Latest news with #Muhammed
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Loan app scam: HC dismisses accused's bail plea
Kochi: High court has dismissed the bail plea of M M Sayid Muhammed of Vadakara, the fifth accused in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act case that alleges his involvement in laundering Rs 121 crore in connection with the Chinese loan app scam. According to prosecution, Muhammed allegedly arranged 289 mule bank accounts in the name of individuals and shell business entities, for which he received financial remuneration from cyber fraudsters. He was arrested in Feb 2025 and has remained in custody since then. Opposing his bail plea, the Enforcement Directorate submitted that he paid Rs 5,000 per account to arrange the mule bank accounts, the details of which were forwarded to a woman named Leema, who had contacted him online. These accounts were allegedly used to operate illegal loan applications that cheated the public. The investigation revealed that proceeds of crime collected from victims through the loan apps were credited into the mule accounts. The amounts were ultimately parked in different shell companies. The funds were then diverted to bank accounts maintained outside India. In is also alleged that Muhammed arranged crypto accounts and remitted proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 3.47 crore to four foreign crypto wallets. He allegedly received Rs 2 crore as remuneration and distributed Rs 30 lakh to different persons who had helped arrange the mule accounts. The bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas observed that the materials clearly indicate the petitioner's active involvement in acquiring and transferring the proceeds of crime. Accordingly, the court dismissed his bail plea.
The Hill
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump's deportation crusade is a death knell for the American dream
'There is war,' Muhammed from Yemen wrote to me. 'Everything is chaotic. Schools are closed. People have no food to eat. Everyone is scared. It's very dangerous. Little kids have guns and other weapons.' 'The politics in Bangladesh is corrupt,' wrote Tamjid. 'Schools are always closed because of strikes. Many students are afraid to go to school.' 'We came here because my father was threatened and my family was afraid they would hurt us,' Miguel of Colombia wrote. Such were the 81 cards — hand-made, hand-written and colorfully illustrated in crayon — carrying personal messages to me from immigrant children now living in the U.S. Six years ago, I gave a talk in front of some 150 students, teachers and parents at the Academy for New Americans, a public middle school for grades six through eight in New York City. The school educates recently arrived immigrant children who enroll knowing little or no English but who then graduate speaking English fluently. Afterward, one of the students handed me a large manila envelope containing the 81 cards. The other day, provoked by the new deportation policy rolling out so thunderously nationwide, I looked at the cards once more. Those adolescents had migrated to the U.S. from dozens of countries: Albania, Bangladesh, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Paraguay, Pakistan, Peru, Spain, Tibet, Venezuela and Vietnam. Some of the families, the children wrote to me, had fled poverty, violent crime, civil war and other hardships. The cards provided a telling snapshot, a multi-cultural cross-section of immigrant youth in America yearning to breathe free. The students told me where they hoped to go in life here in the U.S. Almost all said they intended to pursue educational and economic opportunities unavailable back home. They declared ambitions to become physicians, lawyers, entrepreneurs, computer scientists, dentists, mechanical engineers and, yes, professional soccer players. 'My mother, father and me are so happy to be here in the United States,' one student wrote. 'Soon we will be citizens.' Another told me, 'I come to New York to be someone in my life.' Yet another said on the back of her card, 'Follow your dreams.' How have these 81 kids, now roughly ages 18 to 24, fared since composing those notes to me? Did they graduate from high school? Are they attending college? Are they still dreaming the American dream? I tried to find out. I emailed the teacher who originally invited me. No response. I also reached out to the school's principal seeking updates on the kids. No answer. I followed up several times, always to no avail. I suspect they're scared — scared of the questions I might ask and scared to speak for the record, but scared less for themselves than for those kids. I have no idea whether the parents of these 81 children came here legally or illegally, are documented or undocumented, or have criminal records. Whatever the case, it may be that they're all — students, parents, teachers and principals alike — now running scared. I am neither a lawyer nor an expert on immigration policy, but what I'm given to understand could happen to those 81 kids is this: Even children who came here legally could be deported in certain circumstances, such as a visa expiring. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, designed to protect undocumented individuals brought to the U.S. as children, could be terminated. If children have parents who are to be deported, the children may have to choose between going back home with them, or being separated from family for who knows how long. Widespread concern persists about how humanely the new deportation policy is being enacted and enforced. The current campaign has run into considerable public opposition, with the courts intervening and voicing legal challenges that call for some flexibility. More than a few immigrant families with children who can afford to do so have consulted immigration attorneys to navigate the growing threat. Make no mistake: the law is the law, and the law should be upheld. But the law is subject to interpretation, discretion and leeway. And at its heart the law is about the pursuit of justice, and should thereby acknowledge that some circumstances are special if not singular. Our country is endowed with an immigrant heritage that is first in class around the world. The spirit of fairness demands that we demonstrate mercy and compassion, especially toward children who are guilty of nothing except being children. The covers of the cards I received from those 81 kids frequently featured a certain word of greeting toward me. It's the very word they still deserve to hear from all of us. That word is 'welcome.' Bob Brody, a consultant and essayist, is a former New Yorker and author of the memoir 'Playing Catch with Strangers: A Family Guy (Reluctantly) Comes of Age.'
