, we have been given marching orders again, all we need to
do is to go and dig up where we have our contingencies because by our training,
we are trained to face challenges,” he said.
Mr Enenche
explained that the terrorists had been decimated seriously, adding that there
was a leadership problem in the enemy camp at present.
He said, “The
air and artillery bombardment conducted have decimated them and this is going
to dovetail into all the other major aspects of the initial strategies of the
northeast which is domination and occupation and we are getting there.”
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/407239-military-speaks-on-alleged-al-qaeda-isis-inroad-in-nigeria.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1421988_
--------
No colonial
power can return to Lebanon, President Aoun says, rebuffing Macron
07 August 2020
Lebanese
President Michel Aoun says no colonial power can return to Lebanon, following a
trip by French President Emmanuel Macron to disaster-stricken Beirut that
sparked outrage among the Lebanese.
“Lebanese
sovereignty will not be harmed under my watch,” Aoun told reporters on Friday,
three days after a huge explosion occurred at a port in Beirut, killing 154
people and injuring a whopping 5,000 others.
Macron appeared
at the site of the explosion on Thursday, having rolled up the sleeves of his
shirt and attempting to take the appearance of a concerned leader by roaming
around and talking to people.
During a meeting
with Aoun, Macron also called for an international inquiry into the devastating
blast and reportedly threatened Lebanese leaders with sanctions if they did not
submit to reforms and “political change.”
Lebanon gained
independence from French colonial rule more than seven decades ago.
Aoun rejected
the call for an international investigation in his Friday remarks.
The blast took
place in warehouses storing highly explosive material, specifically ammonium
nitrate, commonly used in both fertilizer and bombs.
‘Foreign
sabotage possible’
Aoun said the
blast might have been triggered by a foreign attack.
“The cause has
not been determined yet. There is a possibility of external interference
through a rocket or bomb or other act,” he said.
Aoun said he had
asked Macron “to secure aerial images to determine what happened and if the
French do not have them, we will request them from another source.”
He said an investigation
would look into the cause of the explosion.
The Lebanese
president had previously said that it was “unacceptable” that 2,750 tons of
ammonium nitrate had been stored in the warehouse for six years without safety
measures.
According to
Aoun, 20 port officials have been detained as part of the investigation.
“Corruption is
not limited to [officials at] this port, and efforts to fight it must extend to
all ports,” Aoun said.
The blast came
amid public anger over the ruling elite’s mismanagement of an economic crisis.
The Lebanese pound has continued to plummet against the US dollar, losing more
than 60 percent of its value over the last weeks while sources of foreign
currency have dried up.
Observers say
American sanctions on Lebanon have deteriorated its already struggling economy.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/08/07/631283/Lebanon-president-no-colonial-power-Macron-Beirut-blast
--------
Cartographer
shows scale of Beirut explosion if it happened in London or New York
08 August 2020
The massive
blast that shook Beirut on Tuesday, claiming the lives of at least 154 people
and injuring more than 5,000, is considered the deadliest peace-time explosion
in Lebanon’s history.
The blast was so
intense it smashed masonry, shattered windows, sucked furniture out of
apartments onto the streets and left almost 300,000 people in disaster-stricken
Beirut without homes fit to live in, according to Lebanese officials.
For all the
latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Lebanese
President Michel Aoun said the explosion was due to a stockpile of 2,750 tons
of the industrial chemical ammonium nitrate, used in fertilizers and
explosives, catching fire after having been stored at the port since 2013
without safety measures.
UK specialists
estimated that the Beirut blast had 10 percent of the explosive power of the
atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima during World War II and
said it was “unquestionably one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions in
history.”
Joanna Merson, a
cartographic developer at the University of Oregon in the US created maps to
show the scale of the Beirut explosion as if it had happened in London or New
York and shared them on Twitter.
Cartography is
the study and practice of making maps.
Each of the maps
Merson shared contains three red concentric circles around the center point of
where the explosion occurred, their radiuses are 1 kilometer, 5 kilometer and
10 kilometers respectively.
Replying to a
question about what the levels of red represent, she said that they represent
the “distances of damage initially reported after the blast,” adding: “They are
meant to simply convey the distances so that readers have a reference of what
those distances look like in other cities. This can be used when reading other
reports as the information comes in.”
Here are
Merson’s maps:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/08/Cartographer-shows-scale-of-Beirut-explosion-if-it-happened-in-London-or-New-York.html
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Bosnia Imam
Thanks God For Virus Cancelling Pride March
August 8, 2020
By Nedim
Dervisbegovic
Bosnia’s
official Islamic Community has refused to comment on a homophobic post by a
Sarajevo imam who thanked God and the coronovirus outbreak for cancelling this
month’s Pride march in the Bosnian capital.
Muhamed ef.
Velic, imam of the Ottoman-era Ferhadija mosque in the historic centre of
Sarajevo, wrote on Facebook on Thursday, after the organisers cancelled
Sarajevo’s second Pride march, scheduled for August 23, that “in every misfortune
and tragedy there is a grain of happiness, goodness and beauty”.
“Thanks to Allah
for everything. Let dear Allah gift that corona and gay parade never return to
our city and the state!” Velic, who is followed by some 73,000 people, wrote in
the post, for which he received 36 comments, all but one affirmative.
A spokesman for
the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the IZ BiH, said it was not
aware of the post, and added the community does not regulate all the work of
its imams.
“We don’t have
any reaction, you will have to ask for that from his superior,” IZ BiH
spokesman Muhamed Jusic said, adding that the position of the community was
that homosexuality goes against Islamic beliefs and teaching, but that
believers should also refrain from any violence against such sinners.
While the faith
community declined to get involved in the row, various well-known figures in
Bosnia, such as the lawyer and former journalist Senad Pecanin, condemned the
post unreservedly. Pecanin wrote on his Twitter account that the imam was
“fascist scum”.
Velic is known
for his controversial posts. Last month, he criticized Turkey’s re-conversion
of Istanbul’s famed former church and museum, the Hagia Sofia, into a mosque,
in contrast to Bosniak and Islamic Community leaders, who mostly stayed silent
about the latest act by Turkish strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who
positions himself as the best friend of Bosnia and the Bosniaks.
The imam said in
January that the coronavirus pandemic was God’s punishment to China for its
harsh treatment of Muslim Uighurs.
This year’s
Pride march would have been sponsored by the Sarajevo Canton government and,
unlike last year, there had been almost no public condemnation of it by
conservative politicians and public figures.
Three protests
were organised before and during the march last year, which saw several
thousand activists, supporters and allies from Bosnia and the region walk
through the centre of Sarajevo under heavy security.
Pride organisers
said they would mark this year’s march on the same date with other activities.
The Sarajevo Film Festival, an important film gathering in Southeast Europe,
which was due to open on August 14, will meanwhile be held online, the
organisers said on Wednesday, also citing the COVID-19 outbreak as the reason.
Sarajevo has
become a regional coronavirus hotspot lately with over almost 2,900 infections
and 42 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, with the majority of them
confirmed in the last six weeks
https://www.eurasiareview.com/08082020-bosnia-imam-thanks-god-for-virus-cancelling-pride-march/
--------
Snubbed By OIC
On J&K, Pak Threatens To Revolt
Aug 8, 2020
NEW DELHI: With
the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) not acceding to Pakistan's
request for a meeting of foreign ministers on the Kashmir issue, Islamabad has
threatened to break ranks with the organisation which calls itself the
collective voice of the Muslim world, indicating the lack of traction over the
changes in Jammu and Kashmir a year after they were implemented.
While calling
for a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers in keeping with Pakistan's
expectations, foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said this week that
Islamabad could look at seeking a separate meeting with Islamic countries which
supported Pakistan on the issue. "If you cannot convene it, then I'll be
compelled to ask Prime Minister Imran Khan to call a meeting of Islamic
countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir," he
said.
While there was
limited resonance for Pakistan's arguments even last year, this time the global
preoccupation with Covid-19 and the concerns arising from China’s aggressive
actions in its neighbourhood and its deepening confrontation with the US has
meant that there is no mindspace for Islamabad's bid to flog the Kashmir issue
and the nullification of Article 370.
Except for
Turkey, Pakistan has found little public support even from countries which it
claims to have on its side. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the only
leader to again express support for Pakistan's position on Kashmir. There has
also been scant support for Pakistan elsewhere, with a few routine statements
emanating from Europe. Even US congressional committees, while noting the
absence of normalcy in J&K, have acknowledged that there are serious
security and counter-terrorism challenges.
India has
described Turkey's remarks as factually incorrect, biased and unwarranted.
"We would urge the government of Turkey to get a proper understanding of
the situation on the ground and refrain from interfering in matters internal to
India," MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
The main reason
behind the OIC’s inaction is said to be Saudi Arabia’s reluctance to accept
Pakistan’s request for the meeting. Riyadh’s support is crucial for any move at
the OIC, which is dominated by Saudi and other Arab countries. Another key
member, the UAE, has also been cold to Pakistan's pleas.
During a virtual
meeting of the OIC contact group on Jammu and Kashmir held “on the request of
Pakistan” on June 22, Qureshi had urged the grouping to “step up its efforts”
to resolve the Kashmir issue.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/snubbed-by-oic-on-jk-pak-threatens-to-revolt/articleshow/77425031.cms
--------
India
Follow rituals online:
Shia board’s Muharram advisory
Aug 8, 2020
LUCKNOW: The All
India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) on Friday issued its Muharram advisory,
asking people to follow all norms of social distancing, wear masks and wherever
possible, take part in Muharram rituals online or via TV channels broadcasting
them.
The first month
of the Islamic calendar, Muharram is a mourning period in remembrance of Imam
Husain—Prophet Muhammad’s grandson—his family and companions who were martyred
by Yazid in Karbala (Iraq) in 680 AD.
The 14-point
advisory issued by board president Maulana Syed Saim Mehdi and general
secretary Maulana Yasoob Abbas also said that all mosques and imambaras with
carpets and floor covers should ensure disinfecting the space before and after
every majlis (sermon).
Clerics said
that the advisory was in accordance with the guidelines by ayatullahs from Iraq
and Iran including grand Ayatullah Ali Al Sistani. Children, pregnant women and
the elderly have been advised to stay at home and use online and other mediums
to be part of the sermons.
Water and food
distributed among the poor as ‘tabarruk’, should be packed and sealed, and
guidelines issued by administration should be followed.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/follow-rituals-online-shia-boards-muharram-advisory/articleshow/77423892.cms
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Bengal Muslims
cremate their Hindu neighbour
08th August 2020
KOLKATA: In an
example of communal harmony and humanity, Muslim neighbours of a Hindu man
helped perform his last rites in Jhargram district of West Bengal on Thursday.
The 62-year-old man died after suffering a cardiac arrest shortly after being
refused treatment by a doctor at local health centre as he had not gone through
a Covid-19 test. From gathering wood for the funeral to carrying the body to
the crematorium, the neighbours helped his family perform all rituals.
Jugal Das was
taken to Binpur rural hospital on Thursday morning after complaining of chest
pain. “There was a lady doctor at the healthcare centre. We told her that my
father had fever five days ago. She refused to examine my father and asked us
to conduct Covid-19 test first and come only if he tests negative. We had to
return home. In the afternoon, he complained of severe chest pain and died,”
said Sujit, Jugal’s son.
As the news of
his death spread, Jugal’s neighbours arrived at his house to help the
family.
“In our village,
there are about 300 Muslims families and 10 Hindu households. I will never
forget what they did for us when an educated doctor refused to treat my
father,” said Sujit. “We always come forward whenever anyone is in distress.
When Jugal was admitted to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata in 2009, I spent three
nights at the hospital,” Sheikh Kader, one of Jugal’s neighbours, said. Sheikh
Siddiqui said he and others of his community collected wood, bought clothes and
other items for Jugal’s last rites.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/aug/08/bengal-muslims-cremate-their-hindu-neighbour-2180608.html
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UP: Two held
over photo with saffron flag atop Meerut mosque
by Amil
Bhatnagar
August 8, 2020
Police have
arrested two men for allegedly attempting to deface a mosque in Meerut by
placing a saffron flag atop the structure. Images of the men, both in their
20s, posing with the saffron flag on a minaret of the structure, known as
Kotwali mosque, went viral on social media.
SP (Meerut City)
Akhilesh N Singh, however, said the photos are from 2019.
Singh said, “The
social media cell of Meerut’s Crime Branch received a video of two men,
purportedly belonging to a different religion, placing a flag at the place of
worship of the minority community. Two people seen in that video have been
arrested. Prima facie it appears that the video was shot last year and an
inquiry is on.” An FIR was registered against the two men under IPC section 153
A (promoting enmity between religions).
