Terror-Financing Watchdog FATF Condemns Pahalgam Terror Attack But Omits Pakistan From Statement
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 June 2025
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· Terror-Financing Watchdog FATF Condemns Pahalgam Terror Attack But Omits Pakistan From Statement
· Revival Of Sharia Depends On Preservation, Promotion Of Religious Sciences, Says IEA Supreme Leader
· MPs To Vote On Decriminalising Abortion In UK - How The Law Could Change
· G7 Leaders Call For 'De-Escalation' In The Middle East
· IRNA Condemns Israeli Strike On National TV Headquarters
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India
· Ghaziabad Cops Arrest Pastor For ‘Religious Conversion’ On Bajrang Dal Man’s Complaint
· India Not A Signatory, UNHCR Card Not Valid Here, Says Court: Eight Rohingya Muslims Sentenced To Two Years
· Every Hindu-Muslim Love Story Isn’t Love Jihad’: Bollywood Actor Aamir Khan
· Kolkata: In Chargesheet, ED Says Pak Man Ran Hawala Network, Forged Papers
· MEA confirms Indian students moved out of Tehran amid Iran-Israel tensions
· 3 injured in mysterious explosion during mosque demolition in Handwara
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South Asia
· Holding meetings on Afghanistan without IEA representative ineffective, Mujahid
· Muttaqi discusses recent developments between Iran, Zionist regime with his Iranian counterpart via phone call
· Amir al-Mu’mineen Addresses Leaders of Jihadi Madrasas in Kandahar Seminar
· Bangladesh embassy in Tehran considers relocation amid Israel-Iran conflict
· UN Agencies urge immediate action to tackle Malnutrition Crisis in Afghanistan
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Europe
· Germany To Enhance Security At ‘Jewish Sites’ – Chancellor
· Ethnicity Of Grooming Gangs 'Shied Away From', Casey Report Says
· Macron Urges End To Strikes Against Civilians, Warns Against Iran Regime Change
· Portswood Fire: Imam Helps Family After Their Home Was Destroyed
· Alloa: Man arrested after fire at mosque on Whins Road
· The protesters and residents pushing back on tourism in Barcelona
· Starmer to announce new sanctions targeting Russia
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North America
· Israel-Iran Conflict: Police Increase Surveillance At Montreal Mosques, Synagogues
· What are Trump's options for dealing with Iran?
· Wife of Minnesota politician shielded daughter from bullets, says relative
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Mideast
· Hamas: Continued Closure Of Al-Aqsa Mosque Is Flagrant Violation Of Freedom Of Worship, Sanctity Of Mosque
· Islamic Jihad Movement Condemns Zionist War Crimes
· Israel orders 300,000 people in Tehran to evacuate while Trump issues ominous warning
· Airports close across the Mideast as the Israel-Iran conflict shutters the region’s airspace
· China tells citizens in Israel to leave ‘as soon as possible’
· Lebanese leaders indirectly urge Hezbollah to stay out of the Israel-Iran conflict
· Israeli forces evict Jenin families, convert homes into military outposts
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Arab World
· Structural Restoration Of Abha’s Al-Dagal Fortress Completed
· Greening Initiative Sees 31m Trees Planted In Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province
· Saudi Matchmaking App, Awaser, Is Helping Individuals Find Partners By Bridging Tradition And Modernity
· Deaf artist breaks barriers with solo debut in Jeddah
· Saudi Arabia to participate in Beijing book fair
· Envoys share sweet memories as they bid farewell to Saudi Arabia
· Saudi FM discusses Iran-Israel tensions with Italian and EU counterparts
· Saudi minister holds talks with UK, China envoys in Riyadh
· Saudi crown prince, Greek PM discuss Iran-Israel tensions in phone call
· Saudi foundation displays projects at Dutch ‘GreenTech’ exhibition
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Africa
· Masquerades Invade Mosque, Attack Chief Imam’s Family In Ondo Community
· Benue Killings: Alia Blames Attacks On Border Infiltration, Cites Nasarawa, Cameroon Axis
· Mali court places Canada's Barrick gold mine under provisional administration
· Tanzanian opposition leader to represent himself in treason trial
· Uganda president signs law bringing back military trials for civilians
· Sultan of Sokoto expresses concern over renewed attacks in Benue
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Southeast Asia
· PM Anwar: Govt Monitoring Iran-Israel Conflict, No Decision Yet On Evacuation Of Malaysians
· Singer Naim Daniel Pleads Not Guilty To Sexual Assault Charge Involving Teenager
· Malaysia must adapt industrial, digital, and green growth policies to become high-income economy, says Anwar
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/terror-financing-pahalgam-attack-pakistan/d/135899
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Terror-Financing Watchdog FATF Condemns Pahalgam Terror Attack But Omits Pakistan From Statement
Anita Joshua
17.06.25
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Global money-laundering and terror-financing watchdog FATF has condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam but has not named Pakistan in its statement issued after the plenary meeting last week.
"Terrorist attacks kill, maim and inspire fear around the world. The FATF notes with grave concern and condemns the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. This, and other recent attacks, could not occur without money and the means to move funds between terrorist supporters," the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said in a statement.
The FATF researches how money is laundered and terrorism is funded, promotes global standards to mitigate the risks, and assesses whether countries are taking effective action.
Pakistan was on the FATF grey list thrice between 2008 and 2023. India wants Pakistan back on the grey list after the Pahalgam attack, and part of its diplomatic outreach has been directed at getting member countries to agree to this.
Greylisting places the country under increased FATF monitoring and can trigger economic consequences, including a leash on foreign investments and access to financial markets.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/financial-action-task-force-condemns-pahalgam-terror-attack-but-omits-pakistan-from-statement-prnt/cid/2108213
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Revival of Sharia depends on preservation, promotion of religious sciences, says IEA Supreme Leader
June 17, 2025
KABUL: Shaikh Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate, said that the revival of Sharia depends on the preservation and promotion of religious sciences, according to a statement from Arg the other day.
Addressing a one-day educational and reformative seminar organized for the teachers of Jihadi madrasas in Kandahar, Shaikh Hebatullah emphasized the high status and honor that Allah (SWT) has granted to scholars among his creation, noting that scholars are appointed after the prophets to protect and uphold religion.
“Scholars are not merely responsible for individual acts of worship but are also entrusted with leading society in collective worship, politics, and governance,” the Supreme Leader said as quoted by the statement.
Shaikh Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada also praised the historic role of scholars in guiding communities, establishing Sharia, delivering verdicts, resolving disputes, supporting jihad, and providing education and counsel during Jihad.
The Supreme Leader urged madrasas’ instructors to pay serious attention to nurturing the beliefs, mindset, and character of students.
He also stressed the importance of teaching them the rights of parents, teachers, and others, encouraging cooperation with other institutions and fostering mutual trust to avoid disobedience and internal discord.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/revival-of-sharia-depends-on-preservation-promotion-of-religious-sciences-says-iea-supreme-leader/
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MPs To Vote On Decriminalising Abortion In UK - How The Law Could Change
17 JUN 2025
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A law change aimed at decriminalising abortion will be debated in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
Two Labour MPs, Tonia Antoniazzi and Stella Creasy, have tabled rival amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill.
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle could pick one or both amendments to be debated by MPs, but is likely to only pick one to go to a vote.
MPs are usually given a free vote on abortion, meaning they do not have to follow any party line on the subject.
What does the current law say?
The current law in England and Wales states that abortion is illegal but allowed up to the first 24 weeks of pregnancy and beyond that in certain circumstances such as if the woman's life is in danger.
Abortions have to be approved by two doctors, who check if one of a list of criteria have been met - for example, if the pregnancy poses a risk to the physical or mental health of the woman.
Recent law changes have allowed women to access pills to be taken at home to terminate their pregnancies under 10 weeks.
In 2022, the most recent data available, 252,122 abortions were reported in England and Wales - the highest number since records began.
Abortion providers have reported receiving 100 requests for medical records from police officers in relation to suspected abortion offences in the last five years.
Last year, abortion provider MSI told the BBC, it was aware of 60 criminal inquiries in England and Wales since 2018, compared to almost zero before.
Six women have appeared in court in England charged with ending or attempting to end their own pregnancy outside abortion law, in the past three years.
Dr Jonathan Lord, medical director at MSI, said the organisation believes the "unprecedented" number of women being investigated could be linked to the police's increased awareness of the availability of the "pills by post scheme".
What would Tonia Antoniazzi's amendment do?
Tonia Antoniazzi's amendment aims to prevent women from being investigated, arrested, prosecuted or imprisoned for terminating their own pregnancies.
She has argued that the investigations are "dehumanising and prolonged and the women forced to endure them are often extraordinarily vulnerable".
She said those investigated can be victims of domestic abuse and violence, human trafficking and sexual exploitation or women who have given birth prematurely.
"The reality is that no woman wakes up 24 weeks pregnant or more and suddenly decides to end their own pregnancy outside a hospital or clinic.
"But some women, in desperate circumstances, make choices that many of us would struggle to understand. What they need is compassion and care, not the threat of criminal prosecution."
Her amendment would maintain punishments for medical professionals and violent partners who end a pregnancy outside of the existing law.
It has received the backing from 176 MPs and the main abortion providers.
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children has said the amendment is an "extreme and dangerous proposal" that would "effectively decriminalise abortions".
How is Stella Creasy's amendment different?
Stella Creasy has put forward a rival amendment which would enshrine abortion access as a human right and also aims to prevent women who have terminated their own pregnancies from being investigated.
Creasy has said her amendment goes further than her Labour colleague's proposal, by offering "protection to all those involved in ensuring that women can access safe and legal abortions".
