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Syria's Alawite women and girls disappear in abductions

Syria's Alawite women and girls disappear in abductions

The National03-07-2025
The National investigates the growing pattern of kidnappings in the country and hears from relatives of those missing
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Indian police exhume human remains in mass-burial investigation
Indian police exhume human remains in mass-burial investigation

Khaleej Times

time5 hours ago

  • Khaleej Times

Indian police exhume human remains in mass-burial investigation

Indian police have exhumed human remains in a temple town in the country's south, officials said, as part of an investigation into allegations that hundreds of murder and rape victims were secretly buried there from around the mid-1990s. The probe centres on Dharmasthala, home to an 800-year-old temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva in the state of Karnataka and is drawing headlines in media nationwide. A former cleaner at the temple told police last month that he had been forced by superiors to dispose of hundreds of bodies over two decades, many of them women and girls showing signs of sexual assault. His allegations were made in a police complaint dated July 4 and seen by Reuters. The man, whose identity authorities have withheld for safety reasons, fled Dharmasthala in 2014 but said he was compelled to speak out now because of lingering guilt. "If the skeletons now exhumed receive respectful funeral rites, those tormented souls will find peace and my sense of guilt could also decrease," he wrote in the complaint. The police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the temple said it welcomed a thorough investigation and hoped police would "bring out true facts to light". In the complaint, the former cleaner accused temple officials of forcing him to dispose of the bodies and told police he would name the officials if they protected him and his family. Karnataka's interior minister told the state assembly on Monday that the protection was now in place. The former cleaner said he had secretly exhumed a skeleton from one of the burial sites to prove his claims. A special investigation team formed by the Karnataka government has so far recovered human remains from two of 16 suspected burial sites, according to two senior police officials familiar with the probe. They declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. Karnataka's interior minister, Gangadharaiah Parameshwara, said the police have collected bone fragments, soil samples, and other material for testing from two sites thanks to the information from the former cleaner. "The analysis is ongoing. Only once that is complete can we say the investigation has truly begun," Parameshwara said. "My request is to not make this a religious matter." Sachin Deshpande, a lawyer for the complainant, told Reuters "they have found human remains where our client pointed and we are sure that the truth will come out". He declined to make his client available for an interview. The revelations have revived interest in older unsolved cases, including Padmalatha, a college student whose family alleged she was raped and murdered in Dharmasthala in 1986. Padmalatha, like many in India, went by one name. Her sister, Indravathi, said the family buried Padmalatha's body rather than cremating it according to Hindu custom, hoping that would help with any investigations later. "We hope that we will get justice one day for her abduction, rape and murder," said Indravathi, who uses only one name.

South Africa's MTN faces new US investigation into Afghanistan conduct
South Africa's MTN faces new US investigation into Afghanistan conduct

Zawya

time10 hours ago

  • Zawya

South Africa's MTN faces new US investigation into Afghanistan conduct

JOHANNESBURG: South African mobile network operator MTN Group is facing an investigation by a U.S. Department of Justice grand jury into its conduct and that of its former subsidiary in Afghanistan and an Iranian cell phone carrier it partly owns, the company said. The news and a slight downward revision of its medium-term service revenue outlook for its domestic market sent its shares tumbling 9% on Monday, overshadowing results showing it made a half-year profit following a loss a year earlier. Group CEO Ralph Mupita told reporters that Africa's biggest telecoms operator had been informed by its external U.S. counsel of the DOJ grand jury investigation, adding that it was cooperating and voluntarily responding to requests for information. Mupita declined further comment on the case MTN faces other ongoing legal cases in the United States filed on behalf of American service members and civilians who were injured or killed in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2005 and 2010 who accuse it of violating the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act. "The plaintiffs' complaints allege that MTN supported anti-American militias in Iraq and Afghanistan through its participation in Irancell," the company said in a statement,. MTN owns 49% of Irancell. "Jurisdictional discovery in the cases, ordered in July 2023, has now closed and the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on 6 August 2025," the company said. "The amended complaint now includes additional claims against MTN, which are similar to those asserted in the three other pending ATA (U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act) cases in which MTN is involved. MTN will file a Motion to Dismiss the amended complaint." MTN shares fell as much as 9% before closing down 8.4%. "(The) shares have done very well coming into these (half-year) results so part of the selloff could also be profit taking by short-term investors given the U.S. investigations could be an overhang," said Peter Takaendesa, Chief Investment Officer at Mergence Investment Managers. MTN is also facing challenges in growing service revenue in its home market due to pricing pressures, intense competition and weak consumer spending. Based on assumptions regarding market conditions and outlook in South Africa, it revised its medium-term guidance for service revenue growth in South Africa to low to mid-single digits from mid-single digits. It reported headline earnings per share of 645 cents in the six months to June 30, compared to a headline loss of 256 cents a year earlier, as macroeconomic conditions, inflation and foreign exchange rates in Nigeria and Ghana showed improved stability. Group service revenue grew by 23.2% to 105.1 billion rand ($5.97 billion) as data and fintech revenues increased by 36.5% and 37.3%, respectively. ($1 = 17.6063 rand) (Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Editing by Tom Hogue, Joe Bavier and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

South Africa: Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Welcomes Findings of Investigation into Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Funds at Matjhabeng Municipality
South Africa: Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Welcomes Findings of Investigation into Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Funds at Matjhabeng Municipality

Zawya

timea day ago

  • Zawya

South Africa: Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Welcomes Findings of Investigation into Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Funds at Matjhabeng Municipality

The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) today welcomed the findings released by the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Mr Dean Macpherson, into allegations of the abuse of Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) funds at the Matjhabeng Local Municipality in the Free State. The investigations followed the committee's oversight visit to the Free State last month, where 23 municipalities appeared before a joint oversight delegation. The Chairperson of the committee, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said the committee notes with appreciation the findings which have confirmed that all EPWP Integrated Grant funds for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years were fully accounted for and applied to approved projects. 'The investigation found that officials whose salaries and roles were highlighted in media reports were not EPWP participants and that their appointments were made under the municipality's budget, outside the framework of the national EPWP,' said the Chairperson. 'The committee commends the department for its swift investigation and the minister's directive to release the withheld EPWP funds so that projects which create much-needed jobs for those unemployed can continue.' The Chairperson reiterated that the matter arose from the committee's oversight visit to the Free State last month when members raised concerns about the possible abuse of EPWP funds. He said it is encouraging to see that municipalities and departments are taking the committee's oversight role seriously by ensuring that allegations are investigated and accountability upheld. 'We welcome the accountability demonstrated by Matjhabeng Local Municipality and the focus to ensure that public funds are used transparently and for their intended purpose. The committee wants to reaffirm its position that oversight is not an academic exercise, but a constitutional mandate aimed at safeguarding the integrity of governance and service delivery,' said Dr Mkhize. 'The positive outcome of this investigation demonstrates that effective oversight contributes to transparency, accountability and stronger local government.' He said that the committee will continue to monitor developments at Matjhabeng and across municipalities, ensuring transparency, accountability and good governance so that people get the quality services they deserve. The committee will conduct its next oversight visit in the North West and Gauteng from 1 to 6 September. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

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