Mumbai: Three-Day 33rd Annual International Sunni Ijtema Sends Out Message Of Conquering Hatred With Love
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 December2025
Sunni Dawate Islami scholars urged Muslims to counter hatred with love and a vice-free life, emphasizing brotherhood and peaceful coexistence
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· Mumbai: Three-day 33rd Annual International Sunni Ijtema sends out message of conquering hatred with love
· Family of Bondi hero Ahmed Al-Ahmed say he made Syria proud
· Saudi Foreign Ministry condemns Israeli approval of 19 settlements in West Bank
· Sydney Muslim leaders refuse funeral rites for Bondi attackers, condemn the acts as “barbaric”
· CAIR-NY Joins Call for Censure of New York City Council Member Who Called for Expulsion of Muslims from U.S.
· ‘Christians Are Being Murdered And Slaughtered Every day In Nigeria’ – US Lawmaker, Rep Moore Insists
· Sultan Ibrahim’s message to Anwar’s new Cabinet: Integrity, teamwork, and service to the people
· Trump Expands US Travel Ban to Five Countries, Including Afghan SIV Holders
…….
India
· Delhi Police on high alert after intelligence warns of possible terror threat to Israeli, Jewish sites during Hanukkah
· West Bengal draft rolls: Seats with sizable Hindi speakers see high voter deletions, Muslim-dominated seats largely unaffected
· Wide outrage after Indian official removes veil from Muslim doctor during official ceremony
· Pakistan-flag balloons spotted in Himachal; police seek answers from border states, IAF
· Kashmiri leaders slam Nitish for pulling veil of woman doctor, seek unconditional public apology
· Uttarakhand anti-conversion bill stalls at Raj Bhavan over technical flaws
· J&K Police's counter intel wing busts alleged terror network; 12 suspects detained
· Eyeing political, religious and tribal connect, Congress to launch 2nd phase of ‘Jan Akrosh Yatra’ in Central Gujarat
· PM Modi, Jordan King meet: ‘Share common stance against terror’
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Mideast
· Syria says caught Daesh-linked cell behind shooting attack in northwest
· Gaza families struggle to recover from days of torrential rains that killed 12 people
· 13 perish in highway bus crash in central Iran
· Israeli settler kills 16-year-old Palestinian in West Bank, mayor says
· Israeli authorities demolish two Palestinian homes near Ramallah and Jerusalem
· Revolution Leader calls for major demonstrations next Friday against American-Zionist positions offensive to Holy Qur’an
· On 2nd day of Hanukkah, Zionist settlers renew their incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque
· Hajjah: Review of Qur’an education & its sciences at governorate centre
· Israel blocks a Canadian delegation from visiting the occupied West Bank
· Lebanon says two dead in Israeli strikes
· Lebanon approves release of former minister accused of corruption
· Ambassador to Russia attends event naming Kazan Cultural Capital of Islamic World 2026
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Arab World
· Riyadh makes history as first Middle East city to receive Global Active City certification
· Saudi FM holds telephone call with Malaysian counterpart
· Saudi crown prince receives written message from president of Tanzania
· Madinah governor launches Alsirah Gardens project
· Saudi-EU relations: Huge progress achieved
· Ithra backs Saudi feature ‘Green Corpse’ with film fund award
· MWL’s chief, UN secretary-general discuss friendship among nations in Riyadh
· AlUla dig uncovers link between Nabataean and Islamic eras
· Riyadh forum to discuss future trends, STEM in education
· Madinah governor receives Egyptian ambassador to Saudi Arabia
· Deal to boost Arab research cooperation
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Europe
· From jihadists to state terrorism, the threats to France's Jewish population
· Keir Starmer vows to confront the Islamist extremist threat to UK Jews
· Man, who promoted 'violent jihad' online jailed
· Proposed definition of anti-Muslim hatred leaked
· Polish authorities foil Islamic State-inspired Christmas market attack plot
· New Islamic community centre in Banbury is declared open for use
· Dundee SNP MP accidentally backs ex-Reform MP’s Muslim visa ban motion
· ICESCO highlights cultural unity at Uzbekistan Culture Days in Azerbaijan
· Timeline: Paul Doyle's journey to causing Liverpool parade horror
· EU ‘light years away’ from seizing Russian assets – Polish PM
· Zelensky stealing election before it has been announced
· EU admits corruption scandal forced Zelensky into peace talks – WaPo
· Berlin warns opponents of Ukraine ‘reparations loan’ plan
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North America
· Muslim council sounds alarm after alleged Islamophobic attack on Montreal Uber driver
· Muslim rights group sues DeSantis over 'foreign terrorist' label
· 'Horrific, anti-semitic': Trump condemns Sydney Bondi Beach mass shooting; hits out at 'radical Islamic terrorism'
· CAIR-Minnesota to Join Immigration Legal Advocates to Provide Update on Recent ICE Raids and Community Impact
· Political figures in Marion County clash over Muslim rights organization CAIR
· Fargo Mosque expansion to include youth activity area
· Zohran Mamdani and New York’s Jewish divide
· Trump accuses Venezuela of stealing US oil
· US warned EU against stealing Russia’s assets – Tusk
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Africa
· Midnight fire razes Gombe timber market, mosque
· Tinted Glass Permit Policy Still Valid, No Court Ban Yet – IGP Declares
· Terrorists Kill Two InIfelodun, Kwara
· Police Deploy Special Forces Ahead Of NLC Nationwide Protest
· Chaos As Buhari’s Former Minister Narrowly Escapes Mob Attack In Katsina
· Tinubu Shelves Planned Promotion Of ADC After Intervention By Ex-Army Chiefs
· Soldier Killed, Two Missing As Militia Attacks Troops In Taraba
· ISWAP Executes Spies, CJTF, Police Officer InBorno
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Southeast Asia
· Singapore teen religious teacher pleads guilty to indecent act with underage girl, sentencing in January
· Two ministries push cooperative expansion in Islamic institutions
· After court‑ordered ‘reflection’ on Syed Saddiq appeal, prosecution decides the next move is forward
· MEF seeks close collaboration with new human resources ministry leadership
· Seven ministers and eight deputies to be sworn in after Cabinet reshuffle
· Zaliha pledges continued support for Madani agenda after cabinet exit
· Anwar’s Kenya visit cements six decades of diplomatic ties
· Anwar retains key ministers to drive economic growth and continuity
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South Asia
· Afghanistan’s Boxing Star Malikzada Triumphs in German National Championship
· Afghan SIV Holders Included in Trump Travel Ban, Refugee Group Says
· Afghanistan Making Progress in Various Fields, Poses No Security Threat to Other Countries, Muttaqi
· A new system must replace old political order
· Armed attack on JCD leader’s Ctg home after ‘protest against extortion’
· Germany Evacuates 160 Afghan Refugees from Pakistan
· Kyrgyz Delegation in Kabul to Boost Bilateral Economic Ties
· Cabinet Meeting Discusses Port Facilities, New Kabul City Construction
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/mumbai-sunni-ijtema-international-message/d/138039
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Mumbai: Three-day 33rd Annual International Sunni Ijtema sends out message of conquering hatred with love
Dec 16, 2025
Sunni Dawate Islami scholars urged Muslims to counter hatred with love and a vice-free life, emphasizing brotherhood and peaceful coexistence
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MUMBAI: Scholars at the recent three-day 33rd Annual International Sunni Ijtema or congregation of Sunni DawateIslami stressed the need to conquer hatred with love.
Addressing a huge congregation of Sunni Muslims, they called upon the community to follow a vice-free life and practise brotherhood, peaceful co-existence with non-Muslims.
World-renowned Islamic scholar AllamaQamruzzaman Khan Azmi delivered a moving address on "The Islamic System of Love and Brotherhood," calling upon Muslims to counter societal hatred with high moral character.
Allama Azmi cited the historic "bloodless" conquest of Makkah by the Prophet as the ultimate example of "victory through love." He reminded the gathering that when Prophet Muhammad entered Makkah as a victor, he held the power to exact revenge on those who had persecuted him and his companions for decades.
He asked the trembling crowd: "What do you expect from me?" They replied: "You are a noble brother, son of a noble brother."The Prophet then declared the historic general amnesty: "Go, you are all free today. There is no reproach upon you."
Allama Azmi highlighted the depths of this mercy, noting that the Prophet even forgave his staunchest enemies, including Hinda (who had mutilated the body of his uncle Hamza) and Wahshi (who had killed Hamza).
"This was not just a military victory," Allama Azmi emphasized. "It was a victory of Morals and Love that turned bloodthirsty enemies into devoted followers."
Allama Azmi stated that if Muslims today display the same patience (sabr) and high moral character amidst oppression, the "clouds of hatred" currently hovering over the world will disperse.
Maulana Shakir Noorie, president of Sunni DawateIslami, said that one of the purposes of man:s creation is service to humanity.
He stated that the purpose of creation is twofold: Worship of the creator and Service to Humanity.
"If service to humanity is removed from religion, only ritual worship remains. For worship alone, the angels were sufficient for the Lord," he remarked.
Maulana Noorie listed three signs of true humanity:Humility in Wealth, forgiveness in power and selfless charity.
Maulana Noorie emphasized that mercy extends to animals too.
He also emphasized the value of hope. "A hopeless person loses even a good opportunity, while a hopeful person finds an opportunity even in difficulty," Maulana Noorie said.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/mumbai-three-day-33rd-annual-international-sunni-ijtema-sends-out-message-of-conquering-hatred-with-love/articleshow/125998963.cms
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Family of Bondi hero Ahmed Al-Ahmed say he made Syria proud
December 16, 2025
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets Ahmed Al-Ahmed in hospital in Sydney. (Australian Prime Minister Office via AP)
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NAYRAB, Syria: As Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years unfolded, a Sydney shopowner was captured on camera charging at one of the gunmen and disarming him. Halfway around the world in Syria, a group of men watching the footage recognized a familiar face.
Ahmed Al-Ahmed, 43, left his hometown in Syria’s northwest province of Idlib nearly 20 years ago to seek work in Australia. On Sunday, he was wounded after wrestling a rifle away from a man attacking a Jewish holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, in which 15 people were killed.
His uncle, Mohammed Al-Ahmed, recognized him from footage circulating online.
“We learned through social media. I called his father and he told me that it was Ahmed. Ahmed is a hero, we’re proud of him. Syria in general is proud of him,” the uncle told Reuters. The family hails from the town of Nayrab, which was bombed heavily during Syria’s nearly 14-year war, which ended when longtime leader Bashar Assad was ousted in a rebel offensive launched from Idlib last year.
Ahmed said his nephew left Syria in 2006 after completing a degree at Aleppo University. He hasn’t been back since.
“Since he was young, he was gallant and a hero,” his uncle said, describing him as a happy and passionate person.
“He acted impulsively without thinking who the people were that were being killed — without knowing their religion, if they were Muslim or Christian or Jewish. That’s what made him jump up and carry out this heroic act.”
Ahmed, who now holds Australian citizenship and has two daughters, remains in a Sydney hospital with gunshot wounds. He has been hailed as a hero around the world, including by US President Donald Trump.
A GoFundMe campaign set up for him has raised more than A$2.2 million ($1.5 million).
Back at home, the Ahmed family home remains in ruins. Piles of smashed cinderblocks ring the concrete carcass of the two-story house, whose walls are punctured by shelling.
“This is Ahmed’s father’s home. It got destroyed during the war. Bombing, bombing from planes, missiles — every type of weapon,” Ahmed’s cousin, who is also named Mohammad Al-Ahmed, told Reuters.
He said his cousin “was the reason that many innocent people who did nothing wrong were saved.”
“He will prove to the world that Muslims are peacemakers, not warmongerers,” said Ahmed.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2626473/middle-east
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Saudi Foreign Ministry condemns Israeli approval of 19 settlements in West Bank
December 16, 2025
A helicopter flies over the Israeli settlement of Shilo in the occupied West Bank on December 14, 2025. (AFP)
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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned on Tuesday the Israeli government’s approval to construct 19 illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
It said the Israeli plan violates UN resolutions and called on the international community to act to end it.
“(The Kingdom) affirms its strong position in supporting the brotherly Palestinian people and continuing its efforts aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and the relevant international resolutions,” it said, according to a statement.
Last week, the Israeli Cabinet approved the establishment of 19 new settlements in the West Bank, a proposal submitted by the far-right Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Among these settlements are “Ganim” and “Kadim,” two locations near Jenin that were evacuated in 2005 as part of the disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2626479/saudi-arabia
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Sydney Muslim leaders refuse funeral rites for Bondi attackers, condemn the acts as “barbaric”
17 December 2025
Sydney Muslim leader Dr Jamal Rifi said the perpetrators were not recognised by the community as Muslims. Photo: Facebook
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Sydney Muslim leaders have vowed to deny Islamic funeral rites to the Bondi attackers, condemning the violence as a “barbaric and criminal act” that has no place in Islam.
Speaking to news.com.au, prominent Sydney Muslim leader Dr Jamal Rifi said the perpetrators were not recognised by the community as Muslims.
“We don’t see them [the offenders] as inside the fold of Islam or as Muslims,” Dr Rifi said.
He said the actions of the attackers were unequivocally rejected by Islamic teachings.
“What they have done is not condoned by any of us and it is killing innocent civilians. We know it is a verse in our book, killing an innocent civilian is the same as killing all humanity,” he said.
At this stage, only the older of the two alleged shooters has been confirmed dead, while his son remains in hospital.
Dr Rifi said the response echoed the Muslim community’s stance following the 2014 Lindt Café siege, which claimed three lives, including that of the perpetrator, and was classified as a terrorist attack.
“When the perpetrator died we were asked [if we were to receive his body],” he said.
“We refused to receive his body and we refrained and refused to perform the death rituals on his body and would refuse to accept him in any Muslim section of Rookwood cemetery. And we would do exactly the same with these people.”
In the wake of the attack, Dr Rifi said the Muslim community had heightened security concerns and would suspend mosque gatherings in the coming days.
He pointed to the death of a respected elderly woman in the community, noting that traditional mourning practices had been altered due to the circumstances.
“There is an elderly lady that is well respected in our community. She passed away last night and her body is going to be washed at funeral services today. We usually do it inside the mosque with some gathering for the next three days but due to circumstances, we are not going to do that,” he said.
He added that the family had requested the funeral rites be conducted at home rather than at the mosque.
“They [the family] already asked for the funeral service and the mosque if they can do it at home rather than in the mosque, so we won’t have gathering in front or inside the mosque.”
Dr Rifi also said he personally knew some of the Jewish victims and had reached out to their families to express his condolences.
Source: neoskosmos.com
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https://neoskosmos.com/en/2025/12/17/news/australia/sydney-muslim-leaders-refuse-funeral-rites-for-bondi-attackers-condemn-the-acts-as-barbaric/
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CAIR-NY Joins Call for Censure of New York City Council Member Who Called for Expulsion of Muslims from U.S.
December 16, 2025
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today joined calls for the censure of Republican New York City Council Member Vickie Paladino, who recently called for the expulsion of Muslims from the United States.
In a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter) Paladino wrote: “We need to take very seriously the need to begin the expulsion of Muslims from western nations, or at the very least the severe sanction of them within western borders. The administration needs to begin developing a formal legal framework for the denaturalization process and get it over with before we end up with another 9/11 or worse. Enough is enough.”
Paladino’s remarks sparked widespread condemnation from elected officials, civil rights advocates, and community leaders across New York City and beyond. Calls for censure have been reported by multiple media outlets following the incident.
In a statement, AfafNasher, Esq., CAIR-NY Executive Director, said:
“An elected official who openly advocates for the expulsion of an entire religious community has no place in public office. Council Member Paladino’s remarks are not only Islamophobic and dehumanizing, they are an echo of some of the darkest chapters of American and world history, when fear and bigotry were used to justify discrimination and state-sanctioned abuse.
“Muslims are an integral part of New York City and the United States. They are teachers, health care workers, first responders, small business owners, and public servants who contribute daily to the safety and prosperity of this nation. Calling for their removal from society is an attack on the fundamental principles of religious freedom, equality, and democracy.”
“We urge the New York City Council to take swift and meaningful action to hold Council Member Paladino accountable and to reaffirm the city’s commitment to protecting the civil rights and dignity of all New Yorkers.”
She noted that other Republican lawmakers nationwide also called for the expulsion of Muslims.
The Washington Post quoted CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, who “attributes much of the resurgence in anti-Muslim rhetoric to mobilization by American Muslims in protest of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza” saying:
“Some of the anti-Muslim conspiracy theories that died out years ago, like Muslims plotting take over America and impose sharia law, or the Muslim Brotherhood secretly controlling all American Muslims … about nine months ago, they all came back in a flood. We certainly do not want to see the progress that American Muslims have made in media, politics and activism and in the courts of law eroded by this wave of hate that we’re seeing.”
CAIR-NY’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-NY es proteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanesen los Estados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-ny-joins-call-for-censure-of-new-york-city-council-member-who-called-for-expulsion-of-muslims-from-u-s/
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‘Christians Are Being Murdered And Slaughtered Every day In Nigeria’ – US Lawmaker, Rep Moore Insists
December 17, 2025
By Rachel OkporuFadoju
United States lawmaker representing Virginia’s Second District in Congress, Rep Riley Moore, has insisted that there is an ongoing genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
Recall that Moore was among the congressional delegation that recently came to Nigeria on a fact-finding mission.
Naija News reports Moore in a post via his 𝕏 handle on Wednesday morning, reiterated that Christians are being murdered and their lives are being slaughtered daily in Nigeria.
According to him, the delegation that recently visited Nigeria is currently compiling reports and will soon brief the United States President Donald Trump.
He said, “We’re compiling reports that we are going to present to President Trump very soon. Its going to be on recommendation and how to move on.
“Let me make something very clear, our brothers and sisters are losing their lives in Nigeria due to profession of their faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
“They’re being murdered and slaughtered everyday in Nigeria”.
Naija News recalls that following concerns of genocide against Nigerian Christians, Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concerns (CPC).
He also asked the lawmakers to investigate the killings in Nigeria for further action in the West African country.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/17/christians-are-being-murdered-and-slaughtered-everyday-in-nigeria-us-lawmaker-rep-moore-insists/
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Sultan Ibrahim’s message to Anwar’s new Cabinet: Integrity, teamwork, and service to the people
17 Dec 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 — His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has advised the Cabinet members to always carry out their trust and responsibilities with full integrity and to prioritise the interests of the people.
His Majesty said the government must give importance to the people’s well-being, country’s stability and economic prosperity, in line with the principles of good governance.
Sultan Ibrahim also emphasised the importance of team work among the Cabinet members to ensure the country’s administration runs efficiently and effectively.
“Ministers and deputy ministers must always be on the field to listen to the voices of the people. You must carry out the responsibilities entrusted with full dedication and a high level of commitment,” His Majesty told the Royal Press Office (RPO) today.
Earlier, His Majesty graced the presentation of appointment letters, as well as the taking of oath of office, allegiance and secrecy by the Federal ministers and deputy ministers.
The ceremony was held at Istana Negara, and was also attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/12/17/sultan-ibrahims-message-to-anwars-new-cabinet-integrity-teamwork-and-service-to-the-people/202243
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Trump Expands US Travel Ban to Five Countries, Including Afghan SIV Holders
By Fidel Rahmati
December 17, 2025
President Trump has expanded the US travel ban to five countries and included Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders, intensifying restrictions on migration and refugees.
The White House announced that President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning citizens from five additional countries, Syria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, and South Sudan, from entering the United States.
The statement, released on Tuesday, also specified that Palestinians holding passports issued by the Palestinian Authority are included in the travel restrictions. The US government cited national security, immigration law enforcement, and potential threats as the rationale for the action.
The new order continues Trump’s broader campaign to restrict migration. In June, he had already banned entry from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Libya, and Yemen. Visa restrictions were also tightened for citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The travel ban has recently been extended to include Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders, leaving thousands of former US collaborators and their families in limbo. Afghan Evac and other advocacy groups have warned that this move separates families, delays resettlement, and undermines trust in US commitments to local partners.
The latest restrictions also affect citizens of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The order will take effect on 1 January 2026.
Trump’s policies on migration build on similar measures from his first term, which barred entry to seven predominantly Muslim countries. In January, he also suspended key refugee programs, halting support for Afghans who had worked with the US and leaving tens of thousands stranded in uncertainty.
Experts note that the expanded travel ban reflects Washington’s continued focus on controlling migration and border security. However, critics argue it risks isolating vulnerable populations, complicating refugee resettlement, and straining international relations.
Human rights groups have highlighted the humanitarian consequences, emphasizing that the ban threatens family reunification and leaves refugee applicants, including Afghan SIV holders, in precarious conditions.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/trump-expands-us-travel-ban-to-five-countries-including-afghan-siv-holders/
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India
Delhi Police on high alert after intelligence warns of possible terror threat to Israeli, Jewish sites during Hanukkah
by Mahender Singh Manral
December 17, 2025
The Delhi Police have stepped up security across Israeli and Jewish establishments in the national capital following an intelligence warning of possible terror threats during the ongoing Hanukkah festival, observed from December 14 to 21.
The latest warning comes in the wake of a December 14 terror attack in Sydney, Australia, where 15 people were killed during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. Two gunmen, identified as Sajid Akram, 50, and his son, Naveed, 24, were identified as those behind the Bondi Beach attack, which has raised concerns among international security agencies about coordinated threats to Jewish communities.
According to officials, the alert, issued by central intelligence agencies, cautioned that groups such as Shia militias, Islamic State (IS), Al-Qaeda, and their regional affiliates could be planning attacks targeting Israeli and Jewish interests worldwide, including in India.
In Delhi, the Special Cell of the police has directed all 15 district units, as well as the Delhi Metro and Railway police, to conduct immediate security reviews at sensitive locations.
“These include the Israeli embassy and consular offices, synagogues, Jewish community centres, Chabad houses, and popular tourist destinations frequented by Israeli nationals. Field formations have been asked to maintain extra vigil, especially around large gatherings, religious events, and sensitive premises,” a senior police officer said.
“Periodic security reviews and coordination meetings are being held at the district level to ensure preparedness,” the officer said.
Authorities have also strengthened security at hotels, restaurants, and business establishments associated with Israeli interests in the city. Quick Response Teams (QRTs) have been placed on standby for immediate deployment, officials said.
“Following the alert, patrol frequency has been increased, and additional deployment has been made at vulnerable points,” the officer added.
Apart from Delhi, major metropolitan areas, including Mumbai and Goa, both of which host significant Israeli tourist and business activity, are under special watch. Police units in these regions have been instructed to intensify surveillance around community centres and tourist hotspots.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-police-on-high-alert-after-intelligence-warns-of-possible-terror-threat-to-israeli-jewish-sites-during-hanukkah-10424573/
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West Bengal draft rolls: Seats with sizable Hindi speakers see high voter deletions, Muslim-dominated seats largely unaffected
RAVIK BHATTACHARYA
December 17, 2025
The draft electoral rolls of West Bengal published on Tuesday showed that the state’s electorate had shrunk from 7.66 crore to 7.08, with 58 lakh names struck off the voters’ list on grounds ranging from death and permanent migration to duplication and enumeration forms not being submitted.
