Maldives suspends three officials for insulting Indian PM Modi
Three deputy ministers were disciplined over social media posts about India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government of the Maldives has suspended three deputy ministers after they made derogatory remarks about India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media. Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid who all worked for the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts were disciplined for their comments against Modi on social media, a senior government official told Reuters on Sunday. The three had variously described Modi as a “clown”, “terrorist” and “puppet of Israel” on social media platform X, in response to a video of promoting tourism in Lakshadweep, an Indian Union territory in the Arabian Sea. In the Maldives, some viewed Modi’s visit as trying to draw tourists away from the globally popular Maldives, whose 1,192 islands in the Indian Ocean are dotted with luxury resorts. Recently, I had the opportunity to be among the people of Lakshadweep. I am still in awe of the stunning beauty of its islands and the incredible warmth of its people. I had the opportunity to interact with people in Agatti, Bangaram and Kavaratti. I thank the people of the… pic.twitter.com/tYW5Cvgi8N — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 4, 2024 According to Indian media reports, the Indian High Commission in the Maldives raised the issue with the Maldives’ government. Some Indian celebrities including Bollywood actors and sports stars expressed their discontent over the Maldives officials’ remarks. “Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists,” Akshay Kumar, a popular Indian actor said on X. In a statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives acknowledged it was aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. “These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives,” the statement said. Former Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih condemned the use of “hateful language” against India. “India has always been a good friend to Maldives and we must not allow such callous remarks to negatively impact the age old friendship between our two countries,” Solih said in a post on X. I condemn the use of hateful language against #India by Maldivian government officials on social media. India has always been a good friend to Maldives and we must not allow such callous remarks to negatively impact the age old friendship between our two countries. — Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (@ibusolih) January 7, 2024 A senior administrative official told AFP that Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu ordered an investigation. The official said Muizzu is concerned about repercussions since Indians are the largest group of foreign visitors to the Maldives, where tourism accounts for almost one-third of the economy. China trip The row comes days after an announcement that President Muizzu will visit China. On Friday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Muizzu will pay a state visit to the country from January 8 to 12. Both India and China have been vying for influence in the region. Muizzu, who won the presidential election in September, campaigned to alter the Maldives’ “India first” policy and promised the removal of a small Indian military presence of some 75 personnel. Last month he said India had agreed to withdraw its soldiers from the Maldives. But after coming to power, Muizzu has toned down his anti-Indian rhetoric and said he would not upend the regional balance by replacing Indian forces with Chinese troops. Adblock test (Why?)
Punjab schools shut till Jan 14 up to class 10 due to cold weather
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made an official statement on Sunday confirming the temporary closure of schools until January 14.
‘As I move on…’: IAS Athar Aamir transferred in major administrative reshuffle in J-K
IAS Athar Aamir Khan had been working in Srinagar for almost 3 years as Commissioner SMC and CEO of Srinagar Smart City.
