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Islamic World News ( 4 Nov 2021, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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As The Taliban Shift Their Focus from Insurgency to Government, Islamic State's-Khorasan Staged a String of Bloody Attacks in Afghanistan

New Age Islam News Bureau

04 November 2021

 

FILE - Fighters with IS-Khorasan, the affiliate in Afghanistan, vow allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, in this photo issued Nov. 5, 2019, by the SITE Intelligence Group.

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• Pakistan Senate Body Rejects Bill Declaring Women’s Inheritance Fundamental Right

• FBI: White Supremacists, Pose a Violent Threat in the United States Similar To That of Islamic State Militants

• Over 120 Fanatic Jewish Settlers Defile al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied al-Quds

• Muslims in Uganda Urged Lawmakers Wednesday to Establish Laws That Conform With Islamic Principles

 

South Asia

• Islamic State's Kabul hospital attack undermines Taliban security pledges

• 12 journalists killed, 230 became victims of violence in Afghanistan last year: Report

• Russia calls on intra-Afghan parties not arouse internal conflicts

• US drone strike that killed 10 Afghans did not violate law: Pentagon

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Pakistan

• Pakistan Senate Body Rejects Bill Declaring Women’s Inheritance Fundamental Right

• Punjab Cabinet Committee on Law and Order Plans to Remove Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s Proscribed Status

• Saad Rizvi’s detention: LHC CJ seeks arguments for maintainability of plea

• TLP activists still in Wazirabad awaiting release of Saad Rizvi

• TLP issue not discussed with govt allies, cabinet: Fawad

• Military to brief lawmakers on national security issues

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North America

• US Cities in Michigan Elect First Muslim Mayors

• US blacklists Israel's NSO, Candiru for spyware undermining national security

• US welcomes EU announcement of resuming Iran nuke talks

• US denies claims Iran thwarted American attempt to ‘steal’ oil tanker

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Mideast

• Digital rights activists accuse Facebook, social media of anti-Palestinian bias

• Iran to Resume Talks on Removal of Sanctions Late in November

• Iranian Oil Minister Hails IRGC Navy for Taking Back Oil Cargo from US

• Iran Warns US President to Grant Objective Guarantees Or Talks Fail

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Africa

• Nigeria welcomes cooperation with Iran in the area of Hajj, pilgrimage

• EU mission to train Mozambican troops to fight terrorism

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India

• Poonch infiltrators believed to have trekked down to Shopian

• Akhilesh may even convert to get Muslim votes: UP minister

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Southeast Asia

• KL MPs Ask FT Minister to Reverse Liquor Sale Ban, Say Against Keluarga Malaysia Ideals

• Islamist insurgents launch attacks on Thai security forces

• Warisan hopes to bring multicultural, issue-driven politics to West Malaysia, says Shafie

• Cops say still want to extradite Nur Sajat despite asylum granted in Australia

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Arab World

• As Lebanese Pound Loses 90 Pct of Value, Citizens Carry ‘Worthless’ Stacks of Cash

• Lebanon seeks dialogue with Saudi Arabia despite new tension over leaked comments

• Turki Al al-Sheikh’s English horror film ‘Cello’ wraps up production in Saudi Arabia

• Arab Coalition says 145 Houthis killed near Marib

• US, UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE call for immediate restoration of Sudan’s govt: Statement

• US says it understands Saudi Arabia’s concerns after Lebanon rift, calls for dialogue

• Syria to end subsidies for around 800,000 of its richest citizens

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Europe

• Dubai Court Ruling That Former Leeds FC Director Falsified Documents Upheld In UK

• Vietnam has been in talks with Iran over seized oil tanker: Foreign ministry

• Germany rules out military solution to Ethiopian conflict

• EU calls for ending divisive rhetoric in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:  https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/taliban-insurgency-khorasan-afghanistan/d/125709

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As The Taliban Shift Their Focus from Insurgency to Government, Islamic State's-Khorasan Staged a String of Bloody Attacks in Afghanistan

 

FILE - Fighters with IS-Khorasan, the affiliate in Afghanistan, vow allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, in this photo issued Nov. 5, 2019, by the SITE Intelligence Group.

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November 03, 2021

Kabul, Afghanistan —

As the Taliban shift their focus from insurgency to government, their most formidable rival is the Islamic State's regional chapter, which has staged a string of bloody attacks in recent weeks.

The latest atrocity claimed by Islamic State-Khorasan, also known as ISIS-K, killed at least 19 people Tuesday, including a senior Taliban commander at a military hospital in Kabul, with dozens more wounded.

It followed the slaughter of scores of Shiite Muslims at a mosque last month, and a suicide bombing that killed more than 100 people, including 13 U.S. soldiers, as American troops evacuated in August.

Here is a look at the rivalry between the two groups:

What is IS-Khorasan?

The Islamic State group came to prominence when it proclaimed a caliphate in Syria in 2014.

It inspired a number of offshoots elsewhere, including in "Khorasan," a historical region taking in parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Turkmenistan.

Jean-Luc Marret, of the Foundation for Strategic Research, a French think tank, describes IS-Khorasan as "a conglomeration of former jihadist organizations, including Uyghurs and Uzbeks, and Taliban defectors."

According to U.N. estimates, IS-Khorasan has between 500 and a few thousand fighters in northern and eastern Afghanistan, including cells under the nose of the Taliban in the capital, Kabul.

Since 2020, the group has reputedly been led by Shahab al-Muhajir, whose nom de guerre suggests he arrived in the region from the Arab world, but his origins remain murky.

He is variously rumoured to have been an al-Qaida commander or a former member of the Haqqani network, one of the most powerful and feared factions in the Taliban.

How great is the threat?

IS-Khorasan has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent years, massacring civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan, at mosques, shrines, public squares and even hospitals.

The group has especially targeted Muslims from sects it considers heretical, including Shiites, much like the original IS group.

It was hit hard by both the Taliban and U.S.-led forces and was losing influence, but its attacks have ramped up since their rival Islamists took power in August.

According to researcher Abdul Sayed of online extremism tracker ExTrac, al-Muhajir placed "a renewed emphasis on urban warfare and symbolic violence."

Where did the rivalry begin?

Many IS-Khorasan fighters fought for the Taliban or allied groups, or came from insurgent movements inspired by al-Qaida.

While both the Taliban and IS-Khorasan are hardline Sunni Islamist militants, they differ on strategy and interpretation of religion, while claiming to be the true flag bearers of jihad.

Despite a history of targeting Shiites, the Taliban have now pledged to protect them. IS-Khorasan, however, remains bent on eradicating groups it considers apostates.

The Taliban of 2021 aim to rule Afghanistan under their interpretation of Islamic law, whereas IS-Khorasan is still wedded to the goal of a global caliphate.

While differences run deep, the border between the groups is porous, and fighters can shift sides as their commanders' views and opportunities evolve.

"ISIS-K has been previously successful in recruiting members disaffected with the Taliban and those who perceive the Taliban as too moderate," said Barbara Kelemen, of Dragonfly Security Intelligence.

"With the Taliban now seemingly implementing some moderate reforms ... there is a high probability [IS-Khorasan] will try to capitalize."

Are the Taliban equipped to fight back?

Afghanistan's ousted U.S.-backed government received hundreds of billions of dollars in support and security assistance but could defeat neither the Taliban nor IS-Khorasan.

Now the Taliban face IS-Khorasan with very little outside assistance and none of the sophisticated intelligence gathering and surveillance deployed by foreign militaries.

They know their enemy and the terrain, though, and last month announced the destruction of an IS-Khorasan cell in Kabul after a suicide attack.

And they have the potential support of two groups that know IS-Khorasan's tactics very well.

As a report from the U.S.-based Soufan Center said, if the Taliban are to fight ISIS-K, they will have to "rely on the Haqqani network, al-Qaida and other violent nonstate actors for manpower, combat expertise and logistical support."

Source: VOA News

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:

https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-size-up-threat-from-tenacious-islamic-state-khorasan/6299399.html

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Pakistan Senate Body Rejects Bill Declaring Women’s Inheritance Fundamental Right

 

A file view of a Pakistan Senate session. — APP

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Amir Wasim

November 4, 2021

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice on Wednesday rejected two constitution amendment bills, including the one seeking to declare women’s inheritance a fundamental right, with a majority vote.

The committee, however, approved two other constitution amendment bills, including the one seeking to authorise advisers to the chief ministers to participate in the proceedings of the provincial assemblies.

The committee which met under Syed Ali Zafar of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), was to take up a heavy legislative agenda that included 11 private member’s constitution amendment bills, but it had to defer most of them due to the absence of the movers.

Through the bills, mostly tabled by the opposition members, the movers had suggested some crucial changes to various provisions of the Constitution related to the promulgation of ordinance, increase in the powers of the Senate, ensuring meaningful participation of the provinces in the affairs of the federation and fundamental rights of the citizens of Pakistan.

The committee members were found divided in their opinion while discussing the bill moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Saadia Abbasi seeking to include the right of inheritance for women as the fundamental right under the Constitution.

