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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Industry Leaders Launch Footwear Innovation Foundation
Footwear industry executives and CEOs see necessity in becoming more proactive than reactive. Veterans in the sector have formed a research think tank, Footwear Innovation Foundation (FIF), to focus on how to best shape and transform the future of footwear in the face of ongoing challenges. More from WWD Modern Retail, Unified: How Skypad and Famous Footwear Aim to Set a New Standard for Brand Collaboration Tech-driven Beauty: How Perfect Corp. Is Shaping the Future of Personalized Care With AI The Only Nike Memorial Day Shoe Deals Worth Shopping Before They Sell Out FIF, launched Monday, is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has its home base in Reston, Va. It operates separately from the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA). Andy Polk, FDRA'a senior vice president, will manage FIF's day-to-day operations. The FDRA will continue to work on projects such as its supply chain tracing tool launched last October, since that's driven by current regulations, according to Polk. 'The FIF really works in white spaces looking to solve beyond current work efforts, seeing where we can fill gaps where there is no little or no data and knowledge, as well as how we establish talent pathways from outside the industry inward,' Polk said in an email to FN. The FDRA will continue to focus on issues facing the footwear industry today, such as customs, tariffs, sourcing, supply chain, regulatory matters, to name a few. The FIF is a platform dedicated to shaping the future, Polk said, adding, 'We initially tried to build that within FDRA, but its mission and tax status limited our ability to pursue real R&D (research and development) and long-range innovation work.' FDRA is a 501(c)(6) organization. Donations to fund the FIF's research work are 100 percent tax free. 'The FIF board meets at least twice a year to guide our direction, evaluate new ideas, and ensure our projects serve the industry as a whole,' he said. 'Much of our day-to-day job is meeting with academics, labs, experts and industry leaders to talk about the future, provide key innovation insights to support people's operations, and running dynamic forward thinking projects to push us forward.' Polk said that while FIF is autonomous, it remains connected with the FDRA, which funded start-up costs and legal fees until shoe companies began their donations. 'We rely on FDRA for market intelligence and strategic insights to make sure we have a good pulse on where things are headed. We also use FDRA's reach to help build a broader community around innovation,' he said. Without providing specifics, Polk said one project underway is an exploration of new technologies to help expand domestic manufacturing. 'We tapped into FDRA's membership to reach out to get key insights into what technology was being used to compare with what new technologies we are seeing in other industries that we could adapt and deploy. That is how 1 + 1 becomes 3,' he said, adding that many academics and groups don't understand footwear and spend years working to provide solutions where they have major knowledge gaps. 'We don't have that problem. We have all the internal knowledge we need to make sure when we go out to find new ideas, people and technologies [that] we know how [to] best feed back into our [footwear] companies,' Polk explained. So, why is now the right timing for a research think tank? 'In our industry, we spend so much time putting out fires that we rarely get the chance to ask the bigger questions about the future,' Andy Gilbert, former president of Genesco Brands Group and now FIF chairman, said in a statement. 'While tariffs are rightly the full focus of today's discussions, they won't be the last challenge we all face. We need to stop playing defense and start going on offense to prepare for the additional complex issues ahead.' For Gilbert, the FIF is the go-to place where the footwear industry can seek guidance in planning for the future. 'It's quickly becoming a hub for innovation, with companies and global partners already coming together to help push our industry forward,' he said. While the FIF has been working behind the scenes to set up the organization, it has also help fund some projects, such as one on shoe waste with Fashion for Good, according to Polk. Other projects in progress include helping companies comply with U.S. and European Union sustainability regulations, the development of an emissions study to provide updated, real carbon data benchmarks for footwear, and a program aimed at identifying new talent and ideas outside of the footwear industry to transform existing products and business models. Companies that are helping set up and/or financially supporting the foundation include Rack Room Shoes, Steve Madden, Shoe Show Inc., Deckers Brands, Skechers, Caleres, Target, BBC International, Michael Kors, Oka Brands, RG Barry, PLC Detroit, FDRA, Jones & Vining, Insite Performance Insoles, and Souls4Soles, among dozens of others, FIF said. In addition to Polk and Gilbert, FIF board members include Brooke Beshai, vice president, sustainability and compliance, Deckers Brands; Andee Burton, direct, product and sourcing sustainability, Caleres; D'Wayne Edwards, president of PLC Detroit; Sara Irvani, board director at Oka Brands, Matt Priest, president and CEO of FDRA, and Jung Yoon, senior vice president, production and sourcing, Michael Kors. The FIF website also lists a 14-member innovation advisory council to provide guidance on which projects to support and launch. 