An analysis of the draft rolls — provisional in nature and subject to change following the next phase of claims and objections — shows that Assembly seats with a sizable number of Hindi speakers are among the top 10 constituencies that saw the most deletions, ranging from 15%-36% of the electorate. In contrast, several Muslim-dominated constituencies saw a marginal number of deletions.
Assembly constituencies in and around Kolkata have also seen a large number of deletions, with the Kolkata North and Kolkata South districts registering the most deletions at 25.92% and 23.82%, respectively.
West Bengal draft rolls, Bengal draft rolls, West Bengal Assembly polls, West Bengal Assembly elections, SIR of electoral roll, nationwide SIR, Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Assembly elections, Assembly polls, nationwide Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, nationwide SIR of of electoral rolls, Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, SIR of of electoral rolls, Election Commission, Election Commission of India, Indian express news, current affairs
Among the 10 seats with the most deletions are Jorasanko (36.66% of the electorate removed), Chowringhee (35.45%), Kolkata Port (26.09%), which is the constituency of TMC leader and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s constituency Bhabanipur (21.55%). These constituencies in Kolkata have a significant Hindi-speaking population and though the TMC won all in the 2021 Assembly polls and led in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP has been attempting to expand its base there.
Constituencies where the BJP is a strong political force have also seen high deletion rates. These include Howrah Uttar (26.89% deletion); Asansol Dakshin (13.68%) and Asansol Uttar (14.71% )in Paschim Bardhaman district; and Barrackpore (19.01%) in North 24 Parganas district. Of these seats, though the BJP has an MLA only in Asansol Dakshin, it is just behind the TMC in the rest and has a robust organisational footprint in those constituencies.
Constituencies dominated by the electorally influential Matua community, a key BJP voter base, also recorded significant deletions in the first phase. These include Kasba (17.95%) and Sonarpur Dakshin (11.29%) in South 24 Parganas district and Bongaon Uttar (9.71%) in North 24 Parganas.
Low deletions
Muslim-dominated Assembly seats have recorded marginal or negligible deletions. In Murshidabad and Malda districts, where Muslims comprise 66.3% and 51.6% of the population as per the 2011 Census, only 4.84% and 6.31% of the electorate have been struck off the electoral rolls. In none of the Assembly seats in these districts are the deletion figures crossed 10%.
In Murshidabad, constituencies such as Domkal (3.4%), Rejinagar (5.04%), and Shamsherganj (6.86%) did not see high deletion rates, while the number was low in a Muslim-dominated constituency such as Manikchowk in Malda (6.08%). Even before the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise began, people had started queueing up outside local bodies and Block offices for identity documents and other papers.
In Uttar Dinajpur, with a 49.92% Muslim population as per the 2011 Census, minority-dominated seats such as Chopra (7.44%), Goalpokhar (7.03%), Islampur (8.17%), and Chakulia (8.55%) have not seen high deletions. This pattern also holds in Muslim-dominated constituencies such as Hassan (4.95%) and Nanur (5.24%) in Birbhum district.
“The BJP’s narrative stands on lies. The Centre went for SIR before the Census. Through the Census, the real truth would have come to the limelight. The draft rolls show that people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are in Bengal, not infiltrators from Bangladesh,” said TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty.
Senior BJP leader and former state president Rahul Sinha alleged that Booth Level Officers had not been able to work impartially and independently due to pressure from the TMC. “We have already brought this to the notice of the Election Commission,” he told The Indian Express.
Former MP and CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said the high deletion rates in constituencies with sizable numbers of Hindi speakers could be because migrant workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh live there and they “may have chosen to keep their names in electoral rolls in their home states”. “I have been saying that the SIR will put poor Hindus into trouble much more than poor Muslims,” he added.
Kolkata-based researcher Sabir Ahamed, who is attached to the Pratichi Trust, said the preliminary data had deflated the political narrative of “infiltration”. “West Bengal has been a destination of several migrants from neighbouring states such as Bihar and UP for years. They have been living here for generations and they may have opted for their native place because that is tied to their primary identity and land. Hence, we see the higher deletions in Hindi-speaking areas,” he said.
“The analysis indicates that Muslims are less likely to be affected by voter mapping issues because most have the required documents. If the SIR leads to exclusions, it will not be Muslims who are hit the hardest. The data shows Matuas and the non-Bengali migrant labour population are likely to face the maximum exclusion, as they are disproportionately represented among unmapped voters,” said Ashin Chakraborty, a researcher at a Kolkata-based public policy research institute.
Source: indianexpress.com
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Wide outrage after Indian official removes veil from Muslim doctor during official ceremony
16 Dec 2025
An incident in India has sparked widespread anger after the Chief Minister of Bihar removed the veil from a Muslim doctor’s face during a ceremony to hand over appointment letters to newly recruited alternative health practitioners.
Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported on Tuesday that the official faced sharp criticism from many social media users, who viewed his action as a violation of women’s rights to freely practice their religious beliefs.
Source: saba.ye
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Pakistan-flag balloons spotted in Himachal; police seek answers from border states, IAF
17.12.25
Himachal Pradesh Police have reached out to counterparts in Punjab and Rajasthan and sought assistance from the Indian Air Force after multiple balloons carrying the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) branding or the Pakistani flag were found across several districts of the hill state over the past few weeks, raising security concerns.
Police officials said investigations were underway to trace the origin of the balloons, even as preliminary checks have ruled out the presence of any explosive or surveillance material.
"So far, no suspicious devices such as gadgets, surveillance devices, trackers or materials have been found inside these balloons. We have contacted our counterparts in states sharing a border with Pakistan where similar balloons were found to get their insights," police said.
Although no FIR has been registered, authorities are questioning local vendors and suppliers to determine how the balloons entered the region.
The latest incident occurred in Chalet village under the Daulatpur police post, where residents were alarmed after spotting an aeroplane-shaped balloon with “PIA” written on it on the roof of a villager’s house.
The villager immediately alerted the Daulatpur police post. A police team reached the site, seized the balloon and conducted a precautionary sweep of the surrounding area to rule out the presence of other suspicious objects, officials said.
On December 8, three similar balloons were also found in the Tatehra village of Gagret sub-division. These balloons had the Pakistani flag on them and "I Love Pakistan" written on them.
Also, similar balloons were found in Hamirpur and Kangra districts in the past few months.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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Kashmiri leaders slam Nitish for pulling veil of woman doctor, seek unconditional public apology
December 16, 2025
Several Kashmiri leaders on Tuesday slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for pulling the Hijab (veil) of a newly-appointed woman doctor at a public function and sought an apology from him and also his resignation for hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslim community.
In a viral video Nitish is seen pulling the veil of the doctor while handing her the appointment letter at a function.
PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti questioned whether such behaviour could be attributed to old age or reflected what she described as the growing normalisation of “publicly humiliating” Muslims. “Having personally known & admired Nitish ji I was shocked to see him pull down a young Muslim woman’s naqaab. Does one attribute it to old age or the normalisation of humiliating Muslims publicly,” she wrote on X.
“The fact that people around him watched this horrific incident unfold as some form of entertainment is even more unsettling. Nitish Sahab, perhaps it’s time you step down,” she added.
Ruling National Conference MP Aga Ruhullah said, “The conduct displayed by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, publicly pulling at a Muslim woman’s burqa, is indefensible and deeply disturbing.”
“He owes the woman and the public an unconditional apology,” he added.
Ruhullah wrote in an X post: “This erratic conduct is alarming and points to a man who no longer possesses the composure or mental clarity required for constitutional office. Seeking medical attention and stepping aside is necessary.”
PDP leader Iltija Mufti said, “Just because you’re the CM, it doesn’t mean you can pull off a woman’s hijab. Power doesn’t give you the right to humiliate Muslims. If you’re not well, please step down”.
Peoples’ Conference general secretary and Shia leader Imran Ansari also condemned the incident in a letter to the Bihar chief minister, expressing grave concern over the alleged act.
In the letter, Ansari said the incident was deeply hurtful, unacceptable and in clear violation of India’s democratic and constitutional values. “Such conduct does not befit a person holding a high constitutional office and sends a disturbing message to minority communities across the country,” he wrote.
He pointed out that Bihar is home to nearly 17% Muslim population, amounting to more than two crore citizens, and reminded the chief minister that, as the elected head of the state, he represents every community without discrimination. “The Chief Minister belongs to all citizens, irrespective of faith, gender, or political affiliation,” Ansari said.
He added that the issue concerns the very basics of religious freedom, personal dignity and respectful coexistence.
He stressed that forcibly removing a woman’s veil is a direct affront to her faith and personal choice, and is wholly incompatible with the spirit of India’s democracy.
Ansari sought an unconditional public apology from the Bihar chief minister and stressed that it is imperative that such violations of religious dignity are not repeated in the future.
Source: thestatesman.com
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Uttarakhand anti-conversion bill stalls at Raj Bhavan over technical flaws
Narendra Sethi
17 Dec 2025
DEHRADUN: A major legislative initiative of the Uttarakhand government aimed at substantially toughening penalties for forced religious conversions has hit a roadblock at the Governor’s office. The proposed Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2025, has been returned to the government by Governor Lt Gen Gurmeet Singh (Retd.), citing technical discrepancies and the need for reconsideration.
Sources said the Governor’s office flagged several procedural irregularities in the draft legislation. “The Bill was sent back to the Lok Bhavan (formerly Raj Bhavan) on Tuesday after the legislative department identified minor but critical flaws in the drafting process,” an official familiar with the development said.
The setback has delayed the implementation of the proposed stringent law, leaving the government with two immediate options. “One option is to promulgate an ordinance to bring the law into force without delay,” a senior official explained. “The other is to reintroduce the Bill in the upcoming State Assembly session and secure its passage again with a majority.”
Uttarakhand already has an anti-conversion law, first enacted in 2018 and amended by the Pushkar Singh Dhami government in 2022 to enhance punishments.
The latest amendment, approved by the state cabinet on August 13, 2025, citing the “increasing seriousness of conversion cases”, was passed by the Assembly during its Gairsain session on August 20 and subsequently forwarded to the Governor for assent.
The proposed law significantly tightens provisions against conversion through coercion, deceit or allurement. One of the key changes expands the scope for lodging complaints. “Earlier, complaints were largely limited to close blood relatives. Under the new provisions, any individual can file a complaint,” a source said.
For general conversion-related offences, the proposed punishment has been enhanced from the earlier two-to-seven years of imprisonment to a stricter three-to-ten years. District Magistrates have also been empowered, on the lines of the Gangster Act, to confiscate properties linked to illegal conversion activities.
The harshest penalties are reserved for cases involving serious crimes. Those convicted of conversion through false promises of marriage, use of force, conspiracy, trafficking of minors or rape would face a minimum sentence of 20 years, extending up to life imprisonment, along with an additional fine of up to Rs 10 lakh.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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J&K Police's counter intel wing busts alleged terror network; 12 suspects detained
16 Dec 2025
SRINAGAR: The counter intelligence wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday carried out pre-dawn raids at multiple locations across the valley and busted a terror-linked network of anti-national elements operating under the garb of social activism, officials said.
During the operation across seven districts, 12 suspects were detained for questioning.
The Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) conducted coordinated searches across multiple districts of the Kashmir valley, exposing a clandestine terror-support ecosystem masquerading as voices of social change, dealing a decisive blow to anti-national elements operating under the garb of social activism, the officials said.
They said the searches were carried out in connection with a 2023 case registered at CIK Srinagar police station under various sections of IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The action was undertaken after obtaining due authorization through search warrants issued by a special court in Srinagar, designated under the NIA Act, the officials added.
The case stems from credible intelligence inputs indicating that certain individuals in Jammu and Kashmir were "exploiting" platforms linked to mass media, social media, human rights advocacy, environmental causes and women empowerment as a "cover to carry out activities gravely prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity and security of India," they said.
"Discreet verification further revealed their suspected links with secessionist groups and proscribed terrorist organisations," an official said.
Investigations also brought to light that some of these individuals were allegedly in contact with Pakistan-based terror handlers using encrypted communication applications.
"They are suspected to have been actively involved in peddling false narratives, glorifying terrorists and terrorism, radicalising impressionable youth, and systematically attempting to disrupt public order and peace in Jammu & Kashmir," the official said.
Acting on these inputs, 12 locations in Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, Pulwama, Kupwara, Budgam and Shopian were identified and searched.
During the operation, 12 suspects were detained for questioning.
A substantial cache of incriminating digital material was seized, including 10 mobile phones, a laptop and 14 SIM cards, all of which are now under detailed forensic examination, the officials said.
"The operation has successfully dismantled a dangerous covert network that sought to exploit the credibility of social causes to advance terror agendas. The seized digital evidence is expected to unravel deeper layers of the conspiracy, and further arrests cannot be ruled out as the investigation progresses," the official said.
The investigation is on to unearth the full scale of the conspiracy, identify other conspirators and associates and expose their chain of communication with terrorist-secessionist handlers sitting across the border, the officials said.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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Eyeing political, religious and tribal connect, Congress to launch 2nd phase of ‘Jan Akrosh Yatra’ in Central Gujarat
by Ritu Sharma
December 17, 2025
After the first phase in North Gujarat, the Congress Tuesday announced the second phase of its ‘Jan Akrosh Yatra’ in Central Gujarat. The yatra will be flagged off on December 20 from Bhathiji Maharaj Temple in Fagvel Kheda district, where the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi launched his state-wide Gujarat Gaurav Yatra in 2002.
The yatra will conclude on January 6 at Kamboi Dham in Dahod-Samadhi of Shri Govind Guru, a revered figure of tribals and freedom fighter, who passed away in October 1931.
In Jhalod taluka, Shri Govind Guru Dham memorial is a place of importance for the tribals. Born as Govind Giri Banjara, Shri Govind Guru was a social and religious leader as well as a freedom fighter.
In March 2024, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi began the 55th day of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra with a visit to the Kamboi Dham in Dahod.
Bhathiji Maharaj Temple that attracts a large number of devotees including Hindus and Muslims is dedicated to Bhathiji Maharaj, who according to folklore sacrificed his life to protect village’s cows from attackers during his wedding. The Kshatriya Thakor community worships him as kuldevata (family deity).
Addressing a press conference at the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan here, GPCC president Amit Chavda said the yatra will cover seven districts of Central Gujarat – Kheda, Anand, Vadodara, ChhotaUdepur, Panchmahal, Mahisagar and Dahod (three municipalities, 55 talukas and 37 municipal areas).
The problems of Central Gujarat will be raised and “corruption in the area” will be exposed during the 1400-km yatra, Chavda said.
The first leg of Jan Aakrosh Yatra held in North Gujarat between November 21 and December 3, covering a distance of 1300 km, has received widespread public support, the GPCC president said.
“During the first leg of the yatra, the public has openly expressed their anger against corruption, mismanagement, discrimination and injustice that have become widespread during the three decades of BJP rule in Gujarat. The Pradesh Congress Committee had started the Jan Aakrosh Yatra to give voice to the questions, pain and voices of the public,” Chavda said.
Stating that the Aakrosh Yatra is not an election march, but a fight for the rights of the people, Chavda said: “The government collects taxes, but does not listen to the voice of the people. Therefore, people from all sections of society should join this march to give a voice to the people. The Jan Aakrosh Yatra is the voice of the people and in the coming days this voice will be reverberated in the entire Gujarat.”
Speaking on the occasion, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Tushar Chaudhary said that the government is not carrying out recruitment despite lakhs of vacant posts in the government.
“During the first phase of the yatra, the Congress demanded complete waiver of farmers’ debt and raised shortage of fertilizers and seeds, illegal liquor and drug business and the need to give employment to the youth through regular recruitment. There is great public outrage against non-recruitment and exploitation of youth through fixed salaries, contracts and outsourcing, despite lakhs of vacant posts in the government,” Chaudhary alleged.
Central Gujarat Yatra
Start: 20 December 2025 from Bhathiji Maharaj’s Phagvel Dham
End: 6 January, at Kamboi Dham at Dahod
To cover: 7 districts (Kheda, Anand, Vadodara, ChhotaUdepur, Panchmahal, Mahisagar, Dahod), 3 municipal areas, 55 talukas and 37 municipal areas
Total distance: About 1,400 km
Key programmes: Interaction with all sections of people including farmers, women, unemployed youth, small traders, farm laborers, and workers. People can raise their issues linked to roads, drinking water, irrigation, employment, land rights, and liquor rackets, says Congress
Key issues: Issues of cattle breeders, “corruption” in dairy co-operatives, “injustice” to tribal communities, “corruption” in Nal se Jal and MGNREGA schemes, issues of milk producers, drinking water and irrigation problems, and corruption issues in municipal areas will be highlighted
Source: indianexpress.com
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PM Modi, Jordan King meet: ‘Share common stance against terror’
by Shubhajit Roy
December 17, 2025
UNDERLINING THAT India and Jordan share a “common and clear stance against terrorism”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed hope that “peace and stability will prevail in the region” as he held bilateral talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman on Monday.
Modi, who was received at the airport by his counterpart Jafar Hassan as a special gesture, held talks with the Jordanian King and proposed that the two countries should aim to enhance bilateral trade to US$ 5 billion over the next 5 years. He also called for collaboration between Jordan’s digital payment system and India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
Jordan is an important supplier of fertiliser to India, and companies on both sides are in discussions for further substantive investment in Jordan to meet growing demand for phosphatic fertilizer in India, an official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said.
PM Modi told King Abdullah II that he was confident that their meeting would give a new impetus and depth to India-Jordan ties.
“We will continue our cooperation in areas such as trade, fertilisers, digital technology, infrastructure and people-to-people ties,” he said.
Modi said the two countries share a common and clear stance against terrorism and praised King Abdullah II’s “active and positive role” on the Gaza issue. “We hope that peace and stability will prevail in the region. We share a common and clear stance against terrorism. Under your leadership, Jordan has sent a strong and strategic message to the world against terrorism, extremism, and radicalisation,” Modi said.
“You have shared very positive ideas for taking India-Jordan relations to new heights. I sincerely thank you for your friendship and your deep commitment to India. This year, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. This milestone will continue to inspire us to move forward with renewed energy for many years to come.”
Modi recalled that during King Abdullah II’s visit to India in 2018, they participated in a conference on Islamic heritage. “Your efforts to promote moderation are extremely important not only for regional peace but also for global peace,” he told King Abdullah II. “I recall that our first meeting also took place on the sidelines of the UN in 2015, at an event focused on countering violent extremism. Even then, you delivered inspirational remarks on this subject.”
On his part, King Abdullah II said, “Your presence here carries deep significance as our countries mark 75 years of diplomatic relations. I believe this visit reflects decades of friendship, mutual respect and productive cooperation between our two nations.”
“Our nations enjoy a strong partnership, and they share a desire to advance prosperity for our people. Over the years, our collaboration has expanded across multiple sectors. Your visit provides an important opportunity to chart new paths of economic cooperation,” he said.
According to the MEA statement, the two leaders met in restricted and delegation level formats. They warmly recalled their previous meetings and conversations and underscored the warm and historic ties shared by the two countries. They noted that the visit, coming at a time when the two countries are celebrating 75 years of the establishment of their diplomatic ties, makes it historic.
“Prime Minister appreciated His Majesty for his commitment towards strengthening India-Jordan ties. His Majesty conveyed strong support for India’s fight against terrorism and condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Prime Minster appreciated His Majesty’s leadership in tackling terrorism, extremism and radicalization and contributing towards global fight against these evils,” it said.
The MEA said that both the leaders discussed ways to further deepen engagement between the two countries in the fields of trade and investment; defence and security; renewable energy; fertilizer and agriculture; innovation, IT and digital technologies; critical minerals; infrastructure; health and pharma; education and capacity; tourism and heritage; and culture and people-to-people ties.
“Noting that India was Jordan’s 3rd largest trading partner, Prime Minister proposed that the two countries should aim to enhance bilateral trade to US$ 5 billion over the next 5 years. He also called for collaboration between Jordan’s digital payment system and India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Jordan is an important supplier of fertilizer to India, and companies on both sides are in discussions for further substantive investment in Jordan to meet growing demand for phosphatic fertilizer in India,” it said.
“The leaders shared perspectives on the developments in the region and on other global issues. They reiterated the importance of restoring peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister reaffirmed India’s support for efforts being made to achieve durable peace in the region,” the MEA statement said.
On the occasion of the visit, the two sides finalised MoUs in the fields of culture, renewable energy, water management, digital public infrastructure and twinning arrangement between Petra and Ellora.
Modi will meet the India-Jordan business forum on Tuesday and will also travel to Petra, a UNESCO heritage site in Jordan. He will leave for Addis Ababa in Ethiopia for the second leg of the visit in the afternoon.
Source: indianexpress.com
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Mideast
Syria says caught Daesh-linked cell behind shooting attack in northwest
December 16, 2025
DAMASCUS: Syria’s government on Tuesday said its forces killed the leader of a cell linked to Daesh and arrested eight of its members believed to be behind a deadly attack on security personnel last week.
Daesh claimed responsibility for Sunday’s shooting, which authorities had said killed four Syrian security personnel on patrol on the Maaret Al-Numan road in northwest Idlib province.
Security forces “arrested a terrorist cell affiliated with Daesh” that carried out attacks “targeting security and military patrols in the Idlib and Aleppo provinces,” an interior ministry statement said.
“The operation resulted in the arrest of all eight members of the cell, and the ninth member, the cell leader, was neutralized,” it added.
“During the investigations, those arrested admitted their responsibility for carrying out three terrorist attacks, including targeting a road security patrol in Maaret Al-Numan,” it said, adding that weapons and explosive belts were among the items seized.
Sunday’s attack came a day after an assault on a joint US-Syrian patrol in Palmyra in central Syria killed two American soldiers and a translator.
Washington and Damascus blamed Daesh for the attack, though it has not claimed responsibility.
Syria’s new authorities are trying to stabilize the country after more than 13 years of civil war.
The Idlib region was a bastion of rebel and extremist groups including foreign fighters before opposition forces overthrew longtime ruler Bashar Assad in December last year in a lightning offensive.
A US-led coalition has at times carried out strikes on the Idlib region, usually saying it is targeting Daesh officials.
The new authorities have announced operations against Daesh, including one launched on Sunday alongside the coalition to target “sleeper cells” in the desert following the Palmyra attack.
Daesh once controlled swathes of Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
Its fighters still maintain a presence in the country, particularly in its vast desert.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2626509/middle-east
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Gaza families struggle to recover from days of torrential rains that killed 12 people
December 16, 2025
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Palestinians in Gaza struggled to recover Tuesday from torrential rains that battered the enclave for days, flooding camps for the displaced, collapsing buildings already badly damaged in the two-year war and leaving at least 12 dead, including a two-week-old baby.
The downpour, which dumped more than 150 milliliters (9 inches) of rain on some parts of Gaza over the past week, turned dirt lanes to mud and flooded tents in camps for displaced people.
