"Disgraceful Act Of Communal Provocation": Don’t Go To Places Where Muslims Are Majority, Bengal BJP Leader

New Age Islam News Bureau

12 July 2025

·         "Disgraceful Act Of Communal Provocation": Don’t Go To Places Where Muslims Are Majority, Bengal BJP Leader

·         Muslims Are World's Fastest Growing Religious Group: Pew Research Centre

·         Maharashtra Govt To Study Possibility Of Law To Check ‘Love Jihad’

·         Plea In SC Seeks Withdrawal Of QR Code Mandate For Eatery Owners On Kanwar Yatra Route In UP And Uttarakhand

·         US Court Rejects Plea Deal For '9/11 Mastermind' Khalil Sheikh Mohammed

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India

·         Odisha Releases 403 Bengali Migrant Workers Detained On B’deshi Suspicion

·         Adhikari spewing hate-filled, divisive rhetoric, says National Conference

·         2 TMC leaders killed within 24 hours in 2 Bengal districts, probe on: Police

·         India hit 9 terror hubs across Pakistan during Operation Sindoor: Ajit Doval slams global media

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North America

·         Iranian Group 'Blood Covenant' Places $40M Bounty on Trump

·         FDD Unmasks Iranian Man Behind Crowdfunding Bounty for Trump’s Assassination

·         CAIR Marks 30th Anniversary of Srebrenica Massacre with Call for End to Gaza Genocide

·         CAIR Welcomes Conviction of Vandal Who Attacked Portland Mosque, Synagogues and Black Business

·         US slaps visa sanctions on Cuban president

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Arab World

·         New Dates Set For UN Palestinian Statehood Conference Co-Chaired By France, Saudi Arabia

·         Saudi Arabia Praised At UN For Global Leadership On Dust Storm Early Warnings

·         Al-Shaddad: A traditional invention reflecting human ingenuity in conquering the desert

·         Saudi Arabia observes World Population Day

·         Riyadh deputy governor attends French National Day reception

·         Dubai allocates 40 plots for new mosques, opens 19 in first half of 2025

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Europe

·         CCTV Appeal As Abuse Shouted To People At Haverhill Mosque

·         Teen who saw Adolf Hitler and Anders Brevik as 'inspirations' planned mass murder by setting fire to mosque

·         Cemetery could be extended for more Muslim burials

·         Tajikistan set to boost ties with IFSB in advancing Islamic finance

·         Al Fayed-owned Mayfair penthouse has 'leaky roofs and noisy lifts'

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Southeast Asia

·         Muslims Join Christians For Popular Marian Festival In Indonesia

·         ‘No One Will Be Left Behind’: Putrajaya Sets Aside RM50m For Churches, Temples Nationwide  To Preserve Religious Harmony

·         Govt allocates RM50m for non-Islamic worship places maintenance

·         Indonesia to host International Islamic Ecotheology Conference

·         Anwar: Kenyir’s solar and hydrogen ventures to attract investors, boost Terengganu’s regional connectivity

·         Anwar: Malaysia’s meetings with global leaders affirm active role in multilateral diplomacy

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South Asia

·         Rohingya Refugee Services In Bangladesh Faces Collapse Amid Critical Funding Shortfall, Says UN

·         Dhaka To Work With KL To Probe Terrorism Charges

·         US tariff threat: Walmart puts on hold some orders from Bangladesh

·         Rohingya influx hits 1.5 lakh in 18 months

·         Five Infrastructure Projects Launched in Badakhshan

·         UN warns of crisis as 3 million Afghan migrants may return

·         Germany proposes deportation of Afghan migrants involved in crime

·         Kabul seeks to buy Military equipment from Russia

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Mideast

·         New Mural Of Ayatollah Khamenei Unveiled, Celebrating Resistance, Patriotism

·         Iran’s Army Chief surveys units, stresses steadfast defence

·         50,000 Worshippers perform Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque despite Israeli restrictions

·         ‘All Our Crew Are Muslim,’ Fearful Red Sea Ships Tell Houthis

·         US aware of reported death of American after beating by Israeli settlers

·         A father mourns 2 sons killed in an Israeli strike as hunger worsens in Gaza

·         UN chief condemns renewed Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping

·         Lebanese president rules out normalization with Israel

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Africa

·         Supreme Court Ruling Stirs Muslim Outrage

·         ICC Warns Of A Dire Humanitarian Crisis In Sudan As The War Rages On

·         Tension As 13 Political Parties Reject Peace Accord As Lagos Residents Vote In LG Polls Today

·         “I can’t do nuttin’ for ya man”, Nigerian Minister quotes Flavour Flav in rejection of Trump policy

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/communal-muslims-majority-bengal-bjp-leader/d/136162

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"Disgraceful Act Of Communal Provocation": Don’t Go To Places Where Muslims Are Majority, Bengal BJP Leader

Jul 12, 2025

Kolkata: Bengal leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday advised people against going to places "where Muslims are in a majority", and also referred to Bengali-speaking migrants in New Delhi's Jai Hind Colony as "Rohingya Muslims". The comments drew sharp criticism on Friday from Trinamool Congress, which said the BJP Neta was indulging in a "disgraceful, calculated act of communal provocation" and "pushing the message of terrorists at home".

In the backdrop of J&K CM Omar Abdullah meeting CM Mamata Banerjee, Adhikari told reporters: "Don't go to places where Muslims are in a majority. If you want to go to Kashmir, go to Jammu... They (terrorists) killed people asking their religion. If you want to go, go to Himachal, we have Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, go to Odisha, whole country... Give priority to your life (Jaan pehle). Save your children, sister, mother." He added that this was his "personal opinion" and he was "not speaking as a BJP MLA".

In a statement on X, Trinamool said: "The terrorists attacked Pahalgam to paralyse Kashmir's economy, and Suvendu is handing them exactly what they wanted. It is a disgraceful, calculated act of communal provocation. This is the very same BJP that wants ‘secular' erased from the Constitution. Such statements have no place in a democratic country. We will not let BJP burn bridges between Indians. Not in Kashmir. Not in Bengal. Not anywhere."

Senior state minister Shashi Panja told reporters that Adhikari was "rattled" by Omar's Kolkata visit. "Union govt itself declared that normalcy should return to Jammu & Kashmir. But in light of this statement, what follows? Everything seems to have failed. You cannot issue a farman (edict) telling tourists from Bengal not to visit Kashmir. Why is he so rattled by the visit of CM Omar Abdullah to Bengal?"

On reports of Bengali-speaking migrants in Jai Hind Colony living without water and electricity, Adhikari told mediapersons: "This is a false allegation. There is no evidence. They want to put a Bengali tag on Rohingya Muslims. They (Trinamool) are giving protection to Rohingya Muslims, nothing is happening against Bengalis. Ask them (those affected) to put up videos, EPIC cards and Aadhaar cards. They are saying this because Rohingyas are being removed from the voter list."

In response, Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam posted on X: "This is why we call the BJP anti-Bengali. We have never viewed the atrocities against migrant workers through the lens of religion. Let it be clear: discrimination has no religion, and bigotry wears many masks. Today, Bengali Hindus are also facing the same hate and violence that others have long suffered in silence."

"Let me give an example to show this frustrated BJP leader that many of the workers facing such brutality also belong to the Hindu community. Sujan Sarkar, a Bengali Hindu migrant worker from Samsherganj, Murshidabad, was physically assaulted in BJP-ruled Odisha. This is not an isolated incident—it reflects a disturbing pattern of targeted harassment against Bengalis, both Hindus and Muslims, across several BJP-ruled states," Islam, who is also chairman of the state migrant workers' welfare board, said.

He added: "The continued vilification of Bengalis based on their language, culture, and regional identity is an affront to the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution and the spirit of unity in diversity. Bengali migrant workers, who tirelessly contribute to the economy, deserve respect and protection — not xenophobic abuse."

Source: indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/dont-go-to-places-where-muslims-are-majority-suvendu-advises-travellers/articleshow/122395041.cms

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Muslims Are World's Fastest Growing Religious Group: Pew Research Centre

Jul 12, 2025

NEW DELHI: Muslims emerged as the fastest growing religious group in the world over 2010-2020, while the share of Christians - the world's largest religious group - in the global population fell by 1.8 percentage points to 28.8%, a Pew Research Centre analysis stated. Hindus grew at about the same rate as the world's overall population, reaching 1.2 billion in 2020, of whom 95% are in India.As of 2020, Hindus made up 79% of the population in India, compared to 80% in 2010. The share of Muslims rose from 14.3% in 2010 to 15.2% in 2020, revealed the analysis titled 'How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020'.

Globally, people with no religious affiliation - sometimes called "nones" - were the only category aside from Muslims that grew as a percentage of the world's population, rising by 270 million and reaching 1.9 billion. The share of "nones" climbed by nearly a full percentage point to 24.2%.

The research shows that the number of Muslims increased by 347 million - more than for all other religions combined. The share of the world's population that is Muslim rose by 1.8 percentage points to 25.6%.

As a proportion of the global population, Hindus held steady at 14.9% in 2020. The figure was 15% in 2010. The number of Hindus worldwide grew 12% from 2010 to 2020, rising from a little less than 1.1 billion to nearly 1.2 billion. Buddhists were the only major religious group that had fewer people in 2020 than a decade earlier. In 2010, Christians accounted for 30.6% of the global population, followed by Muslims (23.9%), Hindus (15%), Buddhists (4.9%), unaffiliated (23.3%), other religions (2.2%) and Jews (less than 1%).

The analysis draws attention to the various factors driving change in religious demographics. A key factor for Christians shrinking as a share of the global population is the widespread switching out of religion. This "religious disaffiliation" among Christians overrides their demographic advantage (high fertility).

Muslim population growth is largely driven by their relatively young age profile and a high fertility rate. Hindus remain a stable share of the world's population because their fertility resembles the global average, and surveys indicate that Hindus rarely switch out of their religion.

The analysis shows that Muslims had the highest proportion of children in 2010 (35% of the world's Muslims were under the age of 15), followed by Hindus (31%).

The research observes that Muslims and Hindus are the least likely to gain or lose adherents from religious switching. About one in every 100 adults raised Muslim or Hindu has left their native religion, and a similar number from a different religious group have switched to Islam or Hinduism.

Source: indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/muslims-are-worlds-fastest-growing-religious-group-pew/articleshow/122396546.cms

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Maharashtra Govt To Study Possibility Of Law To Check ‘Love Jihad’

Jul 12, 2025

Mumbai: The state govt will form a committee of legislators to study the possibility of bringing a law to prevent ‘love jihad' and ‘forceful religious conversion,' said MoS for Home, Pankaj Bhoyar, in the Legislative Assembly on Friday. Bhoyar was responding to private member bills, the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2025, and the Maharashtra Prohibition of Religious Conversion Bill, 2025, moved by BJP MLAs Sudhir Mungantiwar and Atul Bhatkhalkar, respectively. The bills were withdrawn after assurances from Bhoyar.

"This is true that in the recent past, there were some instances of forceful conversions. The govt took action in these cases. There is a need to crack down on such conversions. To make the laws stricter, the state govt made a committee under the DGP in Feb 2025," Bhoyar said.

Source: indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/govt-to-study-possibility-of-law-to-check-love-jihad/articleshow/122394564.cms

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Plea In SC Seeks Withdrawal Of QR Code Mandate For Eatery Owners On Kanwar Yatra Route In UP And Uttarakhand

Suchitra Kalyan Mohanty

12 Jul 2025

The plea further highlighted that these steps effectively serve the same unconstitutional end through digital means, in wilful disobedience of the top court's directions.Photo | Express

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NEW DELHI: An application has been filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday against the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments' fresh directive to shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display QR codes for accessing owner details.

The application filed by Apoorvanand Jha before the top court stated that the direction of the UP and Uttarakhand governments is contrary to the SC's order from last year, which held that sellers on the Kanwar Yatra route can’t be forced to disclose their identities.

"Direct the Respondent States (UP, Uttarakhand govts) to immediately withdraw all QR code-based identification mandates or any other mechanisms that result in disclosure of owner identity or religious profiling of vendors," said the application, a copy accessed by TNIE.

It sought that further actions be taken under (whether oral, written or digital, including via QR codes), facilitating public disclosure of ownership/employee identity of food vendors along Kanwar Yatra routes in the States of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, pending final adjudication of the present writ petition.

"Direct the Respondents to file affidavits explaining how current mandates do not violate this Court's earlier stay or constitutional rights. The top court should direct that calls for compliance with licensing requirements should be restricted to the same and not include broad and vague directives to display name and identity," the application said.