Through the bill, Ms Abbasi had suggested insertion of a new Article 24A in the Constitution and the proposed amendment read “no women shall be deprived of her share from the inheritance in Pakistan”.

While arguing in favour of her bill, Ms Abbasi said Islam had prescribed well-defined shares for the male and female descendants of a deceased person, according to an official handout issued by the Senate Secretariat.

She said Islamic law entitled women to inherit immovable and movable properties, yet the practice had been to deny women their share in inheritance. She termed it an unjustified practice that had become a norm.

She said the purpose of her bill was to acknowledge, declare and assert the right of women in inheritance as a fundamental right in consonance with principles of Islam. She further said if the said amendment was approved it would enable women to directly approach the Supreme Court on matters related to inheritance.

Railways Minister Azam Swati was of the view that relevant laws already existed and there was no need for listing the matter of inheritance as fundamental right.

On the other hand, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, while supporting the bill, said this amendment reinforced the state’s commitment towards protecting women’s right to inheritance.

However, another PPP senator and former law minister Farooq Naek also endorsed the minister’s viewpoint, saying they needed to work towards better implementation of the existing laws. Later, the chairman put the bill before the members for a vote and it was rejected with a majority.

The committee rejected another constitution amendment bill, also introduced by Ms Abbasi, regarding citizens’ right to bail and also declaring it a fundamental right in the Constitution.

The committee, however, approved the bill moved by Ms Abbasi regarding identification, preservation, conservation, restoration and access for all to national heritage sites of Pakistan.

Source: Dawn

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1655782/senate-body-rejects-bill-declaring-womens-inheritance-fundamental-right

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FBI: White Supremacists, Pose A Violent Threat In The United States Similar To That Of Islamic State Militants

 

An FBI logo is pictured on an agent's shirt in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S. October 19, 2021. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

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By Mark Hosenball, November 4, 2021

WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcement and security agencies believe domestic extremists, notably white supremacists, pose a violent threat in the United States similar to that of Islamic State militants, top U.S. security officials told Congress on Wednesday.

Concern about racially motivated domestic extremists had prompted the FBI to elevate the threat to a level equal with that posed by the Islamist militants, said Timothy Langan, the assistant director who heads the counterintelligence division.

Langan told a House Intelligence subcommittee the Federal Bureau of Investigation had detected a significant increase in the threat of violence from domestic extremists over the last 18 months.

He said the bureau was conducting around 2,700 investigations related to domestic violent extremism, and there had been 18 lethal attacks targeting U.S. religious institutions in which 70 people had died in recent years.

The FBI has engaged with tech companies regarding their role in fueling extremism, has successfully disrupted planned acts of violence and will continue to "try to close the gap" on its inability to legally decode encryptions on mobile phones.

John Cohen, acting undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis in the Department of Homeland Security, told the subcommittee that racial superiority and "hatred of immigrants" were major threat concerns.

He said his department believes the biggest domestic threat is posed by lone offenders and small groups indoctrinated in extremist ideology. The threat is fueled by a blend of extremist beliefs and personal grievances, he said.

Cohen noted that domestic extremists conduct so much discussion openly on social media that covert collection of intelligence on the threats they pose may often not be necessary to spot the threats.

Some Republican members of the House subcommittee suggested U.S. spy agencies should not be collecting information on U.S. political activity unless there is a connection to foreign actors.

Source: Reuters

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi-believes-us-faces-equal-threats-domestic-extremists-islamic-state-official-2021-11-03/?rpc=401&

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Over 120 Fanatic Jewish Settlers Defile al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied al-Quds

November 4, 2021

 

A large number of Jewish settlers on Wednesday morning desecrated the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied al-Quds (Jerusalem).

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A large number of Jewish settlers on Wednesday morning desecrated the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied al-Quds (Jerusalem).

At least 126 settlers, including 55 students of Hebrew institutes and 10 government officials, entered the Mosque in groups through its Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards under police escort, according to local sources.

A number of settlers were seen performing prayers or rituals during their tours at the Islamic holy site.

The Aqsa Mosque is exposed to daily desecration by Jewish settlers and police forces in the morning and the afternoon except on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Israeli police close al-Maghariba Gate, which is used by Jews to enter the Mosque, at 10:30 am after the settlers complete their morning tours at the holy site. Later in the afternoon, the same gate is reopened for evening tours by settlers.

During the presence of settlers inside the Mosque compound, entry restrictions are imposed on Muslim worshipers at the entrances leading to the Mosque and their IDs could be seized until they leave the holy place.

Source: ABNA24

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:

https://en.abna24.com/news/over-120-fanatic-jewish-settlers-defile-al-aqsa-mosque_1195258.html?

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Muslims in Uganda Urged Lawmakers Wednesday to Establish Laws That Conform With Islamic Principles

 

Photo:AA.com

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Godfrey Olukya 

KAMPALA, Uganda/ 04.11.2021

Muslim leaders in Uganda urged lawmakers Wednesday to establish laws that conform with Islamic principles.

The call was made by the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council's leadership while meeting with lawmakers on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee to present their views on the 2021 succession amendment bill.

“The bill under scrutiny does not respect the laws of succession in the holy book, the Quran, which are followed by Muslims,” said Uganda's second Deputy Mufti Sheikh Mohamed Ali Waiswa.

Waiswa said Muslims in Uganda have been all along following the laws of succession in the Quran and the holy teachings of Prophet Muhammad.

“Muslims have been having no problems with sharing the property of the deceased because they have been following the Quranic laws concerning succession,’’ he noted.

Waiswa said they are pushing for the enactment of the Administration of Muslim Personal Law Bill, which will cater for the establishment of Qadhis courts that cater for Muslim marriages, divorce, inheritance and guardianship. He said the committee should push for the establishment of Sharia courts in Uganda as is the case in neighboring countries like Kenya so that all Muslims who become embroiled in misunderstandings can go to those courts to settle them instead of the circuit courts.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/muslims-in-uganda-call-for-islam-friendly-laws/2411410

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South Asia

 

Islamic State's Kabul hospital attack undermines Taliban security pledges

Nov 4, 2021

KABUL: Just a few months after the Taliban took charge in Kabul and promised to restore peace in Afghanistan, many Afghans still fear an invisible enemy: the Islamic State.

The local chapter of the jihadist group is replicating the very tactics that the Taliban used to successfully destabilise the now-ousted US-backed government, including bombings against symbolic targets.

"The Taliban called us infidels. Now, they are getting killed by people who call them infidels," a shopkeeper said near the scene of the latest carnage -- a gun and suicide bomb attack on a military hospital on Tuesday.

"And they have no chance of winning this war," he said.

The day after the attack, a cleaner passed by with a hose to rinse blood from the pavement and a Taliban fighter pointed with his Kalashnikov to where human remains dangled from the perimeter's razor wire.

Nineteen people were killed in the attack claimed by Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), the local chapter of the group.

The operation gave the Taliban a chance to launch its feared Badri special forces and deploy a team from a helicopter in a show of force as they confronted the militant attack squad.

But the commander of the force, Kabul's security chief Hamdullah Mokhlis, and at least three Taliban comrades were killed as they battled the militants.

A member of the hospital's medical staff said they warned the Taliban to manage the traffic outside the building, which had been targeted in the past.

"They didn't listen to us," he told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"They don't know how to handle the situation. Four cars burst into flames after the second explosion. They didn't even think of calling the firemen. We had to do it ourselves. They don't have the number."

The hospital was last attacked in 2017, in another operation claimed by IS-K. A six-hour gun battle erupted and militants went room to room, slaughtering patients.

One doctor said the Islamic State are the Taliban, but worse.

"I can't tell the difference between them. They have the same facial hair, the same clothing. For me they are the two ears of the donkey."

For some, IS-K is more deadly than the Taliban were when they were fighting for control. They see a more sophisticated strategy, with multiple bombings and more complex tactics.

On Tuesday, a motorcycle suicide bomber hit the main gate of the hospital and gunmen stormed their way in behind him.

As Taliban special forces were arriving on the scene 20 minutes later, a car bomb -- which witnesses say looked like a taxi -- exploded.

"I have seen all this before, the same exact tactics," another doctor said.

"I know these tactics so well that, after the first explosion, even when I saw people lying injured, I knew I couldn't go to treat them, because the second explosion would happen soon, and it happened."

A day after the blasts, security was tighter. Heavily armed Taliban patrols in pick-up trucks captured from the former US-backed security forces thronged the area.

Cars were stopped and searched, papers checked.

Farmer Hazrat Noor from Jowzjan province, who came to the capital for treatment, was pleased with the Taliban victory and swore "he'd never felt safer in 40 years".

Taliban guard Mohamad Torbi, the leader on a cordon near the hospital, said his men can recognise IS-K fighters "because they are different, they are strangers, with different accents and behaviour".

"This time they arrived in military clothes," he added.

