Plea In Varanasi Court Seeks Directions for Repairs in Southern Cellar of Gyanvapi Mosque Where a Priest Is Performing Puja

New Age Islam News Bureau

05 March 2024

 

Gyanvapi Mosque

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·         Plea In Varanasi Court Seeks Directions for Repairs in Southern Cellar of Gyanvapi Mosque Where a Priest Is Performing Puja

·         Rare Astrolabe Discovery in Verona Reveals Islamic-Jewish Scientific Collaboration 900 Years Ago

·         'Islamophobia Today Is Worse Than Post-9/11'- Experts Warn to Stop Spreading Religious Hatred

·         Depriving Palestinians of Aid Amounts To ‘Death Sentence’: Arab League

·         CAIR Says Biden Admin Needs ‘Changed Policy, Not Just Changed Rhetoric’

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India

·         Introspect On Deserved Global Reputation As 'World’s Terrorism Factory': India Hits Out at Pakistan in UNHRC

·         Indian Killed and Another Two Injured in Anti-Tank Missile Attack in Israel

·         India's Envoy at UN Urges 'Immediate' Increase in Gaza Aid, Says Humanitarian Crisis 'Unacceptable'

·         PM Modi congratulates new Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif

·         Insurgent Group NSCN Faction Issues Diktat, Seeks to Oust LGBTQ+ From Nagaland in 3 Days

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Europe

·         'Knife Attack In Zurich Shocked Me': Swiss President Condemns Anti-Semitic Stabbing 'Linked to Islamic State'

·         Rishi Sunak: British Democracy Being Targeted by Far-Right and Islamists

·         Pope asks retired Canadian judge to investigate sexual assault charges

·         EU’s Council of Foreign Ministers ‘doing everything in its power’ in bid for Gaza ceasefire

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Mideast

·         Islamic world should be ready for intense struggle for Palestine: Türkiye

·         Tehran: Islamic Countries Should Take a Strong Decision Against Zionists at Jeddah Meeting

·         Children starving to death in northern Gaza hospitals: WHO chief

·         Israeli security chiefs discuss Temple Mount security plan ahead of Ramadan

·         UNRWA reveals Gaza detainees' trauma, abuse after release by Israel

·         Massive blackouts as Hezbollah fires dozens of retaliatory rockets at Israeli sites

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North America

·         White House Defends Harris Meeting with Israeli Cabinet Official Despite Netanyahu’s Concerns

·         Columbia University Body Votes in Favour of Massive Anti-Israeli Boycott

·         As it devours Palestinian lives, Biden urges Israeli war machine be given more time

·         Argentina witnesses rally in solidarity with Palestinian people, denounces Zionist aggression

·         17 relatives of American hostages in Gaza to attend Biden’s State of the Union speech

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Pakistan

·         LHC Unlawfully Assumed Top Court’s Jurisdiction inMusharraf Case: SC

·         Audio Leaks Case: IHC Summons PTA Chief Over Bushra, Najamul Saqib’s Pleas

·         Senators Condemn Raid on Presidential Candidate Achakzai’s House

·         Pakistan needs to stay committed to economic reforms: Blome

·         Bilawal backs PTI call for judicial probe into May 9 events

·         Detenue shall not be arrested without cancellation of bail granted by court: LHC

·         Cypher case: Omar calls for trial of IK’s ex-military secretary

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South Asia

·         2011 Political Violence: BNP Leader Hafiz Denied Bail, Sent Back to Jail

·         Islamic Emirate PM Criticizes World's Treatment of Palestinian People

·         Afghan Refugees Struggle with Poverty and Unemployment: UNHCR

·         UN will hold meeting in Kabul to support Afghan farmers

·         IEA Defence Minister Participates at Defence Ministers Meeting in Qatar

·         IEA urges Pakistan’s new government to improve relations with Kabul

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Southeast Asia

·         Several Enactments Related to Islamic Affairs to Be Amendedto Strengthen the Malaysian Islamic Administration

·         Palestine expresses gratitude to Malaysia for support at ICJ hearings

·         Saifuddin: Home Ministry open to streamlining handling of applications under Peaceful Assembly Act

·         Malaysia to continue urging for firm action against Israel’s atrocities in Palestine

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Africa

·         Ghana: Finance Ministry Warns Country Stands to Lose $3.8B Over Controversial Anti-LGBTQ Bill

·         SA says US politicians took negative stance against us after trial of Zionist enemy

·         Ramadan: Gov. Idris harps on 24 hours power supply to Kebbi

·         Tinubu back in Abuja after two-day trip to Qatar

·         Ugandan foreign minister criticizes international community's failure in resolving Gaza crisis

·         Mozambique to receive support from Algeria in anti-terror fight

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Arab World

·         Ships Entering Yemeni Waters Must Obtain Permit, Houthi Minister Says

·         Armed Forces Target Israeli Ship and a Number of US Warships

·         Shura Council discusses latest developments in national, international arena

·         Al-Musawa discusses rehabilitation project of Zamzam Well in historic Al-Jund Mosque

·         Saudi envoy warns against attempts to remove UNRWA in Gaza

·         Saudi Arabia launches project to help citizens find jobs in top global organizations

·         Ministry marks milestone of 100 million tourists in advance of Saudi Vision 2030 goals

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:     https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/varanasi-gyanvapi-puja-mosque/d/131856

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Plea In Varanasi Court Seeks Directions for Repairs in Southern Cellar of Gyanvapi Mosque Where a Priest Is Performing Puja

 

Gyanvapi Mosque

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 March 5, 2024

An application has been filed in a local Varanasi court seeking directions for repairing the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque where a priest is performing puja. The court will hear the plea on March 19.

The petitioner Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath temple trust, cited a February 15 incident in which a stone became dislodged from the roof and fell due to vibrations caused by the crowd offering namaz.

“There was a possible threat to the life of the priest performing puja inside the cellar so I approached the court seeking direction. I am considering submitting an application to expedite the hearing of our plea,” said Mishra.

The Varanasi court on January 17 appointed the District Magistrate as the receiver of the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque, also known as Vyasji ka tehkhana. Additionally, on January 31, the court allowed puja (prayer) inside the same cellar. The southern cellar was opened that night and a priest performed prayers.

On February 16, Mishra said, a priest conducting puja in the southern cellar submitted an application to him with photographs. The application emphasised that the walls and roof near the place of worship in the basement were severely aged and dilapidated. Continuous water leakage also led to a cracked stone beam on the roof.

The Shri Kashi Vishwanath temple trust CEO expressed concern about a sudden increase in devotees for namaaz, causing the roof to vibrate and resulting in a stone falling dangerously close to the idol platform on February 15. He stressed the imminent risk of serious injury to priests and the urgent need for internal roof repairs to prevent unpleasant incidents. Additionally, due to the roof’s deteriorating condition, he pointed out the necessity to regulate the gathering of a large number of people on the roof.

Mishra mentioned that the priest had previously submitted a plea in this regard to the District Magistrate, Varanasi. However, receiving no direction, the priest subsequently filed an application before him.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gyanvapi-mosque-cellar-repair-varanasi-court-plea-9196189/

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Rare Astrolabe Discovery in Verona Reveals Islamic-Jewish Scientific Collaboration 900 Years Ago

 

An eleventh century Islamic astrolabe bearing both Arabic and Hebrew inscriptions makes it one of the oldest examples ever discovered and one of only a handful known in the world. The astronomical instrument was adapted, translated and corrected for centuries by Muslim, Jewish and Christian users.

(Photo credit: Dr. Federica Gigante)

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 Judy Siegel-Itzkovich

MARCH 4, 2024

Researchers at Cambridge University in the UK have discovered a rare astrolabe, an instrument that was the equivalent of the world’s first smartphone and portable computer that could be put to hundreds of uses. It was a portable, two-dimensional model of the universe that fit in the users’ hands, enabling them to calculate time and distances, plot the position of stars, and even forecast the future by casting a horoscope.

Dr. Federica Gigante of the history faculty of the university, which was founded in 1209 and became the fourth-oldest university in the world, made the discoveries in a museum in Verona and has just published them yesterday in the journal Nuncius under the title: “A Medieval Islamic astrolabe with Hebrew inscriptions in Verona: The seventeenth-century collection of Ludovico Moscardo.”

She first came across a newly uploaded image of the astrolabe by chance on the website of the Fondazione Museo Miniscalchi-Erizzo. Intrigued, she asked them about it. “The museum didn’t know what it was and thought it might be fake,” she recalled. “It’s now the single most important object in their collection.”

Twelfth-century Verona hosted one of the longest-standing and most important Jewish communities in Italy.

The astrolabe is thought to have made its way into the collection of the Veronese nobleman Ludovico Moscardo (1611–81) before passing by marriage to the Miniscalchi family. In 1990, the family founded the Fondazione Museo Miniscalchi-Erizzo to preserve the collections.

“This object is Islamic, Jewish, and European, [it] can’t be separated,” Gigante said.

Moscardo was born in 1611 into a noble family of Verona and early in his life, as he explained in the introduction to his catalogs, “not to be the same as the loafers of our age, I applied myself to an occupation that even if it wasn’t learned it was at least praiseworthy.”

In the space of his long life, he assembled a huge collection which he recorded in two separate catalogs, the first published in 1656 and the second, after the collection had much increased and came to include the astrolabes, in 1672.

Gigante pointed out that the translations reflect the recommendations prescribed by the Spanish-Jewish polymath Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089-1167) in the earliest surviving treatise on the astrolabe in the Hebrew language written in 1146 in Verona – exactly where the astrolabe is found today.

Twelfth-century Verona hosted one of the longest-standing and most important Jewish communities in Italy. Ibn Ezra’s treatise assumes preexisting knowledge of the astrolabe among the Verona Jewish community, showing that the instrument must already have been popular.

His description has a lot in common with the Verona astrolabe that would have been in circulation by the time Ibn Ezra was in Verona. He warned his readers that an instrument must be checked before use to verify the accuracy of the values to be calculated.

Gigante suggested that the person who added the Hebrew inscriptions might have been following such recommendations.

“When I visited the museum and studied the astrolabe from up close, I noticed that not only was it covered in beautifully engraved Arabic inscriptions, but that I could see faint inscriptions in Hebrew. I could make them out only in the raking light entering from a window. I thought I might be dreaming but I kept seeing more and more. It was very exciting. This isn’t just an incredibly rare object – it’s a powerful record of scientific exchange among Arabs, Jews, and Christians over hundreds of years,” she added.

“The Verona astrolabe underwent many modifications, additions, and adaptations as it changed hands. At least three separate users felt the need to add translations and corrections to this object, two using Hebrew and one using a Western language.”

An expert on Islamic astrolabes and previously a curator of Islamic scientific instruments, Gigante dated and located the creation of the Verona astrolabe by analyzing its key construction and design attributes, and its main scientific and calligraphic characteristics.

She identified the object as Andalusian, and – from the style of the engraving and the arrangement of the scales on the back – matched it to instruments made in al-Andalus, the Muslim-ruled area of southern Spain, in the eleventh century.

One side of a plate is inscribed in Arabic “for the latitude of Cordoba, 38° 30’,” while the other side says “for the latitude of Toledo, 40°.” Gigante suggested that the astrolabe might have been made in Toledo at a time when it was a thriving center of coexistence and cultural exchange by Muslims, Jews, and Christians.

The astrolabe features Muslim prayer lines and prayer names that were arranged to ensure that its original intended users kept on time to perform their daily prayers.

The signature inscribed on the astrolabe reads, in Arabic, “for Ishāq [...]/the work of Yūnus.” This was engraved sometime after the astrolabe was made – probably for a later owner.

The two names, Ishāq and Yūnus – Isaac and Jonah in English – could be Jewish names written in the Arabic script, a detail that suggests that the object was at a certain point circulating within the Sephardi Jewish community in Spain where Arabic was the spoken language. A second added plate is inscribed with typical North African latitudes, suggesting that another point of the object’s life, it was perhaps used in Morocco or Egypt.

Hebrew inscriptions were added to the astrolabe by more than one person. One set of additions is carved deeply and neatly, while a different set of translations is very light, uneven, and shows an insecure hand.

“These Hebrew additions and translations suggest that at a certain point, the object left Spain or North Africa and circulated amongst the Jewish Diaspora community in Italy, where Arabic was not understood, and Hebrew was used instead,” Gigante speculated.

Unusually, one of the Hebrew additions, engraved neatly above the Arabic marking for latitude 35°, reads “34 and a half” rather than “34 ½,” which suggests that the engraver was not an astronomer or astrolabe maker.

Other Hebrew inscriptions are instead translations of the Arabic names for the astrological signs of Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries.

Gigante believes later additions were made to the astrolabe's design

The astrolabe features corrections inscribed not only in Hebrew but also in Western numerals, the same we use in English today. All sides of the astrolabe’s plates feature lightly scratched markings in Western numerals, translating and correcting the latitude values, some even multiple times. Gigante believes that it was highly likely that these additions were made in Verona for a Latin or Italian language speaker.

In one case, someone lightly scratched the numbers “42” and “40” near the inscription reading “for the latitude of Medinaceli, 41° 30’”.

“Not only do both numerals differ from the value given in the Arabic, they don’t agree between themselves,” she continued. “It may be that a later user of the instrument thought the original Arabic value was wrong and amended it. But the correct, modern value for the latitude of Medinaceli is 41°15’, indicating that the Arabic value was more accurate than either amendment.” Elsewhere on the instrument, Gigante found similar conflicting and erroneous amendments relating to the latitudes of Cordoba and Toledo.

The astrolabe features a Rete – a pierced disk representing a map of the sky – which is one of the earliest known made in Spain. Remarkably, it features similarities with the Rete, the only surviving Byzantine astrolabe made in 1062 AD, as well as with those of the earliest European astrolabes made in Spain on the model of Islamic ones.

Gigante explained that “due to a phenomenon called the precession of the equinoxes, whereby the earth rotates on its axis not in a straight line but in a wobbly manner, like a spinning top about to stop, the stars’ apparent position above our heads changes constantly, about one degree every 70 years.” By analyzing the position of the stars on the Rete, it is possible to calculate that they were placed in the position that stars had been in during the late 11th century and that they match those of other astrolabes made, for example, in 1068 CE.

Source: jpost.com

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https://www.jpost.com/science/article-790176

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'Islamophobia Today Is Worse Than Post-9/11'- Experts Warn to Stop Spreading Religious Hatred

 

Anti-Muslim hate crimes spiked after 9/11 and during the Trump administration.

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Mar 04, 2024

EDIBE BEYZA CAGLAR

ANTALYA – Islamophobia is worse today than in the post-9/11 period, and politicians must stop spreading religious hatred to stem the surge in anti-Muslim hatred, rights experts and top officials have said.

The warning came during the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum, an international event that brought together ministers, diplomats and top officials from 148 countries in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya last week.

At a discussion titled 'Rising Racism, Xenophobia and Islamophobia', the panellists underscored the urgent need to tackle religious hatred to ensure a peaceful society.

The experts agreed that Europe has seen an alarming surge in anti-Muslim hate since October last year when Hamas launched an unprecedented cross-border operation and Israel launched its brutal military offensive in Gaza.

Miguel Moratinos, the High Representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, underscored the severity of the situation by asserting that "Islamophobia today is even worse than (after) 9/11".

"Hate is the first step to convert hate into violence and from violence to conflict and then war; we have to go to the root causes of it," Moratinos said, highlighting that spiteful acts such as Quran burnings and violence are converted to deep-seated “hate”.

Between different ideologies – from socialists to the right-wing and the left – “Islam is at the core of every political discourse,” he said.

“We need a programme and project to change people’s minds and hearts” to tackle these issues.

The panel titled "Rising Racism, Xenophobia and Islamophobia" was held during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) at NEST Congress and Exhibition Center in Antalya, Türkiye on March 1st, 2024.

Far-right 'exploit' minorities

A top official from the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) exhorted politicians to refrain from exacerbating the problem through polarising rhetoric.

Matteo Mecacci, Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the OSCE, said, “The forces (that) are pushing for intolerance and discrimination are the same forces that are also going to challenge democracy and rule (of law)”.

