Putin says Russia will accomplish ‘all goals set’ in Ukraine
Putin says Russia will accomplish ‘all goals set’ in Ukraine/node/2573315/world
Putin says Russia will accomplish ‘all goals set’ in Ukraine
FILE PHOTO: Russia's President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the Security Council on the subject of nuclear deterrence in Moscow, Russia September 25, 2024. (Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Kremlin via Reuters)
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Updated 30 September 2024
AFP
Putin says Russia will accomplish ‘all goals set’ in Ukraine
Updated 30 September 2024
AFP
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday vowed that Moscow would accomplish all goals it has set for itself in Ukraine, in its third year of conflict.
“The truth is on our side. All goals set will be achieved,” Putin said in a video message released to mark the second anniversary of what Russia calls “Reunification Day,” when Moscow annexed four Ukrainian regions.
After it sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, Russia annexed the regions of Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. It does not fully control all territory in these regions.
In his address, Putin repeated his justification for sending troops into Ukraine as protecting Russian speakers against a “neo-Nazi dictatorship” that aimed to “cut them off forever from Russia, their historic homeland.”
He also slammed “Western elites” who “turned Ukraine into their colony, a military base aimed at Russia” and who fanned “hate, radical nationalism... hostility to everything Russian.”
“Today we are fighting for a secure, prosperous future for our children and grandchildren,” he said.
Strings of identity: Kashmir’s fading music endures
In the 1950s, Indian musician Shivkumar Sharma introduced the santoor in classical music and it became a celebrated voice
The traditional instrument faced challenges as Western instruments and global music trends began to overshadow local sounds
Updated 55 sec ago
AFP
SRINAGAR: In a modest workshop filled with the fragrance of seasoned wood, 78-year-old Ghulam Mohammad Zaz continues a craft his family has preserved for eight generations — the making of the Kashmiri santoor.
Surrounded by tools that have outlived artisans, he works slowly, each strike and polish echoing centuries of tradition crafting the musical instrument.
“Seven generations have worked and I am the eighth; I have no guarantee anyone after me will do this work,” Zaz said softly, speaking in Kashmiri.
Once, several of his family members shared this craft in the heart of Kashmir’s main city Srinagar, in the Indian-administered part of the Himalayan territory.
Today, he is the last in the city to make the instruments by hand.
“If I tell anyone to make something, they won’t know what to do or how to make it,” said Zaz, who produces around eight to 10 instruments every year, selling for around 50,000 rupees ($565) each.
“It is not as simple as just picking some wood — one needs to find the right kind of wood.”
In this photograph taken on September 23, 2025, artisan Ghulam Mohammad Zaz speaks as he takes a break while making the Santoor instrument at his home in Srinagar. (AFP)
The santoor, a hundred-stringed zither-like instrument played with hammers, has long been central to Kashmir’s musical identity, giving the Muslim-majority region its cultural distinctiveness.
The contested Himalayan territory has been divided between India and Pakistan since independence from Britain in 1947.
Militants have fought Indian rule, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.
Tensions remain high between New Delhi and Islamabad.
In May, clashes between the nuclear-armed rivals sparked the worst fighting since 1999, killing more than 70 people in missile, drone and artillery exchanges.
MYSTICAL MUSIC
Historically, the santoor formed the backbone of ” Sufiana music,” Kashmir’s mystical music tradition, with its hypnotic and reverberating sound bringing tranquility.
“Musicians used to come from Iran to Kashmir, they used to play santoor and other instruments,” said Muzaffar Bhat, a music professor at a government college in Anantnag.
“They used to sing in Persian... we adapted the santoor from them and assimilated it into our music.”
The instrument received a new life in the 20th century.
In the 1950s, celebrated Indian musician Shivkumar Sharma — born in Jammu and Kashmir in 1938 — used the santoor to play classical music.
“Due to that, this became popularised in the classical circles throughout India,” Bhat said.
Suddenly, the santoor was no longer confined to Kashmiri sufiana gatherings — it had become a celebrated voice in Indian classical music.
Yet tradition faced challenges as Western instruments and global music trends began to overshadow local sounds.
In this photograph taken on September 23, 2025, artisan Ghulam Mohammad Zaz makes the Santoor instrument at his home in Srinagar. (AFP)
“A lot of our traditional Kashmiri instruments became sidelined,” said Bhat.
For craftsmen like Zaz, this meant fewer patrons, fewer students, and the slow decline of a centuries-old family profession.
Zaz sells his instruments in Kashmir, but also receives orders from Europe and the Middle East.
But there is hope. A revival, however modest, is taking root.
“Since the last few years, a new trend has started,” Bhat said. “Our youngsters have started to learn our traditional instruments.”