It is significant to note here that Kanwar Yatra 2025 is scheduled between 11 July 2025 to 09 August 2025. In this backdrop, and despite the SC's earlier last year's orders, it was now apparent that UP and other authorities are circumventing the stay by reintroducing the same directive stating that, 'As in the previous year, the name of the operator should be clearly displayed at each shop' under the garb of public safety and maintenance of law and order.

The new measures mandate the display of QR codes on all eateries along the Kanwar route, which reveal the names and identities of the owners, thereby achieving the discriminatory profiling that was previously stayed by the top court.

Jha, citing certain media reports in his plea, stated that all eateries on the Kanwar route are required to display QR codes that allow "customers to access ownership details".

The plea further highlighted that these steps effectively serve the same unconstitutional end through digital means, in wilful disobedience of the top court's directions.

"State's actions impacting privacy and dignity must satisfy the test of legitimate aim, suitability, necessity, and proportionality. The present conduct of Respondents fails all four limbs, being neither authorised by statute nor necessary for the stated purpose, and wholly disproportionate in its discriminatory and stigmatising effect," said the plea.

Seeking immediate withdrawal and compliance with the top court's earlier orders, Jha said, the directive to reveal religious, caste identities couched under the garb of "lawful license requirements" is a breach of privacy rights.

"There is a grave and imminent risk of irreparable injury to the fundamental rights of affected vendors, particularly from minority communities, unless this Court issues immediate directions to restrain Respondents from continuing this indirect implementation," said the plea.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Jul/12/plea-in-sc-seeks-withdrawal-of-qr-code-mandate-for-eatery-owners-on-kanwar-yatra-route

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US court rejects plea deal for '9/11 mastermind' Khalil Sheikh Mohammed

July 12, 2025

Ali Abbas Ahmadi

Khalid Sheikh Muhammad is accused of organising and directing the 9/11 attacks on the United States

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A divided federal appeals court has thrown out a plea agreement that would have allowed accused "9/11 mastermind" Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other co-defendants to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty, US media report.

Judges in Washington DC rejected the agreement, which would have given Mohammed and the other defendants a life sentence without parole, in a 2-1 decision on Friday.

Mohammed is accused of organising and directing the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US, in which hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing almost 3,000 people. He was captured in 2003 and is being held in Guantanamo Bay, the US prison camp in Cuba.

Under the deal, families of the 9/11 victims would have been allowed to pose questions to Mohammed, who would be required to "answer their questions fully and truthfully", lawyers said.

Relatives of the victims were split on the deal, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.

Those who objected felt a trial was the best path to justice and to uncovering more information about the attacks.

Supporters saw it as the best hope for getting some answers and finally closing the painful case.

The plea deal was negotiated over two years and approved by military prosecutors and the senior Pentagon official in Guantanamo Bay.

Pre-trial hearings have been going on for more than a decade, complicated by questions over whether torture Mohammed and other defendants faced while in US custody taints the evidence.

Following his arrest in Pakistan in 2003, Mohammed spent three years at secret CIA prisons known as "black sites", where he was subjected to simulated drowning, or "waterboarding", 183 times, among other so-called "advanced interrogation techniques" that included sleep deprivation and forced nudity.

In July last year, the Biden administration announced it had struck deals with Mohammed and three other co-defendants.

But then Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin overruled the agreement two days later, saying he was the sole authority who could enter such an agreement.

A military court ruled against Austin's effort in December, which put the agreement to avoid the death penalty back on the table.

On Friday, the appeals court tossed the deal, saying Austin was acting within his authority in December 2024.

"Having properly assumed the convening authority, the Secretary determined that the 'families and the American public deserve the opportunity to see military commission trials carried out.' The Secretary acted within the bounds of his legal authority, and we decline to second-guess his judgment," judges Patricia Millett and Neomi Rao wrote, as reported by the Associated Press.

Judge Robert Wilkins disagreed, saying the government "has not come within a country mile of proving clearly and indisputably that the Military Judge erred."

Source: bbc.com

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78nxqqp2leo

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India

Odisha releases 403 Bengali migrant workers detained on B’deshi suspicion

Jul 12, 2025

Kolkata/Berhampore: Odisha has released 403 out of 447 Bengali-speaking migrants it had detained, suspecting them of being illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, over the past three days. Most of the Bengali-speaking migrant workers have been released, said Trinamool MP Samirul Islam, who chairs the state migrant workers' welfare board.

The migrant workers, most of them from Birbhum and Murshidabad and some from South 24 Parganas, had been mostly picked up by the Jharsuguda police, according to Islam.

Samiul Sk from Shahjadpur village in Murshidabad was among those detained. His father, Sariful Seikh, said his son had been detained at Pahala police station in Odisha's Khurda district along with five other teenaged migrant workers who worked as masons.

Police had taken away their phones, Seikh said, adding, "Police in Odisha were not ready to accept any document such as Aadhaar. Finally, we approached Hariharpara police station, after which they were freed."

Mursalim Seikh of Benedaha in Beldanga, whose 17-year-old son Sagar Ali was detained in Odisha, said, "Is there any law against a labourer going to work in another state? Sagar went there with others his age."

The Calcutta High Court was informed on Friday that after it asked the Odisha govt to furnish details of two people it had detained, they were released. Raghunath Chakraborty, the lawyer representing these two migrant workers, told the HC: "We have received information from the person concerned that detainees have been released from Odisha after the matter was filed in the HC. They have come back to their homes. But it needs to be determined whether such detentions are legal."

Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra wrote on X that all detainees from Nadia, barring two, were released. "Robiul Sheikh and Mohir Munshi with verified documents are still being detained illegally by Odisha only because of a Bangladeshi phone number on their phones! Is that even a crime?" she wrote.

Meanwhile, Islam took a dig at BJP Bengal co-in-charge Amit Malviya for claiming that 335 of those detained had fake documents. "Now it's your responsibility to submit proof about all these individuals you were claiming to be Bangladeshis," he said.

Source: indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/odisha-releases-403-bengali-migrant-workers-detained-on-bdeshi-suspicion/articleshow/122394961.cms

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Adhikari spewing hate-filled, divisive rhetoric, says National Conference

July 11, 2025

The ruling National Conference (NC) on Friday (July 11, 2025) expressed dismay over West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s remark that no Bengali should visit Muslim-majority Kashmir.

“It is deeply shameful that at a time when the entire country is standing with Jammu and Kashmir, the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, Mr. Adhikari, is spewing such hate-filled, divisive, and communal rhetoric,” NC leader and MLA Tanvir Sadiq said.

Speaking to reporters in West Bengal on Friday, Mr. Adhikari said: “Don’t visit places where Muslims are in the majority. Go to Jammu, if you are going to visit J&K. I am warning the people of Bengal not to visit Muslim-majority places. Your life is your priority. Protect your lives, children and women.”

His remarks came at a time when Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was touring West Bengal to win back tourists unnerved by the Pahalgam terror attack.

“Kashmiris have stood with the nation not out of compulsion, not for benefit but because it was the right thing to do. And when we are right, the nation must stand with us. Suvendu Adhikari’s statement is not just irresponsible, it is dangerous,” Mr. Sadiq said.

He said the BJP leader has insulted not only the people of Kashmir but the very idea of India, where unity in diversity is the strength. “Such vile thinking must be condemned by one and all. This isn’t just about Kashmir; this is about the soul of India,” the NC leader added.

Source: thehindu.com

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https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/jammu-and-kashmir/adhikari-spewing-hate-filled-divisive-rhetoric-says-national-conference/article69801840.ece

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2 TMC leaders killed within 24 hours in 2 Bengal districts, probe on: Police

by Atri Mitra

July 12, 2025

TWO LOCAL Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders were murdered within a span of 24 hours in two West Bengal districts, police said on Friday.

TMC leader Rezzak Khan, 38, was shot multiple times and then hacked to death in South 24 Parganas on Thursday evening, police said.

The incident took place in the Chaltaberia area of Bhangar when Khan was returning home after attending a party meeting. According to police sources, unidentified persons fired three shots at Khan, after which they hacked him to death.

Khan, who stayed in the Maricha area, was the Chaltaberia area president of the TMC and was considered close to party MLA Saokat Mollah.

Later on Friday, Mollah, MLA from Canning Purba constituency, alleged that miscreants linked to the Indian Secular Front (ISF) were behind Khan’s murder. The ISF, however, denied all the allegations.

“We demand strong action against the culprits,” Mollah said.

Khan’s body has been sent for post-mortem examination. Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma visited the spot to oversee the investigation.

In the past, Rezzak Khan was considered close to Arabul Islam, a TMC leader in Bhangar, but later shifted loyalties to the Mollah camp.

In a separate incident, another local TMC leader, Abul Kalam Azad, was allegedly hacked to death during a birthday party in Malda’s English Bazar area, police said. His family has alleged that a panchayat member dragged him into a room and killed him. A probe is on, police said.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/tmc-rezzak-khan-murder-bengal-isf-10119472/

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India hit 9 terror hubs across Pakistan during Operation Sindoor: Ajit Doval slams global media

Imran Ahmed Siddiqui

12.07.25

National security adviser Ajit Doval on Friday said India carried out precision strikes on nine terror targets across Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, hitting out at the global media for its coverage of the military mission and for making unsubstantiated claims of damage inflicted by the neighbouring country.

“A lot of things were said in the foreign press,” Doval said, asking if the media abroad had any evidence to back their claims.

Doval, however, did not make any mention of the losses suffered by the Indian Air Force on May 7, the first day of Operation Sindoor.

“The foreign press said that Pakistan did that and this.... You tell me one photograph, one imagery from satellite, which shows any damage to any Indian structure, even a glass pane having been broken,” he said.

“...They (international media) wrote these things and put out things.... The images only showed 13 air bases in Pakistan before and after May 10, whether it was in Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan, Chaklala.... I am only telling you what the foreign media put out on the basis of images.... We are capable of doing that (damage to Pakistani air bases)...,”

Doval added.

Speaking at the 62nd convocation ceremony of IIT Madras, Doval said India decided to target nine terrorist infrastructures in Pakistan. “We hit nowhere except that. It was precise to the point where we knew who was where. The entire operation took 23 minutes”.

Highlighting the importance of the link between technology and warfare, Doval said he was proud that much of Operation Sindoor was driven by indigenous devices.

“We are proud of it… that some of our best systems worked, whether it was BrahMos (missiles), the integrated air control and command system, or battlefield surveillance. We decided on nine terrorist targets, not in the border areas but crisscrossing Pakistan, and we missed none,” Doval said.

Doval said the country could not afford to lose the technology battle or fall behind others.

He acknowledged the role of IIT Madras and the private sector in developing 5G connectivity in two-and-a-half years whereas China had taken over 12 years and spent $300 billion.

Last week, India’s deputy army chief, Lieutenant General Rahul R. Singh, had said China had helped Pakistan with “live inputs” on Indian military deployment and attack trajectories during Operation Sindoor, adding it was “like a live lab” for Beijing that allowed it “to test its weapons against other available weapons”.

He had also identified several key concerns and “lessons” that emerged from the May 7-10 military conflict, such as China using its satellites to monitor Indian military deployment and the need for better air defence systems.

Earlier, India’s defence attaché in Indonesia, Captain Shiv Kumar, had said India lost “some” combat jets on May 7 because of the “constraint given by the political leadership” against striking Pakistani military establishments and air defences.

Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan had also said India lost fighter jets on Operation Sindoor’s opening day before swiftly rectifying its tactical mistakes and launching further attacks to “hit deep inside Pakistan”.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/india-hit-9-terror-hubs-across-pakistan-during-operation-sindoor-ajit-doval-slams-global-media-prnt/cid/2112692

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North America

 

Iranian Group 'Blood Covenant' Places $40M Bounty on Trump

11 July 2025

By Michael Katz 

A new movement in Iran claims to have raised more than $40 million online as a bounty for the assassination of President Donald Trump after fatwas, or religious decrees, issued against him by senior clerics of the Islamic regime.

Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, Iran's top Shiite cleric, and Grand Ayatollah Hossein Noori Hamedani issued fatwas against Trump after the U.S. bombings of Iranian nuclear facilities last month, citing alleged threats against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and that anyone who works with the U.S. and Israel is an "enemy of Allah."

Shirazi proclaimed that any "Muslims of the world" who successfully assassinate Trump or Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be deemed "warriors of Allah" and "receive blessings."

The fatwas prompted the creation of an organization called the "Blood Covenant," which claims to have raised nearly $40.3 million for Trump's assassination, The Washington Free Beacon reported Friday, citing an analysis by the Middle East Media Research Institute, which monitors jihadi movements in the region.

The Blood Covenant operates "under the aegis of the Iranian regime" and poses a substantial threat to Trump given Tehran's resources and coordination on the matter, according to MEMRI.