The accused were
identified as Ankit Tripathi and Arun, and according to a local BJP leader,
Gopal Sharma, they are both activists of the Bajrang Dal.
A police officer
said, “No law and order disruption happened in the area on Thursday and Friday
when the photos surfaced on social media. We are investigating how the photos
went viral, which potentially could have created communal tension.”
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/up-two-held-over-photo-with-saffron-flag-atop-meerut-mosque-6545254/
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Man killed; 5
civilians injured in Pakistan shelling along LoC
Aug 7, 2020
SRINAGAR/JAMMU:
A 40-year-old man was killed while five other civilians were injured in
Tangdhar sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district as Pakistan once again
violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) on Friday. Similar breaches
also took place in Kupwara’s Nowgam sector and Baramulla’s Boniyar and Uri
sectors; and in Balakote and Krishna Ghati sectors in Poonch district.
Pakistani forces
resorted to intense mortar shelling and firing along the LoC targeting forward
Indian Army posts and civilian areas in Tangdhar’s Karnah area in the afternoon
to which the jawans effectively retaliated, Kupwara SSP Shriram Ambarkar said.
In the
cross-border exchange of fire, six civilians were injured and rushed to a
hospital. Among them, Mohammad Arif (40) from Shamspora succumbed during
treatment while another, Hamida Begum (42) from Tangdhar’s Rangward was in a
critical condition, official sources said. The remaining injured were
identified as Mohammad Yaqoob and Syed Rafaqat from Baghballa Kachadiyan, Zakir
Khan and Nasser Ahmad Khan from Rangward, defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia
said.
The cross-border
firefight continued intermittently in the three north Kashmir sectors till the
time of filing this report. “Damage to residential houses, if any, will be
assessed once the situation improves,” SSP Ambarkar said.
Pakistan also
breached truce twice along the LoC in Poonch district in Jammu region on
Friday, barely a week after a jawan lost his life in Rajouri in a similar violation
on August 1. “Around 6.30am, Pakistan initiated unprovoked firing of small arms
and mortar shelling along the LoC in Balakote sector. The second violation came
around 8.45pm in Krishna Ghati sector. The Indian Army effectively retaliated,”
Jammu-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said. This was the
fourth consecutive ceasefire violation since August 4.
There has been a
recent spurt in such violations in the twin frontier districts of Rajouri and
Poonch, believed to be Pakistan’s ploy to push in terrorists into India.
Security forces have foiled two infiltration bids and killed three armed
intruders since July 1.
Terrorist
hideout busted in Poonch ahead of I-Day
A week before
Independence Day, a joint team of Army and J&K Police busted a terrorist
hideout in J&K’s Poonch district and recovered arms and ammunition on
Friday, thus thwarting a “possible terror bid” on August 15.
“On specific
intelligence inputs, the team launched a search operation in the forested
Shashitar area of Poonch’s Dingi Cheer in the morning and busted the hideout in
a remote spot. The forces recovered two AK-47 rifles and four magazines,”
Jammu-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said.
In a similar
operation on July 26, security forces had busted a terrorist hideout in Doriyaa
Dhok of Loran (upper reaches) of Poonch district and recovered two improvised
explosive devices — weighing 3kg and 5kg — besides HE-36 Mark grenades.
Three days prior
to that, a joint team of Army and J&K Police’s SOG had destroyed another
such terrorist shelter in Murrah locality of the district’s Surankote area and
seized a universal machine gun and 222 bullets.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/man-killed-5-civilians-injured-in-pakistan-shelling-along-loc/articleshow/77420704.cms
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Pak court
constitutes larger three-member bench in Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case
August 8, 2020
A top Pakistan
court on Friday constituted a larger three-member bench to hear the petition
filed by the government to appoint a legal representative for death-row
prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav.
The decision was
taken by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after a two-member bench led by Chief
Justice Athar Minallah on Monday ordered to set up a larger bench to hear the
case.
The court on
Monday was hearing the petition filed by the Pakistan government to appoint a
lawyer for Jadhav. It also named three senior lawyers as amici curiae in Jadhav’s
case as it ordered the Pakistan government to give “another chance” to India to
appoint a counsel for the death-row prisoner.
The new bench
includes Chief Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Miangul
Hassan Auranzgeb.
Justice Farooq
was added to the previous bench which heard the case on August 3.
The next hearing
in the case is scheduled for September 3.
Jadhav, the
50-year-old retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani
military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017.
India approached
the International Court of Justice against Pakistan for denial of consular
access to Jadhav and challenging the death sentence.
The Hague-based
ICJ ruled in July 2019 that Pakistan must undertake an “effective review and
reconsideration” of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also to grant
consular access to India without further delay.
Pakistan on
Thursday claimed that it has asked India through diplomatic channels to appoint
a counsel for Jadhav, but New Delhi said that Islamabad has not yet
communicated to it about the developments relating to the case.
“After the
directions of the Islamabad High Court of 3rd August we have contacted the
Indian side through diplomatic channels and conveyed the same, Pakistan Foreign
Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said . We are awaiting Indian response, she
added.
However in New
Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “We have
not received any communication from Pakistan on the issue.
He was asked
whether Pakistan has informed India about Islamabad High Court’s order in the
case.
On July 16,
Pakistan provided consular access to Jadhav, but the Indian government said the
access was “neither meaningful nor credible” and he appeared visibly under
stress.
Srivastava last
month said Pakistan has once again exposed its “farcical” approach by denying
available legal remedies to Jadhav against his death sentence which is also in
contravention of the ICJ verdict, and asserted that India will explore further
options in the case.
He said Pakistan
has blocked all the avenues for an effective remedy available to India in the
case, while noting that New Delhi has so far requested consular access to
Jadhav for 12 times over the past one year.
The MEA spokesperson
said Pakistan is not only in violation of the judgment of ICJ, but also of its
own ordinance.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pak-court-constitutes-larger-three-member-bench-in-kulbhushan-jadhav-case-6545392/
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As Lebanon fears
food and medicine shortage, India plans to lend a hand
by Shubhajit Roy
August 8, 2020
The
unprecedented devastation caused by the catastrophic explosion in Lebanon’s
capital, Beirut, on Tuesday has led to fears of shortages of food grain and medicines,
and New Delhi is planning to send these supplies, The Indian Express has
learnt. The controversial storage of about 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate at
the Beirut port since September 2013 led to the explosion that left at least
137 dead and 5,000 wounded. So far, according to information available with the
Indian Embassy in Beirut, five Indians have been reported to be injured. None
of them is critical.
The Indian
Ambassador to Lebanon, Suhel Ajaz Khan, and his team of young diplomats have
been in touch with authorities and the Indian community to check on their
needs, sources said. There are about 4,000 Indians in all of Lebanon, and most
of them work in hotels, restaurants and construction projects. The explosion
has destroyed major granaries, which were located at the city’s port. One grain
silo at Ground Zero had a capacity of 120,000 tons and stocks there have either
been destroyed or charred. The Beirut port handles 60 per cent of Lebanon’s
imports—so, supply chains have been severely disrupted. Authorities estimate
the damage between $3-5 billion.
While Beirut
authorities said Lebanon has enough grain to last around six weeks, sources
said India has been sounded out.
Lebanon—a nation
of more than 6 million people—imports almost all of its wheat from Ukraine,
Russia and other European countries.
Warehouses
storing medicines and vaccines in the port of Beirut were also damaged in
Tuesday’s blast. Basic medicines such as antibiotics, painkillers and blood
bags are in short supply. As are medicines for cancer, HIV and respiratory
diseases such as asthma.
Three hospitals
in central Beirut, including one with 1,100 beds, were damaged in the blast. A
dialysis centre, which was the biggest in the country, was destroyed.
In light of such
massive devastation, India—which now prides itself as the “pharmacy of the
world”—is waiting for Lebanese authorities to indicate their requirement. India
had sent medicines to more than 100 countries in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.
An Indian diplomat in Beirut told The Indian Express: “We are ascertaining
their need. They are very appreciative of our approach. Let’s see what we can
do.”
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/as-lebanon-fears-food-and-medicine-shortage-india-plans-to-lend-a-hand-6544928/
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NGO ties up with
Centre, Afghan consulate to bring 400 Sikhs, Hindus back to India
August 7, 2020
AN NGO is
joining hands with the Centre and the Afghanistan consulate to evacuate over
400 Afghani Sikhs and Hindus staying in various camps in the war-torn country
by chartered flights and rehabilitate them here.
Since March 25,
Vikramjit S Sahney, a recipient of the Padma Shri and international president
of the World Punjabi Organisation (WPO), has been restless. The deadly
terrorist attack on a gurdwara in Kabul, in which 26 people lost their lives,
had left him shaken.
Sahney, here in
Chandigarh on a personal family visit, shared that he had been in touch with
the Afghan community in Kabul, to devise a plan to help all Sikhs and Hindus
there who wanted to come back to India. “But there were no flights then and now
that the flights are operational, these Sikhs and Hindu families based in
Kabul, Jalalabad and Ghazni are so poor that they can’t afford the fare to come
back to India,” said Delhi-based Sahney, adding that there are two Sikh MPs in
Afghanistan — Devender Singh Khalsa and Anarkali — and several gurdwaras, but
due to the current conditions, all Sikhs and Hindus want to migrate to India.
With the support
of WPO, Sahney is all set to organise chartered flights to evacuate over 400
Sikhs and Hindus in the next few days. According to Sahney, all arrangements
for chartered flights have been made in coordination with the Ministry of
External Affairs and Indian Embassy in Kabul, with long-term visas having been
issued by the Indian Embassy, with a permanent residency and Indian citizenship
granted to them in due course.
WPO is a
non-political international body to bring about ‘Punjabi Renaissance’ with
outreach in over 22 countries, working to foster social, economic and cultural
unity through several initiatives.
Sahney says the
endeavour to evacuate 400 Afghani Sikhs and Hindus has been a collective
effort, as the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee will provide temporary
accommodation to these migrants in Delhi at three gurdwaras for 2-3 months.
“Dalip Singh Sethi and Paramjit Singh Bedi, two prominent Sikhs in the USA,
have sponsored the migrant families under the project, ‘My Family My
Responsibility’. The families will be given homes in West Delhi and their
household expenses will be met for one year, as we hope they will find their
feet here. I will be happy and satisfied once the families are safe here,” says
Sahney, who as chairman of the NGO Sun Foundation has empowered thousands of
economically weak and disabled youth through free skill development projects
and scholarships to needy orphan students.
A special skill
development centre set up by his foundation at Jail Road in Delhi, he says,
will provide young Afghani Sikhs and Hindu boys and girls free skill training
in various fields, which will help them secure jobs and earn a dignified
livelihood. “We will feel we have been able to extend a helping hand once they
all are rehabilitated and after a year, we will evaluate the progress,” he
says, now waiting for ministry approval to put the plan into action.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ngo-ties-up-with-centre-afghan-consulate-to-bring-400-sikhs-hindus-back-to-india-6543576/
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Southeast Asia
Sabah governor
will not abuse position over political crisis, says Hamzah
Durie Rainer
Fong
August 8, 2020
KOTA KINABALU:
Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin says Sabah governor Juhar Mahiruddin will not
abuse his position in resolving the political crisis in the state.
Hamzah, who
described Juhar as a good friend, said the governor is responsible for his
actions, “but what is important is that if it were true we need to face a state
election, then we will face it”.
“Allah will know
who did the right things and who abused their positions,” he said here today.
Juhar had
consented to the dissolution of the state assembly on July 30, paving the way
for an election within 60 days, after meeting with incumbent chief minister
Shafie Apdal.
Musa Aman, who
claimed he had the support to form a new state government, had said Hamzah and
the prime minister’s political secretary had paid Juhar a courtesy call a day
earlier to notify him that Musa’s new alliance was ready to take over the
government.
Today, Hamzah
said they had discussed matters related to the future of the state.
“Let me be frank
with you, Tun Juhar has been a good friend since the 1990s,” he said.
“There is
nothing wrong for me to visit him and during our meeting, part of the things we
discussed was, of course, the future of Sabah.
“But the details
are between him and me. I know what we discussed and he knows what I told him.
“I am confident
he will not abuse his position and being the head of state, let him be
responsible for his actions.
“If the governor
had consented to the chief minister to dissolve the assembly, if the decision
is genuine, then we will face it (election).”
Musa and the 32
assemblymen said to be aligned to him filed an application for a judicial
review of the decision to dissolve the assembly.
Yesterday, the
High Court said it wanted to hear further arguments on whether it has the
judicial authority to listen and decide over the challenge on the authority of
the governor to dissolve the assembly.
On another
development, Hamzah said the allowances for Rela members have been increased
from RM6 to RM8 an hour, while officers will receive RM9.80 an hour.