Rivalry between Taliban and ISIS-K

The Islamic State group came to prominence when it proclaimed a "caliphate" in Syria in 2014.

It inspired a number of offshoots elsewhere including in "Khorasan", a historical region taking in parts of modern day Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Turkmenistan.

Jean-Luc Marret, of French think tank the Foundation for Strategic Research, describes IS-K as "a conglomeration of former jihadist organisations, including Uyghurs and Uzbeks, and Taliban defectors".

According to UN estimates, IS-K has between 500 and a few thousand fighters in northern and eastern Afghanistan, including cells under the nose of the Taliban in the capital Kabul.

Since 2020, the group has been reputedly led by one Shahab al-Muhajir, whose nom de guerre suggests he arrived in the region from the Arab world but his origins remain murky.

He is variously rumoured to have been an al-Qaida commander or a former member of the Haqqani network, one of the most powerful and feared factions in the Taliban.

IS-K has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent years, massacring civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan, at mosques, shrines, public squares and even hospitals.

The group has especially targeted Muslims from sects it considers heretical, including Shias -- much like the original IS group.

It was hit hard by both the Taliban and US-led forces and was losing influence but its attacks have ramped up since their rival Islamists took power in August.

According to researcher Abdul Sayed of online extremism tracker ExTrac, Shahad placed "a renewed emphasis on urban warfare and symbolic violence".

Many IS-K fighters fought for the Taliban or allied groups, or came from insurgent movements inspired by al-Qaida.

While both the Taliban and IS-K are hardline Sunni Islamist militants, they differ on strategy and interpretation of religion, while claiming to be the true flag-bearers of jihad.

Despite a history of targeting Shias, the Taliban have now pledged to protect them. IS-K, however, remains bent on eradicating groups it considers "apostates".

The Taliban of 2021 aim to rule Afghanistan under their interpretation of Islamic law, whereas IS-K is still wedded to the goal of a global "caliphate".

While differences run deep, the border between the groups is porous, and fighters can shift sides as their commanders' views and opportunities evolve.

"IS-K has been previously successful in recruiting members disaffected with the Taliban and those who perceive the Taliban as too moderate," said Barbara Kelemen, of Dragonfly Security Intelligence.

Source: Times of India

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/islamic-states-kabul-hospital-attack-undermines-taliban-security-pledges/articleshow/87520663.cms

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12 journalists killed, 230 became victims of violence in Afghanistan last year: Report

Nov 3, 2021

KABUL: Twelve journalists were killed and 230 others became victims of violence during the past year in Afghanistan, a committee said in a report on Tuesday, reported local media.

Afghanistan's Journalists Safety Committee's report -- which was released on the occasion of International Day to end Impunity for Crimes against journalists on Tuesday -- said that violence against journalists includes beating, threatening, and disparagement said Khaama Press.

The report covers months from the last November until November 2021.

One journalist has been killed and 67 became victims of violence only after the Taliban takeover, as per the report,

For addressing violence in the particular beating of journalists and their safety, the committee has asked for the creation of a special mechanism.

Source: Times of India

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/12-journalists-killed-230-became-victims-of-violence-in-afghanistan-last-year-report/articleshow/87512887.cms

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Russia calls on intra-Afghan parties not arouse internal conflicts

04 Nov 2021

Russia’s foreign ministry has called on resistance front-co-led by Ahmad Masoud and Amrullah Saleh- to solve their conflicts through dialogue and do not provoke internal conflicts in Afghanistan.

Spokesperson of Russian foreign ministry Maria Zakharova on Wednesday, November 3 said that all political and ethnic groups should refrain from provoking further internal conflicts in Afghanistan.

Maria Zakharova said that they should look for ways to facilitate mutual understanding and national reconciliation to restore peace and stability in the country.

The foreign ministry’s spokeswoman has apparently expressed concern over instability in Afghanistan not to spread to the region.

The call on the resistance front comes days after its leader Ahmad Masoud was seen in Tajikistan who was purportedly there to seek help and raise money for the anti-Taliban front.

Source: Khaama Press

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.khaama.com/russia-calls-on-intra-afghan-parties-not-arouse-internal-conflicts-5746546/

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US drone strike that killed 10 Afghans did not violate law: Pentagon

04 Nov 2021

Pentagon Inspector General said on Wednesday that the US strike in Kabul in August this year that killed 10 Afghans was a tragic mistake but did not violate the law.

The inspector general for the US Air Force confirmed that execution errors and communication breakdowns led to the casualties of civilian people but added that it was neither violation of law nor a violation of the law of war.

The attack that was conducted on August 29 during the evacuation of the US from Kabul International Airport killed three adults and seven children close to the airport.

The car that was targeted was first suspected to have been an ISIS-K affiliated one.

Officials in the inspector general said that the US men in service who were involved in the vacation process believed that they had eliminated an imminent threat.

The attack had come days after ISIS-K fighters killed over a hundred Afghans and 11 US Marines at the gate of the airport.

Source: Khaama Press

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.khaama.com/us-drone-strike-that-killed-10-afghans-did-not-violate-law-pentagon-5678657/

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Pakistan

 

Punjab Cabinet Committee on Law and Order Plans to Remove Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s Proscribed Status

Mansoor Malik

November 4, 2021

LAHORE: The Punjab Cabinet Committee on Law and Order on Wednesday worked out a plan to take the proscribed title of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) off as a part of confidence-building measures in the aftermath of the federal government-TLP agreement, contents of which are still unknown in the public domain.

The federal government’s steering committee led by state minister Ali Muhammad Khan has already finalised modalities to offer relief to the TLP and its leadership and sort out the looming law and order and economic crisis.

In a build-up to the government-TLP agreement, the cabinet committee met under the chairmanship of Punjab Law Minister Basharat Raja on Wednesday and finalised the recommendation for chief minister’s approval and onward submission to the federal government.

“The committee discussed and okayed a plan to remove proscription title imposed on the TLP. The committee will submit its recommendation to the chief minister within 36 hours,” a source in the committee meeting told Dawn. The chief minister will eventually submit the Punjab government’s recommendation to the federal government for a final decision.

Since steering committee convener Mr Khan has already stated that the TLP activists detained by the police have been released as part of the agreement, the cabinet committee decided to give relief to the TLP activists included in the Fourth Schedule on fast track, as soon as they will apply to their respective deputy commissioners or the Punjab home department.

Sources say the cabinet committee decided that the Punjab government would not oppose or resist, if the TLP activists in jail, apply for their bail. However, sources say, the TLP activists booked under heinous charges including ATA sections would not be given any relief. Such activists would depend on the decisions of courts concerned.

Source: Dawn

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1655810/punjab-cabinet-plans-to-remove-tlps-proscribed-status

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Saad Rizvi’s detention: LHC CJ seeks arguments for maintainability of plea

November 4, 2021

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti on Wednesday asked the counsel in a petition against the detention of Hafiz Saad Rizvi, the chief of proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), to convince the court on the maintainability of the plea since the period of the impugned detention had lapsed.

Earlier, the counsel for the petitioner pointed out that the Supreme Court had remanded the matter to the high court for a fresh decision.

However, the chief justice, who was heading a two-judge bench, observed that the detention period mentioned in the notification under challenge had expired.

The counsel said negotiations between the government and the TLP on the issue of Rizvi’s detention were underway.

The judge observed that the court had nothing to do with the negotiations and asked the counsel to either withdraw the petition or file a new one.

The counsel sought a two-day time from the court saying the petition could be withdrawn.

The bench adjourned the hearing till Thursday (today) for further arguments on the maintainability of the petition.

The Supreme Court had on an appeal of the government suspended the operation of the LHC single bench’s order and remanded the case for a fresh decision by a division bench.

Previously, the government had withdrawn its reference before a federal review board when it failed to justify the detention of Rizvi despite an order passed by the LHC single bench.

Source: Dawn

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1655809/saad-rizvis-detention-lhc-cj-seeks-arguments-for-maintainability-of-plea

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TLP activists still in Wazirabad awaiting release of Saad Rizvi

November 3, 2021

The activists of proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) remained in Wazirabad for the sixth consecutive day on Wednesday, camping at a park in the city, awaiting the release of party chief Saad Hussain Rizvi even after the government claimed it had reached an agreement with the protesters on Sunday.

Rizvi, who is the son of late TLP founder Khadim Rizvi, was taken into custody under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance 1960 on April 12 over charges that he had incited his followers to take the law into their own hands as, according to him, the government had reneged on its promise to expel the French ambassador.

The Lahore High Court ordered Rizvi’s release last month but the government did not move ahead with the order, planning instead to take the case to the Supreme Court, triggering the TLP’s latest round of protests in Lahore on Oct 20.

After three days of clashes with the police in Lahore, the TLP began a long march to Islamabad on Oct 22. Five police officials were martyred and scores from both sides received injuries in clashes in Lahore and Gujranwala as the marchers moved towards the capital on the Grand Trunk Road.

The TLP leadership had on Oct 30 asked the protesters to wait at Wazirabad for further instructions when the government and the group started negotiations. Both sides reached an agreement the next day but have not made the details public.

