16 July 2017

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4 Sunday, July 16, 2017 National KARACHI: Head office: 509, Land Mark Plaza, I.I Chundrigar Road, Karachi, Pakistan. Ph: +9221-32214988- 32214990, Fax: +9221-32214989 messengerdaily@yahoo.com, editor@dailymessenger.com.pk Chief Editor: Muhammad Taqi Alvi Associate Editor: Ali Razavi - Editor Special Reports: Muhammad Rafique Rajpar Hyderabad Bureau Chief: Abbas Kassar - Islamabad Bureau Chief: Hameedullah Khan ISLAMABAD –– LAHORE –– RAWALPINDI –– KARACHI EDITORIAL From Immoral Quagmires, Rise Up For Morality, Or Face Evils And Downfall Of Families, Society THINK-TANKS of Pakistani intellectuals advise people: Rise up for morality, from quagmires of immorality, or else face evils and downfall of individuals, families, society and an entire nation eventually: This is often repeated warnings every now and then by humanitarians, social scientists, psychologists and followers of spiritualism and religious ideologies. These are in fact timely warnings whenever raised and must be heeded and followed in practice by one and all. ONE evil person can make an entire family, locality and society an evil one. And its ensuing losses cannot be under-estimated. Others in family and society must stop these evil doings and must not, therefore, take it lightly that "after all it is one person, and what can one person do?". Even one person can do a lot of irreparable damage against principled human relations and family unit. LIKEWISE, if one good person opposes evil people, then evil's losses may be blocked. Moreover, one good person can make an entire family, society and nation a good one. Benefits of such a phenomenon cannot be under-estimated either. IF evils are followed due to greed or awe of some people's riches, worldly belongings and evil ways, it will encourage and build a corrupt society. If good deeds are followed, it will encourage and build a noble society. CHOICE is entirely up to people themselves and their freedom on whether they follow good or embrace bad.Humans are born good by nature but get corrupted in evil company too and choose a bad course. A question here arises and is answered: By Farhan Bokhari Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s refusal to step down in the wake of a damning investigative report that compiled evidence of corruption surrounding his family is hardly surprising. With a history of defying the odds time and again, the surprise would have indeed come with Sharif’s graceful acceptance of the findings against him, perhaps leading to an honourable exit in line with some of the best examples of democratically elected leaders elsewhere. In sharp contrast to some of the world’s most stable democracies, Pakistan still has to learn many lessons beyond just holding regular elections. Elected as prime minister for the third time in 2013, Sharif is adamant that he is the target of a conspiracy aimed at curtailing Pakistan’s democracy. The discussion that has continued for almost a year was triggered when three of Sharif’s four children were unexpectedly found to have owned large-scale offshore wealth, including luxurious apartments along London’s upmarket Park Lane. Notwithstanding the frequent claim from Sharif’s political allies of a conspiracy hatched to remove him, the very fact that the revelations were triggered globally is a powerful enough reason to remove any doubts about the accusations against Sharif being fabricated on Pakistani soil. The so-called ‘Panama leaks’revelations targeted scores of individuals including the Sharifs who chose to park their wealth overseas, in large part to avoid paying their taxes. In sharp contrast to the 1990s, when Sharif and the late former prime minister Benazir Bhutto were each dismissed when powerful army generals in the background engineered regime changes, the same cannot be said of today. Not only were the investigations against Sharif and his family triggered by circumstances that erupted thousands of miles away from Pakistan, but the subsequent investigations have all been framed within a civilian infrastructure under a democratic environment and overseen by a civilian judicial system. On Monday, judges of Pakistan’s Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments, following the report compiled by a six-member joint investigation team (JIT). Though the outcome of the proceedings cannot be pre-judged, some of the findings by the JIT are indeed eye-openers. Parts of the report that were leaked to the Pakistani press found evidence of inconsistencies between the declared wealth of the Sharif family as opposed to what the JIT found. While the Sharif family claims that the JIT proceeded with malicious intent, the case itself is serious to the extent that a set of thorough investigations must be undertaken. As things stand right now, Sharif’s position has fallen under a heavy cloud of suspicion that cannot be sustained in a democratic environment. Meanwhile, two related dimensions to the emerging OPINION Isn't it therefore better to block such freedom to evil and encourage freedom for goodness? That, some critics say, restricts freedom. So does laws of the world as well as heavenly religions followed by majority of population, billions worldwide. ACCOUNTABILITY and punishment reduces evil, violence, theft, killings and