Greg Abbott says Eric Adams should sue Biden instead of bus companies to end migration influx
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott predicted New York City Mayor Eric Adams is going “to lose badly” in court after the city filed a $708 million lawsuit against 17 charter bus and transportation companies involved in transporting migrants to New York City from Texas. “The lawsuit is completely legally baseless, and the mayor is going to lose very badly for this very specific reason. And that is: Everybody who is bussed to or are planed to New York is already authorized by the Biden administration to be within the United States legally,” Abbott told Fox News’ Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday.” Abbott, who called the New York suit a “political statement,” argued that the Biden administration’s immigration policies give migrants “the legal right to travel wherever they want to the United States.” “The lawsuit by the mayor violates the United States Constitution in several respects, and the mayor is going to lose and lose badly and I hope he is forced to pay the legal fees for the cost of anybody having to defend against that lawsuit,” he said. TEXAS AG BLASTS BIDEN ADMIN FOR ‘AIDING AND ABETTING’ CARTELS AFTER MIGRATION NUMBERS SMASH RECORD Adams announced a lawsuit against the 17 bus companies last week, citing “reckless political ploys from the state of Texas.” Abbott is not listed as a defendant in that case. DOJ THREATENS TO SUE TEXAS OVER ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LAW; ABBOTT PREPARED FOR SUPREME COURT FIGHT “New York City has and will always do our part to manage this humanitarian crisis, but we cannot bear the costs of reckless political ploys from the state of Texas alone,” Adams said in a statement. “Today, we are taking legal action against 17 companies that have taken part in Texas Governor Abbott’s scheme to transport tens of thousands of migrants to New York City in an attempt to overwhelm our social services system.” Instead of suing bus companies, Abbott said Adams should sue the Biden administration for the influx of migrants flooding the city. “He needs to be suing Joe Biden, not these bus companies. Because it’s Joe Biden and Joe Biden’s policies that’s causing the massive multi-million influx into the United States that leads to many of them wanting to go to New York,” he said. Texas has bussed more than 33,000 migrants to New York since August 2022 as local leaders in border states sounded off that immigration had boiled to crisis levels. The influx has continued, with migrant numbers at the southern border in December breaking records for monthly encounters at more than 300,000. TEXAS IMMIGRATION LAW PUSHBACK MARKS LATEST TENSION BETWEEN BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND BORDER STATES OVER CRISIS Abbott said Sunday that he has sent the Biden administration eight letters addressing five ways the migrant crisis could end, including one letter he personally delivered to President Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, but has heard “absolutely nothing” in response. “I provided eight letters to the Biden administration, which includes the president and Mayorkas – and I personally handed a letter to President Biden and to Secretary Mayorkas when they showed up to El Paso, Texas – outlining five things that they could do that would eliminate the crisis at the border. Shannon, in response to all eight of those letters, I’ve heard absolutely nothing from the Biden administration,” he told Bream. TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT SIGNS BILL MAKING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION A STATE CRIME Texas was hit with a Department of Justice lawsuit last week over the state’s new immigration law allowing local law enforcement officers to arrest individuals suspected of entering the U.S. illegally, which Abbott said “simply enforces the laws passed by Congress.” The law allows state judges to order illegal immigrants to be removed from the country. “The State of Texas law does not conflict with federal law. And hence, that’s one reason why we will avoid the preemption allegation made by the federal government. The second one is preemption does not apply because the federal government is refusing to enforce the laws passed by Congress. Because they are not enforcing the laws passed by Congress, the law that we passed simply enforces the laws passed by Congress,” Abbott said.
Trump demands release of supporters jailed for Jan. 6 Capitol riot: ‘I call them hostages’
Former President Trump marked the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by demanding the release of all his supporters who have been convicted or detained for crimes relating to the incident. Trump made the comments during a campaign stop in Clinton, Iowa, on Saturday, calling his jailed supporters “hostages.” More than 1,200 people have been charged with participating in the riot, of whom over 900 have pleaded guilty or been convicted. “They’ve suffered enough,” Trump told the Iowa crowd. “I call them hostages. Some people call them prisoners.” He went on to add, “I got indicted because I challenged the crooked election.” BIDEN MOCKED FOR APPEARING CONFUSED AFTER ANTI-TRUMP SPEECH: ‘LOST AGAIN’ Trump is campaigning in Iowa just days ahead of the state’s Jan. 15 primary. Trump has maintained a commanding lead over his closest rivals, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. PROUD BOY WHO FLED PROSECUTION, FAKED DRUG OVERDOSE AFTER J6 RIOT GETS 10 YEARS Trump will continue his campaigning blitz this week with a pair of Iowa faith events on Monday. Trump will be joined by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and former Diamond State Gov. Mike Huckabee at events in the afternoon and evening. Trump’s Saturday comments came as political pundits across the spectrum marked the third anniversary of the Capitol riot. MSBNC host Jonathan Capehart raised eyebrows on his Saturday show when he was reduced to tears while interviewing a police officer who served at the Capitol that day. FBI CONTINUES TO SEARCH FOR JAN 6 PIPE BOMB SUSPECT 3 YEARS AFTER CAPITOL RIOT, OFFERS $500K REWARD The FBI continues to investigate and prosecute suspects placed inside the Capitol by security and social media footage.
