23-10-2025

Month: November 2022

Indian man burns himself to death in anti-Hindi protest

NEW DELHI: An octogenarian man burned himself to death in southern India in protest at what he called New Delhi’s attempts to impose nationwide usage of Hindi, a language mostly spoken in the north, police said on Sunday.

Language is an emotive issue in India where hundreds of languages and dialects are spoken, but English serves as the main official medium while state governments use regional languages.

According to the most recent census in 2011, fewer than half of Indian citizens speak Hindi — just under 44 percent.

But last month a group of parliamentarians headed by the powerful interior minister Amit Shah reportedly recommended making Hindi the national official language, including for technical education such as medicine and engineering.

Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken of a “slave mentality” around the use of English, and promoted the use of Indian languages. But opponents accuse his government of attempting to impose Hindi, causing particular anger in the south.

Most southern Indian languages are Dravidian, a completely different language family to the Indo-European group which includes Hindi. MV Thangavel, 85, a farmer in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, doused himself in petrol and kerosene and set himself alight, police said.

Deadly landslide claims 7 lives on Italian island

A wave of mud and debris crashed through the small town of Casamicciola Terme on Saturday morning, engulfing at least one house and sweeping cars down to the sea, local media and emergency services said.

A first tranche of two million euros ($2 million) of relief funds was released at the end of an emergency cabinet meeting which declared the state of emergency, said Minister for Civil Protection Nello Musumeci.

Italian media reported that four bodies had been found by Sunday afternoon, with an official toll to be provided in the evening by the prefect of Naples Claudio Palomba.Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi had earlier warned there were people trapped in the mud, saying it was a “very serious” situation.

Complicated rescue mission

More than 200 rescuers were still searching for around 10 missing people, while hundreds of volunteers, up to their knees in mud, were busy cleaning the town’s streets. The rescue effort had been hampered by rain and high winds, which also delayed ferries bringing reinforcements from the mainland.

“It’s a situation that hurts us, if only for the people who disappeared under the mountain. Here it’s an island and even if we don’t really know everyone, it’s almost that,” Salvatore Lorini, 45, said.

“The mountain came down, there was devastation of shops, cars, hotels and that was already happening nine years ago. Now I am cleaning my mother-in-law’s shop,” he said.

Heavy rain sent torrents of mud through the streets of Casamicciola Terme, a spa resort of 8,000 inhabitants on the north of Ischia, a lush island near Capri that is thronged with tourists in summer.

The UK government is “scared” of allowing a Scottish independence referendum because it knows it will lose, the SNP’s deputy leader has said.

Keith Brown made the claim after the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that a vote could not be held without consent from Westminster.

Nicola Sturgeon has said the SNP will now use the next general election as a de facto independence referendum.

The Conservatives and Labour have rejected that idea.

They argue that general elections are fought on a range of issues and not just the constitution.

 

Scottish Conservative Party chairman Craig Hoy has also accused Ms Sturgeon of “behaving more like an ultra-nationalist than the first minister” by describing the independence cause as a fight for democracy.

Speaking to BBC Scotland’s The Sunday Show, Keith Brown said the Yes movement would hit “new heights” following the Supreme Court ruling.

Mr Brown said: “I think they know they’re going to lose this, that’s why they are doing everything they can to twist democracy, to refuse the opportunity for the people of Scotland, because they know they’re going to lose.”

‘Proper route’

He also talked down dissolving Holyrood and using the subsequent election as a de facto referendum, which had been suggested by SNP MP Angus MacNeil.

To force a Holyrood election, two-thirds of MSPs would have to vote in favour or the post of first minister would have to be vacant for 28 days.

Mr Brown added: “We do want to have a referendum next year, and we could do that still if the UK government just agreed to the proper route they’ve agreed in the past.

“That’s the reasonable way to do it, that’s the democratic way to do it.”

First Minister Ms Sturgeon has said she is willing to speak to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about the possibility of a Section 30 order which would grant Holyrood the necessary powers to stage a vote.

The SNP won 45% of the votes in Scotland at the last general election in 2019 while winning 48 of the 59 seats.

Recent opinion polls have suggested that the country is essentially split down the middle on the independence question, but with a very narrow majority in favour of staying in the UK.

Following the Supreme Court’s verdict, the SNP are keen to stress that the questions should be for the UK government – about how exactly ministers in London propose the constitutional issue be settled.

But they are facing plenty themselves about their strategy going forward, given Nicola Sturgeon had already mooted a contingency plan for a “de facto referendum”.

The first minister is keen to capitalise on the court verdict as a political moment, but equally has pushed decisions on key details into next year.

That’s because her party needs to strike a balance between securing the necessary process, and the larger principle of winning voters over to independence.

Any wildly radical action might be a turn-off to the undecided or unconvinced voters that they really need to cement a majority.

