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The National
7 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Palestinian Red Crescent Society 'heartbroken' as aid worker killed in Israeli strike
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PCRS) said worker Omar Isleem had been killed in what it described as a deliberate attack on its building. In a statement, the group said: "Our headquarter's location is well known to the occupying forces and clearly marked with the protective red emblem. This was not a mistake." It added: "We renew our call for accountability and for the protection of all humanitarian and medical personnel." PCRS also shared footage of the building on fire and filled with smoke, with blood stains visible. The IDF told the BBC it had "no knowledge about neither artillery nor any air strikes" in the area. Meanwhile Israeli forces killed at least 23 Palestinians seeking food on Sunday in the Gaza Strip, according to hospital officials. Witnesses described facing gunfire as hungry crowds surged around aid sites as the malnutrition-related death toll surged. Yousef Abed, among the crowds en-route to a distribution point, described coming under what he called indiscriminate fire, looking around and seeing at least three people bleeding on the ground. 'I couldn't stop and help them because of the bullets,' he said. READ MORE: I am a Palestinian. Keir Starmer's recognition plan is an insult Southern Gaza's Nasser Hospital said it had received bodies from near multiple distribution sites, including eight from Teina, about 1.8 miles from a distribution site in Khan Younis run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) – a private US and Israeli-backed contractor that took over aid distribution more than two months ago. The hospital also received one body from Shakoush, near a different GHF site in Rafah. Another nine were killed by troops near the Morag corridor who were awaiting trucks entering Gaza through an Israeli border crossing, it said. Three Palestinian eyewitnesses, seeking food in Teina and Morag, said the shootings occurred on the route to the distribution points, which are in military zones secured by Israeli forces. They said they saw soldiers open fire on hungry crowds advancing towards the troops. Further north in central Gaza, hospital officials described a similar episode, with Israeli troops opening fire on Sunday morning towards crowds of Palestinians trying to get to GHF's fourth and northern-most distribution point. 'Troops were trying to prevent people from advancing,' one witness said. 'They opened fire and we fled. Some people were shot.' READ MORE: What 'top lawyers' got wrong on Palestinian recognition At least five people were killed and 27 were injured at GHF's site near the Netzarim corridor, Awda Hospital said. Eyewitnesses seeking food in Gaza have reported similar gunfire attacks in recent days near aid distribution sites, leaving dozens of Palestinians dead. The United Nations reported 859 people were killed near GHF sites from May 27 to July 31, and hundreds more have been killed along the routes of UN-led food convoys.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
PWD officials claim revamped pothole app resolves 90% complaints in two months after major upgrade
1 2 3 Pune: State public works department's (PWD) officials told TOI on Tuesday that their revamped Pothole Complaint Redressal System (PCRS) app has ensured that around 90% complaints are addressed, two months after it was overhauled. Out of 498 complaints received as of June 2025, 458 were resolved, and only 40 remain pending, said PWD officials. The data spans the months of May and June this year. The revamped PCRS 2.0 app, now live on Google Play Store, allows citizens to directly report potholes along Maharashtra's 1 lakh km state highway network. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune A senior PWD official said, "When a complaint is made, the junior engineer concerned must ensure that repair work is done within three days, while the senior engineer has to verify and submit completion by the fourth day. Superintendents are authorised to take action against staff for delays." The app, first launched two years ago, initially failed to gain traction due to technical glitches and a poor interface. The updated version, developed by CDAC Pune, is now fully operational, incorporating several enhancements aimed at improving usability, speed, and complaint redressal. PWD officials urged citizens to update to the latest app version and continue using it to ensure better road conditions statewide. "Citizen participation is key. With PCRS 2.0, we are closing the loop