TEL AVIV: Yellow ribbons of solidarity with Israel’s Gaza hostages featured alongside colorful performances at Tel Aviv’s drag festival that opened this week, days after a ceasefire brought hope of the captives’ return.
The ceasefire between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas militant group came into effect on Sunday, with the first three hostages released in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners. Some 30 more of the 94 hostages who remain in the enclave are meant to be freed over the next five weeks.
“I think we can continue our lives, we can continue celebrating,” said the show’s host, Kimberly Swan. “But the most important thing right now in our country is to bring our hostages back home.”
The Gaza war was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. It was the country’s deadliest day and the pain it inflicted on Israelis still endures.
“It always feels like something is missing,” said performer Joanna Russ. “Like our brothers and sisters are not next to us.”
Israel’s 15-month offensive in Gaza has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, health authorities there say, and laid waste to the enclave. Israel has faced fierce international criticism, including among artists around the world, for its campaign.
Some performers at the festival in freewheeling Tel Aviv said they hoped to rekindle ties with drag performers abroad. “We are here to say we miss the queens and we hope they don’t have a stigma about us,” performer Nona Chalant said.
Israeli hostages get heartfelt tribute at Tel Aviv drag festival
https://arab.news/4u4p8
Israeli hostages get heartfelt tribute at Tel Aviv drag festival
- “I think we can continue our lives, we can continue celebrating,” said the show’s host, Kimberly Swan
- “But the most important thing right now in our country is to bring our hostages back home“
On remote Bangladeshi island, Rohingya refugees spend another Eid in isolation
- 36,000 Rohingya refugees have been relocated to Bhasan Char island since 2020
- They are not allowed to travel freely to mainland Bangladesh, some 68 km away
DHAKA: While Muslims around the world travel to their hometowns to be with family for Eid Al-Fitr, thousands of Rohingya refugees are marking the end of Ramadan on a remote Bangladeshi island, unable to even see their relatives in nearby refugee camps on the mainland.
Ajhida Begum, who lives on the Bhasan Char island with her husband and six children, is one of its first inhabitants. This year, she will mark her fourth Eid there.
“I really miss my relatives. While I can’t be with them physically, I make phone calls, both video and audio, and it’s the only way to maintain our bonds, especially during Eid Al-Fitr,” she told Arab News.
“Visiting friends and relatives, gossiping, and sharing special food with my parents and siblings on Eid are moments I always remember. I deeply miss these moments on Eid day.”
Begum is one of nearly 36,000 Rohingya refugees relocated to Bhasan Char by the Bangladeshi government since 2020.
Authorities aim to eventually move up to 100,000 Rohingya to the island to take pressure off Cox’s Bazar district, where more than 1.3 million refugees are cramped inside 33 camps, where they have limited access to job opportunities and education.
Bhasan Char offered a promise of better livelihoods, but the 52 sq. km island was originally a sandbar that emerged in the early 2000s. Vegetation is scarce and even fresh water supplies depend entirely on man-made systems.
“Life in Bhasan Char is very difficult and challenging, as sources of income for daily living are extremely limited here,” Begum said.
“I couldn’t arrange anything special for Eid this year. I borrowed some money from my neighbors to prepare a few dishes for my children. I’ve made vermicelli and chicken curry for them. Having a sweet dish on Eid morning is our tradition, and with the vermicelli, I’m trying to keep that tradition alive. That’s the only special thing I could manage for this Eid.”
Like most of those living on the island, she has not been able to visit her relatives since moving there.
Rohingya in Bhasan Char are not allowed to travel freely and require special permission to do so. There are no regular public transport services to the island, which is located some 68 km off the coast of mainland Bangladesh.
Molowi Abdul Jalil, who lives in Bhasan Char with his wife and children, is waiting for the moment to reunite with his family — not only in Cox’s Bazar but also in Myanmar.
“The things I most want to do with them are visiting our village and praying at the graves of my mother, father and relatives. I haven’t had the chance to do that since being forcibly displaced from our birthplace in Rakhine,” he said.
A mostly Muslim ethnic minority, the Rohingya have lived for centuries in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state but were stripped of their citizenship in the 1980s and have faced systemic persecution ever since.
In 2017 alone, some 750,000 of them crossed to neighboring Bangladesh, fleeing a deadly crackdown by Myanmar’s military, which the UN has been referring to as a textbook case of ethnic cleansing.
A father of two daughters and three sons, Jalil is in touch with his relatives through video and audio calls.