'If we want to change the future of footwear, we must change who gets to shape it. FIF will help bring new voices, entrepreneurs and thinkers to the table—not just from our industry, but beyond. It is the next step the industry is taking to a better future,' FIF board member Edwards said. 'Our industry is facing a convergence of challenges—supply chains, sustainability goals, and compliance demands are all intersecting in unprecedented ways. That includes the need for new models and process innovation to expand domestic footwear manufacturing,' Irvani, an FIF board member, said. 'The Footwear Innovation Foundation is stepping up to ask the tough questions, bring in fresh perspectives, and help us innovate through—not just around—what's ahead. I'm energized by what we're building as a true hub for progress and collaboration across the industry.' Best of WWD Mikey Madison's Elegant Red Carpet Shoe Style [PHOTOS] Julia Fox's Sleekest and Boldest Shoe Looks Over the Years [Photos] Crocs Collaborations From Celebrities & Big Brands You Should Know Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Pakistan calls US-designated terrorist Hafiz Abdur Rauf, who led funeral of terrorists killed by India, 'a common family man'
Pakistan's military has denied claims that Hafiz Abdur Rauf , a US-designated terrorist, led the funeral of militants killed in recent Indian airstrikes as a terrorist. Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), said Rauf is a religious figure and 'a common family man.' #Operation Sindoor The damage done at Pak bases as India strikes to avenge Pahalgam Why Pakistan pleaded to end hostilities Kashmir's Pahalgam sparks Karachi's nightmare The statement came after images from the funeral in Muridke, near Lahore, showed Rauf surrounded by high-ranking Pakistan Army officers. This led to questions about the involvement of a globally sanctioned individual in a formal ceremony conducted with military protocol. Pak military shares identity card details To support its claim, the Pakistani military showed what it said was Rauf's National Identity Card, which listed him as an official of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) and the head of its welfare wing. However, the details released — including his CNIC number (35202-5400413-9) and date of birth (March 25, 1973) — match the records on the US Treasury Department's sanctions list. Who is Hafiz Abdur Rauf? Rauf is a known senior member of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a group responsible for multiple terror attacks , and headed Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), LeT's charity front now banned. Both LeT and FIF are designated as terrorist organisations by the US and the United Nations. Over the years, Rauf has held several positions in LeT. The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said he worked as Director of Public Service in 2003 and as Director of Humanitarian Relief in 2008. He was also in charge of LeT's charitable wings, Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq (IKK) and later FIF. Live Events Indian strikes hit terror facilities across PoK and Pakistan Operation Sindoor targeted multiple sites across Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and Pakistan. Locations hit in PoK included Sawal Nala, Syedna Bilal, Gulpur, Barnala, and Abbas. In Pakistan, the strikes were carried out in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sarjal, and Mehmoona Joya. 21 terror installations identified According to the Ministry of Defence, Indian forces had identified 21 active terror installations before the operation. These included facilities in Sawal Nala, Syedna Bilal, Maskar-e-Aqsa, Chelabandi, Abdullah bin Masood, Dulai, Garhi Habibullah, Batrasi, Balakot, Oghi, Boi, Sensa, Gulpur, Kotli, Barali, Dungi, Barnala, Mehmoona Joya, Sarjal, Muridke, and Bahawalpur. Key militants killed in India's precision strikes in Pakistan The operation led to the elimination of several high-profile militants. Khalid Abu Akasha, a trained Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, was among them. He was known for moving weapons from Afghanistan to Pakistan and had been working at LeT's central unit in Muridke. He had links with senior LeT members including Yahya Mujahid, Qari Yakub Sheikh, and Abdul Rehman. Another figure killed was Mudassir Khadian Khas, who managed the Muridke camp. He worked closely with Hafiz Abdur Rauf and served as his security head. He also had links to PMML's General Secretary, Hafiz Khalid Waleed, and was related to LeT founder Hafiz Saeed. In Syedna Bilal camp, Indian forces eliminated Mohammad Hassan Khan, son of JeM commander Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri. Khan had been part of the 2019 Pulwama attack and took part in key meetings in Islamabad. In Bahawalpur, Hafiz Muhammed Jameel was killed. He was JeM founder Masood Azhar's brother-in-law and held a senior leadership role. As per the defence ministry, he supervised operations, recruited youth from PoK, and helped collect funds for the group. Pakistan Gave State Funeral for Terrorist The funeral, held on May 8, was not a low-profile event. Images showed coffins wrapped in the national flag, military officers standing behind Rauf, and state security at the site. According to news agency IANS, officers present included Lt Gen Fayyaz Hussain Shah, Maj Gen Rao Imran Sartaj, Brig Mohammad Furqan Shabbir, Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar, and provincial MLA Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bherth. 