maintains peace, harmony and a meaningful human co-existence away from evil that even beasts do not engage in, but human beings do! Some countries have an entire ministry tilted like "do good, forbid evil" etc based on God's orders that humanity must practice. It's not a bad idea to create such a ministry or at least a similar unit within ministry of interior or ministry of religious affairs, etc. REASONS for such an advocacy are almost countless. This includes but is not limited to unconquered poverty, electricity breakdowns 6 to 8 hours a day, load shedding, corruption, bad governance, lack of proper education, work, income and inflation. Earthquakes of present evils, theft, gangsterism, target killing, suicide bombing and massacres do not shake or move people anyone anymore. It does not make planners and executors of open extortion, kidnapping, blackmailing and terrorism think enough to desist from evil, nor are government officials and institutions considerate enough to fully protect rights of peaceful citizens over petty and big criminals which continued as an insurmountable crisis. MORAL forces of society must unite, network and act collectively against immoral forces before it's too late. Sharif’s refusal to step down lamentable Pakistan premier’s detachment from the country’s most pressing realities and his take on the investigations against him and his family show the prime minister’s worldview in poor light picture in Pakistan only promise to harm the country’s outlook, unless this matter is settled once and for all. On the one hand, an apparent unification of Pakistan’s opposition parties seeking an end to Sharif’s rule clearly illustrate the coming political storm gathering now on the horizon. Chants of ‘go Nawaz go’, once seen as peripheral to Pakistani politics, have now become increasingly central to the emerging picture. In the coming days, the noise across Pakistan’s political landscape is set to grow with leaps and bounds as opposition politicians demand Sharif’s resignation. Irrespective of the way the court proceeds, Pakistan’s opposition politicians today seem more united than ever before in pressing for Sharif’s exit. On the other hand, Sharif’s visibly-defiant response has been coupled with little appreciation by the prime minister and his cronies of the urgent need to provide the country with a new direction. In the past week, news of a very ambitious plan to build a new airport building in Lahore, where an existing airport was built not too long ago, clearly shows the way Sharif remains detached from some of Pakistan’s most vital challenges. In his four years as prime minister, Sharif has pressed ahead with large infrastructure projects that have become the so called hallmark of his self-defined development. Meanwhile, the sufferings of ordinary Pakistanis have continued unabated. In the past month, earlier-than-expected monsoon rains marked both a blessing and a calamity for large parts of Pakistan. While farmers have clearly been happy with the early arrival of the monsoon after a scorching spell, the downside is quite obvious too. Across Pakistan, graphic TV images of rain drenchedstreets and over-flowing sewerage systems indeed tell a pathetic tale of Pakistan’s infrastructure breaking down. With large parts of urban Pakistan’s low-income neighbourhoods bearing the brunt, the gaps between Sharif’s modernisation plans and the reality have become very clearly visible. Once again, its clear that Pakistan needs a complete revamp of its urban infrastructure, its educational system and facilities for health care, rather than the highspeed highways and luxury bus service currently being pursued vigorously under Sharif’s stewardship. Ironically, Sharif’s detachment from Pakistan’s most pressing realities and his take on the investigations against him and his family, may well narrate a sorry tale about the prime minister’s worldview. Its clear that Sharif has found it consistently hard to reconcile with any view that is not in sync with his own. If Sharif chooses to confront his political foes at the cost of principles, Pakistan’s democracy may well be at stake. And that may unfold a much bigger dilemma for South Asia’s second-largest nuclear-armed country, beyond just the matter of who gets to rule over it. Farhan Bokhari is a Pakistan-based commentator who writes on political and economic matters. Gilani demands implementation of UN resolutions on Kashmir SRINAGAR: Chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Gilani, while maintaining that 95 percent Kashmiri people want freedom from India has asked New Delhi to withdraw its troops to know their aspirations about their political destiny. According to KMS, Syed Ali Gilani in a statement issued in Srinagar said, “I ridicule the claims of New Delhi that people of Jammu and Kashmir want to stay with India. 