“This shows the
government is sensitive to their needs so they can better serve the people. At
the same time, I want to see them serving with more discipline after these
improvements,” he said.
He said Sabah
has the most number of Rela members in the country, accounting for about 10% or
298,000 of the 3.1 million members nationwide.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/08/08/sabah-governor-will-not-abuse-position-over-political-crisis-says-hamzah/
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Malaysia seeks
US help in solving Rohingya refugee issue
Ainaa Aiman
August 7, 2020
PUTRAJAYA:
Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said he had requested the US to assist
Malaysia in discussions with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) over the Rohingya refugee issue.
He added that
Malaysia’s relationship with UNHCR was important as Malaysia had previously
agreed to take in refugees with the condition that they be repatriated to a
third country. “But this has not been done.”
“It is unfair
now that some parties are still asking us to accept more refugees from
Rakhine,” he said, adding that the numbers were already high.
“UNHCR must also
be responsible. If they don’t cooperate with us, I hope the US can help us
voice our concern to the UNHCR,” he said, adding that he had raised the issue
with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
On the tensions
in the South China Sea, Hishammuddin said Asean countries must engage in
discussions with global superpowers in the region – US and China – as a bloc.
“We cannot be
divided, our lone voice will not be sufficient in negotiations with these
superpowers.
“I indicated
this to Secretary Pompeo and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Li and they also
agree that it is to the benefit of everyone that we see our region stable and
safe.”
He added that
Asean countries involved in the South China Sea claims should avoid getting
dragged into the politics between the US and China.
Meanwhile, he
said Malaysia would look into providing assistance to Lebanon following an
explosion in Beirut two days ago.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/08/07/malaysia-seeks-us-help-in-solving-rohingya-refugee-issue/
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Africa
Boko Haram:
Fresh action to end terrorism, banditry revealed
August 6, 2020
By John Owen
Nwachukwu
A group, under
the aegis of Initiative for One Nigeria (ION), has vowed to hold massive
campaigns against the activities of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in the country.
The group said
there is need for active participation by all and sundry in the war against
insurgency, stressing that the fight shouldn’t be left alone for the Federal
Government and military.
According to
ION, from its findings, there has been neglect from politicians, community
heads as well as relevant stakeholders in charting a solution to the
insurgency.
Speaking at a
press conference on Thursday in Abuja, Secretary-General, Comrade Ohene Dominic
Ejembi, reassured by closing all gaps and working together with the military,
the country will experience a rebirth in the coming days.
The Initiative
for One Nigeria, an organization dedicated to the peace and progress in Nigeria
welcomes you all to this important press conference convoked in the light of
the fact that there has been an erroneous mentality that the war against
insurgency is the preserve of the Federal Government /Military alone.
While it is
understandable that this line of thought has been entrenched in the system for
so long, however, it is not too late to change the mentality to that of
collective endeavour rather than a job for the Federal Government/Military
alone.
It is
instructive to state that the Initiative for One Nigeria has carried out
extensive research on why the war against insurgency in Nigeria is prolonged
and the findings from the various reports indicate that there has been near
neglect of charting a Nigeria solution to the insurgency and the critical
stakeholders have not availed the much-needed support.
The Initiative
for One Nigeria states that there is no better time for all and sundry to come
to the table and work with the Federal Government in the fight against
insurgency as these insurgents are not spirits but humans that reside in
Nigeria.
It is indeed a
statement of fact that ending the Boko Haram scourge rest within us as
Nigerians because we have the wherewithal and the know-how to end the
insurgency, but a situation where the citizens are not cooperative with the
Federal Government and the military, there would always be setbacks. This is
not restricted to Nigeria alone but in other climes that have experienced
insurgencies and successfully overcome it.
We must also
realize that the effort to end Insurgency in Nigeria must be a collective one,
and the time to act is now. The participation of the citizens of Nigeria is as
critical as the efforts of the Nigerian Military in the insurgency crisis in
Nigeria.
It is common
knowledge that indeed there have been gaps that were created as a result of the
nonchalance and the politics of bitterness as displayed by some members of the
political authorities in North-Eastern states in the country as well as other
parts of the country. This has to end as a matter of urgency.
It must be noted
that the role of the community leaders in ending the Boko Haram scourge cannot
be overemphasized. And this much they must realize and extend their support to
the Nigerian Military because at the end of the day, Nigeria would be the
ultimate beneficiary.
The Initiative
for One Nigeria is of the firm conviction that Nigeria can defeat the Boko
Haram insurgency especially with the level of commitment displayed by the
Military since 2016 when it gained ascendency over Boko Haram and the
consequent recapturing of all Nigerian territories that were hitherto under the
control of the Boko Haram group.
The dislodgement
of the Boko Haram group from their operational base in Sambisa forest is
another highlight of the efforts of the Nigeria Military in the war against
insurgency in Nigeria. It is thus our considered opinion that should the
efforts of the Nigerian Military had been complemented with support from other
critical stakeholders; the war against insurgency would have long become
history in Nigeria.
This also
reinforces the position of the Initiative for One Nigeria, as well as other
groups of like minds that have been advocating for cooperation from all and
sundry in support of the efforts of the Nigerian Military thus far.
We wish to place
it on record that this position of ours should not be construed to mean that support
from the civil populace has not been availed, but rather not in the right
proportion and this is responsible for where we are today in the war against
insurgency.
The Initiative
for One Nigeria wishes to state that should Nigeria get overwhelmed by the Boko
Haram scourge, we would all have our selves to blame because of the
opportunities to proffer Nigeria solutions to the Boko Haram Insurgency has
been availing itself to us in ways too numerous to mention.
It is a function
of two things; its either we take the opportunities and end the insurgency, or
we live with the consequences of the insurgency that has already claimed
hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions of people.
The Initiative
for One Nigeria states that the efforts of the Nigerian Military have been
brilliant as evident in the various successes recorded so far. These efforts
can yield the ultimate result if all and sundry would elect to come together
and support the Nigerian Military wholeheartedly.
The Initiative
for One Nigeria is holding this press conference as a clarion call to all
citizens of our great country in absolute reverence to our National Pledge to
Nigeria our country, to be faithful, loyal and honest. To serve Nigeria with
all our strength to defend her unity and uphold her honour and glory so help
us, God.
The Initiative
for One Nigeria is confident that in the coming days and weeks, there would be
a rebirth in the country where all Nigerians regardless of their ethnic and
religious affiliations would come together and assist the Nigerian Military in
the war against insurgency in Nigeria.
It is indeed
time to end insecurity by closing all gaps and working together with the
Nigerian military as they continue to push for the final decimation of the Boko
Haram group.
I thank you all
for your patience and time, and we desire that in no distance time, Nigeria
shall be indeed free from the threats posed by the Boko Haram group
https://dailypost.ng/2020/08/06/boko-haram-fresh-action-to-end-terrorism-banditry-revealed/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1421988_
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Suicide car bomb
explodes near Somali military base
08 August 2020
A Somali police
officer says a suicide bomber has detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at the
gates of a military base in Somalia’s capital.
Col. Ahmed Muse
says the bomber struck the 12th April Army Brigade base near the newly reopened
sports stadium in Warta-Nabadda district.
For all the
latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
There is no immediate
word on casualties.
Witnesses say
ambulance sirens can be heard as police cordon off the scene. Huge clouds of
smoke are billowing.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/08/Suicide-car-bomb-explodes-near-Somali-military-base.html
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More Than 100
Boko Haram, Captives Surrender Along Cameroon-Nigeria Border
By Moki Edwin
Kindzeka
August 07, 2020
MAROUA, CAMEROON
- More than 100 Boko Haram and their captives, almost all Nigerians, have fled
the group in the past two weeks, according to the Multinational Joint Task
Force fighting the Islamist militants.
Thirty-four-year-old
Nigerian Kharim Kalga is among 109 people who have surrendered to the task
force since late July.
Kalga said he
has not seen his two wives and five children in the two years since he joined
the Islamist militant group because they kept him captive.
He said he was
living in poverty when Boko Haram fighters promised to give him a motorcycle to
earn money for his family, so he joined the group. He said he was forced to
steal cattle and millet from villages surrounding the militant group's camp in
Nigeria. Kalga said he surrendered to the military because Boko Haram did not
fulfill its promise to give him a motorcycle.
The task force
is holding the former Boko Haram fighters and captives at their base in
Cameroon’s northern town of Mora, near the border with Nigeria.
Among them are
45 Nigerian and three Cameroonian former fighters, 45 Nigerian children and 16
women who were being used as sex slaves.
Commander of the
Multinational Joint Task Force Major General Ibrahim Manu Yusuf said the
Nigerians are all from Borno state, a Boko Haram stronghold.
A campaign
calling for Boko Haram members to surrender and be pardoned has helped in the
fight, Yusuf said.
"As professional
armies, we always open this window for those who wish to come up and
surrender," he said. "You know the narrative in the Boko Haram
enclave is that if you come out, soldiers will kill you, and based on the way
they are being treated, the way they are being managed, they kept calling on
their other colleagues to turn over themselves."
The governments
of Cameroon and Nigeria will decide whether the former Boko Haram members will
remain in Cameroon or go back to Nigeria.
Rehabilitation
center
Meanwhile, the
former militants were handed over to the Cameroon Center for Disarmament,
Demobilization and Reintegration.
The Mora-based
center was created in 2019 to rehabilitate 100 ex-militants at a time, but
currently hosts more than 250. Center director Oumar Bichair said he needs more
resources to rehabilitate the increasing numbers fleeing Boko Haram.
The government
of Cameroon should provide more housing and workers, especially psychosocial
caregivers, Bichair said, adding that the center also needs more workers who
can train ex-fighters with skills such as farming, carpentry, and raising fish
and livestock.
The
Multinational Joint Task Force fighting the Islamist militants is made up of
troops from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.
The U.N. says
the decade-long conflict with Boko Haram has left 30,000 people dead and displaced
more than 3 million throughout the region.
https://www.voanews.com/africa/more-100-boko-haram-captives-surrender-along-cameroon-nigeria-border
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Arab world
Beirut
explosion: Nearly 60,000 sign petition to place Lebanon under French control
07 August 2020
Nearly 60,000
people have signed a petition calling for Lebanon to once again be placed under
French mandate following the Beirut port explosion that killed 154 individuals
and injured over 5,000 others.
For all the
latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“Lebanon’s
officials have clearly shown a total inability to secure and manage the
country,” the petition web page read. “We believe Lebanon should go back under
the French mandate in order to establish a clean and durable governance.”
The petition,
addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron, was published on Wednesday, one
day before Macron visited Lebanon.
During his visit,
Macron made his way through crowded streets in the capital’s damaged
neighborhoods, listening to pleas from survivors and residents urging him not
to provide financial support to the government.
Dozens of people
chanted “revolution” while others called the Lebanese President Michel Aoun a
“terrorist.”
Lebanon was
placed under French mandate in 1923, at the end of the first world war.
The country
gained its independence in January 1944, when France transferred the power to
the Lebanese government.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/07/Beirut-explosion-Nearly-60-000-sign-petition-to-place-Lebanon-under-French-control.html
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Beirut blast is
the most tragic: 6 explosions, fires around the world within 72 hours
08 August 2020
The world
rallied around Lebanon after the deadly explosion that shook its capital Beirut
earlier this week, and the tragic disaster dominated headlines for days and is
expected to remain in the international spotlight for the foreseeable future.
However, while
the Beirut blast was the most tragic, the world witnessed five other explosions
and fires within the span of 72 hours this week.
For all the
latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Here is a look
at the six incidents in chronological order:
North Korea
A video obtained
by the Associated Press showed plumes of black smoke rising from the North
Korean city Hyesan near the border with China amid reports that a deadly
explosion occurred there on Monday.
There has been no
official statement from North Korea or China about what happened in Hyesan, but
South Korean Daily NK, which monitors North Korea and other monitoring groups
reported that gas explosions in a residential area left dozens of people dead
or injured. The AP couldn't independently confirm the reports.
The video
acquired by AP shows orange flames and black smoke shooting into the sky from
Hyesan as loud explosion-like sounds are heard. A few people can be seen
watching the scene from the Chinese side of the border.
The video was
provided by Wang Bo, a travel agent who said he shot it from a park in the
Chinese border town of Changbai.
“I just saw
explosions and there were a lot of onlookers who were looking in that
direction. We don’t know the reason why there were explosions,” Wang said.
The Daily NK
cited on Wednesday unidentified sources in North Korea as saying that the
explosions left 15 people dead and the death toll could rise. It earlier
reported gasoline stored at a house in Hyesan ignited and led to the explosion
of a nearby liquid petroleum gas cylinder, and this caused chain explosions of
gas cylinders attached to other houses.