"The fact that these calls to assassinate Trump are coming from above and being echoed in the street and through all strata of society, including in the Iranian media, underlines the depth and uniformity of the regime's institutional incitement," MEMRI wrote in its analysis. "It reflects a broad religious and regime consensus strengthened by reiterated emphasis of the reward anyone carrying out the punishment against Trump can expect to receive — in addition to the $40.3 million, also Paradise and the status of a defender of Islam."

The Blood Covenant published a poster on its website — which the state-run Fars News Agency republished — depicting Trump in crosshairs and an award of up to $40 million for his assassination, the Free Beacon reported.

An English-language caption read: "We pledge to award the prize to whoever can bring the militants and those who threaten the life of the Deputy of Imam Mahdi [may our souls be sacrificed for him] to justice for their actions. THIS CAMPAIN IS NOT FUNDING TERRORISM IT IS FUNDING THE FIGHT AGAINST US STATE TERRORISM."

Iranian religious figures at the Howza-e Ilmiyya seminary in Qom offered support for the fatwas on Trump, saying July 2 that the president's "blood is permitted," the Free Beacon reported.

"All the cells of the resistance, all the Muslims in the Islamic world, and even those in the Western countries are obligated to implement the ruling concerning muharebs [declared enemies of God and Islam] against Netanyahu, against the plundering State of Israel, against U.S. President, and against the U.S. government," Amin Asadpour, a lecturer at the seminary, said in a July 1 speech translated by MEMRI.

Newsmax reached out to the White House for comment.

"The U.S. Secret Service operates in a heightened and very dynamic threat environment and the safety and security of the President and all of our protectees remains our highest priority," Secret Service spokesperson Alexi Worley told Newsmax. "To preserve operational integrity, we cannot comment on specific protective intelligence matters. However, our teams work around the clock with international, federal, state and local partners to ensure the highest levels of protection."

Source: newsmax.com

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https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/donald-trump-iran-fatwas/2025/07/11/id/1218473/

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FDD Unmasks Iranian Man Behind Crowdfunding Bounty for Trump’s Assassination

July 11, 2025

There’s a crowdfunding effort to encourage the assassination of President Donald Trump, and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) has unmasked an Iranian national who helped create it. Thaar[.]ir, which takes its name from the Arabic word for revenge, is a website that claims it is trying to raise a bounty for Trump’s killing, and the man apparently behind it, Hossein Abbasifar (حسین عباسی‌فر), appears to have once worked for Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the regime’s main propaganda network.

While thaar[.]ir does not overtly signal Abbasifar’s involvement, an investigation of the backend of the website and a review of open-source intelligence uncovered his identity. Identifying Abbasifar’s involvement allows him to be targeted by sanctions from the U.S. government and others.

Thaar[.]ir’s Threats Against Trump

Thaar[.]ir first appeared in DNS records — the internet’s “phone book” — on July 2, shortly after one of Iran’s leading Shiite clerics issued a fatwa (a Muslim religious edict) calling for Trump’s assassination on June 29.

The site prominently displayed an image of Trump with a sniper’s sight hovering over his temple between July 5 and July 9. It also promotes an alleged multimillion-dollar bounty as “reward for the head of the cursed Trump.”

As of July 9, the website shows a counter with more than $40 million in pledged rewards. FDD cannot verify whether the campaign has actually sourced this impressive sum or merely seeks to motivate people with an inflated number. The page also cites fatwas , likely to lend religious authority to its efforts.

Hossein Abbasifar’s Connection to Thaar[.]ir

Thaar[.]ir uses WordPress, a free platform for building and managing websites. FDD identified a WordPress author page on thaar[.]ir associated with the username “h_abbasifar.”

FDD then found an account on Eitaa, the popular Iranian messaging app, with the username “h_abasifar” for a man named Hossein Abbasifar. While its spelling is slightly different, the Eitaa account uses the same logo that appears on thaar[.]ir. After this, FDD identified Abbasifar’s account on Clubhouse, an audio-based social networking site, which lists an email address, econcul@gmail[.]com.

FDD confirmed that this email address is linked to the WordPress user “h_abbasifar” on thaar[.]ir. WordPress occasionally exposes metadata about its authors, including links to an author’s profile on Gravatar, a service that allows a user to create a profile image associated with their email address that appears across platforms such as OpenAI, Slack, and WordPress.

Gravatar creates a unique code, called a SHA-256 hash, from a user’s email address. This allows platforms to retrieve the user’s profile image without exposing the email itself. A specific hash, 9f1fcc3cd7af925c34e316e948bae92d9839c687f465616dd9b11fa6b40c31e8, appeared on the backend author metadata for “h_abbasifar” on thaar[.]ir. FDD produced an identical hash by applying the SHA-256 hashing algorithm to the email econcul@gmail[.]com, reinforcing Abbasifar’s connection to the website.

Hossein Abbasifar’s Links to Iranian State Broadcaster

Hossein Abbasifar appears to have once been employed by the IRIB. On his Clubhouse, Abbasifar lists himself as the director of Seda School, which taught students how to produce and publish podcasts. The webpage for the school is no longer online, and so it is unclear if it still exists. A teacher profile associated with the Seda School from 2021 claims Abbasifar served as a specialist at the Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran (صدای جمهوری اسلامی ایران), an apparent reference to the IRIB’s radio division. Abbasifar’s profile also claims he produced Radio Javan, an IRIB program.

Attribution Should Lead to Targeted Sanctions

Attributing the creation of thaar[.]ir to specific people allows the United States to levy targeted sanctions against those responsible.

The non-profit United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has proposed sanctions on a range of Iranian clerics calling for the murder of Trump and others. The list includes Abdolmajid Kharghani, contending that an interview he gave on Iranian state TV inspired thaar[.]ir. While Khargani’s interview may have helped inspire thaar[.]ir, Abbasifar helped create the website. The U.S. government has an opportunity to set an example by holding him accountable.

Source: fdd.org

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https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2025/07/11/fdd-unmasks-iranian-man-behind-crowdfunding-bounty-for-trumps-assassination/

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CAIR Marks 30th Anniversary of Srebrenica Massacre with Call for End to Gaza Genocide

July 11, 2025

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today marked the 30th anniversary of the massacre of more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica with a call for an end to the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

“Today, we honor the memory of the Bosnian genocide and reaffirm our commitment to confronting genocide, war crimes and ethnic cleansing wherever they occur.

“As we reflect on the failure of the international community to prevent the massacre in Srebrenica and other war crimes against Bosnian Muslims 30 years ago, we call on our leaders to stop repeating the mistakes of the past in Gaza today. The harsh lessons of Srebrenica must compel moral clarity and action. Silence and inaction in the face of ongoing crimes against humanity are never acceptable or excusable.

“We call on our government and the global community to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, unfettered humanitarian access, and an end to the Israeli government’s genocide. The Palestinian people must be allowed to live as human beings worthy of freedom, sovereignty and dignity. Never Again must mean never again for all people.”

Source: cair.com

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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-marks-30th-anniversary-of-srebrenica-massacre-with-call-for-end-to-gaza-genocide/

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CAIR Welcomes Conviction of Vandal Who Attacked Portland Mosque, Synagogues and Black Business

July 11, 2025

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the conviction of a man who vandalized a mosque, two synagogues and a Black-owned business in Portland, Oregon.

A man suspected of vandalizing several places of worship and a Black-owned business in Portland in 2022 was found guilty on all charges. Authorities said Michael Edgar Bivins, 34, targeted two Jewish synagogues, a mosque and a Black-owned restaurant between April 30 and May 4 in 2022.

“We welcome the guilty verdict in this case and hope it serves as a deterrent to others who would target minority communities with acts of intimidation or violence,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.

He noted that CAIR previously welcomed the perpetrator’s arrest.

Hooper added that CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.

Source: cair.com

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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-welcomes-conviction-of-vandal-who-attacked-portland-mosque-synagogues-and-black-business/

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US slaps visa sanctions on Cuban president

12 Jul, 2025

The US has placed visa restrictions on Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, accusing Havana of human rights violations.

Defense Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera and Interior Minister Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas have also been blacklisted.

In a statement on X on Friday, Rubio accused the Cuban government of corruption, particularly with regard to the 2021 anti-government protests and clashes in Havana.

“Four years since the Cuban regime’s brutal crackdown on protestors, the State Department is restricting visas for Cuban regime figureheads… and their cronies for their role in the Cuban regime’s brutality toward the Cuban people,” he wrote.

“The United States demands immediate proof of life and the release of all political prisoners,” Rubio added.

Cuban officials have claimed that the US incited the 2021 unrest by exploiting economic hardships in order to topple the government.

In May, the US imposed sanctions on three Cuban judges and a prosecutor for their role in the imprisonment of protester and activist Luis Robles. In 2025, Robles was released after serving nearly five years behind bars.

The country has been under a US trade blockade since the 1960s. US President Donald Trump reversed the Obama-era attempts at normalizing relations, and reinstated Cuba in the list of state sponsors of terrorism earlier this year.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry has vowed to resist America’s “imperialist and interventionist” policies. “We are free, sovereign and independent, and we are going to continue building our revolution, despite the tightening of the blockade,” Diaz-Canel said last year.

Russia and China have condemned the US sanctions on Havana. In an op-ed published in Cuban state-run newspaper Granma in May, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for the lifting of the “illegal” economic blockade.

Source: rt.com

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Arab World

 

New dates set for UN Palestinian statehood conference co-chaired by France, Saudi Arabia

July 11, 2025

NEW YORK: An international conference organized and co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France to discuss Palestinian statehood that was postponed last month has been rescheduled for later this month.

“The two-state solution ministerial conference will resume on July 28 and 29; details will be shared shortly,” diplomats confirmed to Arab News on Friday.

Originally scheduled for June 17-20, the event, officially titled the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, was postponed after Israel launched its 12-day military operation against Iran on June 13.

The event, convened by the UN General Assembly, will take place at the UN headquarters in New York. The aim is the urgent adoption of concrete measures that will lead to the implementation of a two-state solution and end decades of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

At the time of the postponement last month, French President Emmanuel Macron said the conference was being put back for logistical and security reasons but insisted it would be held “as soon as possible.”

The delay did not “call into question our determination to move forward with the implementation of the two-state solution,” he added

Macron is expected to officially announce French recognition of a Palestinian state during the event. This week, he urged UK authorities to do the same.

Palestine is officially recognized by 147 of the UN’s 193 member states. It holds observer status within the organization but is denied full membership.

Speaking during a preparatory UN meeting in May, Manal Radwan, a counselor at the Saudi Foreign Ministry, said the conference comes at a moment of “historic urgency” in which Gaza was “enduring unimaginable suffering.”

She said Saudi Arabia was honored to stand with the other nations committed to diplomatic efforts to bring “real, irreversible and transformative change, to ensure, once and for all, the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine.”

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2607763/saudi-arabia

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Saudi Arabia praised at UN for global leadership on dust storm early warnings

July 11, 2025

NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia’s international efforts to combat sand and dust storms were commended this week during a high-level meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

The meeting highlighted the Kingdom’s $10 million commitment over five years to strengthen early warning systems and support countries vulnerable to dust storm impacts.

The initiative, led by Saudi Arabia in cooperation with regional centers affiliated with the World Meteorological Organization, was praised for enhancing forecasting and response capabilities.

Jumaan bin Saad Al-Qahtani, deputy CEO of the National Center of Meteorology, emphasized the Kingdom’s work through Vision 2030 programs such as the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives.

He also noted the establishment of the Regional Center for Dust and Sand Storms in Jeddah as a strategic hub for regional coordination, data exchange, and capacity building.

Saudi Arabia has hosted major research events, including the First International Conference on Dust and Sand Storms in Riyadh, and plans to hold a second edition in 2026.

Its environmental efforts have resulted in planting over 142 million trees and reclaiming more than 436,000 hectares of degraded land.

Al-Qahtani reaffirmed the Kingdom’s readiness to expand international partnerships to reduce dust sources, protect the environment, and improve resilience against climate change, SPA added.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2607784/saudi-arabia

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Al-Shaddad: A traditional invention reflecting human ingenuity in conquering the desert

July 12, 2025

RAFHA: The “shaddad” stands as one of the oldest artisanal innovations in the Arabian Peninsula, serving as an essential tool in Bedouin life.

Used for riding camels and transporting supplies across deserts, it embodies the deep heritage and ingenuity of early communities in adapting to the harsh desert environment.

Crafted from curved wood and fixed to the front and rear of a camel’s back, the shaddad is supported by a cushion placed between the wooden arcs, ensuring balance and comfort during long journeys. It served as a vital companion during nomadic travel, trade expeditions, and the transportation of passengers and goods over vast, rugged terrain.

Its design varies based on function, with one type designated for riding and another for carrying heavy loads — underscoring the profound bond between humans and camels, the indispensable icons of desert life.