That’s why any talk of collapsing the government at Holyrood and forcing a snap Scottish election is not being seriously entertained.

Any plan needs to look and sound credible if it is to have any hope of actually delivering independence. Ms Sturgeon will be thinking very carefully about the detail of her next move.

PM Shehbaz asks Turkish investors to expand footprint in renewable energy

ISTANBUL: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday called on the Turkish conglomerates to invest in Pakistan’s renewable energy sector as the power-deficient country was in dire need of sustainable sources.

“Turkiye investors are invited to build a solar park that could generate around 10,000 megawatts of energy for the country,” he said speaking to Turkish businessmen at the Pakistan-Turkiye business council meeting in Istanbul.

He said Pakistan paid $27 billion in energy imports in the last fiscal year (2021-22).

“This is an unsustainable amount hence we decided to slash the energy import bill. We rolled out our vision of creating 10,000 MW solar power scheme in Pakistan.”

“We will fulfil this vision with investment from Turkiye, China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE,” he said.

He invited Turkish companies to tap the immense trade potential between the two brotherly countries, which he said should also be reflected in bilateral trade and business.

He reassured Turkish investors that Pakistan would provide a hassle-less and red-tape-free environment to Turkish investors.

“His government would no longer tolerate any snags and impediments in the way of investment from foreign investors including the Turkish brothers,” the PM said addressing a Turkiye-Pakistan Business Council meeting.

He said during his meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he was informed that more Turkish companies were eager to come to Pakistan.

The PM said it was regrettable that in the past regime the Turkish companies that invested in Pakistan were not paid their dues on time. Similar was the case with the Turkish airlines operating in Pakistan, h added.

PM Sharif said such lethargy and red tape were unacceptable to his government and the people of Pakistan as they had benefited from the Turkish investment and support.

“I want to convey this message to all through you that we are brothers and family and will not tolerate such snags and impediments which hurt our ties,” he said, reassured that his government would remove all the issues and address their genuine issues.

He said to further promote their bilateral trade and business relations, work on the ‘Trade and Goods Agreement’ between the two brotherly countries would be expedited.

He said that they had signed an MoU to enhance the bilateral trade volume up to $5 billion in the next three years.

Turkiye’s annual trade stood at around $250 billion dollars and the trade of goods between Pakistan and Turkiye was hovering around one and a half billion dollars which were peanuts considering the immense potential, he added.

The prime minister stressed that such a scenario did not reflect their exemplary brotherly ties and stressed fully exploring the indefinite potential on both sides.

He said they should make efforts to double this trade volume in the next three years with strong commitment and sincerity of purpose as ‘only hard work and untiring efforts would be key to a wonderful success story.

Local body elections underway in Azad Kashmir after 31 years

MUZAFFARABAD: After 31 years, the first phase of the local government elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is underway.

The polling is taking in three districts of Muzaffarabad Division — Neelum Valley, Jhelum Valley and Muzaffarabad. It will take place till 5pm.

About 2,725 candidates are contesting for 614 local body seats. The candidates include 31 women.

Meanwhile, 19 candidates have already been elected as councillors unopposed.

About 1,223 polling stations and booths have been established for the elections which include 397 for males, 387 for females and 530 joint stations.

The candidates include 575 from the PTI, 465 from the PML-N, 545 from the PPP, 113 from All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, 67 from TLP, 46 from JI while 900 are independent candidates.

PM Shehbaz highlights potential of Pakistan-Turkey cooperation alternate energy

ISTANBUL: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Friday highlighting the huge potential in the field of alternate energy in Pakistan and Turkey, called for both countries to join hands for the production of solar, wind and hydel energy to cut the carbon emission and open up new avenues of investment cooperation.

The premier along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Friday launched the third of the four MILGEM Corvette Ships for the Pakistan Navy, PNS Khyber, at the Istanbul Shipyard.

PM Shehbaz, while addressing the launching ceremony, said that the launch of the ship manifested deep bilateral engagement between the two countries in defence cooperation.

The premier further emphasised that it was high time the two countries transformed their ties into a strategic partnership as the world was “envious” of the relationship between two brotherly countries.

On his arrival at the venue, the Turkish president welcomed the prime minister who was accompanied by a high-level delegation.

The prime minister was given a guard of honour as the national anthems of both countries were also played.

The MILGEM project, based on joint collaboration between the two countries, represents a significant milestone in the Pakistan-Türkiye strategic partnership that continues to progress on an upward trajectory.

The launching ceremony for the first Corvette for the Pakistan Navy, PNS Babur, was performed in Istanbul in August 2021 while the groundbreaking for the Second Ship, PNS Badr, was held in Karachi in May 2022.

He said while supporting the Turkish people, our forefathers never knew that Turkey would stand by Pakistan through thick and thin and on all international platforms instead, they had done so out of their religious brotherhood.