Creasy has argued that Antoniazzi's amendment would not stop the authorities investigating "the partners of people who had an abortion or the medics who provided the abortions and it would not prevent demands for women to give evidence as part of that process".
It is backed by 108 MPs but not abortion providers. Rachael Clarke from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service has said Creasy's amendment is not the right way to achieve "generational change".
Speaking to the Radio 4's Today programme last week, Ms Clarke said abortion law is "incredibly complex", adding: "It is essential that any huge changes to abortion law is properly considered."
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children has described Creasy's amendment as "even more extreme" than that of Antoniazzi's adding: "There'd no way to bring an abusive partner who causes the death of an unborn baby to justice."
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3rprg8zv18o
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G7 leaders call for 'de-escalation' in the Middle East
June 17, 2025
Watch: A trade deal, a family photo and conflict in the Middle East - Trump’s short G7
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The leaders of G7 nations have called for a "de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza".
In a joint statement, they also reiterated their "commitment to peace and stability" in the region, adding that within this context "Israel has a right to defend itself".
US President Donald Trump left the summit in Canada early telling reporters: "I have to be back early for obvious reasons."
His exit came as Israel and Iran attacked each other for a fifth consecutive day.
Reports circulated that Trump had instructed the White House National Security Council to meet upon his return.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the "deployment of additional capabilities" to the Middle East to enhance the Pentagon's "defensive posture". But American officials rejected suggestions the US was about to join the Israeli offensive on Iran.
The White House was at pains to emphasise that Trump had "a great day" at the summit, saying much was accomplished, including a trade deal between the US and UK.
The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was leaving the gathering of world leaders at Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies after dinner on Monday night because of "what's going on in the Middle East". She did not elaborate.
It means the US president will miss in-person meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum that were scheduled for Tuesday, the final day of the summit.
At a photo session on Monday, Trump said it was important he return to Washington for "big stuff".
Earlier the president posted on social media that Iran should have signed a deal that he put forward to them in the most recent round of US-Iran nuclear talks.
"Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON," he wrote. "I said it over and over again!"
Trump also urged Iranians on his social media platform Truth Social to "immediately evacuate" their capital, Tehran, a city of up to 17 million people. He did not offer further details.
Shortly afterwards, Iranian media reported explosions and heavy air defence fire in Tehran early on Tuesday. That came hours after Israel targeted Iran's state broadcaster, forcing a presenter to flee mid-broadcast.
In Israel, air raid sirens wailed in Tel Aviv and an explosion was heard as Iranian missiles targeted the country again.
World leaders at the G7 summit said they understood Trump's need to leave early.
"If the United States can achieve a ceasefire, that's a very good thing," said French President Emmanuel Macron.
A spokesperson for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Trump's exit was "understandable", despite the two leaders being scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss tariffs.
There were signs of division earlier at the G7 over conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Iran.
Trump was planning to reject a summit statement on the Iran-Israel conflict, according to the BBC's US partner CBS.
But the leaders ultimately agreed a statement, released on Monday night local time, which said they "reiterate our support for the security of Israel".
"Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror. We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon," the statement added.
Trump also said at the summit earlier that it had been a "big mistake" for the former G8 to expel Russia from the group in 2014 after it annexed Crimea.
"Putin speaks to me," said the US president. "He doesn't speak to anybody else... he's not a happy person about it."
But there was some progress as President Trump formally signed off a UK-US trade deal removing some trade barriers between the two countries.
Trump told reporters the UK was "very well protected" from future import taxes. "You know why? Because I like them."
Monday also saw a bilateral between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump, after which Carney said a trade deal might be struck between the two countries within 30 days to resolve tit-for-tat import taxes.
This marks the second time that Trump had left the G7 summit early. In 2018, at a summit in Quebec, he exited the gathering to meet North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.
Israel has claimed control of Iranian airspace since launching its air war last Thursday with a surprise attack that it says has killed many top military commanders and atomic scientists.
However, Israel does not appear to have achieved its goal of destroying Iran's nuclear development programme.
Military analysts say only the US has the bombers and bunker-busting bombs that can penetrate the deepest of Iranian nuclear facilities, especially that of Fordow.
Israeli strikes have killed at least 224 people in Iran, according to the Iranian health ministry. In Israel, the government said at least 24 people had died.
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd783v9wn1eo
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IRNA condemns Israeli strike on national TV headquarters
Jun 16, 2025
The headquarters of Iran’s national television, known as the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), is seen on fire after an Israeli strike, June 16, 2025.
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Tehran, IRNA – The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) has condemned an Israeli strike on the headquarters of Iran’s national television.
In a statement on Monday evening, IRNA said the Israeli strike on the television headquarters in the capital, Tehran, earlier in the day was another manifestation of the Tel Aviv regime’s “policy of institutionalized and state terrorism.”
“This criminal act was carried out in contravention of all international regulations and norms on the immunity of reporters and media offices and was a desperate attempt at silencing the great Iranian nation’s voice of truth,” IRNA said.
The statement strongly condemned the Israeli strike and offered sympathies to the manager and personnel of the IRIB.
IRNA said it stood by the IRIB and other Iranian media to reflect the voice of the Iranian nation in the face of Israel’s war of aggression.
Separately, Foreign Ministry spokesperson EsmaeilBaqaei called the strike a war crime and asked the United Nations Security Council to act.
The Israeli regime began strikes inside Iranian territory, including on residential buildings, in an unprovoked act of aggression overnight on June 13. Top Iranian military officials were assassinated in targeted strikes. Civilians died when houses were directly struck. Entire population centers were affected.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei appointed new military commanders later that same day and said life would turn bleak for Israel. Shortly afterwards, Iran began punitive strikes deep inside Israel, hitting Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, among other targets, with ballistic missiles and drones. Life has come to a halt in the occupied territories as Israelis have been spending entire days in underground bomb shelters.
Iranian officials have said the mission will continue as long as necessary.
Waves of Iranian strikes have been hitting targets deep inside Israel since then. Despite heavy Israeli censorship, abundant footage has appeared of the Iranian missiles hitting their targets in precision strikes.
Source: irna.ir
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https://en.irna.ir/news/85864869/IRNA-condemns-Israeli-strike-on-national-TV-headquarters
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India
Ghaziabad Cops Arrest Pastor For ‘Religious Conversion’ On Bajrang Dal Man’s Complaint
by Neetika Jha
June 17, 2025
The Ghaziabad Police arrested two men, including a pastor, for allegedly attempting to convert members of the Scheduled Caste (SC) by offering inducements, said officers on Monday. The arrest comes following a complaint by a Bajrang Dal member.
According to police, Pastor Vinod Kunjumon hails from Kerala and currently lives in Sahibabad. The other arrested man is Premchand Jatav, a resident of Rahul Vihar in Ghaziabad. They were arrested on Sunday.
Neighbours, however, said there was no conversion and only prayers were held every Sunday at Jatav’s house.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Wave City, Priyashri Pal, said the arrests were made after police received a complaint from one Prabal Gupta at the Crossings Republik police station on Sunday. “Gupta, in his complaint, alleged he [the pastor] was converting people from SC communities by offering them cash and kind. We have not come to a concrete conclusion yet, but have begun our investigation,” Pal told The Indian Express.
When The Indian Express visited Rahul Vihar on Monday, the single-storey house, where Gupta alleged religious conversion was taking place, was closed, and its gates were damaged.
Satish Anand, 54, a neighbour, said Jatav built this house nearly 30 years ago. “It is not true that he was converting people,” he said.
“He used to hold prayers on Sunday, and people from Rahul Vihar and Buddh Vihar used to attend it. But he never asked anyone to convert,” added Anand, who runs an eatery in the area.
“He (Jatav) owned a dairy and supplied buffalo milk in the area,” said another resident. “Three years ago, he put up a signboard. Since then, everyone in the area started calling it a church,” she claimed. Gupta, who said he is a member of the Bajrang Dal, claimed he got information that a church was running illegally inside the Rahul Vihar house.
Claiming that Pastor Vinod was carrying out religious conversions at Jatav’s home, he alleged in his complaint, “Premchand converted to Christianity several years ago and used to host weekly Sunday prayer meetings at his home and carry out conversions. These meetings served as a platform for the pastor to approach other individuals and persuade them to change their religion.”
Gupta also alleged that when Bajrang Dal members opposed it, they were attacked.
Station House Officer, Crossings Republik, Preeti Garg, said the FIR was registered under sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (threats involving death) 352 (breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and a relevant section of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.
“We filed a case based on the application under relevant sections and arrested both the accused. Further legal action is being taken and an investigation is underway; legal proceedings will depend on the outcome of evidence collection,” the ACP added.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/ghaziabad-religiois-conversion-pastor-arrests-10070375/
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India Not A Signatory, UNHCR Card Not Valid Here, Says Court: Eight Rohingya Muslims Sentenced To Two Years
Jun 17, 2025
THANE: Additional sessions judge G T Pawar on Monday sentenced eight Rohingya Muslims to two years of simple imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000 each for illegally entering and residing in India without proper documentation.
The court also ordered their deportation to Myanmar upon completion of their sentence. A ninth accused, who was charged with abetting their illegal entry, was acquitted due to a lack of evidence.
The case dates back to Feb 2024, when the police received a tip-off about some foreign nationals living near the Uttan shore. During a raid at Chowkgaon, police found several individuals attempting to flee. Upon detention, they were found carrying UNHCR cards that confirmed their Myanmar citizenship.
However, the court clarified that such cards hold no legal value in India, as the country is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol.