The Gaza Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, said Tuesday the two-week-old died of hypothermia as a result of the weather. The baby was brought to the hospital a few days ago and was transferred to intensive care but died on Monday.
In Gaza City, a man died Tuesday after a home already damaged during Israeli strikes, collapsed because of the heavy rainfall, according to Shifa Hospital.
Members of the Al-Hosari family said 30 people lived in the building, but just nine were home when it collapsed. The man who was killed was a worker who had come to fix the walls, they said. Five people were injured.
The Health Ministry said the remaining 10 people were killed last week, also from buildings collapsing from the rain and heavy winds.
Emergency workers warned people not to congregate in damaged buildings due to concerns of collapse, though so much of the territory has been reduced to rubble, there are few places to escape the rain. In July, the United Nations Satellite Center estimated that almost 80 percent of the buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged.
“When we hear the news that there is a storm, our whole lives change, we start thinking about where to stay, to go, where to put our mattresses and blankets, and where to keep our children safe and warm,” said Mohammed Gharableh, a father displaced from the southern city of Rafah.
“During every storm like this, water penetrates our tents, and our mattresses and blankets get soaked,” he added.
In Israel, areas near Gaza received between 60 mm to 160 mm (2 to 6 inches) of rain in the past week, according to the Israel Meteorological Service, which in some cases is more than twice the average amount of rain for this time of year.
Aid groups say despite two months of a ceasefire, not enough shelter material has been getting into Gaza to help Palestinians deal with the winter. Recently released Israeli military figures suggest it hasn’t met the ceasefire stipulation of allowing 600 trucks of aid into Gaza a day, though Israel disputes that finding.
The vast majority of Gaza’s 2 million people have been displaced, and most people live in vast tent camps stretching along the coast, or set up among the shells of damaged buildings. The buildings lack adequate flooding infrastructure and people use cesspits dug near tents as toilets.
The Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, called COGAT, said close to 270,000 tents and tarps have entered Gaza over the past few months as well as winter items, shelter equipment, and sanitation supplies.
But some aid groups disputed the figures and said more supplies, especially winter items, are desperately needed.
Shelter Cluster, an international coalition of aid providers led by the Norwegian Refugee Council, last week said it has tracked just 68,000 tents that have entered Gaza via the UN, non-governmental organizations, and various countries. Many of the tents aren’t properly insulated for winter, it says.
Source: arabnews.com
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13 perish in highway bus crash in central Iran
December 16, 2025
TEHRAN: A passenger bus overturned, killing 13 people and injuring over a dozen others on a highway in central Iran, state-run IRNA news agency reported.
The bus was traveling late Monday from Isfahan to the northeastern city of Mashhad when it struck the highway’s central guardrail, crossed into the opposite lane and collided with a taxi before flipping over, police said.
Eleven bus passengers and two people who were in the taxi were killed in the crash, while six women and seven men were hospitalized, IRNA said.
Emergency teams, including ambulances and rescue units, were dispatched to the site shortly after the crash.
Iran has one of the world’s worst traffic safety records, with some 20,000 deaths annually.
Source: arabnews.com
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Israeli settler kills 16-year-old Palestinian in West Bank, mayor says
December 16, 2025
RAMALLAH: An Israeli settler shot dead a 16-year-old Palestinian in Tuqu’ on Tuesday after the funeral of another teenager, the town’s mayor said.
Violence has escalated in the West Bank since the beginning of the war in Gaza in October 2023. Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank have increased sharply, with the UN reporting the highest number of attacks on record in October.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Muheeb Jibril’s death on Tuesday.
“Today, after the funeral of 16-year-old Ammar Sabah, who was killed yesterday by the Israeli army in the town center, a number of youths were gathered by the main street when a settler shot 16-year-old Muheeb Jibril in the head,” Tuqu’ Mayor Mohammed Al-Badan told Reuters by telephone.
Israeli forces killed Sabah on Monday during a military raid on the town, the Palestinian health ministry said. The military said the incident was under review. It said rocks were thrown at soldiers who used riot dispersal means and later responded with fire.
The West Bank is home to 2.7 million Palestinians who have limited self-rule under Israeli military occupation. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have settled there.
Most world powers deem Israel’s settlements, on land it captured in a 1967 war, illegal, and numerous UN Security Council resolutions have called on Israel to halt all settlement activity.
Source: arabnews.com
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Israeli authorities demolish two Palestinian homes near Ramallah and Jerusalem
December 16, 2025
LONDON: Israeli authorities demolished two houses in Ramallah and East Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday.
Israeli forces demolished a house in Deir Qaddis village, west of Ramallah, using a military bulldozer after storming the area. The two-story house, home to more than ten residents, belonged to Nader Khawaja and was built 15 years ago, according to the Wafa news agency.
In Rafat, a town located northwest of Jerusalem, Israeli bulldozers demolished a house that a Palestinian owned.
On Monday, the Israeli army announced plans to demolish 25 residential buildings in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the northern West Bank later this week.
Since late 2023, Israeli authorities have conducted more than 1,014 demolitions in the West Bank and Jerusalem, targeting more than 3,679 buildings, including 1,288 inhabited homes, 244 uninhabited homes, and 962 agricultural and other structures.
Israel’s home-demolition policies aim to forcibly displace Palestinians and expand Israeli settlements in Jerusalem, in violation of international and humanitarian laws that guarantee the right to housing, Wafa added.
The Israeli government faces charges of war crimes and genocide in the occupied Palestinian territories at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
Source: arabnews.com
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Revolution Leader calls for major demonstrations next friday against American-Zionist positions offensive to Holy Qur’an
16 Dec 2025
The Revolution Leader , Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, called on the sons of the Yemeni people to hold major demonstrations next Friday as part of a stance expressing faith-based identity against American and Zionist positions offensive to the Holy Qur’an.
In a statement regarding an insult to the Holy Qur’an by an American candidate, the Sayyed Leader said:
“I call upon our dear people to declare their stance toward these insults through broad-based action, starting with universities and schools, as well as diverse activities led by Islamic religious scholars, and culminating in major demonstrations next Friday, within a stance that expresses the faith-based identity of our dear people—Yemen, the land of faith, wisdom, jihad—against the American and Zionist positions offensive to the Holy Qur’an.”
He noted that the Yemeni people’s broad movement in response to repeated insults to the Holy Qur’an affirms Yemen’s steadfastness in its faith-based, jihadi orientation in confronting American-Israeli tyranny targeting the Islamic nation, and also affirms the faith-based stance in support of the Palestinian people and the people’s readiness to confront any conspiracies targeting them by disbelievers and hypocrites.
The Revolution Leader emphasized the necessity of continuing all activities within the framework of general mobilization and sustained efforts to prepare extensively for the next round of confrontation with the enemies of Islam and Muslims.
He pointed out that a criminal American candidate for elections committed the crime of insulting the Holy Qur’an and turned this heinous crime into electoral propaganda, explaining that this grave offense against the most sacred religious sanctities on earth comes within the context of the ongoing Jewish-Zionist war, for which America, Britain, the Zionist enemy, and their loyalists in the West and East—agents of Satan—have mobilized, seeking to mislead, corrupt, and enslave human societies, violate sanctities, and commit the most heinous crimes as a means to tighten control , achieve their goals of plunder, looting, and occupation.
The Sayyed Leader considered the ongoing insults and the soft and hard war waged by Zionism in all its forms and satanic arms—American, British, and Israeli—to be an explicit hostility toward Islam and Muslims, aimed at undermining the status of the Holy Qur’an in the hearts of Muslims and distancing them from it, and an expression of intense Jewish-Zionist hatred and hostility toward Islam and Muslims.
He called on all Muslims—“governments and peoples, masses and elites”—to shoulder their religious and humanitarian responsibility in confronting the tyranny of dark, arrogant, unjust, corrupting, misleading Zionist forces, which are a blatant enemy seeking with extreme criminality and brutality to impose a paradigm of violating blood, honor, land, sanctities, and sacred values upon our Islamic nation, exploiting the weakness of the weak and the allegiance of hypocrites who assist it against the Ummah in many ways.
Below is the text of the statement:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
“Indeed, those who disbelieve in the Reminder when it comes to them—and indeed, it is a mighty Book. Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it; [it is] a revelation from One Wise and Praiseworthy.” (Fussilat: 41–42)
Allah Almighty has spoken the truth.
The media have published a new American insult against the Holy Qur’an, the Glorious Book of Allah, His blessed light, and the legacy of the prophets and divine scriptures preserved for all worlds.
The crime of insult was committed by a criminal American candidate for elections, who turned his heinous crime into electoral propaganda. This grave offense against the most sacred religious sanctities on earth comes within the context of the ongoing Jewish-Zionist war, mobilized by America, Britain, the Zionist enemy, and their loyalists in the West and East—agents of Satan—seeking to mislead, corrupt, and enslave human societies, violate sanctities, and commit the most heinous crimes as a means to tighten control and achieve their goals of plunder, looting, and occupation:
“Indeed, those who disbelieve among the People of the Book and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding therein; those are the worst of creatures.” (Al-Bayyinah: 6)
The hatred of Zionist Jews and their followers exposes their darkness, while fortifying those guided by it and following it from their misguidance and corruption. It is the guarantor of saving human society from their tyranny and enslavement, and the impregnable fortress for those seeking salvation from the great loss in this world and the Hereafter.
The continued insults , the soft and hard war waged by Zionism in all its formations and satanic arms (American, British, and Israeli) constitute explicit hostility toward Islam and Muslims. They aim to diminish the status of the Holy Qur’an in the hearts of Muslims and distance them from it, also express intense Jewish-Zionist hatred and hostility toward Islam and Muslims. What they have done and continue to do in Palestine—criminality and tyranny against the Palestinian people and sanctities—testifies to this, with clear American and British partnership and Western support.
Accordingly, all Muslims—governments and peoples, masses and elites—bear a religious and humanitarian responsibility to confront the tyranny of dark, arrogant, unjust, corrupting, misleading Zionist forces, a blatant enemy seeking with extreme criminality and brutality to impose a paradigm of violating blood, honor, land, sanctities, and sacred values upon our Islamic nation, exploiting the weakness of the weak and the allegiance of hypocrites who assist it against our Ummah in many ways, foremost among them:
• Adopting its false propaganda.
• Seeking to blame and smear every sincere stance against savage Jewish-Zionist tyranny.
• Discouraging the Ummah from serious action in any practical stance that hinders the enemy and confronts its tyranny.
The Zionist enemy continues its attacks on Lebanon, its violations in Syria, and its conspiracies across the entire region, including Yemen. The actions carried out by its regional tools are within the same context. The title announced by the enemies—“Changing the Middle East”—targets our Islamic nation in its religion, worldly affairs, freedom, dignity, identity, and independence, enabling the Israeli enemy to control all its affairs and achieve its catastrophic aggressive goals against this Ummah.
After the world has clearly witnessed for two full years—and continues to witness daily in Palestine—its aggression, criminality, malice, and savagery, including violations of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, hypocrites from client regimes and Zionist mouthpieces nonetheless openly adopt its narratives and propaganda, work to implement its conspiracies openly, and tirelessly divert the Ummah’s attention from what it is doing, changing the compass of enmity in its favor, among other services they provide.
Jews and their three Zionist arms (America, Britain, and Israel), and their followers in the unbelieving West, pursue their hostility toward Islam , Muslims with the most brazen , vile levels of hatred, animosity, and criminality. Their practices reflect this, including the American unbeliever’s insult to the Qur’an in a public media stance and as electoral propaganda. Responding to what misguided, unbelieving enemies do—insults, attacks, and a comprehensive war against Islam and Muslims—with silence and inaction, even at the minimum level, is a grave dereliction that reflects bankruptcy in awareness, insight, faith, values, and morals across much of the Ummah, and a severe weakness in Islamic belonging—precisely what enemies covet: an Ummah that has fallen to the depths by abandoning what preserves its identity and its connection to Allah.
The Ummah of two billion Muslims could do much if it possessed the will to pressure its enemies, yet it has done nothing—not politically, economically, or media-wise—at any level. The condition of peoples and elites largely mirrors that of regimes, a very dangerous state that brings Allah’s displeasure and wrath unless the Ummah awakens, returns to Allah, and rises to its great sacred responsibilities. Peoples can act through many concerns and broad activities: strengthening their connection to the Holy Qur’an, activating awareness campaigns toward the enemies, expanding boycotts of American and Israeli goods, intensifying media action expressing the Ummah’s anger , stance, organizing sit-ins, demonstrations, and all available activities. Silence and the absence of a stance reveal a shocking decline in the Ummah’s relationship with its most sacred sanctities and with that which Allah honored it with—the Holy Qur’an.
I therefore call upon our dear people to declare their stance toward these insults through broad-based action starting with universities and schools, diverse activities led by Islamic religious scholars, and culminating—God willing—in major demonstrations next Friday, within a stance expressing the faith-based identity of our dear people—Yemen, the land of faith, wisdom, jihad—against American and Zionist positions offensive to the Holy Qur’an. This affirms our people’s steadfastness in their faith-based, jihadi orientation in confronting American-Israeli tyranny targeting our Islamic nation; affirms our faith-based support for the oppressed Palestinian people; and affirms our people’s readiness to confront any conspiracies targeting them by disbelievers and hypocrites—alongside continuing all activities within general mobilization and sustained preparation for the next round of confrontation with the enemies of Islam and Muslims.
Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best disposer of affairs; sufficient is Allah as a Protector and sufficient is Allah as a Helper.
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Source: saba.ye
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On 2nd day of Hanukkah, Zionist settlers renew their incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque
17 Dec 2025
Dozens of Zionist settlers renewed their incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Tuesday morning, the second day of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, under heavy protection from Israeli occupation forces.
The incursion coincided with an attack on the Cotton Gate (Bab al-Qattanin), where settlers, for the second time, lit candles on a menorah they had placed outside the gate, one of the western gates of Al-Aqsa, as part of celebratory rituals that included dancing and group prayers on the steps opposite the gate, according to the Palestinian news agency Safa.
Source: saba.ye
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Hajjah: Review of Qur’an education & its sciences at governorate center
16 Dec 2025
The Head of the Scholars and Learners Department, scholar Ali Jarran, along with a member of the Scholars Association, Sheikh Saleh Al-Khawlani, reviewed on Tuesday the progress of teaching the Holy Qur’an and its sciences at the center of Hajjah Governorate.
Jarran and Al-Khawlani, accompanied by Mobilization Official Hamoud Al-Maghrabi, Deputy Governor Mohammed Al-Qadi, member of the Scholars Department Ali Al-Bannous, and Head of the Scholars Unit Adel Al-Hassani, listened to an explanation of the lessons provided to students in Qur’anic sciences, jurisprudence (fiqh), the Prophet’s biography (Seerah), and memorization of the Book of Allah.
The visitors, joined by the Dean of the University of Qur’anic Sciences branch Abdullah Miah, Guidance Sector Official scholar Hussein Jahhaf, and a number of members of the Scholars Unit, emphasized the importance of teaching students the sciences of the Holy Qur’an, memorization, proper recitation (tajweed), and enriching Qur’anic culture.
They urged students to benefit from beneficial knowledge and divine guidance, affirming that students of knowledge are the hope and future of the nation, relied upon for its advancement, defense, and the preservation of its faith-based identity.
Meanwhile, Jarran, Al-Khawlani, and their accompanying delegation also reviewed the implementation progress of the construction program carried out by the General Mobilization for a number of mobilization officials in sub-districts.
Source: saba.ye
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Israel blocks a Canadian delegation from visiting the occupied West Bank
December 17, 2025
OTTAWA, Ontario: Israel on Tuesday blocked a private Canadian delegation that included six members of Parliament from entering the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli Embassy in Canada said the group was denied entry because of its links to Islamic Relief Worldwide, a nongovernmental organization that Israel lists as a terror group.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said in a post on social media that Canada has expressed its “objections regarding the mistreatment of these Canadians.”
Ontario Member of Parliament Iqra Khalid, from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal party, said she was part of the delegation and was shoved several times by Israeli border officials.
She said she was pushed after trying to check on a member of the roughly 30-person delegation who was pulled aside for additional questioning after the group had been at the Allenby border crossing between Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Khalid said the border officials were able to see she was a lawmaker as they had taken her special passport, which looks different from a standard Canadian document.
The Israeli Embassy statement said Israel “will not allow the entry of organizations and individuals who are associated with designated terror entities.”
The delegation, sponsored by the group The Canadian-Muslim Vote, had planned to meet with displaced Palestinians in the West Bank, where the Israeli government recently approved the construction of 764 new homes in Jewish settlements.
The Israeli statement said The Canadian-Muslim Vote receives the vast majority of its funding from Islamic Relief Canada, a subsidiary of Islamic Relief Worldwide that is listed as a terror entity by Israel.
In Ottawa, the National Council of Canadian Muslims said the Israeli government’s refusal to allow Canadian parliamentarians into the country raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability.
British Columbia New Democrat Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan said the entire delegation had electronic travel authorizations to enter the West Bank but they were revoked “on the day of our arrival.”
In September, Canada joined several other countries in recognizing a Palestinian state, a significant shift in its policy and a move that came despite opposition from the United States. At the time, Canada said it hopes the recognition paves the way for peace based on two states living side by side.
Source: arabnews.com
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Lebanon says two dead in Israeli strikes
December 16, 2025
BEIRUT: Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Tuesday killed two people, one of them near Beirut, the Lebanese health ministry reported, with Israel saying it had targeted Hezbollah operatives.
Despite a November 2024 ceasefire that was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon and has also maintained troops in five southern areas it deems strategic.
Lebanon’s health ministry said an “Israeli enemy strike on a vehicle on the Jadra-Siblin road in the Shouf district killed one person and wounded five others.”
The area is around 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of the capital.
An AFP photographer saw a damaged goods truck with emergency workers and army personnel deployed at the scene.
Earlier, the ministry said one person was killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in Odaisseh near the border with Israel.
In separate statements, the Israeli army said it targeted two Hezbollah members, without providing further details.
On Sunday, Israeli strikes killed three people in separate parts of Lebanon according to the health ministry, with Israel saying it killed Hezbollah members.
Around 340 people have been killed by Israeli attacks on Lebanon since the ceasefire agreement went into force, according to an AFP tally of health ministry reports.
Israel usually says the strikes target Hezbollah members and infrastructure, and aim to stop the group from rearming.
Tuesday’s attacks come as the ceasefire monitoring committee, which includes France and the United States, is set to meet later this week.
According to the ceasefire, Hezbollah was required to pull its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border with Israel, and have its military infrastructure in the vacated area dismantled.
Under a government-approved plan, Lebanon’s army is to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani by the end of the year, before tackling the rest of the country.
Source: arabnews.com
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Lebanon approves release of former minister accused of corruption
December 16, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s judiciary approved the release on bail of former economy minister Amin Salam on Tuesday after six months of detention over corruption linked to contracts deemed suspicious, a judicial official said.
Salam, who served in the cabinet of former prime minister Najib Mikati from 2021 to 2025, is the only ex-minister to be arrested since the start of Lebanon’s economic crisis in 2019.
The official, who requested anonymity, told AFP Lebanon’s judiciary “agreed to release former economy minister Amin Salam on bail of nine billion Lebanese pounds, equivalent to $100,000” and a travel ban.
The official added that the bail was paid, with procedures ongoing to secure his release from prison.
In June, another judicial official said Salam had been arrested in connection with alleged “falsification, embezzlement and suspicious contracts.”
Salam’s adviser Fadi Tamim was sentenced in 2023 to one year in prison for blackmail and personal enrichment at the expense of insurance companies.
The former minister’s brother Karim Salam was also arrested earlier this year in a “case of illicit enrichment, forgery and extortion of insurance companies,” committed “under cover of the minister himself,” the official said in June.
Many in Lebanon attribute the economic crisis to mismanagement and corruption that has plagued state institutions for decades.
President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who both took office this year, have vowed to make the fight against endemic corruption a priority, as part of the reforms demanded by international donors.
Both have vowed to uphold the independence of the judiciary and prevent interference in its work, in a country plagued by official impunity.
In September, former central bank governor Riad Salameh, who faces numerous accusations including embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion, was released after being detained for over a year by paying a record bail of more than $14 million.
Source: arabnews.com
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Ambassador to Russia attends event naming Kazan Cultural Capital of Islamic World 2026
16 Dec 2025
Moscow, Dec. 16 (BNA): Ahmed Abdulrahman Al Saati, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Russian Federation, joined Arab and Islamic ambassadors in Moscow to attend the celebration marking the announcement by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) that the city of Kazan, capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, has been named the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World in 2026.
The event was attended by His Excellency Rustam Minnikhanov, President of Tatarstan; Olga Lyubimova, Minister of Culture of Russia; Sergey Vershinin, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation; and Dr. Amina Al Hajri, ICESCO Director General for Cultural, Social and Family Affairs.
Ministers of Culture from the Islamic world had decided to select Kazan as the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World in 2026 at their February meeting in Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Source: bna.bh
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Arab World
Riyadh makes history as first Middle East city to receive Global Active City certification
December 16, 2025
RIYADH: The Saudi capital has made history by becoming the first city in the Middle East to receive the Global Active City certification, an international recognition for cities that promote active living and a healthy lifestyle, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City announced on Monday.
“The Global Active City certification reflects Riyadh’s status as a city that applies the best international standards in promoting health, activity, and quality of life. This underscores RCRC’s commitment to building a sustainable global city that places the human being at the heart of development,” the commission posted on X.
Commenting on certification, RCRC CEO Ibrahim bin Mohammed Al-Sultan said that this achievement reflects the continued support and ambitious vision of the Kingdom’s leadership, which has enabled Riyadh to make significant progress in improving quality-of-life indicators across the city, in line with the goals set under Saudi Vision 2030.
He expressed appreciation for the efforts of associate partners, including the Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Sports for All Federation, saying that their active contributions played a key role in securing this international recognition.
According to the RCRC, the recognition reflects years of work to improve the quality of life across the city. From expanding public spaces to building sports facilities and active transport routes, Riyadh has been quietly setting up the foundations for healthier urban living.
The certification is granted by the Active Well-being Initiative and backed by the International Olympic Committee.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi FM holds telephone call with Malaysian counterpart
December 16, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a telephone conversation with his Malaysian counterpart Mohamad Hasan on Tuesday.
During the call, they reviewed Saudi-Malaysian relations and discussed current developments, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The two ministers also discussed issues of common interest.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi crown prince receives written message from president of Tanzania
December 17, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a written message on Tuesday from President SamiaSuluhu Hassan of Tanzania about relations between their countries.
It was delivered by Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Tanzania’s foreign minister, and accepted on the crown prince’s behalf by Waleed Elkhereiji, the Kingdom’s deputy minister of foreign affairs.
During their meeting at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh, the ministers discussed bilateral relations and ways in which they might be enhanced in all sectors, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Source: arabnews.com
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Madinah governor launches Alsirah Gardens project
December 16, 2025
MADINAH: Madinah Gov. Prince Salman bin Sultan inaugurated Alsirah Gardens project, opening the Orchard of Al-Mustazill as its first area, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
Launched by QSAS, a Public Investment Fund subsidiary, the project offers interactive experiences inspired by the Prophet Muhammad’s biography.
