Islamic New Year

KARACHI – The Sindh government has announced a public holiday across the province on March 23 (Saturday) on account of Pakistan Day. A notification regarding the public holiday on March 23 has been issued. The nation will celebrate 84th Pakistan Day on Saturday with a renewed commitment to work hard to make the South Asian nation into a true Islamic welfare state. The day will dawn with 31 gun salutes in the federal capital and 21 gun salutes in the provincial capitals, followed by a limited joint parade in Islamabad. Change of guard ceremonies was held at the mausoleums of Allama Iqbal in Lahore and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the port city. The day is celebrated to mark Lahore…

Los Angeles, Mar 10 (AP) Muslims around the world are welcoming the arrival of Ramadan, a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting, intense prayer, charity and feasts. But as they savour the traditions of their own diverse communities — from holiday treats to evening diversions — the tribulations faced by fellow Muslims are never far from anyone’s mind. This year, war and starvation in the Gaza Strip casts an especially dark shadow on the festivities. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi’s Outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin Helped Prevent ‘Potential Nuclear Attack’ on Ukraine in Late 2022, Says CNN Report. Many are also struggling to buy food as inflation remains high in many countries and has worsened in some. Still, even Muslims…

Los Angeles, Mar 10 (AP) Muslims around the world are welcoming the arrival of Ramzan, a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting, intense prayer, charity and feasts. But as they savour the traditions of their own diverse communities — from holiday treats to evening diversions — the tribulations faced by fellow Muslims are never far from anyone’s mind. This year, war and starvation in the Gaza Strip casts an especially dark shadow on the festivities. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi’s Outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin Helped Prevent ‘Potential Nuclear Attack’ on Ukraine in Late 2022, Says CNN Report. Many are also struggling to buy food as inflation remains high in many countries and has worsened in some. Still, even Muslims…

BERLIN — Authorities in Europe say they have foiled several terror plots, some involving suspects posing as refugees, raising alarm about a growing array of threats from extremists. In one previously unreported investigation last December, police in Austria and Bosnia arrested two separate groups of Afghan and Syrian refugees who carried arms and ammunition, including Kalashnikov assault rifles and pistols. Investigators found pictures of Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe on some of the suspects’ mobile phones, which they said suggested they were motivated by Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. This followed the arrest late last year of a group of Tajik nationals suspected of planning attacks on the Cologne Cathedral in Germany and St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna…

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Christians around the world were striving on Christmas Eve to put aside the worries and fears of an unsettled, war-torn world as they prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Believers in Syria gathered Sunday in a country still suffering from the aftermath of a long civil war and suffocating economic blockade. Despite festive lights and Christmas decorations adorning houses and shopfronts in the capital Damascus, events in Gaza and ongoing battles in parts of the country have left the holiday atmosphere subdued. In Yabroud, a city north of Damascus, worshippers gathered in the St. Constantine and Helen Cathedral to enjoy Christmas carols sung by the Joy Choir from Damascus. “Everyone should try, with…

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Christians around the world were striving on Christmas Eve to put aside the worries and fears of an unsettled, war-torn world as they prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Believers in Syria gathered Sunday in a country still suffering from the aftermath of a long civil war and suffocating economic blockade. Despite festive lights and Christmas decorations adorning houses and shopfronts in the capital Damascus, events in Gaza and ongoing battles in parts of the country have left the holiday atmosphere subdued. In Yabroud, a city north of Damascus, worshippers gathered in the St. Constantine and Helen Cathedral to enjoy Christmas carols sung by the Joy Choir from Damascus. “Everyone should try, with…

LONDON: Oil prices edged lower on Tuesday as investors weighed the impact of tensions in the Middle East against a stronger dollar and cooled expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts. Brent crude futures were down 46 cents, or about 0.59 percent, to $77.69 a barrel at 1532 GMT. The contract had traded more than $1 higher than its Monday settlement earlier in the session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was down 90 cents, or 1.24 percent, from Friday at $71.78 a barrel. U.S. markets were closed for a public holiday on Monday. An escalating shipping crisis in the Red Sea and Iranian missile strikes on targets in Syria and Iraq added to the geopolitical risk premium on oil prices on…