Letters from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office and police authorities further confirmed that holders of UNHCR cards are not permitted to reside in India.
Judge Pawar cited SC's ruling in Mohammad Salimullah vs Union of India (2021), which allowed for the deportation of Rohingya Muslims following due procedure.
The court also referred to past judgments stating that the burden of proving citizenship lies on the accused. During sentencing, the accused appealed for mercy on humanitarian grounds, stating that conditions in Myanmar were unsafe. However, the court rejected the plea, noting that India's population burden and internal security concerns override such considerations.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-not-a-signatory-unhcr-card-not-valid-here-says-court/articleshow/121894037.cms
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Every Hindu-Muslim Love Story Isn’t Love Jihad’: Bollywood Actor Aamir Khan
June 16, 2025
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has finally spoken out about love jihad and the decade-long controversy surrounding his 2014 blockbuster ‘PK’. The film, which stirred heated debates for its bold take on organised religion, is once again in the spotlight, and Aamir isn’t shying away from setting the record straight.
In a recent chat with India TV, Aamir Khan addressed the criticism head-on, particularly the accusations that ‘PK’ was anti-religious or supported the so-called “love jihad” narrative.
Calm and confident, Aamir made it clear that people had misunderstood the film’s core message.
“They are wrong,” he said, dismissing the long-standing claims. “We are not against any religion. We respect all religions and the people who follow them. The film’s only message was to warn people about those who misuse religion to cheat and manipulate. You will find such people across all religions. That’s all the film wanted to highlight.”
When ‘PK’ first hit theatres, it didn’t just become a blockbuster—it became a talking point across the country. The film followed the story of an alien, played by Aamir, who questions blind faith and religious practices, something that didn’t sit well with many viewers who saw it as an attack on their beliefs.
Another layer of controversy was added when some objected to the romantic storyline between Anushka Sharma’s character, a Hindu woman, and Sushant Singh Rajput’s character, a Pakistani Muslim man. A few groups labelled it as promoting “love jihad.”
Aamir strongly refuted these allegations, saying, “When two people from different religions, like Hindu and Muslim, fall in love, it’s not automatically ‘love jihad.’ It’s simply two human beings connecting. Love is not bound by religion.”
He even posed a powerful question to his critics: if his own sisters and daughter marrying Hindu men would also be considered love jihad?
Aamir reminded everyone that his sister Farhat is married to Rajeev Dutta, and his other sister Nikhat married Santosh Hegde. His daughter Ira Khan also recently tied the knot with Nupur Shikhare, a Hindu. Aamir himself was married to Reena Dutta and later to Kiran Rao—both Hindu women.
When quizzed about why his children carry Muslim surnames despite their mothers being Hindu, Aamir offered a light-hearted response. “My wives chose the names. I didn’t interfere. Husbands don’t have much say anyway,” he joked.
Meanwhile, fans of the actor can look forward to seeing him on screen soon. Aamir will star alongside Genelia D’Souza in ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’, directed by RS Prasanna. The film is going to release on June 20 and is already generating a fair bit of excitement.
Source: thestatesman.com
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https://www.thestatesman.com/entertainment/bollywood/aamir-khan-every-hindu-muslim-love-story-isnt-love-jihad-1503446001.html
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Kolkata: In chargesheet, ED says Pak man ran hawala network, forged papers
by Tanusree Bose
June 17, 2025
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet under the anti-money laundering law against a Pakistani national, AjadMallik, who had been illegally living in Kolkata using forged Indian and Bangladeshi identity documents.
In a statement released by the ED on June 13, it said a Prosecution Complaint (PC) was filed before the Special Court under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Kolkata. The agency began investigating Mallik after an FIR was lodged by the West Bengal Police under Sections 14 and 14A of the Foreigners Act, 1946.
According to the ED, Mallik, also known by aliases Ahammed Hossain Azad and Azad Hossain, had fraudulently acquired multiple Indian government IDs, including an Aadhaar card, voter ID, PAN card, Indian passport, and driving licence.
The ED initially suspected Mallik to be a Bangladeshi national, but a Pakistani driving licence recovered from his mobile phone, dating back to 1994 revealed his actual identity. The licence bore the name “Azad Hossain”, listed his father’s name as Mumtaz-ul-Haque, and provided a permanent address in Hyderabad, Pakistan. His date of birth was recorded as August 14, 1971.
ED officers arrested Mallik on April 15, 2025, following a search operation that revealed his role in creating fraudulent identity documents for illegal immigrants in exchange for money. He was taken into ED custody for 14 days and is currently in judicial custody.
The ED found that Mallik ran a ‘hawala network’ facilitating illegal cross-border payments between India and Bangladesh. He collected payments through cash and UPI in India and transferred equivalent amounts to Bangladesh using mobile payment platforms like Bkash. He was also allegedly involved in forging documents for Bangladeshi nationals seeking visas and passports to travel to countries such as Dubai, Cambodia, and Malaysia.
“He collected payments in Bangladeshi Taka, US Dollars, or Indian Rupees and either deposited these into his own bank accounts or those of his associates engaged in fraudulent visa/passport processing,” the ED said.
Investigators also found that Mallik was connected to certain Kolkata-based forex firms (FFMCs), where large sums of cash were deposited under the guise of legitimate foreign currency exchanges. In reality, these were proceeds of crime linked to illegal identity creation for Bangladeshi nationals.
In an earlier update, the ED revealed that Mallik’s wife, Maymuna Akhter, and two sons,Osama Bin Azad and Omar Faruk,live in Bangladesh. He reportedly made frequent visits to meet them despite lacking valid travel documents.
The ED said that further investigation is underway.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/kolkata-in-chargesheet-ed-says-pak-man-ran-hawala-network-forged-papers-10070990/
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MEA confirms Indian students moved out of Tehran amid Iran-Israel tensions
17.06.25
Amid intensifying hostilities between Iran and Israel, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday confirmed that Indian students in Tehran have been relocated for safety, with additional measures underway to assist the Indian community in the region.
"Indian students in Tehran have been moved out of the city for reasons of safety, through arrangements made by the Embassy. Other residents who are self sufficient in terms of transport have also been advised to move out of the city in view of the developing situation," the MEA said in a statement.
The ministry also noted that some Indian nationals have been helped to leave Iran through alternate routes.
"Separately, some Indians have been facilitated to leave Iran through the border with Armenia," it added.
"The Embassy remains continuously in touch with the community with a view to extending all feasible assistance," the statement said, adding that "further advisories may be issued given the fluid situation."
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, 110 Indian students from Urmia Medical University, 90 of them from the Kashmir Valley, have safely crossed the border into Armenia.
Earlier, the Embassy of India in Tehran had urged all Indian nationals and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) in the capital to relocate to safer areas if they had the means to do so.
“All Indian Nationals and PIOs who can move out of Tehran using their own resources, are advised to move to a safe location outside the City,” the embassy posted on X.
It also requested citizens in Tehran to promptly contact the mission and share their details.
"All Indian Nationals who are in Tehran and not in touch with the Embassy are requested to contact the Embassy of India in Tehran immediately and provide their Location and Contact numbers. Kindly contact: +989010144557; +989128109115; +989128109109," the post added.
With the security situation deteriorating, the MEA activated a 24x7 control room in New Delhi to assist Indian nationals.
"The contact details of the control room are as under: 1800118797 (Toll-free), +91-11-23012113, +91-11-23014104, +91-11-23017905, +91-9968291988 (WhatsApp) and [situationroom@mea.gov.in](mailto:situationroom@mea.gov.in)," the ministry said.
The Indian Embassy in Tehran has also set up a round-the-clock emergency helpline to support citizens across regions.
"For call only: +98 9128109115, +98 9128109109; For WhatsApp: +98 9010445557, +98 9015993320, +91 8086871709; Bandar Abbas: +98 9177699036; Zahedan: +98 9396356649," the embassy announced.
The advisories come as Israel reportedly launched strikes on Iran early Friday, targeting key military, missile, and nuclear infrastructure. Iran responded with retaliatory attacks, further escalating the regional conflict.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/indian-embassy-urges-nationals-to-leave-tehran-as-israel-iran-conflict-escalates/cid/2108263
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3 injured in mysterious explosion during mosque demolition in Handwara
Jun 17, 2025
Three persons were injured in a mysterious explosion during demolition of a religious structure in Handwara area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Monday.
Officials said that locals were razing an old mosque to pave way for a new one in the Kasheri area of Handwara.
“There was an explosion during the demolition injuring three individuals,” said station house officer Vilayat Hussain. The injured were shifted to a nearby health facility. “They are stable as they received minor injuries,” he said.
The injured have been identified as Mudasir Ahmad Mir, Ghulam Ahmad Tantray and Owais Ahmad, all residents of Handwara.
Soon after the explosion, security forces rushed to the spot.
Police said that it would be premature to comment on the cause and nature of the blast. “It is a matter of investigation to arrive at the cause of the explosion. The investigation is going on,” Hussain said.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/3-injured-in-mysterious-explosion-during-mosque-demolition-in-handwara-101750097873278.html
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South Asia
Holding meetings on Afghanistan without IEA representative ineffective, Mujahid
June 17, 2025
KABU: Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate said the other day that holding meetings about Afghanistan’s affairs without the participation of the Islamic Emirate’s representative is ineffective.