A source stated that the government was now considering releasing Rizvi. “The government is seriously mulling over to cool down the situation in a manner that its efforts do not go waste and a long-term solution is reached in wake of government-TLP agreement,” added the source. However, no action on this has been taken so far.

In the latest development, the TLP workers have erected a camp at a park near Allahwala Chowk in Wazirabad but refrained from disrupting routine life in adherence to directives of the group’s leaders. The personnel of law enforcement agencies are also present in the surrounding of the park, monitoring the situation.

However, internet service remains suspended in the city, causing hardships to people. The obstacles placed on the railway bridge on the River Chenab three days ago to bar the TLP marchers from crossing it on foot were removed, but trenches dug by authorities were not filled until Wednesday evening, causing disruption in the movement of vehicular traffic towards Islamabad.

Meanwhile, Punjab Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Raja Basharat had a day ago confirmed that the Punjab government had released more than 800 workers of the TLP.

Separately, Aqeel Karim Dhedhi, who was also one of the guarantors of the deal with the TLP, defended on a private television channel the release of TLP activists amid the killing of police personnel, saying it was hard to single out actual culprits in mob attacks.

“We have to forget this killing and move on. We cannot put the country at risk with killing of 10 people,” he said in the show.

On Sunday, members of the negotiating team from the government side claimed that they had reached an agreement with the proscribed group but refused to divulge its details.

Mufti Munibur Rehman, who facilitated the talks along with some other religious leaders, had said at the time that details of the agreement would be made public at an “appropriate time”. He, however, said its “positive results” would be visible to the nation next week or during the next 10 days.

Source: Pakistan Today

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/11/03/tlp-activists-still-in-wazirabad-awaiting-release-of-saad-rizvi/

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TLP issue not discussed with govt allies, cabinet: Fawad

November 3, 2021

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday sought support of ruling coalition partners for use of electronic voting machines in the 2023 general election and took them into confidence on the government’s stance on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

However, the prime minister did not take the allies or the federal cabinet into confidence about the government’s ‘agreement’ with the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). Instead, he barred all cabinet members from commenting on the matter in public.

“The issue of TLP was discussed neither in the coalition partners meeting nor before the federal cabinet,” said Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry while talking to Dawn.

He said the government’s coalition partners had graciously supported the electoral reforms of PM Khan and assured him of taking the agenda forward. “We have put forth our idea of electoral reforms before our coalition partners, including PML-Q and MQM, which will be further briefed on this in near future,” he said.

The prime minister met the coalition partners after chairing a federal cabinet meeting and took them onboard regarding the government’s stance on the ECP in the backdrop of electoral reforms.

“There is a consistent position of the government on electoral system which is needed to be reformed for ensuring free and fair elections and strengthening democracy in the country,” he added.

He said the leaders of government’s allied parties expressed their full confidence in his leadership and policies. “During the meeting, matters relating to overall political and economic situation in the country were discussed,” he added.

Among the coalition partners, member of the National Assembly Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Law Minister Farogh Nasim and Minister for Information Technology Amin-ul-Haq represented the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM); MNA Ghaus Bakhsh Mehr and Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr Fehmida Mirza represented Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA); Minister for Water Resources Moonis Elahi represented Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q); Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo and Senator Manzoor Ahmad Khan Kakar represented Balochistan Awami Party (BAP); Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad represented Awami Muslim League-Pakistan (AML-P) and PM’s aide Shahzain Bugti represented Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP).

Source: Dawn

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1655603

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Military to brief lawmakers on national security issues

Amir Wasim

November 4, 2021

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Wednesday convened an in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) on Nov 8 for a briefing by military officials on the current national security issues.

The meeting will be held at 11am at the main hall of the National Assembly for which invitations have been sent to more than 80 people, including MNAs, senators, members of the federal cabinet, four provincial chief ministers and Azad Jammu and Kashmir prime minister.

The members of the parliament are expected to raise the issue of recent controversial and secret agreement signed by the government with the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) as the agenda issued by the National Assembly Secretariat says that the members can raise any item during the meeting with the permission of the chair.

As the opposition Pakis­tan Peoples Party (PPP) hinted at participating in the meeting, the main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said a decision in this regard would be made after consultation within the party.

This will be third meeting of the PCNS. Its last meeting was held in September to discuss regional security situation in the wake of the developments that were taking place in Afghanistan. The meeting that had taken place only days before Taliban takeover of Kabul had been attended by Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Director General of the Inter-Service Intelligence Lt-Gen Faiz Hameed.

The top military officials had also responded to questions of the lawmaker during the meeting which was also attended by Opposition Leader and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

The speaker has also invited Opposition Leader in the Senate Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman, former prime ministers Raja Pervez Ashraf and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and PML-N parliamentary leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate Khawaja Asif and Azam Nazeer Tarar, respectively.

When contacted, PPP vice-president Sherry Rehman said as far she knew the party was considering to participate in the meeting. She, however, questioned the venue of the meeting, saying it should have been convened in a committee room, instead of the main hall of the National Assembly.

Source: Dawn

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1655813/military-to-brief-lawmakers-on-national-security-issues

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North America

 

US Cities In Michigan Elect First Muslim Mayors

Servet Gunerigok 

WASHINGTON. 03.11.2021

In Tuesday's mayoral elections in the US, two Muslim Americans were elected to lead cities in Michigan.

Abdullah Hammoud became Dearborn’s first Muslim mayor. The 31-year-old state representative defeated former state representative Gary Woronchak garnering nearly 55% of votes.

Dearborn is a city known for its large Arab and Muslim population.

"Dearborn, we won! I’m honoured & humbled by today’s support. Our residents spoke loudly -- we want change & bold leadership to tackle the challenges our city faces. We live in the greatest city in America and I’m excited about what we can achieve together. Let's get to work!" he wrote on Twitter following his projected victory.

And Arab-American Amer Ghalib made history after beating long time Hamtramck Mayor Karen Majewski.

Ghalib garnered 68% of the votes while Majewski 31%.

Hamtramck is the only city in America with a Muslim majority population.

The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) congratulated the two mayors-elect for their victories in the elections.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-cities-in-michigan-elect-first-muslim-mayors/2411217

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US blacklists Israel's NSO, Candiru for spyware undermining national security

03 November ,2021

The US said Wednesday that it had blacklisted Israel’s NSO and Candiru for selling spyware to foreign governments that “maliciously” targeted government officials and journalists.

Over the summer, a global investigation showed that the Israeli-NSO licensed Pegasus spyware was used to hack the smartphones of prominent foreign officials, journalists, and human rights activists.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

NSO rejected the reports and claimed “uncorroborated theories.”

On Wednesday, following the US decision, NSO again said it was innocent.

“NSO Group is dismayed by the decision, given that our technologies support US national security interests and policies by preventing terrorism and crime, and thus we will advocate for this decision to be reversed,” an NSO spokesperson was quoted as telling AFP.

But the US was quick to note that it was not taking action against countries or governments where the companies were located.

“NSO Group and Candiru were added to the Entity List based on a determination that they developed and supplied spyware to foreign governments that used this tool to maliciously target government officials, journalists, business people, activists, academics, and embassy workers,” the US said.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/11/03/US-blacklists-Israel-s-NSO-Candiru-for-spyware-undermining-national-security

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US welcomes EU announcement of resuming Iran nuke talks

Michael Hernandez  

03.11.2021

WASHINGTON

The US welcomed on Wednesday the EU’s announcement that negotiations with Iran on a mutual return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear accord will resume at month's end.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said the Biden administration hopes that when Iran returns to negotiations following a five-month hiatus it would be "ready to negotiate quickly and in good faith as well."

"We believe it remains possible to quickly reach and implement an understanding on compliance with the JCPOA by closing the relatively small number of issues that remained outstanding at the end of June when the sixth round concluded," said Price, referring to the agreement by its formal name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

"We believe that if the Iranians are serious we can manage to do that in relatively short order. But we’ve also been clear, including as this pause has dragged on for some time, that this window of opportunity will not be open forever, especially if Iran continues to take provocative nuclear steps," he added.

The US and Iran held six rounds of indirect talks mediated by the deal's other participants, but those talks ground to a halt in June and have not resumed following the election of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a vocal critic of the JCPOA.

Representatives from China, Russia, France, the UK, and Germany will also participate in the Nov. 29 meeting in Vienna, which is to be chaired by Enrique Mora, deputy secretary-general of the EU diplomatic service.

US President Joe Biden has attempted to bring the US and Iran back to mutual compliance with the JCPOA, which placed an unprecedented international inspection regime on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in relief from international sanctions.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-welcomes-eu-announcement-of-resuming-iran-nuke-talks/2411344

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US denies claims Iran thwarted American attempt to ‘steal’ oil tanker

Kasim Ileri  

03.11.2021

WASHINGTON

The US on Wednesday rejected Iranian claims that it thwarted a US attempt to "steal" an oil tanker in the Sea of Oman.