Bangladesh holds election to keep PM Sheikh Hasina in power
Polls have closed and counting is under way in Bangladesh’s general election, marked by a low voter turnout and a boycott by the opposition and its allies. Sunday’s “one-sided” vote, as the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) put it, is set to keep Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in power for the fourth straight and overall fifth term. It was the 12th general election in the nation of 170 million people since it seceded from Pakistan and became an independent state in 1971. The opposition announced its boycott of the vote last year after Hasina refused to step down and make way for a neutral caretaker government to conduct the election. There was a similar boycott by the opposition in 2014. The turnout was about 40 percent, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said, almost half of the more than 80 percent in the 2018 election. Initial results are expected early on Monday. “The key question in this election is not who will win – the result is predetermined – but rather a test of its credibility,” said Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull, reporting from the capital Dhaka. Adblock test (Why?)
Jordan’s King Abdullah II presses Blinken to push for a ceasefire in Gaza
Jordan’s King Abdullah II has urged US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to push for a ceasefire in Gaza and bring an end to the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Palestinian territory, as the months-long war continues to rage. The king met Blinken in the Jordanian capital Amman and warned him of the “catastrophic repercussions” of the continuation of the war which began three months ago, the royal palace said. At least 22,835 people have been killed – including 9,600 children – in Israel’s assault on Gaza since October 7, according to Palestinian officials. At least 1,139 people were killed in Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, according to Israeli authorities, and at least 200 people remain in captivity. The king reiterated “the important role of the United States in bringing pressure for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, protection of civilians, and guaranteeing delivery” of medical and humanitarian aid, the royal palace said. Blinken, who kicked off a weeklong trip across the Middle East on Friday, aimed at calming tensions in the region and ensuring the war does not spread, arrived in Jordan from Turkey and Greece, where he noted that there was “real concern” over the Israel-Lebanon border. “We want to do everything possible to make sure that we don’t see escalation there” and to avoid an “endless cycle of violence”, he said. Today in Amman, I met with His Majesty King Abdullah II to discuss efforts to protect civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. I thanked him for his leadership in providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. The conflict must not spread further in the region. pic.twitter.com/ya5FvABxjJ — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 7, 2024 After visiting Jordan, Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the occupied West Bank, where he will deliver a message that Washington does not want a regional escalation of the Gaza conflict. The top US diplomat also hopes to make progress in talks about how Gaza could be governed after the war. Future of Gaza Earlier on Sunday Blinken met Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who discussed a future scenario that would bring the West Bank and Gaza together as the basis of a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, according to a statement from Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates. Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 and King Abdullah reaffirmed the need for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian question and underlined Jordan’s “total rejection” of any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Washington also insists on a two-state solution, something rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, some of whose cabinet members have also called for Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza to leave. A senior US State Department official travelling with the top diplomat told Reuters that Blinken will continue pressing hesitant Muslim nations to prepare to play a role in the reconstruction, governance and security of Gaza. The US delegation aims to gather Arab states’ views on the future of Gaza before taking those positions to Israel, the official said, acknowledging there would be a significant gap between the different parties’ positions. Humanitarian crisis After his meeting with Jordanian officials, Blinken visited the World Food Programme’s regional coordination warehouse near the Jordanian capital and highlighted that “it is imperative” to “maximise assistance to people in need”, by getting the aid in and distributing it effectively. Inside the warehouse, stocked with pallets of canned food aid, the senior UN official in Jordan, Sheri Ritsema-Anderson, described the situation in Gaza as unlike anything she had seen during 15 years in the Middle East. It is “catastrophic”, she told reporters. Blinken said the US was working to keep aid routes into the strip open and multiply them. “We are intensely focused on the very difficult and indeed deteriorating food situation for men, women and children in Gaza, and it’s something we’re working on 24/7.” [embedded content] Adblock test (Why?)
Fire at Rohingya refugee camp leaves thousands homeless again
NewsFeed Around 7,000 displaced Rohingya Muslim refugees have been made homeless yet again after a fire tore through their camp in southeastern Bangladesh, according to the UN refugee agency. Published On 7 Jan 20247 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Ram Mandir consecration ceremony: Check entry rules, aarti timings and more
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also announced plans to telecast the grand consecration ceremony of Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya live on the booth level across India.