China
A flash
explosion at a chemical plant in China’s Hubei Province on Monday killed six
people and injured four others, China's state news agency Xinhua reported.
The explosion
was due to improper cleaning procedures in the facility, China Daily reported
citing a circular from the Hubei provincial department of emergency management.
“According to
the investigation, the direct cause of the accident was that the operator
didn't comprehensively recognize the safety risks or strictly obey the parking
safety measures while cleaning a layered tower at the chemical plant,” China
Daily added.
Lebanon
Lebanon, a
country already reeling from an unprecedented economic crisis, and a surge in
coronavirus infections, was struck by the massive explosion at the Port of
Beirut on Tuesday which killed at least 154 people and injured more than 5,000.
The blast was so
intense it smashed masonry, shattered windows, sucked furniture out of
apartments onto the streets and left almost 300,000 people in disaster-stricken
Beirut without homes fit to live in, according to Lebanese officials.
Lebanese
President Michel Aoun said the explosion was due to a stockpile of 2,750 tons
of the industrial chemical ammonium nitrate, used in fertilizers and
explosives, catching fire after having been stored at the port since 2013
without safety measures.
UK specialists
estimated that the Beirut blast had 10 percent of the explosive power of the
atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima during World War II and
said it was “unquestionably one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions in
history.”
US
An
under-construction $69 million luxury apartment/hotel building went up in
flames on Tuesday in the heart of the Minnesota’s capital, Saint Paul, in the
United States.
“15 Fire
apparatus, 4 Ambulances and 86 Firefighters and Chief Officers responded to
control Tuesday morning’s fire in downtown Saint Paul. Crews were on scene for
over 13 hours. The fire remains under investigation,” the city’s fire
department said.
There were no
casualties.
The Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) said that its National Response Team
arrived in the city to investigate the fire, and an ATF spokeswoman said that
arson was one of the possibilities being investigated, according to broadcaster
CBS News.
UAE
A massive fire
broke out at a market in the UAE’s emirate of Ajman on Wednesday, according to
the country’s civil defense.
The authorities
evacuated the nearby buildings and explained that the size of the fire and the
thickness of the plumes of smoke was due to the highly combustible nature of
the products in the market.
The civil
defense successfully brought the fire under control with no injuries or
causalities.
Iraq
A fire broke out
in a storage facility for foodstuff and electrical products in Najaf on
Wednesday, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.
The storage
facility the base of operations for selling wholesale products in the Iraqi
governorate. The agency did not report any casualties.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2020/08/08/Beirut-blast-is-the-most-tragic-6-explosions-fires-around-the-world-within-72-hours.html
--------
Beirut
explosion: Trump to participate in conference call about Lebanon on Sunday
07 August 2020
US President
Donald Trump said Friday that he would participate in the international aid
conference organized by France after the deadly Beirut explosions.
"We will
have a conference call on Sunday" with French President Emmanuel Macron,
Lebanese officials and "many others" who want to help, Trump said.
For all the
latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Speaking at a
news conference in New Jersey, Trump said he told his Lebanese counterpart
Michel Aoun in a phone call that three aircraft filled with emergency supplies,
food and water were on their way.
Trump offered
his condolences and said that Washington would stand by Lebanon and the Lebanese
people after the "horrible, horrible event."
The US, with
authorities on the ground in Lebanon, are working to identify health and human
needs and we will provide further assistance in the period to come," Trump
said.
Earlier Friday,
Trump tweeted that he had a “lengthy” discussion with Macron, “in particular
[about] the catastrophic event which took place in Beirut, Lebanon.”
First
responders, technicians, doctors and nurses are on their way to Lebanon, Trump
added. “Everyone wants to help!”
On Thursday,
Macron visited the Lebanese capital and walked through the destroyed streets
and buildings. He said he would organize an international aid conference to
garner immediate assistance for the Lebanese people. Macron promised that aid
would not go to "corrupt hands," as hundreds of protesters called for
him not to deal with the Lebanese government.
The Lebanese
political elite has long been seen as corrupt with the state unable to provide
basic services and needs to the Lebanese citizens.
The US Agency for
International Development (USAID) on Friday said it would provide more than $15
million in assistance, including food aid for 50,00 people for three months. It
said it had also asked the US military to transport enough medical supplies and
pharmaceuticals to support up to 60,000 people for three months.
Senior officials
from across the Trump administration have been meeting to hammer out additional
assistance, a senior administration source said, adding continued concern about
the underlying governance issues plaguing Lebanon.
US agencies are
considering both the possibility that it was a total accident and the
possibility that it was somehow deliberately triggered, intelligence sources
said.
Separately, 87
members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “urging”
him to consider additional support to address the humanitarian disaster in
Lebanon.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/08/Trump-tells-Lebanese-counterpart-that-he-will-attend-Paris-conference-Statement.html
--------
Beirut
explosion: Hezbollah ‘categorically denies’ storing arms at blast site
07 August 2020
Hezbollah leader
Hassan Nasrallah strongly denied on Friday claims that his Iran-backed Shia
group had stored arms at the Port of Beirut, the site of a deadly explosion
which killed at least 154 people.
"I
categorically deny" such rumors, Nasrallah said in a televised speech
three days after the explosion which ripped through Beirut.
For all the
latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
"We have
nothing in the port: not an arms depot, nor a missile depot nor missiles nor
rifles nor bombs nor bullets nor ammonium nitrate," he added.
Lebanese
President Michel Aoun had said the explosion was due to a stockpile of 2,750
tons of the industrial chemical ammonium nitrate, used in fertilizers and
explosives, catching fire after having been stored at the port since 2013
without safety measures.
Tuesday’s blast
left more than 5,000 people injured, smashed masonry, shattered windows, sucked
furniture out of apartments onto the streets and left up to a quarter of a
million people in disaster-stricken Beirut without homes fit to live in,
according to Lebanese officials.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/07/Beirut-explosion-Hezbollah-categorically-denies-storing-arms-at-blast-site.html
--------
Beirut
explosion: US pledges over $17 mln in disaster aid for Lebanon
Aug 08, 2020
The United
States has pledged over $17 million in initial disaster aid for Lebanon,
following Tuesday's Beirut port explosion, the US embassy said on Friday.
For all the
latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
It said in a
statement that the aid included food assistance, medical supplies and financial
assistance for the Lebanese Red Cross.
“Announcements
of additional aid and assistance are forthcoming,” it added.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/07/Beirut-explosion-US-pledges-over-17-mln-in-disaster-aid-for-Lebanon.html
--------
Lebanese father
and daughter shot dead in Tehran: Iran media
08 August 2020
A Lebanese man
and his daughter were shot dead in the Iranian capital Tehran Friday evening,
the semi-official Fars news agency reported citing locals.
The bodies of
the Lebanese nationals were found in a car around 9 p.m. local time, Fars
reported citing eyewitnesses.
Iranian
authorities are yet to comment on the matter.
For all the
latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Earlier, reports
emerged on social media that two Lebanese nationals were shot several times
while in their vehicle by an unknown gunman on a motorcycle.
Tehran-based
journalist Hossein Dalirian, close to Iran’s security apparatus, tweeted that
the two Lebanese nationals were “assassinated” in Pasdaran avenue, north of the
capital Tehran.
Other social
media users from Tehran said the home of the family of slain Iraqi militia
leader Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes is in the same area.
Al-Mohandes was
killed alongside Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a US airstrike at
Baghdad’s international airport on January 3.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/08/Lebanese-father-and-daughter-shot-dead-in-Tehran-Iran-media.html
--------
Infighting
erupts among Turkish-backed militants over stolen objects in northern Syria
08 August 2020
Fierce clashes
have broken out among Turkish-backed Takfiri militants in Syria's northeastern
Hasakah province following dispute over the distribution of stolen objects and
occupation of local people’s houses.
Syria’s official
news agency SANA, citing local sources, reported that the infighting erupted
between two rival militant groups in Umm Ashba village, which lies north of Abu
Rasin town and near the border with Turkey on Friday.
Sources said both
sides used various types of weapons during the skirmishes, which badly damaged
local houses and properties.
US-backed SDF
militants abduct civilians in Dayr al-Zawr
US-sponsored
militants affiliated with the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also
abducted a number of civilians as people staged a rally in Syria’s northeastern
province of Dayr al-Zawr to demand the withdrawal of US military forces and
their allies from the region.
SANA reported
that the Kurdish-led militants raided al-Kassar camp on the outskirts of
al-Shuhayl town, rounded up several people and took them away to an unknown
location.
Security
situation is reportedly deteriorating in areas controlled by the US-backed SDF
in Hasakah and Dayr al-Zawr provinces amid ongoing raids and arrests of
civilians by the militants.
Locals complain
that the SDF’s constant raids and arrest campaigns have generated a state of
frustration and instability, severely affecting their businesses and
livelihoods.
Residents accuse
the US-sponsored militants of stealing crude oil and refusing to offer services
to local people.
Local councils
affiliated with the SDF have also been accused of financial corruption. They
are said to be embezzling funds provided by donors, and failing to provide
basic public requirements.
New US
deployment in Syria’s Hasakah
In the northern
province of Raqqah, Turkish-backed militants have reportedly stolen power
cables transmitting electricity to the villages of al-Wibda and al-Wasta,
located north of Ayn Issa town, and fired random shots to terrorize local
people.
Informed
sources, requesting anonymity, said US military forces have dispatched a new
batch of weapons and logistic equipment to their base in al-Shaddadi town in
Hasakah province.
The sources
added that another shipment was sent to Tal Baydar base close to the town of
Tal Tamr.
They noted that
SDF militants later received 23 vehicles with four-wheel drive as well as
military uniforms equipped with communication devices from the US forces.
Since late
October 2019, the United States has been redeploying troops to the oil fields
controlled by Kurdish forces in eastern Syria, in a reversal of President
Donald Trump’s earlier order to withdraw all troops from the Arab country.
The Pentagon
claims the move aims to “protect” the fields and facilities from possible
attacks by Daesh. That claim came although Trump had earlier suggested that
Washington sought economic interests in controlling the oil fields.
The presence of
US forces in eastern Syria has particularly irked the civilians, and local
residents have on several occasions stopped American military convoys entering
the region.
Syria, which has
not authorized the presence of the US military in its territory, says
Washington is “plundering” the country’s oil.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/08/08/631316/Infighting-erupts-among-Turkish-backed-militants-over-stolen-objects-in-northern-Syria
--------
North America
FM, Pompeo
discuss peace process as jirga meets in Kabul
Anwar Iqbal
08 Aug 2020
WASHINGTON: US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed Pakistan’s role in promoting peace
in Afghanistan with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday as a Loya
Jirga met in Kabul to push forward the Afghan peace process.
“Productive call
with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi today about continued
cooperation on Afghan peace and the importance of supporting regional
stability,” Secretary Pompeo said in a tweet released after the call. “I look
forward to advancing our shared goals and increasing partnership.”
In a separate
statement issued in Washington, his office said that the two discussed a range
of issues, including “the importance of US-Pakistan cooperation on the Afghan
peace process and the importance of efforts to support regional stability”.
In another
statement, Pompeo urged the attendees of the Loya Jirga to take advantage of
this historic opportunity for peace as it would benefit all Afghans and would
contribute to regional stability and global security.
The top US
diplomat welcomed the move to expeditiously release the remaining Taliban
prisoners, which he said was the last obstacle to begin the intra-Afghan
negotiations.
The grand
assembly of Afghan elders began its proceedings in Kabul earlier Thursday to
consider an agenda that includes releasing final 400 Taliban prisoners and
opening peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Afghan
President Ashraf Ghani opened the Jirga.
In Washington,
Pompeo noted that after 40 years of war, bloodshed and destruction, the parties
were ready to embark on a political process to reach a negotiated settlement.
“We acknowledge
that the release of these prisoners is unpopular. But this difficult action
will lead to an important result long sought by Afghans and Afghanistan’s
friends,” he said. It would lead to “reduction of violence and direct talks
resulting in a peace agreement and an end to the war,” he added.
Pompeo said that
the Trump administration remained committed to a partnership with Afghanistan
and would continue
to back a sovereign,
unified and democratic Afghanistan that was at peace with itself and its
neighbours.
“At the same
time, we are committed to reducing the burden on the US taxpayer and the risk
to the US troops,” he said, adding that even after a military pullout, the US
would continue to provide substantial security assistance to Afghanistan.
Pompeo said that the US would also support projects that seek to connect
Central Asia with South Asia through Afghanistan.
“Promoting joint
infrastructure projects is a key element of improved connectivity,” he said.
“We are prepared to support these projects through such US agencies as the
Development Finance Corporation (DFC), which is also considering investment in
agriculture and extractive industries, among other sectors.”