In response to the 59th meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, where Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, will present a report on the country’s humanitarian situation, the spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate said: “Meetings held abroad without the participation of an Afghan representative are not in Afghanistan’s interest. They are merely media events and end without any tangible outcomes for the Afghan people.” Meanwhile, the European Union has announced that discussions on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the extension of Richard Bennett’s mandate will take place during the 59th session of the Human Rights Council.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/holding-meetings-on-afghanistan-without-iea-representative-ineffective-mujahid/
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Muttaqi discusses recent developments between Iran, Zionist regime with his Iranian counterpart via phone call
June 17, 2025
KABUL: Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate, held a telephone conversation with Dr. Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to discuss recent developments between Iran and the Zionist regime, the ministry said in a statement Monday.
During the call, Muttaqi strongly condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory, which targeted not only military facilities but also residential areas, according to the statement.
Describing the attacks as a clear violation of international law and an infringement on Iran’s national sovereignty, he expressed sympathy with the Iranian people and conveyed the Islamic Emirate’s solidarity during these difficult times. The acting foreign minister also reaffirmed Afghanistan’s readiness to cooperate in facilitating the safe return of remaining Iranian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia via Afghan territory.
Meanwhile, Dr. Araghchi appreciated the Islamic Emirate for its stance in condemning the Israeli attacks.
He also welcomed Afghanistan’s offer to assist with the safe transport of Iranian pilgrims and described Afghanistan as a friendly, empathetic, and worthy neighbor to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/muttaqi-discusses-recent-developments-between-iran-zionist-regime-with-his-iranian-counterpart-via-phone-call/
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Amir al-Mu’mineen Addresses Leaders of Jihadi Madrasas in Kandahar Seminar
2025-06-16
KANDAHAR(BNA): The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate, Amir al-Mu’minin (Hafizullah), delivered a important speech at a seminar held Saturday in Kandahar for administrators and scholars of Jihadi Madrasas.
The one-day training and reform seminar was attended by senior officials, including the Minister of Higher Education, directors of Jihadi Madrasas, teachers, and administrators.
The event opened with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an, followed by the Amir al-Mu’minin’s address, during which he offered guidance and praised the service of those managing and teaching at religious schools.
He emphasized the elevated status granted to scholars (Ulama) in Islam, describing them as inheritors of the prophets and guardians of the faith. He noted that their responsibilities go far beyond personal acts of worship, extending to public leadership in matters of religion, governance, justice, and reform.
“The Ulama are not only tasked with prayer and teaching,” he said, “but also with leading the Ummah in social and political matters, implementing Sharia, delivering justice, resolving disputes, and guiding society through the pulpit, religious rulings, and Da’wah.”
Amir al-Mu’minin acknowledged the sacrifices made by scholars throughout history, particularly during times of hardship, noting their role in training Mujahideen, encouraging Jihad, and preserving the faith through education, advice, and religious rulings.
He also commended the Ulama for their role in helping implement the general amnesty decree issued by the Islamic Emirate.
Stressing the importance of knowledge, he said that the reform of society is only possible through the revival of Islamic education, adding that the proper establishment of religion cannot happen without it.
Toward the end of his address, the Amir al-Momineen urged greater efforts in the moral and intellectual development of students. He advised teachers to focus on shaping the beliefs, thoughts, and character of their pupils—both inwardly and outwardly—and to teach them to respect their parents, teachers, and elders.
He also called for stronger coordination between institutions, emphasizing mutual trust. “Distrust breeds disobedience, and disobedience leads to division,” he warned.
The seminar concluded with a collective supplication (du’a) led by Amir al-Mu’minin.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/amir-al-mumineen-addresses-leaders-of-jihadi-madrasas-in-kandahar-seminar/
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Bangladesh embassy in Tehran considers relocation amid Israel-Iran conflict
Jun 17, 2025
The Bangladesh Embassy in Tehran is considering relocation of its operations due to security concerns amid the ongoing Israel- Iran conflict, an official from the Bangladesh embassy in Iran said.
The current embassy site is located within a one-kilometre radius of several key Iranian establishments, raising the perceived threat level.
"It is risky to operate from the current embassy premises," he added.
In the meantime, the embassy is making arrangements for a temporary shelter to accommodate Bangladeshis living in Iran, particularly those awaiting repatriation.
"The embassy is working to rent a facility where Bangladeshis can stay while their documents are processed," an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The embassy has also activated emergency hotline numbers — +989908577368, +989122065745, and the foreign ministry line +8801712012847 for Bangladeshi nationals in need of assistance.
According to ministry officials, there are currently around 600 Bangladeshis in Iran, including students, patients, and professionals. In addition, several thousand undocumented Bangladeshis may be using Iran as a transit point to reach Europe via Azerbaijan.
"There are no reports of casualties or injuries among Bangladeshis in Iran so far," said Mostofa Jamil Khan, director of the West Asia Wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He added that the Bangladeshis have been advised to exercise caution and avoid areas that could be potential Israeli targets.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/bangladesh-embassy-tehran-considers-relocation-amid-israel-iran-conflict-3919141
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UN Agencies urge immediate action to tackle Malnutrition Crisis in Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati
June 16, 2025
UN agencies urge urgent global support as over 3.5 million Afghan children face severe malnutrition amid worsening food insecurity crisis.
Several United Nations agencies have issued a joint call for urgent action to address the growing malnutrition crisis affecting women and children in Afghanistan. On Sunday, June 15, key humanitarian bodies including UNICEF, WHO, WFP, FAO, and UNFPA emphasized the need for rapid support to prevent further deterioration of health conditions.
According to the joint appeal, Afghanistan is among the 15 countries with the highest rates of malnutrition in women and children. The agencies report that more than 3.5 million children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition, with 1.4 million facing life-threatening conditions. The situation is compounded by a fragile healthcare system and limited resources.
The appeal also highlights that four in every ten Afghan women experience malnutrition, a crisis that is often overlooked in humanitarian responses. These women face serious health complications, especially during pregnancy and childbirth, increasing infant mortality and long-term developmental challenges.
The UN states that over 9.8 million people in Afghanistan are currently experiencing acute food insecurity. The primary causes include a weakened economy, prolonged drought, and environmental disasters. These factors continue to erode food systems and access to healthcare, further worsening the malnutrition crisis.
The joint strategic call focuses on integrated interventions such as food assistance, maternal and child healthcare, and nutritional education. The UN urges global donors and stakeholders to intensify their support for Afghanistan’s humanitarian response, which has seen a sharp 40% drop in funding compared to previous years.
Despite Afghanistan’s escalating nutritional emergency, international aid has declined significantly, putting millions of vulnerable lives at risk. UN agencies warn that without immediate funding and intervention, the crisis could lead to irreversible consequences for an entire generation.
Humanitarian leaders stress that global solidarity is critical to saving lives. They call on the international community to fulfill its obligations and prevent further suffering among Afghanistan’s women and children, who continue to face the brunt of conflict, climate shocks, and poverty.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/un-agencies-urge-immediate-action-to-tackle-malnutrition-crisis-in-afghanistan/
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Europe
Germany to enhance security at ‘Jewish sites’ – chancellor
16 Jun, 2025
Germany is preparing for potential Iranian attacks targeting the local Jewish community, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has told journalists before departing for the G7 summit in Canada. He also conveyed Berlin’s support for Israel, which has initiated a large-scale bombing campaign against Iran, sparking retaliation from Tehran.
Merz justified the Israeli strikes, stating that diplomatic efforts have not convinced Iran to abandon its “military nuclear program.” Tehran has repeatedly denied that it seeks to acquire nuclear weapons and maintains its nuclear program is civilian in nature.
On Friday, Israel launched a major bombing campaign targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites, as well as its top commanders and veteran nuclear scientists. West Jerusalem claimed the move was needed to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran responded with missile barrages targeting the Jewish state.
“We are making preparations here in Germany in case Iran targets Israeli or Jewish [sites],” Merz told journalists on Sunday. The chancellor also demanded Iran “immediately stop bombing civilian targets in Israel.” He did not make similar demands on West Jerusalem, arguing that “Israel has the right to defend its existence and security of its citizens.”
According to Merz, Israel had asked Germany to supply it with fire extinguishing equipment. The chancellor vowed to facilitate the delivery “immediately.”
On Saturday, France also announced it would boost security around Jewish and US sites. “Special” attention should be given to “all sites that could be targeted by terrorist or malicious acts by a foreign power,” Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said in a memo sent to regional security chiefs that was seen by AFP. The order covered “Israeli and US interests as well as… establishments in the Jewish community,” according to the news agency.
Israeli strikes have caused at least 406 deaths and 654 injuries in Iran as of Sunday, according to the group Human Rights Activists. According to Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom, Iranian strikes have killed a total of 13 people.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/619465-germany-enhance-security-jewish-sites/
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Ethnicity of grooming gangs 'shied away from', Casey report says
17 JUN 2025
The ethnicity of people involved in grooming gangs has been "shied away from" by authorities, according to a new report by Baroness Louise Casey.
The finding comes after the peer was tasked with producing an audit on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse in England and Wales.
The report said ethnicity data is not recorded for two-thirds of grooming gang perpetrators, meaning it is not robust enough to support conclusions about offenders at a national level.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper apologised to victims as she presented the findings to MPs and announced a new national inquiry into grooming gangs.
In the report, Baroness Casey said: "We as a society owe these women a debt.
"They should never have been allowed to have suffered the appalling abuse and violence they went through as children," she added.
On the question of ethnicity, the report said: "We found that the ethnicity of perpetrators is shied away from and is still not recorded for two-thirds of perpetrators, so we are unable to provide any accurate assessment from the nationally collected data".
However, it added that at a local level for three police forces - Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire - there was enough evidence to show a "disproportionate numbers of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds amongst suspects for group-based child sexual exploitation".
Cooper said: "Ignoring the issues, not examining and exposing them to the light, allows the criminality and depravity of a minority of men to be used to marginalise whole communities."