'They claim that only civilians were killed in the strikes on the 7th of May. We have made the point very clearly that all attacks on the morning of 7th May were against carefully selected terrorist infrastructure, terrorist targets,' Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a press briefing in New Delhi. Abdul Rauf Azhar: History of terror links Though Pakistani officials tried to shift focus by comparing Rauf to Abdul Rauf Azhar — the brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar — their records differ. Abdur Rauf has been active in LeT's propaganda and financial arms since the early 2000s. He publicly supported LeT-affiliated organisations even after Pakistan banned them. In 2009, he led FIF's fundraising visit to Bajaur, where LeT operated both relief and recruitment efforts. The United States sanctioned him and FIF in 2010 following information from Indian intelligence after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The UN Sanctions Committee also lists both FIF and LeT, along with LeT founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, as terror-linked entities. Despite these international sanctions, Rauf continues to operate publicly in Pakistan.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
State honours given to terrorists in Pakistan: India exposes the deadly alliance of Pak Army & terror hand-in-hand
The Indian armed forces held a joint press conference on Sunday, a day after the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan, to provide key details of Operation Sindoor. The briefing was led by Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai of the Army, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti from the Air Force, and Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod of the Navy. #Operation Sindoor India responds to Pak's ceasefire violation; All that happened India-Pakistan ceasefire reactions: Who said what Punjab's hopes for normalcy dimmed by fresh violations During the media interaction, the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) shared striking details about a funeral held in Muridke, Pakistan. The ceremony was conducted for militants killed in Indian strikes on the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) headquarters, carried out under Operation Sindoor. Abdul Rauf , also known as Abdur Rauf, a U.S.-designated Specially Designated Global Terrorist , led the funeral prayers. A prominent figure in LeT, Rauf is known for openly advocating the annexation of Kashmir and for his role in recruiting and training suicide bombers. His presence at the funeral, which was conducted with full state honours, underscored the depth of Pakistan's support for designated terrorist groups. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Senior Pakistani officials attend state funeral The event saw attendance from key Pakistani military and government leaders. Among them were: Lieutenant General Fayyaz Hussain Shah, Corps Commander, IV Corps, Lahore Major General Rao Imran Sartaj, GOC, 11 Infantry Division Brigadier Mohammad Furqan Shabbir, Commander, 15 Hybrid Mechanised Brigade Dr Usman Anwar, Inspector General of Police, Punjab Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bherth, Member of the Provincial Assembly, Punjab Live Events Videos from the funeral showed Rauf leading prayers for the deceased, who were draped in the Pakistani national flag, while flanked by military officers. The optics, Indian officials said, point to a tacit state endorsement of these terror elements. Agencies Rauf and FIF's global designations Abdul Rauf's terror affiliations extend beyond LeT. He has played a major role in the Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), a group that operated under the guise of charity but was identified as a financing arm of the LeT. The U.S. Department of State banned FIF and designated Rauf a global terrorist on the same day, November 24, 2010, following Indian inputs after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. According to the U.S. Treasury , Rauf worked directly under LeT chief Hafiz Saeed and was responsible for the group's finances and propaganda. Hafiz Saeed himself remains on both U.S. and UN terrorist lists. JeM losses and rising pressure on Pakistan In the wake of Operation Sindoor, JeM also suffered significant losses. Abdul Rauf Azhar, operational commander of JeM and brother of Masood Azhar, was reportedly killed in the Indian strikes on Bahawalpur. Other family members of the JeM leadership are believed to have died in the same strike. Rauf Azhar was the mastermind of the 1999 IC-814 hijacking and has played a central role in attacks including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing. Although the United Nations designated JeM and Masood Azhar, China previously blocked India's attempts to sanction Abdul Rauf Azhar. Also Read: India to provide latest evidence on Pakistan's complicity with terrorism to UNSC: Report Opposition leaders and Indian officials are now calling for firm international measures. This includes pushing for TRF's designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and re-listing Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. Misri stressed, 'It was interesting that Pakistan insisted on omitting TRF's name from the UNSC resolution passed on April 25.' With images, testimonies, and official briefings in hand, India is expected to rally international partners at the UN and FATF forums to hold Pakistan accountable for its continued support to terror networks, in breach of international sanctions and obligations. Next week, the UNSCR 1267 sanctions committee will meet. We will go, armed with evidence against Pakistan's support to terrorism: Sources on how India plans to raise Pakistani terrorism at international forum.
Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
India steps up efforts to include Lashkar-e-Taiba front TRF in UNSC terror list
India has redoubled efforts for listing The Resistance Front (TRF), a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) that claimed the Pahalgam terror attack, as a terror organisation by the UN Security Council to increase pressure on Pakistan, people familiar with the matter said. Efforts for sanctioning the TRF, which were already underway, have gained urgency following the heightening of tensions between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack of April 22 that killed 26 civilians, the people said on condition of anonymity. Indian officials are not buying TRF's efforts to distance itself from the attack after initially claiming responsibility last month, with foreign secretary Vikram Misri saying the group was asked 'to back off from this claim' by its handlers in Pakistan once they realised the gravity of the situation. In recent years, India has worked with its strategic partners in the UN Security Council, mainly the US and France, for listing several Pakistan-based terrorist groups and individuals, including leaders of the LeT and proxies for the terror organisation founded by Hafiz Saeed. 'The efforts for listing the TRF have been on for some time. We will provide more information to give a fresh push for the listing,' one of the people cited above said. India provided inputs about the TRF's role as a proxy for Pakistan-based terror groups in half-yearly reports to the monitoring team for the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee in May and November 2024. Before this, the monitoring team was informed by the Indian side in December 2023 about the LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) operating in Jammu and Kashmir through groups such as the TRF. 'We are going to be meeting with the [monitoring] team again very soon and we will be providing an update to the information that we have provided earlier,' Misri told a media briefing on Thursday. The people cited above said India's position has been strengthened by evidence that has emerged of the links between terror groups and the Pakistani military following the strikes on terrorist infrastructure under Operation Sindoor on Wednesday. When Hafiz Abdur Rauf, head of the Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), another proxy of the LeT, led funeral prayers for some of those killed in a strike on the group's main complex at Muridke, he was joined by several senior Pakistan Army officers in uniform, Punjab Police inspector general Usman Anwar and senior bureaucrats of Pakistan's most populous province. The dead were buried with 'state honours', with their coffins draped in Pakistan's flag, according to photos and videos that emerged of the funeral. Rauf and the FIF were sanctioned by the US treasury department in 2010 in connection with the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The LeT created FIF to fundraise and evade international pressure on the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) after the carnage perpetrated in India's financial hub by a 10-member LeT team. 'Few individuals are more integral to LeT's fundraising than Hafiz Abdur Rauf', the US treasury department said at the time of his listing. The TRF emerged shortly after the Indian government scrapped Jammu and Kashmir's special status in August 2019 and has since claimed several attacks, mainly in urban areas of the union territory. It has targeted Kashmiri Pandits and claimed responsibility for an attack on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in Reasi area of Jammu that killed nine people in June 2024. Ajai Sahni, executive director of the South Asia Terrorism Portal, which closely tracks Pakistan-based terror groups, said the listing of groups such as the TRF provides notional legitimacy for international efforts against such orgnaisations. 'When the parent organisations are under sanctions, these new groups are free to act,' he said. The TRF, Sahni noted, has a history of claiming terror attacks and backtracking, and has also been involved in issuing 'moral edicts' aimed at different sections of society. 'At the same time, its nomenclature is mean to give the group some sort of secular character and a contemporary ideology that distances it from the LeT,' he said.
