International

20 December, 2019 By SJA Jafri + Agencies BEIJING/ KUALA LUMPUR: Muslim countries should initiate a boycott on Chinese products, an influential Malaysian preacher has said, calling for an end to the detention of ethnic Uighurs, at least a million of whom are reportedly held against their will in China’s …

20 December, 2019 By SJA Jafri (Courtesy Messenger) CANBERRA/ SYDNEY: Two volunteer firefighters died while battling blazes around Sydney, authorities said on Friday, forcing Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison to cut short a holiday in Hawaii that had fuelled public anger at the government’s response to the crisis. Australia has …

19 December, 2019 TEHRAN/ UNITED NATIONS: Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned a politically-motivated resolution that the UN General Assembly has adopted on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic. In a statement on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi condemned the draft resolution on the situation of human …

19 December, 2019 WASHINGTON: Donald Trump has become the third US president in history to be impeached by the House of Representatives, setting up a trial in the Senate that will decide whether he remains in office. The House voted on two charges – which the president abused his power …

19 December, 2019 By SJA Jafri NEW DELHI/ MELBOURNE: Today, big rallies are expected across India as the tumultuous and angry reaction builds against a citizenship law seen as discriminatory against the country’s 200 million Muslims. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s move to drive the Citizenship Amendment Act  (CAA)) through the …

18 December, 2019 By SJA Jafri (Courtesy Messenger) SYDNEY/ PERTH/ MELBOURNE: Yesterday was Australia’s hottest day on record, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). The average maximum temperature across the country was 40.9 degrees Celsius, breaking the mark of 40.3C set in January 2013, but it’s …

18 December, 2019 By SJA Jafri PARIS/ MELBOURNE: A total of 49 journalists were killed this year, 389 are currently in prison and 57 are being held hostage, according to the annual worldwide round-up of deadly violence and abusive treatment against journalists, released today by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Journalism …

17 December, 2019 By SJA Jafri + Agencies TEHRAN/ BAGHDAD: At least 304 people have been killed in the recent protests in Iran, Amnesty International reported on Monday, accusing security forces of “massacring” unarmed demonstrators. Video footage obtained showed Iranian security forces opening fire on protesters “who did not pose any imminent risk”, according …

17 December, 2019 By SJA Jafri + BBC NEW DELHI/ MELBOURNE: Indian police have denied shooting people during protests in Delhi – as anger at a citizenship law spreads across the country. At least three people said they were shot, but police said their wounds were caused by broken tear-gas …

17 December, 2019 By SJA Jafri ISLAMABAD/ DUBAI/ MELBOURNE: A special court in Pakistan has sentenced former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to death on charges of high treason and subverting the constitution. “Pervez Musharraf has been found guilty of Article 6 for violation of the constitution of Pakistan,” government law officer …