“I sadly miss visiting my relatives from door-to-door and the warm embraces we used to share,” he said.
“Celebrating Eid in complete isolation without friends and extended family is not really a celebration at all.”
But what living on the island offered was safety and better conditions than in the squalid camps of Cox’s Bazar.
“The security situation here is better. It’s less chaotic. Our children can enjoy a better environment with enough space to roam around,” he said.
“Livelihood opportunities are very limited, just as they are in the Cox’s Bazar ... Somehow, I was able to buy new clothes for my children. I couldn’t afford any for myself, but I am still grateful that Allah, the Almighty, helped me provide new clothes for the kids.”
Monira Begum, a young mother who spent most of her adult life in Bangladesh and moved to Bhasan Char when she was 20, is still not accustomed to the island.
“It breaks my heart when I think of preparing for Eid Al-Fitr on this island ... Nothing gives me hope for my life here. It’s a completely isolated existence, as we are not allowed to leave the island without prior permission from the authorities,” she said.
“I have already observed Eid four times on this harsh island. I can’t even imagine how it would be to celebrate Eid with my family in the Cox’s Bazar camp ... I remember when we used to share food, visit homes, and feel the warmth of hugging.”
Global Champions Arabians Tour returns to Riyadh for fourth stage of the 2025 Europe and Middle East Series
- World’s premier Arabian horse series moves to new home at Jump Saudi Arena
RIYADH: Following three stages in Ajman, Doha and Muscat, the Global Champions Arabians Tour makes its return to Riyadh for the fourth stage of the Europe and Middle series — the final stop in the Middle East and the pivotal halfway point of this eight-stage 2025 tour.
With a new home at the purpose-built Jump Saudi Arena, spectators can expect to see close to 250 of the region’s finest Arabian horses competing for a place in the overall rankings and a share of the record-breaking prize money.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Nasser Al-Thani, deputy CEO of the tour, said: “We’re thrilled to be returning to Riyadh following a very successful final stage of the 2024 tour. The Saudis are very passionate about the Arabian horse, bringing high levels of excitement and an electric atmosphere to the tour. We expect high numbers of Saudi-bred horses and welcome the chance to see new competitors in the GCAT arena.”
As with each stage of the tour, the Riyadh event is set to feature local and international retailers and a cultural village with a host of family entertainment. While the contents of the closing ceremony remain under wraps, if the first three stages are anything to go by, Riyadh will be impressive.
The event runs from the April 9-12 and will be open to the public with free admission via the booking link, while hospitality packages are also available.
Eight soldiers, civilian killed in separate attacks in Pakistan — police
- Last year was the deadliest year in almost a decade in Pakistan, with more than 1,600 people killed in militant attacks
- Nearly half of them were security forces personnel, according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies
PESHAWAR: At least eight soldiers and a civilian were killed in western Pakistan on Friday in separate attacks along the border with Afghanistan, where violence has erupted in recent months, police told AFP.
Seven soldiers were killed in a security operation against “armed Taliban” in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a police source said on Saturday.
“Fighters hiding in a house fired on security forces,” the source said.
The army deployed combat helicopters during the hours-long fight, killing eight Taliban fighters, while six other soldiers were wounded, the source said.
A blast from a bomb planted by separatists on a motorbike also killed a soldier and a civilian further south in Balochistan, police officer Mohsin Ali told AFP.
The area was the scene of a spectacular attack last month when militants held hundreds of train passengers hostage and killed dozens of off-duty soldiers.
Three soldiers and a civilian were also wounded in the blast that took place as a military vehicle drove through Gwadar district, a sensitive area that hosts substantial Chinese infrastructure.
More than 190 people, mostly soldiers, have been killed in attacks since the start of the year by armed groups fighting the government in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to an AFP tally.
The Pakistani Taliban — known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — announced in mid-March a “spring campaign” against security forces.
Last year was the deadliest year in almost a decade in Pakistan, with more than 1,600 people killed in attacks — nearly half of them security forces personnel — according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies.
The violence is largely limited to Pakistan’s border regions with Afghanistan.
Pakistan PM’s aide meets UN chief, stresses need to oppose proposals for expulsion of Palestinians
- The development comes more than a month after the US president, Israeli PM remarked about relocation of Palestinians to Egypt, Jordan or other countries
- Their remarks were rejected by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and other Muslim nations apart from being condemned by international rights groups
ISLAMABAD: Tariq Fatemi, a special assistant to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has stressed the need to oppose any proposals for the expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland, Pakistan’s mission at the United Nations (UN) said on Saturday, following Fatemi’s meeting with Secretary-General António Guterres.