Capitol police officer on Jan. 6 announces Maryland congressional run, vows ‘to stop Trump’s MAGA extremists’
A Capitol Police officer who was on duty during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot announced on Friday that he is running for Congress in Maryland. “On January 6th, I defended our democracy from insurrectionists as a Capitol Police Officer,” Dunn wrote on X Friday, a day before the three-year anniversary of the incident. “After, President Biden honored me with the Presidential Citizens Medal. Today, I’m running for Congress to stop Trump’s MAGA extremists & ensure it never happens again.” Dunn, 40, said he stepped down from his police job several weeks ago to run for Congress, after 15 years as a Capitol police officer. He’s joining a crowded Democratic primary for Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District, a heavily Democratic jurisdiction that stretches between Baltimore and the nation’s capital. Current Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., announced in October that he would not seek reelection. FBI CONTINUES TO SEARCH FOR JAN 6 PIPE BOMB SUSPECT 3 YEARS AFTER US CAPITOL RIOT, OFFERS $500K REWARD In his campaign announcement video, also shared on X, Dunn is seen dressed in a button-down shirt and talking to the camera while walking down what looks like a Capitol hallway. Actors posing as rioters cause destruction, as the date “Jan. 6th” flashes across the scene. “On this day,” Dunn says, “My role was as a Capitol police officer. I’m Harry Dunn. And that meant putting aside who I am – a father, a Marylander, a Democrat – because I swore an oath to protect our Constitution, to protect our democracy. It’s what allowed me to protect some members of Congress who I knew were bigots who helped fan the flames that started all of this.” “I put country above self,” Dunn says. “The problem is, a lot of them didn’t,” he continues, walking through the dramatic reenactment of rioters waving flags through the halls and tearing down picture frames as congressional staffers flee. “Some of the same people who stood behind us when we protected them, went back on the floor of Congress and stood behind Trump. They voted to acquit him. And worst of all, they denied the violence and trauma that led to the death of some of my fellow officers. I couldn’t stand by and watch.” The video transitions to actual footage of Dunn testifying before the Jan. 6 committee, speaking to reporters at the Capitol and appearing on network TV shows, including “The View.” “I had another role to play. I used my voice to speak out, to get into good trouble,” he says, as footage plays of President Biden awarding Dunn the Presidential Citizens Medal last year and of Dunn testifying before the Jan. 6 committee. A fictional TV screen is then smashed as the ad transitions back to the Capitol riot reenactment scene. “And a few weeks ago, I left the force after more than 15 years of service so that today I can announce I’m running for Congress.” FEDERAL COURT RULES EVEN PASSIVE JAN. 6 PROTESTORS WHO WERE INSIDE CAPITOL CAN BE CONVICTED “We can’t ever let this happen again. And you’ve heard it from Trump himself. He is hellbent on finishing what he started this day. I’m stepping into a new role today, but I can’t do it alone. I believe every one of us has a role to play in this fight. So join me, we’ve got a democracy to protect. Sarbanes, who has served nine terms, is one of about two dozen Democrats who are not seeking reelection in the House. Fourteen Republicans have said they are not seeking another term. More than 1,230 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the riot, ranging from misdemeanor offenses like trespassing to felonies like assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy. About 730 people have pleaded guilty to charges, while about 170 have been convicted of at least one charge at a trial decided by a judge or a jury, according to an Associated Press database. Testifying before the Jan. 6 committee in 2021, Dunn recounted to lawmakers how rioters pouring into the Speaker’s Lobby by the Rotunda, some wearing “MAGA” hats and shirts that said “Trump 2020,” refused to leave, shouting things like, “No, no, man, this is our house,” “President Trump invited us here,” “We’re here to stop the steal,” “Joe Biden is not the president,” and, “Nobody voted for Joe Biden!” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I am a law enforcement officer, and I keep politics out of my job. But in this circumstance, I responded, ‘Well, I voted for Joe Biden. Does my vote not count? Am I nobody?’” Dunn testified. The Associated Press contributed to this report.