COLOMBO The 66th Annual General Meeting of the Ceylon Baithulmal Fund (CBF) was held on 10th September, 2023. Mr. A.A. M. Illiyas – (President’s Counsel) was re-elected as the President for the period 2023/2024. Other Office Bearers elected were: M.S.F.Haqque – Vice President A.N.Nazvi Rahman – Secretary A.F.Feroze Noon – Treasurer F.M.Asaf Khan – Asst. Secretary Committee members elected were S.R.Rally, A.M.A.Nasry, A.Fazal Issadeen, M Rushdi Dahlan, …

An Egyptian woman wearing a niqab takes pictures in Cairo [File: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters] Egyptians talk to Al Jazeera about the recent government decision to prohibit students from wearing niqab.The Egyptian government has banned female students from wearing the niqab, a face-covering veil, at schools, according to state-owned media. Education Minister Reda Hegazy’s statement, released on Monday and quoted by …

 Emergency crews have begun work to extinguish several wildfires that have broken out in Algeria’s northeastern Bejaia and Tizi-Ouzou provinces. The fire is reported to have gained strength and is now threatening hamlets.The same region was devastated last July by huge forest fires, which claimed around thirty lives. There have as yet been no reports of fatalities or property …

Emergency workers uncovered hundreds of bodies in the wreckage of Libya’s eastern city of Derna, and it is feared the toll could spiral, with 10,000 people still reported missing after floodwaters from Storm Daniel smashed through dams and washed away entire neighbourhoods. More than 1,000 corpses were collected, including at least 700 that have been buried so far, the health minister for …

Historic Marrakech buildings damaged in quake The historic Moroccan city of Marrakesh suffered extensive damage in the powerful earthquake. Marrakech’s famous Koutoubia Mosque, built in the 12th century, was damaged as well, but the extent was not immediately clear, officials have said. Its 69-metre (226-foot) minaret is known as the “roof of Marrakech”. Moroccans also posted videos showing damage to …