Despite the evolution of modern transportation, the shaddad remains a fixture in cultural and heritage displays, often featured as a decorative piece in guest areas and traditional markets. It serves as a symbol of authenticity and a tangible link to ancestral roots.

This artisanal innovation reflects the resourcefulness of ancient communities in utilizing local materials to create practical tools that reflect sustainability, innovation, and a cultural identity centered on the camel as a symbol of endurance, strength, and adaptability.

Today, the shaddad endures as a unique heritage icon, carrying a powerful message about the importance of preserving folklore and honoring its symbols in cultural forums, reinforcing values of self-reliance and harmony with nature.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2607796/saudi-arabia

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Saudi Arabia observes World Population Day

July 11, 2025

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia marked World Population Day, observed annually on July 11, with a focus on raising awareness of population issues and their impact on sustainable development and the environment.

World Population Day was established in 1989 by the UN Development Program amid rapid population growth, which required accurate and reliable data to support development strategies.

In this context, the Saudi General Authority for Statistics has enabled the Kingdom to stay abreast of global statistical advancements by adopting the latest international technologies and methodologies in conducting its census.

These efforts ensure the quality and accuracy of data, enhancing the reliability of statistical indicators that form the foundation of national plans and policies.

An integrated team at the authority is tasked with reviewing and verifying census data in accordance with the highest international standards, using advanced techniques for analysis and statistics. This work is carried out in cooperation with other government entities, ultimately contributing to the development of an accurate database that serves as a key reference for shaping economic and social policies.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2607762/saudi-arabia

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Riyadh deputy governor attends French National Day reception

July 11, 2025

RIYADH: Riyadh Deputy Gov. Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz on Thursday attended the French Embassy’s reception in the Saudi capital, as part of the French National Day celebrations.

Upon arrival, the deputy governor was received by French Ambassador to the Kingdom Patrick Maisonnave, and several members of staff.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2607774/saudi-arabia

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Dubai allocates 40 plots for new mosques, opens 19 in first half of 2025

July 11, 2025

Dubai: The Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai has allocated 40 plots of land across 22 areas for the construction of new mosques during the first half of 2025.

The plan includes 22 large mosques and 18 smaller ones for regular prayer times, reflecting the emirate’s continued urban and population growth.

In parallel, the department has opened 19 new mosques in 19 different locations, with a total construction cost exceeding Dh150 million.

These new facilities collectively accommodate 15,850 worshippers, supporting the city’s growing demand for accessible religious spaces and enhancing community well-being through expanded worship infrastructure.

Source: gulfnews.com

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https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/dubai-allocates-40-plots-for-new-mosques-opens-19-in-first-half-of-2025-1.500195528

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Europe

 

CCTV appeal as abuse shouted to people at Haverhill mosque

11TH JULY

By Thomas Marks

A CCTV appeal has been launched after reports a man shouted abuse towards attendees of a Suffolk mosque.

An investigation has been launched after an incident at 7.15pm on Monday, July 7, when a man riding a bicycle approached the mosque on Campus Road in Haverhill.

They are reported to then have shouted abusive language towards the attendees, which is being treated as a racially or religiously aggravated public order offence.

The man is described as wearing a blue hoody with white draw strings, possibly with a Gant logo on the chest, with dark coloured shorts and a dark coloured baseball cap.

He was riding a white and black bicycle and was seen cycling between Burton End and Camps Road.

Anyone who recognises the man or has information that could help Suffolk police with the investigation if asked to contact Suffolk police quoting crime reference number 37/37739/25.

Source: eadt.co.uk

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https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/25308267.cctv-appeal-abuse-shouted-people-haverhill-mosque/

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Teen who saw Adolf Hitler and Anders Brevik as 'inspirations' planned mass murder by setting fire to mosque

11 July 2025

By Flaminia Luck

The teenager - who was 16 at the time - was arrested outside Inverclyde Muslim Centre in Greenock, Scotland, back in January after police caught him with an airgun and aerosol cans.

The boy - who cannot be named due to his age - was carrying a rucksack containing an airgun which he planned to use to keep worshippers inside the building after he set it on fire.

The High Court in Glasgow heard the autistic teen had been radicalised through social media since the age of 13.

A list of "inspirations" found on his phone by police included Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Norwegian neo-Nazi terrorist Anders Brevik.

A search of his home revealed a copy of Mein Kampf, the Quran, airsoft weapons, knives and instructions and ingredients to make explosives. A German-manufactured air pistol and amunition was recovered.

Earlier today, the teen pleaded guilty to a charge under the Terrorism Act and possession of documents likely to be useful to a person preparing an act of terrorism.

The court heard he initially wanted to plant bombs at his school in December last year, before later deciding to target the mosque instead.

He had told the mosque's Imam he wanted to become a Muslim in order to access the building and plan his attack.

He had spoken to him online and was provided with Islamic reading materials.

On the morning of 23 January, the boy left his home dressed in black with a camouflage rucksack, which worried his mum.

He messaged friends: "Today, I choose what my life was and will be."

However, he was unable to enter Inverclyde Muslim Centre as the door was locked.

Police officers, acting on intelligence reports, were waiting for him at the mosque.

Prosecutor Greg Farrell said the boy wanted to gain access the building and use aerosol cans and lighters to set it on fire.

Mr Farrell said: "The boy went as far as to take part in prayer with the congregation of the Islamic centre.

"He was trusted to be left alone in the centre and he took several videos wandering the corridors of the building."

Tony Lenehan KC, defending, said: "He was a 16-year-old isolated vulnerable young man, who had a wholesale world view of what was on the internet rather than personal experience."

Judge Lord Arthurson deferred sentencing until July.

The boy was remanded in custody.

Source: lbc.co.uk

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https://www.lbc.co.uk/crime/inverclyde-muslim-centre-attack-scotland/

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Cemetery could be extended for more Muslim burials

11 July 2025

Robbie Macdonald

A Lancashire cemetery could have an extended Muslim burial area and other changes, if councillors approve a range of work potentially costing up to £600,000.

Other new elements at Haslingden Cemetery in Rossendale could include extra car parking and a garden of remembrance for ashes.

Rawtenstall Cemetery could also be extended in the future, according to a new report for borough councillors.

The need for burial space in the short term has been addressed at both sites, according to a council report, but Haslingden will require extra Muslim burial space later this year while Rawtenstall has space until late 2026.

All councillors at Rossendale Council's next full meeting on 16 July will need to vote on the Haslingden idea because it is not included in the current budget for big projects this financial year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Factors to consider include the council providing a burial service for the Muslim community, council relationships with the community, sources of finance for the work and the need for outside expertise on cemetery extensions, according to a council report.

Despite the initial costs faced by Rossendale Council, a failure to develop Haslingden Cemetery would mean a lack of burial provision for the Muslim community and the council missing out on potential future income associated with cemetery services. 

Farmland to be used

About 20 plot sales are expected each year and the Haslingden extension would last about 11 years. A second phase could be looked at in future.

Financially, the current cost for a grave space, vault and internment is just over £4,000. The report estimates the council's costs would be repaid in seven or eight years through burials, with remaining income from the extension's 11-year lifespan supporting cemetery staff and maintenance.

Haslingden currently has six acres of land in use and a small chapel.

If an extension went ahead, land that has been leased for farming would be used and a full planning application for a cemetery extension would be required.

The next step is to get the full council's  approval of funding to progress the scheme through planning.

Source: bbc.com

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98jq6erdz8o

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Tajikistan set to boost ties with IFSB in advancing Islamic finance

11 July 2025

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, July 11. Tajikistan will receive support in exploring the experiences of developed countries in takaful (Islamic insurance), sukuk (Islamic bonds), Islamic monetary instruments, and financial technologies from the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB), Trend reports via the National Bank of Tajikistan.

The announcement follows a meeting between First Deputy Chairman of the National Bank of Tajikistan, Firuz Sharifzoda, and Secretary General of the IFSB, Ghiath Shabsigh, held on the sidelines of the 23rd annual IFSB meeting.

In the course of the meeting, the sides exchanged views on enhancing cooperation, promoting Islamic finance, adopting IFSB international standards, and strengthening the legal framework for sukuk issuance. They also discussed improving access to technical and financial resources and training qualified specialists in Islamic banking and finance.

Sharifzoda emphasized the strategic importance of Islamic finance for expanding financial inclusion and diversifying Tajikistan’s financial sector. He noted the progress made in developing regulatory acts, introducing Islamic products, and training personnel.

In turn, Shabsigh reaffirmed IFSB’s readiness to provide technical assistance, organize joint training, and support regional collaboration.

The National Bank of Tajikistan, a member of IFSB since 2010, actively participates in its working groups. This partnership plays a key role in strengthening the regulation and oversight of Islamic financial services in the country.

Source: trend.az

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https://www.trend.az/casia/tajikistan/4068635.html

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Al Fayed-owned Mayfair penthouse has 'leaky roofs and noisy lifts'

12 July 2025

Ben King

The owner of a multi-million pound penthouse on Park Lane, central London, has been in an eight-year legal battle with companies owned by the late Mohamed Al Fayed and his family, the BBC has found.

The dispute began as a wrangle over a legal agreement relating to the installation of a new lift more than 20 years ago.

Since then, it has escalated into a row alleging leaky roofs, botched refurbishments and claims that a noisy lift was "maliciously" run at night to disturb the penthouse owner's sleep.

Lawyers for both parties declined to comment.

The row at the exclusive Mayfair address - documented in High Court filings - shines a light on the way some business dealings were conducted in Mohamed Al Fayed's empire in the years before he died.

Throughout his life, he was known for his combative approach, frequently resorting to legal action to resolve disagreements.

The luxury penthouse at the centre of this dispute is owned by Alan and Rosaleen Hodson. He is a property developer whose company has built thousands of homes in south-east England.

It is on the top floor of 55 Park Lane, known as "Hyde Park Residence", a large apartment building in a prime spot - right next to the exclusive Dorchester Hotel.

The building's website promises "an atmosphere of warmth and calm with the best of London living". A four-bedroom apartment is currently on sale for £8.5m.

In 2003, the Mail on Sunday described the address as having "sensational" views across Hyde Park and a "marble entrance foyer [that] has to be seen to be believed".

However, walking past the building gives a different impression. Some might consider it a little shabby for such a premium location, with peeling paint and a missing sign above the door.

Hyde Park Residence has been owned by the Fayed family since the 1980s, through Prestige Properties (PP), a company based in Liechtenstein.

This has been "under the control and held for the benefit of" Mohamed Al Fayed's estate and family since his death in 2023, according to the accounts of a subsidiary company filed in the UK. Al Fayed's widow Heini Wathen-Fayed is a director of this subsidiary called Hyde Park Residence Ltd, which manages some of the apartments.

Al Fayed's son Dodi, who died in a car crash alongside Princess Diana in 1997, reportedly used to have a flat there.

When Mohamed Al Fayed owned Harrods, he would sometimes let managers and directors live in the block, and the neighbouring building, 60 Park Lane, which he also owned.

In 2024, the BBC spoke to 13 women who said Fayed sexually assaulted them at 60 Park Lane. Four of them said they were raped.

Leaky roofs

The first issue emerged soon after Mr Hodson bought the penthouse in 2004, according to court documents seen by the BBC.

Mr Hodson made extensive improvements to the apartment when he moved in - modifying the kitchen, upgrading the roof terraces, and putting in a new lift so he wouldn't have to use a flight of stairs to access the property.

An agreement giving him legal ownership of his new lift - by updating his lease - wasn't honoured by Liechtenstein-based PP, Mr Hodson claimed.

Like many large buildings, the ownership of Hyde Park Residence is complicated.

The freeholder of the building is the Grosvenor Estate, which has extensive landholdings in central London. The Al Fayed family's company PP has the right to use it for the next 110 years.

This leasehold arrangement, though time-limited, is considered a form of ownership.

Grosvenor should have been asked for permission before these improvements were started. But permission was not requested - although it agreed in 2006 to grant permission retrospectively for a payment of £100,000, which Prestige Properties paid.

Then, in 2014, Mr Hodson began to be bothered by noise from two of the buildings' lifts. Despite his complaints, the noise grew worse, he argued, until in 2015 the building managers agreed to suspend use of one of the troublesome lifts at night.

And in 2016, the two parties fell out further. PP demanded that Mr Hodson contribute £80,000 towards the money paid to the Grosvenor Estate, some years earlier.

The following year, the Hodson's took PP and two other Fayed-controlled companies to the High Court asking for a list of grievances to be met and damages paid.

Among the issues, Mr Hodson said that he had wanted to extend the flat, adding a floor. He had spent £180,000 developing a plan, but PP denied him permission to build it, despite initially encouraging the plan – his lawyers claimed.