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Dawoodi Bohra community's event adopts practices to cut down on generation of waste
What does it take to feed 43,000 people twice a day for 10 days, without leaving behind mountains of waste? At the Ashara Mubaraka event in the city, the Dawoodi Bohra community took on the challenge head-on and have managed to turn a massive spiritual gathering into an example of environmental stewardship. Held at the start of the Islamic month of Muharram, Ashara Mubaraka is an occasion marked by sermons and prayers in remembrance of Prophet Muhammed, his grandson Imam Husain, and his companions. This year, the congregation led by Syedna — the leader of the global Dawoodi Bohra community — returned to Chennai after 50 years, drawing tens of thousands of attendees from around the world to mark the occasion. Murtaza Sadriwala, member of the Dawoodi Bohra community, said an army of volunteers from the 'dhana committee' work every day to reduce the event's environmental footprint. 'We promote mindful food consumption and educate attendees about waste segregation. We also try to incorporate 'My waste, my responsibility' in every aspect of the Ashara Mubaraka,' he said. The organisers also distributed 'sustainable passports' to attendees, which has a pledge to maintain cleanliness, to help them navigate the city easily, save energy, reduce food waste, and use water responsibly. According to Tasneem Kutubuddin, another member of the Bohra community, close to 1 lakh meals are prepared a day. To manage the waste, the organisers have roped in Earth Recycler Pvt. Ltd. across various zones to handle both wet and dry waste. Volunteers and staff ensured strict segregation at the source, with eight to 13 waste landing areas set up in each hall, including separate bins for wet and dry waste. Daily waste volumes vary by zone, with wet waste ranging from 230 kg to 1.8 tonnes and dry waste between 1.15 and 2.8 tonnes. The organic waste, mainly leftover food, vegetable peels, and bones, is sent for composting or bagasse processing, while dry waste, such as cartons, PET bottles, and bagasse plates, is sent to specialised recyclers. As Mohammed Dawood S., operations manager at Earth Recycler Pvt. Ltd., said: 'We send cartons for recycling. PET bottles are sent for polystyrene manufacturing, and bagasse plates are used again for manufacturing corrugated boxes.' Leftover uncooked food was redirected to orphanages, minimising edible waste. Thanks to the efforts of more than 1,000 volunteers and 400 staff, the event is said to have achieved a waste recovery rate of 98%-99%, with only minimal non-recyclables such as soiled paper cups reaching landfills.
The Sun
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Subsidy reform must be done gradually with inclusion as core principle: Expert
KUALA LUMPUR: Subsidy reform is often considered a necessity, especially as governments grapple with fiscal constraints. however, the way subsidies are targeted can have serious implications for the poor. Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid, research fellow at Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (Ikmas), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. said targeted subsidies frequently fail to reach the most vulnerable segments of society. Citing global examples, Muhammed highlighted Brazil's experience, where targeted median subsidies excluded a significant portion of the bottom 20–30% of the population. Similarly, he said, the Philippines cash transfer programme, one of the largest of its kind, also failed to include many in the lowest income bracket. 'Even in Malaysia, studies conducted before and during the Covid-19 pandemic found that around 30% of those living in low-cost housing did not receive any form of cash aid. 'In 2022 alone, 30% of needy residents in Kuala Lumpur were excluded from assistance,' he said at the Intellectual Discourse @ INCEIF titled 'The Rising Costs vs Flat Wages – Escaping the Wallet Squeeze' panel discussion today. Muhammed said this consistent pattern of exclusion underscores a key point: targeting the poor is inherently difficult, whereas identifying and excluding the rich is far easier. 'Administrative databases more prominently display the rich due to their smaller numbers. The poor, however, often fall through bureaucratic cracks due to informal employment, inconsistent documentation, or geographic isolation.' Muhammed said rather than stigmatise the poor with means-testing and labelling, a universal approach is more just and effective. In countries like Indonesia, he cited, programmes such as subsidised petrol have inadvertently caused hardship for the poor, forcing them to queue for basic entitlements and suffer the indignity of being publicly marked as 'needy'. If subsidy rationalisation is to be implemented, Muhammed said, it should be done gradually, with price floating introduced carefully to avoid shocks to vulnerable groups. 'At the heart of reform must be the principle of inclusion – not exclusion.' Muhammed also addressed broader fiscal and governance challenges. He said Malaysia's taxation system is described as regressive, where individuals are taxed heavily on basic consumption and wages but lightly on dividends and luxury assets. 'For instance, buying a cheap car incurs tax, while luxury vehicles often escape it. Salary earners may pay up to 24% in taxes, but dividend income is taxed at only 2%,' Muhammed pointed out. He questioned how tax revenue, particularly the recently introduced expanded Sales and Service Tax, is utilised. He said investing in mega projects such as high-speed rail, which mainly benefit the top 1% to 3% of the population, was criticised as an inefficient use of public funds, especially in the early stages of budget reform. Instead, spending should focus on public goods such as education, healthcare and public transport – services that benefit the majority. 