95 percent of population in Jammu and Kashmir wants freedom from India and is challenging Indian authorities. Let India withdraw its forces and it will let it know the aspirations of people about their political destiny.” The APHC Chairman said that war was neither Veteran journalist Asghar Shaad dies ISLAMABAD: Veteran journalist, Asghar Shaad took his last breath at Quaide-Azam International Hospital (QIH) on Saturday. He was suffering from cancer for last many months. He was currently working as Bureau Chief of Daily Nawai-e-Waqt in Rawalpindi . He was a prominent journalist and has vast journalistic experience. He was not only a journalist but also a columnist and writer. He was father of journalist Imran Asghar. World Youth Skills Day today ISLAMABAD: World Youth Skills Day is being celebrated today (July 15) to raise awareness about growing need of employment for youth and issues of their learning. Education and training are key elements of success in the labor market and provision of skills and jobs are prominent features of Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Federal Govt has launched number of programmes including internship and short professional courses to provide free training and skills to youth to enable them to earn a livelihood in an honorable way. RAWALPINDI: A 16 years old girl has allegedly been gang raped within the jurisdiction of R A bazaar police . The victim girl “R” told to police that she was in her house in Ghaziabad when Rajju Shah, Khushhal Khattak RAWALPINDI: Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has given deadline for completing urology institute till March, 30 ,2018 and released more 500 million rupees for speeding up; work on project. This 400-bed hospital is S H E I K H U P U R A : Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz MPA Sardar Irfan Dogar has denied the reports about joining PTI by him saying he will live and die with Nawaz Sharif and his party throughout his life. While speaking to media, Pakistan Muslim option nor a solution to the Kashmir dispute. “All issues can be resolved through dialogue only. We stress that resolutions passed in the UN be implemented in letter and spirit to allow Kashmiri people decide the future course of political destiny of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. Syed Ali Gilani deplored that Indian tyranny and oppression had touched heights in occupied Kashmir where all rights and liberties of people had been snatched. Six hundred thousand people have been martyred during last seventy years and more than six hundred graveyards stand testimony that the people of occupied Kashmir are facing the worst type of Indian League Nawaz MPA Sardar Irfan Dogar on Saturday said that report circulating in TV talk show regarding his joining PTI and leaving PML (N) was false since his ancestors also belonged to PML (N), so he could never think about leaving the party. He announced to MULTAN: PPP workers chant slogans during anti government sit-in at Kachari Chowk. state terrorism, he said. “Our more than 10,000 youth have disappeared in forces’ custody and in every nook and corner of the territory there are more than 7,600 unmarked graves and nobody knows about those buried in these graves,” he added. The APHC Chairman paid glowing tributes to all Kashmiri martyrs especially those killed on 13th July 1931. They sacrificed their precious lives to save us from slavery, brutality, oppression and imperialism, he said. Syed Ali Gilani strongly denounced the attack on Hindu yatris. He also hailed the Kashmiri youth for their exemplary and sympathetic approach towards the injured yatris and said, “It is what Islam teaches us”. PML (N) MPA denies joining PTI ISLAMABAD: CADD ministry has released funds amounting to Rs 1.9 billions for furnishing, construction and renovation of boundary walls, classrooms, wash rooms and halls of 200 federal educational institutions. Rs 1.7 billions rupees take the TV channel to court for airing false news and said that he will remain loyal to his party, while he will never think about leaving the party. All the people, who had left the party in the past, their politics have finished and are nowhere in the political scene at present. Funds over Rs 1.9 billion released for Federal educational institutions Girl allegedly gang raped in RWP Rs 500 millions released for Urology hospital being constructed on Murree road in the area of 96 kanals. Tenders of Rs 2.5 billion for purchasing hospital machinery have been issued. This is first urology hospital of Punjab which has 400 bed . Hospital incharge Hanif Abbasi said that expert and Hamza Came up there with weapons. They abducted her at gun point , took her to a home on bike and gang raped her . Police have registered case and started investigation. doctors are being recruited from King hospital London for this hospital who will not only provide treatment to the patients but will also impart training to the doctors. The hospital is being constructed at the cost of Rs 4 billions. will be spent only for providing missing facilities. Only Rs 156 million could be spent out of Rs one billion funds which were provided to ministry of CADD in the previous financial year budget. In addition to first quarterly funds of Rs 1.9 billion, funds amounting to Rs 2 billions have also been provided for providing transport and other facilities in the educational institutions under Prime Minster Education Reforms Program. Man allegedly stabs to death brother-in-law ISLAMABAD: A man has allegedly stabbed to death his brother in law upon domestic dispute within the jurisdiction of Nun Police. According to media reports, one Qasim Khan killed his brother-in-law with dagger in the area of Dhook Milyar. Police have arrested the suspect along with sharp weapon besides shifting the body into nearby