PP's lawyers argued the company hadn't given Mr Hodson permission to extend his property. They said that, as a property developer, he should have known that he wouldn't get permission without paying PP, as the landlord, millions of pounds.

Mr Hodson said that as a result of this dispute, PP allowed people to start using a noisy lift again, disturbing his sleep, which he thought was a "malicious and deliberate" response to a letter of complaint. He said on one night the lift was used 23 times between midnight and 02:00.

He also complained of poor repair work, which he said left him with a leaky roof and damage to his roof terraces.

The dispute still hasn't been resolved. In March this year, there was another court filing from Mr Hodson claiming "the roof is still leaking. The lift is still making excessive noise… The corridors and lobby have never been finished following refurbishment."

Lawyers for PP argue in reply that the noise from the lift is at "acceptable levels" and deny that it was restarted maliciously. They admit water leaked but say their clients have taken all reasonable steps to stop it.

PP is counterclaiming £344,000 in ground rent, plus another £286,000 of interest and costs.

The sums are trivial compared to Mohamed Al Fayed's wealth, estimated at £1.7bn at the time of his death. And it is remarkable that a dispute of this kind should have dragged on for so long.

But Al Fayed was known for never giving an inch to those he fell out with - and that approach seems to be continuing even after his death.

Alan Hodson, Heini Wathen-Fayed, PP, and Grosvenor Estate declined to comment.

Source: bbc.com

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0m8pew4331o

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Southeast Asia

 

Muslims join Christians for popular Marian festival in Indonesia

July 12, 2025

Muslims joined Catholics in processions and shared prayers to celebrate a religious-cultural festival dedicated to Blessed Virgin Mary in Indonesia’s Christian-majority Flores Island.

Hundreds of people participated in the procession with the Marian statue to kick off the festival known locally as Golo Koe at St. Martin’s Parish in Bari, Flores, on July 9, Radio Veritas Asia (RVA) reported.

The July 9-Aug. 14 festival with the iconic statue of Our Lady of the Assumption is celebrated across 26 parishes in the Diocese of Labuan Bajo.

Though initially planned as a maritime procession, the pilgrimage was later shifted to an overland route due to inclement weather.

The inauguration of the procession was marked with traditional Manggarai dances, songs, and rituals.

Muslim villagers, dressed in traditional attire, joined the celebration, decorating the streets with bamboo to welcome Mary, marking a powerful witness of interfaith solidarity, RVA reported.

Presiding over the opening Mass, Bishop Maksimus Regus called Mary a model of unity and presence.

“Her visit reminds us that God walks with us. The involvement of our Muslim brothers and sisters reflects the inclusive spirit of this festival,” Regus said.

Father Richardus Manggu, vicar general of the diocese and festival chairperson, said the event is more than just a religious festival.

“It’s a spiritual and cultural movement of togetherness — transcending religious and ethnic lines,” he said.

“Mary Assumpta is a sign of hope. This journey reflects the synodal path of walking together in faith,” said Father Fransiskus Nala, diocesan secretary general.

Local government officials also joined the celebration.

Aloisius Lahi, assistant to the Regional Secretary, highlighted how the event boosts social cohesion, preserves cultural heritage, and promotes sustainable tourism.

Subdistrict Head Dorotheus Ugan thanked the organizers for holding the interfaith event for the community, despite infrastructural challenges.

The journey will culminate in a grand Aug. 14 procession from Waterfront City to Golo Koe Hill, concluding the more than a month-long festival in one of Indonesia’s prime tourist destinations.

The Golo Koe festival serves as the spiritual and cultural climax of the Marian pilgrimage.

Drawing thousands of participants from across the region and beyond, the festival celebrates not only the Assumption of Mary but also the rich harmony of faith traditions, indigenous identity, and communal hope, which are integral to the identity of the Catholic Church in Flores Island, RVA reported.

Source: ucanews.com

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‘No one will be left behind’: Putrajaya sets aside RM50m for churches, temples nationwide  to preserve religious harmony

11 Jul 2025

KOTA KINABALU, July 11 — The federal government has allocated RM50 million this year to help maintain and upgrade non-Islamic places of worship (RIBI) nationwide, as part of efforts to support religious harmony and improve worship facilities.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said the initiative, introduced under the 2025 Budget, aims to ensure that temples, churches and similar sites remain well-maintained and comfortable for worshippers.

Speaking at a grant presentation ceremony at the Basel Christian Church of Malaysia in Petagas, Nga said that as of July 7, RM2.7 million had been approved for 15 RIBI organisations in Sabah, with several other applications still under review.

“I understand that several applications are still being processed and I hope more will be submitted,” he said, adding that the ministry approved RM4.81 million last year for 35 RIBI nationwide to carry out similar works.

Nga reaffirmed the government’s commitment to preserving Malaysia’s multi-faith society, assuring that the initiative would be implemented in a professional, efficient and transparent manner.

“No one will be left behind. The goal is to ensure these funds are distributed fairly and equitably to those who need them the most,” he said. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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Govt allocates RM50m for non-Islamic worship places maintenance

theSun

2025-07-11

KOTA KINABALU: The federal government has allocated RM50 million this year to help maintain and upgrade non-Islamic places of worship (RIBI) nationwide, as part of efforts to support religious harmony and improve worship facilities.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said the initiative, introduced under the 2025 Budget, aims to ensure that temples, churches and similar sites remain well-maintained and comfortable for worshippers.

Speaking at a grant presentation ceremony at the Basel Christian Church of Malaysia in Petagas, Nga said that as of July 7, RM2.7 million had been approved for 15 RIBI organisations in Sabah, with several other applications still under review.

“I understand that several applications are still being processed and I hope more will be submitted,” he said, adding that the ministry approved RM4.81 million last year for 35 RIBI nationwide to carry out similar works.

Nga reaffirmed the government’s commitment to preserving Malaysia’s multi-faith society, assuring that the initiative would be implemented in a professional, efficient and transparent manner.

“No one will be left behind. The goal is to ensure these funds are distributed fairly and equitably to those who need them the most,” he said. - Bernama

Source: thesun.my

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Indonesia to host International Islamic Ecotheology Conference

July 11, 2025

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs is set to host the International Conference on Islamic Ecotheology for the Future of the Earth (ICIEFE) in Jakarta on July 14–16.

It will serve as the culminating event of its Peaceful Muharram campaign marking the Islamic New Year, bringing together government officials, academics from Indonesia and abroad, civil society actors, environmental organizations, and media professionals, according to the ministry’s Director General of Islamic Community Guidance, Abu Rokhmad.

“Youths from Islamic boarding schools (pesantren), universities, and environmental movements will also participate in the conference,” Rokhmad said in Jakarta on Friday.

He noted that the event aligns with one of the key missions (Asta Cita) of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, which emphasizes environmental sustainability and interfaith harmony.

In addition, the initiative reflects Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar’s commitment to promoting Islamic ecotheology — a theological approach that integrates Islamic teachings with environmental stewardship.

Rokhmad emphasized the urgency of the event, pointing to worsening global crises stemming from climate change, biodiversity loss, and rising pollution.

"The conference is expected to drive policy advocacy and inspire social action grounded in both scientific knowledge and religious values,” he said.

He cited the 2025 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which warned that global temperatures have already risen by 1.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — dangerously close to breaching the 1.5°C cap outlined in the Paris Agreement.

In Indonesia, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry has reported that 63 percent of disaster-prone areas are experiencing ecological degradation, he added.

Given Indonesia’s status as the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, Rokhmad underlined the importance of embedding Islamic ecotheological principles in public policy and education to address pressing environmental issues.

The ICIEFE is also envisioned as a continuation of the 2024 Istiqlal Declaration, a joint initiative launched by Minister Umar and the late Pope Francis.

The declaration underscores Indonesia’s national ideology, Pancasila, as a philosophical foundation for interfaith environmental cooperation.

Meanwhile, the ministry’s Director of Islamic Affairs, Arsad Hidayat, noted that the conference is expected to produce two key outputs: a draft manuscript on Islamic ecotheology and a policy brief to guide the development of environmentally conscious public policies.

Source: antaranews.com

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Anwar: Kenyir’s solar and hydrogen ventures to attract investors, boost Terengganu’s regional connectivity

12 Jul 2025

KUALA BERANG, July 12 — The newly launched Hybrid Hydro Floating Solar (HHFS) and Green Hydrogen Hub projects in Terengganu have the potential to attract regional and international investors, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

He said the new alternative energy initiative, a clean and green collaboration between Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), is aligned with both Malaysia’s energy policy and international aspirations for green energy.

“Kenyir is now becoming a focal point of interest for international investors. This is not just a boost for Terengganu, but Kenyir itself will become a major attraction. The project has also been implemented efficiently and swiftly,” he said at the launch ceremony of the ventures at the Sultan Mahmud Power Station in Kenyir today.

Also present were Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir; Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar; TNB Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Razak Abdul Majid and Petronas Chairman Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh.

The HHFS and Green Hydrogen Hub aim to position Malaysia as a regional leader in the green hydrogen value chain, while supporting the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) and the Hydrogen Economy and Technology Roadmap (HETR).

The Green Hydrogen Hub is a strategic collaboration between Petronas and TNB while the HHFS project is a joint venture between TNB’s power generation subsidiary, TNB Genco Sdn Bhd and Terengganu Inc, a state-owned company.

The pilot HHFS project at the Kenyir Dam has a capacity of 100 kilowatts (kW) and spans 1,085 square metres with 220 solar panels.

This demonstrates that Tasik Kenyir, which covers an area of 36,900 hectares, holds vast potential for floating solar development, with up to 10 per cent of the lake’s surface suitable for generating an estimated 2,200 MW without disrupting the lake’s ecology.

The prime minister also said the project is linked to the Asean Power Grid, a major regional initiative that will begin with an undersea cable project connecting Vietnam to Kota Bharu, Kelantan, before extending to Peninsular Malaysia’s grid and eventually to Singapore.

“This means that from Vietnam, an undersea cable project will reach Kelantan, necessitating the construction of a new grid. The existing grid is considered insufficient in capacity.

“The new grid will start from Kelantan, then pass through Terengganu, and I believe it must be connected to the capabilities and infrastructure here in Kuala Berang and Kenyir, extending through Pahang, parts of Selangor, Johor and into Singapore,” he said.

As such, Anwar stressed that the HHFS and Green Hydrogen Hub projects are crucial, and all relevant parties must work together to expedite their implementation.

In addition, the prime minister called on Petronas and TNB to explore ways to provide Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), including upskilling programmes, specifically for local youths in Kuala Berang, Hulu Terengganu.

He said the relevant ministries, such as the Education Ministry, the Ministry of Higher Education, and the Human Resources Ministry, along with the Terengganu government, Petronas and TNB, should initiate specialised training programmes for local youths.

“I want to ensure that youths from Kuala Berang are given training opportunities, so that the people here won’t say that while a major project is located here, their children are only able to open small restaurants or work as cleaners.

“It would be better to plan the training properly so there is a dedicated facility for the youths of Kuala Berang and Terengganu to undergo specialised training. I hope this can be expedited,” he said. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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Anwar: Malaysia’s meetings with global leaders affirm active role in multilateral diplomacy

12 Jul 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — A series of courtesy visits by dignitaries from various countries, as well as the European Union, highlight Malaysia’s active role in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia had received visits from dignitaries from Australia, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Palestine, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the European Union and the United Kingdom yesterday.

“These meetings open up new areas of cooperation in trade, education, technology, humanitarianism and regional peace, which reflect Malaysia’s commitment as a principled and trusted partner on the international stage,” he said in a post on X today.

Anwar Ibrahim yesterday held several bilateral meetings with leaders and senior representatives from seven countries and international entities, on the sidelines of the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and related meetings here.

The meetings with foreign dignitaries were held in Putrajaya. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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South Asia

 

Rohingya refugee services in Bangladesh faces collapse amid critical funding shortfall, says UN

11 Jul 2025

GENEVA, July 11 — Essential services for the Rohingya refugee population in Bangladesh are at risk of collapsing unless more money is found, the United Nations refugee agency said today, with its appeal for US$255 million (RM1.08 billion) to support them just 35 per cent funded.

More than 1 million Rohingya have been crammed into the camps in southeastern Bangladesh, the world’s largest refugee settlement.

Most fled a brutal crackdown by Myanmar’s military in 2017, although some have been there for longer.

“There is a huge gap in terms of what we need and what resources are available. These funding gaps will affect the daily living of Rohingya refugees as they depend on humanitarian support on a daily basis for food, health and education,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees spokesperson Babar Baloch told reporters in Geneva.

The humanitarian sector has been roiled by funding reductions from major donors, led by the US under President Donald Trump and other Western countries, as they prioritise defence spending prompted by growing fears of Russia and China.