'Ultimately, it comes down to governance. Countries with high tax rates, like those in the Nordic region, also have high trust in government and low levels of tax evasion. 'Why? Because their citizens see tangible outcomes: clean governance, quality public services, and accountability. When trust exists, people are more willing to contribute to the system,' Muhammed said. Bank Negara Malaysia assistant governor Fraziali Ismail said Malaysia's long-standing low-cost economic model – anchored by broad subsidies and price controls – is increasingly showing signs of strain. He said while this approach historically enabled competitiveness and affordability, especially for lower-income groups, he argue that the system may now be holding the country back. 'We've built our economy on being cost-competitive – producing and selling goods at low prices both domestically and internationally. But that model is fraying,' Fraziali said at the forum. He said subsidies have played a central role in sustaining Malaysia's affordability model, particularly in essential sectors such as fuel, utilities, and food. However, the policy's effectiveness is diminishing. 'Subsidies are not inherently bad. However, we have overextended them to their limits. We have maxed out the role of price controls and subsidies to the point where, instead of helping, they are starting to hinder further progress.' Fraziali said massive subsidies – estimated at RM60 billion with RM50 billion alone on fuel – have increasingly become regressive, benefitting the wealthier population more than the poor. And with the current fiscal situation, continuing this trajectory is neither sustainable nor equitable. 'We must shift away from blanket subsidies that distort prices and adopt better-targeted, inclusive policies. If we want to reform subsidies, we need to do it gradually, with floating prices and mechanisms to protect the vulnerable,' Fraziali said. Beyond subsidies, he said Malaysia is grappling with a broader cost-of-living crisis, a challenge that is both structural and global. While the official inflation rate is relatively low, reported at just 1.2%, many households continue to struggle. 'Affordability shouldn't come at the expense of progress. 'If we are serious about tackling the cost-of-living crisis and ensuring long-term prosperity, we must transition toward an economy driven by productivity, fair wages, and smarter social support, not just low prices,' Fraziali said.
Eyewitness News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Turkish magazine staff in custody over 'disrespectful' cartoon
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - Four staff members at satirical Turkish magazine LeMan were remanded in custody Wednesday over accusations they published a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed, a case that watchdogs have called an attack on press freedom. The four, who deny any link between the illustration and the prophet, were held as part of prosecutors' probe into what Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc called the "disrespectful drawing". He added that a warrant has been issued for two additional suspects who were abroad. The publication of the cartoon and arrests of staff at the opposition magazine led to clashes in Istanbul on Monday. News site T24 published the police deposition of cartoonist Dogan Pehlevan in which he said that he wanted "to talk about peace in this drawing" and condemned "provocateurs". "I have been drawing in Turkey for many years. The first rule you learn is not to address religious issues and not to mock religion," he said. "I have always adhered to this principle. I reject the accusations levelled against me," he added. The drawing in question shows two characters meeting in the sky above a city devastated by bombs. One is named Muhammed and the other Musa. "I just wanted to highlight the absurdity of war, to show that people can get along but do you have to be dead to realise that? That's my only message," he added. On Monday evening, a favourite haunt of LeMan staff in the Istiklal district of Istanbul was attacked. It escalated into a pitched battle between about 300 people, including people defending the magazine and furious at the arrests. On Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the cartoon a "despicable provocation" and a "hate crime" whose authors will have to answer for "disrespecting the prophet". 'POLITICAL OPPORTUNISTS' Despite a ban, some 300 people also gathered around Taksim Mosque in central Istanbul, shouting "don't forget Charlie Hebdo", referring to a deadly Islamist militant attack on the French magazine in 2015. LeMan's editor-in-chief Tuncay Akgun told AFP that the drawing in question "has nothing to do with the Prophet Mohammed", adding: "We would never take such a risk." "The character is a Muslim killed in Gaza... He was called Muhammed (like) more than 200 million people in the Muslim world," he said. In a joint statement, Turkey's TGS press union and professional organisations said they had "great concern" at the rise in attacks and "violent rhetoric" due to the publication. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, the international network Cartooning for Peace and the US association Cartoonists Rights condemned the attack on press freedom in Turkey. They called on the Turkish authorities to ensure the safety of the editorial team. Terry Anderson, of Cartoonists Rights, said the arrests were "based on a lie and are being exploited by political opportunists for intimidation and repression". "We demand the release of those detained and an immediate end to these baseless prosecutions," he added. Many Turks and press organisations drew a parallel with the attack on LeMan and the Sivas massacre in 1993, when a radical Islamist mob set fire to a hotel, killing 33 writers and artists mainly from the Alevi minority. The protesters had been angered by the presence of the writer Aziz Nesin who had questioned the authenticity of the Koran and also sought to translate Salman Rushdie's controversial novel "The Satanic Verses".