The event was attended by Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and Madinah Mayor and CEO of the Madinah Region Development Authority Fahad Albulihshi.
During a tour of the Orchard of Al-Mustazill near Quba Mosque, Prince Salman reviewed the project’s components. Covering 70,000 sq. meters, it includes seven enrichment zones.
QSAS Chairman Yasser Al-Dawood said Alsirah’s cultural brand connects people to their roots through immersive experiences blending knowledge and innovation.
He noted that the project features cultural experiences based on the Prophetic Sirah, a children’s area, shopping zones, and a rural lodge, making it a landmark that boosts tourism in Madinah.
The project’s investment is estimated at SR500 million ($133 million). Once all phases are complete, it is expected to attract about 10 million visitors annually, supporting Vision 2030 goals.
Al-Dawood added that the project will position Madinah as a leading destination highlighting Prophetic heritage, offering a cultural experience that deepens visitors’ connection to the Sirah.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi-EU relations: Huge progress achieved
December 16, 2025
RIYADH: The European Parliament on Tuesday endorsed a roadmap to boost EU-Saudi relations into a full-fledged strategic partnership, marking what Saudi Ambassador to the EU Haifa Al-Jedea described as “an important milestone” in the evolution of bilateral ties.
Parliamentarians overwhelmingly supported deepening collaboration with Saudi Arabia on the political, economic, and social levels in light of escalating tensions in the Middle East, acknowledging the Kingdom’s growing geopolitical role as a diplomatic actor who made significant contributions to regional and global stability.
The report recognizes the Kingdom’s expanding diplomatic footprint in the context of the wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and Yemen, as well as maritime security in the Red Sea.
It highlights Saudi Arabia’s hosting of peace talks, ceasefire negotiations, and its leading role in reviving the two-state solution for the longstanding Palestine-Israel conflict and inclusive peace processes across the region — including in Syria, Sudan, and Lebanon.
The report outlined enhanced cooperation across a wide spectrum — from energy security and economic diversification to human rights dialogue, regional diplomacy, and cross-cultural exchanges.
It comes at a time when the Kingdom is undergoing sweeping reforms under Vision 2030 and expanding its global role in regional diplomacy, infrastructure development, and green energy transitions.
Members of the European Parliament noted that Saudi Arabia’s reforms opened new opportunities for collaboration in areas of shared interest including economic diversification, innovation, climate action, education, and regional stability.
“The Kingdom is engaged in a broad process of transformation that is unprecedented in its scope,” Al-Jadea told Arab News.
“By unlocking new horizons for cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the EU, we can co-create solutions that advance growth, stability, and opportunity — not just for our peoples but for the wider global arena.”
The report, adopted by 417 votes in favor, backs the start of negotiations for a strategic partnership agreement with Saudi Arabia, describing it as a “pivotal opportunity” to align foreign policy, energy security, and regional stability under a common framework.
In line with the report, the EU has appointed for the first time a dedicated rapporteur for EU-Saudi relations.
“This reflects not only Saudi Arabia’s growing strategic importance — including as a leading member of the Gulf Cooperation Council — but also the Parliament’s intention to play a more proactive role in shaping this evolving partnership,” the report read.
The new rapporteur, Hana JalloulMuro, vice-chair for the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, said in a statement that the report comes “at a pivotal moment, recognizing Saudi Arabia’s geopolitical role in Ukraine, Gaza and Syria.”
She reiterated support of this “engagement and progress” as EU-GCC strategic ties advance.
The report also underscored Saudi Arabia’s importance as both a traditional energy partner and a future green energy leader. It highlighted major potential for cooperation in renewables, green hydrogen, and critical raw materials.
The Kingdom’s pledge to produce four million tonnes of clean hydrogen annually by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 was commended as a cornerstone of future joint ventures.
Saudi Arabia is now among the top 10 global energy storage markets, with the EU aiming to leverage its advanced clean tech capabilities for joint sustainability projects.
The parliament also acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s strides in entrepreneurship and economic reform, inviting deeper cooperation on sustainable energy, critical raw materials, information technology, and entrepreneurship — areas where European investors and tech players are expected to play a growing role.
The report stressed that economic cooperation was “the cornerstone” of the Saudi-EU ties.
“Together, Saudi Arabia and Europe can reimagine how renewable energy and connectivity power sustainable growth, strengthen resilience, and link our regions in ways that benefit the global economy,” Al-Jedea told Arab News.
“Impactful growth can be achieved if we move forward together, with confidence, mutual respect, and a shared belief in a brighter future.”
While urging continued progress on reform, the European Parliament acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s “meaningful social transformation,” citing rising female workforce participation (now at 36 percent), the abolition of male guardianship restrictions, and the launch of curriculum reforms to promote tolerance.
It welcomed the EU-Saudi Human Rights Dialogue as a platform for mutual engagement, calling for more concrete outcomes — such as time-bound reforms and independent oversight.
It also urged faster progress on visa liberalization, calling on the European Commission to explore a Schengen visa waiver for Saudi citizens.
It recommended boosting academic and cultural exchange through Erasmus Mundus, Horizon Europe, and youth mobility programs.
Saudi Arabia’s growing contribution to tourism, investment and innovation in EU states — as well as the increasing number of Saudi nationals in senior diplomatic, academic, and entrepreneurial roles — were also emphasized as key trends shaping the future of bilateral ties.
Through the report, parliamentarians supported stronger foreign and security policy cooperation with the Kingdom to advance regional and global stability.
They called for greater efforts and collaboration with Saudi Arabia on counterterrorism and anti-radicalization efforts, as well as closer political and intelligence cooperation.
“Ultimately, the message is clear: the EU and Saudi Arabia share a strong mutual interest in working together,” the report read.
“With mutual respect, open dialogue, and a pragmatic, forward-looking approach, this partnership can contribute meaningfully to addressing the complex challenges of today’s interconnected world.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Ithra backs Saudi feature ‘Green Corpse’ with film fund award
December 16, 2025
JEDDAH: The King AbdulazizCenter for World Culture has awarded its SR50,000 ($13,333) Ithra Film Fund Development Award to “Green Corpse” by Saudi filmmaker Khaled Zidan.
The work was selected at the Red Sea International Film Festival from Saudi films participating in the Red Sea Film Souk, which supports the development of feature films rooted in local experiences and perspectives.
Inspired by true events in Jazan in 2017, “Green Corpse” follows 18-year-old Malek, a promising sprinter whose personal ambitions conflict with family pressures, his father’s involvement in qat smuggling, and a multi-generational family curse.
The film offers a grounded and emotionally resonant portrayal of life in southern Saudi Arabia.
Zidan is among the Kingdom’s emerging filmmakers and he has previously gained recognition for his award-winning short films, including “Mera, Mera, Mera” and “Othman.”
The project is produced by Bakr Alduhaim, founder of Vues Consultancy and Film Production, known for supporting the international reach of Saudi films.
FerasAlmusharrie, head of the Ithra Film Fund, said the project stood out for its storytelling and authenticity.
He said: “At Ithra, we are proud to support the growth of Saudi cinema by creating development and production opportunities for emerging talent. ‘Green Corpse’ distinguished itself through its compelling narrative, its honest exploration of family responsibility and personal ambition, and its vivid sense of place.”
The winner was selected by a three-member jury comprising director and producer Amjad Abu Alala, filmmaker and producer Sara Balghonaim, and screenwriter Mahmoud Ezzat.
Ithra maintained a strong presence at the Red Sea Film Souk, with a public booth engaging industry professionals.
It participated in festival programming through filmmaker consultations, industry discussions, and a Meet the Saudi Funders session, in which Almusharrie outlined Ithra’s development models and talent pathways. He also led a discussion on the documentary “Anti-Cinema” with director Ali Saeed, following the film’s Jury Award win at the Cairo International Film Festival.
Since launching the Ithra Film Fund in 2018, the center has supported 37 films that have screened at more than 100 international festivals and received over 15 regional and global awards, underscoring Ithra’s role in supporting Saudi Arabia’s growing film industry.
Source: arabnews.com
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AlUla dig uncovers link between Nabataean and Islamic eras
December 16, 2025
RIYADH: New archaeological discoveries in Dadan, AlUla, have revealed evidence that bridges a major historical gap between the Nabataean and early Islamic periods in Wadi Al-Qura, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
A Saudi Arabia-France team from the Royal Commission for AlUla and the French National Center for Scientific Research made the discovery, as a part of the Dadan Archaeological Project.
The study documents, for the first time, detailed archaeological evidence spanning the 3rd to the 7th centuries C.E. in northwestern Arabia — a period once thought to mark a decline in settled habitation after the Nabataean era.
According to the report, excavations conducted between 2021 and 2023 uncovered a large, well-built structure dating back to the late 3rd or early 4th century C.E., which remained in use until the first half of the 7th century.
Researchers say this is the first integrated archaeological evidence confirming continuous settlement in the area between the 5th and 7th centuries C.E.
Findings included a network of rooms and courtyards, a central well and water channels, and signs of agricultural activity, food production, crop storage, and craftsmanship, all pointing to a stable and organized community.
The study employed a multidisciplinary approach, analyzing pottery, stone tools, plant and animal remains, and geological samples to better understand the diet, agriculture, and oasis environment of the period.
Abdulrahman Al-Suhaibani, RCU’s vice president of culture and one of the lead researchers, said the results reveal an important and previously misunderstood chapter in the region’s history.
“These findings show that AlUla was part of a thriving network of settlements across northwestern Arabia in the centuries leading up to the rise of Islam,” Al-Suhaibani said.
“They enhance our understanding of local societies and underscore AlUla’s enduring historical and cultural role.”
The RCU said the discovery supports its mission to advance pioneering archaeological research and strengthen international academic partnerships.
Their findings were recently published in the leading international journal Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy.
The initiative aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to make AlUla a global center for cultural tourism, scientific research, and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage.
Source: arabnews.com
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Riyadh forum to discuss future trends, STEM in education
December 16, 2025
RIYADH: Riyadh will host a scientific conference “Towards a Globally Competitive Future in Education” on Dec. 23 and 24 at King Saud University.
The conference, under the patronage of Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan, has been organized by the Saudi Educational and Psychological Association and the Research Excellence Center for the Development of Science and Mathematics Education.
Conference supervisory committee chair Fayez Al-Fayez said discussions would focus on integrating tertiary institutions to ensure efficient spending, and boost education outcomes, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
He added that the conference will include higher and general education affiliates, as well as stakeholders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Al-Fayez said participants would look at future trends, the role of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education, and highlight effective local practices.
Experts and leaders in general and higher education will look at key factors shaping education in the Kingdom. The event will focus on 12 topics and have 14 research papers presented.
Source: arabnews.com
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Madinah governor receives Egyptian ambassador to Saudi Arabia
December 16, 2025
MADINAH: Madinah Gov. Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz has received Ihab Abu Sarea, the ambassador of Egypt to the Kingdom, in Madinah.
on Tuesday in Jazan, Gov. of Jazan Prince Mohammed bin Nasser met Consul General of Sudan in Jeddah Kamal Ali Othman Taha.
All parties talked cordially and discussed topics of mutual interest at the meetings, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
Source: arabnews.com
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Deal to boost Arab research cooperation
December 16, 2025
RIYADH: The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies has signed a supplementary memorandum of cooperation with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization to strengthen collaboration in education, culture, science, heritage and knowledge.
The appendix builds on an earlier agreement and aims to deepen institutional partnership in intellectual, cultural and scientific research, with a focus on programs linked to the Arabic Narrative project launched by the center three years ago.
It was signed at a ceremony attended by Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, chairman of the King Faisal Center, and ALECSO Director-General Mohamed Ould Amar, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
The agreement reflects both sides’ commitment to high-quality cooperation drawing on the King Faisal Center’s research expertise and ALECSO’s role in advancing Arab culture and knowledge.
Under the memorandum, the two parties will organize specialized scientific and cultural seminars and conferences related to the Arabic narrative.
The cooperation also includes in-depth research on the trajectories of Arab thought and its links to global knowledge, while enriching the initiative’s cultural content through expertise in history, language, heritage and interdisciplinary studies.
Both institutions aim to foster a research environment that produces rigorous scholarship to strengthen the Arab narrative and present it to regional and international audiences.
The agreement also provides for the establishment of the “ALECSO Chair at the King Faisal Center for Arab-Islamic Studies,” marking a new phase of collaboration.
Source: arabnews.com
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Europe
From jihadists to state terrorism, the threats to France's Jewish population
December 17, 2025
AAfew weeks before the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, a senior member of France’s intelligence services spoke of his astonishment that, while anti-Semitic acts had increased in France since the October 7th 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel, and the subsequent Israeli offensive in Gaza, these involved mostly insults and threats and not violent action.
One and a half years on, things have changed. In France, as elsewhere in the West, the Jewish population is the target of numerous organisations and states which employ violence to fulfil their political aims.
Jihadist terrorists
While France’s Jewish community were notably the first terrorism target in the country by the so-called Islamic State group (IS), notably the hostage-taking attack in January 2015 on the Hyper Cacher store on the outskirts of Paris, in which four hostages were murdered, no other IS attack against French Jews has occurred over the following seven years.
As Mediapart has previously revealed, Rachid Kassim, the Franco-Algerian who acted as the jihadist group’s planner of attacks and recruiter, based in Mosul, in Iraq, issued terrorist volunteers with the warning to “not focalise on Jews” so as not to drive attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the detriment of the IS campaigns in Syria and Iraq. That has now changed since the group was militarily ousted from its self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria, beginning in 2017 and finally in 2019.
To recruit and mobilise would-be jihadists to commit terrorist acts, IS now has no hesitation in using the Palestinian cause. In September this year, the group’s newsletter Al-Naba referred to the situation in Gaza and called for terror attacks on targets in France, among other countries.
Illustration 1Enlarge image : Illustration 1
People gather on December 15th at the Bondi Pavilion building at Bondi Beach in Sydney, close to where 15 people attending a celebration of the Jewish religious festival of Hanukkah were killed the previous day by gunmen. © Photo Saeed Khan / AFP
Sources within the French intelligence services have told Mediapart that they see no link between such threats, which emanate from Sunni Muslim jihadists, and Shia pro-Palestinian organisations. According to the sources, Hamas demonstrates no intention of carrying out attacks against targets in Europe, and that for the IS, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a mobilising issue for those who it hopes to recruit.
Those same intelligence contacts say that since the October 7th 2023Hamas attacks against Israel, around half of all the terrorist attacks carried out or thwarted in France have been in connection with the Israeli offensive in Gaza (whether that be the choice of targets or the claimed reasons for the attacks, or both). At the end of last month, two 16-year-old boys were placed under investigation in France (a legal move that is one step short of being charged) for conspiring to commit a terrorist act. The alert was raised after one of them, communicating with a WhatsApp group, declared that he intended to kill Jews within the following five days.
The shooting massacre of 15 people aged between ten and 87 at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday was carried out by a father and his son, Sajid and Naveed Akram. While investigations to establish the exact motive behind the attack on a gathering in celebration of the Jewish religious festival of Hanukkah, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told broadcaster ABC that ‘it would appear” that the gunmen, aged 50 and 24, were “motivated by Islamic State ideology”.
It has emerged that in November the pair travelled together to the Philippines where, it is speculated, they may have received training by Islamists to carry out the attack.
Albanese said Naveed Akram came to the attention of Australian domestic intelligence agency, the ASIO, in 2019. “He was examined on the basis of being associated with others, and the assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence,” he said.
Iran’s strategy of terrorism by proxy
Since the October 7th 2023 Hamas attacks, Iran has stepped up its strategy of organising attacks in the West against Israeli interests and members of Jewish communities.
In May last year, France’s domestic intelligence service, the DGSI, sent a report to the public prosecution services anti-terrorism branch, in which it warned that Iran was recruiting “proxies from the world of organised crime for operational purposes on European soil and characteristic of Iranian state terrorism”. The object, detailed the report, was “to hit civil targets and to increase the feeling of insecurity among the [Iranian political] opposition, and the Jewish and/or Israeli community”.
In France, this included the so-called “Marco Polo affair”, revealed by Mediapart and shared for joint investigation with the journalistic consortium European Investigative Collaborations. The investigation showed how members of the underworld (notably those involved in drugs trafficking), hired by the Tehran regime, planned assassinations early last year of Israeli nationals and members of the Jewish communities in France and Germany. While waiting for the appropriate moment to carry out the murders, they organised arson attacks in the south of France against the premises of companies believed to be owned by Israeli capital.
The Iranian services behind the “proxy” operations is the Quds Force, a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards organisation (also called the Pasdaran), which specialises in unconventional warfare. The strategy is not new, with a number of cases of planned assassinations and violence in European countries officially linked to operations organised by Tehran. In December 2023, a court in the German city of Dusseldorf handed down a prison sentence of two years and nine months to a German-Iranian man found guilty of attacking a school with a petrol bomb in the nearby town of Bochum, in 2022. The intended target, the trial had heard, was a neighbouring synagogue.
The magistrates found that the 36-year-old had been recruited by RaminYektaparast, a former Hells Angel gang leader from Mönchengladbach of Iranian origins, wanted for various crimes, including murder, and who found exile in Iran in 2021. The judges concluded “the plan for the [synagogue] attack stems from an Iranian state institution,” which led to an official complaint by Berlin to Tehran.
Yektaparast, who allegedly organised attacks in Germany from Iran using his criminal contacts, including a shooting attack on a rabbi’s home and a planned assassination of French philosopher and essayist Bernard-Henri Lévy, was named in a German federal court document as working for the Quds Force. He was shot dead in Tehran in 2024, in what was alleged to be an operation by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.
In 2024 there were arson and firearms attacks close to Israeli diplomatic missions in the Belgian capital Brussels, in the Danish capital Copenhagen, and the Sweden’s capital Stockholm. Other incidents last year included an arson attack on the home of the chairman of a Zionist association in Copenhagen, and an attack against an Israeli weapons firm in Sweden.
On June 26th this year in Denmark, police arrested a Danish national of Afghan origin, allegedly recruited by Tehran, accused of reconnoitring a kosher shop in Berlin and monitoring the movements of two leading members of the German Jewish community.
Western intelligence agencies believe that the Tehran regime now prioritises attacks against Jewish structures, such as synagogues or restaurants, considered easier than those against individuals. Before the Boni Beach killings at the weekend, the Pasdaran were behind all the recent arson attacks on Jewish religious targets in Australia.
Mediapart understands that the various French intelligence services have intensified their coordination over recent months in face of the threat against the Jewish community and Israeli targets.
The Kremlin’s destabilisation strategy
As Mediapart revealed earlier this month, French intelligence services obtained evidence that Russia's presidential office approved a plan to target both the Jewish and Muslim communities in France with the aim of sowing division and discord within French society.
Evidence of this strategy came to light when a French intelligence service recently obtained internal Kremlin documents. According to a summary, seen by Mediapart, these show how “[Russia's] presidential office is striving to heighten tensions between these two communities on [French] territory”.
In reports filed in a court case in 2024 and revealed by Mediapart, the French domestic intelligence agency, the DGSI, warned that France was a “favoured target for the Kremlin” and that in order to destabilise states “seen as enemies”, the Russian secret services identify “existing weak spots such as political or inter-community divisions”, which they exploit to “disorient people”. The French counter-espionage service noted that there are “identifiable patterns” in the issues chosen for these Russian interference operations. These are “predominantly” themes linked to immigration, Islam, anti-Semitism, United States hegemony, and major institutions (European Union, NATO), among others.
Following the October 7th 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel, Russia’s initial aim to focus its efforts on the genocidal war waged in return by Israel in Gaza was shown through destabilisation operations that were aimed solely at the Jewish community. Three weeks after the Hamas attacks, more than 250 Stars of David were sprayed on the walls of several buildings in the Paris region.
Already, in May 2024, two weeks after some students at Sciences Po university in Paris had daubed their hands red during pro-Palestine protests - a symbol that sparked a row because it recalled the killing of two Israeli soldiers in October 2000, at the start of the second Intifada - 35 red hands were painted on the Shoah Memorial in Paris, over the plaques listing the names of those who saved Jews during the second World War.
A new Kremlin destabilisation strategy was applied between May and September 2025. First came the “green paint” attacks. On the night of May 30th 2025 synagogues, a restaurant and - once again - the Shoah Memorial were vandalised when masked men sprayed walls with green paint. Three Serbian nationals were later detained in Antibes in the south of France as they tried to leave the country. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office they were identified thanks to CCTV footage and phone records.
The second phase of the operation came three months later. On the night of September 8th 2025, around 10 pigs’ heads - some of them with the word “MACRON” daubed on them in blue paint - were dumped outside nine Muslim places of worship in the Paris region. The following day the Paris prosecutor’s office denounced what it called a “clear desire to stir disorder within the country”.
The far-right
While anti-Semitic abuse can be found on social media posts and in publications circulating among radical far-right circles in France, anti-Semitism is, in the words of a French intelligence officer, no longer “the major motivation” for the perpetration of violence. The preferred targets of the most dangerous militants among them are centred on Arabs, Muslims, migrants and women.
In a 2024 report entitled “Terrorism in France – A panorama of radical movements in 2024,” Alexandre Rodde, an analyst with the anti-terrorism branch of the French gendarmerie, observed that elements of the far-right “remain divided over the Israel-Palestine conflict, some militants supporting Hamas and calling for an ‘intifada’ because of their anti-Semitism, while others declare they support ‘neither kippa nor keffiyeh’ and want to see a ‘Christian Jerusalem’”.
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Keir Starmer vows to confront the Islamist extremist threat to UK Jews
December 16, 2025
By LEE HARPIN
Keir Starmer has vowed to confront the threat posed to the UK’s Jewish community by Islamist extremism.
The Prime made these remarks during a Chanukah commemoration at Downing Street, where he spoke alongide Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, his wife Victoria, and members of her family, including her 97 year-old Jewish father.
Jewish people must not be “cowed by terror”, Starmer later said as he vowed to root out antisemitism in the UK.
At Tuesday’s event, staged in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach terror attack, the Prime Minister lit the shamash candle, before Rabbi Mirvis lit the candles and delivered the blessings.
Those in the packed room then united in signing the traditional Chanukah song Ma’ozTzur.
Rabbi Mirvis had attended the event immediately before flying out to Sydney to be with the community there, including his own relatives, still reeling after Sunday’s massacre at a Chanukah commemoration on Bondi Beach, that left 15 dead.
“Our festival of light commenced this year under the clouds of the darkness of the horrific terrorist attack on Bondi Beach in Sydney,” Rabbi Mirvis told attendees in a moving speech.
The Chief Rabbi noted that Chanukah is a festival rooted in the land of Israel, and while last year’s featival took place during the horrific conflict in Gaza, this year had seen a ceasefire.
“We have seen the return of all living hostages, and all except one body who was murdered, come home,” added Mirvis.
