‘Don’t want anything, just hand over my daughter’s body’: Victim’s father outside blast-hit Nagpur factory
Sahare’s daughter Aarti (22) was among the nine people who were killed in the blast that took place on Sunday morning at the Solar Industries in Bazaargaon area, about 35 km from there. She was his family’s only earning member.
France condemns killing of its worker in Israeli strike in Gaza’s Rafah
The killing comes as French top diplomat Catherine Colonna in Israel to appeal for truce and lasting peace. The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has condemned the Israeli bombing of a residential building in Rafah that killed one of its staff in a region previously declared a safe zone. “France condemns this bombing of a residential building which caused the death of many other civilians. We demand that all light be shed by the Israeli authorities on the circumstances of this bombing, as quickly as possible,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The house was hit on Wednesday evening, killing the employee and 10 others who had been sheltering with colleagues and their family members in the residential location. The employee had been working with the French government in Gaza since 2002, and some of his family members had already been evacuated from Gaza, the ministry said, offering condolences. The ministry statement is released at a time when external pressure on Israel is increasing due to its “indiscriminate” bombing raids in Gaza. More than 80 percent of the nearly 19,000 Palestinians killed are said to be civilians. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Sunday pressed for an “immediate and durable” truce in the Gaza war, adding Paris is “deeply concerned” over the situation in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. “Too many civilians are being killed,” Colonna said during remarks in Tel Aviv with her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, as Israel presses on with its offensive after the October 7 attacks that has sent tensions spiralling across the region. The foreign minister also condemned the October 7 attack by Hamas and plans to meet with the families of the Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip. At least 1,140 people, most of them civilians, were killed in the Hamas attack and 240 were taken captive. Dozens of them were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners as part of a truce deal late last month. Colonna also plans to pursue an agreement with her Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki in the occupied West Bank during her trip. Shortly before her arrival in Israel, Colonna condemned increasing attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. “Since October 7, unfortunately, some settlers, driven by their ideological blindness… have committed crimes” against Palestinians, she said, adding that “these settlers must be punished”. More than 290 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since October 7, according to the territory’s Ministry of Health. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Nonsense’: Putin rejects Biden claim that Russia plans to attack NATO
The Russian president says Moscow has ‘no interest … to fight with NATO countries’. The Russian president has dismissed the United States’s claims that Moscow could attack a NATO country in the future as “complete nonsense”, saying such a conflict would run counter to his country’s interests. Vladimir Putin made the statement in an interview with Russian state TV on Sunday, weeks after US President Joe Biden warned that if Putin achieved victory in Ukraine, he might be emboldened to attack a NATO ally, sparking a third world war. “It is complete nonsense – and I think President Biden understands that,” Putin told state television channel Rossiya. “Russia has no reason, no interest – no geopolitical interest, neither economic, political nor military – to fight with NATO countries.” Putin added that Biden may be trying to stoke such fears to justify his “erroneous policy” in the region. US-Russia relations have sunk to their lowest level in decades since Moscow invaded neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022. Throughout the 22-month war, the US has provided Ukraine with $111bn in weapons, equipment, and other aid, helping the Ukrainians fend off Russia’s advance and regain some territory. Biden favours sending even more support to war-torn Ukraine, which is running short on supplies as it grinds to a bloody winter stalemate. He has asked US Congress to approve $61.4bn in support for Ukraine as part of a larger $110bn package that includes more funds for Israel and other issues. However, there is waning appetite in the Congress for the lingering war. Some Republican lawmakers have blocked the aid package, demanding the White House first take action on border security. Biden on December 12 said right-wing lawmakers’ refusal to approve the package also risked handing President Putin a “Christmas gift” of victory. “Putin is banking on the United States failing to deliver for Ukraine,” Biden said during a news conference with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “We must … prove him wrong.” Presidents Zelenskyy, left, and Biden shake hands in the White House, Washington, DC, December 12 [Mandel Ngan/AFP] Tensions with Finland While Putin dismissed the prospect of a direct NATO feud, he did address tensions with neighbouring Finland since it joined the alliance. Finland, which became a NATO member in April, on Friday shut down its entire eastern border with Russia, which it accuses of orchestrating a migrant crisis on its border. Putin said he would respond to the deteriorating ties by opening up a military zone in its northwest. “They [the West] dragged Finland into NATO. Did we have any disputes with them? All disputes, including territorial ones in the mid-20th century, have long been solved,” Putin said. “There were no problems there. Now there will be [problems] because we will create the Leningrad military district and concentrate a certain amount of military units there.” Adblock test (Why?)
