EGYPTIAN ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVER ROMAN CITY IN LUXOR
Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed a 1,800-year-old Roman-era city with a complete residential structure in the southern city of Luxor. Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the city dated to the second and third centuries, and had numerous residential buildings and two towers to house pigeons and doves. He described it as the “oldest and most important city found on the eastern bank of Luxor”. Researchers found a number of metal workshops that included a collection of pots, tools, and bronze and copper Roman coins. They hailed the discovery as a rare find. Excavations were made in Luxor’s west bank of the Nile River. The area is famous for its tourist attractions of ancient temples and tombs, the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings.
Egyptian archaeologists have made several major discoveries in recent years. In April 2021, they uncovered a 3,000-year-old “lost golden city” on Luxor’s west bank, considered to be the largest ancient city yet unearthed in Egypt.
ATTACKS LEADING TO CIVILIAN KILLINGS IN WEST BANK CONDEMNED
The Turkish Foreign Ministry on January 26 strongly condemned attacks leading to civilian killings in the West Bank, saying it is “deeply concerned” over rising tensions and loss of life that is being experienced “almost every day.” “We have learned with sorrow that many Palestinians lost their lives during the raid by Israeli forces on the Jenin Refugee Camp in the West Bank on early Thursday,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry reiterated Türkiye’s call to the Israeli authorities to take the necessary measures effectively to prevent the escalation of tensions in the region and loss of life. The statement expressed Türkiye’s condolences to the Palestinian state and its people, and God’s mercy to the Palestinians who lost their lives in the recent attacks. At least nine Palestinians were killed and 20 others injured by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to Palestinian sources.
IRAQIS PROTEST DEVALUATION OF IRAQ’S CURRENCY
Hundreds of protesters on January 25 rallied near the Central Bank in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, angered by the recent devaluation of the Iraqi dinar and demanding the government take action to stabilise the currency. The protesters – mainly young people – rallied amid a heavy security presence, with many carrying the Iraqi flag and banners with slogans. One slogan read: “The politicians are the ones covering up the financial corruption for the banks.” Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani accepted the resignation of the governor of the country’s Central Bank, Mustafa Ghaleb Mukheef, following a weekslong plunge of the Iraqi dinar. Mukheef, who had been in the post since 2020, was replaced by Muhsen Al-Allaq as acting governor. The dinar hit new lows last Friday, reaching about 1,670 to the dollar. The currency has lost nearly 7 per cent of its value since mid-November. The official rate stands at 1,470 dinars for $1.
HALAL FOOD MARKET SIZE IN US TO GROW BY $9.33B FROM 2021 TO 2026
The halal food market size in the US is estimated to increase by USD 9.33 billion between 2021 and 2026. The market’s growth momentum will be progressing at a CAGR of 5.62% during the forecast period. The competitive scenario categorises companies based on various performance indicators. Some of the factors considered include the financial performance of companies, growth strategies, product innovations, new product launches, investments, and growth in market share, among others. To help companies evaluate and develop growth strategies, the report outlines Key purchase criteria, Adoption rates, Adoption lifecycle, Drivers of price sensitivity, etc. The halal food market in US is fragmented, with the presence of numerous players at a regional level. Key players are adopting organic and inorganic growth strategies to remain competitive in the market. They are investing in organic and inorganic growth strategies, such as the expansion of production plants and new product launches, to increase productivity and strengthen their market position.
TRUMBULL MUSLIMS SEEK EID AL-FITR AS SCHOOL HOLIDAY
Mac Abuzneid chose to move to Trumbull in 2018 because of the local school district. But while he likes the schools, there’s one problem, he said. Abuzneid is one of several Muslim town residents who spoke at a recent Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce meeting and asked the town’s school district to allow their children to take days off to observe Muslim holidays, including Eid al-Fitr. “I hate to ask my kids not to go to school on a Muslim holiday and I will appreciate if you consider and add our holiday to the school calendar,” Abuzneid said. While the district observes Christian and Jewish holy days as holidays, the district does not observe any Muslim ones. Abuzneid was one of several parents during the meeting who wanted their children to be given the day off for religious reasons. According to Hosam Afifi, a fellow Trumbull resident, the district has not been receptive to the requests over the last few years.
CAIR URGES FBI TO STOP DISTRIBUTING SECRET TERROR WATCHLISTS
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation in the US, on January 24 called on the Biden administration to suspend the FBI’s dissemination of two of their secret lists, which leaked copies show to be “almost entirely lists of Arabic and Muslim names.” On January 20, a Swiss hacker that goes by the moniker “maia” reportedly gained access to copies of the No-Fly List and Selectee List. These two lists are subsets of what is colloquially known as the terror watchlist and what the FBI has called Terrorist Screening Data Set. The breach occurred because a regional airline, just one of the tens of thousands of public and private entities all over the world that receive the watchlist, simply left the list exposed on the public internet. CAIR attorneys said the contents of the lists confirm what many in the Muslim community long suspected: the FBI’s secret lists comprise a vast Muslim registry deployed against Muslims all over the world. “Even a cursory review of the lists show they are both almost entirely lists of Arabic and Muslim names. Children who were at most 10 years old at the time are on the No-Fly List. A then 7-year-old is on the Selectee list,” said CAIR Trial Attorney Justin Sadowsky.
TÜRKIYE AIMS TO DEVELOP UNMANNED SUBMARINE
Türkiye plans to develop unmanned submarines, a report said on January 25. According to the report, Turkish defence firm, STM, puts itself on a new target of developing unmanned submarines after delivering the second of the Agosta 90B class submarines owned by Pakistan’s Navy in Türkiye’s first and only submarine modernisation export. Ozgur Guleryuz, General Manager of STM said that they aim to become a strong player in the international arena with the work they carry out in submarine development. “Unmanned submarines are also on the agenda,” he said, “where successful results can be achieved.” Guleryuz emphasised that with the STM500, they will create the possibility of selling a submarine designed by Turkish engineers abroad.