An Indian state, shaken by weeks of protests demanding justice after the rape and murder of a doctor, passed a law on Tuesday that could lead to the execution of rapists. Protests erupted in West Bengal after the discovery of a 31-year-old doctor’s bloodied body at a state-run hospital in the local capital Kolkata on August 9. The law, passed by the state assembly but yet to be approved by the president, expresses outrage at the chronic issue of violence against women. The new West Bengal law is largely symbolic because India’s criminal code applies uniformly across the country. However, presidential approval…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
Pope Francis and Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar of Indonesia’s Istiqlal Mosque have issued a joint declaration denouncing religiously motivated violence and calling for urgent climate action. This historic agreement, signed in Jakarta, marks a significant moment in interfaith dialogue. During the visit, the Pope and the Grand Imam addressed the misuse of religion to justify violence and urged for interreligious dialogue as a means to resolve conflicts. They also highlighted the environmental crisis as a barrier to peaceful coexistence. The signing took place at the Istiqlal Mosque, a symbol of religious tolerance in Indonesia, and was preceded by a visit…
israeli forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy in the Far’a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, according to reports from the Wafa news agency. The incident occurred after Israeli soldiers reportedly fired multiple shots at the boy, prevented medical personnel from providing assistance, and subjected him to physical abuse. Hamas has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of hindering a ceasefire deal by refusing to withdraw forces from Gaza’s Philadelphi Corridor, a key area near the Gaza-Egypt border. Meanwhile, continued Israeli airstrikes on Gaza resulted in at least 18 Palestinian deaths on Wednesday. Palestinian officials reported that…
JAKARTA: Pope Francis on Wednesday urged political leaders in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, to guard against religious extremism, which he said distorted people’s beliefs through “deception and violence”. On a packed first full day of his longest ever overseas journey that includes nine days in Southeast Asia, where Christians are a small minority, the pontiff also met local Catholics and asked them not to force their faith on others. In a speech to Indonesia’s political leaders, Francis said the Catholic Church would increase its efforts toward inter-religious dialogue in hopes of helping tamp down extremism. “In this way, prejudices…
Coca-Cola and rival PepsiCo. spent hundreds of millions of dollars over decades building demand for their soft drinks in Muslim-majority countries including Egypt to Pakistan Now, both face a challenge from local sodas in those countries due to consumer boycotts that target the globe-straddling brands as symbols of America, and by extension Israel, at a time of war in Gaza. In Egypt, sales of Coke have cratered this year, while local brand V7 exported three times as many bottles of its own cola in the Middle East and the wider region than last year. In Bangladesh, an outcry forced Coca-Cola…
Around 8,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh in recent months, escaping escalating violence in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, according to Bangladeshi officials. The violence has intensified as fighting between Myanmar’s ruling junta and the Arakan Army, a powerful ethnic militia drawn from the Buddhist majority, continues to worsen. “We have information that around 8,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh recently, mostly over the last two months,” said Mohammad Shamsud Douza, a senior official in charge of refugees for the Bangladeshi government. “Bangladesh is already over-burdened and unable to accommodate any more Rohingya,” he told Reuters on Wednesday. The Bangladesh government…
A new study reveals that the world produces 57 million tons of plastic pollution annually, with the majority of it originating from the Global South. Researchers from the University of Leeds found that this pollution contaminates environments from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains and even human bodies. The study focused on plastic that enters the open environment, particularly in regions where waste management is lacking. Cities in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are the largest contributors to plastic pollution, with Lagos, Nigeria, topping the list. India, the biggest single contributor, generates over 10 million tons of plastic pollution…
Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Ankara on Wednesday for Sisi’s first visit to Turkiye, culminating in the signing of 17 cooperation agreements. This visit marks a significant turnaround in relations after a decade of strained ties. The agreements span various sectors, including energy and culture, underscoring a mutual commitment to deepening bilateral relations. Sisi, who met Erdogan in Cairo last February, expressed optimism about the future of Turkiye-Egypt relations. “My first visit to this friendly country is an indication that the relations between the two countries will develop much further,” Sisi said at…
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted more than two dozen African leaders at a banquet in Beijing on Wednesday, kicking off the city’s biggest summit in years with promises of cooperation in infrastructure, energy and education. China, the world’s number two economy, is Africa’s largest trading partner and has sought to tap the continent’s vast troves of natural resources including copper, gold, lithium and rare earth minerals. It has also furnished African countries with billions in loans that have helped build much-needed infrastructure but also sometimes stoked controversy by saddling governments with huge debts. Twenty-five African leaders have arrived in Beijing…
China’s powerlifting team made a commanding start at the Paris Paralympics, with Guo Lingling setting a new world record in the women’s category up to 45 kilorgams. Guo, 35, improved her bench press record from 121kg to 123kg, outperforming Britain’s Zoe Newson, who finished 14kg behind. Guo’s performance was a key contributor to China’s continued lead in the overall medal standings at Paris 2024. In front of an enthusiastic crowd at La Chapelle Arena, Lingling expressed her joy, attributing her success to China’s extensive support for its athletes. “The Chinese government spends a lot of money training people,” she said.…
