NEW DELHI: Two suspected militants were killed in a gunfight with government forces in Indian-administered Kashmir, officials said Friday, while assailants killed two members of a government-sponsored militia elsewhere in the disputed region.
The region, divided between India and Pakistan but claimed by both in its entirety, has experienced an increase in violence in recent weeks.
The Indian military said a joint team of soldiers and police raided a village near northwestern Sopore town late Thursday following a tip about the presence of a group of militants.
The militants “fired indiscriminately” at the troops, leading to a gunbattle in which two were killed, the military said in a statement.
Troops were continuing to search the area, it said. There was no independent confirmation of the incident.
Meanwhile, assailants killed two members of a government-run militia called the “Village Defense Group” in the remote southern Kishtwar area late Thursday, officials said.
Police blamed rebels fighting against Indian rule in Kashmir for the killings.
The two were abducted from a forested area where they had gone to graze cattle on Thursday. Their bodies were found late Thursday, police said.
The militia was initially formed in the 1990s as a defense against anti-India insurgents in remote Himalayan villages that government forces could not reach quickly. As the insurgency waned in their areas and as some militia members gained notoriety for brutality and rights violations, the militia was largely disbanded.
However last year, after the killing of seven Hindus in two attacks in a remote mountainous village near the highly militarized Line of Control that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan, authorities revived the militia and began rearming and training thousands of villagers, including some teenagers.
The Kashmir Tigers, which Indian officials say is an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group, claimed responsibility for the killings of the two in a statement on social media. The statement could not be independently verified.
Militants in the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels’ goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.
India insists the Kashmir militancy is “Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.” Pakistan denies the charge, and many Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.
Two separatist militants, two government-run militia members killed in Indian-administered Kashmir
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Two separatist militants, two government-run militia members killed in Indian-administered Kashmir
- Militants in the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989
- Many support rebels’ goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as independent country
William and Kate release romantic image on low-key anniversary
The picture was posted on their official social media accounts with a heart emoji and signed with their initials
LONDON: Prince William and his wife Catherine marked their 14th anniversary by releasing a romantic photograph of themselves on the Scottish island of Mull, as the princess continues her cancer recovery.
The heir to the throne and Catherine, also known as Kate, were pictured looking out to sea on a shoreline with their arms around each other.
The couple were dressed casually in open-necked shirts, jackets and boots, with Catherine showcasing a new light brown hair color.
The picture was posted on their official social media accounts with a heart emoji and signed with their initials.
“Wonderful to be back on the Isle of Mull. Thank you to everyone for such a warm welcome W & C,” it said.
The couple opted for a low-key anniversary celebration including a stay at a self-catering cottage on the secluded west coast island.
They married on April 29, 2011, at London’s Westminster Abbey in a ceremony watched by tens of millions around the world.
During the two-day visit to the islands of Mull and Iona, William and Catherine spent time with members of the local communities “reflecting on the power of social connection and the importance of protecting and championing the natural environment” — two subjects close to both their hearts, according to their Kensington Palace office.
They previously visited Mull when they were students at Scotland’s University of St. Andrews where they met.
The island, Scotland’s fourth-largest, has a population of around 3,000 people, and is known for its fishing and farming communities.
Engagements included a visit to an artisan market in the Mull town of Tobermory and a local croft where they learned about sustainable farming and hospitality.
On Wednesday they joined children and parents at a woodland play group offering den building, nature trails and animal tracking.
The issue of childrens’ early years development has been described as mother-of-three Catherine’s life’s work by aides.
She has also stressed the healing role of nature in her own recovery following a cancer diagnosis last year.
Catherine, whose formal title is Princess of Wales, revealed in January she was “in remission,” having announced in March last year that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of the disease and was undergoing chemotherapy.
She has since returned to frontline public duties but with a slimmed-down schedule and shorter engagements.
Her diagnosis came as William’s father King Charles III also battled cancer for which he is still undergoing treatment.
The royal couple were due to wrap up their trip later Wednesday with a visit by public ferry to the neighboring island of Iona.
Although Iona has a population of only around 170 people it receives around 130,000 visitors a year.
US backs Israel’s ban on UNRWA Gaza aid operations at World Court
- The US said Israel had the right to determine which organizations could provide basic needs to the population of the occupied Palestinian territories
- The UN said in August that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the assault and had been fired
AMSTERDAM: Israel cannot be forced to allow the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA to operate in Gaza, the United States said on Wednesday at a World Court hearing in The Hague.