Mecacci stressed the importance of leaving matters of law enforcement to the appropriate authorities, asserting that politicians should not dictate responses that impinge upon minorities’ rights.

“It is not the job of a politician to say what needs to be done by the police…because this affects the constitutional right…to live free of fear.”

Mecacci warned that failure to counteract the influence of the far-right could lead to a surge in hate crimes and pose a “destabilising” threat to society.

'We don't stand at a better place'

While experts unanimously agreed on the need to address rising racism in general, there was a consensus that the political will to do so is lacking.

Explaining the situation, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, highlighted the “decline in rule of law, democracy and human rights”.

According to Buric, there are enough tools to implement to tackle racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia, but “we are just not implementing them”.

To tackle rising Islamophobia, “we must (first) acknowledge it as a problem”, Buric said, outlining a three-fold approach to addressing anti-Muslim hatred by employing strategies focused on prevention, protection, and prosecution.

Evren Dagdelen Akgun, the OCSE’s representative on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination Against Muslims, emphasised the importance of fostering healthy engagement with the Muslim community.

“(But) a healthy engagement with the Muslim community is being hampered,” Akgun said. And today, more than ever, “we don’t stand at a better place”.
Source: trtworld.com

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https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/islamophobia-today-is-worse-than-post-911-experts-warn-17224341

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Depriving Palestinians of Aid Amounts To ‘Death Sentence’: Arab League

 

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, receives Sigrid Kaag, the UN Chief Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs and Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, in Cairo, 3 March 2024. Photo: League of Arab States

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04 March 2024

Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit says depriving the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip of basic life-saving aid is tantamount to a "death sentence and collective punishment."

Aboul Gheit made the remarks in a meeting with Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag at the Arab League’s headquarters in the Egyptian capital of Cairo.

Aboul Gheit attributed the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza, which has been under Israel’s incessant bombardment over the past five months, to "the green light that some major powers gave to Israel to practice aggression in such a hideous and inhuman manner.”

The Arab League chief said the international community shares responsibility for the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, stressing that the top priority is to reach an immediate ceasefire, stop the bloodshed and prevent a possible famine in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Kaag, for her part, gave a detailed overview of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and discussed with Aboul Gheit possible ways for delivering aid to the territory.

Media reports announced on Sunday that representatives from the United States and Qatar had arrived in Cairo for mediation in the indirect talks between the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and Israel.

The Egyptian media cited an unnamed Hamas official as saying that if the Israeli regime agrees to meet the Palestinian resistance movement’s demands, including the occupying entity’s military withdrawal from Gaza and stepped-up humanitarian aid, the measure will “pave the way for an agreement within the next 24-48 hours.”

Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas-led Palestinian resistance groups waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the its intensified violence against the Palestinians.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 30,534 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 71,920 others.

The Tel Aviv regime has also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million people living there.
Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/03/04/721286/Arab-League-Ahmed-Aboul-Gheit-Gaza-Strip-death-sentence-collective-punishment

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CAIR Says Biden Admin Needs ‘Changed Policy, Not Just Changed Rhetoric’

 

Photo: CAIR press release

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Ismail Allison

March 4, 2024

The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a statement today in response to Vice President Kamala Harris’s call for an “immediate ceasefire” lasting six weeks by calling on the administration to match its change in rhetoric with a concrete change in policy. During this proposed ceasefire period, Harris said the U.S. aims “to build something more enduring to ensure Israel is secure.”

During her address in Selma, Alabama, commemorating Bloody Sunday’s anniversary, the Vice President highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. She emphasized issues such as the shortage of medical supplies and the tragic deaths of Palestinian children due to starvation and dehydration.

In a statement responding to Vice President Harri’s call for a temporary ceasefire, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:

“We welcome Vice President Kamala Harris’ recognition of Palestinian suffering and her call for an immediate ceasefire, which many Americans have been demanding for months. However, pausing the genocide in Gaza for six weeks is not a solution nor is it a new policy from the Biden administration, which has previously called for six-week ‘humanitarian pauses.’ The genocide must permanently end. That is what the majority of Americans want.

“We need a change in not only rhetoric but policy. Anything less than the U.S. taking concrete steps to force the Netanyahu government to end its genocidal war crimes violence will appear to be a public relations rebrand aimed at deflecting criticism, particularly during sensitive times such as Ramadan and ongoing political primaries.

“We cannot allow political expediency to be prioritized over the lives of innocent Palestinian civilians caught in the crosshairs of Israel’s indiscriminate and genocidal use of U.S.-provided bombs. The Biden Administration must demonstrate genuine leadership to the American people by taking concrete steps to secure an immediate ceasefire and permanently ending U.S. support for this genocide.”

Last week, CAIR conducted an automated telephone exit poll of 527 Muslim voters who participated in Michigan’s presidential primary election showed that 94 percent of American Muslims who voted in the Democratic primary voted “uncommitted.” The poll also found that only 4.6 percent of Muslim Democratic primary voters reported voting to renominate President Biden as the Democratic party’s presidential nominee.

Moreover, the exit poll also found in the event of a snap election today, 40 percent of Muslim voters would prefer an unnamed “other candidate,” followed by 25 percent voting for third-party candidate Dr. Cornel West, then Republican presidential nominee frontrunner Donald Trump (13%), then incumbent President Joe Biden (8%), and them with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (8%) and Jill Stein (7%).

Based on CAIR’s exit poll and its interactions with Muslim voters, it appears that President Biden’s unconditional support for the Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza is likely playing a decisive factor in impacting his previously tracked high electoral support within the Muslim community.

According to Michigan state primary poll results, 101,436 Democratic voters statewide voted “uncommitted” over electing to nominate President Joe Biden as the party’s presidential nominee.

While Vice President Harris made her speech on Saturday, CAIR condemned the latest Israeli massacre of Palestinian civilians, this time in the so-called “safe zone” of Rafah.

At least 11 people were killed when Israeli forces hit a tent in Rafah housing displaced Palestinians. That massacre comes as officials report that those who died in an Israeli massacre at a humanitarian aid convoy site were shot by Israeli forces and at least 10 Palestinian children have starved to death in the Israeli-imposed famine.

CAIR also condemned the alleged abuse of Palestinian women in Israeli custody. According to the Associated Press, the abuse included strip searches, beatings and humiliation.

Source: cair.com

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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-responds-to-vice-president-harris-remarks-on-ceasefire-says-biden-admin-needs-changed-policy-not-just-changed-rhetoric/

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India

 

Introspect on deserved global reputation as 'world’s terrorism factory': India hits out at Pakistan in UNHRC

05.03.24

India has slammed Pakistan as it raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at the UN Human Rights Council, saying it should introspect on its own appalling human rights record and “deserved global reputation” as the "world’s terrorism factory".

Under Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva Jagpreet Kaur exercised the country's Right of Reply at the General debate at the 55th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council Monday after Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), raked the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in its statement.

“We have taken the floor previously during this Session and conveyed our disinclination to waste the Council’s time in responding to fallacious comments about India, by one particular delegation, which does so as they do not have anything constructive to contribute,” Kaur said on Monday.

Without naming Pakistan, Kaur said it is unfortunate that “this country continues with its diatribe against India, including by continuing to misuse the OIC’s platform to further their own politically motivated agenda.

“We do not wish to dignify such remarks by responding to them and are taking the floor again only to urge that delegation to introspect on their own appalling human rights record and their deserved global reputation as the world’s terrorism factory,” Kaur said.

Last week, in a strong retort to Pakistan, India had said in the Council that the country is soaked in the red of the bloodshed from the terrorism that it sponsors around the world as First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in Geneva Anupama Singh had exercised India’s Right of Reply at the high-level segment of the 55th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Coming down heavily on Pakistan, India said that “we cannot pay any further attention to a country that speaks while being soaked in red - the red of the bloodshed from the terrorism it sponsors around the world; the red of its debt-riddled national balance sheets; and the red of the shame its own people feel for their government having failed to serve their actual interests.”

She said a country that hosts and even celebrates UN Security Council-sanctioned terrorists, “commenting on India whose pluralistic ethos and democratic credentials are exemplars for the world, is a contrast for everyone to see.” Hitting out at Pakistan for the “extensive references” to India, Singh had said it is deeply unfortunate for the Council's platform to have once again been misused to make patently false allegations against India.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/introspect-on-deserved-global-reputation-as-

worlds-terrorism-factory-india-hits-out-at-pakistan-in-un-human-rights-council/cid/2004817

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Indian killed and another two injured in anti-tank missile attack in Israel

05.03.24

An Indian national was killed and another two were injured on Monday when an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon by Hezbollah militants struck an orchard near Israel's northern border community of Margaliot, officials said and condemned it as a cowardly terror attack on peaceful agriculture workers.

All three victims were from Kerala.

The missile hit a plantation in Margaliot, a moshav (collective agricultural community), in the Galilee region in the north of Israel around 11 am on Monday, Zaki Heller, spokesperson for rescue services Magen David Adom (MDA), told PTI.

Patnibin Maxwell, 30, from Kollam in Kerala was killed in the attack. His mortal remains were identified in Ziv hospital, official sources said.

Bush Joseph George, 31, and Paul Melvin, 28, were injured and taken to hospitals for treatment, they said.

"George was taken to the Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikva after suffering injuries on face and body. He underwent an operation, is recovering well, and has been kept under observation. He could speak with his family in India," an official source told PTI.

Melvin was slightly injured and is hospitalised at Ziv Hospital in the northern Israeli city of Safed. He is from the Idukki district.

Embassy of Israel in New Delhi said: "We are deeply shocked and saddened by the death of one Indian national and the injury of two others due to a cowardly terror attack launched by Shia Terror organisation Hezbollah, on peaceful agriculture workers who were cultivating an orchard at the northern village of Margaliot yesterday early afternoon." "Our prayers and thoughts naturally go to the families of the bereaved and those of the injured. Israeli Medical institutions are completely at the service of the injured who are being treated by our very best medical staff," it posted on X.

Israel regards equally all nationals, Israeli or foreign, who are injured or killed due to terrorism and will be there to support the families and offer them assistance, it said.

"Our countries, who are sadly well versed in civilian loss, stand united in hopes of a speedy recovery for the injured and solace for the family of the bereaved," it added.

MDA earlier said one foreign worker was killed and seven others were injured in the attack.

The Hezbollah faction in Lebanon has been launching rockets, missiles, and drones at northern Israel daily since October 8 in support of Hamas amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

MDA said seven foreign workers were injured altogether in the attack, two of them seriously, and were taken to Beilinson, Rambam, and Ziv hospitals in their ambulances and Israeli Air Force helicopters.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Monday said they responded by shelling the launch site with artillery.

The IDF also said it struck a Hezbollah compound where members of the group were gathered in the southern Lebanon town of Chihine, and another site belonging to Hezbollah in Ayta ash-Shab.

Hezbollah has been launching attacks on Israel's northern communities and military posts since October 8 saying it is doing so to support Gaza.

The skirmishes between Israel and Hezbollah have resulted in the death of seven civilians and 10 IDF soldiers on the Israeli side.

Hezbollah has named 229 members who have been killed by Israel during recent flare-ups. Most of the casualties on the Hezbollah side happened in Lebanon but also some in Syria.

Another 37 operatives from other groups, a Lebanese soldier, and at least 30 civilians have also been killed since October 8.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/one-indian-killed-and-another-two-injured-in-anti-tank-missile-attack-in-israels-north/cid/2004819

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India's envoy at UN urges 'immediate' increase in Gaza aid, says humanitarian crisis 'unacceptable'

05 Mar 2024

UNITED NATIONS: India is "deeply troubled" by the conflict in Gaza that has raged on for nearly five months now, the country's envoy to the UN has said, asserting that the loss of civilian lives and the resulting humanitarian crisis is "clearly unacceptable."

India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, said this while addressing a UN General Assembly meeting on the 'Use of Veto' on Monday.

“The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to large-scale loss of civilian lives, especially women and children... This has also resulted in an alarming humanitarian crisis. This is clearly unacceptable,” Kamboj told the UNGA.

She said that India has been "deeply troubled by the conflict in Gaza that has been raging for nearly five months now."

"The humanitarian crisis has deepened, and the region and beyond have seen rising instability,” India's top diplomat to the UN said.

The General Assembly held the plenary debate on the ‘Use of the veto' after the US cast a veto in the UN Security Council last month, leading to the failure of the Council to adopt a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza war.

Kamboj told the UNGA that India's position on the conflict has been clear, and New Delhi has strongly condemned the deaths of civilians in the conflict. “It is critical to prevent further escalation of violence and hostilities. It is imperative to avoid the loss of civilian lives in any conflict situation,” she said.

Kamboj underlined that humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza must be scaled up immediately to avert a further deterioration in the situation. She urged all parties to come together in this endeavour and welcomed the efforts of the UN and the international community.

"India has provided humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine and will continue to do so," she said.

Kamboj said India is cognizant of the fact that the immediate trigger of the conflict was the terror attacks in Israel on October 7, which were “shocking and deserve our unequivocal condemnation.

"India has a longstanding and uncompromising position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. There can be no justifications for terrorism and hostage-taking. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” she said.

India has repeatedly emphasised that only a two-state solution, achieved through direct and meaningful negotiations between both sides on final status issues, will deliver an enduring peace.

To arrive at a lasting solution, India urged for immediate de-escalation, eschewing violence, the release of all hostages, avoiding provocative and escalatory actions, and working towards creating conditions for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations.

Separately, addressing a special meeting of the General Assembly on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Kamboj said that recent allegations that some employees of the agency may have been involved in the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel are a “matter of serious concern."

However, she added, “We are also positively considering specific requests from the UNRWA for assistance in kind. We urge utmost diligence in the utilisation of this assistance.”

Noting the constitution of an independent review group led by the former Foreign Minister of France, Catherine Colonna, to go into the workings of the UNRWA, Kamboj said India looks forward to getting these reports.

“We have noted that the Secretary-General has announced a time-bound investigation into all such allegations,” Kamboj said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “horrified” by the “extremely serious allegations” that implicate several UNRWA staff members in the terror attacks of October 7 in Israel.

In consultation with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, the Secretary-General appointed an independent review group to assess whether the agency was doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality and to respond to allegations of serious breaches when they were made.

The UN has said it is taking swift action following the allegations, and an investigation by the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) was immediately activated.

UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis warned that UNRWA was in danger of “imminent collapse” and that it “may not survive without our immediate and decisive action.”

Sixteen countries led by the US have cut off aid amounting to over $400 million to UNRWA in the wake of the allegations against it.

Kamboj reiterated India’s support for the agency, which serves the needs of Palestinian refugees and contributes to “overall stability in the region.”

She said that India has provided humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine and will continue to do so. “We are also positively considering specific requests from UNRWA for assistance in kind. We urge utmost diligence in the utilisation of this assistance,” she said.

As a mark of solidarity with the Palestinian refugees, Kamboj said India enhanced its annual contribution to the agency from USD 1.25 million to USD 5 million in 2018.

India has given USD 27.5 million to UNRWA since 2018 to support the agency's core programmes and services, including education, healthcare, relief, and social services provided to Palestinian refugees.

In November 2023, India donated USD 2.5 million to UNRWA for humanitarian assistance in Gaza as part of its yearly contribution and further delivered 32 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine via the El-Arish Airport in Egypt.

UNRWA is at the centre of efforts to provide humanitarian relief in Gaza, where aid groups warn of a looming famine after nearly five months of war between Israel and the Islamist group.

The agency said on Monday that members of its staff had been tortured by Israel, with Israel's army accusing the agency of employing more than 450 "terrorists."

Gazans detained by Israeli forces are coming back "completely traumatised" upon release and reporting abuses while in captivity, the head of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency said.

Detainees reported being subjected to a "broad range of ill-treatment," including threats of electrocution, being photographed naked, sleep deprivation and having dogs used to intimidate them, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini told a media briefing.

"We have seen these people coming back from detention, some of them for a couple of weeks, some of them for a couple of months, and most of them coming back (are) completely traumatised by the ordeal they have gone through," Lazzarini said.

The comments follow reporting by the New York Times on an internal investigation compiled by UNRWA staff documenting the state of returning detainees at the Kerem Shalom border.

Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed 30,534 people, mostly women and children, according to the latest toll from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

Around 250 hostages were taken by militants, 130 of whom remain in Gaza, including 31 presumed dead, according to Israel.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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PM Modi congratulates new Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif

05 Mar 2024

NEW DELHI: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday for his return to the premiership, a rare expression of goodwill between leaders of the two nuclear-armed rivals.

Sharif was officially sworn in Monday as prime minister for a second time after a poll marred by claims of widespread vote rigging.

The 72-year-old's army-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-L) has formed a coalition government with their historic rival the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and several smaller factions that shuts out loyalists of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, who won the most seats.

"Congratulations to @CMShehbaz on being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan," Modi said in a post on social media platform X.

India and Pakistan are bitter adversaries with longstanding political tensions.

The two nations have fought three wars and numerous smaller skirmishes since being carved out of the subcontinent's partition in 1947.

But Sharif is seen in India as more conciliatory toward New Delhi than his predecessor Khan.

Unusually for a senior Pakistani politician, Sharif visited India in 2013 when he was chief minister of Pakistan's influential Punjab province.

He visited his family's ancestral village on the Indian side of the frontier and met with then-prime minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, along with other officials.

Modi also attended a Sharif family wedding during a surprise trip to Pakistan in 2015, a year after the Hindu nationalist leader took office.

He was hosted by Sharif's elder brother Nawaz, himself prime minister at the time.

Hindu nationalist sentiment has risen in India under Modi, a populist leader seeking a third term in office in general elections expected from April.

The two countries downgraded their diplomatic ties during Khan's premiership in 2019 after a dispute over India's attempt to entrench its grip over the part of Kashmir it controls.

The Himalayan region, home to a long-running and deadly insurgency against Indian rule, is divided between the two countries and claimed by both in full.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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Insurgent Group NSCN Faction Issues Diktat, Seeks to Oust LGBTQ+ From Nagaland in 3 Days

05 Mar 2024

GUWAHATI: The LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) movement has suffered a setback in Nagaland.

An insurgent group in a peace mode has asked “non-locals”, who arrived in the state to propagate and encourage LGBTQ, to leave the “Naga-inhabited areas” within three days.

The Niki Sumi faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), better known as NSCN-K (Niki), issued the diktat on the heels of the first LGBTQ conclave in the state held in commercial hub Dimapur on February 29.

The outfit said LGBTQ, which is alien to the Naga society and was never heard of among the Naga people, is trying to make a foothold in the Naga society “to corrupt and tow away the minds of Naga people, especially the younger generation, from our cultural and religious beliefs.”

“It not only poses a serious threat to the moral ethics of the Nagas but is also against the teachings of Christianity. The NSCN/GPRN shall not be blinded and allow external elements to replace our traditional and religious values with unrighteous and unethical ways of life,” the NSCN-K (Nikki) said in a statement.

The statement also said that the Nagas, as Christians, would not tolerate non-locals coming from elsewhere and try and destroy the fabric of the Naga society.

The insurgent group asked the Nagas, including churches, to be ever vigilant about such “evil forces trying to destroy the existence of our society”.

It asked them to educate and counsel the younger generation, “vulnerable to such bad influences.” “In the interest of safeguarding the society, the NSCN/GPRN directs those non-locals, who have come from elsewhere propagating and encouraging LGBTQ, to leave Naga-inhabited areas within three days’ time,” the NSCN-K (Niki) said.

The outfit said it should not be held responsible for any “negative reaction that may occur owing to failure to comply with the directive.”

The LGBTQ conclave was organised to initiate discussions on social acceptance, inclusion and employment opportunities for the community. Joint director of health and family welfare Dr Bernice Dzuvichi and several members attended the event.

‘Alien to Naga society’

The outfit said LGBTQ, which is alien to the Naga society and was never heard of among the Naga people, is trying to make a foothold in the Naga society “to corrupt and tow away the minds of Naga people, especially the younger generation, from our cultural and religious beliefs.” It poses a serious threat to moral ethics of the Nagas but is also against teachings of Christianity

Source: newindianexpress.com

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Europe

 

'Knife Attack In Zurich Shocked Me': Swiss President Condemns Anti-Semitic Stabbing 'Linked to Islamic State'

MARCH 04, 2024

The Swiss president insisted Monday that “anti-Semitism has no place in Switzerland”, after the brutal stabbing over the weekend of an Orthodox Jewish man, allegedly by a teenager pledging allegiance to Islamic State.

Her comment came after the 50-year-old Orthodox Jewish man was stabbed in Switzerland’s largest city late Saturday, with police initially saying he had been “critically injured”. “The knife attack in Zurich shocked me,” President Viola Amherd wrote on X, adding that her thoughts were with the victim and all Jewish citizens in the country.

The Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities however told the Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS news agency Monday that the man’s life was no longer in danger. A police statement on Sunday said the motives for the attack remained unclear but that investigators were looking into the possibility that it was an “anti-Semitic crime”.

A 15-year-old Swiss boy with a Tunisian background is suspected of carrying out the attack, the youth prosecutor’s office said Monday, adding that it was holding him in custody. The suspect had made a video claiming responsibility for the attack, Zurich cantonal police chief Mario Fehr confirmed during a press conference.

In the video, the teenager voices his allegiance to the Islamic State jihadist group and called for fighting Jews around the world, police said, according to Keystone-ATS. The youth prosecutor’s office meanwhile said investigators were looking into whether or not the attacker acted alone.

Police in Zurich announced Sunday they were hiking security around Jewish institutions as a “precautionary measure”. The Zurich-based Foundation Against Racism and anti-Semitism condemned the attack, saying that witnesses had heard the alleged perpetrator shout “anti-Semitic slogans that suggest a hate crime”. “It was not just an isolated case,” it said in a statement.

“Since the escalation in the Middle East, anti-Semitic incidents in Switzerland have skyrocketed.” Anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes have been on the rise in many countries since Hamas militants from Gaza carried out an unprecedented attack inside Israel on October 7.

Source: news18.com

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Rishi Sunak: British democracy being targeted by far-right and Islamists

MARCH 4, 2024

Rishi Sunak has said democracy is under attack from far-right and Islamist extremists as he urged the country to unite to beat the “poison”, informs ‘The Independent’.

In an extraordinary move, the prime minister used a hastily arranged press conference outside No 10 to announce a new crackdown on extremism and appeal to the public to face down those he said were “trying to tear us apart”.

Just hours after George Galloway’s victory in the Rochdale by-election, he said it was “beyond alarming” voters had backed a candidate who “dismisses the horror of what happened on October 7”, when Hamas murdered 1,200 people in Israel.

Mr Sunak announced ministers would redouble support for the anti-terrorism Prevent programme, demand universities stop extremist activity on campus and prevent people entering the UK whose “aim is to undermine its values”.

In remarks likely to be seen as more controversial, Mr Sunk also urged the public to reject when extremists ”claim that Britain is and has been on the wrong side of history”.

Home secretary James Cleverly has also been instructed that those in the UK on visas who choose to “spew hate” will have their right to be in the country removed.

But Conservative peer Lord Vaizey said “many in the Tory party should look to themselves” when it comes to the toxification of public life after accusations it has stoked division on issues from Brexit to asylum seekers.

The decision to deliver a statement on what he described as the “shocking increase in extremist disruption and criminality” comes after he claimed that there was a growing public consensus that the country was descending into “mob rule”.

Downing Street sources said the words would be backed with further policies that will come in the next couple of weeks to crack down on the intimidation of MPs, councillors and faith groups that has percolated in recent months.

Raising his concerns, the Prime Minister said: “I fear that our great achievement in building the world’s most successful multi-ethnic, multi-faith democracy is being deliberately undermined.”

While he insisted that the vast majority of the public abide by the rule of law, and believe change can only come through the “peaceful democratic process”, he warned there are “small and vocal hostile groups who do not”.

With Britain giving every appearance of becoming a failed state, is it any wonder that people are giving up any sort of responsibility, even for themselves and their families? – writes ‘The Telegraph’.

Rishi Sunak’s warning of a “growing consensus that mob rule is replacing democratic rule” – a theme he returned to this afternoon – is a disturbing and damning indictment of a modern-day Britain that many consider to be “broken”. Ochlocracy or “mob rule” is something we associate with the Gordon Riots or Salem Witch Trials – not life in the UK in 2024.

The mere notion of the Prime Minister having to tell the police that they should be better protecting the public from what he described as a “pattern of increasingly violent and intimidatory behaviour… intended to shout down free debate and stop elected representatives doing their job” marks a new low for a nation with a proud tradition as a beacon of freedom and democracy.

Should he really need to issue a reminder that protecting the “values that we all hold dear” is not only “fundamental to our democratic system” but also “vital for maintaining public confidence in the police”?

If the mob is ruling, then of course it is for the Prime Minister to do something about it, and we are promised concrete action soon. But sadly the authority of the state is collapsing wherever we look.

Crime appears to be out of control, with videos circulating almost daily of machete-wielding thugs trying to carve each other to pieces while a bewildered public helplessly looks on

Thieves have effectively been given a licence to shoplift goods up to the value of £200, while we have seen an increase in the number of unsolved crimes – now at around 6,000 per day according to the Home Office’s own figures. The odds clearly seem to be stacked in favour of the criminals.

Such is the level of influence exerted by these vocal minorities – be they Islamists, eco-fanatics, criminal gangs, or far-Right thugs – that the majority is left either massively inconvenienced or fearful in their own neighbourhoods.

Our porous borders are another example of the authority of the state being completely undermined.

Amid all this bungling, we also discovered this week that the number of foreign workers handed permission to come to Britain by the Home Office surged to a record high of 616,000 last year – a 46 per cent increase on the year before. Having promised, in its 2019 manifesto, to introduce “an Australian-style points-based system to control immigration”, the Conservative Party is doing the exact opposite of what people voted for, destroying trust in the state to deliver on its promises.

Not only is legal migration at a record high but the boats haven’t been stopped and no one has been deported to Rwanda despite the deal being set to cost the taxpayer £500 million by 2026. The phrase: “You had one job” springs to mind.Defence – or more accurately, our lack of it – also highlights the extent to which the state is giving up on even its most basic duties. The British Army is the smallest it has been since the Napoleonic Wars. The statistics show that, if it continues to lose troops at the current rate, the number of regular soldiers will fall to 67,741 by 2026, an extraordinary decline of 40 per cent since 2010.

Source: moderndiplomacy.eu

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Pope asks retired Canadian judge to investigate sexual assault charges

Barry Ellsworth 

05.03.2024

Retired Canadian judge Andre Denis has been asked by Pope Francis to look into sexual assault allegations against the Archbishop of Quebec, according to media reports Monday.

The allegations against Cardinal Gerald Lacroix stem from two incidents allegedly involving him that reportedly occurred in 1987 and 1988 in Quebec City in which he is accused of inappropriately touching a 17-year-old girl.

The charges are part of a class-action lawsuit that was filed against the Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec. While Lacroix, 66, refutes the charges that became public in January, he stepped aside from his churchly duties at the time until the matter is cleared up.

In a letter dated Feb. 8, Pope Francis said there is a “necessity of conducting an investigation based on facts, circumstance and imputability (church responsibility) of the alleged offence.”

Denis has already studied nearly 10,000 files of sexual abuse allegations against the Quebec church from 1940 to 2021, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He reported that 87 employees were confirmed to have sexual abuse charges involving minors or vulnerable adults, the CBC reported.

The pope also asked Denis to investigate the possible sexual abuse of Inuit children in Canada’s far north.

Denis said it is not up to him to determine if Lacroix is guilty or innocent but to see if there is enough evidence to warrant a canonical trial, which is done within the church.

But lawyer Alain Arsenault, who has experience in representing clients in church trials, told the CBC there is “little credibility” in such circumstances.

Arsenault, who also represents the teen who made the allegations against Lacroix, said the previous trials brought his clients “nothing positive. Trust is non-existent at this time.”

“It’s through the civil process that victims have the highest chance of getting reparations, not through the Catholic Church.”

No timeline was given to complete the investigation, but Denis said he would try to finish it as soon as possible.

Source: aa.com.tr

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EU’s Council of Foreign Ministers ‘doing everything in its power’ in bid for Gaza ceasefire

March 04, 2024

LONDON: The EU’s Council of Foreign Ministers “is doing everything in its power to reach an immediate ceasefire and secure the delivery of aid to the Palestinian people,” Belgium’s foreign minister said on Monday.

Hadja Lahbib announced her country’s intention to host an international peace conference in April to discuss Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip, Kuwait News Agency reported.

Lahbib added that she makes international contacts on an almost daily basis to seek a 40-day ceasefire so that Palestinians can receive humanitarian aid.

Israel has sealed off the strip, stormed its towns and pounded it from the sky since its action began in October. More than 30,000 people have been confirmed killed, with thousands more missing.

The majority of the population in the Gaza Strip has been made homeless, and the UN says hundreds of thousands of its people are facing famine.

Lahbib said that Belgium sent direct aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in December, adding that the aid “continues and will not be interrupted.”

Source: arabnews.com

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Mideast

 

Islamic world should be ready for intense struggle for Palestine: Türkiye

Ali Kemal Akan 

05.03.2024

Turkish Parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus called Monday for the Islamic world to stand with Palestine in their struggle against occupation and genocide.

"I would like to express that the Islamic world should be ready for a very intense struggle for Palestine in the coming period," Kurtulmus told the 18th Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC) which was held in Ivory Coast.

He said the issue of Palestine should be "the number one issue" of the Islamic world and "one of the most fundamental problems" of humanity.

"Especially after Oct. 7, Israel is continuing to carry out a massacre that has never been seen in human history, and unfortunately, while we are talking here, the continuation of attacks in Gaza in which dozens of our brothers were martyred is not a situation that can be stopped only with words," Kurtulmus said.

He added that the Islamic world should intensify the struggle for the Palestinian cause while using power to isolate the Israeli government in the international system and achieving unity among Muslim countries.

"We may have political differences. We may disagree on some issues. But in terms of our general stance, we need to be in alliance and close our ranks on fundamental issues that concern Muslim communities," he said.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed 30,534 people and injured 71,920 others with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Source: aa.com.tr

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Tehran: Islamic countries should take a strong decision against Zionists at Jeddah meeting

[04/March/2024]

TEHRAN March 04. 2024 (Saba) - The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' spokesperson Nasser Kanaani, denied the claim by Wall Street Journal that Iran has approached Sudan for permission to build a base on the Red Sea, considering it "an unfounded claim."

Kanaani said at his weekly press conference on Monday, "The Sudanese Foreign Minister has denied it, and this is a politically motivated claim."

Ali al-Sadiq Ali, the Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, had said, "I have read the article published in the American daily newspaper The Wall Street Journal. The news story is false and fabricated," adding that Iran has "never asked Sudan to establish a base there. I paid a visit to Iran lately, and the issue was never raised during my stay."

On another note, Kanaani pointed out that the Islamic Republic of Iran has conducted forty successful elections since the revolution, which is unique in West Asia.

The spokesperson also noted that the elections for the Shura Council and the Assembly of Experts were held in a safe, healthy, and vibrant atmosphere, with the participation of Iranians across the country, despite the efforts of enemies to dampen electoral enthusiasm.

Moreover, Kanaani also commented on the second meeting of Foreign Ministers of Islamic countries regarding occupied Palestine, which is being held tomorrow at the headquarters of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, considering that both meetings are the result of diplomatic efforts exerted by Iran as well as some other countries.

The spokesperson believed that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation would be put to the test tomorrow to demonstrate the extent of its use of its power to support Palestine, amid the continuation of the harsh war and the hostile actions of the Israeli occupation's government and the US' unlimited support for "Israel".

Source: saba.ye

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Children starving to death in northern Gaza hospitals: WHO chief

Mar 5, 2024

An aid mission to two hospitals in northern Gaza found horrifying scenes of children dying of starvation, amid dire shortages of food, fuel and medicines, the World Health Organization said Monday.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency's visits over the weekend to the Al-Awda and Kamal Adwan hospitals "were the first since early October 2023 despite our efforts to gain more regular access to the north of Gaza".

