Muslim World League leader Sheikh al-Issa to address gathering in India, hold meeting with NSA Ajit Doval

News Network
July 7, 2023

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New Delhi, July 7: Top Saudi Arabia leader and Secretary General of the Muslim World League, Mohammad bin Abdulkarim al-Issa and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval would address a gathering in Delhi that would likely focus on civilizational dialogue, peace and tolerance.

Top officials said that al-Issa would arrive in New Delhi on July 10 and meet the NSA Doval for a one-on-one meeting in the evening.

They said that on July 11, at 11 am, on the invitation of Khusro Foundation, al-Issa would address a gathering of prominent religious and community leaders, academics and media at B S Abdur Rahman Auditorium, India Islamic Cultural Centre, Lodhi Road.

NSA Doval would also address the gathering, the officials said.

They said that given his previous work as Minister of Justice, Saudi Arabia, and Secretary General Muslim World League, he is expected to speak on moderate Islam, dialogue between civilisations, religious tolerance, intercultural communication, non-violence, and religious pluralism.

The officials said that many invitees including senior academics from various universities are showing keen interest in the event in view of Dr Issa’s nuanced stance on various critical issues facing the Muslim world.

As per sources, Dr al-Issa is expected to meet India’s Minister for External Affairs, S Jaishankar, Minister for Minority Affairs Smriti Irani, and he may also call on President Droupadi Murmu.

He would also meet the President of ICCR and interact with a group of distinguished faith leaders at Vivekananda International Foundation.

“He might visit Akshardham Temple and also meet some prominent personalities. During his stay in Delhi he is likely to pay tributes to martyrs at the National Police Memorial, Chanakyapuri,” the sources said.

Officials said that an important part of his engagement would be the visit to Jama Masjid Delhi for Friday prayers.

They said that he is also scheduled to visit Agra on July 6, 2023.

al-Issa is a prominent religious leader, Islamic scholar, and reformist.

Before being appointed Secretary General of the Muslim World League in 2016, al-Issa served as the Minister of Justice in the Saudi Cabinet.

As the powerful Saudi Minister for Justice, Excellency, he oversaw key reforms in several areas, including legislative reforms in family matters, humanitarian cases, and for the rights of women.

An alumnus of the prestigious Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, al-Issa has a master’s degree and a PhD in Comparative Judicial Studies.

An esteemed figure in global affairs al-Issa is widely recognised for his prominent role in promoting moderate Islam and fostering empathy, understanding, and cooperation among people of all backgrounds.

As the Secretary General of the Muslim World League, an influential non-governmental organisation representing Muslims worldwide, al-Issa has spearheaded initiatives to build partnerships and strengthen relations between diverse communities, faiths, and nations.

He also serves as the chairman of the Centre for Responsible Leadership, a body of globally influential government, faith, media, business, and community leaders working together to solve the challenges facing humanity and the world today.

Religious leaders, government officials, and international organisations have commended him for his efforts in promoting moderation, cooperation, and coexistence among people of different faiths.

Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy M Dolan referred to al-Issa as the “most eloquent spokesperson in the Islamic world for reconciliation and friendship among the religions of the world”.

Ndileka Mandela, granddaughter of Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela and head of the Thembekile Mandela Foundation, praised al-Issa as a "remarkable voice for Muslim tolerance and moderation”.

In January 2020, he led a delegation to the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, to mark the 75th anniversary of the camp's liberation from Nazis.

In July 2022, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud appointed al-Issa the Khateeb of Hajj 1443 Hijri to deliver the Hajj sermon from the pulpit of Masjid Nimra.

The Hajj is the largest gathering of Muslims in the world and al-Issa used the opportunity to advocate a moderate message of Islam promoting harmony and compassion.

Under al-Issa's guidance, Muslim World League arranged a discussion and debate forum in Riyadh in May 2022 titled ‘Forum on Common Values among Religious Followers’ where the participants denounced the idea of an “inevitable clash of civilisations” due to religious issues.

The Charter of Makkah, endorsed in 2019 by 1000 religious scholars representing 128 countries, was an effort led by the Muslim World League under al-Issa to create a set of principles that support anti-extremism, religious and cultural diversity, tolerance and legislation against hate and violence.

Since taking over the Muslim World League in 2016, al-Issa has received a number of awards and recognitions from a wide range of prominent international institutions and government officials.