In a later interview, Lady Casey said the data should be investigated as it was "only helping the bad people" not to give a full picture of the situation, adding: "You're doing a disservice to two sets of population, the Pakistani and Asian heritage community, and victims."
The report concluded that ignorance and a fear of being seen as racist meant organisations tasked with protecting children turned a blind eye to abuse.
"We found many examples of organisations avoiding the topic altogether for fear of appearing racist, raising community tensions or causing community cohesion problems," the report said.
The audit criticised the "failure" of the authorities to "understand" the nature and scale of the problem to date.
"If we'd got this right years ago - seeing these girls as children raped rather than 'wayward teenagers' or collaborators in their abuse, collecting ethnicity data, and acknowledging as a system that we did not do a good enough job - then I doubt we'd be in this place now," the report stated.
Speaking on BBC Newsnight later on Monday, Baroness Casey said: "I'm raging, actually, on behalf of the victims."
Cooper told the Commons the government would follow all 12 of the report's recommendations, including suggestions to:
Ensure adults who engage in penetrative sex with a child under 16 "face the most serious charge of rape" instead of lesser charges
Launch a new national criminal operation overseen by the National Crime Agency (NCA) to tackle grooming gangs and hold a national inquiry that co-ordinates targeted local investigations into abuse
Review the criminal convictions of victims of child sexual exploitation and quashing any convictions where the government finds victims were criminalised instead of protected
Make the collection of ethnicity and nationality data for all suspects in child sexual abuse and criminal exploitation cases mandatory
Commission research into the drivers for group-based child sexual exploitation, including the role of social media, cultural factors and group dynamics
Bring in more rigorous standards for the licensing and regulation of taxi drivers following cases of them being used to traffic victims
Cooper said: "To the victims and survivors of sexual exploitation and grooming gangs, on behalf of this and past governments, and the many public authorities who let you down, I want to reiterate an unequivocal apology for the unimaginable pain and suffering that you have suffered, and the failure of our country's institutions through decades to prevent that harm and keep you safe."
She added: "Baroness Casey's first recommendation is we must see children as children. She concludes too many grooming cases have been dropped or downgraded from rape to lesser charges because a 13 to 15-year-old is perceived to have been in love with or had consented to sex with the perpetrator."
The report is focused on "group-based child exploitation" by grooming gangs, a crime which is defined as involving "multiple perpetrators coercing, manipulating and deceiving children into sex, to create an illusion of consent".
The "grooming gangs model" of abuse is outlined in Casey's audit, which typically involves "a man targeting a vulnerable adolescent child - often those in care, or children with learning or physical disabilities" and "grooming them into thinking they are their 'boyfriend'.
"Subsequently, they pass them to other men for sex, using drugs and alcohol to make children compliant, often turning to violence and coercion to control them," the report said.
Taxis were often used by grooming gangs to transport vulnerable children around, it said.
"Girls went missing frequently... for days at a time", Casey noted, adding: "Several victims had children by the perpetrators of their abuse."
The audit is "the latest in a long line" of initiatives and measures looking into child sexual exploitation, Casey's report said.
While many children did not report their abuse at the time, the report stated, many children who did report have been "ignored, treated like criminals and often arrested themselves."
Fiona Goddard, a survivor of a grooming gang that operated in the Bradford area, told BBC News the "vast majority" of those who abused her "were Pakistani men".
She said: "I do not believe it was just a misunderstanding and not understanding the crime or the victims.
"I think that the crime was allowed to happen, one, because of the race of the perpetrators, and two, because of who the victims were."
Before the publication of the report, the Home Office confirmed that a nationwide policing operation to bring grooming gang members to justice would be led by the NCA.
According to the Home Office, the NCA will work in partnership with police forces to investigate cases that "were not progressed through the criminal justice system" in the past.
Downing Street has said the full national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs would look "specifically at how young girls were failed so badly by different agencies on a local level".
A national statutory inquiry is an investigation set up by the government to respond to events of major public concern - in this case grooming gangs - that has legal powers to compel witnesses to give evidence.
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clynyyqdnrdo
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Macron urges end to strikes against civilians, warns against Iran regime change
June 17, 2025
KANANASKIS, Canada: French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for strikes against civilians in Iran and Israel to end, as he warned against forcing regime change in Tehran.
“If the United States can achieve a ceasefire, that’s a very good thing,” Macron told reporters at a G7 summit in Canada, just as the White House announced President Donald Trump would leave the event early due the escalating crisis in the Middle East.
Macron called on both Israel and Iran to “end” strikes against civilians and warned that aiming to overthrow Tehran’s clerical state would be a “strategic error.”
“All who have thought that by bombing from the outside you can save a country in spite of itself have always been mistaken,” he said.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2604742/middle-east
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Portswood fire: Imam helps family after their home was destroyed
June 16, 2025
By Matt Davey
A fire that destroyed a family home and saw a city mosque evacuated at the weekend has “brought everyone together”, a community leader has said.
Firefighters were called shortly after 11am on Sunday, June 15, to a blaze on the third floor of the Bashir Ahmed Masjid in Portswood Road.
The Echo understands an electrical fault caused flames to emit in one of the four apartments above the mosque belonging to a family of five, before thick smoke engulfed the building.
Following the incident, the mosque has remained open, with the building structurally intact, despite water seeping through some of the walls.
Speaking to the Echo, Sayfullah Nasir, Imam at Bashir Ahmed Masjid, said: “Both me and my co-Imam live nearby, one of my neighbours came knocking on my door and said, ‘your mosque is on fire,’ not knowing what had happened, so I grabbed whatever I could and rushed down here.
“I could see all the smoke and the first responders were here straight away, hosing down the blaze.
“There’s been a lot of speculation as to what caused the fire, we spoke to the fire fighters, and they confirmed the cause of the blaze was an electrical fault. It could be a vape battery, a mobile phone battery, any device that overheats, we’re not sure.
“These things affect a lot of people, and it’s brought everyone together, it makes you appreciate the value of human life.
“A family of five live in that apartment and the eldest son suffered some blisters because of the heat but he was treated by paramedics and fortunately there are no serious injuries or lasting marks.
“We’re trying to rehouse the family affected and we managed to salvage some of the items from their flat.”
One day on from the fire, Portswood ward councillor and cabinet member for green city and net zero, John Savage, visited the mosque and praised the resilience of the community.
He said: “There was such a prompt response from the emergency services, which I’m really pleased with.
“From my point of view, it’s so important that the people of Portswood and Bevois have really come together and shown their support.
“There’s a really positive community here who are very resilient, it’s tragic what happened here but maybe it can bring everyone even closer together.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the incident was “not being investigated and is not being treated as suspicious.”
Source: dailyecho.co.uk
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https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/25242934.portswood-fire-imam-helps-family-home-destroyed/
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Alloa: Man arrested after fire at mosque on Whins Road
16TH JUNE
By Clare Buchanan
A MAN has been arrested after an incident at Alloa Mosque.
Police were called early this morning (Monday) and an area around the Whins Road premises was cordoned off.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 4.50am on Monday, June 16, we received a report of fire damage to a mosque on Whins Road, Alloa.
“A 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection and enquiries are ongoing.”
Source: alloaadvertiser.com
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https://www.alloaadvertiser.com/news/25242997.alloa-man-arrested-fire-mosque-whins-road/
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The protesters and residents pushing back on tourism in Barcelona
17 JUN 2025
As protesters marched through central Barcelona on Sunday, they shouted at the tourists who were filming them to "Go Home!".
Bemused couples sitting in street cafés got squirted with water pistols and a luxury clothes store was pasted with stickers declaring the tourists who'd shut themselves inside unwelcome.
Tourism is hugely important to Spain and Barcelona is a top destination for visitors. But the crowds are growing so fast that many locals complain they're being squeezed out of their own cities.
Here and in popular spots across southern Europe, residents are pushing back.
"We cannot live in this city. The rents are super high because of BnBs and also the expats who come and live here for the weather," Marina explained, holding her own banner as the crowd gathered.
It declared "Your AirBnB used to be my home".
Other signs called for a ban on the giant cruise ships that dock here, with one announcing that over-tourism is "killing" the city.
"Our goal is not to stop tourism, because it's also good, but to have it at a normal rate," Marina said.
The protesters' route wound towards one of Barcelona's biggest attractions, the towering SagradaFamilia church designed by Catalan architect, Gaudi.
A combination of stunning architecture, sea and sun drew more than 15 million visitors to the city last year, almost ten times the local population. No wonder it's feeling the strain.
"We're not against individual tourists, it's about how we're managing this," Elena, a young marine biologist, said.
"Young people can't afford living here or even normal things like coffee that are all really expensive for our salaries."
It's not only the young who are struggling.
At 80 years old, PepiViu has just been evicted from her home of almost a decade, in a popular neighbourhood. She thinks the owner wanted to earn more rent than the pensioner could pay.
Pepi is now in a hostel, and searching for somewhere more suitable, but prices have soared almost 70% since she last rented.
"I can't find anything – and there's no support. I feel like I have no protection and it's upsetting," she says, frail and leaning on a stick. "There's only tourist flats now, but we residents need somewhere to live!"
In some areas of town, almost all locals like Pepi have already been pushed out.
But in a narrow, paved street of the Gothic quarter, right in the tourist heart of Barcelona, Joan Alvarez is fighting to hold on to the flat his family have rented for 25 years, and at a price he can afford.
His landlord has terminated the contract, but Joan refuses to leave.
Most of the apartments in his building have already been divided into single rooms to bring in more rent.