PIMS for medico-legal formalities. Police said that Qasim Khan used to remain engaged in altercation with his wife frequently over domestic matters and he stabbed to death his brother in law when the latter prevented him from quarrelling with his sister. Police have registered a case and started an investigation. Online admission system in govt run colleges of RWP this year RAWALPINDI: Punjab Government while introducing the Online Admission system in all the government colleges across Punjab including Rawalpindi has directed administration of respective colleges to open their website in connection with admissions. According to media reports, under this approach, all students, girls and boys would able to apply online for their admissions in government colleges while sitting at homes without any need to purchase prospectuses and dozens of photocopies of their documents. Admissions into government colleges all over Punjab including Rawalpindi district will be made online this year and the students will be able to apply for admissions while sitting in their homes.
US, allies main losers of Mosul liberation operation: Iran MP TEHRAN: A senior Iranian lawmaker has hailed Iraq’s recapture of the city of Mosul from the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, describing the US, along with its allies, as the main loser of the liberation campaign, since it failed to advance its plots there. Speaking to ISNA news agency on Saturday, Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy Alaeddin Boroujerdi congratulated the Iraqi nation, army, top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), commonly known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, on the Mosul liberation. The senior MP further said the US and its allies had plotted to disintegrate Iraq through their Takfiri proxies and later use the Daesh rule in the Arab state to advance MOSCOW: Russia said on Friday that too many American spies operated in Moscow under diplomatic cover and said it might expel some of them to retaliate against the United States over Washington's expulsion of 35 Russian JERUSALEM: The Muslim world has denounced Israel’s recent move to shut down the al- Aqsa Mosque after a deadly shooting at the holy mosque’s compound in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds. The Friday gunfight took place just outside the Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount) and left three Palestinians and two Israeli police officers dead. Following the incident, Israeli police closed the al- Aqsa Mosque compound, briefly detained Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the their policies. “Daesh was, however, defeated,” said Bouroujerdi, adding that the terror group’s collapse “means the defeat of the US and the Zionist regime.” With their failure in Mosul, he added, the Americans have now come to the conclusion that they could no longer carry out their sinister conspiracies in the region. Boroujerdi also diplomats last year. The warning, delivered by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, reflects rising frustration in Moscow over the Trump administration's refusal to hand back two Russian grand mufti of Jerusalem al-Quds, and cancelled Muslim Friday prayers at the site. “We insist on reaching al-Aqsa mosque and performing prayers there. The occupation preventing us from praying marks an assault against our right to worship in this pure Islamic mosque,” Sheikh Muhammad said. The measures taken by the Tel Aviv regime drew condemnations from the Muslim world. Arab League, Jordan demand al-Aqsa reopening The Arab League called Mosul’s liberation a “very important” triumph for the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been helping the Iraqi and Syria nations in their struggles against terrorist groups Earlier this week, Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri sayid the liberation of Mosul from the grip of Daesh sounded the death knell for the divisive plots hatched by the US and its regional allies. Daesh proclaimed Mosul as its “capital” in Iraq in 2014, when the outfit began a campaign of terror in the Arab country. The Iraqi army soldiers and allied volunteer fighters launched a large-scale, multi-front offensive to liberate Mosul Russia, mulling expulsions, says too many U.S. spies work in Moscow Chinese Nobel laureate's ashes scattered at sea S H E N Y A N G : Deceased Chinese Nobel Peace Prize-winning dissident Liu Xiaobo's ashes were scattered at sea on Saturday, Liu's brother said, in a move described by a family friend as an effort to erase any memory of him. Liu, 61, died of multiple organ failure on Thursday in a hospital in the northeastern city of Shenyang, where he was being treated for late-stage liver cancer, having been given medical parole but not freed. He had been jailed for 11 years in 2009 for "inciting subversion of state power" after helping to write a petition known as "Charter 08" calling for sweeping political reforms. His widow, Liu Xia, has been under effective house arrest since her husband won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, but had been allowed to visit him in prison about once a month. She has never been formally charged with any crime. Speaking at a government-arranged news conference, Liu Xiaobo's eldest brother Liu Xiaoguang offered thanks