During his meeting, Fatemi briefed the UN secretary-general about Pakistan’s priorities during its term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council that began last month, according to the Pakistani mission.
He reaffirmed Islamabad’s strong support for the UN’s central role in addressing global challenges, including those related to peace and security, development and climate change.
“SAPM [special assistant to the prime minister] said that the world community should call upon Israel to end its brutal campaign of violence and terror against the hapless Palestinians,” the Pakistani mission said in a statement.
“[He] stressed the need for strongly opposing proposals for the expulsion of the Palestinians from their homeland.”
The development comes more than a month after remarks by United States (US) President Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu about the relocation of Palestinians to Egypt, Jordan or other countries, which were rejected by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and other nations apart from being condemned by international rights groups.
Palestinian territory – encompassing the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem – has been occupied by Israel since 1967. Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has consistently called for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”
During the meeting, Fatemi also underscored Pakistan’s longstanding commitment to adherence to the principles of the UN Charter, including UN peacekeeping efforts, according to the Pakistani mission.
“Secretary-General Guterres thanked the SAPM for Pakistan’s active engagement at the United Nations and its role in maintaining international peace and security through its contribution toward UN Peacekeeping,” the Pakistani mission added.
Turkiye opposition calls mass rally in Istanbul
- Imamoglu’s detention on March 19 has prompted a repressive government response that has been sharply condemned by rights groups and drawn criticism from abroad.
- The protests over his arrest quickly spread across Turkiye, with vast crowds joining mass nightly rallies outside Istanbul City Hall
Istanbul: Protesters were to join a mass rally in Istanbul Saturday at the call of Turkiye’s main opposition CHP over the jailing of the city’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a top figure in the party whose arrest has sparked 10 days of the country’s biggest street demonstrations in a decade.
Imamoglu’s detention on March 19 has also prompted a repressive government response that has been sharply condemned by rights groups and drawn criticism from abroad.
The rally, which begins at 0900 GMT in Maltepe on the Asian side of Istanbul, is the first such CHP-led gathering since Tuesday and comes on the eve of the Eid Al-Fitr celebration marking the end of Ramadan, which starts Sunday.
Widely seen as the only Turkish politician capable of challenging President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the ballot box, Imamoglu was elected as the CHP’s candidate for the 2028 presidential race on the day he was jailed.
“Imamoglu’s candidacy for president is the beginning of a journey that will guarantee justice and the nation’s sovereignty. Let’s go to Maltepe.. and start our march to power together!” CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said on X.
The protests over his arrest quickly spread across Turkiye, with vast crowds joining mass nightly rallies outside Istanbul City Hall called by the CHP, that often degenerated into running battles with riot police.
Although the last such rally was Tuesday, student groups have kept up their own protests, most of them masked despite a police crackdown that has seen nearly 2,000 people arrested.
Among them were 20 minors who were arrested between March 22-25, of whom seven remained in custody, the Istanbul Bar Association said Friday.
In Istanbul, at least 511 students were detained, many in predawn raids, of whom 275 were jailed, lawyer Ferhat Guzel told AFP, while admitting that the number was “probably much higher.”
The authorities have also cracked down on media coverage, arresting 13 Turkish journalists in five days, deporting a BBC correspondent and arresting a Swedish reporter who flew into Istanbul to cover the unrest.
Although 11 journalists were freed Thursday, among them AFP photographer Yasin Akgul, two more were detained on Friday as was Imamoglu’s lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan, who was later granted conditional release.
Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, who flew into Turkiye on Thursday to cover the demonstrations, was jailed on Friday, his employer Dagens ETC told AFP, saying it was not immediately clear what the charges were.
’Accusations 100 percent false’
Unconfirmed reports in the Turkish media said Medin was being held for “insulting the president” and belonging to a “terror organization.”
“I know that these accusations are false, 100 percent false,” Dagens ETC’s editor-in-chief Andreas Gustavsson wrote on X account.
In a post on social media, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said Stockholm was taking his arrest “seriously.”
Turkish authorities held BBC journalist Mark Lowen for 17 hours on Wednesday before deporting him on the grounds he posed “a threat to public order,” the broadcaster said.
Turkiye’s communications directorate put his deportation down to “a lack of accreditation.”
Baris Altintas, co-director of MLSA, the legal NGO helping many of the detainees, told AFP the authorities “seem to be very determined on limiting coverage of the protests.
“As such, we fear that the crackdown on the press will not only continue but also increase.”