A Pentagon official told Anadolu Agency the claims were "wrong" and US forces were "just monitoring” the vessel in the strategic waters.

"It occurred last week. Iran illegally boarded and seized the internationally-flagged vessel in international waters and took it back into Iranian waters," said the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

US forces tried to chase the tanker with warships and helicopters but failed to gain control, according to Iranian state media.

The tanker is currently docked in Iranian territorial waters.

It is the latest of many close encounters between the naval forces of Iran and the US in the Persian Gulf in recent years.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-denies-claims-iran-thwarted-american-attempt-to-steal-oil-tanker/2411226

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Mideast

 

Digital rights activists accuse Facebook, social media of anti-Palestinian bias

03 November ,2021

Palestinian activists contended Facebook and other social media platforms have censored criticism of Israel in response to government pressure and launched a campaign seeking to halt the activity.

Palestinians have complained that political posts were removed or demoted especially by Facebook and Instagram, which Facebook owns.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The 7amleh digital rights organization launched a website called 7or on Monday to call attention to its position, saying it has documented 746 rights violations in 2021 so far.

“We see it as a war on the Palestinian narrative, as an attempt to silence them speaking about their oppression and suffering,” said 7amleh founder Nadim Nashif.

Facebook responded to a request for comment by referring to the work of its independent Oversight Board. The board called in September for moderation of Arabic and Hebrew content to be reviewed for potential bias. The company said it would implement recommendations from that review.

During a May war between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz urged Facebook executives to be more proactive in removing content from “extremists elements that are seeking to do damage to our country.”

Internal Facebook documents seen by Reuters showed that staff members expressed concern over demotion of posts by Palestinian activist and writer Mohammed El-Kurd.

El-Kurd said views of his posts on Instagram, where he has 744,000 followers, decreased dramatically during Palestinian protests in May in Sheikh Jarrah, a Jerusalem neighborhood where Palestinians are at risk of losing their homes to Jewish settlers.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/11/03/Digital-rights-activists-accuse-Facebook-social-media-of-anti-Palestinian-bias

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Iran to Resume Talks on Removal of Sanctions Late in November

2021-November-4

"In a phone call with [the European Union's deputy foreign policy chief] Enrique Mora, we agreed to start the negotiations aiming at removal of unlawful and inhumane sanctions on 29 November in Vienna," Baqeri Kani wrote on his twitter page on Wednesday.

The European Union acted as the coordinator for the talks that led to conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the historic 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world countries.

The US, however, left the agreement in 2018 and re-introduced the sanctions that the accord had lifted.

Following a year of strategic patience, Iran resorted to its legal rights stipulated in Article 26 of the JCPOA, which grants a party the right to suspend its contractual commitments in case of non-compliance by other signatories and let go of some of the restrictions imposed on its nuclear energy program.

Iran and the remaining parties to the JCPOA have held six rounds of talks in the Austrian capital, which began after the administration of US President Joe Biden voiced a willingness to rejoin the nuclear agreement, to examine the prospect of the sanctions’ fresh removal.

The talks were, however, put on hold in the run-up to Iran’s presidential elections in June so that the Islamic Republic could go through a period of government transition.

Meantime, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said on Wednesday that fresh talks between Tehran and the world powers will yield no result without the US president's guarantee to respect the contents of the agreement.

Shamkhani draw a parallel between his country's conditions and defense against the Iraqi imposed war in the 1980s and the US economic war on his nation now, and wrote in a post in his twitter account, "The invitations to negotiate during the war (Iraqi-Imposed war against Iran in 1980s) and now have instructive similarities: Saddam's attacks continued (at the time), as sanctions continue (now), part of Iran was occupied by the enemy (Saddam) then, the economy of the Iranian nation has been taken hostage (now), the warriors were defending (the country) on the fronts (then), and our scientists continue their legal nuclear activities (now). There was no sign that the enemy has come to its senses then."

"The US president who lacks authority refuses to provide guarantees. If the current situation does not change, the outcome of the negotiations is already clear," he added.

Shamkhani underlined that the difference between today and the days of war is that "thanks to the revolution, the power and strength of Iran's resistance in all fields has grown indigenous and self-reliant, continuous and based on internal capacities".

His comments came after Republican US Senator Ted Cruz wrote on his twitter page last week that any future Republican president would again "tear up" the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran even if the Biden government reaches an agreement with Tehran and returns to the JCPOA.

Source: Fars News Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000813000170/Iran-Resme-Talks-n-Remval-f-Sancins-Lae-in-Nvember

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Iranian Oil Minister Hails IRGC Navy for Taking Back Oil Cargo from US

2021-November-3

As their latest weapon to show animosity towards the Iranian nation, the enemies resorted to one of their old ways but the vigilance and braveness of the IRGC forces foiled their plot, Oji said in his message on Wednesday.

He appreciated the IRGC Navy for "saving the cargo of the Iranian tanker from the hands of the American pirates".

The IRGC naval forces fought off a US attempt to steal an Iranian oil cargo in the Sea of Oman in a flagrant violation of international rules, seen as yet another move to escalate tensions against Tehran.

The US seized a tanker carrying Iranian oil for exports in the waters of the Sea of Oman and transferred its crude shipment to another tanker, voyaging towards an unknown destination.

The IRGC naval forces took immediate action to surround the tanker and landed troops on the deck of the vessel in heliborne operations and directed it towards the territorial waters of Iran.

Then several US military helicopters and warships rushed to seize the tanker but failed thanks to the decisive and mighty action of the Iranian naval forces.

The American forces again attempted to block the path of the tanker by more warships and helicopters, but were again pushed back. The oil tanker is currently in the territorial waters of Iran.

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Hossein Salami in a recent visit to the IRGC Command in Iran's Southern waters underlined that the IRGC Navy has full control over the Persian Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz by means of modern electronic warfare.

General Salami's positive assessment of defense-battle preparedness the IRGC Navy came after his visit to the IRGC Command in the Persian Gulf islands and the Strait of Hormuz.

Source: Fars News Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000812000718/Iranian-Oil-Miniser-Hails-IRGC-Navy-fr-Taking-Back-Oil-Carg-frm-US

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Iran Warns US President to Grant Objective Guarantees Or Talks Fail

2021-November-3

Shamkhani draw a parallel between his country's conditions and defense against the Iraqi imposed war in the 1980s and the US economic war on his nation now, and wrote in a post in his twitter account, "The invitations to negotiate during the war (Iraqi-Imposed war against Iran in 1980s) and now have instructive similarities: Saddam's attacks continued (at the time), as sanctions continue (now), part of Iran was occupied by the enemy (Saddam) then, the economy of the Iranian nation has been taken hostage (now), the warriors were defending (the country) on the fronts (then), and our scientists continue their legal nuclear activities (now). There was no sign that the enemy has come to its senses then."

"The US president who lacks authority refuses to provide guarantees. If the current situation does not change, the outcome of the negotiations is already clear," he added.

Shamkhani underlined that the difference between today and the days of war is that "thanks to the revolution, the power and strength of Iran's resistance in all fields has grown indigenous and self-reliant, continuous and based on internal capacities".

His comments came after Republican US Senator Ted Cruz wrote on his twitter page last week that any future Republican president would again "tear up" the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran even if the Biden government reaches an agreement with Tehran and returns to the JCPOA.

Source: Fars News Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000812000455/Iran-Warns-US-Presiden-Gran-Objecive-Garanees-Or-Talks-Fail

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Africa

 

Nigeria welcomes cooperation with Iran in the area of Hajj, pilgrimage

November 4, 2021

Nigerian Ambassador to Tehran, Yakubu Santuraki Suleiman has announced that his country welcomes expansion of relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of Hajj and pilgrimage.

Santuraki Suleiman made the remarks in a meeting held in Tehran on Wednesday with Supreme Leader's representative in Hajj and pilgrimage affairs Hojjatoleslam Abdolfattah Navvab.

According to information center of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, the Nigerian ambassador described Abuja-Tehran ties as good.

Surely, Nigeria can make use of Iran's experiences in Hajj and pilgrimage, he added.

He went on to say that his country respects rights of prominent Shia leader Ibraheem Zakzaky.

As he hoped, Islamic countries would copy Iran's move to establish coexistence among Islamic religions as a model.

He underlined that the world Muslims have great respect for Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

The Nigerian ambassador further said that development of relations between the two countries will be of benefit to both.

For his part, Navvab said that religious and cultural commonalities between Iran and Nigeria are good grounds for fostering bilateral ties.

Iran is ready to share its experiences in Hajj and pilgrimage with Nigeria, the Hojjatoleslam said.

Source: ABNA24

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://en.abna24.com/news//nigeria-welcomes-cooperation-with-iran-in-the-area-of-hajj-pilgrimage_1195255.html

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EU mission to train Mozambican troops to fight terrorism

James Tasamba  

04.11.2021

The European Union launched a military mission Wednesday to train Mozambican troops to fight terrorism in the country's northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Inaugurated in the capital Maputo, the mission is meant to provide specialized training for two years in combating terrorism and protecting civilians, said its commander, Brigadier General Nuno Lemos Pires of the Portuguese army.

