Middle East

Official: Islamic Jihad has deep-seated, strategic relations with Iran

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A high-ranking member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement has commended his group’s relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, terming the ties as “deep-seated and strategic.”

Ihsan Ataya, a senior member of the political bureau of Islamic Jihad, said on Thursday that the Gaza-based group’s relationship with Iran, Syria and the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement guarantees its military prowess and stronger performance.

“Islamic Jihad aligns with any party that stands up against the Zionist regime and the United States,” he said, emphasizing that his movement is prepared to “pay any cost” for the final goal of liberating the occupied Palestinian territories.

Ataya went on to describe the Islamic Jihad as a beacon of hope on the path towards liberating Palestine, highlighting that the occupying Tel Aviv regime is not the worst enemy of the Palestinian nation, but rather a broad coalition led by Washington.

“The Zionist enemy exiled a number of Jihad commanders to Lebanon, but we were able to develop the movement in Beirut and Damascus,” he said.

The senior Islamic Jihad official pointed out that Zionists usurped Palestinian lands through mass killings, stressing that the Israeli regime is plundering the entire resources of the region.

“We cannot forge relations with the United States as Washington and Tel Aviv are two sides of the same coin,” Ataya pointed.

Back on June 19, the Islamic Jihad chief hailed Iran’s unwavering support for Palestinians, insisting that the Islamic Republic remains the sole nation across the globe to openly advocate for Palestine and the anti-Israeli resistance.

Iran “dares to declare that it supports the Palestinian people and Palestinian resistance. No other country in the world takes such a stance so explicitly,” said Islamic Jihad’s Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhaleh during an interview with the Tehran-based and Arabic-language al-Alam television news network.

Nakhaleh, who led a Palestinian delegation to Iran, also pointed to a meeting in Tehran between senior officials of the Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad resistance movements and the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution’s Guards Corps (IRGC) as “a testament to Tehran’s support for the Palestinian resistance factions” that also “highlights [persisting] strong ties between Islamic Jihad, Hamas and the Islamic Republic.”

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"Canada Harbours Extremist Elements, Have Told US": S Jaishankar

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'Canada Harbours Extremist Elements, Have Told US': S Jaishankar

Mr Jaishankar spoke of a “permissive Canadian attitude” towards terrorists and extremists.

New Delhi:

In another attack on Canada, which was dubbed a safe haven for terrorists by the Centre last week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that the country harbours extremist elements and that India has conveyed its concerns in this regard to the United States. 

The comments come amid the simmering row between India and Canada, which was sparked when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had claimed last week that “Indian government agents” were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June. 

The minister made the comments in response to a question during a discussion at a think tank in Washington, DC, on Friday.

“The Canadian Prime Minister made some allegations, initially privately and then publicly, and our response to him, both in private and public, was that what he was alleging was not consistent with our policy. And that if he or his government had anything relevant and specific that they would like us to look into, we were open to looking at it. That’s where that conversation is at this point of time,” he said.

Ramping up his attack on the Canadian government, the minister said, “Then it became dormant but, in the last few years, it has come back into play because of what we consider to be a very permissive Canadian attitude towards terrorists, extremists, people who openly advocate violence. And they have been given operating space in Canada because of the compulsions of Canadian politics.” 

“For Americans, perhaps, Canada looks very different but it depends where the shoe pinches. For us it has certainly been a country where organised crime from India mixed with trafficking in people, mixed with secessionism, violence, terrorism – it’s a very toxic combination of issues and people who have found operating space there. So, a lot of our tensions with Canada, which well preceded what Mr Trudeau said, actually come out of that,” he added.

Hyderabad

RPO Hyderabad organises cleanliness drive

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The Regional Passport Office, Hyderabad is organising a cleanliness drive in and around RPO, Hyderabad.

Published Date – 08:32 PM, Fri – 29 September 23


RPO Hyderabad organises cleanliness drive



Hyderabad: The Regional Passport Office, Hyderabad is organising a cleanliness drive in and around RPO, Hyderabad, building premises on Sunday as part of Government of India’s Swachhata Hi Sewa campaign.

In this drive, all officials of Regional Passport Office, Protector of Emigrants Office and MEA Branch Secretariat and general public would be taking part from 10 am. The RPO, Hyderabad in a statement requested citizens to join the drive at 9.30 am on Sunday at its Secunderabad office premises near Prashant Theatre for Shramdaan.