Joan's little oasis, with tiled floors and a terrace that looks towards the cathedral, is one of the few still intact.
"It's not just about the money, it's the principle," he explains, cats winding through potted plants as he talks. "This is central Barcelona and there's hardly any of us residents left. It shouldn't be like that."
"Housing shouldn't be big business. Yes, this is his property, but it's my house."
Under pressure from the protests, the authorities in Barcelona have already taken the radical step of announcing a complete ban on short-term rentals to tourists from 2028.
10,000 landlords will lose their tourist housing licences.
But Jesus Pereda, who owns two popular tourist flats not far from the SagradaFamilia, thinks that's the wrong response.
"They stopped giving out new licences 10 years ago, but rents have still gone up. So how are we to blame? We're just an easy enemy," he insists.
Managing the flats is his job, providing an income for himself and his wife. "Now we have anxiety."
Jesus believes it's the 'nomad' workers moving from elsewhere in Europe who are pushing rents up, rather than tourists. "They earn and pay more. You can't stop that."
He argues that tourist flats like his help spread the crowds, and the cash, to other areas of the city. Without tourism he believes Barcelona would have an "existential crisis" - it represents up to 15% of Spain's gross domestic product (GDP) as a whole.
If he loses his tourist licence, Jesus won't take on local tenants in any case: a price-cap means long-term rental is barely profitable so he plans to sell both the flats.
Chants and firecrackers
The protest in Barcelona culminated in chants of "You're all guiris!" – local slang for foreigners – and a burst of firecrackers. Red smoke billowed up in front of rows of police officers blocking all routes to the SagradaFamilia.
A little earlier, the crowd had targeted a busy hotel, kicking a flare into the lobby. Tourists inside, including children, were clearly shaken.
There were similar protests elsewhere in Spain and more crowds in Portugal and Italy: not huge, but loud and insistent.
The concerns are the same and there's no consensus on how best to tackle it. But Spain is expecting more tourists this summer than ever.
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8d87l6lp1o
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Starmer to announce new sanctions targeting Russia
17 JUN 2025
Yang Tian
The UK is expected to unveil new sanctions against Russia designed to "restrict Putin's war machine" alongside other Ukraine allies on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the measures would increase economic pressure on the Kremlin to show Vladimir Putin "it is in his and Russia's interests to demonstrate he is serious about peace".
However, it appeared unlikely that the US would join the move after Donald Trump signalled his opposition to further measures during the G7 summit in Canada, saying the sanctions "cost [the US] a lot of money".
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said 14 people were killed after another wave of drone and missiles struck Kyiv overnight.
Downing Street said the new sanctions package would aim to keep up "pressure on Russian military industrial complex" but did not provide further details.
In a statement, Sir Keir said he and other G7 partners were finalising the new measures at the Alberta summit, and that they would "squeeze Russia's energy revenues and reduce the funds they are able to pour into their illegal war".
"The fact is, Russia doesn't hold all the cards," he said.
Asked why limited information had been released about the contents of the sanctions package, a No 10 spokesman said: "It's just a point of fact that the G7 has only just begun... it would be premature to get ahead of what those sessions will yield."
Earlier on Monday, Trump - who announced he would leave the summit early due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East - indicated he did not back the sanctions plan.
He said: "You're talking about billions and billions of dollars. Sanctions are not that easy. It's not just a one-way street."
Trump said he was "waiting to see whether or not a deal" could be agreed between Russia and Ukraine to end the war before signing up to a new sanctions package.
During a press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump also called Russia's removal from the G7 group "a mistake" and said it "makes life more complicated".
In 2014, then-US President Barack Obama and other world leaders decided to expel Russia from the group of major economies after Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxw679z4xvo
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North America
Israel-Iran conflict: Police increase surveillance at Montreal mosques, synagogues
June 16, 2025
Montreal police have stepped up surveillance around mosques and synagogues in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.
For synagogues, heightened surveillance is around mornings and evenings when services are taking place. With mosques, it’s more around prayer times.
“Police cars standing outside our schools and our synagogues over the weekend and in fact this morning as well. So the presence is there,” said YairSzlak, the president and CEO of Federation CJA.
“The SPVM has been very supportive. We’ve seen increased police presence around the Jewish neighbourhoods in and around Montreal, our synagogues and our schools. And of course we have constant communication with the SPVM on these issues.”
“There [are] Friday prayers where there are hundreds of people, maybe thousands of people [that] go to mosques,” added SamerMajzoub, the president of the Canadian Muslim Forum. “This is where the police might show more.
“But my understanding of being there is just to increase the patrols, but not to have bodyguards on every and each community centre. This is not what is required whatsoever.”
Israel launched a major attack Friday with strikes in the Iranian capital of Tehran and elsewhere, killing senior military officials, nuclear scientists, and destroying critical infrastructure.
Iran has retaliated with hundreds of drones and missiles.
Szlak says there have been no credible threats against Montreal’s Jewish community since those strikes. “Hopefully we won’t see any threats or actions that will target the Jewish community,” he said.
Szlak says he and community members have had to keep a close eye on institutions daily for fear of tensions increasing in Montreal.
“Jews in Canada are not responsible for the actions of the government of Israel,” he told CityNews. “By the way, we may agree or disagree in how they’re executing this war, but we’re being held responsible for it regardless.”
Montreal police tell CityNews in a statement: “The heads of several police stations have been involved in identifying places of interest for the targeted communities and patrol officers ensure visibility. The operations are adapted according to the evolution of the situation. The leaders of these neighbourhood posts are also in close contact with community representatives.”
Montreal police’s hate crimes unit is investigating a June 10 incident at the Canadian Institute of Islamic Civilization mosque downtown after it was covered in anti-Palestinian graffiti: the F-word and then Gaza.
“Beside the increase of tension, we are so worried about, God forbid, any physical aggression against,” Majzoub said. “We have seen it here in Quebec and in Canada before. It is not something that we didn’t see, whether it be Quebec mosque, whether in London, Ontario. Maybe this is actually, I’m talking about myself, most worrisome. Plus the tensions that the news overseas are creating within Montreal.
“But at the end of the day, I have to really be very careful that we’re not creating panic. We are not calling to people to panic whatsoever.”
“Since Oct. 7, we’ve had a number of our Jewish schools being shot at overnight,” added Szlak. “We’ve had a number of institutions including our building in the West Island that has been firebombed, including synagogues. The Jewish community has been under threat, under intimidation and harassment and bullying since Oct. 7 and unfortunately that requires the police to step up and do what they need to do to make sure that we feel safe in Montreal and in Canada.”
From Oct. 7, 2023 – the start of the Israel-Hamas war – up to June 11 of this year, the SPVM has seen 86 reported hate crimes or hate incidents against the Arab-Muslim community in Montreal and 273 against the Jewish community.
“Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, hate is increasing, unfortunately, and this does not target one community only,” Majzoub said. “It is felt by every community. But at the end of the day, our role as people on the ground is just to make sure that things are calm again.
“Everyone is anxious about what could happen. But at the end of the day of that, what we try to call is to call for calmness as much as possible and to avoid any action that might be hate-based or violently-based.”
Source: citynews.ca
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What are Trump's options for dealing with Iran?
June 17, 2025
Tom Bateman
President Trump's comments on the Israel-Iran conflict have veered from full throated support for Israel's strikes to strongly distancing himself from them, and back again.
His ambiguity has added to the sense of uncertainty as the fighting itself escalates.
Meanwhile the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the attacks were "fully coordinated" with the US.
So what factors are weighing on Trump and, crucially, what are his options now?
1. Bowing to Netanyahu pressure and escalating
As Israeli missiles hit Tehran on Thursday, Trump threatened Iran's leaders with "even more brutal" attacks from his Israeli ally armed with American bombs.
We know Trump's ultimate objective. He says, like Netanyahu, that Iran can't have a nuclear bomb. Crucially, he has said his preferred option (unlike Netanyahu) is via a deal between the US and Iran (this route also reflects his self-described image as a world-class dealmaker).
But he has equivocated over how to get there, sometimes leaning into the threat of force, other times pushing the diplomacy. Last week he even said in the same breath that an Israeli attack on Iran would help a deal or it would "blow it".
His unpredictability is sometimes portrayed by his supporters after the fact as strategic - the so-called "madman" theory of foreign relations. This theory is one that has previously been used to describe Trump's negotiating tactics and suggests that deliberate uncertainty or unpredictability about escalation works to coerce adversaries (or even allies in Trump's case) into complying. It was famously attributed to some of the Cold War practices of President Richard Nixon.
Some of Trump's advisers and supporters back the "maximum pressure" side of the madman theory when it comes to his approach to Iran. They think the threats will in the end prevail because, they argue, Iran is not serious about negotiating (even though in 2015 the country signed an Obama-led nuclear deal that Trump later pulled out of).
Netanyahu has applied constant pressure on Trump to go down the military not diplomatic path, and the US president - despite his oft-stated desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize - may in the end see a need to deliver on his more belligerent threats to Tehran's leadership
Israel may also push harder behind the scenes for American involvement to, as it sees it, to finish the job. The US has bunker buster bombs Israel believes can destroy Iran's underground uranium enrichment site at Fordow.
As the fighting escalates, so does the pressure on Trump from the hawkish camp of Republicans in Congress who have long called for regime change in Iran.
Trump will also see the argument that it could force the Iranians into negotiating with him with a now weaker hand. But the fact remains that the Iranians already were at that table, as a sixth round of talks due with Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff had been planned in Oman on Sunday.
The talks are now abandoned.
2. The middle ground - holding the course
So far, Trump has reiterated that the US is not involved in Israel's attacks.