A tale of two Rumis – of the East and of the West
Jalaluddin Mohammad Rumi’s spiritual poems and perpetual wisdom have transcended time and cultures. Seven hundred and fifty years after his death, the celebrated Persian thinker remains a best-selling poet in the West, revered as an Islamic dervish in the East, while his sagacious thoughts rule the internet. When he died on December 17, 1273, aged 66, the streets of Konya, in present-day Turkey, were filled with mourners from multiple creeds and nations, reflective of the cosmopolitan society that lived in 13th century Anatolia – it was a time when the cross-cultural exchange of ideas and arts prospered. At his funeral, his followers, who also included Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians, each recited from their own scriptures. This year too, on Sunday, the man posthumously known by his nisbah (a name indicating one’s origins) Rumi, will be honoured by his followers on Sheb-i Arus – meaning wedding night in both Persian and Turkish. And it would be in the spirit of the Persian poet’s call: “Our death is our wedding with eternity.” From the British capital, London, to California in the United States, to Konya, his murids or devotees, will gather in whirls of motion and emotion, remembering his own elegiac eulogy: “When you see my corpse is being carried,Don’t cry for my leaving,I’m not leaving,I’m arriving at eternal love.” – Rumi (translated by Muhammad Ali Mojaradi) Mevlana Rumi’s tomb in Konya is a point of pilgrimage for millions of devotees and tourists each year [Creative Commons] Who is Rumi in the east? Rumi is believed to have been born in the early thirteenth century in Balkh (now in Afghanistan), though some say his place of birth was in Central Asia. At the time of his birth (1207), the Persianate Empire spanned from India in the east and as far west as Greece, with many staking a claim to the man who would become more popularly known as Rumi, reflecting the region where he would settle – the Sultanate of Rum, also known as Anatolia. In the eastern world, Rumi’s name is often preceded by the honorific title Mevlana or Maulana (meaning our master), showing just how respected he is as an Islamic scholar and Sufi saint. To state his name without this title in some circles would receive tut-tutting and be considered disrespectful. “Like any historical figure who spans cultures, he has taken on a life of his own,” explained Muhammad Ali Mojaradi, a Persian scholar based in Kuwait. He said people tend to project their own understanding and bias when engaging with historical texts, including Rumi’s. “I have heard that Rumi is a staunchly orthodox Sunni Muslim, others say he is a closeted Zoroastrian, or a deviant Sufi, or someone who is too enlightened to subscribe to a religion. Some consider him a Tajik, a Khurasani, others a Persian, or Iranian, some are adamant that he is Turkish. These are more indicative of our biases than the real Rumi.” During his life, his identity was intrinsically linked to his faith. “I am the servant of the Quran, for as long as I have a soul.I am the dust on the road of Muhammad, the Chosen One.If someone interprets my words in any other way,That person I deplore, and I deplore his words.” – Rumi (translated by Muhammad Ali Mojaradi) Rumi was an Islamic scholar, following in a long line, and taught Sharia or Islamic law. He would also practise Tasawwuf, more popularly known as Sufism in the West. It is a way of understanding and drawing closer to God through the purification of the inner self, reflecting and remembering God through meditative chants, songs and sometimes even dance. Other thinkers and poets of his time included Ibn Arabi, the Andalusian philosopher and Fariddudin Attar, the Persian author of the Mantiq-ut-Tayr (Conference of the Birds). Islam’s openness to discussion and debate at this time would allow the poetry and arts to thrive, influencing the works of other Persian poets like Hafez and Omar Khayyam. Whirling dervishes perform outside the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, this year to mark the 750th anniversary of the death of Mevlana Rumi [Khalil Hamra/AP Photo] What did Rumi become known for? After completing his theological education in Syria’s Aleppo, Rumi went to Konya where he met a wandering dervish, named Shams-i-Tabriz, who left a lasting impact on the Islamic scholar. Barka Blue, founder of a spiritual arts movement, the Rumi Centre, in California, said Tabriz would transform Rumi, and lead to his “spiritual awakening”. Rumi penned his magnum opus, the Masnavi, a 50,000-line poem, written in rhyming couplets and quatrains about a lifelong yearning in search of God. It would become the most famed of his works. Other notable works include Fihi Ma Fihi and Divan-i Shams-i Tabrizi – a collection of poems written in honour of his spiritual mentor. “It [Masnavi] was actually called the ‘Quran in Persian’, indicating that it is the pinnacle of expression in that language but also that it is an exposition of the Quran in the Persian tongue,” Blue, the acclaimed rapper and poet, told Al Jazeera. As Rumi says in the introduction, “this is the root of the root of the root of the way [faith],” added Blue, author of The Art of Remembrance. To fully understand and appreciate the depths of Rumi’s words, “a firm grasp of the Islamic tradition in general and Sufism in particular” is needed, Blue said. “His words are undoubtedly a beautiful entry point to this tradition [of Islam].” Rumi himself would advise readers of the Masnavi to make ritual ablution and be in a state of cleanliness as one would upon reading the Quran or praying the five daily prayers. The intention when reading it was to connect with the Creator. Who is Rumi in the West? The first-known English translation of some of Rumi’s work was published in 1772 by a British judge and linguist William Jones in Calcutta — now Kolkata — then the base of the British
Tamil Nadu weather: Heavy rainfall creates flood-like situation, check IMD forecast for next 7 days
Heavy rainfall is predicted for the next seven days in several parts of Tamil Nadu, IMD said on Sunday.