between complaints and timely resolution," said another PWD official. Despite technical improvements, citizens say awareness about the app remains low. Megha Thatte, a frequent intercity traveller, said, "PWD should put up boards indicating which roads are maintained by them and urge citizens to report potholes. In areas with poor internet connectivity, we don't know if the app will work properly." Senior citizen and frequent highway user S. Joshi suggested that complaint details and redressal status be made public. "Citizen-govt interactions should be transparent. Everyone should be able to see if complaints are being acknowledged and acted upon. Without accountability, the app loses its purpose," he said. Pune: State public works department's (PWD) officials told TOI on Tuesday that their revamped Pothole Complaint Redressal System (PCRS) app has ensured that around 90% complaints are addressed, two months after it was overhauled. Out of 498 complaints received as of June 2025, 458 were resolved, and only 40 remain pending, said PWD officials. The data spans the months of May and June this year. The revamped PCRS 2.0 app, now live on Google Play Store, allows citizens to directly report potholes along Maharashtra's 1 lakh km state highway network. A senior PWD official said, "When a complaint is made, the junior engineer concerned must ensure that repair work is done within three days, while the senior engineer has to verify and submit completion by the fourth day. Superintendents are authorised to take action against staff for delays." The app, first launched two years ago, initially failed to gain traction due to technical glitches and a poor interface. The updated version, developed by CDAC Pune, is now fully operational, incorporating several enhancements aimed at improving usability, speed, and complaint redressal. PWD officials urged citizens to update to the latest app version and continue using it to ensure better road conditions statewide. "Citizen participation is key. With PCRS 2.0, we are closing the loop between complaints and timely resolution," said another PWD official. Despite technical improvements, citizens say awareness about the app remains low. Megha Thatte, a frequent intercity traveller, said, "PWD should put up boards indicating which roads are maintained by them and urge citizens to report potholes. In areas with poor internet connectivity, we don't know if the app will work properly." Senior citizen and frequent highway user S. Joshi suggested that complaint details and redressal status be made public. "Citizen-govt interactions should be transparent. Everyone should be able to see if complaints are being acknowledged and acted upon. Without accountability, the app loses its purpose," he said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
New Straits Times
16-06-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
Bangladeshi father granted long-term pass, can stay to care for disabled daughter
SEREMBAN: A Bangladeshi man who had been raising his special needs daughter while awaiting possible deportation from Malaysia can now breathe a sigh of relief. This comes after the approval of Mohammad Ala Uddin's application for a long-term social visit pass, allowing the 35-year-old to remain in the country and focus on caring for his daughter, Siti Aminah, 7, who is a Malaysian citizen. "Alhamdulillah, I feel at ease now because I can continue to care for my daughter here. Without help, I wouldn't have been able to solve this problem because I didn't know what to do," he said. He was met during a visit to his home in Taman Sri Mawar 1 yesterday by members of a non-governmental organisation, Persatuan Cakna Rasa Sayang (PCRS), the local Rukun Tetangga and mosque committee. Ala Uddin also expressed gratitude for having met kind-hearted individuals in Malaysia, especially PCRS, who had taken him to Putrajaya to settle his case. It was earlier reported that he was worried for his daughter's future after his wife Nur Shaillah Revathy Abdullah, who was a Malaysian citizen, died in May. This was because his social visit pass was due to expire at the end of May. Meanwhile, PCRS patron Zulkifli Muhamed thanked the Immigration Department for facilitating the resolution of the man's case after it was reported in the media. "I admit we faced criticism while handling the issue because the father is a foreigner. "But our focus was on the welfare and future of his daughter, who is a Malaysian citizen and a child with disabilities suffering from multiple chronic illnesses. "We are also grateful to the Rukun Tetangga and mosque committee for their assistance and concern for this single father's plight," he said.