Escalation comes with significant and potentially legacy-defining risks for Trump. American naval destroyers and ground based missile batteries are already helping in Israel's defence against the Iranian retaliation.
Some of Trump's advisers at the National Security Council are likely to be cautioning against him doing anything that could add to the intensity of Israel's attacks on Iran in the immediate days, especially with some Iranian missiles breaching Israeli-US defences to deadly effect.
Netanyahu is now arguing that targeting Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would end, not escalate, the conflict.
But an anonymous US official briefed to some news outlets at the weekend that Trump made clear he was against such a move.
3. Listening to the Maga voices and pulling back
One of the big political factors playing on Trump's mind is his domestic support.
Most Republicans in Congress still staunchly back Israel, including continued American arms supplies to the country. Many have vocally backed Israel's attacks on Iran.
But there are key voices within Trump's Make America Great Again (Maga) movement who now outright reject this traditional "ironclad" support for Israel.
Over the last few days they've asked why the US is risking being drawn into a Middle East war given Trump's "America First" foreign policy promise.
The pro-Trump journalist Tucker Carlson wrote a stinging criticism on Friday saying the administration's claims not to be involved weren't true, and that the US should "drop Israel".
He suggested Mr Netanyahu "and his war-hungry government" were acting in a way that would drag in US troops to fight on his behalf.
Carlson wrote: "Engaging in it would be a middle finger in the faces of the millions of voters who cast their ballots in hopes of creating a government that would finally put the United States first."
Similarly, the staunch Trump loyalist US representative Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X that: "Anyone slobbering for the US to become fully involved in the Israel/Iran war is not America First/MAGA".
This represents a considerable vulnerability for Trump.
It adds pressure on him to put distance between the US and Israel's offensive and there are signs, in public at least, that he has responded.
The Maga debate over the weekend coincided with him posting on social media that he joined Russia's president Putin in calling for an end to the war. By Sunday he said Iran and Israel should make a deal, adding: "The US had nothing to do with the attack on Iran".
Iran has already threatened to attack US bases in the region if, as is now happening, Washington assists Israel's defence.
The risk of any American casualties would likely see the Maga isolationist argument grow exponentially, in turn potentially adding pressure on Trump to pull back and urge Mr Netanyahu to bring the offensive to a swifter end.
Source: bbc.com
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Wife of Minnesota politician shielded daughter from bullets, says relative
June 17, 2025
Ana Faguy
A state lawmaker's wife who was shot eight times during an apparent assassination attempt in Minnesota, shielded her daughter from being hit, a relative has said.
After surviving the hail of bullets that wounded her parents, Hope Hoffman then called local authorities who rushed to the scene and saved her parents' lives.
Her father, Democratic state senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman are recovering in hospital while the suspected gunman is in custody.
"The heroic actions by the Hoffman family and their daughter Hope saved countless lives and we are grateful," Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said at a press conference.
This is one of the many details emerging from a Saturday shooting that killed former Speaker of the Minnesota House Melissa Hortman and her husband Marc Hortman and left the Hoffmans in hospital.
The shooter targeted the two Democratic politicians in what Walz has called an "act of targeted political violence".
During the shooting Yvette Hoffman threw herself on their adult daughter Hope Hoffman to shield her from the bullets.
"Early this morning, an absolute vile piece of [expletive] dressed as a cop broke into my aunt and uncle's house and shot him 6 times and my aunt 5 times in a political act of terrorism," Mat Ollig, a nephew of the Hoffman's said on Facebook. "My aunt threw herself on her daughter, using her body as a shield to save her life."
In a statement texted from Yvette Hoffman to US Senator Amy Klobuchar, who represents Minnesota, she said she was shot eight times and her husband was shot nine times.
"John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods," Yvette Hoffman wrote in a text message. "He took 9 bullet hits. I took 8 and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive."
After officials arrived at the Hoffman residence, one of the police officers on the scene decided to make sure the Hortmans, who lived nearby, were ok.
When officials arrived on the scene, they saw the suspect and engaged fire before the suspect fled the scene.
The suspect in the case, Vance Luther Boelter, was taken into custody on Sunday evening after a day-long manhunt. He was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder.
Mr Boelter was described as a Republican who voted for Donald Trump by his roommate who has spoken to US media. But police have not revealed a motive.
Authorities found a list of political targets among Mr Boelter's belongings.
Source: bbc.com
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Mideast
Hamas: Continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque is flagrant violation of freedom of worship, sanctity of mosque
16 Jun 2025
Haroun Nasser al-Din, a member of the Political Bureau and head of the Quds Affairs Office of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), stressed that the criminal Zionist enemy's continued closure of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque for the fourth consecutive day, preventing worshippers from entering, is a flagrant violation of freedom of worship and the sanctity of the mosque. It is an escalation in the enemy's religious war.
In a press statement received by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) on Monday, Nasser al-Din stressed that Al-Aqsa Mosque is the exclusive right of Muslims alone, and that the enemy has no legitimacy over it, neither in its administration nor in imposing a new fait accompli.
Source: saba.ye
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Islamic Jihad Movement Condemns Zionist War Crimes
16 Jun 2025
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine condemned "in the strongest terms the war crimes committed by the criminal Nazi Zionist entity against the Iranian people, particularly the targeting of the Iranian state radio and television building, in addition to the targeting of hospitals and civilian infrastructure, and the perpetration of horrific massacres against innocent civilians, especially children, women, and civilians."
In a statement received by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) on Monday, the movement said: "These crimes are an extension of the war crimes committed by the criminal entity against the peoples of our nation, in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, and an extension of the war of extermination waged by the occupation army against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank."
Source: saba.ye
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Israel orders 300,000 people in Tehran to evacuate while Trump issues ominous warning
AGENCIES
June 17, 2025
TEL AVIV, Israel: Israel warned hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate the middle of Iran’s capital as Israel’s air campaign on Tehran appeared to broaden on the fourth day of an intensifying conflict.
An Iranian television anchor fled her studio during a live broadcast as bombs fell on the headquarters of the country’s state-run TV station.
US President Donald Trump posted an ominous message on his social media site later Monday calling for the immediate evacuation of Tehran.
“IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” Trump wrote, adding that “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
The warning affected up to 330,000 people in a part of central Tehran that includes the country’s state TV and police headquarters. The military has issued similar evacuation warnings for civilians in parts of Gaza and Lebanon ahead of strikes.
Trump team proposes Iran talks this week on nuclear deal, ceasefire
The US is discussing with Iran the possibility of a meeting this week between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss a nuclear deal and an end to the war between Israel and Iran, Axios reported on Monday citing four sources briefed on the issue.
Trump to depart the G7 early as conflict between Israel and Iran shows signs of intensifying
President Donald Trump is abruptly leaving the Group of Seven summit, departing a day early Monday as the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies and the US leader has declared that Tehran should be evacuated “immediately.”
World leaders had gathered in Canada with the specific goal of helping to defuse a series of global pressure points, only to be disrupted by a showdown over Iran’s nuclear program that could escalate in dangerous and uncontrollable ways. Israel launched an aerial bombardment campaign against Iran four days ago.
At the summit, Trump warned that Tehran needs to curb its nuclear program before it’s “too late.” He said Iranian leaders would “like to talk” but they had already had 60 days to reach an agreement on their nuclear ambitions and failed to do so before the Israeli aerial assault began. “They have to make a deal,” he said.
Asked what it would take for the US to get involved in the conflict militarily, Trump said Monday morning, “I don’t want to talk about that.”
White House says US forces remain in ‘defensive posture’ in Middle East
US forces in the Middle East remain in a “defensive posture, and that has not changed,” the White House said Monday as Israel and Iran traded heavy strikes for a fourth day.
“We will defend American interests,” White House spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer added in a post on social media.
China tells citizens in Israel to leave ‘as soon as possible’
China’s embassy in Israel on Tuesday urged its citizens to leave the country “as soon as possible,” after Israel and Iran traded heavy strikes.
“The Chinese mission in Israel reminds Chinese nationals to leave the country as soon as possible via land border crossings, on the precondition that they can guarantee their personal safety,” the embassy said in a statement on WeChat.
“It is recommended to depart in the direction of Jordan,” it added.
Airports close across the Mideast as the Israel-Iran conflict shutters the region’s airspace
Israel has closed its main international Ben Gurion Airport “until further notice,” leaving more than 50,000 Israeli travelers stranded abroad. The jets of the country’s three airlines have been moved to Larnaca.
In Israel, MahalaFinkleman was stuck in a Tel Aviv hotel after her Air Canada flight was canceled, trying to reassure her worried family back home while she shelters in the hotel’s underground bunker during waves of overnight Iranian attacks.
“We hear the booms. Sometimes there’s shaking,” she said. “The truth, I think it’s even scarier … to see from TV what happened above our heads while we were underneath in a bomb shelter.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office warned Israelis not to flee the country through any of the three crossings with Jordan and Egypt that are open to the Israeli public. Despite having diplomatic ties with Israel, the statement said those countries are considered a “high risk of threat” to Israeli travelers.
Iran on Friday suspended flights to and from the country’s main Khomeini International Airport on the outskirts of Tehran. Israel said Saturday that it bombed Mehrabad Airport in an early attack, a facility in Tehran for Iran’s air force and domestic commercial flights.
Israel says strikes have set back nuclear program
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli strikes have set Iran’s nuclear program back a “very, very long time,” and told reporters he is in daily touch with Trump.
“The regime is very weak,” he added.