Parliament security breach serious matter: Bengal CM Mamata expresses concern
Mamata Banerjee, Bengal CM, voiced her concerns on the security breach at the new Parliament building in New Delhi, stating that it was a major issue.
‘Surat Diamond Bourse is symbol of New India’s strength and resolve’: PM Modi
PM Modi mentioned that Surat was earlier known as the ‘Sun City’ but due to the hard work of people here it is now known as the ‘Diamond City’.
Parliament security breach: Who is Mahesh Kumawat, the 6th accused? Why was he arrested?
The Delhi Police has earlier arrested Sagar Sharma, Manoranjan D, Amol Shinde, Neelam Devi and Lalit Mohan Jha in the Parliament security breach case.
Parliament Security Breach: PM Modi gives first reaction,’Very serious…’
The Opposition has criticised the government over the massive security breach and demanded a statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Senate under pressure: Schumer cancels part of holiday recess to address long list of tasks
The Senate has its work cut out for it next week after Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., canceled part of the holiday recess to schedule a vote on the national security supplemental package. Negotiations on border policy reforms in the bill continued over the weekend. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was in the Senate Saturday to continue negotiations on border policies in the supplemental, but it’s unclear whether any deal has been reached between Democratic and Republican negotiators. Aside from the supplemental, however, there are still several business items the upper chamber will have to address — reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration, appropriations bills to replenish some government agencies and votes on 11 outstanding military promotions held up by Sen. Tommy Tuberville. And the clock is ticking. The current FAA authorization expires Dec. 31. On Monday, the House passed an extension of the FAA reauthorization package, which means the Senate will have to act on the House’s markup soon. SENATE DEMOCRATS AT ODDS WITH SCHUMER OVER BORDER TALKS: ‘TERRIBLY MISTAKEN’ Ted Cruz, R-Texas, rankng member of the Senate Commerce Committee, attempted Thursday to get a vote on the FAA extension, but Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., blocked it. “I will object to this request because I think it is critically important for us to use this moment to fulfill our obligations in the world, to the United States national security and our commitment to democracy, both here and throughout the western world,” Bennet said on the floor. Talks have been ongoing between senators and Biden administration officials this week after Republicans refused to pass some $60 billion in additional aid to Ukraine unless it is tied to strict border security measures, such as immediate screenings for asylum processing and quicker expulsions for illegal entrants. The total amount of supplemental aid the White House first requested in October amounts to roughly $106 billion and includes $14 billion to assist Israel. MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AGAIN TOP 10K IN A SINGLE DAY AS LAWMAKERS EYE NEW BORDER LIMITS The Senate Appropriations Committee will also have to agree on a topline spending figure during the holiday break to propel a package across the finish line by the first Jan. 19 deadline. Otherwise, a potential government shutdown may be imminent. The Senate previously passed a continuing resolution (CR) before Thanksgiving recess to fund federal agencies into early next year, temporarily averting a government shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested creating two staggered deadlines for funding different parts of the government in an effort to prevent Congress from lumping all 12 spending bills into a massive “omnibus” package. SCHUMER ANNOUNCES SENATE WILL CANCEL PART OF HOLIDAY RECESS AS BORDER TALKS CONTINUE Bills concerning military construction and veterans affairs, agriculture, energy and water, transportation and Housing and Urban Development must be worked out by Jan. 19, while the remaining eight appropriations bills must be decided upon by Feb. 2. Fox News’ Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.