The findings were "grim", he said on X, adding that "the situation at Al-Awda was particularly appalling, as one of the buildings is destroyed".

The Kamal Adwan hospital, the only paediatrics hospital in northern Gaza, was overwhelmed with patients, he said.

"The lack of food resulted in the deaths of 10 children," Tedros said.

In all, the Gaza health ministry has said at least 16 children have died of malnutrition in aid-deprived northern Gaza.

The United Nations warned last week that famine in the Gaza Strip was "almost inevitable" because of the war that has been raging in the Palestinian territory since Hamas militants carried out an unprecedented attack inside Israel on October 7.

That attack resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.

It also saw the militants abduct 250 hostages, of whom 130 remain in captivity, including 31 presumed dead, according to Israel.

Israel's retaliatory offensive against the Palestinian territory has killed more than 30,500 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.

In addition to the dire lack of food at the two northern hospitals, Tedros also cautioned on X that "the lack of electricity poses a serious threat to patient care, especially in critical areas like the intensive care unit and the neonatal unit".

During the weekend mission, the UN health agency delivered 9,500 litres of fuel to each hospital, along with some essential medical supplies, he said.

"This is a fraction of the urgent lifesaving needs."

The WHO chief reiterated an appeal to Israel to "ensure humanitarian aid can be delivered safely, and regularly".

"Civilians, especially children, and health staff need scaled-up help immediately," he said, stressing though that "the key medicine all these patients need is peace. Ceasefire."

Source: thedailystar.net

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Israeli security chiefs discuss Temple Mount security plan ahead of Ramadan

March 4, 2024

The heads of Israel's security establishment finalized a security plan on Sunday for the Temple Mount ahead of the Muslim month of Ramadan, which begins on March 10.

The month-long observance of Ramadan is often characterized by political and religious tensions, with a heightened risk for terrorist attacks against Israeli and Western targets. The threat level this year is particularly high amid the ongoing war between Israel and the terrorist organizations Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip.

Senior PIJ official Abu Hamza recently called Muslims across the Middle East to turn the upcoming Ramadan holiday into a “month of terror” against the Jewish state.

“There is no excuse for anyone to refrain from the battle. We are able to continue the battle, no matter how long it lasts. Our message to the enemy and the leader of the herd, Netanyahu, is that the issue of the next day in Gaza is determined only by the Palestinian resistance,” Hamza threatened.

Hamas has made similar threats, with its top leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, recently urging Muslims to attack Israel and march toward the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Some Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, have been calling for tough Temple Mount entry restrictions due to the high level of threat and recent incitement against Israel among Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria, internationally known as the West Bank.

"I recommend that those security officials take a look at the polls conducted in the Palestinian Authority, where they will discover the tremendous support for the massacre committed by Hamas on October 7," Ben-Gvir argued.

"I will strongly oppose the entry of West Bank Arab residents into Israel and I hope that the rest of my colleagues will behave the same way," he added.

Ben Gvir also suggested limiting access to the Temple Mount to male Arab-Israeli Muslims aged 45 or above. However, the Israeli internal security agency Shin Bet warned that such restrictions would raise anger levels and result in even higher security threats.

Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, IDF chief Herzi Halevi and Israel Police Chief Kobi Shabtai agreed that Israel needs to strike a balance between security and ensuring freedom of worship for Muslim Israeli citizens and Muslims from the West Bank.

While Ben Gvir is formally in charge of high-level security issues as Israel's national security minister, he is a controversial figure as the leader of Israel's far-right Otzma Yehudit party, which strongly advocates for the expulsion of Palestinians from Israel, Gaza and Judea and Samaria.

In addition, Ben Gvir has a controversial history of visiting the Temple Mount and causing an escalation of violence in the region since taking office.

As a result, Israel's War Cabinet recently revoked Ben Gvir’s authority over the Temple Mount during the Ramadan period in order to prevent further escalation.

Ben Gvir blasted the decision and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of siding with former IDF chief and War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz, who Ben Gvir claims believes that "peace is bought by folding and surrendering to terrorism.”

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant blasted Ben Gvir with a barely-veiled reference, saying: “In wartime, everyone says what they want - including people who are supposed to be responsible but aren’t.”

The Temple Mount is the site of the former two ancient Jewish Temples. Today the Muslim Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock stand on top of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.

While the site is sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians, only Muslims are permitted to pray at the Temple Mount, according to the Islamic Waqf, a religious trust responsible for managing the Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem.

Source: allisrael.com

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UNRWA reveals Gaza detainees' trauma, abuse after release by Israel

[05/March/2024]

Gaza residents detained by Israeli forces are coming back "completely traumatised" upon release and reporting abuses while in captivity, the head of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency has said.

Detainees reported being subjected to a "broad range of ill-treatment" including threats of electrocution, being photographed naked, sleep deprivation and having dogs used to intimidate them, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini told a media briefing on Monday.

The comments follow reporting by the New York Times on an internal investigation compiled by UNRWA staff documenting the state of returning detainees at the Kerem Shalom border.

"We have seen these people coming back from detention, some of them for a couple of weeks, some of them for a couple of months, and most of them coming back (are) completely traumatised by the ordeal they have gone through," Lazzarini said.

"A number of people have been... debriefed about their ordeal, and we have indeed (compiled) an internal report about their experiences."

The report had been shared with rights groups specialising in detention, he added.

'Sign confessions under torture'

Lazzarini's comments capped a tumultuous day during which Israel and UNRWA have traded accusations, with Israel accusing the agency of having employed more than 450 "terrorists."

Ahead of Lazzarini's comments, meanwhile, UNRWA said Israeli authorities had "detained several of its staff from the Gaza Strip," who later described abuses in custody.

"Our staff have reported atrocious events while they were detained and during interrogations by the Israeli authorities. These reports included torture, severe ill-treatment, abuse and sexual exploitation," UNRWA said in a statement to AFP.

"Some of our staff have conveyed to UNRWA teams that they were forced to sign confessions under torture and ill-treatment" while being asked about Hamas's October 7 attack.

The "IDF denies general and unsubstantiated claims regarding sexual abuse of detainees in the IDF's detention facilities," the Israeli military said in a statement, using the abbreviation for the Israeli Defense Forces.

The Hamas attack on southern Israel resulted in about 1,160 deaths, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed 30,534 people, mostly women and children, according to the latest toll from the Gaza health ministry.

Around 250 hostages were taken by Hamas, 130 of whom remain in Gaza, including 31 presumed dead, according to Israel.

Source: trtworld.com

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https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/unrwa-reveals-gaza-detainees-trauma-abuse-after-release-by-israel-17233330

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Massive blackouts as Hezbollah fires dozens of retaliatory rockets at Israeli sites

 05 March 2024

The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement has fired dozens of rockets at Israeli military sites in the northern flank of the 1948 occupied territories in retaliation for the ongoing brutal aggression against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Lebanon’s Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network, citing a Hezbollah statement, reported that the resistance forces launched rockets at GesherHaZiv kibbutz, situated in the Western Galilee on the coastal highway between Nahariya and the Lebanese border, on Monday.

The statement noted that the rocket fire was in retaliation for recent Israeli strikes on “southern villages and civilian homes,” including an attack on a civil defensecenter at al-Adisa town in southern Lebanon.

The Hezbollah-linked Islamic Health Committee said three of its paramedics were killed in the “direct” Israeli attack on the civil defensecenter.

Hezbollah also announced that it had carried out a precision strike against a convoy of Israeli military vehicles inside al-Baghdadi outpost, leaving several troops injured.

Al-Mayadeen reported that about 30 rockets were fired from Lebanese territory towards the Western Galilee region.

Hebrew-language Israeli media outlets reported that “a very intense missile barrage was launched from Lebanon towards settlements in the north,” noting that sirens warning of incoming projectiles were sounded in 16 areas within the Western Galilee.

The Israeli media confirmed that there was a power outage in several neighborhoods of Nahariya city following the recent rocket attack, explaining that “projectiles had damaged an electrical transformer."

Earlier in the day, Hezbollah had repelled two Israeli infiltration attempts into southern Lebanon.

The group said it targeted two Israeli forces with explosives, artillery shells and rockets as they attempted to infiltrate into Lebanese territory from Khirbet Zar'it and Wadi Qatmoun facing the southern border towns of Ramia and Rmeish.

Hezbollah later shelled the Zar'it barracks and targeted surveillance equipment in the Rweissat al-Alam post in the occupied Shebaa Farms, while Israeli warplanes and artillery units bombed Aita al-Shaab and Shihin and shelled Houla and Markaba with white phosphorus bombs.

The Israeli regime has been attacking southern Lebanon off and on since October 7, when it launched the devastating campaign of death and destruction in Gaza.

In retaliation, Hezbollah has launched near-daily rocket attacks on Israeli positions.

At least 280 people have been killed on the Lebanese border, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also 44 civilians.

Israel says at least ten of its troopers and six settlers have been killed in the area.

The fighting has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands from the northern part of the occupied territories, which have been pummeled by rocket fire and shelling carried out by Hezbollah and allied Palestinian groups.

Hezbollah has already fought off two Israeli wars against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006. The resistance forced the regime to retreat in both conflicts.

Source: presstv.ir

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North America

 

White House defends Harris meeting with Israeli Cabinet official despite Netanyahu’s concerns

March 05, 2024

WASHINGTON: Vice President Kamala Harris and other top Biden administration officials were holding talks on Monday with a member of Israel’s wartime Cabinet who came to Washington in defiance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

White House officials said Benny Gantz, a centrist political rival of Netanyahu, requested the meeting and the Democratic administration believed it was important to meet with the prominent Israeli official despite Netanyahu’s objections.

The meeting comes as President Joe Biden, Harris and other senior administration officials have become increasingly blunt about their dissatisfaction with the mounting death toll in Gaza and suffering of innocent Palestinians as the war nears the five-month mark.

“We’re going to discuss a number of things in terms of the priorities that certainly we have, which includes getting a hostage deal done, getting aid in and then getting that six-week ceasefire,” Harris told reporters before her meeting with Gantz.

The US on Saturday carried out the first of what is expected to be ongoing aidrops of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The moment is reflective of the increasingly awkward dynamics in the US-Israel relationship, with the US forced to fly badly needed aid past its close ally as it looks to ramp up badly needed assistance for civilians in Gaza. The first airdrop occurred just days after more than 100 Palestinians were killed as they were trying to get food from an Israel-organized convoy.

The White House agreed to the meeting with Gantz even as an official from Netanyahu’s nationalist Likud party said Gantz did not have approval from the prime minister for his meetings in Washington. Netanyahu gave Gantz a “tough talk” about the visit — underscoring a widening crack within Israel’s wartime leadership.

“We have been dealing with all members of the war Cabinet, including Mr. Gantz,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said. “We see this as a natural outgrowth of those discussions. We’re not going to turn away that sort of opportunity.”

In addition to his talks with Harris, Gantz is meeting on Monday with National Security Council Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk and Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser. Gantz was also scheduled to meet on Monday with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. And he will meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.

Gantz just before the start of his White House meetings told a reporter with Israel’s public broadcaster Kan: “There will be an open and honest conversation between two friendly and important countries and partners.”

Biden is at Camp David, the presidential retreat just outside Washington, until Tuesday.

Over the weekend, Harris issued a forceful call for a temporary ceasefire deal in Gaza, which administration officials say would halt fighting for at least six weeks, and also increased pressure on Israel not to impede the aid that workers were trying to get into the region. The White House has been advocating for that framework deal for weeks.

Israel has essentially agreed to the deal, according to a senior Biden administration official, and the White House has emphasized that the onus is on Hamas to come on board.

Biden faces mounting political pressure at home over his administration’s handling of the Israeli-Hamas war, which was triggered when militants in Gaza launched an attack, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 people hostage.

In last week’s Michigan presidential primary, more than 100,000 Democratic primary voters cast ballots for “uncommitted.” Biden still easily won the state’s primary, but the coordinated push by voters on the left who are dissatisfied with the president’s unwavering support for Israel as its military operations in Gaza have left more than 30,000 Palestinians dead. The vote totals raise concerns for Democrats in a state Biden won by only 154,000 votes in 2020.

Gantz, who polls show could be a formidable candidate for prime minister if a vote were held today, is viewed as a political moderate. But he has remained vague about his view of Palestinian statehood — something that Biden sees as essential to forging a lasting peace once the conflict ends but that Netanyahu adamantly opposes.

It is also assumed that when the heavy fighting subsides, Gantz will leave the government, which would increase pressure for early elections.

Since Gantz joined Netanyahu’s three-minister war Cabinet in October, US officials have found him to be easier to deal with than either Netanyahu or Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Although Gantz holds many of the same hard-line views as Netanyahu and Gallant, he has been seen as more open to compromise on critical issues, including the increased delivery of humanitarian assistance that will be a prime topic of discussion in the meetings in Washington this week.

Until now, calls for elections have been muted due to the war, but analysts think that when Gantz leaves the government, it will send a signal to the Israeli public that the need for national unity has passed and efforts to oust Netanyahu’s government can begin in earnest.

For his part while in Washington, Gantz aims to strengthen ties with the US, bolster support for Israel’s war and push for the release of Israeli hostages, according to a second Israeli official. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t allowed to publicly discuss the disputes within the Israeli government. Gantz is scheduled to head to London for meetings after his US visit.

It remains to be seen if Gantz while in Washington will diverge from Netanyahu’s stances on Palestinian statehood or carrying out an expanded operation in the southernmost Gaza city of Rafah. The Biden administration has repeatedly warned Israel against a Rafah operation without a plan to protect civilians.

“I don’t doubt there are some administration officials who believe just by meeting with Gantz they are undermining Netanyahu,” said Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a conservative Washington think tank. “But if Gantz carries the government’s line on key issues of disagreement, these meetings are net-negative for the White House while helpful back home for Gantz.”

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2471151/world

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Columbia University Body Votes in Favour of Massive Anti-Israeli Boycott

04 March 2024

A college student body at the Columbia University has voted in favor of boycotting all companies that support the Israeli regime's apartheid and genocidal practices.

The vote was held by Columbia College Student Council, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, a student group, said in a post on X social media platform on Monday.

According to the post, the impacts of the boycott amount to "$1 million in student fees."

"In addition to divestment, a student referendum has been initiated by the Council demanding economic and academic boycott of the Israeli occupation. Referendum will be sent to the student body to vote on," it added.

Anti-Israeli activities have gathered momentum at the University since October 7, when the Israeli regime mounted an all-out genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.

More than 30,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have died so far during the war that was launched after al-Aqsa Storm, an operation staged by Gaza's resistance movements against the occupied territories.

Early last month, hundreds of anti-Israeli demonstrators gathered outside the university's main gates to protest the war.

Denouncing the Israeli regime as "the New Nazi Germany," the students chanted, "Long Live the Intifada (Uprising)" and "Settlers, Settlers Go Back Home...Palestine is Ours Alone."

In mid-November, more than 40 student groups at the University formed a coalition to push for the seat of learning's divestment from the "Israeli apartheid," and "challenge the settler-colonial violence" that Tel Aviv has been perpetrating with the support of the United States and its allies.

The groups said in a statement back then that the Columbia University Apartheid Divest, as the coalition had been named, would seek to force the University to divest its entire economic and academic stakes in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/03/04/721288/United-States-Israel-Columbia-University-boycott-war-Gaza

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As it devours Palestinian lives, Biden urges Israeli war machine be given more time

04 March 2024

As it continues to devour Palestinian lives in the Gaza Strip, US President Joe Biden urges that the Israeli war machine still be given more time.

"I think they have to give this just a little bit of time," Biden told The New Yorker in an interview that was published on Monday.

The comments came as the Palestinian death toll from an October 7-present genocidal war by the regime against Gaza crossed the 30,500 mark.

The regime launched the war following al-Aqsa Storm, a surprise operation by Gaza's resistance groups, including Hamas, against the occupied territories that was staged in response to intensification of Tel Aviv's decades-long campaign of occupation and aggression against Palestinians.

Apparently trying to justify Tel Aviv's resolve to keep up the military onslaught, Biden said, "The pressure on the [Israeli] leadership to move with every ounce of capacity against Hamas is real."