Source: jewishnews.co.uk
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https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-vows-to-confront-the-islamist-extremist-threat-to-uk-jews/
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Man, who promoted 'violent jihad' online jailed
17 December 2025
A 22-year-old man who promoted "violent jihad" by sharing online content has been jailed.
A mobile phone found at Cameron Gloria De Almeida's home in Leeds linked him to a cloud-based storage account he had used "to share electronic libraries of terrorist publications", counter terrorism police said.
At Leeds Crown Court in July, he admitted five counts of disseminating terrorist publications and one charge of conspiracy to commit robbery.
At the same court on Tuesday, he was sentenced to four years in jail with an additional year on extended licence.
Working with West Yorkshire Police, Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE) said De Almeida, of Garnet Place, Beeston, was arrested on 1 March.
The storage account included "lectures promoting violent jihad", CTPNE said.
Evidence of the conspiracy to commit robbery was also discovered on the phone, revealing discussions between De Almeida and an unknown individual who planned an armed robbery on a delivery driver.
CTPNE said officers also seized two balaclavas and a knife from his address.
"Sharing terrorist publications is a serious offence and the impact of doing so is not restricted to the online space," said Det Ch Supt James Dunkerley, head of CTPNE.
"All too often we see the real-world implications of individuals who have been influenced by such material or even motivated to take part in terrorist acts or activity."
He added: "He knew the potential implications of his actions but foolishly believed he could hide behind a cloud-based storage account known for its robust privacy measures."
Source: .bbc.com
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Proposed definition of anti-Muslim hatred leaked
16 December 2025
Tim Dieppe comments on the government’s leaked definition of ‘anti-Muslim hatred’
Yesterday, the proposed definition of ‘Islamophobia’ which has been kept secret for weeks, but has been shown to multiple sympathetic campaigners, was published by the BBC.
The government set up a working group to propose a definition earlier this year, and their work has been kept secret from the public.
The definition has shifted away from the term ‘Islamophobia’ which is a welcome change, but it still poses very significant problems for free speech.
The definition
The full proposed definition, which is now of ‘Anti-Muslim hostility’ reads as follows:
No new definition needed
I have long argued that no new definition is needed. British Muslims are already protected from discrimination and harassment in law. The terms ‘anti-Muslim hatred’ or ‘anti-Muslim hostility’ are clear and sufficient in themselves. Any definition of ‘Islamophobia’ risks conflating criticism of the religion of Islam with hatred or hostility towards Muslims. The proposed definition does not fall into this particular trap, no doubt because of how successfully this has been explained by us and others.
The timing of the publication of this definition could not be worse. The Telegraph reports that the government planned to publish its proposed definition on Monday but realised that publication in the immediate aftermath of the Bondi Beach bloodbath by antisemitic Islamic terrorists would not look good.
So, it has held back on a public announcement. Even this government recognises that proposing to curb criticism of Islam in the light of blatant Islamic terrorism would not be a good look.
Problems with the definition
The first paragraph of the definition largely repeats what is already illegal. Criminal acts are illegal by definition. There is no need for this aspect of the definition, because it is already law. It adds nothing to what we all already know.
It is the second paragraph where the worst dangers lurk. What exactly constitutes “prejudicial stereotyping”? Or stating that Muslims have “set characteristics”.
If I said: “Muslims don’t eat pork.” – would that count? There is nothing to indicate it wouldn’t.
A whole load of other statements could fall foul of this definition. Here are some:
“Muslims don’t drink alcohol.”
“Muslims believe in Allah.”
“Muslims believe Muhammad was a prophet.”
“Muslims believe the Qur’an.”
“Muslims don’t believe the Trinity.”
“Muslims don’t worship the same God as Christians.”
“Muslims don’t worship Jesus.”
. . .
This doesn’t even get into claims about what Islam teaches – such as polygamy, for example, let alone jihad! It is clear that many, many statements about Muslims could fall foul of this definition, even though they are true and legitimate things to say.
What is racialisation?
Then there is the question of “racialisation”. What exactly does this mean? Islam is not a race and does not see itself as a race. Islam is a religion, not a race. This is about beliefs, not racial characteristics. Being Muslim is about choosing certain beliefs. Whereas you cannot chose your ethnicity or racial characteristics. Thus, while it should be entirely valid and fair to criticise someone’s beliefs, it is not fair or valid to criticise someone merely on the basis of their skin colour. We must be free to scrutinise and challenge ideas or beliefs of any and every religion or worldview. Islam should not be exempt from this on a fake basis that it is racial.
Activists are keen to liken ‘Islamophobia’ or ‘anti-Muslim hostility’ to racism – in order to shut down criticism of Islam. If they can deem criticism of Islamic beliefs or practices as a form of racism, then this will serve to put such criticism out of bounds. It is not entirely clear how to read this definition, but you can be sure that activists will exploit it to deem criticism of Islam as racism. If the government adopts this definition, then it will be playing into these activists’ game plan.
The notorious APPG definition of Islamophobia defined Islamophobia as “rooted in racism” and “a type of racism.” The Network of Sikh Organisations wrote to the then Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner MP, last year pointing out that Islam is not a race and that therefore this definition conflicts with the Equality Act. The government was forced to admit that, yes Islam is not a race within the terms of the Equality Act, and so the APPG definition is in conflict with the Equality Act. If ‘racialisation’ remains in the new definition, it will also conflict with the Equality Act. The government surely cannot adopt a definition which clearly conflicts with existing law.
What is bias?
In the final paragraph we have: “the creation or use of practices and biases within institutions – is intended to disadvantage Muslims in public and economic life.” Well, who defines what these alleged biases are?
What if a school decides to ban Islamic prayers in the school playground? That could be deemed a bias intended to disadvantage Muslims. This has happened, of course. The Michaela School in Brent was taken to court for banning Islamic prayer rituals at the school. Fortunately, the school won. If this definition had been in place, the judge might have been pressed to take a different view.
Would it be biased to insist a witness remove their veil in court? Would it be biased to argue that the burka ought to be banned in public? Would it be biased to suggest that all religious marriages should be registered in law so as to protect the rights of Muslim women? Would it be biased to call for lower numbers of Muslim immigrants, or to suggest that Islam is influencing our culture in negative ways, especially in relation to free speech?
Curbing Free Speech
So, as I have shown, the new definition is hardly better than the old one. In a similar manner, it will serve to curb free speech in relation to Islam. This should not really be a surprise since members of the working group set up to propose a new definition supported the old APPG definition.
If the government adopts this as its official definition it will be a very significant moment in this country. While it will not actually be a blasphemy law, it will effectively be a blasphemy code in relation to Islam. It won’t actually be a criminal offence to say something which falls foul of this definition, but you could lose your job and have your speech recorded against you as a non-crime hate incident. Anyone working in any government organisation, the whole public sector, police and the courts will start to implement this definition. This includes schools, the NHS, the civil service etc. Activists will pressure companies and private businesses to adopt this definition. We will then have what amounts to de facto blasphemy laws.
Already, we have the police and the Crown Prosecution Service prosecuting people for burning a copy of the Qur’an and arresting street preachers for questioning what the Qur’an says. This is not happening to people who question what the Bible says! Adopting this definition will only serve to increase the intimidation that people already feel, and which causes most people to self-censor any criticism they may have of Islamic beliefs or practices. This is what it is like to live in a totalitarian society.
Adoption of this definition must be stopped. Do write to your MP pointing out that this will be a serious infringement of free speech and urging them to tell the government not to adopt this definition. The lack of clarity in this definition means it is wide open to exploitation by activists, and that is exactly what we will see if it is adopted.
Source: christianconcern.com
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https://christianconcern.com/comment/proposed-definition-of-anti-muslim-hatred-released/
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Polish authorities foil Islamic State-inspired Christmas market attack plot
16/12/2025
A 19-year-old law student at Poland's Catholic University of Lublin has been arrested for allegedly planning a terrorist attack in support of the IS jihadist group. He faces between 12 years and life imprisonment if convicted.
A first-year law student at the Catholic University of Lublin was arrested by Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) over a foiled plan to commit a terrorist attack, officials said.
Mateusz W, 19, a Polish citizen from a Catholic family, allegedly intended to join a terrorist organisation and was planning an attack in a public place in support of the so-called Islamic State group (IS). He was arrested on 30 November and will remain in custody for three months.
The National Public Prosecutor's Office said ABW officers searched locations in the Łódź and Lublin provinces, seizing data storage devices and other items that may serve as evidence.
"Searches were carried out during which data carriers, including Mateusz W's mobile phone, and objects related to the Islamic religion were secured," said Katarzyna Calów-Jaszewska of the National Prosecutor's Office.
"Mateusz W's activities included conducting conversations and establishing contacts, including with representatives of the Islamic State, as well as collecting information about explosives and the possibilities of obtaining them."
Prosecutors said his activities "did not go beyond the preparation phase" and were limited to conversations about planning an attack "in a public place where 10 to 20 people could be present". References to a Christmas market appeared in conversations but no specific location was identified.
Jacek Dobrzynski, spokesman for the Minister-Coordinator of Special Services, said the student was "strongly fascinated by Islam and terrorism and sought to establish contacts with the Islamic State." He added that ABW's actions "prevented a tragedy".
Dobrzyński said Mateusz W is a Polish citizen from central Poland whose parents are also Polish. Neither Dobrzyński nor prosecutors specified which city the attack was planned for, saying they did not want to "create panic".
University suspends suspect
The investigation is being conducted by the ABW's Szczecin branch under supervision of the West Pomeranian Branch of the Department for Organised Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor's Office in Szczecin.
The Catholic University of Lublin received information from the court on 8 December about the student's temporary arrest, which was applied on 2 December, according to university spokesman Wojciech Andrusiewicz.
The student has been suspended and could face further penalties, including expulsion.
Christmas markets in Europe, particularly in Germany, have been targeted in several attacks in recent years.
Perpetrators have typically used vehicles, knives or explosives, often after being radicalised by extremist propaganda.
Last week, German police foiled a planned attack in Lower Bavaria where five men allegedly intended to ram a vehicle into a crowd at a Christmas market in an undisclosed town.
Authorities across Europe have introduced additional security measures at Christmas markets, including barriers and checkpoints.
Source: euronews.com
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https://www.euronews.com/2025/12/16/polish-authorities-foil-islamic-state-inspired-christmas-market-attack-plot
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New Islamic community centre in Banbury is declared open for use
By Jack Ingham
16th Dec 2025
A new Islamic centre for learning and community activities has been opened in Banbury.
Banbury MP Sean Woodcock joined senior members of the town’s Muslim community on Saturday, December 13, to officially declare the Umar Centre open for use.
The centre – part of Banbury’s Madni Masjid mosque, which is the largest in town – will host various educational programmes, community events and clubs.
A spokesperson for the mosque said: “We are delighted to announce the official opening of the Umar Centre.
“Today marks a significant milestone, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to our partners, stakeholders and community members who joined us to celebrate this occasion.
“The Umar Centre is a space created for the community, open, welcoming and accessible for all.”
Various courses, such as GCSE support, English lessons and cooking clubs, have already been confirmed to take place at the centre.
The centre will also host mindfulness and relaxation sessions, as well as a two-day domestic abuse awareness course in the New Year.
A leader at the mosque added: “The Umar Centre is built on the belief that every person deserves a safe, supportive and inspiring place to learn and grow.
“We are proud to open our doors to the community and look forward to seeing the centre become a place where people of all ages can come together, share knowledge and build better futures.”
The community centre is located on West Street in Grimsbury.
Source: banburyguardian.co.uk
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https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/business/new-islamic-community-centre-in-banbury-is-declared-open-for-use-5444409
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Dundee SNP MP accidentally backs ex-Reform MP’s Muslim visa ban motion
by Alasdair Clark
December 16 2025
Dundee MP Chris Law accidentally signed a motion from ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe calling on the government to review visa routes with countries at risk of Islamist extremism.
Mr Lowe took to X on Tuesday to publicly praise the Dundee Central MP for “putting country first” and backing his motion on tackling “Islamist extremism”.
The motion calls on parliament to recognise the “ongoing threat posed by Islamist extremists who seek to carry out terror attacks in the United Kingdom”.
It says the government should “review and, where necessary, suspend visa routes from countries designated as high-risk for terrorism and extremist activity”.
It also calls for “heightened vigilance against domestic radicalisation, including stronger oversight of institutions where extremist ideology may be promoted”.
Thanking Chris Law, Rupert Lowe said: “Important news. An SNP MP has signed my cross-party parliamentary motion on tackling Islamist extremism.
“Thank you [Chris Law SNP] – putting country first.
“Conservative, Northern Irish, independent and now SNP support. Progress. Let’s keep pushing.”
Dundee MP accidentally signed wrong motion
But SNP sources have confirmed Mr Law never intended to sign the motion from the former Reform UK MP.
He was instead attempting to put his support behind a routine early day motion in the House of Commons from Arbroath and Broughty Ferry MP Stephen Gethins welcoming a new wellbeing centre in Angus.
Known as early day motions (EDMs), the statements do not become law if they are supported by MPs but are instead a way for backbench parliamentarians to draw attention to issues, campaigns or events.
This EDM appeared next on the order paper after Mr Lowe’s, and Mr Law had signed the wrong one in error.
It is understood the House of Commons table office is in the process of removing Mr Law’s signature, which appeared online.
Source: thecourier.co.uk
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https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/politics/5395753/dundee-chris-law-rupert-lowe-muslim-ban-motion/
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ICESCO highlights cultural unity at Uzbekistan Culture Days in Azerbaijan
16 December 2025
VafaGuliyeva
The Regional Office of ICESCO in Baku took part in the Uzbekistan Culture Days held in Azerbaijan, describing the events as a “true celebration of cultural unity.”
According to the organization, the festivities highlighted shared historical legacies, recognizable traditional motifs, and the spiritual closeness that has connected the peoples of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan for centuries, Caliber.Az reports per local media.
Maryam Gafarzada, Assistant Director of the ICESCO Baku Regional Office, said that the event was a “festival of culture, music, and diversity.” She emphasized the deep historical, cultural, and spiritual ties between the two countries. “Uzbekistan is our fraternal, neighboring country. Common traditions, language, religion, and history form a rich heritage that brings our peoples closer together. Therefore, it is particularly gratifying for us to participate in such gatherings,” she said.
Gafarzada noted that Uzbekistan Culture Days in Azerbaijan serve as another affirmation of the strong bonds between the two nations and demonstrate the genuine interest that Uzbek culture generates among Azerbaijan’s creative intelligentsia, students, scholars, and the wider public.
She further highlighted the growing importance of fostering unity within the Turkic world. “We are united by a shared history, common culture, and distinctive identity, as well as a wealth of diverse traditions. The Regional Office of ICESCO in Baku works with five countries — Azerbaijan and the Central Asian states of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It is both an honor and a source of pride to witness our countries coming together within the framework of the Turkic and Islamic world,” she said.
Gafarzada also drew attention to Samarkand’s designation this year as the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World, describing it as a decision of special significance. “The city’s rich heritage, history, architecture, and distinctive character, along with its association with eminent thinkers and scholars, deserve to be showcased on a global stage. As a Regional Office, we actively work to promote this cultural heritage and the legacies of outstanding figures such as Abu Ali Ibn Sina, Al-Khwarizmi, Imam al-Bukhari, and others,” she added.
Opened on December 14, the Uzbekistan Culture Days in Azerbaijan aim to strengthen friendship, develop humanitarian cooperation, and expand cultural dialogue. The event will continue until December 20.
The closing ceremony will take place at the MirzoUlugbek secondary school in Fuzuli, built by Uzbekistan in 2023.
A cultural program for the Uzbek delegation is also planned in Baku.
This follows the Days of Uzbek Culture in Baku in 2023 and Days of Azerbaijani Culture in Tashkent in 2024.
Source: caliber.az
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https://caliber.az/en/post/icesco-highlights-cultural-unity-at-uzbekistan-culture-days-in-azerbaijan
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Timeline: Paul Doyle's journey to causing Liverpool parade horror
Jonny Humphries
17 December 2025
Paul Doyle's loss of temper on the day of the Liverpool parade attack, described by the sentencing judge as "incomprehensible", may never be fully explained.
There seemed little cause for the 54-year-old to feel so aggrieved by the crowds blocking the roads as they celebrated at Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade on 26 May.
Whatever the reason, he is now serving a sentence of 21 years and six months after pleading guilty to 31 offences including dangerous driving, affray and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
This is how Doyle's increasing aggression on the roads developed into catastrophe over one afternoon, starting at 12:34 BST when a friend who he had agreed to drive to the parade arrived at his home.
12:34 – Paul Doyle's friend Dave Clark and his family arrive at his home in Croxteth, Liverpool. The Clark family are Liverpool fans and Doyle, an Everton fan, has agreed to drive them into the city centre to watch the parade.
12:41 – Doyle leaves home with Mr Clark and his family. On the "mundane" journey into the city, they speak about house prices, schools, football, cars, their common work in IT and family matters.
He then drops them off on Exchange Street East, where footage showed him driving calmly and following the traffic measures on Dale Street.
13:35 – Doyle arrives home after dropping his friends off on Exchange Street East. The court heard that while it did not form part of the dangerous driving charge, he "drove in a markedly more aggressive way" on his way home, jumping lanes and undertaking other vehicles.
14:30 – The victory parade starts at Allerton Maze, in the the south of Liverpool.
17:24 – Doyle sends Mr Clark a message asking "how's it going?" and is told his friend is on Castle Street, close to Dale Street and Water Street.
17:29 – Doyle sets off from his house to return to the city centre. He instructs the sat-nav system in his Ford Galaxy car to take him to Castle Street. On the way, he undertakes several cars and runs a red light.
17:40 – The Liverpool FC parade finishes when the buses arrive outside the Liver Building on the waterfront.
17:48 – Mr Clark sends Doyle a message telling him signal is poor. Doyle says he will be at Castle Street in about 10 minutes but does not reply when Mr Clark asks if he wants them to walk anywhere. Mr Clark also tells him he might find the area of Castle Street blocked.
17:54 – Doyle arrives on Dale Street from Byrom Street, having undertaken a series of other vehicles at traffic lights and gone around a roundabout in the wrong lane, coming close to pedestrians who are crossing the road.
He uses his horn and presses on down the road, despite a dense crowd of fans heading back from the waterfront. He drives through a red light at the junction with Stanley Street.
17:58 – A man walking with his child, who has not been identified, becomes concerned about Doyle's driving and places his foot on the bumper of the Ford Galaxy as he moves his child out of the way. He points at Doyle, who responds by shouting: "It's a [expletive] road."
After this interaction, Doyle continues to drive in the direction of the increasingly worried crowd, some of whom bang on his car roof.
He blasts his car horn and shouts further obscenities. Adults jump out of his way and children are pulled from his path.
He initially stops ahead of traffic cones put in place to divert traffic away from Water Street, which is full of fans, but then steers into the left lane.
The first person he hits is Jack Trotter, 23, who attempts to get out of the way but suffers an injury to his leg. He then drives into a group of people who are thrown onto his bonnet. He hits another group of people and then drives into a 10-year-old girl, before shouting "[Expletive] move".
He carries on down Water Street, striking more people, including Jacqueline McClaren, 60, and paramedic Jay Vernon, 34. He reverses and collides with an ambulance.
Doyle stops for a short time and fans surround his vehicle. One, ex soldier Dan Barr, opens the rear passenger door and gets into the car.
Doyle then accelerates again, hitting Simon Nash, who is thrown into the air. Driving sharply to the right, he hits Sheree Aldridge and the pram she is pushing, carrying six-month-old baby Teddy Eveson.
The pram, with Teddy in, is thrown into the air but the baby is uninjured. Ms Aldridge suffers a serious injury to her left thigh.
From the back of the car, Mr Barr leans forward and holds the automatic gear selector in park mode. Doyle continues to try and accelerate but eventually the car, with four people underneath it, comes to a stop.
18:01 – Doyle is dragged from his vehicle and quickly shielded from the crowd by police officers. In the two minutes since he drove into the crowd, 134 people have been hit.
Doyle pleaded not guilty to 31 charges when he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on 4 September, with a trial scheduled for November.
Jurors were sworn in on 25 November but he changed his pleas the following day as the prosecution prepared to open its case.
Source: bbc.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1e49x686e6o
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EU ‘light years away’ from seizing Russian assets – Polish PM
16 Dec, 2025
The EU is “light years away” from using frozen Russian assets to militarily prop up Ukraine or “rebuild” the country, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has admitted.
Finding themselves bereft of unlimited US military backing, EU leaders have been seeking to find a legal mechanism to use Russia’s sovereign funds to continue arming Ukraine. The idea of tapping into the funds, most likely by using them as collateral for loans to Ukraine, has been strongly objected to within the bloc and by legal scholars.
The EU is likely to use “various indirect mechanisms” to tap into the assets rather than confiscate them outright, Tusk said on Monday. The PM made the remarks while commenting on the EU’s recent move to tighten its grip on the frozen Russian assets and prevent their premature release.
“From that point to the potential use of these funds for rebuilding Ukraine – let alone for military support for Ukraine – we are still light years away,” Tusk told reporters. “However, there are various indirect mechanisms, for example, the possibility of using these funds as a financial lever, that is, as loan guarantees,” he added.
The difference in the EU and the US position on the potential confiscation of Russian assets is “absolutely obvious,” Tusk said. Washington has repeatedly urged the bloc to exercise caution on the matter, arguing it would only complicate or completely derail the negotiation efforts of the Trump administration, the PM added.
“The Americans say: leave these Russian assets alone, because it’s hard to sit down at the negotiating table with Putin and say, ‘Let’s make a compromise, but we’re taking your money.’ This is the American argument,” he said.
Last week, the EU invoked its rarely used emergency powers to circumvent potential vetoes by individual member countries and prevent release of the assets. The “temporary” measure prohibits “any transfers of Central Bank of Russia assets immobilized in the EU back to Russia.”
Moscow has strongly condemned the move, reiterating its position that it regards any tampering with its funds as “theft,” no matter how it is framed. Tapping into the funds would be illegal under international law regardless of any “pseudo-legal tricks Brussels employs to justify it,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has stated.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/629526-eu-russian-frozen-assets/
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Zelensky stealing election before it has been announced
16 Dec, 2025
Currently, with intense diplomacy taking place to – perhaps – end the Ukraine conflict, questions surrounding Kiev’s domestic politics may seem secondary. However, in reality, they are as important as the search for peace.
There are two reasons: First, Ukrainians have a right to finally be released from their perverse bondage to what is, in effect, a long-ago failed Western proxy war against Russia. Those still in denial about this fact should check out a recent interview with a former Biden administration policy official. Amanda Sloat has casually admitted that much now: The war could have been avoided if the West had not insisted on NATO membership prospects for Ukraine, which never really existed anyhow.
Observers not blinded by Western propaganda – including this author – were warning that, for Ukraine, this fake NATO perspective was a road to catastrophe. But the Sloats of this world refused to listen. Why then did the West want the war? To diminish Russia by using Ukraine as a battering ram and Ukrainians as cannon fodder.