Denmark bans all civilian drone flights this week due to EU summit: ministry
Denmark will ban all civilian drone flights across the country this week to ensure security as Copenhagen hosts an EU summit gathering heads of government, the transport ministry said Sunday
Updated 44 min 28 sec ago
AFP
COPENHAGEN: Denmark will ban all civilian drone flights across the country this week to ensure security as Copenhagen hosts an EU summit gathering heads of government, the transport ministry said Sunday.
Mysterious drone sightings across Denmark since September 22 have prompted the closure of several airports, with Denmark hinting at possible Russian involvement, charges Moscow has rejected.
Copenhagen is to host an EU summit on Wednesday and Thursday.
"Denmark will host EU leaders in the coming week, where we will have extra focus on security. Therefore, from Monday to Friday, we will close the Danish airspace to all civilian drone flights," Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen said in a statement.
"In this way, we remove the risk that enemy drones can be confused with legal drones and vice versa," he added.
A violation of the ban can result in a fine or imprisonment for up to two years, the ministry said.
Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said in the same statement the purpose of the ban was to simplify the work of police and other authorities.
"The police are on heightened alert, and our authorities must use their forces where necessary to take care of Danes and our guests."
He said the ban would mean police would not have to "spend their efforts on civilian drones" that do not pose a problem to security and police.
Danish police said Saturday they had received more than 500 reports of drone flights from the Danish public, most of which were dismissed as being not of interest.
Elected US officials slam political silence over Gaza
California congressman, Michigan’s lieutenant governor address ADC convention attended by Arab News
Garlin Gilchrist: Israel ‘is committing a genocide. This isn’t a matter of opinion. It’s a matter of fact’
Updated 28 September 2025
RAY HANANIA
DEARBORN: Two elected American officials on Saturday criticized political silence in the US regarding Israel’s genocide in Gaza despite growing public anger.
California Congressman Ro Khanna and Garlin Gilchrist II, Michigan’s lieutenant governor, addressed the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee convention in Dearborn, which was attended by Arab News.
Khanna said more and more of his fellow Democrats, and even Republicans, have broken with their traditional party stance of supporting Israel.
He asked: “How can you be a Democrat in Congress and not believe that it’s time for the US to recognize Palestinian aspirations” when Israel’s government is “erasing Palestinian identity” and considering annexing the West Bank?
Khanna criticized Republicans and Democrats for turning a blind eye in exchange for millions in pro-Israel campaign donations.
“You have four out of the five permanent (UN) Security Council members, over a 150 countries calling for the recognition of a Palestinian state, and somehow the US isn’t,” he said.
“And they’re saying I don’t have moral clarity. They’re blind. They’re making us on the side of the pariah in world opinion,” he added.
Gilchrist said he is not afraid to call Israel’s brutality in Gaza what it is. “The Netanyahu government is committing a genocide. This isn’t a matter of opinion. It’s a matter of fact. This has been established by the global leaders who study genocide,” he added.
“This isn’t something we should support. American taxpayer dollars shouldn’t fund … weapons of war while children are starving,” Gilchrist said to a standing ovation.
“Our medical resources are being blocked to civilians while many innocent families are being oppressed … Candidates shouldn’t accept money from those who support the genocide. That’s why, as a candidate for governor of Michigan, I won’t accept money from AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee).
“I respect all people, their human dignity, everyone’s God-given right to be safe, the right to a future not cut short by violence, hunger or war, the right to a roof over your head, clothes on your back and food in your belly.
“I see a future where these rights are protected and guaranteed in Michigan and around the globe.”
Acknowledging that many relatives of victims in Gaza live in the Greater Detroit region, he noted: “You see, in Michigan, too many people are hurt.”
Gilchrist — who has served as the state’s 64th lieutenant governor since 2019, and is among three candidates in the August 2026 Democratic primary election contest — received a lengthy standing ovation when he declared: “It’s wrong … to vilify Arabs and Muslims. … As governor, I won’t stand for it.”
During a banquet celebrating ADC’s 45th anniversary, awards were presented to several activists and speakers for their courage in defending Arab rights.
Among them were two doctors, Mohammed Mustafa and Mohammed Tahir, who worked to save hundreds of lives in Gaza.
They spoke about the horrors of the injuries they witnessed to the elderly, to women, and to children as young as infants.
Panels included discussions on the impact of social media on swinging US public opinion away from Israel, and how platform owners are trying to censor posts to protect Israel by using computer algorithms and keywords.
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, former director for the Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services for Wayne County, discussed his candidacy for Michigan’s US Senate race in next year’s Democratic primary contest.