several times to the Communist Party for its thoughtful care considering the dissident's "special situation". "Why has Liu Xia not come here? Her health is very weak at the moment," Liu Xiaoguang said, sitting in-between an English-language interpreter and a Shenyang government official. "So she can't come here. It's very regretful." After speaking for about 20 minutes, Liu was escorted out by two unidentified women, an unlit cigarette in his mouth, and did not answer questions from journalists who surrounded him. The government then showed reporters images of the ashes being scattered from a boat. City government information official Zhang Qingyang said Liu Xia and Liu Xiaoguang had decided upon the scattering of ashes at sea. diplomatic compounds which were seized at the same time as some of Russia's diplomats were sent home last year. Barack Obama, U.S. president at the time, ordered the expulsion of 35 suspected Russian spies in December, along with the seizure of the two diplomatic compounds, over what he said was the hacking of U.S. political groups during the 2016 presidential election, something Russia has flatly denied. President Vladimir Putin decided not to retaliate immediately at the time, saying he would wait to see what the new administration of Donald Trump would do. Zakharova complained on Friday that U.S. officials were not issuing visas to Russian diplomats to allow Moscow to replace the expelled employees and get its embassy back up to full strength. "We have a way of responding," she told a news briefing. "The number of staff at the U.S. embassy in Moscow exceeds the number of our embassy employees in Washington by a big margin. One of our options, apart from a tit-fortat expulsion of Americans, would be to even out the numbers." Merkel tells voters: Brexit, French poll changed my view on Europe ZINGST: German Chancellor Angela Merkel told voters on Saturday that Britain's decision to leave the European Union and France's election of President Emmanuel Macron had changed her view on the bloc, adding it was worth fighting for a stronger Europe. Merkel's comments, made in a speech in the Baltic Sea resort town of Zingst two months before a federal election, underline her personal determination to deepen European integration if she is reelected for a fourth term. Calling European Union membership one of Germany's biggest strengths, Merkel said last year's Brexit decision and elections in France and the Netherlands, in which pro-European parties defeated populist candidates, had changed her perspective. in October 2016. They took control of eastern Mosul in January and launched the battle in the west in February. The more difficult battle was the fight for western Mosul — with its narrow streets and tightly packed Old City. Daesh elements resorted to bombings, sniper fire, and mortar attacks to slow the advance of the Iraqi forces. Nevertheless, Iraqi forces finally liberated the entire city earlier this month. According to the latest UN figures, the Mosul battle displaced more than a million people, but nearly 200,000 have returned home. The US and its allies have been pounding Iraq and Syria in a purported effort to root out Daesh. Those operations have widely been criticized for falling short of their announced objective and causing civilian casualties. Berlin 'dismayed and furious' over murder of German women in Egypt HURGHADA: German officials said on Saturday they had been left "dismayed and furious" by the stabbing of two German women at an Egyptian beach resort, calling it a deliberate attack on foreign tourists. An Egyptian man stabbed the two German tourists to death and wounded at least four others on Friday at a popular seaside vacation spot on the Red Sea, officials and witnesses said. The knifeman killed the two German women and wounded two other tourists at the Zahabia hotel in Hurghada, then swam to a neighboring beach to attack at least two more people at the Sunny Days El Palacio resort before being caught by staff and arrested, officials and security sources said. It was the first major attack on foreign tourists since a similar assault on the same resort more than a year ago, and comes as Egypt struggles to revive a tourism industry hurt by security threats and years of political upheaval. SINGAPORE: Around 400 protesters gathered at Singapore's Speakers' Corner on Saturday calling for an independent inquiry into whether Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong abused his power in a battle with his siblings over what to do with their late father's house. The heirs of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's longserving first prime minister who died in 2015, are bitterly divided over whether to demolish the family home at 38 Oxley Road, or allow the government to decide if it should MUMBAI: Alia Bhatt might be the one to give you #casualwear goals but the actress also knows how to clean up well in Indian wear. It’s not very often that this talented actor picks something desi for big, star-studded events, so her appearance at IIFA Rocks made for a really nice change. The fact that she actually nailed the look in this sheer outfit did help a lot. We can’t get over how beautiful she looked in this Manish Malhotra outfit – in fact, nothing short of royalty. The intricate floral embroidery on the blouse and