In Islamabad,
the Foreign Office quoted Mr Qureshi as stressing the importance of the
Pakistan-US relationship. He said the leadership of both countries was
committed to further strengthen it. He said Pakistan would be a partner for
peace with the US.
The foreign
minister apprised Secretary Pompeo of India’s continuing regressive policies in
India-held Kashmir manifested with massive violation of basic human rights and
fundamental freedoms.
The foreign
minister thanked Pompeo for the US participation in the debate in the UN
Security Council on Aug 5 on the completion of one year of India’s unilateral
and illegal actions. He said the UN Security Council’s deliberations, once
again, reaffirmed the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1573216/fm-pompeo-discuss-peace-process-as-jirga-meets-in-kabul
--------
US, Israel seek
to neuter Iran as a regional power to obtain complete hegemony: Scholar
07 August 2020
The US and
Israel are seeking to neuter Iran as a regional power so they can obtain
complete regional hegemony, says Dennis Etler, an American political analyst
who has a decades-long interest in international affairs.
A former US
under secretary of state for political affairs, who was the chief negotiator in
the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has criticized President Donald Trump’s “maximum
pressure” campaign against Tehran saying it has gotten the United States in a
“really bad place” and that Iran is
“nowhere close to negotiating with the Trump administration.”
Wendy Sherman
made the remarks on Wednesday speaking at the virtual Aspen Security Forum
where the US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook also delivered remarks
on "Maximum Pressure: America's Strategy to Counter Iran.”
Sherman argued
that Trump’s decision to leave the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran in May 2018
has gotten the United States "to a really bad place".
“I appreciate
that the Trump administration put the maximum pressure campaign and they indeed
have, but what it has gotten them, and Brian [Hook] said this himself, is
resistance," said Sherman who negotiated the 2015 nuclear agreement.
“Iran is now
enriching at higher levels with more centrifuges. They are still supporting
proxies in the region,” she added, without offering any evidence.
“US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo and Iran envoy Brian Hook advertise this as a campaign of
‘maximum pressure,’ but their ultimate objective—which they insist is not
regime change—remains a mystery,” she added.
In an interview
with Press TV on Friday, Etler, a former professor of Anthropology at Cabrillo
College in Aptos, California, Etler said, “The US, under Trump's misguided
leadership, has taken the Zionist policy of ‘maximum pressure’ directed against
Iran to the extreme.”
“There is no
mystery as to what Washington wants. They want to apply so much economic,
diplomatic and military pressure that Tehran ‘cries uncle’ and submits to the
US and Israeli Zionist's demands, total capitulation, the dismantling of its
peaceful nuclear facilities, the abandonment of its defense and security forces
and withdrawal from the Middle East as an active player, leaving the region
open to complete US/Israeli/Saudi hegemony. Whether that amounts to ‘regime
change’ or not is immaterial,” he added.
“It would neuter
Iran and make it irrelevant as a nation-state with its own core interests.
Problem is, the Iranian people did not make a revolution in 1979 to ever allow
that to happen again and the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue on its path
of anti-imperialist resistance no matter what,” he noted.
“The hubris of
the current administration in Washington knows no bounds. Rather than seek to
build on the solid foundation of the JCPOA, they want to completely scuttle it.
They use every means in their arsenal of dirty tricks to cajole other nations
to abide by their dictates. In so doing they further isolate themselves and
show to the world their vicious nature and intent,” he said.
“Now, the
degenerate reprobates in Washington are extending their policy of ‘maximum
pressure’ to the People's Republic of China. This is perhaps their greatest
folly. The great Chinese nation and people will never kowtow to US imperialism
and US pressure is only strengthening their resolve. China which helped to
resolve differences between Iran and the West, leading up to the acceptance of
the JCPOA, will not abandon the agreement nor its friendly, comradely relations
with Iran. US actions have only solidified their ties,” he observed.
“As the saying
goes, Trump and his minions have only picked up stones to drop on their own
feet. Iran will not yield in the face of US intransigence. Sooner than later
the US will come to its senses, abandon its failed policies and recommit to the
JCPOA,” he concluded.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/08/07/631296/US,-Israel-seek-to-neuter-Iran-as-a-regional-power
--------
Bolton: Trump
should push to bring down Iran’s government
07 August 2020
War-mongering
former US National Security Adviser John Bolton has slammed President Donald
Trump for taking “too soft an approach” on Iran, saying that his administration
should bring down the Islamic Republic.
In September
last year, Trump fired Bolton, saying he has “disagreed strongly with many of
his suggestions.” Trump was reportedly unhappy with Bolton who had adopted an
aggressive approach towards Iran.
Independent
observers had accused Bolton of conniving with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu in order to provoke a military conflict between Iran and the United States.
Bolton had also
opposed Trump's peace initiative towards North Korea and urged the president to
pursue gunboat diplomacy against the East Asian country.
Bolton
disappeared following his disgraceful exit in September but has repapered
recently to publicize his book about his time in the administration: "The
Room Where it Happened."
Bolton -- a
foreign policy hawk who was influential in President George W. Bush's
interventionist administration – said in a recent interview that Trump should
implement regime change in Tehran.
"I think
one of the things that we should look for in Iran is the overthrow of the
regime," Bolton said. "I think that one way that happens is if the
regular military and the Revolutionary Guard fragments."
"So this
could exacerbate the instability that already exists in Iran where I think the
regime is very unpopular. And I think it should be US policy to overthrow the
Ayatollahs and restore the government to the people of Iran," he
continued.
Bolton said he
does not think that Trump really wants regime change in Tehran. "I think
that's been one of the problems.”
The war hawk
said that he backed the US assassination of prominent Iranian commander
Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in January, and Trump's withdrawal from the
Iran nuclear agreement, but added this is not enough.
Ever since
quitting the nuclear deal in May 2018, Trump has been running what he refers to
as a "maximum pressure" campaign, which seeks to pressure Iran into
negotiating a new deal that addresses its ballistic missile program and
regional influence.
After imposing
several rounds of sanctions targeting Iran's oil exports, Washington has also
sent warships and bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter what it calls Iran's
threat for shipping in the Persian Gulf.
It is currently
ramping up efforts to kill the JCPOA completely through pushing the remaining
parties to the multilateral agreement to extend a UN arms embargo on Tehran.
Bolton the
chickenhawk continues to advocate war with Iran: Myles Hoenig
Commenting on
Bolton’s remarks, American analyst Myles Hoenig said, “Bolton’s book must not
be selling well if he feels a need to prop it up a bit by talking about how
weak Trump is regarding Iran. Nobody in Washington beats out Bolton for his
desire to go to war at the drop of a hat. He is called the hawk’s hawk. That’s
usually the case for chickenhawks, people who avoid military service or combat
service yet make their reputation as supporters of war. With a low draft number
of 185, he chose to join the Maryland National Guard, which was even an easier
way to escape combat in Vietnam than joining the Reserves.”
“There hasn’t
been a war Bolton didn’t support or a war he didn’t encourage. He had been a
strong supporter of the Iraq war, opposed Bush’s rapprochement with Libya,
supports preemptive strikes against N. Korea and Iran, supported the Iranian terrorist
group the People’s Mujahadin of Iran, (designated as such by the State
Department), and a long supporter of Israeli war crimes, even to go so far as
advocate banning judges and prosecutors from the International Criminal Court
from entering the US if it charges Israel with crimes under its jurisdiction,”
added Hoenig, a former Green Party candidate for Congress.
“Preceding
Trump’s America First policy, he was a strong supporter of unilateralism rather
than multilateralism, believing American Exceptional in foreign policy. He has
long opposed global cooperation, even as the US ambassador to the UN. Bolton claims he supports people’s
self-determination, and that Trump is not allowing the people of Iran to rise up
against their government by not supporting ‘regime change’. Yet his history is
one of supporting the American brand of government abroad, regardless of what
the people want in those countries,” he noted.
“People like
Bolton will never go away. He may be known as a hawk’s hawk, but they permeate
both parties’ administrations. Obama had Susan Rice, a staunch advocate for
American exceptionalism abroad, again, simply code for supporting wars,” he
concluded.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/08/07/631289/Bolton--Trump-should-push-to-bring-down-Iran%E2%80%99s-government
--------
AG Barr promises
to rule out death penalty for ISIS 'Beatles', victims' families say
Aug. 7, 2020
Attorney General
William Barr has promised to formally rule out the death penalty for two
notorious ISIS detainees to ensure that the British government can provide
evidence against them, relatives of the victims told NBC News after speaking
with Barr by phone Thursday.
Barr’s decision
breaks an impasse with the British government and appears to clear the way for
the two former UK residents — who were part of a group in Syria known as “the
Beatles” — to be transferred from U.S. military custody in Iraq to the criminal
justice system for trial in the United States.
“We just had a
very promising call with the attorney general. He’s going to get the death
penalty off the table in the coming days,” said Diane Foley, whose son,
journalist James Foley, was beheaded in 2014 by one Beatles member.
Barr’s
spokeswoman, Kerri Kupec, said she could not comment.
Foley and the
parents of Steven Sotloff, another U.S. journalist beheaded by ISIS in 2014,
said Barr told them he intends to notify British Home Secretary Priti Patel in
the coming days, having already spoken to her about his intentions.
The attorney
general was very gracious and now that the families are unanimous, he’s willing
to move forward,” Foley said. “He’s going to make the request for evidence from
the UK Home Secretary. He wants to use the evidence as soon as possible.”
The families now
hope the UK will act in a timely manner, they said.
“The ball will
be in the UK's court,” said Shirley Sotloff, the mother of Steven. “If we take
the death penalty off the table — and we all agree on that — then it’s up to
the Brits.“
Art Sotloff,
Steven’s father, said Barr appeared eager to prosecute the two former British
nationals, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh.
“I’m excited
that he’s excited about it,” Art Sotloff said, referring to Barr.
“We would like
to add how deeply grateful we are for the AG and DOJ," Marsha and Carla
Mueller, the parents of another victim, Kayla Mueller, said in a statement.
"They have helped us a great deal.”
The Washington
Post reported July 31 that Barr was “willing to consider” dropping the death
penalty in the case.
A UK court ruled
in March that the British government must not turn over evidence if capital
punishment was a possibility. The death penalty remains a feature of the U.S.
justice system, but it has been abolished in Europe.
A spokesperson
for the UK Home Office said in a statement:
“A court injunction
currently prevents the transfer of evidence from the UK to the U.S. This
injunction will remain in place until the final order is received from the
Supreme Court, following the 25 March 2020 judgment. As we are still awaiting
the final order, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”
The leading
Beatle, and the man believed to have wielded the knife in those killings, was
Mohammed Emwazi, who was killed by Hellfire missiles fired from a CIA drone in
2015. They were dubbed the Beatles because of their British accents. The fourth
Beatle, Aine Lesley Davis, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison in
Turkey in 2017.
In interviews
obtained exclusively by NBC News, Kotey and Elsheikh incriminated themselves in
the mistreatment of Western hostages in Syria, including Mueller and Foley.
They also for
the first time admitted their involvement in the captivity of Mueller, an aid
worker who was tortured and sexually abused before her death in 2015.
"She was in
a room by herself that no one would go in,” Kotey said
Elsheikh got
into more detail, saying, "I took an email from her myself," meaning
he got an email address the Islamic State militant group could use to demand
ransom from the family. "She was in a large room, it was dark, and she was
alone, and … she was very scared."
In one email
reviewed by NBC News, ISIS demanded the Muellers pay 5 million euros and
threatened that if the demands weren’t met, they would send the family “a
picture of Kayla's dead body.”
Captured by
Kurdish forces, Kotey and Elsheikh were turned over to U.S. troops and have
been in U.S. military custody in Iraq amid questions over how and when they
will face justice. U.S. prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia have
been investigating the case, officials say.
The families of
the Americans killed by ISIS have been pushing for the prosecution of two men
since they were transferred into U.S. custody last year.
U.S. and British
authorities say the Beatles were responsible for 27 killings, including the
beheadings of Americans Foley, Sotloff and Peter Kassig, and British aid
workers David Haines and Alan Henning.
Kotey and
Elsheikh have denied involvement in the killings and torture, describing themselves
in interviews as “liaisons” between the hostages and the guards.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ag-barr-promises-rule-out-death-penalty-isis-beatles-victims-n1236066?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1421988_
--------
Iran Is No. 1
Sponsor of Terrorism, U.S. Says Ahead Of UN Arms-Embargo Talks
August 07, 2020
The U.S.
ambassador to the United Nations has called Iran "the world’s No. 1
sponsor of terrorism," a day after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the
United States plans to hold a UN Security Council vote next week to extend an
arms embargo against Iran.