Middle East

Iran proposes to Saudi Arabia for visa cancellation

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A ceremony was held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia to celebrate World Tourism Day, and Maryam Jalali, deputy Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, on behalf of Ezzatollah Zarghami, the minister, attended the ceremony.

On the sidelines of this ceremony, the deputy Iranian tourism minister held separate meetings with participating officials from Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan.

In the meeting with Sultan Al Musallam, Deputy Minister of International Affairs at Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism, Jalali proposed the formation of a working group to cancel visas between the two nations.

Jalali said after the meeting with the Saudi official that “I conveyed the message of minister Ezzatollah Zarghami … to the Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia to Sultan Al Musallam. Also, in the message, the high official of the Saudi Ministry was invited to visit Iran, and it was decided to make the necessary planning and coordination.”

KI/5898423

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Loni house explosion: Two more succumb, death toll now five

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The death toll from a house explosion in Loni area here rose to five after two more people succumbed during treatment, police said on Friday.

Published Date – 08:19 PM, Fri – 29 September 23


Loni house explosion: Two more succumb, death toll now five



Ghaziabad: The death toll from a house explosion in Loni area here rose to five after two more people succumbed during treatment, police said on Friday.

Imran (16), Aleena (12) and Alisha (10) were killed in the September 23 incident that happened in a two-storey house near Roopnagar colony, they said.

Of the injured, Mehwish (40) died in the GTB Hospital on Tuesday while Geeta (27), of Delhi’s Karwal Colony, succumbed on Thursday, ACP (Loni) Rajneesh Upadhyay said on Friday.

The other injured — Shaista (40), Norrie (18) and Fardeen (18) — are in critical condition and undergoing treatment at the hospital, police said.

After the blast, a special drive was launched following the orders of Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra to unearth the illegal firecracker units which are being run without licence.

The ACP said at the time of the explosion, workers were making illegal firecrackers in the factory of Sharik.

He got an order from utensils trader Vikas Goel of Farukhnagar town, who was supplying firecrackers to shopkeepers of Delhi’s Sadar Bazar, Upadhyay said.

Apart from this Goel was supplying explosives and other raw material to Arshad for making firecrackers in Loni, he said.

Sharik and Vikas Goel were arrested on September 25, the ACP said.

Meanwhile, DCP rural Vivek Chand Yadav had earlier said house owner Shakeel had rented out his house to Sharik in which daily wage labourers were making firecrackers.

As per the statement of the victim’s family member, a cooking gas cylinder exploded while they were cooking food at around 11.30 am in their house on Saturday.

The neighbours told the police that the house which collapsed was used for making illegal firecrackers.

Hyderabad

Indrakaran Reddy unveils developmental initiatives in Sirpur (T) constituency

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Reddy laid foundation stone to a high-level bridge across Wardha river at Gundayipet village in Koutala mandal to be created spending Rs 75 crore.

Published Date – 08:15 PM, Fri – 29 September 23


Indrakaran Reddy unveils developmental initiatives in Sirpur (T) constituency



Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Forest Minister Allola Indrakaran Reddy toured in Sirpur (T) Assembly constituency and inaugurated multiple developmental programmes on Friday. He was joined by MLC Dande Vittal and local MLA Koneru Konappa.

Reddy laid foundation stone to a high-level bridge across Wardha river at Gundayipet village in Koutala mandal to be created spending Rs 75 crore. He inaugurated bridges in Chintakunta, Shivapur and Pathatlaguda villages in Kaghaznagar mandal.

He also laid foundation stone to a road between Bareguda and Karjelli, a 133 KV power substation at Ravindranagar and high-level bridge across a stream near Dimbda village in Chintalamanepalli mandal. The estimated cost of the road was Rs 1.95 crore, while the bridge was going to be built costing Rs 3 crore. The bridge will end woes of Dimda in crossing the stream in the monsoon.

Meanwhile, the minister welcomed around 1,000 activists of both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) into Bharat Rashtra Samithi from several parts of the segment at a programme held in Koutala mandal centre. He said that people were backing Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for implementing innovative welfare schemes and for developing the State like never before.

World

Taliban close down local radio station in Dykundi province in Afghanistan

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The radio station, ‘Sadai Banowan’ was Afghanistan’s sole women-run station, broadcasting for 10 years. ‘Sadai Banowan’ translates to “women’s voice” in Dari. Six of the eight employees in the radio station were females.