Israel last year passed a law that banned UNRWA from operating in the country, as it said the organization had employed members of Hamas who took part in the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The UN said in August that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the assault and had been fired. Another Hamas commander, confirmed by UNRWA as one of its employees, was killed in Gaza in October, according to Israel.
The United Nations General Assembly in December asked the UN’s top court to give an advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations to facilitate aid to Palestinians that is delivered by states and international groups, including the United Nations.
At the third day of hearings on the matter, the US said Israel had the right to determine which organizations could provide basic needs to the population of the occupied Palestinian territories.
“An occupational power retains a margin of appreciation concerning which relief schemes to permit,” US State Department legal adviser Joshua Simmons said.
“Even if an organization offering relief is an impartial humanitarian organization, and even if it is a major actor, occupation law does not compel an occupational power to allow and facilitate that specific actor’s relief operations.”
Simmons also stressed the “serious concerns” Israel has about UNRWA’s impartiality.
UN and Palestinian representatives at the opening of hearings on Monday had accused Israel of breaking international law by refusing to let aid into Gaza.
Since March 2, Israel has completely cut off all supplies to the 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip, and food stockpiled during a ceasefire at the start of the year has all but run out.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in Jerusalem on Monday that Israel had submitted its position in writing to the hearings, which he described as a “circus.”
Man charged with ‘terrorism offense’ for Israeli embassy incident: UK police
- Police said they had arrested a suspect attempting to gain unauthorized access to the grounds of the Embassy of Israel
LONDON: UK police charged a man with “a terrorism offense” Wednesday as Israel’s embassy in London said a knifeman had tried to carry out an attack at the site earlier this week.
Police said they had arrested a suspect “attempting to gain unauthorized access to the grounds of the Embassy of Israel” late on Monday.
Officers said they prevented him from entering the grounds of the embassy in southwest London.
Abdullah Sabah Albadri, 33, has been charged with the “preparation of terrorist acts” and two counts of possessing a blade.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Israeli embassy in London said there was “an attempted terror attack from an armed man with a knife who tried to penetrate the embassy.”
“No injuries occurred and all embassy staff and visitors are safe,” it said.
Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “We are not seeking anyone else in connection with this matter and we do not believe there is any wider threat to the public.”
Albadri was to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London later on Wednesday.
Cardinals thank Cardinal Becciu for stepping back from conclave
- The Vatican’s criminal court convicted Cardinal Angelo Becciu in 2023 of embezzlement and other finance-related charges
- Pope Francis in 2020 forced his resignation as head of the Vatican’s saint-making office and forced him to renounce the rights of the cardinalate
VATICAN CITY: Catholic cardinals acknowledged Wednesday the definitive word is still out about the Vatican trial that convicted Cardinal Angelo Becciu of financial crimes, in the latest twist to a drama that has dominated conversations leading up to the May 7 conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor.
Becciu, 76, is the once-powerful Italian cardinal who formally withdrew his participation in the conclave on Tuesday, after days of uncertainty about his status.
The Vatican’s criminal court convicted Becciu in 2023 of embezzlement and other finance-related charges at the end of the so-called “trial of the century.”
But the convictions are being appealed and there are lingering questions about the integrity of the trial, which the College of Cardinals appeared to refer to in a statement Wednesday. As in Italy, convictions in the Vatican criminal court are not considered definitive until all appeals are exhausted.
In their statement Wednesday, the college thanked Becciu for withdrawing and for “contributing to the communion and serenity of the conclave.”
“The Congregation of Cardinals expresses its appreciation for the gesture he has made and hopes that the competent organs of justice will be able to definitively ascertain the facts,” said a statement from the cardinals who are meeting in pre-conclave discussions.
Francis in 2020 forced Becciu’s resignation as head of the Vatican’s saint-making office and forced him to renounce the rights of the cardinalate after receiving allegations of financial misconduct against him.
Becciu denied wrongdoing but said at the time that he wouldn’t be able to vote in a future conclave. After Francis died April 21, Becciu had asserted his right to participate. But he backed down Tuesday after being presented with letters from Francis, penned before his death, saying he couldn’t take part.
Questions around the trial
During the trial, defense lawyers discovered that Francis had secretly issued four decrees during the investigation to benefit prosecutors, allowing them to conduct intercepts and detain suspects without a judge’s warrant. Defense lawyers argued such interference by an absolute monarch in a legal system where the pope exercises supreme legislative, executive and judicial power violated their clients’ fundamental rights and robbed them of a fair trial.
