Istanbul: Turkish security forces have detained 32 suspects over alleged links with Daesh terrorists who were planning attacks on churches and synagogues as well as the Iraqi embassy, a security source told AFP on Friday.
The Turkish Intelligence Organization (MIT) and police carried out dawn raids in nine cities including Istanbul and the capital Ankara against the group, the source said.
Three of the suspects were allegedly senior members of the extremist group.
The operation foiled the planned attacks on “synagogues and churches in Turkiye” as well the Iraqi embassy in Ankara, the source added.
Over the past months, Turkiye has intensified operations against Daesh jihadists.
Last week, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said police detained 304 suspects in 32 cities allegedly affiliated with the group.
Daesh extremists have carried out a string of attacks on Turkish soil, including against a nightclub in Istanbul in 2017 that left 39 people dead.
Turkiye detains 32 Daesh suspects who planned attacks on churches, synagogues
https://arab.news/neub4
Turkiye detains 32 Daesh suspects who planned attacks on churches, synagogues
- Three of the suspects were allegedly senior members of the extremist group
Egyptian, Turkish FMs discuss Gaza ceasefire, mass graves in Libya
- Ministers warn of a ‘humanitarian disaster’ in war-ravaged Palestinian enclave
- They also discussed the discovery of dozens of bodies in mass graves in the Libyan capital, Tripoli
LONDON: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed developments in Gaza and Libya with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.
The ministers, during a phone call on Sunday, highlighted the urgency of a ceasefire in Gaza and described the situation there as a “humanitarian disaster” amid Israeli attacks and military actions in the area.
They discussed efforts to achieve a ceasefire, secure the release of Israeli hostages and ensure the delivery of humanitarian, medical and shelter aid to the enclave.
Abdelatty and Fidan discussed recent developments in Libya, including the discovery of dozens of bodies in mass graves in the capital, Tripoli.
The Egyptian minister highlighted Cairo’s support for Libya’s unity and integrity, ensuring that Libyans can hold presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously, without interference, as soon as possible, Kuwait News Agency reported.
Abdelatty said that Cairo and Ankara continue to cooperate in the economic, investment and trade sectors, and exchange views on urgent regional matters.
More than 5,000 volunteers support pilgrim healthcare
- The initiative aligns with the goals of the Health Sector Transformation Program and the Pilgrim Experience Program
MAKKAH: More than 5,000 healthcare volunteers are participating in this year’s Hajj season, the Ministry of Health said, as part of efforts to enhance the quality of services for pilgrims.
The initiative aligns with the goals of the Health Sector Transformation Program and the Pilgrim Experience Program, aiming to increase volunteer participation and strengthen their role in serving pilgrims.
Volunteers support healthcare services in three main areas: preventive, curative, and support, the ministry said.
Their efforts cover various locations within the holy sites, including Makkah, Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah, as well as hospitals and healthcare centers.
According to a report, more than 147,000 medical services have been provided to pilgrims so far.
Healthcare data shows that 80,603 pilgrims benefited from primary care centers, while emergency departments received 35,176 cases.
Outpatient clinics treated 7,541 patients, and 5,619 cases were admitted to hospitals, including 2,626 in intensive care.
Additionally, 248 cardiac catheterizations and 18 open-heart surgeries were performed.
Kemi Badenoch says she refuses to speak to women in burqas at constituency surgeries
- ‘I’m not talking to people who are not going to show me their face,’ UK Conservative Party leader tells interviewer
- Badenoch links issue to concerns over integration, pointing to Shariah courts and cousin marriages as ‘more insidious’ challenges
LONDON: The leader of the UK’s Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch has said she asks women to remove face coverings, including burqas, before speaking with them at constituency surgeries, and believes employers should be allowed to ban staff from wearing the garment.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Badenoch said she supported the right of individuals to wear what they liked, but drew a line at face coverings in certain settings.
“If you come into my constituency surgery, you have to remove your face covering, whether it’s a burqa or a balaclava,” she said. “I’m not talking to people who are not going to show me their face.”
Her comments follow renewed debate over the issue after Reform UK’s new member of Parliament, Sarah Pochin, urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to consider a burqa ban similar to those in countries such as France.
