UK-based Arab, Muslim organizations call for urgent appeals to aid victims of disasters in Morocco, Libya

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Humanitarian charity Penny Appeal has launched an emergency aid appeal to support the victims of the earthquake in Morocco. (Twitter/@pennyappeal)
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Updated 16 September 2023
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UK-based Arab, Muslim organizations call for urgent appeals to aid victims of disasters in Morocco, Libya

LONDON: The London-based Arab British Chamber of Commerce has launched an emergency appeal for aid for Morocco and Libya after an earthquake and floods respectively hit the North African countries over recent days.

The chamber said in a statement: “The world has watched in shock as two devastating natural disasters struck the kingdom of Morocco and the state of Libya in recent days, leaving thousands of their people dead, injured and missing.

“Entire cities in both countries have been destroyed with thousands of families left homeless and traumatized.

“Local emergency services assisted by friendly nations around the world are presently engaged in rescue operations to save lives and provide urgent relief.”

Morocco’s strongest-ever earthquake, registering a magnitude of 6.8, struck at 11:11 p.m. local time last Friday, some 70 km south of Marrakech, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake and killing nearly 3,000 people and wounding more than 5,600, according to official figures.

This had left “many remote rural villages devastated, making rescue operations difficult,” the chamber added.

In eastern Libya, a massive flash flood triggered by Storm Daniel on Sunday killed more than 3,000 people, left more than 10,000 missing and entire neighborhoods in ruins.

The chamber said: “Libya is just starting to count the cost of the weekend’s flooding, whose force, without parallel, led to the bursting of two dams in the eastern city of Derna.

“The Arab British Chamber of Commerce extends its deepest heartfelt sympathies to the Libyan and Moroccan people, to all the families who have lost loved ones, and to all who have been affected by these unprecedented disasters.

“The people of Morocco and Libya remain uppermost in all our thoughts as they struggle to recover from these unimaginable disasters, and we will stand in solidarity with them as they embark on the long process of rebuilding their communities.”

Appeals have begun to enable individuals to make donations to the disaster relief efforts.

For those wishing to help Morocco’s earthquake victims, a special emergency fund has been opened by the Moroccan central bank. For donations to help the Libyan disaster relief, the chamber has advised people to contact the Red Cross and Red Crescent via its Libya floods appeal.

Meanwhile, international humanitarian charity Penny Appeal has urgently called upon individuals, businesses, and organizations worldwide to come together in support of the victims of the earthquake in Morocco and the floods in Libya.

“Countless homes and buildings lie in ruins, and already vulnerable communities have been left with virtually nothing,” it said in a statement.

In response to this “dire situation,” Penny Appeal said it was “committed to making a difference in the lives of those in need, and has immediately mobilized its resources and is collaborating with our partners on the ground.”

It added: “Our resolute teams are working tirelessly to provide essential aid to the communities affected by this tragic earthquake.”

The Muslim charity, one of the largest in the world, said it was focusing on “reaching those most in need, and every effort is being made to save as many lives as possible, recognizing the immense damage this disaster has caused.”

Ridwana Wallace-Laher, CEO of Penny Appeal, said: “The road to recovery will be long and challenging, and the people of Morocco need your help now more than ever.

“Your generous donations will enable us to provide vital food, clean water, medical supplies, and shelter to those who have lost everything. Together, we can make a meaningful impact and help rebuild the lives of those affected by this tragedy.”

The charity said the devastation caused in Libya “is becoming more tragic every minute with lifeless bodies being found in the sea, in the valleys and under buildings,” calling on the public to help them “deliver essential medical aid to people in desperate need.”


Detained Greenpeace activists to face judge over Macron waxwork

Updated 55 min 59 sec ago
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Detained Greenpeace activists to face judge over Macron waxwork

  • Activists stole a 40,000-euro statue of Macron and placed it in front of the Russian embassy and later outside the headquarters of French electricity giant EDF to protest France’s economic ties with Russia

PARIS: Two Greenpeace activists who stole French President Emmanuel Macron’s waxwork from a Paris museum to stage anti-Russia protests have been detained and were set to appear before an investigating judge on Thursday, their lawyer and prosecutors said.