Ambassador Kelly
Craft also warned Russia and China that they will become "co-sponsors of
the No. 1 state that sponsors terrorism" if they use their veto to block
the resolution to extend the embargo.
The United
States hopes Russia and China "will see the importance of peace in the
Middle East," Craft said. But she added that the partnership between
Russia and China was clear: "They're just going to be promoting chaos,
conflict, and mayhem outside their borders, so we have to just corner
them."
Craft and Brian
Hook, the top U.S. envoy for Iran, briefed a group of reporters following
Pompeo's announcement on August 5 that the United States will call for a
Security Council vote next week on a U.S.-drafted resolution to extend the arms
embargo that is due to expire in October.
Hook announced
hours after the briefing that he was stepping down.
The foreign
ministers of Russia and China have indicated they intend to veto the resolution
if it gets the minimum nine votes in the 15-member council. In letters last
month to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council the two
countries were sharply critical of the U.S. effort.
Pompeo told
reporters on August 5 that there were countries "lining up" to sell
weapons to Iran and warned that this would further destabilize the Middle East,
put Israel and Europe at risk, and endanger U.S. lives.
If the Security
Council doesn't prevent Iran from buying and selling weapons when the embargo
ends, Washington has said it will trigger a "snapback" of all UN
sanctions on Iran. The snapback mechanism was included in the 2015 nuclear
agreement in the event Iran was proved to be in violation of the accord, which
provided sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.
Russia and
China, as well as European allies that signed the pact, have questioned the
U.S. claim it is still a participant able to trigger the snapback mechanism.
The United States quit the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran. In
response, Iran gradually started breaching its nuclear commitments.
Pompeo and other
Iran hard-liners in Washington claim the United States remains a participant in
the accord because it was listed as such in the 2015 resolution that enshrined
the deal and can therefore bring back sanctions since Iran has not fully
complied with its nuclear commitments.
Britain, France,
and Germany are concerned about the arms embargo being lifted but have said
they are trying to reach a compromise out of concern Iran will completely exit
the nuclear deal and act on threats to pull out of a key nonproliferation
treaty.
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-terrorism-u-s-ambassador-to-un-arms-embargo-extension/30770700.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1421988_
--------
Europe
Macron’s
Colonial-Style Lebanon Sojourn Sparks Derision, Outcry
Aug 07, 2020
Macron made the
visit to Lebanese capital of Beirut on Thursday after a cataclysmic explosion
killed Killed tens of people and injured more than 5,000 others, presstv
reported.
The deadly
incident also left at least 300,000 without habitable homes, hammering a nation
already beset by US-instigated economic crises.
During the snap
visit, the French president called for an international inquiry into the
devastating blast that generated a seismic shock felt across the region.
Lebanon's
Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network said Macron, in a meeting
with President Michel Aoun, threatened Lebanese leaders with sanctions if they
do not submit to reforms and a “political change”.
Macron also
called for a “new political pact” among Lebanese political factions and said he
had proposed a roadmap to the Lebanese authorities to unlock billions of
dollars in funds from the international community, and that he would return to
Lebanon in September to follow up.
“I will be back
on September 1, and if they can't do it, I'll take my political responsibility”
toward Lebanon, said Macron in remarks more sounding like those about a
protectorate.
Macron’s remarks
sparked a swift backlash, with many Twitter users denouncing what they deemed
as interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon, which gained independence
from the French colonial rule more than seven decades ago.
Macron’s remarks
at a time of shock and anger among the traumatized nation also provoked
protests in central Beirut, where security forces fired tear gas to disperse
dozens of demonstrators.
The protesters
marched on the roads leading to the government building and the parliament.
They pelted security forces with stones and set tires on fire, shouting against
the political elite.
Some in the
small protest were wounded, the National News Agency reported.
The powerful
explosion on Tuesday took place in port warehouses that stored highly explosive
material near central Beirut. Video footage captured a shockwave travelling
fast across hundreds of meters, essentially flattening the area.
Dozens of people
are still missing, and thousands of people have been displaced as a result of
the colossal blast, which leveled the whole port and a large section of central
Beirut and turned successive apartment blocks into masses of debris and twisted
metal.
A large supply
of confiscated explosive material that had been stored in a warehouse at the
city's port for the past six years is suspected to have caused the massive
explosion, the biggest to ever hit the Middle East, but investigators have only
just started to look into what happened.
Lebanon’s Prime
Minister Hassan Diab has announced three days of national mourning for the
victims of the deadly incident and declared a state of emergency across the
country for two weeks.
Diab has pledged
that those responsible for the massive blast in Beirut would be held to
account, calling for international assistance to help the country, which is
already staggering from economic meltdown and a surge in coronavirus cases.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990517000469
--------
ISIS terrorist
fails in test case to overturn UK's new terror laws
Nicky Harley
August 6, 2020
An ISIS
terrorist has lost his test case in which he challenged a new UK terrorism law
banning the early release of jailed extremists.
The UK changed
its law allowing prisoners to be released halfway through their sentences
following two attacks by terrorists soon after their release from jail.
Mohammed Zahir
Khan would have been eligible for automatic release in March prior to the law
change.
He had been
jailed for spreading ISIS propaganda online including a video encouraging a
terror attack and had endorsed acts of terrorism, such as murder and martyrdom.
The former
shopkeeper pleaded guilty in 2018 to five counts of encouraging terrorism, one
count of dissemination of a terrorist publication and two counts of stirring up
religious hatred.
He was jailed
for four years and six months.
Khan tried to
appeal against the UK government's new law on the grounds it was discriminatory
and unjust because of the changed nature of the sentence he had been given in
court.
But two judges
at the High Court in London threw out his claim, saying the government's law
change was "logical and rational" given the threat to public safety.
"In our
judgment, it is impossible sensibly to regard a terrorist offender as in an
analogous position to an ordinary offender," Mr Justice Garnham said.
"The nature
of the offending is different, the need for punishment is different, the way
the offenders have to be managed in custody is different, the risks they pose
on release into the community are different.
"Faced with
the real and immediate threats to public safety demonstrated by the attacks of
November 2019 and February 2020, altering arrangements for the early release of
terrorist prisoners was a logical and rational response.
"The
offending in issue was especially grave, involving as it did random knife
attacks on innocent bystanders causing fatal injuries.
"Keeping
terrorist prisoners in custody for a longer proportion of their sentence, and
requiring Parole Board approval before early release, was an entirely
legitimate response."
The ruling means
about 50 prisoners serving sentences for terrorism will be detained for longer.
Now offenders
jailed for more than two years must serve at least two thirds of their sentence
in prison before they can be considered for release by the Parole Board, which
will then only release them if they are deemed safe.
Northumbria
police and crime commissioner Kim McGuinness has praised the decision.
"If someone
poses a threat to public safety, we absolutely need to keep them off our
streets," she said.
The UK had
reviewed with urgency its scheme following a terror attack last November, which
saw Usman Khan kill two prisoner-rehabilitation volunteers at an event near
London Bridge.
He had been
released at the halfway point of his 16-year sentence for plotting to blow up
the London Stock Exchange.
During the
review of the prisoner release scheme, another ISIS extremist committed a
separate attack in February.
Sudesh Amman
stabbed people in a South London street only days after his release from jail.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/isis-terrorist-fails-in-test-case-to-overturn-uk-s-new-terror-laws-1.1060117?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1421988_
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan
Parliament approves FATF-related bill
Aug 7, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Amidst vociferous protests from Pakistan's religious parties, the Parliament
has approved a third Bill related to the tough conditions set by the global
money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog FATF.
The legislation
is part of the efforts by Pakistan to move from the Paris-based Financial
Action Task Force (FATF) grey list to the white list.
The FATF put
Pakistan on the grey list in June 2018 and asked Islamabad to implement a plan
of action by the end of 2019 but the deadline was extended later due to
Covid-19 pandemic.
The Mutual Legal
Assistance (Criminal Matter) Bill, 2020 -- which calls for exchange of
information and criminals with countries -- was passed late Thursday evening in
a joint sitting of Parliament after a hectic two-day consultation with the two
major Opposition parties -- Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan
Peoples Party (PPP).
The Bill was
passed after the government agreed to include over two dozen
Opposition-proposed amendments with a majority vote amidst noisy protest by the
religious and nationalist parties, the Dawn News reported.
The draft
legislation was approved in the presence of Opposition Leader and PML-N
president Shahbaz Sharif and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.
The talks
started on Wednesday evening, continued almost throughout the night and lasted
till a delayed start of the joint sitting on Thursday evening.
As soon as
Interior Minister retired Brig Ijaz Shah moved the motion to take up the Bill
for consideration, members belonging to Muttahida Majlis–e–Amal (MMA),
Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), National Party and independent members
from the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas stood up and started
raising slogans against it.
The House
witnessed unruly scenes as the government and opposition exchanged barbs soon
after the Bill was passed, accusing each other of corruption.
The Senate
chairman was forced to abruptly prorogue the session after both the treasury
and the opposition members refused to follow his directives to maintain decorum
of the House, the Dawn reported.
The draft
legislation is the third FATF-related Bill passed by Pakistan Parliament.
The Senate on
July 30 unanimously approved the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
Amendment Bill, 2020, and the Anti-Terrorism Act Amendment Bill, 2020.
The Bills
include measures of freezing and seizure of assets, travel ban, and arms
embargo on the entities and individuals, who are designated on the sanctions
list of the United Nations and impose heavy fine and long term jails for those
facilitating militancy.
The three Bills
passed fulfil various requirements of the FATF, which put Pakistan on its grey
list after Islamabad agreed to implement a 27-point plan of action to improve
its legal regime to curb money laundering and terror financing.
The UN Security
Council Resolution 1373 made it incumbent on the member states to implement
counter-terrorism measures, especially countering the financing of terrorism
through their domestic laws.
The Pakistan
government has prepared eight bills for legislation on anti-money laundering
and terror financing with a view to take out the country from the FATF's grey
list to the white list.
In its third and
final plenary held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic in June, the FATF
decided to keep Pakistan in the "grey list" as Islamabad failed to
check flow of money to terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The plenary was held under the Chinese Presidency of
Xiangmin Liu.
With Pakistan's
continuation in the 'grey list', it will be difficult for the country to get
financial aid from the IMF, World Bank, ADB and the European Union, thus
further enhancing problems for the nation which is in a precarious financial
situation.
If Pakistan
fails to comply with the FATF directive by October, there is every possibility
that the global body may put the country in the 'Black List' along with North
Korea and Iran.
The FATF is an
inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering,
terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the
international financial system.
The FATF currently
has 39 members including two regional organisations -- the European Commission
and Gulf Cooperation Council.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-parliament-approves-fatf-related-bill/articleshow/77410388.cms
--------
Punjab legislators
regret voting for Tahaffuz bill
Amjad Mahmood
08 Aug 2020
LAHORE: A bill
passed unanimously by Punjab Assembly members just two weeks ago is being
opposed by the same lawmakers, both from treasury and opposition benches,
admitting they voted for it without reading the document.
Opponents,
including some ministers, of the bill stood on their seats when assembly
proceedings resumed after a one-day break here on Friday to protest against the
Tahaffuz Bunyad-i-Islam (protection of foundation of Islam) Bill passed by the
house on July 22.
Treasury members
called the piece of legislation a conspiracy against the PTI government.
Ruling PTI
legislator Hussain Jehanian Gardezi demanded that the government amend the bill
with the approval of the Federal Shariat Court, while Law Minister Muhammad
Basharat Raja assured the house that no further progress on the bill would be
made until a consensus among the members.
Say they lent
support without reading the draft
PML-N’s Pir
Ashraf Rasool claimed that the bill had been passed on the advice of Shehzad
Akbar, special advisor to the prime minister, while PTI MPA Yawar Abbas Bukhari
sought forgiveness from the house for supporting the bill.
Taking part in
the debate many lawmakers alleged that they were kept into dark about the
document when it was put to vote. Arguing that the house couldn’t direct any
person which sect one should belong to, they asserted that the bill would fan
sectarian divides in the province.
They demanded
recalling and amending the bill by seeking recommendations from a committee of
clerics comprising all schools of thought.
Treasury members
said if the bill had been tabled as official business, cabinet’s approval for
the same should be shown to them and if it was passed as a private member bill,
which standing committee vetted the document.
PPP
parliamentary leader Syed Hassan Murtaza, who was member of the committee, also
disowned the bill admitting that he was part of the panel but had not been
informed about its vetting process.
At this the law
minister said that objections to the bill had been raised after its approval
and that’s why it was not sent to the governor for signing it into law.
He said the
opinion of the clerics would be elicited for amending the law to remove reservations
of all and assured the house that no further progress on the bill would be made
until developing a complete consensus among the lawmakers.