Washington, Jan 13 (AP) As communities nationwide prepare this weekend to celebrate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with events ranging from parades to prayer services, some will take a cue from the slain civil rights icon’s history of protest to demonstrate against the war in Gaza and draw attention to a looming U.S. presidential election. The Monday holiday also marks 100 days since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched an attack in southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people and resulted in about 240 taken hostage. Since then, more than 100 Israelis remain kidnapped and more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, as global health organizations have warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis there.…

BERLIN (AP) – German authorities said Monday they detained another suspect in connection with an alleged threat of an attack on the world-famous Cologne Cathedral over the holidays, bringing the overall number of people detained in connection with the alleged plot to five. The latest suspect, a 41-year-old German-Turkish man, was detained Sunday night in the western city of Bochum in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Police detained three people on Sunday morning and one man last week. All of the detained suspects allegedly belong to a larger Islamic extremist network that included people across Germany and in other European countries, according to Cologne police chief Johannes Hermanns, German news agency dpa reported. The other four suspects were detained in…

BERLIN (AP) – Three more people were detained Sunday in connection with a reported threat of an attack on the Cologne Cathedral over the holidays, German authorities said. The detentions came only days after a 30-year-old Tajik man was detained in relation to an alleged plot to attack the world-famous cathedral by Islamic extremists in the western German city. The suspects were detained in the western cities of Duisburg, Herne and Dueren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and their apartments were also searched there. No details about their identities were released. All of the detained suspects – including the Tajik who was arrested last week – allegedly belong to a larger network that included people across Germany and in…

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities say they have detained a man in connection with a reported threat to Cologne Cathedral over the holiday period. Police searched the cathedral with sniffer dogs just before Christmas, and Christmas Eve worshippers faced security checks to get into midnight Mass there. They didn’t specify the threat, but German news agency dpa said authorities were responding to indications of a possible attack by Islamic extremists, without citing a specific source. Cologne police said they took precautions over Christmas even though the information they had pointed to a threat on New Year’s Eve. On Tuesday, police said that an apartment in Wesel, near the Dutch border, was searched on Christmas Eve and five men were detained.…

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) – Sightseeing visits were barred at Germany’s landmark Cologne cathedral and Christmas Eve worshippers faced security checks to get into midnight Mass on Sunday as police responded to indications of a potential attack. However, a top security official urged people not to shy away from holiday celebrations out of fear. Churchgoers attended multiple services at the cathedral despite the ban on visits purely for sightseeing, a day after police descended on the cathedral and searched it with sniffer dogs. In Austria, police in Vienna also said they were stepping up security around churches and Christmas markets, apparently responding to the same intelligence about a potential threat. They did not give further information but the dpa news agency…

Frankfurt, Dec 24 (AP) Sightseeing visits were barred at Germany’s landmark Cologne cathedral and Christmas Eve worshippers faced security checks to get into midnight Mass on Sunday as police responded to indications of a potential attack. However, a top security official urged people not to shy away from holiday celebrations out of fear. Also Read | US Shocker: Cab Driver Abandons Indian Origin Woman in Middle of Nowhere During Ride, Steals Her Luggage and Documents in Massachusetts (Watch Video). Churchgoers attended multiple services at the cathedral despite the ban on visits purely for sightseeing, a day after police descended on the cathedral and searched it with sniffer dogs. In Austria, police in Vienna also said they were stepping up security…