Secondly – and more practically – no peace will last without an end to Ukraine’s ultra-corrupt current authoritarian regime. Talk about defending “democracy” in Ukraine is absurd. Under Vladimir Zelensky, there is no such thing left. By now, even some Western mainstream commentators are starting to admit Zelensky’s authoritarianism. Yet the former entertainment producer and vulgar comedian started systematically undermining what little democracy Ukraine used to have well before the escalation of February 2022, as Ukrainian observers and critics at the time widely discussed and deplored.
Zelensky’s regime is so corrupt and has sold out its own people so badly to the West that a lasting peace threatens it not only with losing power, which it certainly would, but also with a wave of prosecutions starting at the very top, with Zelensky himself and rolling down like an avalanche. Put differently, this is a regime that would always be tempted to re-start the war to distract from the retribution it must fear.
That is why US President Donald Trump is right to call for presidential elections in Ukraine. Moreover, Zelensky has extended his mandate on flimsy grounds and thereby usurped power even formally. The often-heard claim that Ukraine cannot hold presidential elections in wartime, by the way, is badly misleading, and a thoroughly politically motivated misrepresentation of the facts: In reality, the Ukrainian constitution only prohibits parliamentary elections in time of war. Elections for the presidency are impeded by ordinary laws which can, of course, easily and legally be changed by the majority which Zelensky controls in parliament. That is merely a question of political will, not legality.
By now, even Zelensky and Kiev’s political elite admit the above. Indeed, Zelensky has charged parliament with devising procedures for such elections. So, you may ask, what about his regime and its Western propagandists claiming for over a year that this is simply illegal and can’t be welcome? Simple: that was a big fat lie. Welcome to Zelensky world and its crooked reflection in the mirror cabinet of the Western mainstream media.
Yet curb your enthusiasm. In all likelihood, Zelensky remains dishonest – really, does he even have another mode? – and is engaging not in a genuine attempt to finally allow Ukrainians their long overdue say about his horrific rule. Instead, it is – alas! – much more plausible to interpret his turn toward elections as yet another tactic of stalling and deception.
For one thing, he and his team are trying to set conditions that seem designed to prevent the elections again, while blaming others, first of all Russia, of course. In essence, their demands boil down to, once again, pushing for either more Western arms or a ceasefire that they can abuse instead of the full peace agreement that is actually needed. Moscow will not agree to such a scheme, as Kiev knows very well.
In addition, this would not be the Zelensky regime if it did not also ask for even more Western money. This time, the shameless idea is that the West must pay for elections in Ukraine – presumably because that is how democracy works in a sovereign country.
Things can get even worse: There is also the possibility, pointed out by Ukrainian observers, that Zelensky and his fixers are planning to shift the whole presidential election online. If they do, falsification in Zelensky’sfavor is de facto guaranteed.
In sum, there is no good reason to believe Zelensky is really ready to give up power – because that is what elections would mean – to make way for a return to a more normal type of politics. His current statements and gestures seemingly indicating the opposite are meant to deceive, most of all, the West. Neither Ukrainians nor Russia is likely to believe him anyhow.
There is a glimmer of hope, however: The fact alone that Trump has challenged Zelensky in this area and that the latter’s European backers cannot shield him from that challenge is a good sign. As is the fact, of course, that Zelensky has felt pressured and cornered enough to not revert to the old lie that presidential elections are not possible in wartime.
Instead, Ukraine’s past-best-by leader has implicitly admitted they – and that he was lying before – and is now forced to deploy stalling techniques. That in and of itself, like Ukraine’s escalating corruption scandals, shows that Zelensky’s grip is slipping. And that is good for everyone, including Ukrainians. For without an end to the Zelensky regime, it is likely that no peace can be made and certain that no peace can last.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/629520-zelensky-ukraine-election-conditions/
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EU admits corruption scandal forced Zelensky into peace talks – WaPo
16 Dec, 2025
The ongoing corruption scandal in Ukraine involving Vladimir Zelensky's inner circle has forced him into negotiations on a US-backed peace plan, which he and his European backers had previously rejected, the Washington Post has reported, citing EU officials.
Kiev was rocked by its latest major graft scandal last month when Zelensky's close associate, Timur Mindich, was accused of running a $100 million kickback scheme in the energy sector. The investigation led to the resignations of Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, and other top officials.
The scandal has weakened the Ukrainian leader’s negotiating position at a critical stage of talks with Washington, EU diplomats told the outlet on Monday.
According to one senior official cited by the outlet, Kiev has “never been as serious as we are right now,” linking the shift to “the whole scandal on corruption and the whole domestic mess.”
Domestic pressure on Zelensky has coincided with an intensified US push for a breakthrough in peace talks. During negotiations in Berlin on Monday, Washington reportedly offered Kiev NATO-style security guarantees comparable to the bloc’s Article 5 collective defense clause.
However, US negotiators warned that the offer “will not be on the table forever,” urging Zelensky to accept Washington’s terms, according to officials cited by The Telegraph.
US officials have said that around 90% of the proposed peace framework has already been agreed, but acknowledged that progress has stalled on key issues, including Ukraine ceding territory and accepting Russia's control over the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
Zelensky has continued to refuse to recognize Russia’s new borders, suggesting that Ukraine could hold a referendum on possible territorial concessions and organize long-delayed presidential elections if binding Western security guarantees are secured beforehand.
Russia has said it will establish control over its sovereign territories one way or another, stressing that any settlement must reflect realities on the ground and address the root causes of the conflict.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/629527-ukraine-turmoil-us-deal/
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Berlin warns opponents of Ukraine ‘reparations loan’ plan
16 Dec, 2025
Countries that refuse to back the so-called “reparations loan” for Ukraine plan, backed by frozen Russian assets, are bound to suffer severe economic consequences, German Europe Minister Gunther Krichbaum has claimed.
Last week, the EU tightened its grip on the frozen Russian central bank assets by invoking Article 122, an economic emergency treaty clause that allows approval by a qualified majority rather than unanimity of member states. The move has been strongly condemned within the bloc and by legal scholars, while Moscow labeled any attempt to tamper with its assets as “theft.”
Speaking ahead of a ministerial meeting in Brussels on Monday, Krichbaum threatened those member states opposing the scheme with severe financial and economic consequences.
“Any country that now rejects this proposal for a reparations loan must also be aware that this is likely to have a negative impact on its credit rating,” he claimed.
Any alternative to the “reparations loan” scheme would be costly for EU countries, Krichbaum warned. Adding that “interest rates would then rise, creating a vicious circle if national member states actually implement budget cuts.”
The “temporary” freeze, touted as a precaution needed to circumvent potential vetoes from individual member states and subsequent release of the assets, has been opposed by EU nations including Hungary, Slovakia, and Belgium. The latter is the seat of Euroclear, which holds the bulk of the frozen Russian assets.
Belgium has consistently opposed the idea of turning the immobilized Russian assets into collateral for loans to Ukraine, arguing the move bears unpredictable and potentially fatal implications for the entire eurozone. Tampering with the assets would be tantamount to confiscating them, scaring investors away, and pushing government borrowing costs up, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has warned.
Moscow has strongly condemned the latest EU move, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warning that tapping into the funds would be illegal under international law regardless of any “pseudo-legal tricks Brussels employs to justify it.”
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/629530-ukraine-loan-russian-assets/
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North America
Muslim council sounds alarm after alleged Islamophobic attack on Montreal Uber driver
Isaac Olson
Dec 16, 2025
Montreal police say their hate crimes unit is investigating after an Uber driver reported being threatened by a passenger with an edged weapon during a ride earlier this month, an incident the National Council of Canadian Muslims says has raised concerns about increasing Islamophobic violence.
Police say the incident happened Dec. 6 around 11:45 p.m. ET near Rue du Square-Victoria and Rue Saint-Antoine in the Ville-Marie borough. A 39-year-old driver reported being verbally confronted by one of two passengers and at one point an edged weapon was shown.
After an exchange, the driver stopped the vehicle and the two passengers got out, police said.
The driver later went to a police station to report the incident. Montreal police say the file was transferred to the hate crimes unit due to threats that targeted the driver’s name. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
Police say both the suspect and a witness are being sought, and it is unclear whether they know each other.
'Rise in hate crimes across the country': NCCM
In a news release, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said the suspect demanded the driver disclose his faith before threatening him, saying, “I’m going to slit your throat.”
The suspect then pulled out a knife, but the potential attack was averted because the other passenger intervened, the NCCM said.
In an interview Tuesday evening, NCCM CEO Stephen Brown said the driver came to the organization for assistance in navigating the case, saying he was shaken by the attack and is unwilling to speak to the media at this point.
Brown said the incident highlights the increasing violence that Muslims, especially women who wear a hijab, face in Quebec and across Canada.
“We’re seeing the rise in hate crimes across the country,” said Brown, adding that in Quebec the rise appears to mirror public discourse. “Right now, there’s a lot of tension in society.”
In August, the Islamophobia Research Hub at York University released a report calling on governments across Canada to increase oversight on how universities, schools, police forces and Parliament are dealing with a recent spike in instances of anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism.
In Quebec, Brown pointed to the provincial government’s recent push of Bill 9, a proposed law that would expand existing secularism rules by extending bans on religious symbols to subsidized daycare workers, limiting prayer spaces in public institutions and restricting group prayers in public spaces.
The government says the bill reinforces state religious neutrality, while critics argue it would disproportionately affect religious minorities.
Leaders urged to condemn alleged attack
“There’s a lot of talk about having to protect society from radical Islamists, but very little is done to differentiate between average, everyday Muslims who are just trying to live their lives and the handful of people doing unacceptable things,” said Brown.
Brown said government measures restricting public prayer and the wearing of veils blur the line for the public between extremism and the peaceful practice of Islam.
“When people aren’t able to differentiate between radical Islamists and an Uber driver, this is the kind of thing that happens,” he said, urging politicians and public leaders to speak out.
“No one in Quebec should fear for their life because of their religion,” the NCCM said in the news release. “We call on Quebec politicians and leaders to strongly condemn this Islamophobic act and take concrete measures to reduce tensions across the province.”
CBC News contacted Uber for comment and is waiting for a response. Montreal police say they are staying in touch with the driver as the investigation continues.
Source: cbc.ca
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/islamophobia-alleged-attack-montreal-uber-driver-muslim-council-9.7018977
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Muslim rights group sues DeSantis over 'foreign terrorist' label
December 16, 2025
ORLANDO - A leading Muslim civil rights group in the U.S. has sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over his order designating it and another organization as a "foreign terrorist organization," saying the directive was unconstitutional.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, known as CAIR, has more than 20 chapters across the United States and its work involves legal actions, advocacy and education outreach.
The lawsuit was filed late Monday by the CAIR-Foundation and CAIR-Florida, its affiliate in the state. The suit asked a federal judge in Tallahassee to declare DeSantis' order unlawful and unconstitutional and prevent it from being enforced.
"He has usurped the exclusive authority of the federal government to identify and designate terrorist organizations by baselessly declaring CAIR a terrorist organization," the lawsuit says.
CAIR said in the lawsuit that it was targeted by DeSantis for defending the free speech rights of people in cases in which state officials and officials elsewhere had tried to punish or silence those who had expressed support for Palestinian human rights.
The order by DeSantis last week also gives the same "foreign terrorist" label to the Muslim Brotherhood, a pan-Arab Islamist political movement. President Donald Trump last month issued an executive order that sets in motion a process to designate certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization.
The governor's order instructs Florida agencies to prevent the two groups and those who have provided them material support from receiving contracts, employment and funds from a state executive or cabinet agency.
Florida has an estimated 500,000 Muslim residents, according to CAIR.
When reached by email for comment on Tuesday, the governor's press secretary, Molly Best, referred to DeSantis' recent social media posts on the topic in which he said he looked forward to a trial. In one post, DeSantis said, "I look forward to discovery — especially the CAIR finances. Should be illuminating!"
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a similar proclamation in Texas. CAIR last month asked a federal judge to strike down Abbott's proclamation, saying in a lawsuit that it was "not only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any Texas law."
Source: cfpublic.org
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https://www.cfpublic.org/politics/2025-12-16/muslim-rights-group-sues-desantis-over-foreign-terrorist-label
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'Horrific, anti-semitic': Trump condemns Sydney Bondi Beach mass shooting; hits out at 'radical Islamic terrorism'
Dec 17, 2025
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday condemned the terrorist attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach and offered his condolences to Australia following the mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration that killed at least 15 people and left several injured.
Trump said, "Let me take a moment to send the love and prayers to the people of Australia, especially those affected by the horrific and anti-semitic terrorist attack that took place on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney... " Urging the nations to stand in solidarity against terrorism, Trump added, " All nations must stand together against the evil forces of radical Islamic terrorism."
Sunday’s attack, which occurred on the first night of Hanukkah celebrations, unfolded during a celebration attended by over 1,000 people. Eyewitnesses reported panic as the two gunmen opened fire from an overpass near the event. Australian authorities confirmed the attack was a terrorist act inspired by Islamic State ideology.
The suspects, identified as father-and-son duo Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24, deliberately targeted Jewish attendees. Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene, while his son Naveed remains under guard in hospital. Investigators recovered Islamic State-linked material, homemade flags, and improvised explosive devices from the suspects’ vehicle, leading officials to classify the attack as ideologically motivated.
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said the suspects had been radicalized by “an ideology of hate” and that the attack was intended as a mass-casualty assault on the Jewish community. The tragedy drew global condemnation.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/horrific-anti-semitic-trump-condemns-sydney-bondi-beach-mass-shooting-hits-out-at-radical-islamic-terrorism/articleshow/126030959.cms
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CAIR-Minnesota to Join Immigration Legal Advocates to Provide Update on Recent ICE Raids and Community Impact
December 16, 2025
On Wednesday, December 17, the Minnesota Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-Minnesota), in partnership with immigration legal and human rights organizations, will hold a press conference to provide an update on recent ICE raids, enforcement tactics, and their impact on Minnesota communities.
The press conference will include participation from The Advocates for Human Rights, the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, and other legal and community partners working directly with impacted individuals and families. The briefing will address recent ICE activity, emerging enforcement patterns, community concerns, and available legal resources.
WHO: CAIR-Minnesota; The Advocates for Human Rights; Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota; and community partners
CAIR-Minnesota is the state’s leading Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. Its mission is to protect civil liberties, promote justice, and empower Muslim communities through legal services, advocacy, education, and community engagement.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-minnesota-to-join-immigration-legaladvocates-to-provide-update-on-recent-ice-raids-and-community-impact/
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Political figures in Marion County clash over Muslim rights organization CAIR
Dec. 17, 2025
OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) - Political figures in Marion County are at the center of a fight between Republican state leaders and representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a muslim civil rights organization and advocacy group.
In an executive order, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis designated CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization last week due to claims the group has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and other Islamic terrorist organizations.
On Tuesday, CAIR filed a lawsuit arguing that the governor’s order directing state agencies, as well as local governments, to deny contracts, employment, funding, benefits, and privileges to CAIR is “blatantly unconstitutional.” The organization disputes claims that it supports terrorism.
The federal government hasn’t designated CAIR as a terrorist organization, one of the reasons the lawsuit argues the Florida executive order violates the U.S. Constitution; however, Rep. Randy Fine has made efforts to change that.
In June, the congressman introduced a bill to designate CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization. Fine and CAIR have long stood as rhetorical opponents on the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
“Enough is Enough. For far too long, groups like CAIR have operated in our country and on our college campuses, promoting violent radical ideologies and defending the indefensible. CAIR has no place in American society,” stated Fine in June.
The ideological conflict hits home in Marion County. Fine’s Florida congressional district includes the eastern half of the county, while a leader of CAIR calls Ocala home.
In 2021, Manal Fakhoury, the chair of the CAIR national board of directors, ran for mayor against then-mayor Kent Guinn. She prioritized the issue of public safety in her campaign.
In addition to running for mayor, she has worked as a clinical coordinator and served on many charity boards.
TV20 reached out to Fakhoury for comment on this story. This article will be updated to include any statement she provides.
Last week, CAIR sent out a press release urging citizens to demand Fine’s resignation from Congress due to comments he made about “Mainstream Muslims.”
‘I don’t know how you make peace with those who seek your destruction, I think you destroy them first,’ Fine posted to social media.
In response, CAIR stated, “If any elected official had called for the genocide of all ‘mainstream Jews’ or ‘mainstream Christians,’ their career would rightfully be over. Although Mr. Fine has made hateful and genocidal remarks in the past, his explicit call for the destruction of all ‘mainstream Muslims’ leaves no doubt that he is a bigoted sociopath unworthy of a seat in Congress.”
Source: wcjb.com
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https://www.wcjb.com/2025/12/16/political-figures-marion-county-clash-over-muslim-rights-organization-cair/
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Fargo Mosque expansion to include youth activity area
Dec. 17, 2025
FARGO — You may have noticed a new architectural feature near Fiechtner Drive in south Fargo.
An expansion project is under way at the Islamic Society of Fargo-Moorhead.
The expansion, which adds a spire to the mosque, will also feature a play area.
The architecture is more stylized than the original building, trading steel siding for a stucco look.
Construction costs for the expansion is around 500 thousand dollars, but donations are still needed.
“We wanted to create a youth center that could be where kids can go and gather and play and, like we said, you can’t use a basketball in these spaces, you can’t use a soccer ball. So, to be able to play and have these community gatherings in a space that makes sense for it is really important,” said Heidi Soliman representing the Islamic Society of Fargo-Moorhead.
Source: kvrr.com
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https://www.kvrr.com/2025/12/16/fargo-mosque-expansion-to-be-used-as-youth-activity-area/
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Zohran Mamdani and New York’s Jewish divide
16 December 2025
Mikhail Shereshevskiy
The Muslim mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, attended an event held by a Jewish community linked to Orthodox Judaism—the Satmar Hasidic movement. This was not a random gesture, but a sign of respect toward a segment of the Jewish community that contributed to his election victory.
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani took part in a gathering organised by the Satmar community. The event marked the anniversary of the rescue of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, the founder of the Williamsburg Hasidic community, who fled Europe during the Second World War.
Mamdani is known as a critic of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. An Indian of Ugandan origin, a Shiite Muslim by faith, and a proponent of social-democratic views, he condemns the policies of the Israeli state in the Palestinian territories and advocates equal rights for Jews and Arabs. For many years, Mamdani has been involved in movements supporting Palestinian rights. At the same time, he has repeatedly emphasised that he does not conflate criticism of Israeli government policy with the Jewish people, supports the rights of Jewish communities in the United States, and intends to pay particular attention to combating racially motivated crimes that periodically occur in New York. Mamdani has stated his readiness to defend Jewish and other communities, including the Muslim community, from racist attacks.
During the election campaign, Mamdani also put forward a moderate social-democratic platform. He promised to raise taxes on wealthy citizens and channel the additional revenue into funding free public transportation, providing nutritious food for low-income residents, creating free childcare centres for less affluent families, and implementing other social programs. He also advocated raising the minimum wage. These ideas largely secured his popularity and victory in New York City, home to around ten million people. Jews make up about 12 per cent of the city’s population, and an estimated one-third of them voted for him.
Meanwhile, a belief has taken root among a significant portion of Jews living outside Israel that the interests of Israel and those of the Jewish people are identical. However, only about half of the world’s Jews—approximately seven million people—live in Israel, and not all of them support the policies of the Israeli state. Many criticise Israel for its treatment of Palestinians and its actions in Gaza, and for part of the Jewish diaspora, Israel is not a central element of their identity at all.
Approximately one-third of New York’s Jewish population (out of a total Jewish population of more than one million) voted for Mamdani for various political and socio-economic reasons. His criticism of Israel was not a deterrent for them. His supporters included both secular Jews with liberal or left-wing views and members of religious anti-Zionist circles, who have opposed Zionism—a nationalist, secular ideology that led to the creation of the State of Israel—since its emergence in Europe in the 19th century.
From the perspective of the founder of the Satmar movement, Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, and his followers, the State of Israel was created by the forces of “global evil” with the aim of distorting the Jewish faith. According to their beliefs, only the coming of the Messiah can legitimise the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine, and to claim otherwise, the religious leader argued, is unacceptable. Many Jews who criticise Zionism believe that the State of Israel has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for Jews due to constant wars, and that, for the sake of their children’s future, they should move to more stable and safer countries. A similar view is shared by some Jews with secular liberal or left-wing perspectives.
There are around 200,000 followers of the Satmar movement worldwide. Several tens or even hundreds of thousands of other Orthodox Jews share their attitude toward Israel without formally belonging to the movement. Overall, about six million Jews live in the United States. A particularly important feature of the Satmar community is its exceptionally high birth rate: families with ten children are considered the norm. Roughly every twenty years, the number of Satmar adherents doubles. This is a deliberate demographic strategy—the community aims to reach a population of six million people, matching the number of Jews who perished in the Holocaust.
The votes of Satmar followers and other closely aligned groups of Orthodox Jews, along with the support of liberals and the left, played an important role in Mamdani’s electoral victory in New York. From the perspective of conservative Satmar adherents, as well as a significant portion of secular liberal and left-wing Jews, the State of Israel does not represent the interests of all Jews and is not their ally. Many proceed from the assumption that the Jewish diaspora has its own interests, distinct from those of Israel, and seek to strengthen this separation institutionally and politically. For supporters of this position, Mamdani is an almost ideal candidate.
Notably, some very wealthy New York residents—including members of the Jewish community—also voted for Mamdani. They believe that social inequality in the United States has reached a dangerous level and that, without a moderate redistribution of resources in favour of low-income and poor segments of the population, the country risks serious upheaval and social unrest. In their view, politicians like Mamdani are capable of offering tools to mitigate this problem.
However, this perspective is far from universally shared. According to recent sociological surveys conducted by the Jewish People Policy Institute, American Jews whose identity is closely tied to Israel view Mamdani and his election as mayor of New York with concern. Two weeks after the election, the institute’s research showed that 64 per cent of Jewish respondents considered him not only an anti-Israel politician, but also an antisemite.
In fact, the Jewish community in the United States is deeply divided today. The older generation tends to be more supportive of Israel, while among younger Jews, critical views of Zionism and Israeli government policies are gradually gaining ground. According to surveys, about half of American Jews under the age of 34 disapprove of Israel’s course. In this environment, left-wing and liberal ideas, as well as criticism of Zionism, are particularly popular. Meanwhile, the influence of certain conservative religious groups—including the Satmar—should not be underestimated, as their positions paradoxically resonate with parts of the leftist discourse. The Satmar community in New York remains influential and financially well-off, and the political connections formed during the election campaign could provide Mamdani with an important and stable support base in the future.
Source: caliber.az
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https://caliber.az/en/post/zohran-mamdani-and-new-york-s-jewish-divide
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Trump accuses Venezuela of stealing US oil
17 Dec, 2025
US President Donald Trump has imposed an oil blockade on Venezuela, redirecting a large American naval armada in the Caribbean from operations against alleged “narcoterrorists” to intercepting “sanctioned tankers” entering and leaving the country.
Trump announced the move in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, describing it as “a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela.”