Party leader Nigel Farage also backed the call, prompting a backlash from Muslim groups and some within his own party.
Reform’s chairman, Zia Yusuf, briefly resigned after the row, citing exhaustion and racist abuse, but has since returned.
He told The Sunday Times he might support a ban in principle, but said other issues were more urgent.
Yusuf is expected to take on a number of roles within the party, including overseeing local council spending.
Badenoch linked the issue of face coverings to broader concerns over integration, pointing to Shariah courts and cousin marriages as “more insidious” challenges.
“People should be allowed to wear whatever they want, not what their husband or community tells them to wear,” she said.
She also backed the right of organizations to set their own dress codes, saying: “It shouldn’t be something that people should be able to override.”
While employers can impose dress policies, they must meet legal tests of proportionality and legitimacy under equality and human rights law.
Restrictions may be justified on grounds such as health and safety, or the need for clear communication.
The debate echoes comments made in 2006 by then-Labour home secretary Jack Straw, who said he asked women visiting his surgery to remove the burqa to enable more meaningful conversation.
Pakistan to unveil Economic Survey 2024-25 on Monday
- The survey will include details about performance and trends of various sectors in outgoing fiscal year
- The survey will be followed by federal budget, which is expected to lay out targets for macroeconomic stability
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will unveil its Economic Survey 2024-25 tomorrow, Monday, and detail major socio-economic achievements of the outgoing fiscal year, Pakistani state media reported.
The survey will include details about performance and economic trends of various sectors, including agriculture, industry, services, energy, information technology and telecommunications, capital markets, health, education and transport.
Annual trends of major economic indicators regarding inflation, trade and payments, public debt, population, employment, climate change, and social protection will also be part of the survey.
“Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will release the Economic Survey-2024-25 at a ceremony to be held in Islamabad,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
The survey will be followed by the presentation of the national budget. The earlier dates for the announcement of Economic Survey 2024-25 and federal Budget 2025-26 were June 1 and June 2, respectively, but the government extended the dates to June 6 and June 7.
Pakistan is currently bolstered by a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program and is navigating a long path to economic recovery. The country’s annual inflation rate rose to 3.5 percent in May, though its macroeconomic outlook has improved in recent months, supported by a stronger current account balance and increased remittances.
The Pakistani government says it remains committed to maintaining macroeconomic stability, accelerating structural reforms, and ensuring that economic growth translates into real and inclusive progress for all citizens.
Earlier this month, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal announced the government has allocated Rs1 trillion ($3.5 billion) for development projects in the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2025-26.
Restive Indian state orders curfew after fresh violence
- Manipur in India’s northeast has been rocked by periodic clashes between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community
- The latest violence was triggered Saturday after reports of the arrest of five members, including a commander, of Arambai Tenggol, a radical Meitei group
IMPHAL, India: An Indian state riven by ethnic tensions imposed an Internet shutdown and curfew after protesters clashed with security forces over the arrest of some members of a radical group, police said Sunday.
Manipur in India’s northeast has been rocked by periodic clashes for more than two years between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community that have killed more than 250 people.
The latest violence was triggered Saturday after reports of the arrest of five members, including a commander, of Arambai Tenggol, a radical Meitei group.
Incensed mobs demanding their release stormed a police post, set fire to a bus and blocked roads in parts of the state capital Imphal.
Manipur police announced a curfew in five districts, including Imphal West and Bishnupur, due to the “developing law and order situation.”
“Prohibitory orders have been issued by District Magistrates. Citizens are requested to cooperate with the orders,” the police said in a statement.
Arambai Tenggol, which is alleged to have orchestrated the violence against the Kuki community, has also announced a 10-day shutdown in the valley districts.
The state’s home ministry has ordered all Internet and mobile data services in volatile districts to be shut off for five days in order to bring the latest unrest under control.
Internet services were shut down for months in Manipur during the initial outbreak of violence in 2023, which displaced around 60,000 people from their homes according to government figures.
Thousands of the state’s residents are still unable to return home owing to ongoing tensions.
Long-standing tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities revolve around competition for land and public jobs.
Rights activists have accused local leaders of exacerbating ethnic divisions for political gain.