Published Date – 07:57 PM, Fri – 29 September 23


Taliban close down local radio station in Dykundi province in Afghanistan



Kabul: Taliban has forcefully shut down a local radio station named ‘Nasim Radio’ in the central province of Dykundi. They have also arrested the station’s director and two reporters, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.

The Taliban forces on Wednesday confiscated the equipment and personal gadgets of employees, including mobile phones and voice recorders, before sealing the gate of the media outlet’s premises, according to the report.

On the occasion of Universal Access to Information Day on Thursday, Afghanistan’s Journalists Centre condemned the closure of Radio Nasim. It termed the Taliban’s action an increased pressure and further restrictions on independent media in Afghanistan.

In a press release, Afghanistan’s Journalists Center said that three employees who were detained by Taliban’s intelligence forces from the media outlet, Radio Nasim, were released after five hours, Khaama Press reported.

The Afghan Journalists Center has urged the Taliban to allow the reopening of the radio station at the earliest and to refrain from hindering the free operation of the media outlet and its staff, according to Khaama Press.

According to local sources in Dykundi province, the intelligence forces of the Taliban carried out raids at Radio Nasim’s office and detained Sultan Ali Javadi, the chief editor, along with two reporters. Taliban also sealed the gate of the media outlet.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Supporting Independent Media (NAI) organisation also released a statement, stating that the systematic restrictions on access to information have made the future of journalism in Afghanistan uncertain

It raised concerns regarding challenges like limited access to information, lack of job security, and physical violence against journalists and media personnel, the Khaama Press said. Reports have indicated that some journalists continue to remain imprisoned under the rule of the Taliban.

Earlier in April, a women-run radio station in northeast Afghanistan was shut down for playing music during the fasting month of Ramzan, Al Jazeera reported.

The radio station, ‘Sadai Banowan’ was Afghanistan’s sole women-run station, broadcasting for 10 years. ‘Sadai Banowan’ translates to “women’s voice” in Dari. Six of the eight employees in the radio station were females.

Moezuddin Ahmadi, the provincial director for information and culture, said, “If this radio station accepts the policy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and guarantees that it will not repeat such a thing again, we will allow it to operate again,” reported Al Jazeera.

Najia Sorosh, the station’s manager, refuted the Taliban’s allegations that the radio station had violated laws and regulations and said that the closure was an elaborate plot. According to Al Jazeera report, she said the Taliban “told us that you have broadcast music. We have not broadcast any kind of music.”

Business

Meesho to begin festive season sale from October 6-Telangana Today

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‘Meesho Mega Blockbuster Sale’ is the company’s first festive sale where over 400 brands will sell their products either directly or through their authorised partner on the platform’s digital store ‘Meesho Mall’.

Published Date – 07:53 PM, Fri – 29 September 23


Meesho to begin festive season sale from October 6



New Delhi: Softbank backed e-commerce firm Meesho said on Friday that it will begin its festive season sale on October 6, a day before Flipkart and Amazon festive sale goes live.

‘Meesho Mega Blockbuster Sale’ is the company’s first festive sale where over 400 brands will sell their products either directly or through their authorised partner on the platform’s digital store ‘Meesho Mall’.

“The Meesho Mega Blockbuster Sale, beginning on October 6, aims to fulfil the festive shopping aspirations of billions of Indians,” Meesho, Chief Experience Officer, Growth, Megha Agwarwal, said in a statement.

The company claims to have onboarded 2 lakh new sellers for the festive season sale, which takes the total count to 14 lakh — almost equal to the number of sellers as on e-commerce major Flipkart.

“With over 14 lakh sellers and 12 crore product listings across 30 categories, Meesho aims to ensure that customers across India have a plethora of affordable options to choose from this festive season,” the statement said.

Flipkart’s nine-day annual festive season sale, The Big Billion Days (TBBD), goes live on October 8 and will provide early access to paid users a day earlier.

Flipkart’s competitor Amazon India will also start its festive season sale “Great Indian Festival” at the same time with early access to paid members.

Snapdeal has also announced the launch of the first sale of the festive season, ‘Toofani Sale – Festive Dhamaka’, from October 8-15.

Meesho said sellers registered on its platform are projected to hire over three lakh seasonal workers as part of their requirements for the festive season, who will assist them in manufacturing, packaging, and sorting.