Israel has vowed not to stop the aggression until the realization of its declared goals, including "destruction" of Hamas, which many dismiss as unattainable.

The US president, meanwhile, alleged, "I think you’re going to see—I’m praying you’re going to see—a significant downturn in the use of force."

On January 26, the International Court of Justice, the United Nations' top court, ordered the Israeli regime to take all measures within its power to prevent genocide in Gaza.

The regime, however, has significantly ramped up its strikes across the coastal sliver ever since.

It has also vowed to go ahead with a ground offensive against the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which has come to host more than 1.5 million of the territory's 2.4-million strong population, who have fled the ravages of the war.

Biden claimed, however, "I don’t want to see any Palestinians killed—I think that it’s contrary to what we believe as Americans."

As part of its consistent political patronage for the regime, the US, which is Tel Aviv's main benefactor, has so far vetoed three United Nations Security Council resolutions that have called for implementation of an immediate ceasefire in the Israeli onslaught. The Israeli aggression also enjoys unreserved military and intelligence support on the part of Washington.

Supporters grow weary of Biden: 'Count us out Joe'

Last month more than 100,000 people voted “Uncommitted” in Michigan’s Democratic primary in attempt to push Biden on the issue.

"Our movement emerged victorious tonight and massively surpassed our expectations. Tens of thousands of Michigan Democrats, many of whom who voted for Biden in 2020, are uncommitted to his re-election due to the war in Gaza," tweeted the group Listen to Michigan, which spearheaded the movement in less than a month with very little financial resources.

"President Biden has funded the bombs falling on the family members of people who live right here in Michigan. People who voted for him, who now feel completely betrayed. President Biden, listen to Michigan. Count us out, Joe."

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/03/04/721290/United-States-Israel-Biden-war-Gaza

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Argentina witnesses rally in solidarity with Palestinian people, denounces Zionist aggression

[05/March/2024]

BUENOS AIRES March 05. 2024 (Saba) - A rally was held in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The rally denounced the brutal aggression and genocide committed by the Zionist enemy forces in the Gaza Strip and throughout the Palestinian territories.

Many speeches and poems were delivered and theatrical clips expressed the brutality of aggression and genocide in Palestine.

Participants in the rally demanded that the aggression must be stopped, holding the enemy entity to be held accountable for its crimes against humanity.

The demonstrators raised Palestinian and Argentine flags and banners supporting the right of the Palestinian people to freedom and independence.

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3310371.htm

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17 relatives of American hostages in Gaza to attend Biden’s State of the Union speech

[05/March/2024]

RON KAMPEAS

WASHINGTON (JTA) — When US President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union speech on Thursday, the audience will include 17 relatives of Americans held captive or murdered by Hamas terrorists in Israel.

A list published Monday by the Families of the American Hostages in Gaza coalition named relatives of six hostages still held captive, two released captives and two hostages who were killed.

The family members will be guests on Thursday evening of a bipartisan slate of members of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. Among the hosts are the speaker, Louisiana Republican Representative Mike Johnson, and the minority leader, New York Democratic Representative Hakeem Jeffries.

Hamas, which launched the war on October 7 when it raided Israel, brutally killing more than 1,200 people and abducting more than 250, is believed to still be holding more than 130 hostages, among them six to eight Americans. Dozens of them are thought to be dead.

The six hostages believed to still be alive and in captivity who will be represented are Edan Alexander, Itai Chen, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Omer Neutra, Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Keith Siegel. The two released hostages who will be represented are Liat Beinin Atzili and Avigail Idan, who turned 4 in captivity before being released during a truce in November. The two murdered hostages who will be represented are Judy Weinstein and Gad Haggai.

The group said it urged Congress members in a letter to “show solidarity and a firm commitment to securing the swift and total release of the hostages by wearing yellow ribbons and dog tags” during the State of the Union. Yellow ribbons and dog tags that have become a symbol of solidarity with the hostages were included in the letters.

Families of the hostages have met with top officials, including Biden, and have joined vigils calling for their release in Washington and in other major cities.

“The families also thanked Congress and the Biden administration for continuing to do everything possible to end the hostage crisis and bring their loved ones home,” the release said.

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency confirmed the list with a number of congressional offices listed.

New Jersey Representative Josh Gottheimer, a Jewish Democrat, will be hosting Jonathan Dekel-Chen and Adi Alexander.

“I am honored to have Adi from my district and Jonathan attend the State of the Union as my guests,” Gottheimer said in a statement to JTA. “Their presence is a strong reminder that Americans, including Adi’s son Edan and Jonathan’s son Sagui, are still being held hostage at the hands of Hamas terrorists. It’s been 150 days since they were captured. Nothing is more important than getting them home now. Period.”

More than 100 of the hostages were exchanged for Palestinian detainees during a break in the fighting in November. The Biden administration is pushing negotiations for a second temporary ceasefire to trade some of the remaining hostages for more prisoners.

Israel has agreed to the terms broadly but wants an accounting of which of the remaining hostages are alive or dead. Hamas has claimed it does not have the means for such an accounting, in part because some of the hostages were taken by or sold to other terror groups and criminal gangs.

Source: timesofisrael.com

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https://www.timesofisrael.com/17-relatives-of-american-hostages-in-gaza-to-attend-bidens-state-of-the-union-speech/

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Pakistan

 

LHC unlawfully assumed top court’s jurisdiction in Musharraf case: SC

March 5, 2024

Nasir Iqbal

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the Lahore High Court, while declaring unconstitutional the special court’s order of awarding death sentence to former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf on Jan 13, 2020, not only assumed the exclusive jurisdiction of the trial court, but also usurped the appellate jurisdiction of the apex court.

“The high court should have remained within the confines of the dispute brought before it and decided the same in accordance with the law and the Constitution,” observed Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah in a judgement he wrote.

Justice Shah was a member of the four-judge SC bench which had on Jan 10 this year upheld the death sentence awarded by the special court to former president retired Gen Musharraf in 2019 for high treason.

In its decision, a three-judge LHC bench headed by Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, who resigned as the Supreme Court judge, had held that the trial of Gen Musharraf in absentia was illegal, unconstitutional, and repugnant to injunctions of Islam, as well as Articles 2A, 8 and 10-A of the Constitution.

High court declared special court’s order of awarding death sentence to ex-president unconstitutional

Now in the detailed judgement, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah explained that the LHC not only assumed the jurisdiction not vested in it, but also dilated upon the merits of the matter, which it could not do as the high court was not an appellate forum.

The high court, without enjoying any jurisdiction whatsoever, gave its own findings on the core subject matter of the trial, i.e. whether the respondent had committed the offence of high treason under Article 6 of the Constitution.

By doing so, the LHC unlawfully assumed the appellate jurisdiction exclusively vested in the Supreme Court, Justice Shah regretted, adding that the high court also granted relief which was not even sought in the writ petition.

The relief sought in the prayer clause of the writ petition mainly challenged the order of the special court, but no prayer was made to seek a determination whether Gen Musharraf had committed high treason, the judgement said. Yet the high court overstretched its jurisdiction by proceeding to determine the core question and then held the actions of Gen Musharraf were not part of Article 6 at the time of the commission of the offence.

The verdict said the high court also declared the entire Section 9 of the Special Court Act as ultra vires of the Constitution, even though the respondent had only challenged its ‘offending portion’ to the extent it provides that “no trial shall be adjourned by reason of the absence of any accused person due to illness”.

“A plain reading of Section 9 shows that it deals with the absence of the accused person not only due to his illness but also where the absence of the accused person or his counsel has been brought about by the accused person himself, or where the behaviour of the accused person prior to such absence has been such as to impede the course of justice.

In such cases, the special court is mandated to proceed with the trial after taking the necessary steps to appoint an advocate to defend such an accused person,“ the judgement said.

It added that the high court had failed to adhere to earlier judgem­ents and orders of the Supreme Court and thus undermined the credibility and effectiveness of the entire judicial system established by the Constitution.

The judgements of the Supreme Court being binding on all judicial and executive authorities of the country is a constitutional obligation.

This obligation reflects a fundamental commitment to preserving the integrity and sanctity of the Supreme Court.

Disregard of the previous judgements and orders by the Lahore High Court amounts to judicial effrontery and impropriety.

The impugned judgement passed by the Lahore High Court in sheer violation of the judgements and orders of this Court,“ the verdict said.

Justice Shah emphasised that the decisions by the courts must be guided by the law, precedents and the facts before them and not by personal desires or objectives.
Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1819193/lhc-unlawfully-assumed-top-courts-jurisdiction-in-musharraf-case-sc

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Audio Leaks Case: IHC Summons PTA Chief Over Bushra, Najamul Saqib’s Pleas

March 05, 2024

Asim Javed

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has summoned the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman again on March 14 over the petitions filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder’s wife Bushra Bibi and former chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar’s son Najamul Saqib against the audio leaks.

Justice Babar Sattar heard the petitions. The petitioners’ counsel Sardar Abdul Latif Khosa, the PTA’s counsel Irfan Qadir, Director General Intelligence Bureau Fawad Asadullah and, on the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists’ (PFUJ) behalf, Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) Secretary Asif Bashir Chaudhry appeared in court.

Qadir said the application has become infructuous as per the prayer clause, and the PTA is not a party in Bushra Bibi’s application. He said that there is legal interception on the PTA’s behalf.

Justice Sattar said the PTA had earlier submitted that there is no legalinterception, adding that if it is so, the PTA should recall its previous statement.

PTA officials said they had not submitted such a statement in court. Their counsel said that this case has become ineffective, so it should be disposed of.

Justice Sattar said the court is hearing two separate applications, and inquired about the PTA chairman. The counsel said the chairman had gone abroad to attend a conference in Barcelona and would return in three or four days.

The counsel said the PTA has not issued permission to anyone, and the chairman would examine the matter. He said that there is a procedure, and the telecom operators would apprise that whether or not the federal government allowed them to do so, adding that the Centre allows it in accordance with the law.

Justice Sattar asked if the Centre is stating that they have not given the permission to anyone to date. The PTA’s counsel said that it has to be examined as to why these provisions of law are kept in these licences.

Justice Sattar said the court also wants to understand this. The counsel said the PTA has not issued instructions to anyone, adding that he would assist the court in the matter because government officials usually do not understand the court’s queries.

Khosa said the government on the one hand admitted that it is a crime under Section 19, while on the other, they have been telecasting the leaked audio the entire day.

The court said the matter needs to be examined to determine how to prevent this in future. Khosa said that everyone’s privacy is at risk, and it cannot happen that a counsel was talking to his client and someone else was listening.

Justice Sattar asked whether there is any framework, and under which law the state has been provided the facility. The PTA’s counsel said that digital media is such a huge platform, and that social media sites are beyond our agencies’ jurisdiction.

He said that the late judge Arshad Malik’s audio was also leaked, then there was the Panama case decision. Justice Sattar asked if the state is taking the position that there is no legal authority.

He also said that it needs to be clarified whether citizens’ privacy is protected or not. The PTA’s counsel said that the policy, act and licence state something else.

The court said that the state has claimed that all such actions are being carried out privately, and that there is no state involvement in such matters. The court asked the PTA’s counsel to assist the court as to how there is legal interception.

The additional attorney general (AAG) said Bushra Bibi had filed a miscellaneous application, and such a plea comes within the purview of a suo motu notice.

The court said it is hearing the petition, not the suo motu notice, adding that the DG IB has been called to assist the court in the matter.

Khosa said the leaked audio is genuine. The DG IB said they cannot hold anyone responsible until there is an investigation, and the IB is not confirming or denying the recording. He said the IB is keeping an eye on the state’s enemies, and in this regard they can brief the court in the chamber.

Justice Sattar asked what the state is doing to protect the citizens’ privacy. “Are telecom operators allowing phone tapping? Have any rules, guidelines or something else been framed as to what technology can and can’t be used?”

The DG IB said that if the court gives him a few minutes in the chamber, he can explain the matter. The court said that it would hear the DG IB in the chamber if necessary, and expressed satisfaction over his assistance.

Justice Sattar asked the journalist organisation’s representative about the PFUJ’s opinion on the issue of audio leaks and inquired how it could be stopped.

The RIUJ secretary said that the PFUJ code of conduct is very clear, adding that according to Article 11 of the code, a journalist cannot broadcast any news or material whose sources are unclear or cannot be verified.

He said that it is also not right to expose an audio or video clip containing material based on personal or private privacy rather than public interest.

He also said the PFUJ is concerned about the violation of personal liberties through repeated private audio leaks in Pakistan, adding that in the recent past several audio and video clips have surfaced through certain vloggers, while TV channels have also been provided such audio clips by certain quarters.

He further said that every TV channel that does not have an editorial board should be set up with one, and the channels should be required to determine if broadcasting private conversations from unknown sources is necessary for public interest.

He stressed that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority should be held responsible when someone’s private conversation is aired on channels, as it is done to empower individuals.

He said that audio clips are leaked in the name of national security but national security is put on the back burner. He added that audio clips from Pakistan’s chief executive to the Supreme Court’s judges and their families are being leaked.

He stressed that the institutions should inform who is doing all this, and the court should fix the entire issue. He said that it is expected that the court would lay down policy guidelines after a detailed hearing on the matter.

During the hearing, the written response of senior journalist and analyst Mazhar Abbas was also submitted to the court.

The DG IB said that there are also cases of audio leaks in the US, the UK and Germany, where devices are used to make this easy to do.

Khosa said that the entire internet and all the social media platforms were shut down on February 8. Justice Sattar told him not to argue over the February 8 issue because the matter was not placed before the court.

The court said the AAG had already said they are taking suo motu notice over the issue. The court directed the PTA chief to appear in court, and adjourned the hearing until March 14.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1164633-audio-leaks-case-ihc-summons-pta-chief-over-bushra-najamul-saqib-s-pleas

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Senators Condemn Raid on Presidential Candidate Achakzai’s House

March 05, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers in the Senate Monday blasted a raid on the house of presidential candidate and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai and alleged that this was done due to his recent speech in the National Assembly on supremacy of the Constitution and the Parliament, which displeased ‘certain people’.

At the very outset, as the House resumed after the two-day break, PkMAP Senator Shafiq Tareen was on his feet to strongly condemn the raid, cordoning off his house and apprehending his guard.

“Mehmood Khan Achakzai made a speech in the Parliament and talked about supremacy of the Parliament, the constitution and the rule of law, which someone couldn’t digest and his house was raided, cordoned off and his guard picked,” he charged.

He urged all other parties to support his party against this highly condemnable act, alleging it was a message that none should talk about democracy and whosoever would speak on the supremacy of the Parliament, the constitution and the rule of law, will face such raids.

Senator Tareen requested the deputy chairman to seek a report on the matter and unmask those, and take action against them. He said they would stage a walkout from the House after colleagues also express their views on this matter. However, the chair insisted that they should take up the agenda first, as a party member had already talked about it. But Tareen’s party Senator Abida Azeem took the floor and said what the state agencies did the previous night was totally wrong and an undemocratic action, which, she claimed, had caused a wave of anger across Balochistan.

She said those who did not talk about democracy and supremacy of the Constitution were endeared and those who talked would face similar action. Some senators thumped desks on her statement.

Senator Abida advocated for investigation and formation of a commission to expose those behind the raid. Tahir Bizenjo of National Party said words were not enough to condemn the incident and asked had Achakzai not been the presidential candidate, even then such raid would have been conducted. Again, members appreciated him by thumping desks.

He contended that Achakzai had not talked something new, as he had only talked about according respect to the vote, which PPP and PML-N had also been saying in the past. “Achakzai’s biggest sin is that he wants all the state institutions to remain within their constitutional ambit and desist from interfering in the other’s matters,” he pointed out.

Senator Bizenjo also said his other biggest sin was that he had never supported a dictator and had been part of the PPP and PML-N movements for democracy, supporting Mian Nawaz Sharif, when he faced a tough time.

Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi withdrew a controversial resolution seeking a ban on major social media platforms in the country to ‘save the young generation from their negative and devastating effects’. The resolution recommended a ban on Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Youtube.