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before – until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the oil, land, and other assets that they previously stole from us,” Trump added.
The announcement follows the recent US seizure of a large oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast, a rare direct military action against Venezuelan oil exports.
Trump has also branded the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a “Foreign Terrorist Organization,” claiming that its oil profits fuel criminal networks and undermine regional security.
Washington “will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States, IMMEDIATELY,” the US president added.
The move comes amid a US naval buildup in the Caribbean and Trump’s threats to carry out strikes against alleged “narcoterrorists” on Venezuelan soil. Since September, the US military has killed more than 80 people in attacks on alleged cartel boats, which Trump claimed were being used by the Venezuelan government to “flood” America with narcotics.
Venezuela has denied any involvement in drug trafficking and said the strikes were part of a “colonialist” plan to topple Maduro and plunder the country’s natural resources. Caracas also accused the US of “state piracy” and has vowed to defend its territory and natural wealth.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/629535-trump-venezuela-oil-terrorism/
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US warned EU against stealing Russia’s assets – Tusk
16 Dec, 2025
The US has told the EU to “leave the [frozen] Russian assets alone” as any appropriation of the funds could undermine talks with Moscow in the Ukraine peace talks, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has claimed.
After the escalation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022, Kiev’s Western backers froze approximately $300 billion in Moscow’s sovereign assets, of which $246 billion has been immobilized by EU member states.
Discussions concerning the immobilized Russian assets have intensified within the bloc in recent weeks after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed using the funds to back a “reparations loan” to Ukraine.
Speaking following a meeting between Ukrainian and US negotiators in Berlin on Monday, Tusk stated that there was a “very clear” difference of opinion between Washington and Brussels on the issue of the frozen Russian funds.
“The Americans are saying ‘Leave these Russian assets alone’,” according to the Polish prime minister. According to him, Washington is concerned that if the EU seized the immobilized funds, Russia would take a less amenable negotiating position in talks to end the Ukraine conflict.
Last week, EU member states voted for the latest temporary freeze on Russian sovereign funds. The bloc’s leadership had to invoke emergency powers to overcome the opposition of member states, including Hungary and Slovakia.
Belgium has also expressed concerns that it would be left in the lurch by the bloc in the face of Russian lawsuits. The Euroclear depositary based in the country holds the bulk of the frozen assets.
Moscow has condemned any use of its immobilized funds as “theft.” On Friday, the Bank of Russia announced that it was filing a lawsuit seeking $230 billion in compensation from Euroclear.
On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that an “urge to steal must be genetic in many of our Western ‘colleagues’,” citing the seizure of Iranian and Venezuelan assets by the West.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/629531-tusk-us-eu-frozen-russian-assets/
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Africa
Midnight fire razes Gombe timber market, mosque
Najib Sani
17 December 2025
A midnight fire has ravaged the Gombe timber market, also known as ‘KasuwarKatako’, located at the Railway station in the Gombe State capital.
The fire, which started about 8.00pm on Monday, destroyed numerous timbers, stores, shops, and gutted a nearby mosque. Firefighters from the Gombe State University (GSU), Federal Fire Service personnel and private water tanker operators intervened to bring the blaze under control after 30 minutes of intense burning. As at press time, the extent of the damage and the exact number of stores affected by the fire were yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, Governor Muhammad Yahaya, has expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy. The governor, through his media aide, Isma’ilMisilli, described the incident as painful and distressing, noting that the scale of destruction was a huge setback to hardworking men and women who depend on the market for their daily sustenance.
He directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other relevant agencies to immediately move in, conduct a thorough assessment and investigation into the cause of the fire, and provide urgent relief and support to cushion the impact on victims.
While sympathising with the victims, Governor Yahaya called on those affected to remain calm, assuring them that government would take necessary steps to mitigate their losses and strengthen preventive measures to avert future occurrences.
He also reiterated his administration’s resolve to establish a state-of-the-art fire office, fully equipped to complement existing fire-fighting facilities across the state, in line with his commitment to protect lives, property and investments.
“Yahaya extended his heartfelt sympathy to affected shop owners, traders and all individuals who suffered losses as a result of the inferno.
“He extended his heartfelt sympathy to affected shop owners, traders and all individuals who suffered losses as a result of the inferno, assuring them that the government stands firmly with them at this difficult moment.
“The governor prayed God for continued protection over Gombe State, its people and their means of livelihood, and for comfort and strength for all those affected by this unfortunate incident,” Misilli added.
Source: guardian.ng
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https://guardian.ng/news/nigeria/metro/midnight-fire-razes-gombe-timber-market-mosque/
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Tinted Glass Permit Policy Still Valid, No Court Ban Yet – IGP Declares
December 17, 2025
By Richard Ogunsile
The Nigeria Police Force has said there is no final court judgment declaring the Motor Vehicle Tinted Glass Permit Policy unlawful, insisting that the policy remains part of the country’s existing security and road safety framework.
The Force stated this in a press release issued on Tuesday, December 16, by the Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, amid growing public debate and comments by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association on the policy.
According to the police, the clarification became necessary “to provide institutional clarity in a manner that reassures the public, affirms respect for the rule of law, and preserves public order.”
The statement stressed that the Nigeria Police Force is constitutionally established and statutorily mandated to maintain public safety, prevent crime and preserve internal security.
“The Nigeria Police Force operates strictly within the confines of the law and under the supervision of civil authority,” the statement noted.
Quoting the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Force reaffirmed its respect for the judiciary, saying it would comply fully with all valid orders of courts of competent jurisdiction.
“The Force will not act in any manner that undermines ongoing judicial proceedings,” the IGP was quoted as saying.
Pending Litigation Not A Bar To Police Duties
While acknowledging the existence of pending litigation on the tinted glass policy, the Police maintained that such legal action does not automatically strip the Force of its lawful responsibilities.
“It is important to clarify that the existence of pending litigation does not, in itself, extinguish the lawful responsibilities of the Police, except where a court has expressly and finally directed otherwise,” the statement read.
The Force emphasised that, as of now, “there is no final judicial pronouncement declaring the Motor Vehicle Tinted Glass Permit Policy unlawful, nor is there any subsisting order permanently restraining the Nigeria Police Force from performing its statutory duties” on the matter.
The Police said the tinted glass permit policy therefore remains valid, describing it as part of the regulatory framework for road safety, crime prevention and national security, subject to the authority of the courts.
The statement added that representations made by police counsel before the court were done in good faith and accurately reflected the Force’s institutional position.
It noted that the Police had exercised restraint pending the court’s determination, but warned that such restraint should not be mistaken for a surrender of lawful authority.
“Such restraint should not, however, be misconstrued as a waiver or abandonment of lawful authority, particularly in matters that directly implicate public safety and the protection of lives and property,” Hundeyin noted.
Internal Memo Not For Immediate Enforcement
Addressing concerns over an administrative communication issued on December 15, 2025, the Police clarified that the memo was meant to guide internal planning and improve public understanding.
“It did not direct immediate enforcement actions, nor did it authorise conduct inconsistent with any subsisting court process,” the statement explained.
The Force added that decisions on enforcement timing and mode remain within its lawful discretion, subject to constitutional provisions and judicial oversight.
The Police maintained that the regulation of tinted vehicle glasses remains a legitimate security concern, noting that the misuse of heavily tinted vehicles has been linked to crimes such as kidnapping and armed robbery.
“Both globally and within Nigeria, the misuse of heavily tinted vehicles has been associated with serious crimes,” the statement said, adding that the Force has a duty to address such risks in a lawful and proportionate manner.
It assured the public that any lawful enforcement would be guided by professionalism, moderation and strict adherence to human rights standards.
Zero Tolerance For Extortion, Harassment
The Inspector-General of Police also reiterated the Force’s zero-tolerance stance on extortion, harassment and abuse of authority by officers.
“Any officer found to have engaged in such conduct will be subjected to appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with established procedures,” the statement warned.
However, the Police cautioned against generalising isolated cases of misconduct to discredit the institution, urging recognition of officers who risk their lives daily to protect citizens and national security.
The Force described the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) as a valued stakeholder in the justice sector and pledged continued constructive engagement based on mutual respect for institutional roles.
It added that it would refrain from public exchanges capable of undermining trust in law enforcement or the judiciary.
The Police concluded by urging members of the public to remain calm and go about their lawful activities, assuring Nigerians of its continued commitment to protecting lives, property and national stability.
“This statement represents the considered and final institutional position of the Nigeria Police Force on this matter, pending the determination of the court,” it said.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/17/tinted-glass-permit-still-valid-no-court-ban-yet-igp-declares/
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Terrorists Kill Two InIfelodun, Kwara
December 16, 2025
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
Suspected terrorists have struck once more in Kwara State, killing two residents in the Ifelodun Local Government Area, further raising alarm over the deteriorating security situation in the state.
The attack, according to a source who spoke with SaharaReporters, occurred along the road linking Babanla and Oreke communities.
The source said the victims were on an errand to buy food for members of their community when they were ambushed and killed by the gunmen.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, two lifeless bodies were seen lying in a pool of blood at the scene. Local vigilantes and officers of the Nigeria Police Force were also present, inspecting the bodies and securing the area.
Kwara State has, in recent months, witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks and kidnappings, particularly in rural areas, raising concerns among residents about the capacity of security agencies to protect lives and property.
Despite repeated assurances by authorities, many residents said fear now dominates daily life as attacks persist across parts of the state.
This comes after Nigerian soldiers arrested a group of suspected bandits found patrolling with AK‑47 rifles in a local security patrol vehicle in Ifelodun LGA.
The suspects were intercepted by troops during an operation in the area and taken into custody.
In a video from that incident, the arrested men were seen prostrated on the ground with their hands tied as soldiers questioned them over their activities and the source of the arms.
One of the suspects, speaking in Hausa and Nigerian Pidgin, claimed that the patrol vehicle and rifles were provided by the Kwara State government.
“We have been here for quite a while. We are using the vehicle for patrol. Wallahi, na the truth I dey tell you.
“Ilorin government na him give us this motor and the weapons. They were the ones that gave us the rifles,” the suspect said
He further alleged that the arms were not received by him personally but by a superior he referred to as “our oga,” insisting that multiple individuals were involved.
“We are not the ones that collected the rifles; it was our oga that collected them. I know because I was with them. We go patrol many times with them, including oga Victor. All of them are involved. The weapons are theirs,” he claimed.
The suspect repeatedly insisted the weapons did not belong to them, swearing by God that the rifles were not privately owned by the group.
In the video, other detainees, their hands tied, were heard repeatedly chanting religious phrases as the questioning continued.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/16/terrorists-kill-two-in-ifelodun-kwara/
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Police Deploy Special Forces Ahead Of NLC Nationwide Protest
December 17, 2025
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
The Nigeria Police Force, ahead of nationwide protests by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has mobilised special forces and tactical teams to ensure a violence‑free demonstration, state commands said on Tuesday.
In separate interviews with Punch, police spokespersons confirmed their preparedness to tackle miscreants and political hirelings who may seek to disrupt the rallies.
The NLC has maintained that it will not retract its planned nationwide protests, which were called in response to escalating insecurity and other labour issues.
When asked if the union had mobilised its affiliate unions for the rallies, the NLC’s spokesperson, Benson Upah, stated, “We are going on with the protest across the country.”
He warned that any attempt to interfere with today’s National Day of Protest and Mourning could trigger a nationwide indefinite strike.
Upah said the union had received intelligence suggesting that unscrupulous agencies and desperate political hirelings might try to infiltrate or violently disrupt the demonstrations.
He added that harming even a single worker or citizen would spark “an immediate and indefinite shutdown across all sectors of the economy.”
“Our action tomorrow is not just a mere procession; it is a collective act of grief, a roar of despair from the oppressed, and a democratic demand for the fundamental right to life and security,” the statement read.
“Any attack on our protest will be an attack on the very engine of Nigeria. The consequence will be an escalation and a total shutdown,” the union warned.
The protest is linked to broader labour grievances, including unresolved agreements with the Federal Government, rising cost of living, and the impact of insecurity on workers’ productivity, safety and livelihoods.
The NLC has highlighted the deaths of countless members, teachers, farmers, miners, and other artisans amid escalating insecurity and perceived government inaction.
The union has framed the protest as a civic action, not just a labour issue, aimed at mobilising public opinion and compelling authorities to prioritise security and governance reforms.
In announcing the protest, the NLC directed its state chapters across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to mobilise members for peaceful demonstrations, emphasising that the action is lawful and constitutionally protected.
In a notice issued to all state councils on December 10, following its National Executive Committee meeting held on December 4, the labour centre condemned the activities of bandits and kidnappers across the country and the government’s failure to address the situation.
Meanwhile, the police have stepped up security and deployed personnel and equipment across their jurisdictions to ensure smooth protests.
The Benue State Police Command said it deployed tactical teams across the state to ensure that hoodlums did not hijack the planned peaceful protest.
The spokesperson of the command, UdemeEdet, stated, “The command has deployed tactical teams all around major areas of the state to ensure that hoodlums do not hijack the planned protest by the labour union.
“I can assure you that the whole state is peaceful now, but our officers are on alert in case of any eventuality.”
The Jigawa State Police Command, on its part, highlighted its plans to make the protest violence-free.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Shi’isu Adam, detailed the command’s proactive measures, saying, ‘’We’ve deployed adequate personnel to monitor and secure the protest routes,” he said.
The Sokoto State command said it is engaging with labour leaders to ensure a peaceful atmosphere during the protest.
The command’s spokesman, Ahmed Rufai, disclosed that the command has also placed its personnel on alert and that a special team would be deployed to flashpoints in the metropolis.
“We held a meeting with their leadership today at the headquarters, and we have received their assurance that the protest will be orderly. The command has also put its men on alert in case of any uncertainty,” he added.
The Imo State police spokesman, Henry Okoye, said the command has deployed ‘’maximum security’’ to guard against any form of breach.
According to him, the state is safe, and residents will be protected during the protest.
“The Imo State police command has deployed maximum security for members of the NLC during their protest to ensure there is no breach. There is nothing to worry about.
“The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma, has deployed watertight security to prevent any form of security breach and breakdown of law and order,” Okoye said.
Similarly, the Bayelsa State police explained that it would mobilise both tactical units and drones to ensure that hoodlums do not hijack the NLC protest.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Musa Mohammed, noted, “The CP has directed that tactical units will be deployed to ensure that hoodlums do not hijack the protest. The drone units will also be deployed to assist officers on the ground.”
Ahead of today’s rally, the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, has met with state labour officials to ensure a peaceful protest.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Haruna, told Punch that the meeting was held at the command’s headquarters in Bompai on Tuesday.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim AdamuBakori, has engaged the leadership of the NLC in the state today with a view to ensuring that the event is peaceful,” Haruna said.
According to him, the command has also put in place necessary measures to ensure the protest remains peaceful and that no one uses it to cause trouble in the state.
In the same vein, the Public Relations Officer of the Gombe State Police Command, Buhari Abdullahi, said all arrangements have been made to ensure a peaceful rally.
He said, “All necessary arrangements have been made to ensure full security for the rally, as strategic security deployments have been carried out.
“The Commissioner of Police has assured the NLC of full security coverage for a smooth procession.”
Also, the Bauchi State police command confirmed it would deploy personnel to ensure a peaceful protest by the NLC in the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Habib Nafiu, said the command was aware of the planned nationwide protest and had taken proactive steps to guarantee public safety.
Nafiu noted that the NLC is a structured and organised union comprising educated members drawn from non-governmental organisations and government establishments, stressing that its members are law-abiding citizens with a constitutional right to engage in peaceful protests.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress is a formal organisation. Its members are citizens of this country, and they have the right to protest peacefully,” he said.
Also in Akwa Ibom State, the police stated that they engaged with the state’s labour leaders.
The command spokesman, Timfon John, added that adequate deployment had been made in strategic locations backed by enhanced patrols.
She said, “The command is currently talking with the NLC leadership to ensure no breach of peace is recorded in Akwa Ibom State.
“The police have made enough deployments throughout the state. These measures include the deployment of adequate personnel to strategic locations, enhanced patrols, and intelligence-led surveillance.”
In Kwara State, the police have also implemented measures to ensure a peaceful demonstration.
Speaking with Punch on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, AdetounEjire-Adeyemi, assured residents that the police would provide adequate security before, during, and after the protest, noting that the command was committed to protecting citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly while preventing a breakdown of law and order.
“The Kwara State Police Command has stationed its officers and men in strategic areas of the state capital to ensure the maintenance of law and order and to guard against the protest being hijacked by criminal elements,” she said.
The PPRO further disclosed that the command would be holding a security summit on Wednesday as part of broader efforts to tackle insecurity and violent crimes in the state.
According to her, the summit, titled ‘Taking Back Our Communities: The Police–Public Partnership Against Violent Crimes’, aims to strengthen collaboration between security agencies and the public in combating crime.
She added that the command was intensifying community engagement and intelligence-led policing to address security challenges in Kwara State, particularly amid concerns over kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes in parts of the state.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/17/police-deploy-special-forces-ahead-of-nlc-nationwide-protest/
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Chaos As Buhari’s Former Minister Narrowly Escapes Mob Attack In Katsina
December 17, 2025
By George OshogweOgbolu
Former Minister of Aviation, HadiSirika, was the target of a near-violent mob attack on Tuesday while visiting the palace of the District Head of Dutsi in his home state of Katsina.
The intervention of aides and security operatives was reportedly crucial in preventing the situation from escalating into a full-blown assault on the former minister.
Videos shared by Katsina City News depicted the rapidly rising tensions. In one clip, a man was seen being roughly pulled out of the palace amid loud shouts from the angry crowd. The individual was then hurried into a Honda car and driven away.
Sirika, who served as Minister in the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari, holds a traditional title of MarusanKatsina and serves as the district head of Shargalle in Dutsi Local Government. He was reportedly at the palace on a condolence visit when the incident occurred.
While the exact reason for the crowd’s anger remains unclear in the immediate reports, the incident is highly notable given Sirika’s ongoing legal battles.
The former minister has been facing significant public scrutiny and is currently being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged fraud in multiple cases.
He is charged alongside his daughter, son-in-law, and their company, Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, over a contract for the Katsina Airport apron extension, which EFCC alleges violated the ICPC Act.
He is separately charged alongside his brother and two companies for abuse of office and criminal breach of trust related to contracts, including the construction of a terminal building and a fire truck maintenance centre at Katsina Airport.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/17/chaos-as-buharis-former-minister-narrowly-escapes-mob-attack-in-katsina/
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Tinubu Shelves Planned Promotion Of ADC After Intervention By Ex-Army Chiefs
December 16, 2025
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
The controversial plan to decorate Nurudeen Yusuf, aide-de-camp to President Bola Tinubu, as a one‑star general was shelved at the last minute on Monday evening following the intervention of two former Chiefs of Army Staff.
Yusuf, who was only decorated as a colonel in January 2025, was billed to be elevated to the rank of brigadier‑general through what was described as a special presidential promotion.
Under established military procedures, an officer is required to serve for at least four years as a colonel and attend the National Defence College before being considered for promotion to brigadier‑general.
However, approval to bypass this process was reportedly conveyed in a letter from the Office of the National Security Adviser to the Chief of Army Staff.
The leaked letter, dated December 12, 2025, was signed by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
In the letter, Ribadu stated that Yusuf would be retained as the President’s ADC despite the proposed promotion.
No brigadier‑general has ever served as aide‑de‑camp to a sitting Nigerian President, a development that reportedly caused unease within the military hierarchy.
Ahead of the planned decoration ceremony on Monday, the Minister of Defence, Chris Musa, a retired general, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. WaidiShaibu, were said to have cut short their visit to Lagos State and returned to Abuja.
However, TheCable learnt that two highly respected former army chiefs eventually persuaded President Tinubu to shelve the plan, citing the dangers it could pose to the military establishment.
A presidential source told TheCable that the promotion would not happen “anytime soon.”
Military experts had reportedly raised concerns that the proposed promotion could set a “bad precedent” within the armed forces.
Yusuf has also previously been accused of wielding undue influence in the promotion and retention of military officers due to his closeness to the President.
“He got the president to sign a memo for the promotion of officers who were due for retirement after failing three times as specified by their rules,” a military source told TheCable.
The source added, “When the president was told of the implications regarding the rule, he withdrew the memo but nonetheless asked that the officers be allowed to remain in service, citing the emergency he had just declared. They are still in service, I understand.”
In January 2025, President Tinubu promoted Yusuf to the rank of colonel. The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Yusuf was appointed as Tinubu’s ADC in April 2023, when he was still a lieutenant colonel, about a month before Tinubu’s inauguration as President.
In July 2024, Yusuf was crowned the monarch of Ilemona land in Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State, although he is expected to formally assume the traditional role upon retirement from the military.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/16/tinubu-shelves-planned-promotion-of-adc-after-intervention-by-ex-army-chiefs/
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Soldier Killed, Two Missing As Militia Attacks Troops In Taraba
December 16, 2025
By George OshogweOgbolu
A joint security operation in Taraba State turned deadly on Monday when soldiers deployed to protect farmers were ambushed by suspected local militia elements, leading to a casualty and missing personnel.
The troops, drawn from a special forces unit along with police and NSCDC operatives, were escorting Tiv farmers harvesting their produce in the bush area of Takum Local Government Area when the attack occurred.
A source confirmed to ZagagolaMakama that one soldier was killed during the incident, while two others are currently unaccounted for.
In a swift, albeit unconfirmed, reaction, soldiers cordoned off a major public event in Takum and made arrests.
The source further disclosed that following the incident, soldiers cordoned off the venue of the Miyetti Allah executives’ election at the FGR Samsokwa Hall, in Takum, and arrested male executives of the association present at the venue.
Accusations were also pointed at the Taraba State special adviser on security, who is allegedly behind the local militia, though these claims remain unverified.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, security forces recorded a success in Kwara State, arresting a group of suspected armed bandits carrying AK-47 rifles in the Ifelodun Local Government Area.
During their arrest on Friday, a video surfaced online showing security operatives questioning the suspects. One of the suspects made a serious allegation, claiming that some officials of the Kwara State government supplied the weapons.
One of the suspects alleged that some officials of the Kwara State government gave them both the vehicle and the rifles. He claimed they had been operating in the area under the cover of patrol duties.
He insisted the weapons did not belong to them personally, adding that their leader collected the rifles and that they often conducted patrols with the named officials.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/16/soldier-killed-two-missing-as-militia-attacks-troops-in-taraba/
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ISWAP Executes Spies, CJTF, Police Officer InBorno
December 16, 2025
Members of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) have reportedly executed eight spies allegedly working for the Nigerian government.
Naija News reports that this was disclosed in a post on 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) by security expert Brant Philip on Tuesday.
Brant Philip disclosed that the spies, which include members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and a police officer, were captured from their houses.
He wrote: “ISWAP announced a new series of executions of spies and CJTF militiamen loyal to the Nigerian army, all were captured from their houses by the group, along with one police officer captured between Gubio and Damasak, a total of eight men were executed all in the same day yesterday while they were captured at different times previously from different villages, all in Borno State, northeast Nigeria.”