“With the acute global funding crisis, the critical needs of both newly arrived refugees and those already present will be unmet, and essential services for the whole Rohingya refugee population are at risk of collapsing unless additional funds are secured,” Baloch said.

Health services would be severely disrupted by September, and by December essential food assistance would stop, UNHCR said.

At least 150,000 Rohingya refugees have arrived in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh in the last 18 months, according to UNHCR.

Violence and persecution against the Rohingya, a mostly Muslim minority in mainly Buddhist Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, have continued to force thousands to seek protection across the border in Bangladesh, it added.

“This movement of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh... is the largest from Myanmar into Bangladesh since 2017 when some 750,000 Rohingya fled the deadly violence in their native Rakhine state in Myanmar,” Baloch stated. — Reuters

Source: malaymail.com

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Dhaka to work with KL to probe terrorism charges

Jul 12, 2025

Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, now in Kuala Lumpur, on Friday expressed concerns over the arrests of Bangladeshi nationals on charges of terrorism.

He said the Bangladesh government will work with Malaysia to investigate allegations of militancy against Bangladeshi nationals who were arrested recently by the Malaysian Police.

The issues were discussed during a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Foreign Minister Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan held in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of 32nd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) ministerial meeting.

Hossain reiterated the firm stand of the government against terrorism and sought Malaysia's cooperation in its own investigation into the allegations through exchange of information and findings.

The Malaysian foreign minister assured Dhaka of facilitating access and cooperation to Bangladesh authorities.

Earlier, the Foreign Adviser met UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy where the two held discussions on diverse bilateral, regional and multilateral issues.

Both sides discussed, among other issues, the ongoing reforms in Bangladesh, Rohingya crisis, post-LDC graduation support, according to the Bangladesh Mission in Kuala Lumpur.

The foreign adviser also called on Winston Peters, the foreign minister of New Zealand, Hon Vijitha Herath, the foreign minister of Sri Lanka, and Park Yoonjoo, the vice minister and head of delegation of the Republic of Korea where a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues came for discussions.

Bangladesh became a member of ARF in 2006, a forum established in early nineties to promote confidence and trust among its 27 members that include countries in the broader Asia-Pacific.

At present, Bangladesh is co-chairing two of the ARF priority areas, "Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime" and "Disaster Relief."

The next session of the ARF ministerial meeting is scheduled to take place in Manila in 2026.In the afternoon, the foreign adviser delivered the national statement at the Ministerial Meeting of ASEAN Regional Forum where he called for greater attention to the Rohingya crisis, in consideration of its national and regional security implications.

Source: thedailystar.net

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US tariff threat: Walmart puts on hold some orders from Bangladesh

Jul 12, 2025

Bangladesh garment sector faces disruption from potential US tariffs

Factory owners expect declines in US orders if 35% tariffs are imposed

Bangladesh negotiating with US to lower tariffs amid business uncertainty

Suppliers to Walmart WMT.N have delayed or put on hold some orders from garment manufacturers in Bangladesh, according to three factory owners and correspondence from a supplier seen by Reuters, as US President Donald Trump's threat of a 35 percent tariff on the textile hub disrupts business.

Bangladesh is the third-largest exporter of apparel to the United States, and it relies on the garment sector for 80 percent of its export earnings and 10 percent of its GDP. The factory owners all said they expected orders to fall if the August 1 tariffs go into effect, as they are unable to absorb that 35 percent rate.

Iqbal Hossain, managing director of garment manufacturer Patriot Eco Apparel Ltd, told Reuters an order for nearly 1 million swim shorts for Walmart was put on hold on Thursday due to the tariff threat.

"As we discussed, please hold all below Spring season orders we are discussing here due to heavy Tariff % imposed for USA imports," Faruk Saikat, assistant merchandising manager at Classic Fashion, wrote in an email to Hossain and others seen by Reuters. Classic Fashion is a supplier and buying agent that places orders for retailers.

"As per our management instruction, we are holding Bangladesh production for the time being and in case the Tariff issues settled, then we will continue as we planned here."

The hold was not decided by Walmart, Saikat told Reuters, but by Classic Fashion itself.

Walmart did not respond to a request for comment.

Bangladesh is currently in talks with the United States in Washington to try to negotiate a lower tariff. Trump in recent days has revived threats of higher levies on numerous nations.

"If the 35% tariff remains for Bangladesh, that will be very tough to sustain, honestly speaking, and there will not be as many orders as we have now," said Mohiuddin Rubel, managing director at jeans manufacturer Denim Expert Ltd in Dhaka.

Rubel, whose company produces jeans for H&M HMb.ST and other retailers, said he expects clients will ask him to absorb part of the tariff, but added this would not be possible financially. Manufacturers have already absorbed part of the blanket 10% tariff imposed by the US on April 2.

"Only probably the big, big companies can a little bit sustain (tariffs), but not the small and medium companies," he said.

Retailers have front-loaded orders since Trump returned to the White House, anticipating higher tariffs. Jeans maker Levi's LEVI.N, which imports from Bangladesh, said on Thursday it has 60 percent of the inventory it needs for the rest of 2025.

US clothing imports from Bangladesh totalled $3.38 billion in the first five months of 2025, up 21 percent from the year-earlier period, according to US International Trade Commission data.

Another Dhaka-based garment factory owner said an importer with whom he was negotiating a spring 2026 order of trousers for Walmart asked him on Thursday to wait a week before the order would be confirmed due to the tariff risk.

Hossain said he may look for more orders from European clients to make up for lost orders if the US 35% tariff gets implemented, even if he has to cut prices to stimulate demand.

Source: thedailystar.net

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Rohingya influx hits 1.5 lakh in 18 months

Jul 12, 2025

Bangladesh has received nearly 150,000 Rohingyas over the past 18 months, marking the largest influx since 2017, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The arrivals, driven by targeted violence and persecution in Myanmar's Rakhine state, have placed further strain on the already overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar, where nearly 1.1 million Rohingyas are being sheltered in just 24 square kilometres -- making it one of the world's most densely populated refugee settlements, the UN Refugee Agency posted on its website yesterday.

UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch, at a press briefing in Geneva, said 121,000 of the new arrivals have been biometrically registered, while many others remain undocumented within the camps. The majority are women and children.

"There is a huge gap in terms of what we need and what resources are available. These funding gaps will affect the daily living of Rohingya refugees as they depend on humanitarian support on a daily basis for food, health and education," Baloch told reporters.

The humanitarian sector has been roiled by funding reductions from major donors, led by the US under President Donald Trump and other Western countries, as they prioritise defence spending prompted by growing fears of Russia and China, reports Reuters.

"With the acute global funding crisis, the critical needs of both newly arrived refugees and those already present will be unmet, and essential services for the whole Rohingya refugee population are at risk of collapsing unless additional funds are secured," Baloch said.

The refugee response is facing a critical funding shortfall, with UNHCR's appeal for $255 million only 35 percent funded. Without additional support, health services could collapse by September, and food assistance may cease by December, affecting 230,000 children, including 63,000 recent arrivals, the agency warned.

Baloch added that the situation is fuelling desperation and anxiety, prompting some to undertake dangerous sea journeys in search of safety.

Despite the border with Myanmar remaining officially closed, the Bangladesh government authorised emergency assistance for the new arrivals. UNHCR and its partners have called on Dhaka to continue providing managed access to asylum, while urging the international community to step up support.

Bangladesh has long been praised for its generosity in hosting Rohingya refugees, but officials and aid agencies warn that without sustained global solidarity, the humanitarian response may falter.

Source: thedailystar.net

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Five Infrastructure Projects Launched in Badakhshan

2025-07-12

BADAKHSHAN(BNA): The construction of five infrastructure projects has begun in Badakhshan Province, aimed at improving local transportation and community safety.

These projects, which include the building of five retaining walls and a culvert along the Argo–Darayim district route, are being overseen by the Public Works Directorate of Badakhshan.

According to a report from Bakhtar News Agency, the total budget for these initiatives amounts to 3 million Afghanis, sourced from the local administration.

During the inauguration ceremony, Mawlavi Mohammad Ayub Khalid, the Governor of Badakhshan, highlighted the significance of these projects in enhancing public services.

Qari Mahboobullah Ansar, the district governor of Drayim, also addressed the gathering, emphasizing the positive impact of these projects on local residents.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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UN warns of crisis as 3 million Afghan migrants may return

By Fidel Rahmati

July 12, 2025

The UN warns of a growing humanitarian crisis as up to 3 million Afghan migrants are expected to return from Iran and Pakistan by year’s end.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned that by the end of this year, up to three million Afghan migrants could return from Iran and Pakistan—an exodus that could severely worsen the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Arafat Jamal, UNHCR representative in Afghanistan, stated during an online press briefing from Kabul on Friday, July 11, that over 1.6 million Afghans—mostly from Iran—have already returned to the country in recent months.

He described the return process as “disorderly, degrading, and large-scale,” adding that many families are arriving in Afghanistan exhausted, distressed, and without basic resources. Their return is placing intense pressure on already struggling local communities.

According to UN data, more than 30,000 individuals are crossing daily into Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border point alone. This mass return has overwhelmed border services and reception facilities.

In response, UNHCR and partner organizations have launched emergency measures to provide clean water, health services, nutrition, and vaccinations to thousands of returnees each day. These efforts aim to reduce the immediate risks faced by vulnerable returnees.

The UN refugee agency has stressed that without proper planning and resources, the situation could spiral further out of control, pushing thousands of families into deeper poverty and insecurity. UNHCR has appealed for urgent humanitarian support to manage the crisis effectively.

As the return influx continues, the international community faces growing pressure to scale up humanitarian funding and logistical support. Without it, Afghanistan could face a catastrophic increase in displacement, malnutrition, and health crises, especially among women and children.

Stabilizing the situation will require not only short-term aid but also long-term reintegration efforts to help returnees rebuild their lives. The UN has called on donor countries and regional partners to act quickly to prevent a worsening tragedy.

Source: khaama.com

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Germany proposes deportation of Afghan migrants involved in crime

By Fidel Rahmati

July 12, 2025

Germany has proposed deporting Afghan migrants involved in criminal activity, with Interior Minister Dobrindt open to direct talks with Kabul authorities to enable returns.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has announced a plan to deport Afghan migrants who have committed crimes in Germany. In a recent interview with Welt TV on Friday, July 11, Dobrindt stated that he is open to direct negotiations with the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan to facilitate these deportations.

Dobrindt emphasized that this measure is part of Germany’s national security strategy. He argued that returning “dangerous criminals” to Afghanistan would serve the country’s interests and enhance public safety, especially following several deadly attacks reportedly carried out by migrants with extremist views.

The Interior Minister stated, “I am ready to reach the necessary agreements with those who are in power in Afghanistan to make these deportations possible.” His comments have sparked political and public debate, especially around the prospect of engaging directly with the Taliban authorities.

The proposal gained momentum following a shift in Germany’s deportation policy. After suspending returns to Afghanistan in 2021 following the Taliban takeover, Germany resumed deporting convicted Afghan criminals in August 2024 through indirect negotiations brokered by Qatar. Twenty-eight individuals were deported in that round.

However, Dobrindt believes that direct talks with the Taliban would accelerate the process. This suggestion has been met with criticism from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Green Party, who fear that such negotiations may lead to the normalization of relations with a regime widely criticized for human rights abuses.

The United Nations has also voiced concern over the plan, calling the return of migrants to Afghanistan “inappropriate” due to ongoing human rights violations, especially against women, minorities, and political dissidents under Taliban rule.

Despite international concerns, the German government, supported by a coalition of conservative and social democratic parties, remains committed to deporting criminal migrants and tightening immigration policies. These steps are in line with campaign promises made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to curb irregular migration and bolster domestic security.

As the debate continues, the German public and international observers are watching closely. The outcome of these negotiations and deportations could reshape Germany’s immigration policy and influence how European governments engage with Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Source: khaama.com

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Kabul seeks to buy Military equipment from Russia

By Fidel Rahmati

July 11, 2025

Kabul has officially requested to buy military equipment from Russia, marking a new phase in their relations following Moscow’s recent recognition of the Taliban government.

Following Russia’s formal recognition of the Taliban government, the group has officially requested to purchase military equipment from Moscow. According to a report published by the Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta on Thursday, July 11, the request was made in a letter signed by Taliban Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob.

In the letter, Yaqoob expressed the Taliban’s interest in acquiring Russian military hardware, citing “the beginning of a new phase of cooperation.” He stated that Russian arms meet the qualitative and quantitative needs of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense and proposed the purchase based on “mutual understanding.”

The letter also urged the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take necessary steps to establish legal and logistical frameworks to facilitate the proposed cooperation. The report suggests that the Taliban are aiming to test Moscow’s willingness to deepen its military engagement with the regime.