New Straits Times
17-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Disabled child's future uncertain as Bangladeshi father faces deportation
Slug: izbangladeshi HL: Disabled child's future uncertain as Bangladeshi father faces deportation Ahmad Hasbi SEREMBAN: A disabled seven-year-old girl is now under the care of her Bangladeshi father following the death of her Malaysian mother. However, the father, Mohammad Ala Uddin, 39, holds only a temporary visitation pass that expires on May 27, and he is not eligible to work in Malaysia. Ala Uddin said his daughter, Siti Aminah Mohammad Ala Uddin, a Malaysian citizen, was born without a womb, has hearing difficulties, a single kidney, and a disability affecting her right hand. "I returned to Bangladesh previously and re-entered Malaysia at the end of April to apply for a long-term visitation pass. "However, after completing the documents, my wife passed away last Sunday, and now I am the sole caregiver for my daughter. "It is more difficult to apply for the temporary pass now that my wife has died. I am worried about my daughter's future if I am arrested or deported," he told Harian Metro when met in Senawang yesterday. The late Nur Shaillah Revathy Abdullah, 35, a Muslim convert, died last Sunday due to heart complications. The father, who married in 2017, is currently ineligible to work and relies on the RM300 monthly assistance from the Welfare Department, which is channelled under his daughter's name. When asked why he had never applied for a long-term visitation pass before, Ala Uddin was unable to explain clearly due to a language barrier. However, he said he had previously attempted to apply through an intermediary but was cheated out of RM7,500 without any application being submitted. His neighbour, Nor Azlina Helan Harold, 47, said the mother had worked as a cleaner and always picked up her daughter after school. "They are in a difficult situation, and it has only worsened now because Aminah is being cared for by her father, who is a Bangladeshi national," she said. Meanwhile, Persatuan Cakna Rasa Sayang (PCRS) patron Zulkifli Muhamed said his team was specifically called in to assist Siti Aminah and safeguard her future. "PCRS is committed to helping this man, not only in terms of living assistance and verifying his residence status in the country, but most importantly in ensuring that this child receives adequate support, including in matters of religious belief," he said. He added that his association would assist the single father in applying for a long-term visitation pass at the Immigration Department office in Putrajaya as soon as possible. Zulkifli also expressed concern that the father's current visitation pass status could jeopardise his daughter's well-being and cut off his source of income, as he is unable to work legally.
The National
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The National
IDF report into killing of Palestinian medics 'full of lies'
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PCRS), Gaza's civil defence service and the UN's humanitarian agency have rejected the findings of the report which concluded the deaths were caused by "professional failures". Eight PCRS personnel, six civil defence workers and a UN staff member were killed in the shooting before dawn on March 23 by Israeli troops conducting operations in Tel al-Sultan, a district of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Troops then bulldozed over the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave. UN and rescue workers were only able to reach the site a week later to dig out the bodies. READ MORE: Scottish Government to respond to Supreme Court gender ruling in Holyrood statement Israel initially claimed that the medics' vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire. It also claimed, without evidence, that nine of those killed were Hamas militants. However, video emerged showing the Red Crescent and Civil Defence teams driving slowly with lights flashing and logos visible, as they pulled up to help another ambulance that had earlier come under fire. Israel has now said that a deputy commander of the Golani Brigade will be fired, and claimed the military investigation found the commander, 'due to poor night visibility', assessed that the ambulances belonged to Hamas militants. The report has been rejected by humanitarian agencies, with the PCRS saying it was "full of lies". Nebal Farsakh, a spokesperson for the PRCS, said: 'The report is full of lies. It is invalid and unacceptable, as it justifies the killing and shifts responsibility to a personal error in the field command when the truth is quite different.' The PRCS has previously called for an international investigation into the incident. Gaza's civil defence agency, which rescues victims of airstrikes, dismissed the Israeli army report, accusing the military of lying in an attempt to justify targeting the rescue convoys. 'The video filmed by one of the paramedics proves that the Israeli occupation's narrative is false and demonstrates that it carried out summary executions,' Mohammed al-Mughair, a civil defence official, told Agence-France Presse on Monday, accusing Israel of seeking to 'circumvent' its obligations under international law. Jonathan Whittall, the UN's humanitarian chief for Gaza, said the investigation did not go far enough. READ MORE: Pope Francis remembered for 'outspoken commitment' to Gaza 'A lack of real accountability undermines international law and makes the world a more dangerous place,' he said. 'Without accountability, we risk continuing to watch atrocities unfolding, and the norms designed to protect us all eroding.' Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have killed hundreds of medical workers and the staff of aid agencies and UN organisations in Gaza. In April last year, seven members of the charity World Central Kitchen were killed in a sustained Israeli attack on their clearly marked vehicles. Human rights organisations have long accused the Israeli military of a culture of impunity, with few soldiers ever facing justice. In 2023, fewer than 1% of complaints made against Israeli troops in the occupied Palestinian territories ended in a conviction, according to the latest US state department annual human rights report.