The minister
also taunted the legislators that it was their duty to thoroughly read each
bill before going to vote for or against it.
Later, Raja
Basharat also briefed Prime Minister Imran Khan about the controversy on the
bill and the steps the government would take to remove reservations about it.
The Punjab
Tahaffuz Bunyad-e-Islam Bill 2020 Speaker Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi claimed credit
for, makes publishing of objectionable and/or hate-material punishable.
It also binds
all publishers to submit at least five copies of each edition of the book they
publish with the Directorate General of Public Relations, which has been
empowered to inspect printing presses, book stores and publishing houses, and
confiscate before or after printing of books containing such contents.
The DGPR may
also investigate, assess or ascertain any act of omission involved in the
matter, check record and books of accounts of the publisher on the spot or at
any designated office.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1573159/punjab-legislators-regret-voting-for-tahaffuz-bill
--------
Karachi police
shoot unarmed civilian to death, hurt another near Techno City
Imtiaz Ali
08 Aug 2020
KARACHI: Police
on Friday killed an unarmed citizen and wounded another on I.I Chundrigar Road
as they suspected them to be muggers.
The Mithadar
police said that policemen of Madadgar-15 fired at two motorcyclists near
Techno City killing 48-year-old Mohammad Aslam and wounding Waqar Mohammad, 26.
Noman, a friend
of wounded Waqar, later told media that they were riding a motorbike when he
received a phone call. He said as soon as he pulled out the mobile phone from
his pocket some policemen standing at a parked mobile opened fire at them and
the bullet hit his friend.
He said in a
state of panic he raised both hands in the air and started crying. But the
policemen continued to shoot and the bullet hit another motorcyclist, he added.
“With my hands
up, I told the police we are not robbers,” said witness Noman.
He said after a
while, the policemen abandoned the mobile and ran away.
The wounded
citizens were taken to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi where doctors
pronounced one of them dead.
Police Surgeon
Qarar Ahmed Abbasi said that Aslam suffered a single wound in a hand and the
bullet travelled to his chest and proved fatal. He said Waqar also sustained a
single bullet in a hand and he was discharged from the hospital after initial
medical aid.
Three constables
held
DIG-South Javed
Akbar Riaz claimed that the police resorted to firing as they considered them
to be suspects.
He said that all
three constables, identified as Imran Habib, Imran and Sarfaraz, had been taken
into custody and were being questioned.
He added that
SSP Muqaddas Haider had been assigned to conduct an inquiry into the incident.
While sharing
findings of the initial probe, the SSP said that the policemen had “some
misunderstanding” that the bike riders were looting another man who was also
riding a motorbike.
They disembarked
from the mobile and one of the policemen fired a single shot at the bike rider
while another policeman also fired a single shot after suspecting that another
citizen was pulling out a pistol since his hand was in his pocket.
He said a murder
case would be registered against the three held policemen and the heirs of the
deceased were asked to lodge an FIR. In addition to it, a departmental inquiry
had also been initiated against the arrested policemen, he added.
Meanwhile, Sindh
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the killing and sought a detailed
report from the inspector general of police. “Such incidents are not acceptable
in any situation,” he said.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1573153/karachi-police-shoot-unarmed-civilian-to-death-hurt-another-near-techno-city
--------
Name of ‘groom’
in same sex marriage case put on ECL
08 Aug 2020
ISLAMABAD: The
Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench on Friday put the accused in same sex
marriage case on exit control list (ECL) and directed the police to arrest and produce
her before the court on Aug 17.
LHC Justice
Chaudhry Abdul Aziz heard the same sex marriage case. On the direction of the
court, the police have already taken the girl into custody.
However, when
the judge resumed hearing in this matter, the court was told that the accused
could not be traced.
The court has
directed SHO Taxila Police Station and SHO Garden Town to arrest the accused
and produce her in court on Aug 17. Besides, her name was also put on the ECL.
Nadim Anthony,
counsel for the accused told the court that she could not appear due to
illness. He further informed the court that the accused had divorced the girl
and requested the court to dispose of the matter.
However, the
judge remarked that the matter could only be disposed of after the accused
appears in person.
Amjad Janjua,
counsel for the girl’s father told Dawn that the accused, a masters in computer
sciences from National University of Sciences and Technology (Nust) had changed
her gender in the computerised national identity card and driving licence to
marry the girl.
He said the
accused was a tenant of the girl’s father and worked as a teacher in a nearby
girls’ school.
According to the
counsel, the medical certificate, educational credentials and the employment
record prove that the accused is a female.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1573173/name-of-groom-in-same-sex-marriage-case-put-on-ecl
--------
Shehbaz
denounces Qureshi’s comments on OIC
ISLAMABAD:
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif has
denounced the comments of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi over the
Saudi-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and called it “highly
unfortunate and irresponsible”.
In a tweet on
Friday, the opposition leader lambasted the foreign minister’s statement,
saying that it “flies in the face of history and Pakistan’s trusted
relationship with the Kingdom.”
“The cavalier
attitude by this government is undermining Pakistan’s core relations with
friendly countries,” the PML-N stalwart wrote on Twitter.
Criticising the
government for isolating Pakistan at the global stage due to its dismal stances
on international issues, the PML-N president said that the government has
already made similar blunders towards friendly countries in the past.
“Apologise to
Saudi Arabia and deal matters wisely and efficiently,” he said, reminding the
government about the strategic and historic brotherly relations between the two
countries and that Riyadh has always backed Islamabad in its time of need.
Earlier on
Wednesday, FM Qureshi, in an unusually assertive way, asked OIC to stop
dragging its feet on the convening of a meeting of its Council of Foreign
Ministers (CFM) over the Kashmir conflict.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/08/07/shehbaz-denounces-qureshis-comments-on-oic/
--------
South Asia
U.S. Attorney
reacts to MTN Afghanistan’s exit amid alleged links to Iran’s IRGC, Al Qaeda
08 Aug 2020
A U.S. Attorney
reacted to reports regarding the withdrawal of MTN telecommunications company
from Afghanistan and Middle East.
Ryan Sparacino,
one of the attorneys who brought the lawsuit against MTN over alleged payments
to terrorists in Afghanistan, issued a statement, stating that “As the families
allege in their complaint, MTN is effectively a joint venture partner with the IRGC,
Iran’s leading terrorist organization. Instead of immediately ending its
relationship with the IRGC, and its related support for Iran-backed terrorists
in Afghanistan, MTN has decided to try to squeeze every last dollar out of its
partnership with the Iranians.”
Reuters reported
on Thursday that MTN Afghanistan, a child company to the Global MTN, the
largest telecommunication firm in South-Africa has announced to exit from
Afghanistan and the Middle in order to solely focus on its Pan-African strategy.
The group is
scheduled to sell its shares in Syria, Yamen and Afghanistan to other telecom
providers in order to end its operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
According to the
report, MTN Afghanistan is accused of bribing the Taliban militants in
Afghanistan to ‘safeguard’ its telecom towers and buying a 15-year old
operation license in Iran through the payment of incentives.
However, MTN
Afghanistan denied the allegations.
This comes as
reports emerged in January 2020 suggesting that the company has paid bribes to
both the Taliban and the Al Qaeda terrorist groups in Afghanistan in order to
safeguard its telecom towers.
https://www.khaama.com/u-s-attorney-reacts-to-mtn-afghanistans-exit-amid-alleged-links-to-irans-irgc-al-qaeda-09008/
--------
Anti-Muslim monk
wins seat in Sri Lanka’s parliament
August 7, 2020
COLOMBO: A
radical Buddhist monk accused of instigating hate crimes against Muslims has
won a seat in Sri Lanka’s parliament, results showed Friday.
The Our Power of
People party led by Galagodaatte Gnanasara, who has vowed to fight Islamic
extremism, won one seat in Wednesday’s election which was decided by
proportional representation.
The party
central committee nominated Gnanasara, who was standing for the first time, to
take a seat in the 225-member assembly, a spokesman told AFP.
Gnanasara served
nine months of a six-year jail term for intimidating the wife of a missing
cartoonist and contempt of court until he was given a presidential pardon in
May last year.
Gnanasara has
close ties with Wirathu, an extremist monk in Myanmar whose outbursts have
stoked religious tensions there.
Wirathu visited
Sri Lanka as a guest of Gnanasara shortly after 2014 anti-Muslim riots. The duo
vowed to fight what they called the threat from Islamic jihadists but Gnanasara
denied any role in the riots that left four dead.
Gnanasara
accused the government of ignoring his warnings after Muslim radicals staged
suicide bombings on Easter Sunday last year that left 279 people dead
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2020/08/07/anti-muslim-monk-wins-seat-in-sri-lankas-parliament/
--------
Afghan
Civilians, Taliban Militants Killed In Attacks Across Afghanistan
August 06, 2020
Taliban
militants and Afghan civilians have been killed in attacks and clashes across
Afghanistan amid peace efforts aimed at ending the nearly 19-year war.
Defense Ministry
spokesman Fawad Aman said at least 16 Taliban militants were killed in two
separate clashes with government forces in the eastern province of Ghazni on August
6
It was the first
direct fighting between the Taliban and government security forces since a
recent cease-fire was announced.
Aman did not
comment on casualties suffered by government forces.
In one attack
near the provincial capital, Ghazni city, Afghan forces called in an air strike
on Taliban fighters who stormed a military facility where about 300 government
troops were based
Aman said
Taliban fighters also attacked a military convoy in the Gilan district of
Ghazni Province late on August 5.
Officials said
seven civilians were killed when their vehicle struck a land mine in the Khash
Rod district of the western province of Nimroz late on August 5.
There was no
immediate claim of responsibly for the land mine, although similar cases in the
past have been blamed on the Taliban.
Meanwhile,
officials said clashes erupted between Taliban fighters and government forces
along a highway in the northern province of Baghlan, leaving four militants
dead.
Officials said
the militants torched two oil tankers that were traveling along the highway.
The Taliban and
government forces agreed a three-day truce to mark the Muslim festival of Eid
al-Adha which started on July 31.
The truce came
ahead of proposed peace talks between the Taliban and authorites in Kabul aimed
at ending their long-running war.
https://www.rferl.org/a/afghan-civilians-taliban-militants-killed-in-attacks-across-afghanistan/30769780.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1421988_
--------
Afghan gathering
to decide fate of 400 Taliban prisoners
07/08/2020
Thousands of
prominent Afghans will gather in Kabul Friday to decide whether to release
about 400 Taliban prisoners, including many involved in brutal attacks that
killed scores of Afghans and foreigners.
US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo urged attendees to free the detainees, promising help if the
war-torn nation moves forward on peace efforts.
"We
acknowledge that the release of these prisoners is unpopular," Pompeo said
in a statement.
"But this
difficult action will lead to an important result long sought by Afghans and
Afghanistan's friends: reduction of violence and direct talks resulting in a
peace agreement and an end to the war."
The prisoners'
fate is a crucial issue in determining when peace talks between the Taliban and
the Kabul government might begin, as the two foes had committed to completing a
prisoner exchange ahead of talks.
While Kabul has
released almost 5,000 Taliban inmates, authorities have balked at freeing a
final 400 or so demanded by the Taliban.
According to an
official list of the Taliban prisoners seen by AFP, many of the inmates are
accused of serious offences, with more than 150 of them on death row.
The list also
includes a group of 44 insurgents of particular concern to the United Sates and
other countries for their role in "high-profile" attacks.
They include
five insurgents linked to the 2018 attack against the Intercontinental Hotel in
Kabul that killed 40 people, including 14 foreigners.
And a Taliban
militant involved in the massive May 2017 truck bombing near the German embassy
in Kabul is on the list, which also includes a former Afghan army officer who
killed five French troops and wounded 13 in 2012 in an insider attack.
"There are
definitely some prisoners that people don't want released, mostly because they
are guilty of having killed coalition troops and nationals," a Western
official familiar with the case told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"Among the
400 there are a small number of extremely high-profile convicted individuals who
have been found guilty of terrorist acts targeting internationals."
- Loya jirga -
President Ashraf
Ghani has deferred the decision on whether to release these inmates to a loya
jirga -- a traditional Afghan meeting of tribal elders and other stakeholders
that is sometimes held to decide on controversial issues.
About 3,200
dignitaries are due to participate in Friday's assembly, loya jirga spokesman
Jahanzaib Sharifi told AFP.
Under the
prisoner exchange, Kabul was supposed to free 5,000 Taliban members, while the
insurgents committed to releasing 1,000 government captives.
The Taliban,
which says it has fulfilled its side of the swap, has insisted it will not
begin peace talks until all 5,000 prisoners are freed.
According to the
list seen by AFP, the Taliban is demanding the release of an insurgent involved
in the 2018 attack against British security firm G4S as well as several
militants involved in the killing of US soldiers.