He also claimed that the recent wave of execution by ISWAP may be linked to intelligence gotten from the murdered Brigadier General Musa Uba’s phone.
“All these executions possibly linked to the intelligence leaks from Brigadier General Musa Uba’s phone after he was captured and executed by ISWAP,” he wrote.
Brant Philip had some days back stated that: “ISWAP released an image of the execution of two of the Nigerian army spies they killed recently, the informants are wearing orange jumpsuits, a full video will likely be released by the group in the future.”
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/16/iswap-executes-spies-cjtf-police-officer-in-borno-photo/
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Southeast Asia
Singapore teen religious teacher pleads guilty to indecent act with underage girl, sentencing in January
By Malay Mail
16 Dec 2025
SINGAPORE, Dec 16 — A 19-year-old former religious teacher admitted in court to committing an indecent act with a 12-year-old girl he met during mosque lessons.
According to a report by The Straits Times, the offender, who cannot be named due to a gag order protecting the victim’s identity, pleaded guilty to one charge of committing an indecent act with a child.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Yohanes Ng told the court the youth became the girl’s new religious teacher in early 2025 and taught her in group classes.
“After one of the religious lessons, (he) spent some extra time with the victim to get to know her better and bought her lunch and some chocolates,” the DPP said.
The girl later told her mother what had happened, and the mosque removed the youth from his post after the mother lodged a complaint.
Despite this, the offender and the girl continued to contact each other secretly and entered into a romantic relationship.
On May 8, he met the victim at a multi-storey carpark, where he kissed her and groped her chest over her clothing.
Five days later, they met again at a staircase landing of a Housing Board block, where he asked her to perform oral sex, but she refused.
She eventually performed another sexual act on him before the relationship ended when others discovered it.
The girl later told her mother about the encounters, and a police report was filed on July 13.
On December 16, the court called for reports to assess the offender’s suitability for reformative training and probation.
Young offenders placed under reformative training are detained in a centre and undergo a strict regimen that includes foot drills and counselling.
The youth will be sentenced in January.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/singapore/2025/12/16/singapore-teen-religious-teacher-pleads-guilty-to-indecent-act-with-underage-girl-sentencing-in-january/202153
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Two ministries push cooperative expansion in Islamic institutions
December 16, 2025
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Religious Affairs has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Cooperatives to economically empower Indonesia's Muslim community through the development of cooperatives linked to mosques and Islamic educational institutions.
Speaking during his ministry's national conference in Tangerang, Banten, on Tuesday, Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar encouraged more mosques and Islamic schools to take part in strengthening the national cooperative ecosystem to support economic growth and self-reliance.
He said efforts to empower and guide citizens toward economic independence are important to enable the government to focus tax-based resources on infrastructure development and broader public welfare programs.
Meanwhile, Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono stated that his office has agreed to support the establishment of cooperatives at institutions under the supervision of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
“Through this MoU, we aim to encourage pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) and mosques to set up cooperatives,” he said, noting that many pesantren across Indonesia already manage modern and competitive cooperatives.
Juliantono added that his ministry has provided capacity-building programs and financial assistance for pesantren-run cooperatives in Java and other regions, adding that these business entities have made significant contributions to local communities.
He further said several cooperatives managed by pesantrens in East Java and West Java have recorded assets and business turnover worth trillions of rupiahs.
According to him, the two ministries will follow up the MoU by organizing technical training for 120 pesantren-run cooperatives in Central Java.
He also said religious higher education institutions will be involved in the Red and White Village Cooperatives program through thematic internship programs as part of the partnership.
“We are optimistic that the synergy between the Cooperatives Ministry and the Religious Affairs Ministry will deliver tangible benefits for the Muslim community and the nation,” Juliantono said.
Source: antaranews.com
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https://en.antaranews.com/news/396739/two-ministries-push-cooperative-expansion-in-islamic-institutions
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After court‑ordered ‘reflection’ on Syed Saddiq appeal, prosecution decides the next move is forward
By R. Loheswar
17 Dec 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 — The prosecution has confirmed it will proceed with its appeal against the acquittal of Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, leaving it to the Federal Court to decide his fate.
The decision comes after the apex court issued an unusual directive last week, instructing both sides to “go back, reflect, and reconsider” their positions following two days of intense legal arguments.
In a letter to the Federal Court today, Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin said that after careful consideration, the prosecution has been instructed to proceed with the appeal.
“Upon advice of the Public Prosecutor and taking into consideration the instructions given by the President of the Court of Appeal in open court on December 12, we have been instructed to proceed with the appeal and any decision made by the Federal Court must be accepted,” he said, confirming that the prosecution maintains its written and oral submissions in the case.
The Federal Court’s rare “reflection” order had effectively paused the proceedings.
The three-member panel, chaired by Court of Appeal President Datuk Abu Bakar Jais, suggested it was appropriate for all sides to step back and reassess their stance after a review of the extensive arguments and previous judgments from both the High Court and Court of Appeal.
In June, Syed Saddiq was acquitted on multiple graft charges related to misusing funds from Bersatu's youth wing, Armada, totalling over RM1 million.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/12/17/after-courtordered-reflection-on-syed-saddiq-appeal-prosecution-decides-the-next-move-is-forward/202241
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MEF seeks close collaboration with new human resources ministry leadership
17 Dec 2025
The Malaysian Employers Federation welcomes the new KESUMA minister and deputy, urging focus on AI, foreign labour policy and skills development.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) has welcomed the new leadership at the Ministry of Human Resources.
MEF president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said the federation anticipates close collaboration with Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan and Deputy Minister Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan.
He stated that KESUMA plays a critical role in ensuring labour policies remain adaptive and responsive to economic and technological changes.
“MEF looks forward to working closely with the new leadership of KESUMA to advance key labour market priorities,” Syed Hussain said.
The federation’s key priorities include workforce upskilling and the development of a National AI Workforce Framework.
It also advocates for more predictable foreign workforce policies, including a review of levy structures.
MEF called for wage policies to remain evidence-based and productivity-linked, considering economic conditions and sectoral differences.
The federation expressed strong support for safer workplaces and encouraged occupational safety and health incentives for employers.
MEF also recorded its appreciation to former minister Steven Sim Chee Keong and former deputy minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad.
Syed Hussain acknowledged their efforts in introducing positive institutional reforms and strengthening labour market governance.
The federation looks forward to advancing policies that support productivity, competitiveness and sustainable economic growth.
Sim is now the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister, while Abdul Rahman Mohamad is the Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation.
Ramanan and Khairul Firdaus were previously deputy ministers in different ministries.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/mef-seeks-close-collaboration-with-new-human-resources-ministry-leadership/
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Seven ministers and eight deputies to be sworn in after Cabinet reshuffle
17 Dec 2025
Seven ministers and eight deputy ministers will take their oaths today following a Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
KUALA LUMPUR: Seven ministers and eight deputy ministers will be sworn in before His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim today.
The ceremony follows a Cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Presentation of Appointment Letters and Swearing-in Ceremony is scheduled for this morning at Istana Negara.
Anwar announced the new appointments and portfolio changes yesterday.
He cited several vacancies and the need for adjustments within the MADANI Government Cabinet.
Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani is appointed as the new Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry.
He was previously the Minister of Plantation and Commodities.
Hannah Yeoh, formerly the Minister of Youth and Sports, is now Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Federal Territories.
Six deputy ministers and one new face have been promoted to full ministerial positions.
Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir becomes Minister of Economy.
Sungai Petani MP Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari is appointed as the new Minister of Youth and Sports.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/seven-ministers-and-eight-deputies-to-be-sworn-in-after-cabinet-reshuffle/
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Zaliha pledges continued support for Madani agenda after cabinet exit
16 Dec 2025
Former minister Zaliha Mustafa pledges support for the Madani agenda and reform policies, thanking PM Anwar Ibrahim for her tenure and highlighting key achievements.
PUTRAJAYA: Former minister Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa has pledged her continued support for the Madani agenda and the government’s reform policies.
She thanked Prime Minister Datro Seri Anwar Ibrahim for entrusting her with the role of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories).
“I believe every decision by the Prime Minister was made with careful consideration, prioritising national interest,” she said in a statement.
She wished success to all members of the newly appointed cabinet.
Dr Zaliha also expressed gratitude to the staff of the Federal Territories Department for their commitment during her tenure.
She noted several issues were tackled over two years, including breaking up bazaar cartels that exploited small traders.
She highlighted the success of the Usaha Jaya Insan (PUJI) Programme in eradicating hardcore poverty.
In Labuan, she said economic empowerment was being driven by tourism and improved connectivity.
Dr Zaliha congratulated Hannah Yeoh on her appointment as the new Federal Territories Minister.
She was dropped from the new cabinet line-up announced by Anwar, along with Datuk Dr MohdNa’im Mokhtar.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/politics/zaliha-pledges-continued-support-for-madani-agenda-after-cabinet-exit/
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Anwar’s Kenya visit cements six decades of diplomatic ties
16 Dec 2025
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s recent visit to Kenya has strengthened mutual trust and political goodwill as both nations mark 60 years of diplomatic relations.
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent visit to Kenya has reinforced trust and political goodwill between the two nations.
The visit coincides with the celebration of six decades of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Kenya.
Kenyan High Commissioner to Malaysia EkitelaMoru said the long-standing partnership marks a historic milestone.
He noted it is reflected in shared values and growing political, economic, trade, investment, and people-to-people ties.
“This partnership is not just symbolic, but it provides an opportunity to deepen cooperation in key priority areas,” Moru said on Bernama TV’s programme The Nation.
He listed trade, investment, ICT, the digital economy, education, and tourism as key areas for collaboration.
Moru highlighted the complementary strengths of both countries, with Kenya as a gateway to Africa and Malaysia as a Southeast Asian hub.
He stated Kenya is committed to pursuing inclusive development, citing Malaysia’s cultural values and development trajectory as a role model.
“We like following the footsteps of Malaysia in terms of development,” Moru said.
He added Kenya is working on poverty alleviation and inclusive growth for its people.
Malaysia’s experience in poverty reduction and large-scale affordable housing has inspired Kenya.
Moru said this has prompted Kenya to strengthen its social protection measures, public-private partnerships, and inclusive development policies.
Anwar visited Nairobi on November 23 and 24, marking the first official trip by a Malaysian Prime Minister to Kenya since 2007.
During the visit, both countries agreed to explore partnerships and investments, including collaboration in STEM.
They also upgraded their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/anwars-kenya-visit-cements-six-decades-of-diplomatic-ties/
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Anwar retains key ministers to drive economic growth and continuity
16 Dec 2025
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim retains several ministers to ensure continuity in driving economic growth and addressing public issues in the new Cabinet lineup.
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today retained several existing ministers in the MADANI Government Cabinet to ensure team continuity in driving economic growth and addressing the people’s issues.
Deputy Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof each retained their portfolios as Minister of Rural and Regional Development and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, respectively.
Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan was also retained.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil remains at the helm of the Ministry of Communications, along with his deputy Teo Nie Ching.
Also retained are the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and her deputy M. Kulasegaran.
The Ministry of Transport portfolio is still held by Anthony Loke, along with his deputy Datuk HasbiHabibulloh.
Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu retains the portfolio of Minister of Agriculture and Food Security.
Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Education FadhlinaSidek, and Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir also retained their positions.
Also retained are Defence Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Home Minister Datuk Seri SaifuddinNasution Ismail, and Works Minister Datuk Seri Dr Alexander NantaLinggi.
Other retained ministers include Nga Kor Ming (Housing and Local Government), Chang Lih Kang (Science Technology and Innovation), Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri (Women, Family and Community Development), Datuk Aaron AgongDagang (National Unity), Datuk ArmizanMohd Ali (Domestic Trade and Cost of Living), and Gobind Singh Deo (Digital).
Several deputy ministers were also retained, including Datuk Rubiah Wang (Rural and Regional Development), Datuk AimanAthirah Sabu (Housing and Local Government), and Datuk Seri Shamsul AnuarNasarah (Home Affairs).
Others are AdlyZahari (Deputy Defence Minister), Datuk Dr Yusof Apdal (Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation), Wong KahWoh (Deputy Minister of Education), Datuk Dr Fuziah Ali (Deputy Minister Domestic Trade and Cost of Living), and Datuk Wilson Ugak (Deputy Minister Digital).
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/politics/anwar-retains-key-ministers-to-drive-economic-growth-and-continuity/
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South Asia
Afghanistan’s Boxing Star Malikzada Triumphs in German National Championship
By Fidel Rahmati
December 17, 2025
Afghanistan’s boxing star Hasib Malikzada won Germany’s 60kg national championship, defeating top competitors with skill and experience, boosting his prospects for international selection.
Hasib Malikzada, a former Afghanistan national boxer, won the 60-kilogram title at Germany’s national boxing trials after four consecutive victories. His performance highlighted his technical skill and experience against strong German competitors.
Malikzada, who represented Afghanistan in international competitions including the 2021 World Boxing Championships in Serbia, has a long history of success in Asian and regional boxing events. His career has been marked by perseverance and consistent performance at high-level competitions.
After leaving Afghanistan, Malikzada continued his professional boxing career in Europe, joining German boxing clubs and competing in the country’s top leagues. He quickly established himself as one of the leading technical lightweight boxers in Germany.
Sources familiar with the trials said Malikzada’s tactical approach and ring intelligence set him apart, allowing him to outperform seasoned German opponents. His victory is seen as a major step toward joining the German national boxing team for upcoming international competitions.
Malikzada’s success underscores the growing presence of Afghanistan athletes in international sports, and his journey is an example of talent continuing to flourish despite displacement from home countries.
Meanwhile, Malikzada’s win could inspire other Afghanistan boxers to pursue professional careers abroad, highlighting the opportunities available in European leagues for skilled athletes.
With this championship, Malikzada strengthens his position as a contender for major international events, signaling his readiness to compete at the highest level while representing a new national team.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/afghanistans-boxing-star-malikzada-triumphs-in-german-national-championship/
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Afghan SIV Holders Included in Trump Travel Ban, Refugee Group Says
By Fidel Rahmati
December 17, 2025
A refugee advocacy group says Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders have been included in President Donald Trump’s travel ban, raising concerns over family separation and humanitarian consequences.
The United States has expanded its travel ban, restricting citizens from several countries, including Afghanistan, from obtaining visas or immigrating to the country on security and immigration grounds.
The White House said President Donald Trump signed an executive order extending the ban to additional countries, including Syria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria and South Sudan. The restrictions also apply to Palestinians holding passports issued by the Palestinian Authority.
Afghan advocacy group Afghan Evac said the latest decision has removed a key exemption that had allowed Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders to enter the United States despite the broader travel ban.
Shawn VanDiver, president of Afghan Evac, accused the US administration of using a recent shooting involving an Afghan former soldier and US National Guard troops to justify tougher restrictions on Afghan refugees and former US allies.
He said SIV holders undergo some of the most rigorous vetting procedures in the US immigration system, calling the removal of their exemption a deliberate move with immediate humanitarian consequences.
According to Afghan Evac, the decision has led to family separations, prolonged uncertainty for thousands of applicants, and weakened trust among Afghans who previously worked alongside US forces and diplomats.
The organisation urged Washington to urgently review and reverse the order, warning that the policy contradicts long-standing US immigration principles, including commitments to family reunification and the protection of former partners.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/afghan-siv-holders-included-in-trump-travel-ban-refugee-group-says/
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Afghanistan Making Progress in Various Fields, Poses No Security Threat to Other Countries, Muttaqi
December 17, 2025
KABUL: Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has affirmed that the country is making significant progress across all sectors and does not pose a security threat to other nations.
Speaking to TOLONews during a Buzkashi league match in Kabul, Muttaqi described the current security situation as “unprecedented” and noted that diplomats and ambassadors from several countries attended the event.
He highlighted that the government’s support for sports is likely unmatched in Afghanistan’s history, enabling Afghan athletes to achieve remarkable successes this year.
“The promotion of sports is part of broader efforts to foster social development, strengthen national pride, and enhance Afghanistan’s presence on the international stage,” Muttaqi said.
The event also showcased the growing confidence in Afghanistan, as well as the administration’s efforts to encourage traditional sports and cultural activities throughout the country.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/afghanistan-making-progress-in-various-fields-poses-no-security-threat-to-other-countries-muttaqi/
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A new system must replace old political order
Dec 17, 2025
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman yesterday said the politics of future Bangladesh would follow a new system, discarding the old political order.
"The politics of the new system will oppose terrorism, extortion, murder, rape, false cases, corruption, injustice and all forms of oppression," he said at a youth marathon organised by Jamaat on the occasion of Victory Day at Suhrawardy Uddyan.
Shafiqur said the struggle would continue until a youth-led new Bangladesh is realised.
"No matter how many obstacles or threats come, we will not stop. We will build a new Bangladesh in line with the nation's aspirations," he said.
The marathon began around 8:00am at Suhrawardy Uddyan and ended at Manik Mia Avenue near the JatiyaSangsad Bhaban, passing through Shahbagh and Science Lab. Participants carried national flags and colourful banners and wore caps, reports UNB.
Referring to the upcoming election, the Jamaat chief warned against manipulation.
"We do not seek any favour from the Election Commission, but any bias will not be tolerated," he said, adding that attempts to buy votes with black money would fail as people are now more aware.
He also said that the people of the then East Pakistan revolted in 1971 against injustice and discrimination by the Pakistani ruling elite.
Shafiqur said the nation rose against the Awami League's 15-year-long rule last year because of the party's widespread oppression.
He further alleged that the party is now targeting youths and revolutionaries, citing an attempt on the life of Osman Hadi, a key leader of the July movement.
"If anything happens to Osman Hadi, the revolutionaries will not remain silent," the Jamaat chief said.
He added that eliminating a few leaders would not weaken the movement. "The number of revolutionaries will only continue to grow," he said.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/new-system-must-replace-old-political-order-4060181
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Armed attack on JCD leader’s Ctg home after ‘protest against extortion’
Dec 16, 2025
Miscreants carrying firearms opened fire at the residence of a JatiyatabadiChhatra Dal (JCD) leader in Chattogram city's Bayezid Bostami area, reportedly after he protested an extortion attempt from a local contractor.
The incident took place at Farid Member's house in Uttar Kulgaon of Baluchara area on the night of December 14, when armed miscreants opened fire at the residence of Ahmed Reza, a former joint convener of the Bayezid Bostami unit of JCD.
The firing caused panic among locals.
A video circulating on social media shows four armed individuals approaching the house and opening fire, reportedly discharging around 15 rounds before fleeing the scene.
However, police said they have yet to identify the attackers, as no case or written complaint has been lodged in this regard.
According to police and local sources, a contractor had been installing a boundary wall in Kulgaon area for the past few days. On December 12, a group of 10 to 11 youths demanded Tk 50,000, allegedly invoking the name of the fugitive eight-time murder accused Sazzad Ali, alias "BoroSazzad".
Later, the contractor shared the incident with Reza, who spoke with the youths and asked them the reason for the demand.
At one point, the contractor offered them Tk 3,000, but they refused and left the spot. Later, Reza reportedly received phone calls from two foreign numbers and was threatened by unknown persons, locals said.
Contracted, JCD leader Reza, however, declined to make any comment in this regard.
Jasim Uddin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bayezid Bostami Police Station, said, "Police visited the spot and collected evidence. Action will be taken if any written complaint is filed."
Meanwhile, Chattogram Metropolitan unit of BNP strongly condemned the attack. In a joint statement, city BNP Convener and Chattogram-8 constituency candidate Ershad Ullah and Member Secretary Nazimur Rahman said that since the announcement of the election schedule, criminal groups have become active in the area. They alleged that these groups are intimidating ordinary people by openly displaying illegal firearms.
Earlier, on the evening of November 5, armed criminals opened fire during Ershad Ullah's campaign in Khondkarpara area under Bayezid Bostami Police Station. During the attack, Sarwar Hossain alias Babla, described by police as a criminal, was shot dead by the assailants.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/armed-attack-jcd-leaders-ctg-home-after-protest-against-extortion-4060046
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Germany Evacuates 160 Afghan Refugees from Pakistan
By Fidel Rahmati
December 17, 2025
Germany evacuated 160 Afghan refugees from Pakistan on a charter flight, accelerating resettlement as thousands remain stranded, facing worsening conditions and the threat of deportation.
Germany has begun accelerating the relocation of Afghan refugees stranded in Pakistan, amid growing concerns over deteriorating living conditions and the risk of deportation.
On Tuesday, December 16, German authorities transferred 160 Afghan refugees on a charter flight from Islamabad to Berlin, with officials saying additional evacuation flights are planned in the coming weeks.
The Interior Ministry said the evacuees had received formal admission commitments from Germany following the fall of Kabul, obligating Berlin to facilitate their transfer.
The move follows warnings from Pakistan that Afghans awaiting resettlement could be returned to Afghanistan if admission procedures are not completed by the end of the year, heightening anxiety among those still waiting.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said about 600 Afghans currently in Pakistan do not have legally binding admission commitments, adding that Germany intends to conclude voluntary federal admission programmes without opening new ones.
He stressed, however, that most Afghans holding binding commitments would still be relocated to Germany, saying the government would honour its legal obligations.
German officials and aid groups have warned that many Afghans stranded in Pakistan are facing severe hardship, including legal uncertainty, limited access to work and healthcare, and the constant fear of forced return, while security checks for hundreds of applicants continue.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/germany-evacuates-160-afghan-refugees-from-pakistan/
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Kyrgyz Delegation in Kabul to Boost Bilateral Economic Ties
December 17, 2025
KABUL: A delegation from the Kyrgyz Republic, comprising Deputy Ministers of Trade, Energy, and Transport, arrived in Kabul to strengthen bilateral economic relations.
The delegation will meet with officials of the Islamic Emirate, participate in a trade communication conference, engage in bilateral business meetings, and visit industrial facilities and various enterprises operating in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said in a statement on Tuesday.
This visit follows an official invitation from Nooruddin Azizi, Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Islamic Emirate, and continues the recent visit of the Afghan delegation to Kyrgyzstan to attend that country’s Economic Forum.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/kyrgyz-delegation-in-kabul-to-boost-bilateral-economic-ties/
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Cabinet Meeting Discusses Port Facilities, New Kabul City Construction
December 17, 2025
KABUL: The 11th meeting of the Cabinet was held on Tuesday with the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, on the chair, discussing port facilities and construction of New Kabul city, Arg said in a statement.
The meeting focused on key economic, social, and cultural issues, the statement said.
According to the statement, a committee was tasked with reviewing essential facilities, medicine laboratories, and related equipment at Islam Qala Port in Herat Province and other ports.
The committee is expected to submit its findings to the Prime Minister for further action, the statement added.
The Cabinet also discussed the construction of the new Kabul city, emphasizing that building projects should proceed according to plan, with cooperation between the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing and other relevant departments.
Following detailed discussions on various topics, the meeting concluded with prayers for success and prosperity.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/cabinet-meeting-discusses-port-facilities-new-kabul-city-construction/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/mumbai-sunni-ijtema-international-message/d/138039