the lehenga is so lovely that we would happily save up to buy it or if we come across a lot of money then get on our hands on it immediately, without a second thought. warned against the consequences of Israel’s “dangerous” closure of the al- Aqsa Mosque and ban on Friday prayers. In a statement released on Friday, the 22-member pan-Arab organization said the move would adversely affect the so-called peace process in the region and fuel conflict, terrorism and extremism. It further called on Israel to the immediately reopen al-Aqsa and avoid any attempt to change the historic status of the mosque, demanding the international community Sunday, July 16, 2017 International Muslim world condemns Israel’s closure of al-Aqsa Mosque protect the Islamic and Christian sacred sites. Additionally, Jordan, which serves as the custodian of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, urged the reopening of the site and advised Israel to “refrain from taking any step aimed at changing” the status quo of Jerusalem al- “Jordan rejects any attack on the rights of Muslims,” Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad Momani said in a statement carried by the official Petra news agency on Friday. 5 Alia Bhatt looks like a dream in beautiful, flowy outfits in New York City Australia-U.S. refugee swap again in doubt as officials exit Nauru SYDNEY/WASHING- TON: U.S. officials interviewing refugees held in an Australian-run offshore detention center left the facility abruptly, three detainees told Reuters on Saturday, throwing further doubt over a plan to resettle many of the detainees in America. U.S. officials halted screening interviews and departed the Pacific island of Nauru on Friday, two weeks short of their scheduled timetable and a day after Washington said the United States had reached its annual refugee BEIJING: One of China's most prominent rights activists was released by the authorities on Saturday after serving a four-year sentence that prompted international criticism, with his lawyer saying he hoped he would be allowed to live as a free man. Xu Zhiyong, whose "New Citizens' intake cap. "U.S. (officials) were scheduled to be on Nauru until July 26 but they left on Friday," one refugee told Reuters, requesting anonymity as he did not want to jeopardize his application for U.S. resettlement. In the United States, a senior member of the union that represents refugee officers at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a Department of Homeland Security agency, told Reuters his own trip to Nauru was not going forward as scheduled. Movement" advocated working within the system to press for change, was detained in 2013 and subsequently convicted of "gathering a crowd to disturb public order". One of the group's main demands had been for officials to publicly disclose their assets, a demand taken against the backdrop of the ruling Communist Party's own efforts to crackdown on deep-seat corruption under President Xi Jinping. Xu's lawyer, Zhang Qingfang, told Reuters he had brought Xu up to speed Jason Marks, chief steward of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1924, told Reuters his trip has now been pushed back and it was unclear whether it will actually happen. The USCIS did not respond to requests for comment. The Australian Immigration Department declined to comment on the whereabouts of the U.S. officials or the future of a refugee swap agreement between Australia and the United States that President Donald Trump earlier this year branded a "dumb deal". Prominent rights activist Xu Zhiyong freed from Chinese jail become a heritage site. The public row in a family that stands at the heart of Singapore's establishment raised uncomfortable questions in a city-state that prides itself on being a rock of stability in SoutheastAsia. Displays of dissent are rare, but the issue gave some people at Saturday's rally ammunition to vent frustration over a family that has supplied two of Singapore's three leaders since independence in 1965. "Singapore belongs to Singaporeans, and not to the FamiLee", read a large banner on the stage for the protest at Speaker's Corner, a designated venue for people to air their views, located in a park near the city's financial district. with "events on the outside", including the death of fellow activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Liu Xiaobo. He said Xu was "upset" upon hearing the news. Zhang said Xu, who was released from his jail on Beijing's outskirts on Saturday morning, was in good physical condition and had few immediate plans beyond spending time with family. Singapore protest calls for inquiry over PM's alleged abuse of power By Singapore's standards, the crowd of around 400 mostly middle-aged people was unusually large for an anti-government protest. Qatar wants global action In a similar development, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry censured the Israeli closure of the al- Aqsa Mosque, prevention of prayers there and declaration of the area as a closed military zone as a severe violation of the sanctity of Islamic sites and a provocation to millions of Muslims around the world. In a statement, the ministry called on the international community to assume its responsibility in halting these violations.
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