The mission will have 140 training officers divided between two training centers -- one for commandos in Chimoio in central Mozambique and the other for marines in the country's capital Maputo.

It will contribute to improving the security situation in the country, said Mozambican Defense Minister Jaime Neto, while Portugal’s National Defense Minister Joao Cravinho said the training would offer an example of effectiveness in the eyes of Mozambicans.

An armed insurgency with its origins in the wider socio-economic and political disparity has kept Mozambique smoldering since 2017.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/eu-mission-to-train-mozambican-troops-to-fight-terrorism/2411413

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India

 

Poonch infiltrators believed to have trekked down to Shopian

M Saleem Pandit

Nov 4, 2021

SRINAGAR: The sound of gunfire has ceased almost entirely in the dense forests of Poonch, in Jammu division, after the Army engaged infiltrators in a gun battle there on October 11 that lasted more than 20 days. It appears, according to local sources, that 10 or more of the Poonch infiltrators have trekked down to villages in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

Shopian residents, sources said, were shocked to see well-armed terrorists hiding in forests in the area. They said some terrorists who escaped during the Poonch gun battle have even taken refuge in various villages in Shopian district.

However, top Army officers said they were confident about tackling the Poonch infiltrators using a new method. According to locals, the Army is allotting new house numbers to individual hearths and recording the names and other details of those who dwell there, including the mobile phone numbers of all family members.

"It makes it easy to check the backgrounds of residents and also learn the details of any visitor to the district. The allotment of house numbers to all village houses means we have to contact our informers less frequently as contacting them risks exposing them," a senior military officer deputed to the district said. "We get to know about the arrival of any guest at any house in the district with the new mechanism," he said.

We appreciate the method as it also save us from daily frisking on the roads. They simply feed our house number into their mobiles and get our details," he said.

Source: Times of India

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/poonch-infiltrators-believed-to-have-trekked-down-to-shopian/articleshow/87516572.cms

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Akhilesh may even convert to get Muslim votes: UP minister

November 3, 2021

Uttar Pradesh Minister Anand Swarup Shukla has alleged that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav enjoys the patronage of Pakistan spy agency ISI and said he may even go for religious conversion to appease Muslims.

He may also be getting economic support from the neighbouring country’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the minister alleged while talking to reporters at his residence on Tuesday.

“Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has become a challenge for the Islamic world. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is getting all support from them. Akhilesh is getting ‘sanrakshan aur sujhav’ (patronage and advice) from the ISI. It is possible that he might also be getting economic support from it,” Shukla, who a BJP leader, said.

Shukla’s remarks come after Yadav in a speech in Hardoi on Sunday spoke of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the same breath as leaders who fought for India’s independence.

“To appease Muslims, Yadav had performed ‘namaz’ and observed ‘roza’ (fast). He can also go for ‘matantaran’ (religious conversion) and ‘khatna’ to get their votes,” he said, adding that the former chief minister was doing so at the behest of Pakistan.

In his speech, Yadav praised India’s ‘Iron Man’ Vallabhbhai Patel on his 146th birth anniversary but raised eyebrows when he appeared to equate the four leaders, including Jinnah.

“On the directions of the ISI, Yadav is glorifying Jinnah. He is issuing such statements that Pakistan and the Taliban want,” Shukla, who is the minister of state for parliamentary affairs, alleged.

He claimed that Yadav’s comparison of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel with Jinnah was condemnable and that he should regret it.

Source: Indian Express

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/akhilesh-may-even-convert-to-get-muslim-votes-up-minister-7605757/

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Southeast Asia

 

KL MPs ask FT minister to reverse liquor sale ban, say against Keluarga Malaysia ideals

03 Nov 2021

BY ASHMAN ADAM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — The city’s seven MPs have urged Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim to withdraw the liquor sale ban imposed on sundry shops and Chinese medicine halls in Kuala Lumpur.

In a statement, the seven said that the move to ban sundry shops and Chinese medicine halls from selling liquor was inconsistent with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Keluarga Malaysia concept of inclusiveness.

Instead, they said the ban portrayed Malaysia as intolerant and disrespectful of non-Muslim rights.

“We the Members of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur are deeply disappointed and angry with Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim’s decision to allow Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to ban liquor sales in sundry shops and Chinese medicine halls in Kuala Lumpur effective 1 November 2021.

“We are of the opinion that such a sales ban which is carried out for the first time in the history of Kuala Lumpur is unreasonable and unjustifiable,” they said.

The seven MPs who signed the statement are Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai, Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh, Wangsa Maju MP Datin Paduka Dr Tan Yee Kew and Batu MP Prabakaran Parameswaran.

They said Shahidan should not have approved DBKL’s ban on liquor sales as this decision is unfair to non-Muslims, as they are normally sold in shops and outfits that are run by non-Muslims.

“DBKL’s decision and the FT minister’s approval for such an arbitrary ban is an abomination and a direct assault on the business and consumers’ rights of non-Muslims. Why target the non-Muslim community?

“Isn’t this a violation of the rights of non-Muslims as equal citizens as provided for by the Federal Constitution? Such a blanket ban in Kuala Lumpur is a blatant affront on non-Muslims and it contravenes the spirit of Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) propagated by the Prime Minister,” they said.

They reminded Shahidan that sundry shops and Chinese medicine halls in Kuala Lumpur are small and medium businesses with low profit margins, and the sale of liquor to non-Muslims in these shops was a major source of revenue for them.

“These law-abiding shops pay various licences to DBKL and the federal government every year. The Associated Liquor Merchants Association of Malaysia (ALMA) estimated that such a ban will hurt their business badly, including reducing RM50 million of the revenues of the sundry shops in Kuala Lumpur.

“The DBKL and the Federal Government should instead assist these small businesses and not impose cruel restrictions on them, especially during these difficult times when everyone is badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,” they said.

Under the new prohibition, beer will still be allowed to be sold although only between 7am and 9pm, and placed away from other beverages.

Source: Malay Mail

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/11/03/kl-mps-ask-ft-minister-to-reverse-liquor-sale-ban-say-against-keluarga-mala/2018182

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Islamist insurgents launch attacks on Thai security forces

November 04, 2021

Islamist insurgents in Thailand’s restive southernmost region have carried out several attacks against security forces in recent days as part of an ongoing uprising against the Buddhist-majority nation.

In one incident on Nov. 2, six suspected militants ambushed two policemen travelling in a pickup truck on a country road in the Muslim-majority province of Narathiwat by opening fire on the officers in the early afternoon.

The two officers, one of whom was shot in the leg and the other in the arm, managed to flee before the attackers doused their vehicle in gasoline and set fire to it.

The day before, two rangers, who are themselves Muslim, were injured in the same province when a bomb exploded near them while they were on patrol in a rural area.

Narathiwat is one of three Muslim-majority provinces bordering Malaysia where a separatist insurgency conducted by shadowy Islamist groups has been ongoing since 2014.

More than 7,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in terror attacks conducted by separatists and retaliatory operations by Thai security forces.

Last month four insurgents were killed in Narathiwat during a firefight with security officials who laid siege to a village where the fugitives, who had had arrest warrants out for them on criminal charges such as murder, were hiding.

A few days later in the same province, a police vehicle was damaged and a passing motorcyclist was injured when suspected insurgents exploded a roadside bomb.

Shortly after that incident, security forces killed a suspected insurgent in a shootout in a peat swamp in Narathiwat, making him the sixth insurgent to be killed in the province within a week.

Despite the toll the insurgency has taken on lives and nerves in Narathiwat and the other two violence-scarred provinces, Yala and Pattani, the tit-for-tat violence receives little attention in the Thai media, with only short news items keeping tally of attacks and casualties.

Thailand’s military-allied government has been seeking for years to pacify the restive Muslim-majority region, but its efforts to negotiate a truce have so far been rebuffed by insurgent groups.

In the latest bid to win Muslim locals over, the government announced that as of 2023 rangers deployed to the three southernmost provinces will be teaching Thai to schoolchildren whose mother tongue is Malay.

Border patrol divisions already run some 200 schools in the area, but analysts warn that such educational efforts are unlikely to have much success in pacifying the restive region.

Insurgents have for years made a point of staging attacks against government-run schools by occasionally targeting teachers and administrators in an effort to drive them from the area.

Source: UC News

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.ucanews.com/news/islamist-insurgents-launch-attacks-on-thai-security-forces/94824#

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Warisan hopes to bring multicultural, issue-driven politics to West Malaysia, says Shafie

03 Nov 2021

BY JULIA CHAN

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 3 — Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has said offering Malaysians another choice is important, in response to accusations that his party is trying to gain a foothold in an already crowded national political landscape.

Riding on the platform of a multicultural, issue-driven party, Shafie said that it was time to do away with divisive racial- and religious-based politics and give Malaysians another viable choice.