Also during the trial, it emerged that the prosecution’s prime witness against Becciu was coached, threatened and manipulated by outsiders to persuade him to turn on the cardinal.
The tribunal rejected the defense objections at the time and the trial went ahead. But in recent weeks even more evidence has emerged about the outside manipulation of the witness and apparent collusion with Vatican prosecutors and gendarmes to target Becciu. The Domani newspaper has published previously redacted WhatsApp chats and an audio suggesting that Vatican gendarmes and prosecutors were involved indirectly in coaching the witness, Monsignor Alberto Perlasca, to turn on Becciu.
Becciu has responded to the reports with outrage, saying they prove that his prosecution was manipulated from the start.
“From the very first moment I spoke of a machination against me: an investigation built on falsehoods, which five years ago unjustly devastated my life and exposed me to a pillory of worldwide proportions,” he said in a statement April 14, when the first chats were published.
The appeal is scheduled to begin in September.
Bangladeshi music stars prepare to light up the stage in Dammam
- Lineup features heartthrob Imran Mahmudul and rock legend James
- James debuted in Saudi Arabia during last year’s Riyadh Season
DHAKA: Some of Bangladesh’s most popular artists are showcasing their pop culture to an international audience as they headline a cultural festival in Saudi Arabia this week.
Organized by the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority, the month-long event, “Your Passport to the World,” is held in the city of Alkhobar in the Dammam metropolitan area.
The festival, which began April 9, is focused on showcasing the rich cultural heritage of four countries: Sudan, India, the Philippines and Bangladesh.
The last leg of the event, which began Wednesday, features Bangladeshi artists, with the lineup of musicians saying they are ready to put on a spectacular show in the Kingdom.
“I am well-prepared now for the show. As a part of preparation, I have made some new compositions for some of my popular numbers as the audience will listen to my live performance for the first time,” singer and composer Imran Mahmudul told Arab News.
Mahmudul, who will perform in Dammam on Thursday and at another iteration of the festival in Jeddah on May 8, is performing for the second time in Saudi Arabia, after making his debut in 2023 at the Riyadh Season — an annual series of entertainment, cultural, and sporting events running in the Saudi capital throughout winter months.
“That was a hugely good experience for me. More than half a million people enjoyed that show. Half of the audience couldn’t enter into the show as it was fully packed. It’s the biggest concert I have ever performed,” he said. “It’s a nice initiative to showcase Bangladeshi culture for the international audience.”
The 33-year-old heartthrob was looking forward to playing for some of Bangladesh’s 3 million expats who are living and working in the Kingdom.
“Most of the Bangladeshi crowd are very emotional, especially when they find the Bangladeshi stars at their places … Whenever they get the opportunity to experience this kind of show with Bangladeshi stars, they don’t miss it.”
For her first-ever live performance in Saudi Arabia, singer Dilshad Nahar Kona said she is looking forward to putting on a show for fellow Bangladeshis in the Kingdom.
“I am feeling very proud to be a part of this grand event initiated by the Saudi government,” Kona told Arab News.
“With this initiative, I would be able to reach our people (Bangladeshis) in the Kingdom. It’s a big initiative where Bangladesh will be showcased for 3 to 4 days. Definitely, it’s a nice initiative by authorities in the Kingdom.”
Kona said she has been preparing to put on a great show. “We are fully prepared to offer the audience a marvelous show. With my performance, even if I can entertain them for a few moments, that will bring satisfaction in my mind as our efforts are nothing compared to the hard labor of our migrants’ work.”
The concerts will also feature other popular musicians from Bangladesh, including rock legend James, one of the most popular artists performing in Bengali, who has been widely celebrated since the 1990s and who debuted at Riyadh Season last year.
Ahead of the concerts, the Bangladesh expat community has been brimming with enthusiasm.
“I am a great fan of James and Imran. I am very excited to watch the live performances of these Bangladeshi music stars,” Abdul Hannan, a construction worker who lives in Dammam, told Arab News.
“We will join the Bangladesh events all four days as we get this sort of entertainment opportunities here very rarely. It’s kind of a get-together also for all the Bangladeshi migrants who have been living in this part of the Kingdom.”
Salma Hossain, who has been living in Saudi Arabia for the last three years, is planning to make the most of the festival.
“I have been counting the days for this Bangladesh event,” Hossain told Arab News.
“As a Bangladeshi citizen, I feel proud of this event. With the shows, now the people in my neighborhood will come to know that we also have a rich culture and heritage. We also have world-class music stars.”