On Monday, several activists stole a 40,000-euro statue of Macron from the Grevin Museum and placed it in front of the Russian embassy and later outside the headquarters of French electricity giant EDF to protest France’s economic ties with Russia.

The statue, estimated to be worth 40,000 euros ($45,500), was returned to police on Tuesday night but two activists, a man and a woman, were detained on Monday, their lawyer Marie Dose said.

Jean-François Julliard, head of Greenpeace France, said that the detained pair were people who drove a truck during the protest in front of the Russian embassy, and not those who “borrowed” the statue from the museum.

“They have spent three nights in a cell,” said Dose, denouncing the detention as “completely disproportionate.”

The lawyer denounced the “deplorable” conditions in which the two activists were being held, “attached to benches for hours and dragged from police station to police station.”

One activist spent the night without a blanket and was unable to lie down because her cell was too small, the lawyer said.

“The other had to sleep on the floor because there were too many people in the cell,” she added.

“This treatment is worrying for Greenpeace activists and raises the question of a dangerous shift in the criminal response to acts of civil disobedience,” she said.

The pair will appear before an investigating magistrate on Thursday as part of a judicial inquiry into the “theft of a cultural object on display,” the Paris prosecutor’s office told AFP.

The judge will decide whether to charge them.

The lawyer argued that “no harm resulted from the non-violent action,” arguing that “all offenses” ceased to exist once the statue has been returned to the museum.

The Grevin Museum filed a complaint on Monday but subsequently took the matter in good humor. “The figures can only be viewed on site,” it said on its Instagram feed.

The activists managed to slip out through an emergency exit of the museum by posing as maintenance workers.


Suspect in murder of Tunisian man to appear before French judge: prosecutors

Updated 05 June 2025
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Suspect in murder of Tunisian man to appear before French judge: prosecutors

PARIS: A Frenchman accused of murdering his Tunisian neighbor in the south of France will appear before an anti-terrorism judge on Thursday, the national anti-terror prosecutor’s office said.

Christophe B. is accused of killing Hichem Miraoui in an attack Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau described as both “racist” and “anti-Muslim.”

Anti-terrorism prosecutors have taken over the case, the first time a far-right racist attack has been treated as a “terrorist” offense since the unit was created in 2019.


Russia to repair warplanes damaged by Ukraine’s drones

Updated 05 June 2025
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Russia to repair warplanes damaged by Ukraine’s drones

  • Ukrainian strikes targeted airfields in Siberia and the far north where Russia houses heavy bombers that form part of its strategic nuclear forces
  • Commercial satellite images showed what appeared to be damaged Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers and Tu-22 Backfire long-range bombers

MOSCOW: Russian warplanes were damaged but not destroyed in a June 1 attack by Ukraine, and they will be restored, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

Ukrainian strikes targeted airfields in Siberia and the far north where Russia houses heavy bombers that form part of its strategic nuclear forces.

The United States assesses that up to 20 warplanes were hit and around 10 were destroyed, two US officials said, a figure that is about half the number estimated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

But Ryabkov, who oversees arms control diplomacy, told state news agency TASS: “The equipment in question, as was also stated by representatives of the Ministry of Defense, was not destroyed but damaged. It will be restored.”

It was not immediately clear how swiftly Russia could repair or replace the damaged aircraft – if at all – given the complexity of the technology, the age of some of the Soviet-era planes, and Western sanctions that restrict Russian imports of sensitive components.

Commercial satellite imagery taken after the Ukrainian drone attack shows what experts said appear to be damaged Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers and Tu-22 Backfire long-range bombers that Russia has used to launch missile strikes against Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump in a telephone conversation on Wednesday that Moscow would have to respond to the attacks, Trump said.

Russia has an estimated fleet of 67 strategic bombers, including 52 Tu-95s, known as Bear-H by NATO, and 15 Tu-160s, known as Blackjacks, of which about 58 are thought to be deployed, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

In addition, it has 289 non-strategic fighters and bombers, including Tu-22s, Su-24s, Su-34s and MiG-31s, according to the Bulletin. Russia has given no detail about which aircraft were damaged but said that Ukraine targeted five air bases.