The resolution claimed that social media platforms were adversely affecting the young generation and were being used for promotion of norms against ‘our religion and culture. Meanwhile, the House unanimously passed a resolution showing serious concern over the brutal attack of Israeli army on “innocent and unarmed” Palestinians who had gathered to receive aid including food supplies and medicine.

“This House strongly recommends and urges the international community to take action such that the siege of Gaza be lifted immediately and Muslims countries be allowed all access and cover for delivery of aid,” reads the resolution moved by the entire members of the Senate.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1164629-senators-condemn-raid-on-achakzai-s-house

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Pakistan needs to stay committed to economic reforms: Blome

March 05, 2024

Erum Zaidi

KARACHI: US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome has emphasised the country’s need to stay committed to economic reforms, saying that doing so would aid in alleviating the burden of debt and external financing while fostering economic growth.

“Pakistan has made good progress confronting serious economic challenges during the past six months by successfully implementing the current IMF programme,” Blome told a group of journalists in an interview at the US Consulate in Karachi on Friday.

He noted that the country’s economy remains vulnerable to shocks such as Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, devastating floods, and trade disruptions such as current events in the Red Sea, but continued progress on key reforms can help buoy the economy.

“The economic policies developed over the next several months will be crucial to maintaining economic stability for Pakistanis, and our belief is it will take a concerted effort to ensure it moves in the right direction,” Blome said.

According to him, economic reforms will provide investors with confidence and certainty and facilitate economic growth driven by inclusive, sustainable, and economic development if Pakistan remains committed to its reform agenda.

“We are confident Pakistan can do this and break free from an overreliance on unsustainable debt.”

Almost four weeks after an uncertain national election caused delays in the formation of a coalition government, Shehbaz Sharif formally took the oath of office as Pakistan’s prime minister for the second time. The newly-formed government will need to start tough negotiations with the IMF immediately to secure a new bailout, as the current standby arrangement is set to expire in April.

Blome, who took over as the US ambassador to Pakistan in 2022, said that the challenges facing the country are well-defined and that some of the policy responses to those difficulties should also be clearly defined.

“I think one of the first things, in all likelihood, the new government will have to address will be finding a way ahead with a new IMF programme,” he said.

“And we certainly encourage the government to work with the IMF on a reform programme that makes sense for Pakistan to help it break this cycle of indebtedness and required international financing, which, you know, constrains other kinds of things for any country that’s involved with it. So I certainly think there’ll be areas where there’s policy continuity.”

Blome, when asked, about the newly elected government’s capacity to control the economic crisis, said any Pakistani government right now faces a challenging environment with a very difficult debt situation.

“I think there’s several things that any government’s going to have to do. It’s going to have to find ways that it can raise the revenues that it needs to meet its payment obligations,” he said.

“It’s going to have to introduce fiscal reforms, and that, of course, includes energy that allows it to get its budget back in balance and reduce reliance on external borrowing, which has become more and more difficult,” he added.

“So all of those things, I think, will create a more healthy Pakistani environment and also an economic environment, and one that’s going to reassure investors and would be a major factor in attracting additional, not just external, but also internal investment.”

Speaking about the abilities of the new government to negotiate a new IMF programme, as well as carrying out the stringent conditions, he said: “I think there’s some consensus developing in the country overall on some of the things that are required for the economy to turn itself around.”

“So, yeah, I think they can implement these. They’re hard to do for any government, for sure. So, you know, nothing is a given. But yes, I think they can do it.”

Blome denies the assertion that the US assists Pakistan in obtaining IMF bailouts. According to him, the IMF follows the guidelines established by its board. The US is one member of the board, along with many other countries.

“So I think, you know, to the extent some people think it’s somehow manipulated behind the scenes, it’s not. It is a professional staff that is trying to set parameters that will help the countries that are subject to IMF programmes succeed and graduate from them,” he said.

“We’re supportive of the IMF process. We try to help Pakistan find ways to meet the requirements of IMF programmes that Pakistan agrees to,” he said. “It’s a process by which Pakistan negotiates the parameters of the programme and agrees to things that Pakistan thinks it can do, and it’s in Pakistan’s interest to do. So that’s what we want to see and what we want to help with.”

However, according to Blome, the US has taken several steps to assist Pakistan in overcoming its economic difficulties in the past year. It has revived some of its high-level economic dialogue, including a ministerial-level trade dialogue. The US has a robust assistance programme for Pakistan, primarily in the form of technical assistance aimed at helping Pakistan implement policies, regulations, and other measures that are conducive to economic growth.

US-Pakistan Green Alliance Framework: Many of the issues that the US and Pakistan consider to be important are covered within the Green Alliance Framework. This includes Pakistan’s energy transition to renewables, which will be extremely helpful in lowering its need for expensive imported fuels.

The US envoy mentioned smart agriculture, water management, and climate resilience as more crucial areas. Pakistan and the US have been cooperating for a long time in several of these areas. Thus, the new Mangla Dam turbine project was inaugurated last year.

“We’re doing the same at the Tarbela Dam. Hopefully, we’ll be highlighting that soon as well,” he said. “That’s something like 10 percent of the energy production and powering 50 million households in Pakistan over a long period,” he added.

“We had recently helped the energy ministry produce the first open tender for solar power here from Pakistan; we did that through USAID technical assistance.”

He said that the United States is exploring measures to help Pakistan address its fiscal imbalances by enabling it to accelerate and catalyse the energy transition.

There is a huge potential for the two countries’ trade and investment ties to grow. The US, Pakistan’s largest export market, sees enormous potential for boosting two-way trade and investment between the two countries, and it’s been a major priority for me as ambassador, he said.

More than 80 US companies operate in Pakistan right now, making the US one of Pakistan’s leading investors.

“And we saw about $250 million in foreign direct investment from the US alone in FY22. And we want to see more US investment flow into Pakistan,” he said. According to him, several sectors in Pakistan are already quite successful in exporting to the United States.

“I think Pakistan has to find ways to look where it can be competitive in US markets. And I think there are many possibilities,” he said. “Traditionally, of course, this has been focused on textiles and a few other sectors. But the US economy and the level of US imports are enormous, and there’s a huge room for growth, I think, in the trade relationship between our two countries,” he added.

“So we will continue to look for ways to help ensure that Pakistan’s economic stability and Pakistani companies have opportunities in the United States. We’d, frankly, also like to see Pakistanis investing in the United States, just like we do. I’m sure US firms will look for opportunities to invest in Pakistan, as they have in the past,” Blome said.

When it comes to collaborating with the new administration, he would give top emphasis to finding ways to strengthen trade and economic relations between the two countries, he said.

Regarding the Special Investment Facilitation Council, he said that whatever aims to enhance the nation’s investment climate is beneficial.

“So a company that’s interested in trying to diversify its supply chain and find new suppliers, it’s going to have many options... and Pakistan has to have an aggressive approach to trying to attract that investment to Pakistan, as many other countries do.”

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1164637-pakistan-needs-to-stay-committed-to-economic-reforms-blome

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Bilawal backs PTI call for judicial probe into May 9 events

March 05, 2024

ISLAMABAD:

The first formal discussion in the National Assembly on Monday brought attacks on the civil and military institutions, missing cipher, rigging, judicial and electoral reforms in the spotlight with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while endorsing the PTI’s demand of a judicial inquiry into May 9,2023 events questioned former prime minister Imran Khan’s role in the cipher case.

Surprisingly, the PPP chairman, while validating Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s demand of a judicial inquiry into May 9 events, urged newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to approach the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to head the would-be judicial commission so that the perpetrators were punished.

However, the former foreign minister endorsed the demand on the condition if the PTI assured that the decision made by the judicial commission was accepted by all, saying it could not be that the country forgets that its institutions and memorials of martyrs were attacked.

On May 9, PTI-backed workers and supporters allegedly attacked and vandalised state institutions, buildings and military installations after Imran was arrested from the Islamabad High Court premises in a corruption case. Declaring May 9 as ‘black day’, the army said the day would be remembered as a dark chapter as the “group wearing a political cloak” had done what the enemies could not do in 75 years, all “in the lust for power”.

“The politics of the country will not be able to progress until we address this issue,” Bilawal told the National Assembly. Due to this reason, he added, the PPP appeals to the prime minister to approach Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa to head a judicial commission on May 9 so that the perpetrators are punished.

Bilawal, recalling his grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s words that he would take the secrets of the country to his grave but never compromise on the national security, said that Imran Khan himself admitted that he lost a confidential copy of national security document – the cipher – asserting that it amounted to comprising the national security of Pakistan.

Condemning the comparison between Bhutto and Imran, Bilawal said that had Imran himself not accepted it on television that he lost his copy, then one would consider the opposition’s excuse that the responsibility lies solely with the bureaucrats.

“Imran Khan himself admitted that he lost a confidential, national security document of the government of Pakistan, which is encrypted,” Bilawal said, adding that the enemy of Pakistan could crack the code of the country and break into all the other ciphers. “As the prime minister of Pakistan,” he said, “Imran Khan was privy to this.”

Recalling how Imran had said that ‘politics was to be played’ over cipher issue, Bilawal said that the alleged cipher was printed in an international publication the day after Imran Khan’s arrest. “If you think that the people of Pakistan are fool, then you are wrong,” Bilawal said. He said that everyone knew that the alleged copy of the cipher was printed in an international publication for the sake of politics and to make the corruption cases controversial in this manner.

“When such a document is publicised in an international publication,” he said, “it amounts to comprising the national security of Pakistan,” adding that this was condemnable and should be pursued in accordance with the law.

Reminding that everyone should abide by the oath, Bilawal said that “those violating the Constitution should be punished,” adding that “the Constitution was violated when the house was dissolved during the no-confidence motion”.

Responding to the criticism and protest by the PTI-backed lawmakers, Bilawal said that if he was schooled over the Constitution and the democracy by them, all he would say is, “who the hell are you to talk to me?

He continued: “I am the grandson of the man, who accepted being sent to the gallows, but did not compromise on his principles, those who are protesting today have only recently started talking about the democracy and the Constitution. They are in no position to give us a lecture on these matters.”

“The people of Pakistan are sending us the message that they are done with our squabbles. Hence, be it the ‘Charter of National Reconciliation’ or the ‘Charter of Economy’, we have to engage with one another,” Bilawal stressed.

“If the opposition truly represents the people, then it should realise that they [people]are fed up with the crippling inflation and economic difficulties. They have not voted for their representatives to only abuse each other and make needless hue and cry. The people of Pakistan have voted solely for us to save them from the economic quandary,” the PPP chairman asserted.

Bilawal said that the manner in which the members of the house were conducting themselves under the garb of protest during the speeches of the prime minister and the opposition leader, was disappointing. Noting that the opposition leader raised the objection that his speech was not aired on PTV, Bilawal said that this trend, was initiated by Imran Khan, but it should no longer continue and the speeches of the members should be aired live.

In a veiled reference to Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s speech the other day where he demanded that the establishment shouldn’t have any role in politics, Bilawal said that no matter how many resolutions were passed to stop interference in the democratic system, “we cannot attain this motive until politicians do not respect one another and operate within” their constitutional domain. “We should not expect the judiciary and other institutions to work within their constitutional boundaries if we do not respect them ourselves,” he said.

Bilawal said that the PPP did not reach the assembly due to forms 45 and 47, but because of the blood and sweat of the workers of the party. “We can solve most of the country’s issues if we make a system in which everyone agrees to the rules of the game and the code of conduct,” he proposed.

The PPP chairman said that the people of Pakistan “hope for us to derive solutions to their problems, so it is imperative that we carry out” judicial and electoral reforms. “We have not been able to make judicial reforms since the Charter of Democracy, and we would like to invite our fellows from the opposition to sit with us over these two issues,” he said. “If we address these two issues related to the judiciary and the elections, then no power in the world can weaken democracy of Pakistan.”

Meanwhile, PTI-backed lawmaker Asad Qaiser said that that time of fear had passed as the PTI had come out of all situations headstrong, adding that neither his leader Imran Khan nor the party would bow down.

Qaiser also demanded that the Supreme Court constituted a judicial commission on the cipher issue, which led the PTI to claim that its government was ousted on foreign interference. He regretted that cipher was used as the basis for Imran’s conviction and punishment.

Qaiser also demanded a judicial commission to probe allegations of rigging in the general elections. In addition, he vowed to bring everyone together for the Constitution and civilian supremacy as well as for an independent judiciary.

Speaking on the session, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that the prime minister’s election was a sad occasion for democracy, adding that no one had imagined that such a person would be elected.

Gohar, while assailing the PPP and the PML-N for dynastic politics, said that Bilawal had buried his grandfather’s politics. He claimed that Imran brought an end to dynastic politics and was the reason why a worker like himself was appointed as the PTI chairman and standing in the National Assembly.

Source: tribune.com.pk

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Detenue shall not be arrested without cancellation of bail granted by court: LHC

 2024-03-05

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court held that once an accused person has been granted bail, he cannot be arrested by the investigating agency without seeking cancellation of bail granted by the court of competent jurisdiction.

The court passed this order in a petition of Mujtaba Saleem Butt had approached the Lahore High Court for recovery of his son Rashid Hussain Butt who was on bail and police arrested him again after adding new offences in the FIR.

The court declared the arrest of the detenue as illegal and DIG Lahore assured the court to hold inquiry and to take a strict action against delinquent police officials in accordance with the law.

The DIG also assured the court that in future the detenue shall not be arrested without filing an application for cancellation of his bail granted by the sessions court.

The court observed that it underscores the principle that bail, once granted, recognises an individual’s right to freedom and should not be undermined without due process and judicial oversight.

The court observed allowing the police to arrest an accused who has already been granted bail by merely adding new offences to the case, without first seeking the cancellation of the existing bail, would effectively grant law enforcement agencies the unrestricted authority to circumvent judicial orders.

The court observed that the arrest of an individual granted bail by a court of competent jurisdiction, without first seeking the cancellation of said bail on legitimate grounds, is an affront to the procedural safeguards designed to protect against the misuse of state power

To permit law enforcement agencies to nullify this judicial safeguard by the mere expedient of adding charges post hoc is to erode the foundations of our legal system, the court added.

Such a course of action not only flouts the explicit mandates of the law but also infringes upon the accused’s fundamental right to liberty, as enshrined in the Constitution, the court concluded.

Source: brecorder.com

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Cypher case: Omar calls for trial of IK’s ex-military secretary

2024-03-05

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan on Monday called for trial of former prime minister Imran Khan’s military secretary in cypher case.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament House, Ayub, along with the newly elected PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, said that keeping the cypher documents safe was the responsibility of the then-prime minister’s military secretary.

“If the case is to proceed, it should be proceeded against these persons [military secretary],” he added.

Commenting on the PPP chairman’s address in the National Assembly, Ayub said that Bilawal used un-parliamentary words in the house.

“Bilawal does not know the cypher’s mechanism,” he added.

Barrister Gohar slammed the seven-party ruling alliance, saying the coalition itself is nothing but “crises” and added that they could not steer the country out of the crises.

To a question about political stability, he said that the regime will have to release PTI founding chairman Imran Khan along with Pervez Elahi, Dr Yasmeen Rashid, and others languishing in jails in concocted and politically motivated cases.

He said that there will be no political stability in the country unless the political prisoners in the country are released as thousands of PTI workers are either in hiding or in prisons due to fake cases registered against them.

Source: brecorder.com

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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40292001/cypher-case-omar-calls-for-trial-of-iks-ex-military-secretary

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South Asia

 

2011 political violence: BNP leader Hafiz denied bail, sent back to jail

Mar 5, 2024

A Dhaka court today sent BNP leader Major (retd) Md Hafiz Uddin Ahmed back to jail in a 2011 political violence case in which he was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury passed the order after rejecting the bail petition of Major Hafiz, who appeared before the court in a wheelchair.

The court also directed the bail authority to provide him with first class division in jail custody according to the Jail Code.

During today's hearing, Hafiz's lawyer his lawyer Taherul Islam Tauhid said they would file an appeal with the higher court challenging the legality of the sentence, so his client should be granted bail.