The company said it is working closely with sellers to build capabilities such as demand forecasting and inventory management.

“Compared to last year, categories such as personal care and beauty, home and kitchen as well as electronic accessories are expected to grow about 100 per cent on a year-on-year basis,” the company said.

A recent report by the market research firm Redseer Strategy Consultants projects online sales during the upcoming festive season to grow 18-20 per cent and touch Rs 90,000 crore this year.

Top News

Iran launches 2nd phase of project to bring water from Sea of Oman to Isfahan

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Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi supervises the progress in a water transfer project in the central province of Isfahan on September 29, 2023. (Photo by IRNA)

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has visited the central province of Isfahan and launched the second phase of a large-scale national project that transfers water from the Sea of ​​Oman to the drought-prone province.

Raeisi arrived in Isfahan on Friday and was briefed upon arrival by the provincial officials, contractors and workers on the latest stages of progress in the implementation of the 980-kilometer water supply project.

“Reports indicate that the implementation period of this project has whittled down to a third,” the Iranian chief executive said, stressing that water supply is a very important issue as it can help promote agriculture and industry in Isfahan Province.

“This project has gained further momentum and 50% of it has been completed so far, and on the whole, we are witnessing the implementation of a very good and valuable work,” Raeisi added.

Expressing his gratitude to the entire personnel and staff involved in the major project, Raeisi then ordered the launch of the second phase of the water transfer scheme from the Sea of Oman to the central Iranian province.

The project was initiated in September last year, transferring 70 million cubic meters of water to Isfahan in the first stage and 400 million other in the next stage.

The length of the water transfer route from the Sea of Oman to Isfahan is 980 kilometers, of which 520 km has been completed, 420 km has been excavated and 214 km has been laid with pipes.

Photo taken on September 29, 2023, shows pipes ready for installation as President Raeisi pays a visit to a project that is set to bring water from the Sea of Oman to the central Iranian Province of Isfahan. (by president.ir)

The water supply project is part of a plan to revive Isfahan’s Zayandeh Rud River and provide water for drinking, agriculture and local industries.

Iran faces a race against time to tackle its serious water shortage challenge as water depletion in the country is one of the highest in the world, with studies expecting a 25 percent decline in surface water runoff by 2030.

The Iranian authorities have been toiling away at various projects to resolve the crisis, including schemes that economize on water consumption in the industrial field and state-of-the-art seawater desalination plans.

Hyderabad

Centre requested to enhance subsistence allowance for fishermen during fishing ban period

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Pittala Ravinder, Chairman of Telangana State Fishermen Cooperative Federation, urged Union Fisheries Minister Parshottam Rupala to double the subsistence allowance for fishermen during the 45-day fishing ban from Rs 4,500 to Rs 9,000 per fisherman.

Published Date – 07:41 PM, Fri – 29 September 23


Centre requested to enhance subsistence allowance for fishermen during fishing ban period



Hyderabad: Telangana State Fishermen Cooperative Federation chairman Pittala Ravinder on Friday urged union Fisheries Minister Parshottam Rupala to enhance the subsistence allowance for during the 45-day nation-wide fishing ban from the current Rs 4,500 to Rs 9,000 per fisherman. He also requested for the establishment of a regional unit of the Center for Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) in Hyderabad, to conduct research on surface water resources, with the State government’s support.

Ravinder called upon union Fisheries Minister Parshottam Rupala and gave him a representation urging to provide necessary assistance to the State government in advancing fisheries development in Telangana, during the latter’s two-day visit to Hyderabad here. The discussion centered around the PMMSY Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme, overseen by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB).

The Federation chairman urged the union Minister to allocate at least 50 per cent of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), for welfare of traditional fishermen. He also requested that the State-level fishermen federations be directly involved in selecting the PMMSY beneficiaries and recommending applications. He sought a 60 per cent subsidy to be provided to selected fisheries cooperative societies and their members under the scheme.

He called for the construction of retail fish markets across the entire State, with 100 per cent subsidy funding to boost fish consumption in Telangana. He sought the Centre’s financial assistance to replace traditional rafts and putties with solar-powered motorboats for fishermen operating in Telangana’s reservoirs. He also appealed for the formulation and implementation of a special regulatory law to protect fishermen engaged in surface water resource occupations nation-wide while promoting comprehensive fisheries sector development.