China to continue to strengthen ties with Iran, state media says

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (AFP file photo)
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (AFP file photo)
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Updated 22 May 2024
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China to continue to strengthen ties with Iran, state media says

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (AFP file photo)
  • “Iran has lost outstanding leaders and China has lost good friends and partners, said Wang, according to Xinhua news

BEIJING: China will continue to strengthen strategic cooperation with Iran, safeguard common interests, and make endeavors for regional and world peace, Chinese state media reported on Tuesday, citing comments from Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Wang made the remarks in talks on Tuesday with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mahdi Safari, while attending a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
“Iran has lost outstanding leaders and China has lost good friends and partners, said Wang, according to Xinhua news. “In this difficult time, China firmly stands by Iranian friends,” he said, referring to the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday.

 


Scholz cautiously optimistic on US-German partnership after first Trump talks

Scholz cautiously optimistic on US-German partnership after first Trump talks
Updated 22 sec ago
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Scholz cautiously optimistic on US-German partnership after first Trump talks

Scholz cautiously optimistic on US-German partnership after first Trump talks
“The United States is our closest ally outside Europe,” Scholz said
Speaking on the first full day of Trump’s new term in office, Scholz said cooperation between Europe and the US was key for peace and security worldwide

DAVOS: Chancellor Olaf Scholz voiced cautious optimism on Tuesday on the potential for German-US relations under President Donald Trump, citing good first talks with his administration, and stressed that cooperation was key for peace and prosperity.
“The United States is our closest ally outside Europe. And I will do everything in my power to ensure that it stays that way,” Scholz said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“My first good conversations with President Trump and also the contacts between our advisers point in this direction,” he added.
Speaking on the first full day of Trump’s new term in office, Scholz said cooperation between Europe and the United States was key for peace and security worldwide as well as economic progress.
However, the German chancellor added that Europe must become more self-reliant.
Germany’s ambassador to Washington has warned internally of turbulent relations under Trump while German companies have sounded the alarm over threatened tariffs under the new US administration.

Senior Taliban official urges leadership to lift education ban on Afghan girls

Senior Taliban official urges leadership to lift education ban on Afghan girls
Updated 7 min 8 sec ago
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Senior Taliban official urges leadership to lift education ban on Afghan girls

Senior Taliban official urges leadership to lift education ban on Afghan girls
  • More than 1.1 million girls have been denied access to formal education since 2021
  • Stanikzai headed Taliban team in talks that led to withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan

KABUL:A senior Taliban official has called on his leadership to scrap education bans on Afghan women and girls, a move that experts said on Tuesday voiced the public’s concerns and marked a new phenomenon for Afghanistan’s current regime.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Afghanistan’s acting deputy foreign minister, said in a speech over the weekend that the Taliban’s restrictions on girls’ and women’s education were not in line with Islamic Shariah law.

“Our expectation from the leaders of the Islamic Emirate is to open the doors of education. There is no excuse for this, and there never will be one,” Stanikzai said at an event in the Khost province.

Around 1.1 million girls have been denied access to formal education since September 2021, when the Taliban suspended secondary schools for girls.

It is part of a series of curbs that, in the three years since the Taliban took power, have increasingly restricted women’s access to education, the workplace and public spaces.

“In our population of 40 million, we are committing injustice against 20 million … The entire world is opposing us because of this problem. They criticize us for this same matter. The path we are currently following stems from personal attitudes, not Shariah.”

Stanikzai was the leader of a team of negotiators at the Taliban’s political office in Doha for talks that led to the complete withdrawal of US-led forces from Afghanistan in 2021.

His latest remarks were one of the strongest public rebukes of a government policy that has furthered the international isolation of the Taliban.

“In Afghanistan, women’s rights are being taken away in the name of Islam. As Stanikzai … said, the decision to stop girls’ education is a matter of the nature of the Taliban, not a matter of Shariah. This is only a rural and tribal view that they present,” Ziaulhaq Amarkhil, senior adviser to the former president of Afghanistan, told Arab News.

“The issue that Mr. Stanikzai discussed is the voice of every Afghan and every Muslim. Women should be granted their rights. They should be allowed to study and get higher education.”

Amarkhil said if the current education ban were to continue, there would be grave consequences in Afghanistan.

“After 12 years, we will not have a single female doctor in the country because those who are there will not be able to continue working due to their age and the new generation will not be educated, or they will leave the country,” he said.

Stanikzai’s criticism was “significant,” said Kabul-based political expert Tameem Bahiss,

as it marked one of the first times that a senior member of the Taliban publicly criticized the supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Similar criticisms have also come from Taliban’s acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who in 2023 made veiled remarks against Akhundzada on “monopolizing” power and “damaging the government” in Afghanistan.