A source in Kabul who provided the document to Nezavisimaya Gazeta claimed that the Taliban seek to assess Russia’s sincerity and long-term commitment by initiating this defense agreement. The move marks a significant shift in the group’s foreign relations following international isolation since 2021.

However, in a separate classified document reportedly drafted by the Taliban’s counterintelligence agency, concerns have been raised about potential Russian espionage activities. The report warns that several Russian nationals recently entered Afghanistan under the guise of tourists, journalists, or cultural envoys, but are suspected of having intelligence-related objectives.

Despite their warm reception of Russian recognition, the Taliban leadership appears to be navigating a delicate balance—welcoming military ties while expressing wariness over potential security threats posed by Russian operatives.

These developments highlight the complex dynamics of Afghanistan’s emerging foreign policy under the Taliban, as the group attempts to forge new alliances while safeguarding its internal security apparatus from external infiltration.

Source: khaama.com

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Mideast

 

New mural of Ayatollah Khamenei unveiled, celebrating resistance, patriotism

July 11, 2025

Created by the Owj Arts and Media Organization, the mural reflects national themes such as the Iranian-Islamic way of life and resistance against arrogance. It uses media art to convey these ideas, IRNA reported.

According to graphic designer Mikaeil Barati, the concept behind "O shining love" is that the Leader and the family of Imam Hussein (AS) are like the life flowing through the heart of the homeland, the report added.

Coinciding with the eve of Ashura, a mourning ceremony was held at the Imam Khomeini Husseiniyeh in Tehran, attended by Ayatollah Khamenei and a diverse crowd of people. The event focused on themes of resistance against oppression, especially in the context of the 12-day Israeli aggression on Iran.

During the ceremony, prominent eulogist Mahmoud Karimi recited poetry and mourned Imam Hussein (AS) and his martyrs. At the end, the Leader encouraged Karimi to sing "O Iran," to which he responded with the patriotic chant "O Iran, O shining love," eliciting widespread positive reactions on social media.

The Leader’s composed and confident presence at the event was widely praised by political figures, who described it as reassuring and empowering for the nation.

Source: tehrantimes.com

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Iran’s Army Chief surveys units, stresses steadfast defense

July 11, 2025

The high-level delegation toured key operational units, with General Hatami personally evaluating the combat capabilities of one of Iran’s most important Air Force bases.

General Hatami, recently appointed to his role by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, was Iran’s defense minister from 2017 to 2021.

The Army Chief's Friday inspection included air defense batteries, mechanized brigades, and logistics hubs.

His recent appointment highlighted a directive from the Leader calling for "a transformative and revolutionary approach" to military readiness in the face of evolving regional threats.

During a meeting with the base’s fighter pilots, General Hatami delivered a potent message, asserting that "the Army must preserve the territorial integrity, independence, and system of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

He further elaborated that the very essence of defending Iran’s borders is intrinsically linked to safeguarding the "sacred system" of the Islamic Republic, which he affirmed "has kept our nation whole."

In an homage to the valor displayed during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, the Army Chief warned, "We demonstrated then—and today no less so—that we will never allow a single inch of Iranian soil to be lost."

That same spirit of defiance would return to the battlefield when, decades later, the Army once again stood at the front lines against a new round of hostilities.

The Israeli regime’s campaign of aggression began on June 13 with a blatant and unprovoked assault, targeting senior Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilian infrastructure across multiple cities, and resulting in the deaths of over 1,060 Iranians, predominantly civilians.

The strikes, which included coordinated air, missile, and drone attacks, were condemned by Tehran’s officials as a flagrant violation of international law and a calculated attempt to destabilize the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s Army stood at the forefront of the nation’s defense throughout the 12-Day War, engaging Israeli forces across multiple domains—including air defense, aerial combat, and strategic ground operations.

According to figures released by the Army, at least 56 Army personnel were martyred during the war, underscoring the Army’s central role in protecting Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Major General Amir Hatami, Commander-in-Chief of the Army, later described the war as a “humiliating defeat” for the enemy, noting that “the enemy’s sinister intentions were neutralized by the blood and efforts of our martyrs.”

Source: tehrantimes.com

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50,000 Worshippers perform Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque despite Israeli restrictions

11 Jul 2025

Around 50,000 Palestinian worshippers performed Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, defying heavy Israeli military restrictions and road closures, including the route leading to the Silwan neighborhood in occupied Qud.

According to the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department, tens of thousands gathered not only to perform Friday prayer but also held absentee funeral prayers for the martyrs of Gaza and the West Bank.

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces continued to close Bab al-Asbat Road and Wadi Hilweh in Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, since Thursday evening to facilitate the passage of settlers to a nearby cemetery.

The Palestinian Safa News Agency confirmed a heavy Israeli police deployment throughout Jerusalem, particularly near Bab al-Asbat (Lion’s Gate), where vehicle movement was restricted due to settler visits to the cemetery.

Israeli forces also stopped dozens of young men at military checkpoints around the city and at entrances to the Old City gates, conducting searches and blocking access for many attempting to reach the mosque.

During the sermon, Al-Aqsa preacher Sheikh Khaled Abu Jumaa reaffirmed the sacred status of the mosque in Islam, stating:

“Al-Aqsa Mosque is a sanctified site honored by God, a place that lives in the heart of every Muslim and is tied to their faith, intellect, and soul.”

He emphasized:

“Al-Aqsa is the sole and exclusive right of Muslims. It is not just a geographical or political issue, but a matter of Islamic faith and historical truth. The mosque belongs to the Muslim nation — we are the rightful inheritors.”

Abu Jumaa called on the world — with all its religions, sects, laws, and organizations — to recognize that Al-Aqsa is part of the core belief of Muslims, not a negotiable issue.

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3514775.htm

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‘All our crew are Muslim,’ fearful Red Sea ships tell Houthis

July 12, 2025

LONDON: Commercial ships sailing through the Red Sea are broadcasting increasingly desperate messages on public channels to avoid being attacked by the Houthi militia in Yemen.

One message read “All Crew Muslim,” some included references to an all-Chinese crew and management, others flagged the presence of armed guards on board, and almost all insisted the ships had no connection to Israel.

Maritime security sources said the messages were a sign of growing desperation to avoid attack, but were unlikely to make any difference. Houthi intelligence preparation was “much deeper and forward-leaning,” one source said.

Houthi attacks off Yemen’s coast began in November 2023 in what the group said was in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war. A lull this year ended when they sank two ships last week and killed four crew. Vessels in the fleets of both ships had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year.

“Seafarers are the backbone of global trade, keeping countries supplied with food, fuel and medicine. They should not have to risk their lives to do their job,” the Seafarers' Charity.

Source: arabnews.com

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US aware of reported death of American after beating by Israeli settlers

July 12, 2025

WASHINGTON: The US State Department said on Friday it was aware of the reported death of a US citizen in the Israeli-occupied West Bank after reports emerged of Israeli settlers fatally beating a Palestinian American.

Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing the local health ministry, said Saif Al-Din Kamel Abdul Karim Musallat, aged in his 20s, died after he was beaten by Israeli settlers on Friday evening in an attack that also injured many people in a town north of Ramallah.

Relatives of Musallat, who was from Tampa, Florida, were also quoted by the Washington Post as saying he was beaten to death by Israeli settlers.

“We are aware of reports of the death of a US citizen in the West Bank,” a State Department spokesperson said, adding the department had no further comment “out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones” of the reported victim.

The Israeli military said Israel was probing the incident in the town of Sinjil. It said rocks were hurled at Israelis near Sinjil and that “a violent confrontation developed in the area.”

Israel has expanded and consolidated settlements in the West Bank as part of the steady integration of these territories into the state of Israel in breach of international law, the UN human rights office said in March.

Settler violence in the West Bank, including incursions into occupied territory and raids, has intensified since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in late 2023.

Israel’s military offensive has killed over 57,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and led to accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations and says it is fighting in self-defense after the October 2023 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

Israeli killings of US citizens in the West Bank in recent years include those of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea and Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.

The United Nations’ highest court said last year Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there were illegal and should be withdrawn as soon as possible,

Source: arabnews.com

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A father mourns 2 sons killed in an Israeli strike as hunger worsens in Gaza

July 12, 2025

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Three brothers in the Gaza Strip woke up early to run to a local clinic to get “sweets,” their word for the emergency food supplements distributed by aid groups. By the time their father woke up, two of the brothers had been fatally wounded by an Israeli strike and the third had lost an eye.

The strike outside the clinic on Thursday in the central city of Deir Al-Balah killed 14 people, including 9 children, according to a local hospital, which had initially reported 10 children killed but later said one had died in a separate incident.

The Israeli military said it targeted a militant it said had taken part in the Hamas attack that ignited the 21-month war. Security camera footage appeared to show two young men targeted as they walked past the clinic where several people were squatting outside.

Hatem Al-Nouri’s four-year-old son, Amir, was killed immediately. His eight-year-old son, Omar, was still breathing when he reached the hospital but died shortly thereafter. He said that at first he didn’t recognize his third son, two-year-old Siraj, because his eye had been torn out.

“What did these children do to deserve this?” the father said as he broke into tears. “They were dreaming of having a loaf of bread.”

Violence in the West Bank

In a separate development, Israeli settlers killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. It said Seifeddin Musalat, 23, was beaten to death and Mohammed Al-Shalabi, 23, was shot in the chest in the village of Sinjil near the city of Ramallah. Both were 23.

The military said Palestinians had hurled rocks at Israelis in the area earlier on Friday, lightly wounding two people. That set off a larger confrontation that included “vandalism of Palestinian property, arson, physical clashes, and rock hurling,” the army said. It said troops had dispersed the crowds, without saying if anyone was arrested.

Palestinians and rights groups have long accused the military of ignoring settler violence, which has spiked — along with Palestinian attacks and Israeli military raids — since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

A ‘sharp and unprecedented’ rise in malnutrition

Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in recent weeks while trying to get food, according to local health officials. Experts say hunger is widespread among the territory’s 2 million Palestinians and that Israel’s blockade and military offensive have put them at risk of famine.

The deputy director of the World Food Program said Friday that humanitarian needs and constraints on the UN’s ability to provide aid are worse than he’s ever seen, saying “starvation is spreading” and one in three people are going for days without eating.

Carl Skau told UN reporters in New York that on a visit to Gaza last week he didn’t see any markets, only small amounts of potatoes being sold on a few street corners in Gaza City. He was told that a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of flour now costs over $25.

The international aid group Doctors Without Borders said it has recorded a “sharp and unprecedented rise” in acute malnutrition at two clinics it operates in Gaza, with more than 700 pregnant and breastfeeding women, and nearly 500 children, receiving outpatient therapeutic food.

“Our neonatal intensive care unit is severely overcrowded, with four to five babies sharing a single incubator,” Dr. Joanne Perry, a physician with the group, said in a statement. “This is my third time in Gaza, and I’ve never seen anything like this. Mothers are asking me for food for their children, pregnant women who are six months along often weigh no more than 40 kilograms (88 pounds).”

The Israeli military body in charge of civilian affairs in Gaza says it is allowing enough food to enter and blames the UN and other aid groups for not promptly distributing it.

Risking their lives for food

Israel ended a ceasefire and renewed its offensive in March. It eased a 2 1/2 month blockade in May, but the UN and aid groups say they are struggling to distribute humanitarian aid because of Israeli military restrictions and a breakdown of law and order that has led to widespread looting.

A separate aid mechanism built around an American group backed by Israel has Palestinians running a deadly gantlet to reach its sites. Witnesses and health officials say hundreds have been killed by Israeli fire while heading toward the distribution points through military zones off limits to independent media.

The military has acknowledged firing warning shots at Palestinians who it says approached its forces in a suspicious manner.

The Israeli- and US-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation denies there has been any violence in or around its sites. But two of its contractors told The Associated Press that their colleagues have fired live ammunition and stun grenades as Palestinians scramble for food, allegations denied by the foundation.

The UN Human Rights Office said Thursday that it has recorded 798 killings near Gaza aid sites in a little over a month leading up to July 7. Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the office, said 615 were killed “in the vicinity of the GHF sites” and the remainder on convoy routes used by other aid groups.

A GHF spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with the group’s policies, rejected the “false and misleading stats,” saying most of the deaths were linked to shootings near UN convoys, which pass by Israeli army positions and have been attacked by armed gangs and unloaded by crowds.

Israel has long accused UN bodies of being biased against it.

No ceasefire after two days of Trump-Netanyahu talks

Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people in their Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and abducted 251. They still hold 50 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel’s offensive has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza’s Hamas-run government, doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. The UN and other international organizations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties.