In 2020, The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre named al-Issa one of the most influential Muslims globally in its 2020 edition of ‘The Muslim 500: The World’s Most Influential Muslims’.

al-Issa received the 2018 Galileo International Award from the Galileo Foundation in Florence, Italy for his international achievements and leadership in promoting religious and cultural unity.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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News Network
December 5,2025

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New Delhi, Dec 5: IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers issued a public apology this evening after more than a thousand flights were cancelled today, making it the "most severely impacted day" in terms of cancellations. The biggest airline of the country cancelled "more than half" of its daily number of flights on Friday, said Elbers. He also said that even though the crisis will persist on Saturday, the airline anticipates fewer than 1,000 flight cancellations.

"Full normalisation is expected between December 10 and 15, though IndiGo cautions that recovery will take time due to the scale of operations," the IndiGo CEO said. 

IndiGo operates around 2,300 domestic and international flights daily.

Pieter Elbers, while apologising for the major inconvenience due to delays and cancellations, said the situation is a result of various causes.

The crisis at IndiGo stems from new regulations that boost pilots' weekly rest requirements by 12 hours to 48 and allow only two night-time landings per week, down from six. IndiGo has attributed the mass cancellations to "misjudgment and planning gaps".

Elbers also listed three lines of action that the airline will adopt to address the issue.

"Firstly, customer communication and addressing your needs, for this, messages have been sent on social media. And just now, a more detailed communication with information, refunds, cancellations and other customer support measures was sent," he said.

The airline has also stepped up its call centre capacity.

"Secondly, due to yesterday's situation, we had customers stranded mostly at the nation's largest airports. Our focus was for all of them to be able to travel today itself, which will be achieved. For this, we also ask customers whose flights are cancelled not to come to the airports as notifications are sent," the CEO said.

"Thirdly, cancellations were made for today to align our crew and planes to be where they need to start tomorrow morning afresh. Earlier measures of the last few days, regrettable, have proven not to be enough, but we have decided today to reboot all our systems and schedules, resulting in the highest numbers of cancellations so far, but imperative for progressive improvements starting from tomorrow," he added.

As airports witnessed chaotic scenes, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stepped in to grant IndiGo a temporary exemption from stricter night duty rules for pilots. It also allowed substitution of leaves with a weekly rest period. 

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has said a high-level inquiry will be ordered and accountability will be fixed.

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News Network
November 24,2025

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Israel has launched a new act of aggression on a residential neighborhood in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, killing and injuring about two dozen civilians.

The Israeli regime's military said in a statement that its forces carried out a so-called precise strike in a residential apartment in Dahiyeh in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday.

The aggression targeted residential areas, killing at least five people and injuring more than 28 people, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. 

Hezbollah announced the martyrdom of senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai and four resistance fighters.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun condemned the airstrike, calling it a clear demonstration of Tel Aviv’s disregard for repeated international calls to halt violations on Lebanese soil.

“Israel refuses to implement international resolutions and all efforts aimed at ending the escalation and restoring stability,” Aoun said, urging the international community to take action to prevent further aggression.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement also condemned the attack, holding the international community accountable. 

“The international community bears responsibility and continues to provide cover for these attacks as long as it does not restrain the occupiers,” said Ali Abu Shahin, a member of the group’s political bureau.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the Israeli army carried out a strike “in the heart of Beirut."

Netanyahu reportedly approved the operation following recommendations from top Israeli security officials.

Two senior US officials commented on the Israeli strike.

The first official said that Israel did not notify Americans in advance about the attack. "We were informed immediately after the strike was carried out."

The second senior official said that the "US knew for several days that Israel was planning to escalate its strikes in Lebanon, but did not know in advance the timing, location, or target of the strike."

Speaking from the site of the Israeli strike, Lebanese MP Ali Ammar condemned the attack as part of a broader campaign of aggression that has targeted "all of Lebanon since the Washington-sponsored ceasefire."

He stated that "any attack on Lebanon is a violation of red lines; this aggression is part and parcel of the entity that targets Lebanon's dignity, sovereignty, and security of citizens."

Ammar went on to say the resistance is responding with "utmost wisdom, patience, and will confront the enemy at the appropriate time."

"Unfortunately, the enemy is emboldened to commit its aggression by voices within Lebanon that have turned themselves into tools that support its aggression," he added.

The Israeli attack on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital is the latest blatant violation of the ceasefire Israel signed with Hezbollah in November 2024, which was intended to end hostilities that had escalated into full-scale war.

An Israeli strike on the Ain al-Hilweh camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon late Tuesday killed at least 14 people. It wounded several others, including young students, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The military claimed the attack targeted “a Hamas training compound” used to plan and carry out attacks against the regime -- a claim that has frequently been made without evidence.

Hamas rejected the allegations as “a blatant lie aimed at justifying the massacre,” stating it had “no military installations in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon” and that the targeted site was merely “an open sports field.”

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 4,000 people and displaced more than 1.2 million residents across the country since October 2023.

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