“Publicly criticizing the leader’s decisions is a new phenomenon within the Taliban. Until now, we haven’t seen criticism of this magnitude,” Bahiss told Arab News.

“If criticism from a Taliban leader of such stature continues to grow, it will undoubtedly put significant pressure on Sheikh Hibatullah.”

Bahiss highlighted how Stanikzai had challenged Akhundzada’s decision by saying that the education policy reflected the leader’s personal sentiment, rather than being based on Islamic law.

“Such voices within the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan are crucial as it transitions from an insurgency to a governing entity. Important decisions regarding the people’s affairs should involve all leaders’ input,” Bahiss said.

“We are seeing that such voices garner significant support, not only from the people of Afghanistan but also from within the Taliban ranks.”

With this new development within the Taliban and given Stanikzai’s status in the group, Bahiss said Akhundzada may tolerate the criticism.

“If this happens, it could encourage other leaders to publicly challenge Hibatullah’s decision to ban schools, potentially putting significant pressure on him and leading to the removal of the ban,” he said.


Senior Taliban official urges leadership to lift education ban on Afghan girls

Senior Taliban official urges leadership to lift education ban on Afghan girls
Updated 6 min 16 sec ago
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Senior Taliban official urges leadership to lift education ban on Afghan girls

Senior Taliban official urges leadership to lift education ban on Afghan girls
  • More than 1.1 million girls have been denied access to formal education since 2021
  • Stanikzai headed the Taliban team in talks that led to complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan

KABUL: A senior Taliban official has called on his leadership to scrap education bans on Afghan women and girls, a move that experts said on Tuesday voiced the public’s concerns and marked a new phenomenon for Afghanistan’s current regime.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Afghanistan’s acting deputy foreign minister, said in a speech over the weekend that the Taliban’s restrictions on girls’ and women’s education were not in line with Islamic Shariah law.

“Our expectation from the leaders of the Islamic Emirate is to open the doors of education. There is no excuse for this, and there never will be one,” Stanikzai said at an event in the Khost province.

Around 1.1 million girls have been denied access to formal education since September 2021, when the Taliban suspended secondary schools for girls.

It is part of a series of curbs that, in the three years since the Taliban took power, have increasingly restricted women’s access to education, the workplace and public spaces.

“In our population of 40 million, we are committing injustice against 20 million … The entire world is opposing us because of this problem. They criticize us for this same matter. The path we are currently following stems from personal attitudes, not Shariah.”

Stanikzai was the leader of a team of negotiators at the Taliban’s political office in Doha for talks that led to the complete withdrawal of US-led forces from Afghanistan in 2021.

His latest remarks were one of the strongest public rebukes of a government policy that has furthered the international isolation of the Taliban.

“In Afghanistan, women’s rights are being taken away in the name of Islam. As Stanikzai … said, the decision to stop girls’ education is a matter of the nature of the Taliban, not a matter of Shariah. This is only a rural and tribal view that they present,” Ziaulhaq Amarkhil, senior advisor to the former president of Afghanistan, told Arab News.

“The issue that Mr. Stanikzai discussed is the voice of every Afghan and every Muslim. Women should be granted their rights. They should be allowed to study and get higher education.”

Amarkhil said if the current education ban were to continue, there would be grave consequences in Afghanistan.

“After 12 years, we will not have a single female doctor in the country because those who are there will not be able to continue working due to their age and the new generation will not be educated, or they will leave the country,” he said.

Stanikzai’s criticism was “significant,” said Kabul-based political expert Tameem Bahiss, as it marked one of the first times that a senior member of the Taliban publicly criticized the supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Similar criticisms have also come from Taliban’s acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who in 2023 made veiled remarks against Akhundzada on “monopolizing” power and “damaging the government” in Afghanistan.

“Publicly criticizing the leader’s decisions is a new phenomenon within the Taliban. Until now, we haven’t seen criticism of this magnitude,” Bahiss told Arab News.

“If criticism from a Taliban leader of such stature continues to grow, it will undoubtedly put significant pressure on Sheikh Hibatullah.”

Bahiss highlighted how Stanikzai had challenged Akhundzada’s decision by saying that the education policy reflected the leader’s personal sentiment, rather than being based on Islamic law.

“Such voices within the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan are crucial as it transitions from an insurgency to a governing entity. Important decisions regarding the people’s affairs should involve all leaders’ input,” Bahiss said.

“We are seeing that such voices garner significant support, not only from the people of Afghanistan but also from within the Taliban ranks.”