The US embassy
in Kabul declined to comment.
Two militants
involved in a suicide attack targeting a NATO convoy in Kabul in 2015 that
killed 12 people, including three Americans, were also among the 400.
Two militants
are also on the list for the 2003 murder of Bettina Goislard, a United Nations
refugee worker.
Ahead of the
loya jirga, Human Rights Watch cautioned that many of the prisoners had been
jailed under "overly broad terrorism laws that provide for indefinite
preventive detention".
"Secret
trials and torture to coerce confessions may make it impossible to determine
which prisoners actually committed serious crimes," it said.
https://www.france24.com/en/20200807-afghan-gathering-to-decide-fate-of-400-taliban-prisoners?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1421988_
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Mideast
Supreme Leader:
Hiroshima Bombing Unmasks US Nature
Aug 07, 2020
In August 1945,
the US, in one moment, killed 100,000 people in the city of Hiroshima with an
atomic bomb, Ayatollah Khamenei wrote on a Twitter account on the anniversary
of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by the US 75 years ago.
"This is
the nature of an arrogant, irreligious, atheistic and immoral army," the
Supreme Leader said in a post on his twitter page.
Ayatollah
Khamenei stressed that many books should be written, if we want to talk about
the crimes of the armies of arrogant powers in the world.
On August 6,
1945, an American B-29 bomber dropped its atomic payload over the Japanese port
city of Hiroshima, ultimately killing 140,000 people.
Three days
later, a second US nuclear attack on Nagasaki killed another 70,000 people.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990517000260
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Zarif: US First
User of N. Arms, Threatening Region with Israel
Aug 07, 2020
"75 years
ago today, the US gained the infamy of becoming the 1st and ONLY user of
nuclear weapons. And against innocents," Zarif wrote on his Twitter
account on Thrusday, adding, "Today, US & Israeli nukes threaten our
region."
He further
censured the US and Israel saying that, it's long overdue to end nuclear
nightmare and the mad doctrine of ‘Mutually Assured Destruction’.
On August 6,
1945, an American B-29 bomber dropped its atomic payload over the Japanese port
city of Hiroshima, ultimately killing 140,000 people.
Three days
later, a second US nuclear attack on Nagasaki killed another 70,000 people.
The US left the
nuclear agreement with Iran, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action (JCPOA), on May 8, 2018. The deal had been inked between Tehran and
six world states, the US, the UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany, in 2015
and was later endorsed by a UN Security Council resolution.
Washington then
returned the sanctions that had been lifted by the deal and has been trying to
persuade the remaining signatories into leaving the JCPOA in violation of Security
Council Resolution 2231.
It has also
threatened sanctions against the countries and entities that continue trading
with Iran, particularly in energy sector, in defiance of unilateral American
bans.
Tehran calls the
American bans instruments of “economic terrorism,” saying such restrictive
measures amount to “crime against humanity.”
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990517000176
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Iran's Top
Security Official: Pompeo May Also Be Forced to Leave After Hook
Aug 07, 2020
US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that Hook is leaving his post, and the US
special representative for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, will add Iran to his role
“following a transition period” with Hook.
In a Twitter
message on Friday, Shamkhani said Hook is leaving the office without any
success in carrying out his mission, just like Donald Trump’s former national
security advisor John Bolton.
The Trump
administration’s maximum pressure strategy was initially aimed at bringing
about a “regime change” in Iran, but finally turned into “preventing Iran from
becoming rich”, Shamkhani noted.
"After
Hook, Mike Pompeo may also be forced to pack and leave before Donald Trump's
departure,” he added.
In relevant
remarks, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi tweeted that
"no difference between John Bolton, Brian Hook or Elliott Abrams; when it
comes to the US #Iran policy, American officials have been bitten off more than
they could chew. Same applies to Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump AND their
successors".
Alireza
Miryousefi, spokesman for Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York,
also played down Hook’s departure, saying it “does not concern us and is not
something we consider as a game-changer".
“The so-called
‘maximum pressure’ campaign waged by the US government has failed,” he added.
Miryousefi
reiterated that Iran is not on its knees, and will not do so regardless of who
is in charge of implementing this bankrupt policy due to active resistance.
In his Thursday
comments, Pompeo did not give a reason for the change, but wrote in a tweet
that Hook was moving on to the private sector. He described him as a “trusted
adviser and a good friend”, claiming he had achieved “historic results” in
countering Tehran and securing the release of US prisoners in Iran.
The New York
Times debunked the claim, saying Hook "departs with his main goal still
elusive".
Hook, 52, was
appointed to the top Iran role at the State Department in late 2018 and has
been the point man in Washington’s so-called “maximum pressure” campaign on
Tehran after Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the
world powers.
Hook’s surprise
departure comes at a time when Washington has been intensely, but in vain,
lobbying at the United Nations to extend an arms embargo on Iran, which is to
expire in October as per the UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
The Security
Council prepares to hold a vote on the US resolution next week.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990517000457
--------
Turkish lira
collapses to new low: ‘Soon we will be like Syria or Libya’
08 August 2020
The Turkish lira
hit new lows on Thursday as Turkey continues to face economic uncertainty with
the lira continuing to fall and inflation rising.
With a continued
lack of foreign investment and tourism levels down due to the COVID-19
pandemic, Turkish citizens are feeling the pain of the economic turmoil that
threatens the country. In just two weeks, the lira went from around 6.80 to $1
at its lowest point to over 7.20 in the first week of August.
Ismail Berker
Beysel, an undergraduate student and an IT analyst intern, has noticed the rise
in prices lately. While the extent of the increase varies from product to
product, he noted that there was a large increase overall.
For all the
latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“I had to make
some adjustments to my shopping routines,” he told Al Arabiya English. “But
nothing too major. I canceled some of my online subscriptions because of
increasing foreign currencies. Also, I focused on investments and savings to
plan ahead.”
Despite not
having to make massive adjustments to his life, Beysel is looking for potential
job opportunities abroad following his graduation in the event that the
economic situation continues to worsen.
“I try to follow
the news and I can see that the situation is getting worse,” he explained.
“That’s why I focus on planning for the future. I’m searching for [potential]
job opportunities in other countries.”
Even though he
is looking at opportunities abroad, Beysel does not plan on leaving the country
unless he absolutely has to. Fatih Pishkin also does not plan on leaving a
country that he deeply loves.
Pishkin is a
student who will sometimes work at his family’s coffee shop at a mall. While
working there lately, he has noticed a significant decrease in foot traffic.
“The mall is
maybe 10 percent full,” Pishkin told Al Arabiya English. “Before it was 80
percent.”
While much of
this is due to fears surrounding the spread of the coronavirus, Pishkin argues
that the economic situation has been a contributing factor as well.
According to
economist Mustafa Sonmez, this economic turmoil first began in 2018 where signs
of trouble began to show with economic growth being less than what Sonmez
believed was within Turkey’s potential.
Then the
pandemic struck, and tourism – one of the largest contributors to the Turkish
economy – dried up.
“They [the
government] don’t have enough currency in the central bank,” Sonmez told
Al-Arabiya English, “because Turkey’s exports and tourism decreased especially
in the pandemic.”
According to the
economist, the lack of currency in the central bank is a contributing factor
that has discouraged investors from coming to Turkey as they may not be able to
make their money back much less a profit.
“That’s why new
foreign currencies are not coming,” he said, “Investors are not sure that they
can come to Turkey and make investments. That’s the problem with a shortage of
foreign exchange.”
Now, because the
prices for foreign exchange are increasing, inflation is increasing with
imported products seeing the largest rise in price.
“If the foreign
exchange price is up,” Sonmez explained, “it causes the prices [to increase] of
anything imported or energy, any consumer good that’s imported or other
imported goods. It causes a high inflation.”
In addition to
this, the vast majority of people’s salaries are below the inflation rate,
therefore decreasing their spending power and how much money they are able to
put back into the economy.
“The consumer
prices are increasing because most of the goods are imported,” Sonmez stated.
“Both intermediate goods and any others are imported. So, when the Turkish lira
decreases in value, it comes to the consumer as inflation.”
Sonmez argues
that Turkey needs to give “trust to domestic and foreign actors” so that they
would invest in the Turkish economy and, therefore, create more foreign
exchange, decreasing prices along with inflation. With inflation down, average
Turkish citizens would be able to put their money back into the economy.
However, many
Turkish citizens are not optimistic about the future. Pishkin said that he is
not worried about the situation getting worse, because he is certain that it
will continue to deteriorate no matter what happens.
Only getting
worse
“I’m not
worried,” he said. “It will be worse anyways. Turkey’s economy was already in
shambles. Corona[virus] only sped up the process.”
With the
situation continuing to worsen, Pishkin is worried that it will devolve to the
level of a country in the midst of a civil war.
“Soon we will be
like Syria and Libya,” he stated. “And we’ll just have to do whatever it takes
to survive.”
Despite this
fear, Central Bank Governor Murat Uysal remains confident that despite the
shortcomings of the first half of the year, the second one will be
significantly better even if there is a second wave of coronavirus in Turkey.
“Even if
uncertainties regarding the global economy are taken into account,” the
governor stated during a presentation on the central bank’s third annual
inflation report in Ankara, “the second wave will not restrict economic
activities as compared with the first.”
Despite his
optimism, COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Turkey and tourism numbers remain
low.
Still, no matter
the future, most Turkish citizens plan on remaining in their home country.
Beysel is among this group of people unless he is offered an opportunity abroad
that he could not pass up.
“I like my
country and I’m settled here,” he explained, “that’s why in my near future
plans I don’t see myself leaving the country. But if there is a good
opportunity, it isn’t the end of the world to start living in another country.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/08/08/Turkish-lira-collapses-to-new-low-Soon-we-will-be-like-Syria-or-Libya-.html
--------
Israel says
sirens sounded in false alarm, then claims downing drone
07 August 2020
The Israeli
military has issued contradictory statements about rocket warning sirens which
were sounded in northern Israel near the Lebanese border on Friday.
The military
initially said the sirens were sounded following what turned out to be a false
report that a drone had crossed into Israel.
The alarm was
heard in the communities of Avivim, Meron, Dovev, Hurfeish, Sassa, Netua,
Fasuta and Peki’in, Tzivon, Tzuriel and Alkush.
The Israeli
military later claimed it had shot down a drone overnight Thursday into Friday
that came from Lebanon.
Israeli troops,
it said, "identified a drone which infiltrated into Israeli airspace in
the Mount Hermon area" along the Lebanese border.
According to the
military, the troops were conducting searches in the area, but there was no
indication they had found any traces of the allegedly downed drone.
The incident
seems to be similar to what happened last week, when Israel claimed to have
thwarted an infiltration by Hezbollah, which the resistance movement rejected.
Hezbollah said
the claims were "all aimed at fabricating spurious and fictitious
victories" to uphold the morale of Israeli troops.
Israel has moved
specialized military units to the northern border to reinforce their
increasingly tense outposts along the Lebanese and Syrian borders.
The deployment
came in anticipation of Hezbollah's reprisal after an Israeli airstrike killed
the movement's fighter, identified as Ali Kamel Mohsen, on the edge of Damascus
on July 20.
Hezbollah has
pledged to avenge the killing, but its refusal to say when the strike would be
coming has created a mood of heightened apprehension and spurious reaction
among Israeli troops.
They shelled the
Lebanese village of Habaria last Monday to stop an alleged Hezbollah offensive,
but the Lebanese movement said the firing came from only one source, calling it
the result of tension and confusion among Israeli forces.
"Hezbollah
affirms that there has been no clash or shooting on its part in the events of
the day until now. Rather, it was only one party, which was the fearful,
anxious and tense enemy,” the statement said.
"All the
enemy media claims about thwarting an infiltration operation from Lebanese
territory into Occupied Palestine ... that took place in the vicinity of the
occupied Shebaa Farms is absolutely not true, but rather an attempt to invent
false victories,” the statement added.
A leading US
news website said this week the recent developments have "shed light on
Israel’s impossible situation" along the Lebanese border.
According to
Business Insider, Hezbollah has established a high level of deterrence in
southern Lebanon where as many as "150,000 rockets and missiles" are
pointed at Israel.
Hezbollah has "laid
a very dangerous trap for us in the north and I am not clear on how there can
be a military solution to this crisis that would come at an acceptable
cost," said a former senior Israeli official who asked not to be named.
The movement can
pour dozens if not hundreds of rockets into Israel throughout the northern
third of the occupied territories "almost unimpeded", the website
said, adding larger, more advanced, systems are capable of hitting the entire
territory.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/08/07/631269/False-rocket-alarm-sounds-in-northern-Israel-along-Lebanon-border
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/tablighi-jamaat-reports-cant-be/d/122580