There were also discussions about student protests and campaigns to reverse laws adopted by 36 US states against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
Stampede at political rally for popular actor Vijay in southern India kills 36, injures 40
Vijay is one of Tamil Nadu’s most successful actors-turned-politician in district Karur
Stampedes are relatively common in India when, large crowds gather for celebrations
Updated 28 September 2025
AP
NEW DELHI: A stampede at a rally for a popular Indian actor and politician in the southern state of Tamil Nadu killed at least 36 people and injured 40 others, the state’s health minister said late Saturday.
Ma Subramanian told The Associated Press that the victims were dead by the time they were taken to a hospital and that the injured were stable. The dead included eight children, Subramanian said.
The rally, which officials say was attended by tens of thousands of people, was being addressed by Vijay, one of Tamil Nadu’s most successful actors-turned-politician in the district of Karur.
Indian media reports, quoting local officials, said as Vijay spoke to the surging crowd, a group of his supporters and fans fell while trying to get close to his bus, causing the stampede. Supporters had gathered at the political rally amid intensely hot temperatures and Vijay arrived hours late, officials said.
“There was indiscipline” at the rally, Subramanian said, adding that an investigation had been ordered.
Quoting officials, the Press Trust of India news agency reported that at least 30 people fainted while Vijay was addressing the rally from atop his campaign vehicle and were rushed in ambulances to area hospitals. He halted his speech mid-way when workers raised alarm after noticing that people were fainting and falling, it said, adding that as they were removed to hospitals, Vijay continued his speech.
However, he ended his speech shortly after sensing an abnormal situation in a section of the huge gathering, the news agency said.
Hours after the accident, Vijay offered his condolences.
“My heart is shattered,” he posted on X. “I am writhing in unbearable, indescribable pain and sorrow that words cannot express.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the “unfortunate incident” was “deeply saddening.”
My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. Wishing strength to them in this difficult time. Praying for a swift recovery to all those injured,” he said on social media.
In southern Indian states, particularly Tamil Nadu, some film stars have larger than life status, rooted in the ancient Tamil culture of hero worship and image worship. Many have become politicians and some have even been given divine status.
In 2024, Vijay retired from acting and launched his own political party. It was unclear whether he plans to run for office in Tamil Nadu state.
Stampedes are relatively common in India when large crowds gather. In January, at least 30 people were killed as tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to bathe in a sacred river during the Maha Kumbh festival, the world’s largest religious gathering.
Massive crowd, chaos preceded deadly India rally stampede
Updated 28 September 2025
AFP
MUMBAI:- A stampede that killed dozens at a south India political rally happened after a crowd of thousands waited hours in baking heat without sufficient safeguards, officials and witnesses said Sunday.
Some 27,000 people thronged a public road in Tamil Nadu state in hopes of seeing popular actor-turned-politician Vijay on Saturday, but panic broke out and 39 were killed, authorities said.
Witnesses cited hours of delays, insufficient police presence and people falling from a tree branch onto the audience as contributing to the tragedy.
Deadly crowd incidents happen repeatedly during mass gatherings in India, often blamed on lax safety measures.
Vijay, known by one name, was addressing the rally when the crowds surged suddenly, forcing him to halt his speech in Karur district.
Videos on social media showed him tossing water bottles to supporters shortly before the panic broke out.
“My heart is shattered at this tragedy,” the 51-year-old star said in a statement.
State Chief Minister M.K. Stalin told reporters on Sunday that 39 people had died, raising an earlier toll of 36.
Nine children were among the dead, he added, announcing a judicial enquiry into the disaster.
State police chief G. Venkataraman said crowds had been waiting for hours under hot sun without sufficient food and water after the public was informed that Vijay would arrive at the venue by noon.
“The crowds started coming in from 11 am. He came at 7:40 pm. The people lacked sufficient food and water under the hot sun,” he told reporters.
He added 10,000 people were expected but some 27,000 turned up.
Vijay launched his own party in 2024 and has drawn huge crowds at campaign events ahead of state elections due next year.
“I was pushed down by the crowd all of a sudden. There was absolutely no space to move,” B. Kanishka, a survivor, told the Hindu newspaper. “I subsequently fainted.”
Others said poor organization and an hours-long wait left people restless before the situation spiralled dangerously out of control.
Karthick, a survivor, told the publication that the situation could have been prevented “if people were not forced to wait for hours together.”
“Poor planning and execution of the program and lack of police personnel at the spot were also the reason,” he said.
The Indian Express newspaper said panic spread after supporters who had climbed onto a tree branch fell onto the crowd below.
In January, 30 people were killed in a crush at a major religious fair, and last year 121 died during a Hindu prayer meeting in Uttar Pradesh.
In July last year, 121 people were killed in northern Uttar Pradesh state during a Hindu religious gathering.
