Category: NEWS

MESQUITE, Texas  — Millions of spectators along a narrow corridor stretching from Mexico to the U.S. to Canada eagerly awaited Monday’s celestial sensation — a total eclipse of the sun — even as forecasters called for clouds. The best weather was expected at the tail end of the eclipse in Vermont and Maine, as well as New Brunswick and Newfoundland. It promised to be North America’s biggest eclipse crowd ever, thanks to the densely populated path and the lure of more than four minutes of midday darkness in Texas and…

JERUSALEM: Israel is ready to handle any scenario that may arise with Iran, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday, after Tehran threatened to retaliate for the killing of Iranian generals on April 1. An Iranian official said earlier that Israeli embassies were not safe, and a semi-official news agency published a graphic showing weapons it said would be capable of striking Israel. Gallant’s office issued the statement about Israel’s preparedness after he held an “operational situation assessment” with senior military officers. “Upon completing the assessment, Minister Gallant emphasized that…

JAKARTA: A new Javan rhinoceros calf has been spotted at an Indonesian national park, giving hope for the conservation of one of the world’s most endangered mammals. The calf, estimated to be between three and five months old, was spotted in footage captured last month by one of 126 camera traps installed in Ujung Kulon National Park on Java island. The mammal, whose sex remains unknown, was seen walking with its mother inside the park, the last remaining wild habitat for Javan rhinos. “Praise God, this is good news and…

Calicut, Kerala: In a culmination of Ramadan festivities, Markaz, a renowned Islamic educational institution in Kerala, India, farewells the holy Ramadan with stories of grand community iftars and spiritual gatherings, drawing thousands of attendees from various backgrounds. One of the notable events was the Badrul Kubra Spiritual Conference held at Jamiul Futuh, the Grand Masjid in India, at Markaz Knowledge City. The spiritual gathering, which lasted from 1 pm to midnight, saw over twenty-five thousand people breaking their fast at the Grand Iftar, which was organized as part of the…

Calicut, Kerala: In a significant milestone for Quranic education, the Markaz Academy of Quran Studies celebrated the graduation of 161 huffaz who completed their memorization of the Quran in 2022 and 2023. This esteemed academy, renowned as one of India’s largest Quranic study centres, has already seen around 2500 individuals complete their studies. With a commitment to excellence, more than 800 students are currently enrolled in Quranic studies across 25 off-campuses. The impact of the academy extends globally, with Markaz students showcasing their talents on international platforms and representing India…

Kozhikode: Scholar and Qur’an orator Shafi Saquafi Mundambra was honoured with the prestigious Markaz Holy Qur’an Harbinger Award. This esteemed accolade was bestowed upon him by the Grand Mufti of India, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, during the Markaz Quran congregation and Hifz Convocation, recognizing his commendable dedication to delivering comprehensive lectures on various chapters of the Quran over the past 24 years. Distinguished for his unique approach, Shafi Saquafi has endeared himself to audiences by delivering the actual teachings of the Holy Quran with accessible commentary, resonating profoundly with scholars and…

Santa Venera (Malta) based “Malta’s leading Home Decor E-Commerce site” Maltashopper apologized and withdrew socks carrying images of Hindu deity Lord Ganesha; which protesting Hindus called “highly inappropriate”. David Thake, Chairman of Maltashopper Limited, in an email to distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed (who spearheaded this protest), wrote: Recognizing the significance of Lord Ganesh in Hinduism and understanding the inappropriateness of depicting such a revered figure on socks, we are taking immediate and decisive action. We have immediately removed the product from our platform and do not hesitate to issue…

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday ruled out negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and asked the Afghanistan to take immediate action against terrorist outfits operating from its soil to “destabilise” Islamabad. During a weekly press briefing here, Baloch said, “Pakistan expected Afghan authorities to take urgent action against terrorist outfits and their leadership for the crimes they were committing and the terrorist incidents they were responsible for in Pakistan.” “Pakistan remained committed to fighting all terrorist outfits which had targeted the country and the symbols…

Upset Hindus are urging Santa Venera (Malta) based “Malta’s leading Home Decor E-Commerce site” Maltashopper for immediate withdrawal of socks carrying images of Hindu deity Lord Ganesha; calling it highly inappropriate. Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Lord Ganesha was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to adorn one’s feet-ankles-legs, “keep your feet cozy and dry”, “prevent sweat and odor”, etc. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts or symbols or…