Philippines, US hold joint maritime drills for seventh time

Updated 05 June 2025
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Philippines, US hold joint maritime drills for seventh time

  • The exercises included joint operations near shorelines as well as fire support
  • The joint sail also showcased the Philippine vessel Miguel Malvar, a 118-meter guided missile frigate commissioned last month

MANILA: The Philippines and United States militaries have sailed together in the South China Sea for a seventh time to boost interoperability between the two sides, Manila’s armed forces said on Thursday.
The exercises, held on Wednesday in waters off the provinces of Occidental Mindoro and Zambales and away from contested features, included joint operations near shorelines as well as fire support.
“The MCA (maritime cooperative activity) is a demonstration of both nations’ resolve to deepen cooperation and enhance interoperability in line with international law,” the Philippine armed forces said in a statement.
The joint sail also showcased the Philippine vessel Miguel Malvar, a 118-meter guided missile frigate commissioned last month. It is one of two corvettes built by South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries under the Philippines’ military modernization program.
Military engagements between the treaty allies have soared under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has pivoted closer to Washington in response to China’s growing presence in the South China Sea.
China claims sovereignty over nearly all the South China Sea, including parts of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.


Indonesia allowing nickel industry abuses to go unchecked: report

Updated 05 June 2025
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Indonesia allowing nickel industry abuses to go unchecked: report

  • Indonesia is both the world’s largest nickel producer, and home to the biggest-known reserves
  • Locals have reported a rise in air pollution from nickel processing smelters and rivers polluted by nickel tailings in soil brought down by heavy rain

JAKARTA: The Indonesian government is allowing environmental damage including deforestation and violations against Indigenous people to go unchecked around a multi-billion dollar industrial park on a once-pristine eastern island, a report said Thursday.

Indonesia is both the world’s largest nickel producer, and home to the biggest-known reserves, and a 2020 export ban has spurred a domestic industrial boom.

Operations have grown around Weda Bay, the world’s largest nickel mine by production, on Halmahera island as Indonesia exploits the metal reserves used in everything from electric vehicle batteries to stainless steel.

Climate Rights International (CRI) said companies had caused a spike in air and water pollution and deforestation around the industrial park, accusing the government of ignoring their conduct.

“The Indonesian government is giving a green light to corporate practices that prioritize profits over the rights of local communities and the environment,” Krista Shennum, researcher at Climate Rights International, told AFP.

“The Indonesian government should immediately hold companies accountable. This could include civil penalties, criminal prosecutions, or rescinding permits.”

Much of the park’s nickel is sourced by Weda Bay Nickel (WBN), a joint venture of Indonesian mining firm Antam and Singapore-based Strand Minerals, with shares divided between French mining giant Eramet and Chinese steel major Tsingshan.

An AFP report last week detailed how the home of the nomadic Hongana Manyawa tribe was being eaten away by the world’s largest nickel mine, with members issuing a call for nickel companies to leave their tribal lands alone.


Locals have reported a rise in air pollution from nickel processing smelters and rivers polluted by nickel tailings in soil brought down by heavy rain.

Water tests by Indonesian NGOs AEER, JATAM, and Nexus3 Foundation in 2023 and 2024 “revealed dangerously high levels of nickel and hexavalent chromium, among other pollutants,” the report said.

“(Companies) are failing local communities by not making information about the safety of important drinking water sources publicly available and accessible,” said Shennum.

Both WBN and Eramet told AFP last week they work to minimize impacts on the environment, including conducting water tests.

CRI also said Indonesian and foreign companies in coordination with police and military personnel had “engaged in land grabbing, coercion and intimidation” of Indigenous peoples and other communities.

Local activists and students opposing the industrial park have “faced criminalization, harassment and smear campaigns,” the report said.

Weda Bay Nickel and the Indonesian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But Indonesia’s energy ministry told AFP last week it was committed to “protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples and ensuring that mining activities do not damage their lives and environment.”