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
‘State funeral for terrorists in Pakistan': Foreign Secy slams Pakistan's links to TRF, LeT, and JeM leaders
Pakistan's links to a number of UN-designated terror groups have been exposed in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, officials said on Thursday (May 8, 2025). This not only includes The Resistance Front (TRF) that claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, but also the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Falah-i-Insaniyat-Foundation (FIF), whose leader Hafiz Abdur Rauf led prayers for the dead in Muridke, as well as Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), whose leader Masood Azhar reportedly lost several members of his family in the Indian Air Force strikes, including his brother and JeM commander Abdul Rauf Azhar. Draped in Pakistan flag At a press conference in Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri showed a photograph of Abdur Rauf, a U.S. designated terrorist, leading prayers for those killed in the strikes on the LeT's headquarters in Muridke, about an hour away from Lahore. Abdur Rauf, a local cleric who openly campaigns for Pakistan to annexe Kashmir, was seen in videos on Wednesday flanked by military officers, even as those killed inside the LeT/FIF complex were given 'state honours', draped in the Pakistan national flag, 'If only civilians were killed in these attacks, I wonder what message this picture actually sends to all of you,' Mr. Misri said, as the MEA released a photo from the funeral. 'As far as we are concerned, the individuals eliminated at these facilities were terrorists. Giving terrorists state funerals may be a practice in Pakistan. It doesn't seem to make much sense to us,' he added. Follow Operation Sindoor updates on May 8 Designated terrorists 'Hafiz' Abdur Rauf was named a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. Treasury on November 24, 2010. The FIF, a fundraising offshoot of the LeT that claimed to be a charitable organisation, was banned by the U.S. Secretary of State on the same day, after detailed groundwork by India in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks that led to a number of terror listings. According to the U.S. Treasury website, Abdur Rauf worked directly under LeT chief and Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, and was its chief fundraiser and spokesperson. Hafiz Saeed is also on both the U.S. and UN lists of international terrorists. The ruling BJP announced that Abdul Rauf Azhar had been killed, amongst several family members, in the strikes on Bahawalpur, site of JeM headquarters. According to a note that could not be verified, Masood Azhar had named his sister and other relatives who died in the strikes, expressing sorrow over their deaths. Rauf Azhar, the operational commander of the JeM, was the mastermind of the IC-814 hijacking in 1999, that ended with the Indian government releasing Masood Azhar, along with terrorists Omar Sheikh Saeed (convicted for killing journalist Daniel Pearl), and Mushtaq Zargar in Kandahar in exchange for hostage passengers. Since then, the JeM leadership has been responsible for several attacks, including the Parliament attack in 2000, Pathankot airbase attack in 2016 and the 2019 Pulwama bombing. While the JeM and Masood Azhar have been designated terrorists by the UN Security Council, China blocked India's attempts to list Abdur Rauf in the 1,267-strong list for sanctioned terrorists. The U.S had also put him on its Special Designations list in December 2010, adding that he trained recruits for suicide bombings in India. Push for financial sanctions During his briefing, Mr. Misri said that Pakistan had itself exposed its links to the TRF, that had twice claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attacks where 26 men were killed, before backtracking from the claim. He said India has reported the TRF's activities to the UN 1267 Monitoring team on a number of occasions, adding that it was 'interesting' that Pakistan insisted on omitting TRF's name from the UNSC resolution passed on April 25. In the Pakistani parliament on April 29, the Pakistan Deputy PM and Foreign Minister had himself made the claim that he had 'watered down' the UNSC draft proposed by the U.S., deleting reference to the TRF, and changing the 'Government of India' to 'all relevant authorities' in Jammu Kashmir. India is expected to push for the UNSC to designate the TRF as a terrorist group. During an all-party meeting in Delhi on Thursday, Opposition members called for India to ask the U.S. to designate the TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) as well as push to bring Pakistan back on the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) grey-list for allowing designated terrorists to operate freely in the country despite sanctions against them.