Appreciating the “visionary leadership” of President Erdogan, the premier said he had transformed Turkiye into a modern society. He also spoke highly of the social welfare projects executed by the Turkish government even in far-flung areas besides transforming the agriculture and industrial sectors.

The prime minister also urged the defence experts from both sides to enhance their defence production capacity with a view to strengthening cooperation for peace in the region.

He appreciated the role of President Erdogan in brokering a deal between Russia and Ukraine for wheat export for the benefit of developing countries like Pakistan.

PM Shehbaz told the gathering that Pakistan was recently hit by one of the most devastating floods and within no time, Turkiye sent 13 goods trains carrying 72,000 tons of humanitarian goods and 15 Turkey military aircraft carrying food, tent, medicines and medical teams.

Turkiye to launch homegrown fighter jet in 2023

In his address, President Erdogan said Turkiye had achieved great things in the field of defence cooperation.

He told the gathering that four corvettes were being produced under MILGEM project — two locally and two in Pakistan. The final ship will be delivered in February 2025, he added.

The Turkish president said his government would carry Turkiye to first place in the world’s defence industry super league as the country was expanding its domestic naval and air military projects. In 2023, Turkiye’s new homegrown drone and fighter jet will be launched, he added.

‘Launch of third MILGEM manifest strong defence collaboration’

Earlier, Pakistani Minister for Defence Production Israr Tareen said the launch of the third MILGEM manifested brotherhood and strong defence collaboration.

He appreciated the Turkish Navy and Istanbul Shipyard for ensuring the project’s completion within the timeframe.

He told the audience that Pakistan was blessed with immense resources and ongoing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was set to enhance regional connectivity and maximize trade with Gwadar Port being a focal point.

‘Pakistan and Turkiye enjoy long-lasting ties’

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi said the presence of PM Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Erdogan signified the importance of the close relations between the two countries.

He said Pakistan and Turkiye enjoyed long-lasting and deep-rooted ties resting firmly on trust and support based on the principles.

He said the induction of the MILGEM ship would strengthen the Pakistan Navy and acknowledged the commitment by the Turkish ministry of defence and the Turkish Navy for completing the project timely.

Calling Turkiye his “second home” the prime minister recalled the support extended by the people of Pakistan at the time when Turkiye was fighting for freedom.

Pakistan offers cooperation to Turkiye over terrorism

Addressing a joint press conference flanked by Turkish President Erdogan, PM Shehbaz expressed his condolences over the martyrdom of Turkish citizens at the hands of terrorists.

“May Allah almighty grant a place in Jannah to all of them,” prayed the prime minister.

He maintained that Pakistan stands by the people of Turkiye and “brother Tayyip Erdogan” in this hour of grief.

“We have also gone through these tragedies. The people of Pakistan have also paid a huge price — very valuable lives — thousands of people laid their lives to defeat terrorism. So we can fully understand the feelings of brother President Tayyip Erdogan and the people of Turkiye.”

He said, “We would like to offer whatever we have and join hands to beat terrorism of all shade and colours and wipe them out from not only the face of Turkiye and Pakistan but from the face of the earth.”

Pakistan and Turkiye are on the same page against terrorism, he added.

General Nadeem Raza bids farewell to Joint Staff Headquarters

RAWALPINDI: Outgoing Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Nadeem Raza’s farewell to arms ceremony was held at the Joint Staff Headquarters on Friday, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

According to the military’s media wing, General Nadeem Raza is retiring on November 26 after 41 years of illustrious military service. The farewell ceremony was attended by former CJCSC’s and senior officers of the tri-services.

In the farewell address, General Raza thanked Allah Almighty for enabling him to discharge his duties to the best of his abilities with honesty, justice and dignity.

He applauded the sacrifices rendered by the armed forces in defending the motherland, said the ISPR.

The outgoing CJCSC reiterated that defence of the country is impregnable and gallant soldiers will not hesitate in making it even more formidable.

A smartly turned out tri-services contingent presented guard of honour to the chairman joint chiefs of staff committee on arrival at the venue.

Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza appointed as new CJCSC

Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza will take over from Gen Raza after his appointment.

A day earlier, uncertainty surrounding key appointments in the military ended after President Arif Alvi signed the summary and approved the appointment of General Asim Munir as the next chief of army staff and Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC).

“President Dr Arif Alvi has promoted Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza HI(M) to the rank of General with immediate effect and appointed him as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee with effect from 27th November 2022. The President promoted Lieutenant General Syed Asim Munir HI(M) to the rank of General with immediate effect and appointed him as Chief of Army Staff with effect from 29th November 2022,” said a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat.

It added that the promotions and appointments have been made under article 243(4) (a) and (b) and Article 48(1) of the Constitution of the Pakistan. Both the articles are to be read with Sections 8-A and 8-D of the Pakistan Army Act 1952.