On December 28 last year, Major Hafiz, BNP vice-chairman Air Vice Marshal (retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, and six others were jailed for different termsin a case filed over political violence in Dhaka's Gulshan area in 2011.

Altaf, Hafiz and Major (retd) Md Hanif were sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment while five others got 42-month sentences for illegally gathering and torching vehicles.

Among the convicts, Altaf joined the trial proceedings virtually from the jail when the court delivered the verdict.

Major Hafiz and six others were absent without taking any steps through their lawyers on that date.

The magistrate also acquitted 11 other accused as the charges against them were not proven.

During the trial, seven prosecution witnesses testified before the court.

According to the case documents, a group of leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations illegally gathered on the street in front of Mohakhali Wireless Gate Panir Tank area in Gulshan and obstructed police from conducting their duties. They also attacked the law enforcers and vandalised and torched vehicles.

Police filed a case with Gulshan Police Station in connection with the incident.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/2011-political-violence-bnp-leader-hafiz-denied-bail-sent-back-jail-3559316

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Islamic Emirate PM Criticizes World's Treatment of Palestinian People

Nazir Shinwari

March 4, 2024

Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate, criticized the violation of human rights in Palestine while speaking yesterday in a coordination meeting between the institutions of the Islamic Emirate, saying that what the world is doing against the Palestinians is clear oppression.

The prime minister of the Islamic Emirate also said in the meeting at the Arg that the world seeks to discredit Islamic systems.

“Referring to the oppression of the Palestinian people, the Prime Minister said that the world does not see the current oppression of the oppressed Palestinian people and seeks to discredit the Islamic system under the name of human rights,” HamdullahFetrat, the deputy spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, told TOLOnews.

Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund ordered all the officials of government departments in the coordination meeting to treat the visitors well.

At the same time, a number of political analysts consider it important to hold coordination meetings between the officials of the Islamic Emirate's administrations.

"The government should provide services to the people and embrace its nation, because the nation has suffered a lot in the past years," said Yousuf Amin Zari, a political analyst.

Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund also added in the meeting that in this critical time, the protection of the religion of Islam is only on the shoulders of the Islamic Emirate and the

eyes of the Islamic world are also towards the caretaker government of Afghanistan.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-187690

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Afghan Refugees Struggle with Poverty and Unemployment: UNHCR

Fidel Rahmati

March 4, 2024

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that Afghan migrants are facing difficult conditions, poverty, and unemployment, with drought and other natural disasters threatening their lives.

Hyung Jun Hwang, the head of the Asia and Pacific section of the UNHCR, raised this issue during a meeting with Abdul Kabir, the Deputy Political Chief of the Taliban.

On Monday, March 4th, the report said that the meetings of Hyung Jun Hwang, head of the Asia and Pacific section of the UNHCR, and Leonard Zulu, head of this office in Afghanistan, with Abdul Kabir.

The statement said that the head of the Asia and Pacific section of the UNHCR emphasized in the meeting that the organization is committed to solving the problems of Afghan migrants and will continue its assistance.

He said that Afghan migrants are facing difficult conditions, poverty, and unemployment, with drought and other natural disasters also threatening their lives.

According to the statement, the UNHCR official emphasized that in addition to employment opportunities, fundamental assistance should be provided to migrants in areas such as shelter, health, and education.

He stressed the need for both domestic and international institutions to engage in strengthening Afghanistan’s economy and implementing infrastructure projects for employment generation among migrants and the displaced.

The head of the Asia and Pacific section of the UNHCR in refugee affairs reiterated that by presenting their report at the upcoming Geneva meeting on Afghan migrants, they will demand more assistance for them and will share the current situation of Afghanistan.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/afghan-refugees-struggle-with-poverty-and-unemployment-unhcr/

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UN will hold meeting in Kabul to support Afghan farmers

Fidel Rahmati

March 4, 2024

The former Chief of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced the organization of an international conference aimed at attracting financial support for alternative livelihoods for Afghan farmers in Kabul.

The Deputy Economic Advisor to the Acting Prime Minister’s Office, in a newsletter on Monday, March 4, revealed that Pino Arlacchi, the former Chief of the UNODC, raised this issue during a meeting with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

The former Executive Director of the UNODC emphasized that the international community must collaborate with the current administration to facilitate the establishment of alternative poppy cultivation for Afghan farmers.

According to the newsletter from the Deputy Economic Advisor’s office, Arlacchi added that they plan to host an international conference in Kabul shortly to garner international financial support for alternative poppy cultivation for Afghan farmers.

The meeting also discussed the fight against drugs by the interim government and cooperation between Afghanistan and the international community in this regard.

The Deputy Economic Advisor of the interim government stated that a conducive environment for promoting alternative crop cultivation in Afghanistan has been created, and international organizations can collaborate in this regard.

In this meeting, Mullah Baradar stated that the interim government has been seriously combating drug cultivation and trafficking in Afghanistan over the past two and a half years, and the production and trafficking of drugs have now reached zero levels.

He added that thousands of addicts have been rehabilitated, and their treatment has been improved.

According to the Deputy Economic Advisor’s office, Mullah Baradar mentioned that educational programs have been launched to provide job opportunities for rehabilitated addicts.

The efforts discussed in the meeting reflect the ongoing commitment to combat drug cultivation and trafficking in Afghanistan and to provide support and alternative livelihoods for affected communities.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/un-will-hold-meeting-in-kabul-to-support-afghan-farmers/

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IEA Defence Minister Participates at Defence Ministers Meeting in Qatar

 Naweed Samadi

March 4, 2024

The acting Minister of Defence, Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, during his visit to Qatar met with the country's Minister of Defence and Chief of Staff of the Defence Ministry.

This meeting took place in the presence of defence ministers from several other countries.

The acting Minister of Defence and the Chief of Army Staff of the Islamic Emirate, FasihuddinFetrat, travelled on an official visit to Qatar yesterday (Sunday).

Suhail Shaheen said that the acting Defense Minister, in addition to attending the (DIMDEX 2024) exhibition, will meet and converse with Qatari officials and representatives of some other countries invited to the exhibition.

"Mujahid will participate in the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2024) and will also discuss various topics with high-ranking Qatari officials and representatives from other countries participating in the exhibition,” said Shaheen.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said that Qatar has always defended Afghanistan's stance in every situation and is a reliable country for the interim government.

“Qatar has always defended Afghanistan's position and explained the reality of Afghanistan at different times, even before we formally started negotiations with the opposing side. Overall, we can say that Qatar is a trustworthy country for us,” Mujahid told TOLOnews.

Some political analysts said that Qatar is one of the supporters of the Islamic Emirate, and the visit of the acting Minister of Defense to Qatar and his meeting with Qatari officials is significant.

"Qatar has acted as a mediator in the negotiations over the past several years; however, it has been more than mediator to the American side," said Rashid Qutbzada, an international relations analyst.

Earlier, the acting Defense Minister had visited Qatar in 1401 (solar year).

Qatar has not officially recognized the Islamic Emirate but maintains diplomatic relations with the interim Afghan government, and the Islamic Emirate's political office has been active in Doha for years.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-187684

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IEA urges Pakistan’s new government to improve relations with Kabul

March 4, 2024

After Shehbaz Sharif was elected to head Pakistan’s new government, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Monday called on Islamabad to improve relations with Kabul.

IEA’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, expressed hope that with the formation of a new government in Pakistan, the country’s mistreatment of Afghan immigrants will end and political, economic and commercial relations between the two countries will expand.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan stands by Pakistan as a brother country. It is expected from Pakistan that the new government will take good steps in improving the relations between the two countries, especially in the field of trade, immigrants and some other issues that Afghans were already facing. It should adopt a good policy in this regard. It is what we expect and we also hope that the future government will maintain its relations with Afghanistan very responsibly,” Mujahid said.

It is the second time that Shehbaz Sharif has been elected prime minister of Pakistan.

Sharif, 72, won a parliamentary vote for premier, resuming the role he had held until August when parliament was dissolved ahead of last month’s elections. Pakistan has had a caretaker government since.

He was named by his party and coalition allies to head Pakistan, despite his elder brother Nawaz Sharif winning a seat in the assembly and being the favorite to be sworn in again.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have had many ups and downs, and recently, the caretaker government of Pakistan deported hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees, pushing relations between Kabul and Islamabad to a new low.

“With the change of prime ministers and parliaments in Pakistan, no change will occur in Pakistan’s foreign policy, because Pakistan’s foreign policy is provided by the Pakistan Army… Pakistan’s foreign policy towards Afghanistan has always involved violence,” said Khalil Ahmed Nadem, a political expert.

Meanwhile, Pakistani media have reported that talks between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad will resume with the help of the Islamic Emirate.’

Source: ariananews.af

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https://www.ariananews.af/iea-urges-pakistans-new-government-to-improve-relations-with-kabul/

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Southeast Asia

 

Several Enactments Related to Islamic Affairs to Be Amendedto Strengthen the MalaysianIslamic Administration

04-03- 2024

PORT DICKSON: Several state laws will be amended to strengthen the administration of Islamic affairs in the state, said Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz TuankuMunawir

Tuanku Muhriz said this involves the Administration of the Religion of Islam Enactment 2003, the Syariah Court Enactment 2024 and the Islamic Family Law (Negeri Sembilan) Enactment.

“This initiative is expected to enhance the administration of Islamic affairs in the state by expanding the scope and authority of the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Council (MAINS) and facilitating the agency to be more proactive in initiating new initiatives,” the ruler said at the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Briefing 2023 here today.

Tunku Besar Seri MenantiTunku Ali RedhauddinTuanku Muhriz was also in attendance.

Also present were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun and MAINS chairman Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Aziz Sheikh Abdul Kadir.

In the meantime, Tuanku Muhriz stressed that priority must be given to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes to achieve developed nation status, adding that the programmes are crucial in producing the workforce needed by industries to advance the nation.

“I have been informed that MAINS has established collaborative efforts for TVET programmes with several educational institutions for asnaf children to acquire welding, mechatronics, air conditioning and mechanical ventilation skills.

“MAINS’ role in encouraging students to pursue Islamic studies and other fields necessary for the advancement of Muslims is highly commendable,” Tuanku Muhriz said, adding that the council’s move to convert study loans to full scholarships last year benefitted 41 students, involving costs totalling nearly RM1 million.

MAINS has also funded research conducted by higher education institutions to enhance the effectiveness of the administration of its programmes aimed at developing the Muslim community in the state, such as the study on the minimum basic needs based on the current cost of living, said Tuanku Muhriz.

He said the council is also actively carrying out socioeconomic activities such as free-range chicken farming and stingless bee farming and providing body massage training under the MyBeedan Entrepreneur programme to help the asnaf group break out of the cycle of poverty.

The ruler also emphasised that upholding and spreading the principles of Islam requires the effort of all state and federal leaders, urging the people to embrace the values of compassion, harmony and tolerance and avoid disputes.

“All parties must preserve harmony, respect differences, appreciate similarities and love peace,” he added. –Bernama

Source: thesun.my

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Palestine expresses gratitude to Malaysia for support at ICJ hearings

04-03- 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: Palestine has thanked the government and people of Malaysia for their steadfast support for Palestine during the public hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), The Hague.

“On behalf of the Palestinian people, we admire and highly appreciate Malaysia’s message delivered at The Hague,” Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Walid Abu Ali told a news conference at his office here, Monday.

Malaysia, in delivering its oral submission during public hearings over Israel’s actions at the ICJ on Feb 23, stressed that Israel must first cease all of its ongoing violations in Palestine and withdraw immediately from the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who delivered the statement, also listed four core substantive elements of the right to self-determination for the Palestinian people – the rights to territorial integrity, the rights to territorial unity and the protection of its integrity, the rights to permanent sovereignty over natural wealth and resources, and the freedom to pursue economic, social and cultural development.

Malaysia also stressed on the obligation of all states to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and to halt any financial or military support to Israel that aids or assists in the denial of the right to self-determination and the unlawful occupation.

The ambassador also expressed deep concern for Palestinians in Gaza ahead of the Ramadan month, as Israel’s deadly attacks in the besieged enclave continue.

He called for unconditional and immediate ceasefire in Gaza to facilitate humanitarian corridor in delivering urgent aid its people.

However, he was skeptical that the regime will stop their aggression.

“Ramadan important for all Muslims. But it means nothing to all those terrorists in Israel at the moment. Things will never change on the ground regardless Ramadan.

“Israel will continue striking and killing innocent Palestinians,“ he said.

He also slammed far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir for calling to restrict Muslims entry to the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.

Muslims worldwide are set to observe the holy month of Ramadan, marked by fasting from dawn to dusk and dedication to religious activities, starting next week.

At least 30,410 people were killed and over 71,700 others have been wounded in Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza since Oct 7.

The war also caused mass destruction to critical infrastructure and acute shortages of necessities in the besieged enclave. –Bernama

Source: thesun.my

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https://thesun.my/local_news/palestine-expresses-gratitude-to-malaysia-for-support-at-icj-hearings-OF12173850

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Saifuddin: Home Ministry open to streamlining handling of applications under Peaceful Assembly Act

04-03- 2024

IPOH: The Ministry of Home Affairs is open to proposals to streamline police procedures in handling applications for assembly permits under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, said Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (pix).

“The police are responsible for ensuring that the gatherings held do not cause congestion, disrupt premises, places of worship, and strategic locations, besides addressing safety aspects outlined in the relevant Act.

“So the police are doing that, and the organisers feel that it should be made even more convenient. We are open to that,“ he stated during a press conference after the Menyemai Kasih Rakyat Bersama MenyantuniPenghuni Rumah Seri Kenangan programme in Ulu Kinta today.

Former chairman of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), Maria Chin Abdullah, today called on the Ministry of Home Affairs and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain to improve these procedures to ensure people can exercise their rights and freedoms in organising any gathering.

Maria Chin was addressing local media reports concerning the organising committee of the Women’s March Malaysia 2024, criticising the alleged rejection by the police to accept its notice for the event under the provisions of the relevant Act. –Bernama

Source: thesun.my

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Malaysia to continue urging for firm action against Israel’s atrocities in Palestine

04-03- 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia remains committed to urging the global community to take decisive action against the atrocities of the Zionist regime in Palestine, including suspending Israel’s membership from any international organisations it belongs to.

Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin said this is among the proposals that Malaysia will advocate, including on platforms such as the United Nations (UN), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and ASEAN.

“We will continue participating in such actions, as the one taken by South Africa at the ICJ (International Court of Justice). We will express our stance to prompt the ICJ to take decisive action against the inhumane acts of Israel,” he said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (PH-Ledang) who wanted to know whether Malaysia would support efforts to suspend Israel’s membership in world bodies such as the UN, the International Olympic Committee and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).

To Syed Ibrahim’s original question on the government’s further plan and actions regarding the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, Mohamad Alamin said humanitarian missions would continue to be carried out to Gaza through Ops Ihsan.

He said the government would also continue to provide assistance to Palestinians through the Humanitarian Trust Fund for the People of Palestine (AAKRP) to relevant agencies.

“I will depart for Jeddah this afternoon to represent the Foreign Minister at the extraordinary meeting of the OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers to discuss the implementation of agreed matters during the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit in November 2023 regarding Israel’s ongoing aggression in the Gaza Strip and attacks in Rafah,” he said.

Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, in Israel’s deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct 7 last year. The onslaught has also caused mass destruction, displacement of people and famine in the besieged Palestinian enclave. –Bernama

Source: thesun.my

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Africa

 

Ghana: Finance ministry warns country stands to lose $3.8B over controversial anti-LGBTQ bill

04.03.2024

Ghana's finance ministry has warned the country stands to lose a substantial amount of financing from international banks estimated at USD$3.8 billion over the next five to six years should president Nana Akufo-Addo sign a controversial anti-LGBTQ bill.

The impact could adversely affect Ghana’s foreign exchange reserves and exchange rate stability according to the Finance ministry’s statement released Monday.

“The Presidency may have a structured engagement with local conservative forces such as religious bodies and faith-based organisations to communicate the economic implications of the passage of the ‘Anti-LGBTQ’ Bill and to build a stronger coalition and a framework for supporting key development initiative that is likely to be affected” the statement added.