With this new development within the Taliban and given Stanikzai’s status in the group, Bahiss said Akhundzada may tolerate the criticism.

“If this happens, it could encourage other leaders to publicly challenge Hibatullah’s decision to ban schools, potentially putting significant pressure on him and leading to the removal of the ban,” he said.


As defense ties strengthen, US assesses Cyprus base

As defense ties strengthen, US assesses Cyprus base
Updated 21 January 2025
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As defense ties strengthen, US assesses Cyprus base

As defense ties strengthen, US assesses Cyprus base
  • The assessment will take place at a military base in the western district of Paphos
  • European Union member Cyprus has played a central role in evacuating civilians from the region

NICOSIA: A military assessment team from the United States will be in Cyprus this week as part of defense upgrades, Cypriot officials said on Tuesday, following an announcement from Washington of cooperation with the Mediterranean island.
The evaluation team, based in Germany, would provide know-how and recommendations on infrastructure projects to enhance interoperability with the United States and other partners, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said.
“The upgrading of infrastructure, the supply of modern means and the investment in training are key pillars of our national strategy for an effective and flexible defense,” Letymbiotis told a news briefing.
The assessment will take place at a military base in the western district of Paphos.
Strategically perched on the edge of the volatile Middle East, European Union member Cyprus has played a central role in evacuating civilians from the region during the many flare-ups in tensions.
Last year, it established a humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza, where a ceasefire deal came into effect on Sunday.
Relations between the US and Cyprus have grown closer in recent years and are closely followed by Turkiye, which invaded Cyprus’s northern third in 1974 after a brief Greek inspired coup. Both Türkiye and the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state it supports in north Cyprus have criticized cooperation.
Part of the assessment will look at the potential to upgrade landing facilities at the air base to allow for large-scale evacuation operations from the region if needed, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The source asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the media.


Jakarta refutes reports of Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians in Gaza to Indonesia

Jakarta refutes reports of Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians in Gaza to Indonesia
Updated 21 January 2025
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Jakarta refutes reports of Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians in Gaza to Indonesia

Jakarta refutes reports of Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians in Gaza to Indonesia
  • NBC news report claims that relocating residents of Gaza is part of rebuilding efforts
  • Any attempts to move Palestinians in Gaza is ‘entirely unacceptable,’ Jakarta says

JAKARTA: Jakarta was never involved in any discussion to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Indonesia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday following reports that new US President Donald Trump’s team was considering the controversial move.

Before his inauguration on Monday, Trump and his transitional team had been discussing Israel’s war on Gaza and the recent ceasefire agreement, according to a report by NBC News.

Citing an anonymous source from Trump’s transition team, Indonesia was named as one of the locations considered for Palestinians to relocate to when rebuilding efforts began for the enclave.

However, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has refuted the report.

“The government of Indonesia has never received any information from anyone, nor any plans regarding the relocation of some of Gaza’s 2 million inhabitants to Indonesia as part of post-conflict reconstruction efforts,” Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Roy Soemirat said.

“Indonesia’s stance remains unequivocal: Any attempts to displace or remove Gaza’s residents is entirely unacceptable. Such efforts to depopulate Gaza would only serve to perpetuate the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and align with broader strategies aimed at expelling Palestinians from Gaza.”

Indonesia is among the staunchest supporters of Palestine, with its government repeatedly calling for an end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and for a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders.

Since the beginning of Israel’s deadly invasion of Gaza in October 2023, Jakarta has also been vocal on the international stage, demanding an end to military support and weapons sales to Tel Aviv.

As the first phase of a long-awaited ceasefire began on Sunday, Indonesia’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Arrmanatha Nasir said the UN Security Council “must safeguard the agreement” to ensure that every part of the three-phase agreement is upheld.

“The ceasefire is a vital first step towards attaining peace in the Middle East,” Nasir said during a UN Security Council open debate in New York on Monday.

After the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, Nasir said the international community must address the immediate humanitarian needs and work toward a “just and comprehensive political plan” with a two-state solution at its core.

“Any other alternative will only lead to apartheid and subjugation. That is why the international community must unite to foster genuine dialogue and negotiation that addresses the root cause of colonialism and historical injustices in Palestine including the right of return of the Palestinian refugees.”

After 15 months, the war on Gaza has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians and led the International Court of Justice to consider genocide claims against Israel.

However, a study published this month by medical journal The Lancet shows that the real death toll in Gaza during the first nine months — when the number stood at around 37,000 – of Israel’s deadly invasion was about 40 percent higher than recorded by the enclave’s Health Ministry.