“It is about giving them a choice. Must it be Umno, Bersatu, Pakatan Harapan (PH), PKR or DAP only? Maybe it is time winds from the east reach here. Why not? The Malays won’t collapse without Umno. The Chinese won’t collapse without DAP. Islam in this country won’t collapse without PAS. That’s why we are providing the choice,” he said.

The Semporna MP said that the current political scenario was unhealthily focused on race and religion when it should be issues driven.

He said in developed nations, established parties do not use race or religion as a political tool but talk about livelihood, jobs, education, welfare, health and security while practising their own religion.

“Religion is important, but that is personal, between you and your beliefs. There are more important, tangible things to consider. But that doesn’t mean Islam will deteriorate,” he said.

Shafie was speaking during an interview with Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar.

He also told the veteran journalist that there was no reason a Sabahan or Sarawakian should not be able to lead the country and said that it was only fair game.

He also reiterated that he was not gunning for the role of prime minister, but that he was merely offering an option.

“PM, DPM, that is not my ambition,” said the former Umno vice-president.

“I’m not obsessed. I do not have high ambitions to hold the posts. But if you ask if I am PM material, why not? I have relevant national experience having served the government in all kinds of capacity for 32 years.

“I can offer myself, but it is up to the people,” he said.

Source: Malay Mail

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/11/03/warisan-hopes-to-bring-multicultural-issue-driven-politics-to-west-malaysia/2018170

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Cops say still want to extradite Nur Sajat despite asylum granted in Australia

04 Nov 2021

BY EMMANUEL SANTA MARIA CHIN

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — The police have insisted their intentions to continue pursuing extradition for transgender entrepreneur Nur Sajat Kamaruzzaman, despite the latter being granted asylum in Australia.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigations Department Director Commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Jalil Hassan was reported saying that the police have yet to be formally informed of her status in Australia.

“Formally we still have not received confirmation that Nur Sajat is in Australia, however, we can see [that] based on recent social media postings.

“Officially, we have not received the confirmation from our embassies. We will try [to extradite] according to the laws [of] Australia,” Abd Jalil was quoted saying in a report by The Star.

The senior officer also revealed how investigations are still ongoing into Nur Sajat’s allegations of molest against her by Selangor religious authorities during her arrest earlier this year.

“We will investigate the matter from all angles,” he said, urging Nur Sajat to return home on her own volition, saying this could assist police investigations into her abuse claims.

Over the past few years, the transgender entrepreneur has been hounded by religious authorities and local media due to her gender identity and her popularity on social media.

Earlier this year, she had reportedly slipped into Bangkok, Thailand, after an arrest warrant against her for skipping a court hearing related to charges of allegedly “insulting Islam” for wearing feminine clothing when hosting a religious event.

The police later confirmed this saying efforts to extradite her from their Thai counterparts had been initiated, and that her photograph had been distributed to border control authorities as early as March to keep an eye out for her.

The police had taken the action following a request by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais).

Source: Malay Mail

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/11/04/cops-say-still-want-to-extradite-nur-sajat-despite-asylum-granted-in-austra/2018350

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Arab World

 

As Lebanese pound loses 90 pct of value, citizens carry ‘worthless’ stacks of cash

03 November ,2021

Restaurant owner Antoine Haddad has been in business for over 35 years but says he is running out of hope as Lebanon struggles with one of the deepest financial crises of modern times.

The Lebanese pound lost around 90 percent of its value in the past two years, propelling three quarters of the population into poverty.

For Haddad, the difference between this and other crises that Lebanon has experienced, including the 1975-1990 civil war, is that it feels like there is no end in sight.

“Previously, you had hope that: ‘tomorrow the war will end, we do this and that and go back to where we were’, but this time there is no hope,” he said.

“They (those in power) promised us we would have plenty of money in our hands, and we indeed have a lot of it to play with,” he said sarcastically referring to the growing stacks of banknotes needed for even basic purchases after the currency drop.

Haddad, whose small restaurant has been in business since 1984, said he can only buy 10 percent of the olive oil he used to buy with the same money.

The government, facing an election in March as it tries to secure an IMF recovery plan, has tripled transport allowance for employees to alleviate some of the pain but most salaries, including the minimum wage, have not been adjusted.

Pub-owner Moussa Yaakoub is also taken aback by the amount of cash he needs to run his business.

“I have never before held in my hands this amount of money,” he said as he counted some 10 million pounds, worth $6,600 at the pre-crisis rate but now less than $500 at the market rate.

That much money used to cover a pub’s operation for months, but now only pays a couple of bills, he said.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2021/11/03/As-Lebanese-pound-loses-90-pct-of-value-citizens-carry-worthless-stacks-of-cash

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Lebanon seeks dialogue with Saudi Arabia despite new tension over leaked comments

03 November ,2021

Lebanon on Wednesday sought a dialogue with Saudi Arabia to resolve an unprecedented diplomatic rift over a Lebanese Cabinet minister’s comments, even as new reasons for tension emerged.

The spat unfolded over statements by the Lebanese Information minister aired last week about the war in Yemen, which Lebanese officials have said do not represent official government views.

Riyadh angrily recalled its ambassador and asked the Lebanese envoy to leave. It also banned Lebanese imports, undermining the small nation’s foreign trade and depriving it of millions of dollars while it is deep in an economic crisis.

Gulf countries have joined Saudi Arabia in pulling out their diplomats, sharpening the diplomatic slap.

Despite the calls for mediation and dialogue, there is no sign of the crisis letting up.

Instead, new reasons for tension emerged, following leaks by a Saudi paper in which the Lebanese foreign minister, apparently in off-the-cuff remarks to Lebanese reporters, said drug smuggling out of Lebanon would not have happened if there was no market in Saudi Arabia.

The comments, apparently made at the outset of the crisis, were interpreted by Saudi media as an endorsement of the smuggling, which had been another reason for the tension with Lebanon.

Since the crisis, Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib in comments to the press had said Riyadh is being too harsh on Lebanon. He did not deny the leaked comments Wednesday in a statement, but said he had wished the Saudi paper would have helped in resolving the crisis “instead of publishing partial and wrong narratives” that only complicate matters.

In separate comments following a meeting with Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun Wednesday, Bouhabib said any problems between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia should be resolved through dialogue. He added that Lebanon, which is going through one of the world’s worst economic meltdowns, is looking for support from its neighbors to overcome “the difficult circumstances it is going through” and the hardship its people are facing.

“We are certain that joint Arab interests will overrule what happened in the last few days and there will be no spilling of oil over the fire,” Bouhabib said.

He also appealed to Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries to respect Lebanon’s freedom of expression and democracy, which he said are not intended to harm relations with Lebanon’s neighbors and friendly nations.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/11/04/Lebanon-seeks-dialogue-with-Saudi-Arabia-despite-new-tension-over-leaked-comments

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Turki Al al-Sheikh’s English horror film ‘Cello’ wraps up production in Saudi Arabia

03 November ,2021

“Cello,” an English and Arabic language horror film written by Turki Al al-Sheikh and starring Oscar winner Jeremy Irons has wrapped up production in Saudi Arabia.

Al al-Sheikh, the Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, shared the film’s poster in a Twitter post with the caption “2022.” He wrote the script of the film, which is based on one of his novels.

The film, which will be released in 2022, follows the story of an aspiring cellist who learns that the cost of his brand-new cello is a lot more insidious than he first thought, according to Deadline.

The film was reportedly shot on location in Saudi Arabia and in Prague, Czech Republic.

It was financed by Saudi Arabia’s Rozam Media, which also owns the rights to the film.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/life-style/2021/11/03/Turki-Al-al-Sheikh-s-English-horror-film-Cello-wraps-up-production-in-Saudi-Arabia

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Arab Coalition says 145 Houthis killed near Marib

03 November ,2021

The Arab Coalition in Yemen said Wednesday it had killed 145 Houthi fighters in 24 hours in air raids near Marib, the final northern stronghold of pro-government forces.

The coalition, which backs Yemen’s internationally recognized government, has claimed near-daily strikes over the last three weeks, that it boasts have inflicted heavy losses on the Iran-backed Houthis.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2021/11/03/Arab-Coalition-says-145-Houthis-killed-near-Marib

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US, UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE call for immediate restoration of Sudan’s govt: Statement

03 November ,2021

The US, Saudi Arabia, the UK and the United Arab Emirates called for the immediate restoration of Sudan’s civilian-led government in a joint statement released on Wednesday.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom affirm their countries’ stance with the people of Sudan and emphasize the importance of supporting their aspirations for a democratic and peaceful nation,” a joint statement read.

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“We call for the full and immediate restoration of its civilian-led transitional government and institutions,” the QUAD for Sudan said.

All four countries said they were committed to helping Sudan’s people advance their country’s transition and voiced their “serious concern” over the situation in the country.

The Quad for Sudan also said the military should release those detained and lift the state of emergency.

“Violence has no place in the new Sudan, on this point we encourage an effective dialogue between all parties, and we urge all to ensure that the peace and security for the people of Sudan is a top priority,” the statement read.