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Sightseeing visits were barred at Germany’s landmark Cologne cathedral and Christmas Eve worshippers faced security checks to get into midnight Mass on Sunday as police responded to indications of a potential attack. However, a top security official urged people not to shy away from holiday celebrations out of fear. × Already a Subscriber? Sign in You are logged in Switch accounts Churchgoers attended multiple services at the cathedral despite the ban on visits purely for sightseeing, a day after police descended on the cathedral and searched it with sniffer dogs. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW In Austria, police in Vienna also said they were stepping up security around churches and Christmas markets, apparently responding to…

FRANKFURT, Germany — Sightseeing visits were barred at Germany’s landmark cathedral in Cologne and Christmas Eve worshippers faced security checks to get into midnight Mass there Sunday as police responded to indications of a potential attack. However a top security official urged people not to shy away from holiday celebrations out of fear. Churchgoers attended multiple services at the cathedral despite the ban on visits purely for sightseeing, a day after police descended on the cathedral and searched it with sniffer dogs. With several dozen officers on duty outside, Auxiliary Bishop Rolf Steinhaeuser greeted those attending what he said was “probably the most secure church service in all of Germany.” In Austria, police said they also were stepping up security…

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Christians around the world were striving on Christmas Eve to put aside the worries and fears of an unsettled, war-torn world as they prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Believers in Syria gathered Sunday in a country still suffering from the aftermath of a long civil war and suffocating economic blockade. Despite festive lights and Christmas decorations adorning houses and shopfronts in the capital Damascus, events in Gaza and ongoing battles in parts of the country have left the holiday atmosphere subdued. × Already a Subscriber? Sign in You are logged in Switch accounts In Yabroud, a city north of Damascus, worshippers gathered in the St. Constantine and Helen Cathedral to enjoy Christmas…

Frankfurt, Dec 25 (AP) Christians around the world were striving on Christmas Eve to put aside the worries and fears of an unsettled, war-torn world as they prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Before leading Sunday Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, Cardinal Timothy Dolan reminded congregants to keep war-torn parts of the Middle East in their Christmas prayers. Also Read | France: Over 700 Airbus Atlantic Staff Sick After Christmas Dinner, Cause of Mass Food Poisoning Still Unclear. “As we anticipate Christmas, our hearts always go to the holy land,” he said, referring to parts of Israel and the Palestinian territories. “The holy land is under a cloud, the holy land is suffering,…

LONDON: Three young men of Palestinian descent who were in Burlington for a Thanksgiving holiday gathering were shot and injured — one seriously — near the University of Vermont, police said Sunday. Authorities said the attack may have been a hate crime. Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ahmed and Kinnan Abdalhamid are students at Brown University, Yale University and Harvard University. The shootings occurred at about 6:25 p.m. Saturday near the UVM campus, according to Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad. He said police are searching for the shooter. Two of the men are in stable condition and the other suffered “much more serious injuries,” Murad said in a news release Sunday. The three, all age 20, were visiting the home of one…

Patna, Nov 28 (PTI) The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Tuesday came under heavy opposition fire for alleged reduction in “Hindu holidays”, proposed for government schools across the state for next year. Alleging that it is an assault on Hindu sentiment, the BJP demanded immediate withdrawal of the proposed calendar. Also Read | Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue Operation: Congress Congratulates Agencies Engaged in Rescue Ops at Silkyara Tunnel. The education department, however, stated that the confusion has arisen because of two notifications it brought out on Monday, which pertained to separate holiday calendars for Hindi and Urdu medium schools. The department made it clear that the total number of holidays proposed for 2024 was 60, “the same as the preceding…

Patna (Bihar) [India], November 28 (ANI): An all-out war of words has broken out between the BJP and the ruling BJP-RJD in Bihar after the state government issued a new Holiday calendar for school. The BJP has accused the Bihar government of appeasment claiming that Muslim holidays have been increase while those on Hindu religious festivals have decreased. “People say that in Bihar and UP, as the age increases, people become religious. Nitish Kumar is becoming religious but by turning religious towards other religions, He is forgetting the Hindu religion. Do one thing, get a resolution passed in the assembly that Bihar is going to be made an Islamic state and the first religion will be Islam and send it…