US President Donald Trump has said he is closing in on another ceasefire agreement that would see more hostages released and potentially wind down the war. But there were no signs of a breakthrough this week after two days of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

Source: arabnews.com

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UN chief condemns renewed Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping

July 11, 2025

NEW YORK: Fresh attacks by Houthi militants on international shipping in the Red Sea are unacceptable and violate the freedom of navigation, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday.

The Yemeni group resumed attacks on ships this week when it seized and sank two  vessels as they attempted to pass through the waterway linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean. Four seafarers are presumed dead and 11 others are still missing. 

The attacks were the first carried out by the group on international shipping for more than six months. In response to Israel’s war on Gaza, the militants attacked more than 100 vessels between November 2023 and December 2024, often using missiles and drones.

The campaign forced shipping companies to reroute around Africa, adding significant time and costs to shipping goods between Asia and Europe.

Hopes that shipping through the waterway may be returning to normal were shattered last weekend when the Houthis attacked and sank the Magic Seas. All the crew were rescued.

Then on Monday, the group attacked the Eternity C before sinking it on Wednesday. Only 10 of the 25 aboard have been rescued. Both the ships flew Liberian flags and were operated by Greek companies.

Guterres “strongly condemned” the resumption of Houthi attacks on civilian vessels, his spokesman said.

“The sinking of both the Magic Seas and the Eternity C, along with the deaths of at least four crew members and injuries to others, is a dangerous re-escalation in this critical waterway,” he said.

The secretary-general called on the Houthis not to impede the ongoing search and rescue operations for the missing crew.

“Beyond being an unacceptable attack on the safety and security of seafarers, these acts also violated the freedom of navigation, caused a hazard to maritime transport and represent a serious risk of a significant environmental, economic and humanitarian damage to an already vulnerable coastal environment,” he said.

Source: arabnews.com

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Lebanese president rules out normalization with Israel

July 11, 2025

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun ruled out normalization between his country and Israel on Friday, while expressing hope for peaceful relations with Beirut’s southern neighbor, which still occupies parts of southern Lebanon.

Aoun’s statement is the first official reaction to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s statement last week in which he expressed his country’s interest in normalizing ties with Lebanon and Syria.

Aoun “distinguished between peace and normalization,” according to a statement shared by the presidency.

“Peace is the lack of a state of war, and this is what matters to us in Lebanon at the moment. As for the issue of normalization, it is not currently part of Lebanese foreign policy,” the president said in front of a delegation from an Arab think tank.

Lebanon and Syria have technically been in a state of war with Israel since 1948, with Damascus saying that talks of normalization were “premature.”

The president called on Israel to withdraw from the five points near the border it still occupies. Israel was required to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon under a November ceasefire seeking to end its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Aoun said that Israeli troops in Lebanon “obstruct the complete deployment of the army up to the internationally recognized borders.”

According to the ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah must pull its fighters north of the Litani River, around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border with Israel, leaving the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers as the only armed parties in the area.

The United States has been calling on Lebanon to fully disarm Hezbollah, and Lebanese authorities sent their response to Washington’s demand this week.

The response was not made public, but Aoun stated that Beirut was determined to “hold the monopoly over weapons in the country.”

The implementation of this move “will take into account the interest of the state and its security stability to preserve civil peace on one hand, and national unity on the other,” hinting that Hezbollah’s disarmament will not be done through force.

Hezbollah, a powerful political force in Lebanon, is the only non-state actor to have officially retained its weaponry after the end of Lebanon’s 15-year civil war in 1990, as parts of southern Lebanon were still under Israeli occupation at the time.

The Lebanese group was heavily weakened following its year-long hostilities with Israel, which escalated into a two-month war in September.

Source: arabnews.com

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Africa

 

Supreme Court ruling stirs Muslim outrage

By David Ochami

Jul. 12, 2025

On June 30, the Supreme Court of Kenya sparked frustration among many Muslims when it ruled that a child born out of wedlock to a Muslim man can inherit his estate, contrary to the position under Islamic law.

Aggrieved Muslims argue that the judgment subjugates Islamic law to secular doctrine and undermines their right to practise their faith under Article 32 of the Constitution and Section 2(3) of the Law of Succession Act, which codifies Muslim personal law in Kenya.

Some see a troubling pattern in the Court’s handling of Muslim matters. They cite a 2019 judgment which denied Muslim girls in secular and Christian schools the right to wear hijab, arguing it breached Articles 27 and 32, which protect equality and religious freedom.

Critics argue that Muslim issues are subjected to a separate, often discriminatory standard. They foresee future disputes—for example, if a woman applies to be Kadhi or Chief Kadhi, or when a petition to regulate the Muslim call to prayer reaches the courts.

Until the ruling, many Muslims believed the matter had a straightforward answer under Islamic law, Article 24(4), and Section 2(3) of the Law of Succession Act, given that all parties involved, including the deceased, were Muslim. Because Article 24(4) is meant to protect religious minorities in the application of personal law, critics believe the court unjustly subordinated it to an intrusive test, undermining its role in Muslim succession and its long-standing place in Kenya’s legal system.

To that extent, some argue, the judgment contradicts the Constitution it claims to uphold. Others insist the dispute should have been conclusively handled by the Kadhi’s Court. Islamic law has been practised along the coast for centuries. On October 5, 1963, a treaty between Kenya and Zanzibar ceded the coastal strip to Kenya. To secure the strip, Kenya agreed to entrench the Kadhi Courts and Muslim personal law into its independence Constitution. During the Bomas constitutional talks in the early 2000s, evangelical Christians called for the removal of Kadhi Courts. Some Muslims, in response, demanded an appeals court for Kadhis and a broader application of Islamic law among consenting Muslims. A compromise retained the Courts under Article 170, with limited jurisdiction.

In its 2025 ruling, the Supreme Court applied a “holistic” test, examining how Article 24(4) interacts with other provisions like Articles 27 and 53, which protect equality and children’s rights. It also addressed whether Section 2(3) of the Law of Succession Act should be the sole guide in Muslim inheritance disputes.

Many Muslims argue that these questions have simple answers under Islamic law and the Constitution. But the court ruled that, “Article 24(4) must be read in harmony with other provisions, such as Articles 21(3) and 53… The Constitution must be read as a whole and not in isolation.”

Critics point to inconsistency in the court’s use of the holistic test, highlighting the hijab ruling and a separate case allowing a Rastafarian pupil to wear dreadlocks.

They also cite the 2021 BBI judgment, where the Court interpreted Article 143(4) narrowly to shield the president from civil proceedings, rejecting comparative jurisprudence and ignoring other constitutional provisions requiring the President to uphold the law. Many now argue that the court’s approach has not developed jurisprudence evenly across critical issues.

Source: standardmedia.co.ke

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ICC warns of a dire humanitarian crisis in Sudan as the war rages on

July 11, 2025

The Deputy Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court reported to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday about the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Sudan, as civil war continues to impact the region.

Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan reported that, "Famine is escalating, and humanitarian aid is not reaching those in dire need of it." She warns that the situation in Sudan could worsen.

Humanitarian organizations are warning about attacks on health care facilities across Sudan, alleging they are happening as mass atrocities are being committed against civilians.

Sudan’s civil war broke out in April 2023 after simmering tensions between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), escalated to fighting across the country.

Some 40,000 people have been killed and nearly 13 million displaced, including to other countries, according to U.N. agencies. War has left many facing food insecurity and risk of famine and exposure to disease outbreaks like cholera, which remains hard to contain due to Sudan’s collapsed health care system.

Last month, Sudan’s military accepted a U.N. proposal for a weeklong ceasefire in El Fasher to allow aid delivery. However, the RSF did not explicitly agree to the truce and engaged in renewed clashes with the army in the southern part of the city this week.

Dorothy Shea, the U.S. representative to the United Nations, also expressed concern for the violence taking place in Sudan, while simultaneously condemning the ICC for filing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Galant.

Shea's comments come a day after the Trump administration announced that it is issuing sanctions against Francesca Albanese, an independent investigator tasked with probing human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories. It is the latest effort by the United States to punish critics of Israel's 21-month war in Gaza.

Source: africanews.com

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Tension As 13 Political Parties Reject Peace Accord As Lagos Residents Vote In LG Polls Today

July 12, 2025

By Enioluwa Adeniyi

Lagos residents are heading to the polls today, Saturday, July 12, to elect chairmen and councillors across the state’s 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas, as the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) pledges a credible process.

But the atmosphere remains tense following a wave of discontent from opposition parties and civil society groups, casting a shadow over the election’s integrity.

In what appears to be a significant red flag, 13 out of 15 registered political parties declined to sign a peace accord traditionally facilitated by LASIEC ahead of elections.

Naija News learnt that only the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Youth Party endorsed the agreement, while others opted out, citing unresolved grievances.

The Peace Accord is usually a symbolic gesture of commitment to a peaceful and orderly electoral process. But this time, party representatives, led by members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), expressed frustration over what they termed a lack of consultation and procedural fairness.

IPAC’s Public Relations Officer, George Ashiru, who spoke on behalf of the dissenting parties, criticised LASIEC’s decision not to extend the deadline for submission of nomination forms despite repeated requests.

He said, “The Commission did not consult us before releasing the guidelines. Most parties could not meet the unrealistic deadlines, especially with internal party crises.”

The Chairperson of the Labour Party (LP), Dayo Ekong, also pleaded with LASIEC to reconsider its stance, citing the ongoing crisis within the LP as the reason for the party’s delayed preparations. She further alleged that LP posters and billboards were vandalised in several parts of the state.

The Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, was present at the event and reportedly observed the proceedings without addressing the complaints raised.

In a separate development, the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR), a civil society group, has called for the postponement of the elections, citing what it described as an unconstitutional delay in the implementation of the Local Government Administrative Law.

The group’s president, Alex Omotehinse, led a peaceful protest to the Lagos State House of Assembly, where a petition was submitted urging lawmakers to ensure immediate enforcement of the law.

According to CHSR, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu signed the law on May 7, 2025, but its implementation was deferred until August 4, which conveniently falls after today’s elections.

In its petition, CHSR argued that postponing the law’s activation until after the elections is “politically motivated” and “a violation of democratic principles.”

The group stated, “This calculated delay is not only unjustifiable but also undermines the spirit and letter of the Constitution, as well as democratic norms Lagos State has always prided itself on upholding.

“Allowing a law to be suspended arbitrarily for political convenience sets a dangerous precedent and may encourage future governments to subvert the legislative process to suit narrow interests. It is not only anti-democratic but also an affront to the rule of law.

“Delaying the law’s effect introduces legal ambiguity into the July 12 elections and risks post-election litigation and instability that could further polarize the polity and tarnish the image of Lagos State as a model of good governance. We, therefore, call on the Lagos State House of Assembly to uphold the sanctity of the legislative process by issuing a formal position affirming the law’s effective date as May 7, 2025.

“We demand immediate implementation of the Local Government Administrative Law without further delay. Failure to implement the law as duly signed is a violation of the public trust, and we shall not hesitate to escalate our advocacy to national and international levels if urgent corrective steps are not taken.”

Source: naijanews.com

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“I can’t do nuttin’ for ya man”, Nigerian Minister quotes Flavour Flav in rejection of Trump policy

July 11, 2025

Nigeria won’t accept 300 Venezuelan deportees from the U.S, Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said in a TV interview on Thursday, following reports that the White House was pushing African leaders to take in illegal immigrants from third-party countries.

In a surprise move, Tuggar started quoting U.S rapper Flavour Flav as a guest on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ in response to news of Washington’s latest deportation policy,

“You’ll remember af line from Flavour Flav: Flavour Flav has problems of his own, I can’t do nuttin’ for ya man”, Tuggar said, referencing the rapper’s famous 1990 track.

The quote follows reports by The Wall Street Journal that five African leaders participating in a summit at the White House from July 9-11 had received letters pushing them to accept migrants deported by the U.S. whose home countries refuse to take them back.

The U.S had also asked Nigeria to take in deportees, Tuggar said, but he argued it would be ‘unfair’ given current issues in the country,

”We have enough problems of our own. We cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria for crying out loud”.

Instead, the Foreign Minister said that Nigeria was open to doing business with the U.S emphasising critical minerals and gas trade as potential avenues for future cooperation,

”Nigeria is in a very good position to continue a symbiotic relationship with the U.S”, he said.

While Nigeria appears to reject U.S deportees for now, other countries are facing mounting pressure to comply with Trump’s new immigration policy.

On Monday, South Sudan accepted eight men, including nationals from Myanmar, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and Mexico all convicted of serious crimes like murder and sexual assault.

Previous removals have gone to El Salvador and Costa Rica, and talks are reportedly ongoing with countries like Rwanda, Benin, and Moldova.

Source: africanews.com

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https://www.africanews.com/2025/07/11/i-cant-do-nuttin-for-ya-man-nigerian-minister-quotes-flavour-flav-in-rejection-of-trump-po/-

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