In this regard, the President has signed the summary received in his office.

Both — Gen Munir and General Mirza — met PM Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi, separately, after the confirmation of their appointment as the new chief of army staff and joint chief of staff committee.

In 2002, Narendra Modi taught a lesson to ‘anti-social elements’ in Gujarat, says Amit Shah

“They tried to create a problem for [Prime Minister] Narendra Bhai [Modi], but he taught them such a lesson that they have not dared to do anything till 2022,” Shah said, while addressing an election rally in Mahudha town of Kheda district. “The BJP government has established peace in Gujarat.”

Large-scale communal violence had erupted in Gujarat in February and March 2002 after the burning of a train coach carrying Hindu devotees in Godhra. Official figures say the riots resulted in the deaths of 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus.

In a video of the Mahudha rally, Shah makes the comment in Gujarati about the 2002 violence after the 16 minute 25 second-mark.

 

At the rally, Shah also alleged that the Congress incited voters of different religions and castes to clash among each other to bolster its electoral prospects

“During the Congress rule in Gujarat [before 1995], communal riots were rampant,” Shah claimed, according to PTI. “Through such riots, Congress had strengthened its vote bank and did injustice to a large section of the society.”

Assembly polls in Gujarat will be held in two phases on December 1 and December 5 while the results will be declared on December 8 along with the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

This story was originally published on Scroll.in and has been reproduced here with permission.

Turkish threats leave Syrian Kurds in fear for iconic city

“Daesh destroyed these buildings,” the local baker said, using an acronym for the militant Islamic State (IS) group.

That danger has passed, but now, he says: “Turkiye wants to destroy the rest of the city.”

Since Sunday, Turkiye has carried out air strikes against the semi-autonomous Kurdish zones in north and north-eastern Syria, and across the border in Iraq.

Those raids, which started in Kobane, have killed 58 Kurdish fighters and Syrian soldiers as well as a Kurdish journalist, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Ankara has threatened a ground offensive and made clear that Kobane, also known as Ayn Al Arab, would be a primary objective.

US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), now the Kurds’ de facto army in the area, led the battle that dislodged IS fighters from the last scraps of their Syrian territory in 2019.

Years before, in 2015, Kurdish forces drove the militants from Kobane, on the border with Turkiye and the city became a symbol of their victory against IS.

To keep the memories of the combat alive, Kurdish authorities erected a cordon around a group of destroyed buildings, burnt-out vehicles and missile remnants, dubbing the area the Kobane “museum”.

‘People don’t sleep at night’

While the football World Cup in Qatar has captured some residents’ attention, tension can be read on their faces.

Most fled the combat with IS before slowly returning and rebuilding.

“We fought IS for the whole world, and today the world closes its eyes and acts like an ostrich while Turkiye bombs,” said baker Khalil, 42. One week after a bombing in Istanbul on Nov 13 that killed six people and wounded 81, Ankara said it launched air strikes from “70 planes and drones” against Kurdish bases in Iraq and Syria, starting with Kobane. Turkiye blamed the Istanbul bombing on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) — designated a terrorist group by the European Union and the United States — and said it was ordered from Kobane.

The PKK has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, and Turkiye alleges that Syrian Kurdish fighters are the group’s allies. Kurdish groups denied any involvement in the Ankara blast.

Turkiye then hit other areas, including the SDF bastion of Hasakeh province, in the northeast, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed Tuesday that Turkey would “soon” begin a ground operation.

Azerbaijan says no talks with Armenia if Macron attends

Azerbaijan accuses France of backing Armenia in the two countries’ decades-long conflict over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Aliyev said he would not meet Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Brussels on Dec 7 because the Armenian leader demanded that Macron attend the talks.

Pashinyan “agreed to the meeting only on condition” that Macron take part, Aliyev told an international conference in Baku. “That means the meeting will not take place.”

He accused Pashinyan of attempting to “scupper the peace talks”. Last month Macron and European Council President Charles Michel attended a meeting between Aliyev and Pashinyan in Prague.

On Friday, the Armenian foreign ministry said the meeting in Brussels should have the “same” format.

With Moscow increasingly isolated on the world stage following its February invasion of Ukraine, the EU and the United States have taken a leading role in mediating the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks.

On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted Moscow was “continuing its work on facilitating” talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars — in 2020 and in the 1990s — over Azerbaijan’s Armenian-populated region of Nagorno Karabakh.

‘Unacceptable’

The six-week war in 2020 claimed the lives of more than 6,500 troops from both sides and ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire.

The two countries have recently begun working on a peace treaty under the mediation of the European Union and the United States. Last month, President Aliyev denounced as “unacceptable and biased” a comment from Macron that “Azerbaijan launched a terrible war, with many deaths, (and) atrocious scenes”.

Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said at the time Baku was “forced to reconsider France’s role in mediating” the peace talks.

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