The controversial legislation which prohibits lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activities and criminalises their promotion, advocacy, and funding in the west African nation, was unanimously passed by Parliament last week Wednesday after three years since it was introduced.

If assented to by President Akufo-Addo, the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values (anti-LGBTQ+) bill will among other things, impose sanctions on willful promotion and engaging in LGBTQ activities in Ghana with a minimum sentence of six months and maximum of three years in prison for culprits.

Source: africanews.com

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https://www.africanews.com/2024/03/04/ghana-finance-ministry-warns-country-stands-to-lose-38-billion-over-controversial-anti-lgb//#:~:text=Ghana's%20finance%20ministry%20has%20warned,a%20controversial%20anti%2DLGBTQ%20bill.

Activists and international rights groups have condemned the bill.

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SA says US politicians took negative stance against us after trial of Zionist enemy

[05/March/2024]

PRETORIA March 05. 2024 (Saba) - South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor has said on that some American politicians had taken a very negative stance towards South Africa after the Zionist enemy was tried on charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice.

According to the Palestine Today Agency, Pandor said, on the sidelines of her participation in the Antalya Diplomatic Forum, that “It is completely wrong for the United States to act against South Africa, while we are fighting for a very moral and righteous cause.”

She emphasized that “South Africa struggled against apartheid for many years at a time when white governments were pursuing racist policies.”

Pandor pointed out that there is “an urgent need for the assistance of the international community in her country’s struggle against apartheid,” stressing that “South Africa has been and continues to stand by the Palestinian people and provide them with the necessary support.”

Pandor also pointed out that the Zionist enemy forces violated international law in the Gaza Strip in a very serious manner and that it was necessary to go to the International Court of Justice to try Tel Aviv for its practices.

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3310372.htm

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Ramadan: Gov. Idris harps on 24 hours power supply to Kebbi

March 4, 2024

Favour Lashem

Gov. Nasir Idris of Kebbi, says his administration has stepped-up efforts to ensure 24 hours power supply to the state in forthcoming Holy Month of Ramadan.

Idris made the statement while fielding questions from Newsmen shortly after inspection tour of ongoing projects in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

He revealed that he had already invited the Managing Director, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO) for a round table discussion on how to salvage his people to enjoy 24 hours power supply during Ramadan.

Idris, who expressed dissatisfaction over the electricity challenges being experienced across the state, insisted that he wanted to see improved electricity supply in the Holy Month of Ramadan.

He said: “I have already invited the Managing Director of KAEDCO for a round table discussion on how to put smile on the faces of good people of the state.

“My ambition is to ensure 24 hours of electricity supply, especially in the Holy Month of Ramadan.

“In view of this, I am ready to support the company in any ramification to achieve this objective In-Sha-Allah.”

Idris said that he was looking into the possibility of sustaining the improved supply even after Ramadan period.

He also promised to strive hard to fulfil all his campaign promises of transforming the state to an enviable position, sustain peace and protect peoples’ lives and property.

Idris, however, commended all the contractors handling the ongoing projects in the state for doing good work as well as relevant ministries supervising the projects.

The governor promised to initiate and execute more quality projects that have direct bearing on the lives of the people. (NAN)

Source: newsdiaryonline.com

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Tinubu back in Abuja after two-day trip to Qatar

Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja

March 5, 2024

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday returned to Abuja after a tow-day business trip to Qatar.

The trip was on the invitation of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

President Tinubu was received by senior government officials led by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 6:37pm.

With the vice president were: the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike; All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and Department of State Service (DSS) Director General Yusuf Bichi.

In Doha, the capital of Qatar, the President engaged with the highest authorities, led by Sheikh Al Thani. He also took part in the Nigeria-Qatar Business and Investment Forum.

During the engagement, President Tinubu witnessed the signing of multi-sectoral agreements, having to do with the critical sectors of education, enterprise development, investment promotion, youth empowerment, mining, tourism and sports.

At the business/investment forum, Tinubu spoke to the Qatari business community about the vast investment opportunities available in Nigeria, with an almost unbelievable return on investment, assuring them of his administration’s resolve to make Nigeria the best investors’ destination anywhere in the world.

He had told his audience: “There is nowhere in the world where you will find return on investment at the level of what you will see in Nigeria; a massive market of over 200 million skilled Nigerians, always industrious and ready to work.

“We face some short-term turbulence at the moment, but we have a government today that reflects the dynamism and talent of the Nigerian people. We are implementing the right solutions. This team works collaboratively with each other and our partners. Nigeria is ready for serious business.”’

Source: thenationonlineng.net

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Ugandan foreign minister criticizes international community's failure in resolving Gaza crisis

Gokhan Celiker and Melike Pala 

04.03.2024

Ugandan Foreign Minister Jeje Odongo expressed deep disappointment over the international community's failure in resolving the Gaza crisis.

Speaking to Anadolu at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Odongo expressed his sorrow over “the slaughter, destruction and murder going on” in the besieged enclave. “It is very unfortunate that the world, up to now, has not been able to bring to bear its position, its ideas on the situation in Gaza.”

“I would like to suggest that this failure on the part of the world is very disappointing,” said Odongo, underscoring the importance of "working together" to find a solution to the situation crisis in Gaza.

Expressing concern over the situation in the Gaza Strip, the minister said: “It is sad that human beings are not being treated as human beings. We believe that the world should be able to get the people of Gaza a home of their own. And we believe through doing that we will be able to establish an opportunity for the people of Gaza, the Palestinians and the Israelis to be able to live side by side, each in their home.”

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed 30,534 people and injured 71,920 others with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Increased cooperation between Türkiye, Uganda

Touching on the growing cooperation between Türkiye and Uganda, Odongo said: “First of all, Uganda and Turkey have had very important contacts and connections.”

“Our relations with Turkey … they are growing in terms of political consultation, as well as in terms of business together,” he added.

Describing the significance of Türkiye in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) established to tackle security challenges in Somalia, Odongo said: “When we decided that the important part of the conclusion of that would be to enable the Somalis to develop a capacity to look after their own security. Turkey was the first country to join that effort. And as we speak, we are working together with Turkey, in helping the Somalis to develop capacity to look after their interests.”

Referring to bilateral agreements and evolving diplomatic relations between the two countries, Odongo said: “More and more government officials of Uganda are now coming and meeting their counterparts here in Turkey, in trying to agree on how we can work together in terms of political consultation, in terms of infrastructure development, in terms of economic growth, and in terms of looking forward, how we can be able to assist, specifically using the capacity of Turkey, to assist Uganda and the rest of Africa come out of the challenge of infrastructure and development generally.”

He emphasized the significance of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in sharing the perspective of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) with the rest of the world, saying: “I come from Africa, and being here in Antalya is an opportunity first and foremost for us in Africa to be part and parcel of a discussion on the international agenda.”

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum took place on March 1-3, under the auspices of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and on the initiative of the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

In its third edition, the forum gathered heads of state and governments, ministers, diplomats, business leaders, academics, think-tankers, and youth and media representatives for an all-encompassing debate.

Source: aa.com.tr

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Mozambique to receive support from Algeria in anti-terror fight

04.03.2024

Algeria has pledged that it will support Mozambique in its fight against terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique's news agency AIM reported Monday.

Summarizing a four day working visit to Algeria, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi made the announcement on Sunday.

He said that both delegations spoke of forms of equipping, exchanges of information"; adding that an instrument that will guide cooperation in defence and security”, will be concluded.

While work on the giding document is being moves forward, Nyusi added, the Algerian government has promised immediate support in individual equipment for members of the local militias who are fighting the terrorists alongside the armed forces.

Mozambique's ties with Algeria are decades old. Fighters in the Mozambican independence war received their own training in Algeria in the 1960s.

President Felipe Nuyusi's announcement comes after Mozambique's government confirmed on February 27 that over 60,000 people were driven from their homes by a wave of recent jihadist attacks in the restive north.

The hydrocarbon rich Cabo Delgado province has been facing attacks for six years. Since July 2021 troops from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community are deployed in support of the Mozambican army.

Source: africanews.com

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Arab World

 

Ships entering Yemeni waters must obtain permit, Houthi minister says

MARCH 4, 2024

Ships will have to obtain a permit from Yemen's Houthi-controlled Maritime Affairs Authority before entering Yemeni waters, Houthi Telecommunications Minister Misfer Al-Numair said on Monday.

Houthi militants have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against international commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's offensive in Gaza.

The near-daily attacks have forced firms into long and costly diversions around southern Africa and stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the wider Middle East. The United States and Britain have bombed Houthi targets in response.

The territorial waters affected by the Yemeni order extend halfway out into the 20-km (12-mile) wide Bab al-Mandab Strait, the narrow mouth of the Red Sea through which around 15% of the world's shipping traffic passes on its way to or from the Suez Canal.

"(We) are ready to assist requests for permits and identify ships with the Yemeni Navy, and we confirm this is out of concern for their safety," Al Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement, reported Al-Numair as saying.

Damage caused by Houthi attacks

Hong Kong-based HGC Global Communications said on Monday that at least four underwater communications cables - Asia-Africa-Europe 1, the Europe India Gateway, Seacom and TGN-Gulf - had been damaged last week in the Red Sea, without stating the cause.

It estimated that the damage had affected 25% of the data traffic flowing under the Red Sea, and said in a statement that it had devised a plan to reroute traffic.

Al-Numair's ministry on Saturday blamed US and British attacks for any damage to cables.

In the latest incident, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said on Monday it had received a report that a vessel had been damaged by two explosions, 91 nautical miles southeast of Aden, but there were no casualties and the vessel was proceeding to its next port of call.

‘Source: jpost.com

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https://www.jpost.com/international/article-790239

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Armed Forces Target Israeli Ship and a Number of US Warships

[04/March/2024]

SANA'A March 04. 2024 (Saba) - Triumphing over the oppressed Palestinian people and in retaliation for the American-British aggression against our country.

The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a targeting operation against an Israeli ship “MSC SKY” in the Arabian Sea with a number of suitable naval missiles, and the hit was accurate and direct.

The targeting operation came only hours after carrying out a qualitative operation during which the missile force and unmanned air force launched a number of ballistic missiles and drones at a number of enemy American warships in the Red Sea.

The Yemeni armed forces confirm that they will continue to prevent Israeli navigation or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine until the aggression is stopped and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted, and that they will not hesitate to carry out more military operations in the Red and Arab Seas against all hostile targets in defense of beloved Yemen and in confirmation of support for the oppressed Palestinian people.

Through these two operations, the Yemeni Armed Forces confirm their ability to target warships and non-warships simultaneously, and that their operations are escalating and continuing in the Red and Arab Seas, the Gulf of Aden, and Bab al-Mandab, until the aggression stops and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted.

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3310286.htm

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Shura Council discusses latest developments in national, international arena

[04/March/2024]

SANA'A March 04. 2024 (Saba) - The Presidency of the Shura Council stood in its meeting on Monday, chaired by the Speaker of the Council, Mohammed Hussein Al-Aidarous, in front of the latest developments on the national, regional and international arena.

The Commission appreciated the contents of the weekly speeches of the Leader of the Revolution, Sayyed. Abdul Malik Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi, on the latest developments in the events with the aim of sharpening the enthusiasm of the Yemeni people and raising morale to continue supporting the Palestinian people in the battle of "Al-Aqsa Flood".

The Commission praised the Yemeni masses in various arenas to reject the Zionist aggression and to emphasize support for the options of the revolutionary leadership and the Supreme Political Council in the Red and Arab Sea until the aggression stops and humanitarian aid enters the Gaza Strip.

It strongly condemned the systematic targeting of the Yemeni islands by the UAE occupation forces, the bulldozing of land therein, the plundering of their agricultural and animal wealth, and the burning and uprooting of a number of rare trees in the Socotra archipelago to serve its colonial purposes.

The Commission denounced the mercenaries' lamentation of aggression over what is happening in the Red Sea, especially with regard to the British ship Rubymar, which was targeted by the Yemeni naval forces in support of the oppression of the Palestinian people.

The authority blamed the US-UK aggression coalition for deliberately passing ships loaded with tons of toxic substances threatening the environment in the Red Sea without disclosing them in light of the Yemeni armed forces' procedures.

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3310314.htm

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Al-Musawa discusses rehabilitation project of Zamzam Well in historic Al-Jund Mosque

[04/March/2024]

SANA'A March 04. 2024 (Saba) - A meeting in Taiz province today, Monday, headed by Acting Governor Ahmed Amin Al-Musawa, discussed the rehabilitation project of Zamzam Well in the archaeological and historical Al-Jund Mosque.

The meeting, which included the director of the branch of the General Authority for Antiquities and Museums in Taiz, Bushra Al-Khalidi, touched on aspects related to the launch of the second phase of the project work, which includes rehabilitating the waterways and internal and external waterways of the mosque in professional ways that take into account the archaeological style and returning it to what it was before the innovations and distortions that occurred over time precedent periods.

Al-Musawa directed the leadership of the branch of the General Authority for Antiquities to quickly prepare proposals and specialized studies that would return the mosque with all its facilities to the Authority and remove any developments or distortions that occurred in it and its facilities during previous periods of time.

He stressed the importance of the concerted efforts of the competent authorities in the Antiquities and Endowments Authority and coordination between them to achieve the goal of preserving the historic Moaz bin Jabal Mosque in Al-Jand and returning it to the ancient archaeological style with all its facilities.

The Acting Governor urged the private sector to contribute to the restoration of the archaeological landmark of the province, noting the financing of the Yemeni Oil Company for Zamzam Well rehabilitation project.

Source: saba.ye

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Saudi envoy warns against attempts to remove UNRWA in Gaza

Mar 5, 2024

TEHRAN, Mar. 05 (MNA) – Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the UN Abdulaziz Alwasil has warned against any attempts to remove the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in providing aid to the Gazans.

Alwasil said on Tuesday that his country completely rejects any attempts to remove UNRWA's role in helping Palestinian refugees and the mandate granted to it.

He once again called for all possible measures to stop the war and bring aid into the Gaza Strip.

The Saudi envoy slammed the Zionist regime’s provocative and ongoing campaign against UNRWA and its determination to remove the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza.

Alwasil emphasized the key role of UNRWA in reducing the problems of Palestinian refugees and establishing regional stability.

Source:

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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/212657/Saudi-envoy-warns-against-attempts-to-remove-UNRWA-in-Gaza

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Saudi Arabia launches project to help citizens find jobs in top global organizations

March 05, 2024

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a recruitment platform aimed at helping citizens find jobs in top organizations worldwide.

The Dawli platform was launched on Monday during the LEAP 2024 technology conference in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Announcing the platform, government official Abdulhadi Al-Mansouri said the aim was to ensure citizens gain international experience.

Al-Mansouri thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for initiating and supporting the project.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2471316/saudi-arabia

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Ministry marks milestone of 100 million tourists in advance of Saudi Vision 2030 goals

March 04, 2024

RIYADH — The Ministry of Tourism celebrated a significant milestone, reaching 100 million tourists by the end of 2023, achieving this target seven years ahead of the timeline set by Saudi Vision 2030.

Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb highlighted the achievement, saying: "We facilitated the arrival of tourists from all over the world to Saudi Arabia, reaching over 100 million tourists whose spending exceeded SR250 billion."

Al-Khateeb further expressed the Ministry's heightened ambitions, aiming to welcome 150 million tourists by 2030.

He emphasized the role of tourism as a pivotal sector in the economy, a creator of employment opportunities, and a magnet for sustainable investments and tourists.

The surge in tourism saw more than 106 million domestic and international visitors, marking a 56% increase from 2019 and a 12% rise from 2022.

This growth has significantly bolstered non-oil revenues and job creation.

The achievement has garnered international recognition, with accolades from UN Tourism and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), acknowledging Saudi Arabia's rapid development in the tourism sector.

The celebration, attended by ministers, ambassadors, prominent local and international investors, and tourism experts, underscores Saudi Arabia's emergence as a global tourism destination, in line with the broader objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

Source: saudigazette.com.sa/

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https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/640907/SAUDI-ARABIA/Ministry-marks-milestone-of-100-million-tourists-in-advance-of-Saudi-Vision-2030-goals

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