On Tuesday, a senior US official said Sudan’s top military general, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, “hijacked and betrayed the aspirations of the Sudanese people for a peaceful, democratic country.”

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/11/03/US-UK-Saudi-Arabia-UAE-call-for-immediate-restoration-of-Sudan-s-govt-Statement

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US says it understands Saudi Arabia’s concerns after Lebanon rift, calls for dialogue

04 November ,2021

The US said Wednesday that it understood Saudi Arabia’s concerns after Lebanon’s information minister voiced support for the Iran-backed Houthis in the yearslong Yemen war.

Nevertheless, Washington called on Riyadh and the Gulf to restore ties with Beirut, citing its unprecedented struggles.

“Our position is that diplomatic channels should remain open if we are to seek to improve the humanitarian conditions of the Lebanese people,”

State Department Spokesman Ned Price said during a briefing with reporters.

Price said the US would continue to support Lebanon in the midst of its economic crisis.

He refused to comment on whether Information Minister George Kordahi should step down after his pro-Houthi comments were aired last week.

But Price criticized the Houthis for refusing to play a positive role in reaching a ceasefire in Yemen.

“The notion that the Houthis have been anything but a destabilizing force and a force that has inflicted additional hardship on the people of Yemen, that is not an idea that we recognize,” the US official said.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati as well as Saudi Arabia’s and the UAE’s foreign ministers.

The row over critical comments made by Kordahi about the Arab Coalition’s military intervention in Yemen threw the country into a new crisis.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2021/11/04/US-says-it-understands-Saudi-Arabia-s-concerns-after-Lebanon-rift-calls-for-dialogue

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Syria to end subsidies for around 800,000 of its richest citizens

03 November ,2021

Syria will lift subsidies on basic goods such as bread and gasoline for around 800,000 of its richest citizens by the end of the year to help ease the burden on state finances, officials said on Wednesday.

The move will affect high-earners working in the private sector who can buy essentials with ration cards at a reduced cost.

“There are segments of society that do not need subsidies... I mean those who have money,” Internal Trade Minister Amro Salem told a press conference.

Amro said removing the subsidies would help the poorest in a country of over 18 million people whose economy has been devastated by a decade-old war, and where salaries and subsidies account for the bulk of state spending.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/11/03/Syria-to-end-subsidies-for-around-800-000-of-its-richest-citizens

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Europe

 

Dubai court ruling that former Leeds FC director falsified documents upheld in UK

04 November ,2021

A judge has barred the former director of Leeds United Football Club from continuing to challenge a Bahraini private equity firm’s enforcement of a $5.4 million Dubai court judgment, despite the man’s assertion that his ill health made the order unjustifiable.

High Court Judge Clare Moulder agreed to grant Bahrain’s GFH Capital Ltd.’s application for an extended civil restraint order against David Haigh as it was clear he would continue to challenge the earlier judgment, according to Law360 UK.

The private equity firm is suing Haigh to enforce a $5.4 million judgment obtained in Dubai against the former football executive, whom it accuses of falsifying company invoices and diverting money into accounts he controlled.

Haigh is known in Dubai and describes himself as a “human rights lawyer, international crisis and media manager, entrepreneur and philanthropist.”

He was convicted in Dubai in 2015 over breach of trust after allegations that millions had been diverted into his and an associate’s bank accounts using false invoices. He was jailed and subsequently returned to the UK.

He was declared bankrupt in August 2020.

GFH is suing Haigh in the high Court to enforce the Dubai judgement which was made in 2018.

A judge cleared the way last month for GFH to possess properties Haigh owns and serve eviction notices to tenants living in several apartments and a farmhouse complex in southern England.

Ashley Pratt, GFH’s counsel, told the court that Haigh, who did not turn up at the hearing on Wednesday, was seeking to re-litigate issues that had already been decided through relentless court challenges.

He has also made numerous applications for adjournments on medical grounds, Pratt said.

Judge Moulder agreed that Haigh “cannot rely on his ill health to justify his persistent conduct in seeking to challenge findings which he does not accept.”

She added that Haigh had been warned in the past about his conduct and that it could result in a court order. The judge said that Haigh had filed at least three claims that were completely without merit, including an application to imprison one of GFH’s solicitors.

Judge Moulder noted in her oral judgment that the order does not prevent Haigh from bringing “legitimate applications,” but will filter out those that are baseless.

The start of Wednesday’s hearing was delayed several times by Haigh’s failure to appear. He later emailed to say he was recovering from psychiatric treatment at home in Cornwall, southwest England, and had only received notice that the hearing was in person late last week.

After calling two recesses to try to contact Haigh, Judge Moulder considered an “informal” application for a two-week adjournment. Haigh said in a letter to the court that he was still in ill health, that his phones had been hacked and that he was trying to find legal representation.

But after scrutinizing Haigh’s account, Judge Moulder said that she questioned the authenticity of a letter purportedly from his doctor about his condition. There were typographical errors in the October note and unexplained gaps in the typeface that gave the appearance that words may have been transposed, the judge said.

Against the background of numerous delays and applications for adjournment on medical grounds, Judge Moulder said the hearing would continue in Haigh’s absence.

“Haigh has deliberately tried to frustrate the hearing today and deliberately and voluntarily absented himself,” Judge Moulder said in an earlier oral judgment.

The long-running dispute between the GFH and Haigh began in 2014.

Haigh was the chief executive of GFH Capital, the investment banking arm of the Bahraini group, and led its purchase of Leeds Football Club in 2012.

GFH, which bought Leeds United two years earlier, accused Haigh of falsifying company invoices and diverting funds into accounts he controlled. Leeds United play in the top tier of English soccer, the Premier League.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2021/11/04/Former-Leeds-United-FC-director-given-restraint-order-by-UK-court-over-Dubai-dispute

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Vietnam has been in talks with Iran over seized oil tanker: Foreign ministry

04 November ,2021

Vietnam has been in talks with Iranian authorities over the seizure of a Vietnamese oil tanker off the Iranian coast, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has held talks with the Iranian embassy in Hanoi, and the Vietnamese embassy in Iran has held talks with the Iranian authorities to verify information and settle the incident to ensure safety and humane treatment for Vietnamese citizens,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang said at a regular press briefing.

Source: Al Arabiya

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/11/04/Vietnam-has-been-in-talks-with-Iran-over-seized-oil-tanker-Foreign-ministry

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Germany rules out military solution to Ethiopian conflict

Oliver Towfigh Nia

03.11.2021

BERLIN

Germany on Wednesday expressed "deep concern" over the escalating armed conflict in Ethiopia, saying there could be no military solution to the political crisis in the Horn of Africa country.

"We are deeply concerned about developments in Ethiopia, the continued military escalation in northern Ethiopia, and beyond," Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Christofer Burger said at a news conference in Berlin.

"The armed conflict has been going on for over a year, and even after the most recent developments, it is clear that there can be no military solution there. All parties involved must immediately stop the fighting and seek a political solution to the conflict," he added.

According to Burger, his country is currently involved in "intense coordination" with EU partners, aiming to find a political solution to the Ethiopian conflict.

He also voiced support for a UN investigation looking into possible human rights violations in the country.

Burger's remarks came a day after Ethiopia declared a nationwide state of emergency.

The decision followed an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers amid escalating clashes between the government forces and the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and Oromo Liberation Army-Shene (OLA-Shene).

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/germany-rules-out-military-solution-to-ethiopian-conflict/2411188

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EU calls for ending divisive rhetoric in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Agnes Szucs  

03.11.2021

BRUSSELS

Divisive rhetoric in Bosnia and Herzegovina should come to an end, an EU official said on Wednesday, expressing hope that the UN will extend the mandate of an EU military mission in the country.

“The situation in Bosnia Herzegovina is a source of serious concern for the European Union, and it has also been the focus of a great deal of diplomatic activity,” Peter Stano, the European Commission’s foreign affairs spokesperson, told reporters in Brussels.

The country fell into political turmoil in July when Serb officials started boycotting federal institutions after outgoing High Representative Valentin Inzko introduced a new law banning the denial of genocide and criminalizing the glorification of war criminals.

The crisis escalated last month when Milorad Dodik, leader of the Serb-run Republika Srpska, announced a pullout from the main federal institutions in order to achieve sovereignty.

A joint EU-US high-level mission visited the country last week to find solutions to the current political crisis, Stano explained.

“The European Union’s message is clear… the divisive rhetoric should stop, and unilateral actions jeopardizing the territorial integrity of Bosnia Herzegovina should also stop,” he said.

He also added that the bloc is closely following the UN Security Council talks on Bosnia and Herzegovina this week, and expressed hope that the mandate of the EU-led military mission Operation Althea would be extended.

In 1995, the Dayton Agreement ending the Yugoslav Wars created a complicated double-federative system of two main entities, the Republika Srpska and the Croat-Bosniak-populated Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/eu-calls-for-ending-divisive-rhetoric-in-bosnia-herzegovina/2411168

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