Israel says its sweeping assault on Iran’s top military leaders, uranium enrichment sites and nuclear scientists, is necessary to prevent its longtime adversary from getting any closer to building an atomic weapon. The strikes have killed at least 224 people since Friday.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful, and the US and others have assessed that Tehran has not had an organized effort to pursue a nuclear weapon since 2003. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that the country has enough enriched uranium to make several nuclear bombs should it choose to do so.
Iran has retaliated by launching more than 370 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel and more than 500 injured.
The back-and-forth has raised concerns about all-out war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval.
Israel’s military issues evacuation warning affecting up to 330,000 people
Earlier Monday, Israel’s military issued an evacuation warning to 330,000 people in a part of central Tehran that houses the country’s state TV and police headquarters, as well as three large hospitals, including one owned by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The city, one of the region’s largest, is home to around 9.5 million people.
Israel’s military has issued similar evacuation warnings for civilians in parts of Gaza and Lebanon ahead of strikes.
State-run television abruptly stopped a live broadcast after the station was hit, according to Iran’s state-run news agency. While on the air, an Iranian state television reporter said the studio was filling with dust after “the sound of aggression against the homeland.” Suddenly, an explosion occurred, cutting the screen behind her as she hurried off camera.
The broadcast quickly switched to prerecorded programs. The station later said its building was hit by four bombs.
An anchor said on air that a few colleagues had been hurt, but their families should not be worried. The network said its live programs were transferred to another studio.
Israel claims ‘full aerial superiority’ over Tehran
Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Monday that his country’s forces had “achieved full aerial superiority over Tehran’s skies.”
The military said it destroyed more than 120 surface-to-surface missile launchers in central Iran, a third of Iran’s total, as well as two F-14 planes that Iran used to target Israeli aircraft and multiple launchers just before they launched ballistic missiles toward Israel.
Israeli military officials also said fighter jets had struck 10 command centers in Tehran belonging to Iran’s Quds Force, an elite arm of its Revolutionary Guard that conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran.
The Israeli strikes “amount to a deep and comprehensive blow to the Iranian threat,” Defrin said.
One missile fell near the American consulate in Tel Aviv, with its blast waves causing minor damage, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee said on X. He added that no American personnel were injured.
Explosions rock Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva and Haifa oil refinery
Powerful explosions rocked Tel Aviv shortly before dawn Monday, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky over the coastal city.
Authorities in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva said Iranian missiles hit a residential building there, charring concrete walls, shattering windows and ripping the walls off multiple apartments.
Iranian missiles also hit an oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa for the second night in a row. The early morning strike killed three workers, ignited a significant fire and damaged a building, Israel’s fire and rescue services said. The workers were sheltering in the building’s safe room when the impact caused a stairwell to collapse, trapping them inside.
Firefighters rushed to extinguish the fire and rescue them, but the three died before rescuers could reach them.
No sign of conflict letting up
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, appeared to make a veiled outreach Monday for the US to step in and negotiate an end to hostilities between Israel and Iran.
In a post on X, Araghchi wrote that if Trump is “genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential.”
“It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu,” Iran’s top diplomat wrote. “That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy.”
The message to Washington was sent as the latest talks between the US and Iran were canceled over the weekend after Israel targeted key military and political officials in Tehran.
On Sunday, Araghchi said that Iran will stop its strikes if Israel does the same.
The conflict has also forced most countries in the Middle East to close their airspace. Dozens of airports have stopped all flights or severely reduced operations, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded and others unable to flee the conflict or travel home.
Health authorities reported that 1,277 people were wounded in Iran. Iranians also reported fuel rationing.
Rights groups such as the Washington-based Iranian advocacy group Human Rights Activists have suggested that the Iranian government’s death toll is a significant undercount. The group says it has documented more than 400 people killed, among them 197 civilians.
Ahead of Israel’s initial attack, its Mossad spy agency positioned explosive drones and precision weapons inside Iran. Since then, Iran has reportedly detained several people and hanged one on suspicion of espionage.
Source: arabnews.com
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Airports close across the Mideast as the Israel-Iran conflict shutters the region’s airspace
June 17, 2025
BEIRUT: After Israeli strikes landed near the hotel where he was staying in the Iranian province of Qom, Aimal Hussein desperately wanted to return home. But the 55-year-old Afghan businessman couldn’t find a way, with Iranian airspace completely shut down.
He fled to Tehran after the strike Sunday, but no taxi would take him to the border as the conflict between Iran and Israel intensified.
“Flights, markets, everything is closed, and I am living in the basement of a small hotel,” Hussein told The Associated Press by cellphone on Monday. “I am trying to get to the border by taxi, but they are hard to find, and no one is taking us.”
Israel launched a major attack Friday with strikes in the Iranian capital of Tehran and elsewhere, killing senior military officials, nuclear scientists, and destroying critical infrastructure. Among the targets was a nuclear enrichment facility about 18 miles from Qom. Iran has retaliated with hundreds of drones and missiles.
The dayslong attacks between the two bitter enemies have opened a new chapter in their turbulent recent history. Many in the region fear a wider conflict as they watch waves of attacks across their skies every night.
The conflict has forced most countries in the Middle East to close their airspace. Dozens of airports have stopped all flights or severely reduced operations, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded and others unable to flee the conflict or travel home.
Airport closures create ‘massive’ domino, tens of thousands stranded
“The domino effect here is massive,” said retired pilot and aviation safety expert John Cox, who said the disruptions will have a huge price tag.
“You’ve got thousands of passengers suddenly that are not where they’re supposed to be, crews that are not where they are supposed to be, airplanes that are not where they’re supposed to be,” he said.
Zvika Berg was on an El Al flight to Israel from New York when an unexpected message came from the pilot as they began their descent: “Sorry, we’ve been rerouted to Larnaca.” The 50-year-old Berg saw other Israel-bound El Al flights from Berlin and elsewhere landing at the airport in Cyprus. Now he’s waiting at a Larnaca hotel while speaking to his wife in Jerusalem. “I’m debating what to do,” Berg said.
Israel has closed its main international Ben Gurion Airport “until further notice,” leaving more than 50,000 Israeli travelers stranded abroad. The jets of the country’s three airlines have been moved to Larnaca.
In Israel, MahalaFinkleman was stuck in a Tel Aviv hotel after her Air Canada flight was canceled, trying to reassure her worried family back home while she shelters in the hotel’s underground bunker during waves of overnight Iranian attacks.
“We hear the booms. Sometimes there’s shaking,” she said. “The truth, I think it’s even scarier … to see from TV what happened above our heads while we were underneath in a bomb shelter.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office warned Israelis not to flee the country through any of the three crossings with Jordan and Egypt that are open to the Israeli public. Despite having diplomatic ties with Israel, the statement said those countries are considered a “high risk of threat” to Israeli travelers.
Iran on Friday suspended flights to and from the country’s main Khomeini International Airport on the outskirts of Tehran. Israel said Saturday that it bombed Mehrabad Airport in an early attack, a facility in Tehran for Iran’s air force and domestic commercial flights.
Many students unable to leave Iran, Iraq and elsewhere
Arsalan Ahmed is one of thousands of Indian university students stuck in Iran, with no way out. The medical student and other students in Tehran are not leaving the hostels where they live, horrified by the attacks with no idea of when they’ll find safety.
“It is very scary what we watch on television,” Ahmed said. “But scarier are some of the deafening explosions.” Universities have helped relocate many students to safer places in Iran, but the Indian government has not yet issued an evacuation plan for them.
Though airspace is still partially open in Lebanon and Jordan, the situation is chaotic at airports, with many passengers stranded locally and abroad with delayed and canceled flights even as the busy summer tourism season begins. Many airlines have reduced flights or stopped them altogether, and authorities have closed airports overnight when attacks are at their most intense. Syria, under new leadership, had just renovated its battered airports and begun restoring diplomatic ties when the conflict began.
Neighboring Iraq’s airports have all closed due to its close proximity to Iran. Israel reportedly used Iraqi airspace, in part, to launch its strikes on Iran, while Iranian drones and missiles flying the other way have been downed over Iraq. Baghdad has reached a deal with Turkiye that would allow Iraqis abroad to travel to Turkiye — if they can afford it — and return home overland through their shared border.
Some Iraqis stranded in Iran opted to leave by land. College student Yahia Al-Suraifi was studying in the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz, where Israel bombed the airport and an oil refinery over the weekend.
Al-Suraifi and dozens of other Iraqi students pooled together their money to pay taxi drivers to drive 200 miles (320 kilometers) overnight to the border with northern Iraq with drones and airstrikes around them.
“It looked like fireworks in the night sky,” Al-Suraifi said. “I was very scared.”
By the time they reached the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, it was another 440 miles (710 kilometers) to get to his hometown of Nasiriyah in southern Iraq.
Back in Tehran, Hussein said the conflict brought back bitter memories of 20 years of war back home in Afghanistan.
“This is the second time I have been trapped in such a difficult war and situation,” he said, “once in Kabul and now in Iran.”
Source: arabnews.com
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China tells citizens in Israel to leave ‘as soon as possible’
June 17, 2025
BEIJING: China’s embassy in Israel on Tuesday urged its citizens to leave the country “as soon as possible,” after Israel and Iran traded heavy strikes.
“The Chinese mission in Israel reminds Chinese nationals to leave the country as soon as possible via land border crossings, on the precondition that they can guarantee their personal safety,” the embassy said in a statement on WeChat.
“It is recommended to depart in the direction of Jordan,” it added.
After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel launched a surprise aerial campaign last week against targets across Iran, saying they aimed to prevent its arch-foe from acquiring atomic weapons — an ambition Tehran denies.
The sudden flare-up in hostilities has sparked fears of a wider conflict, with US President Donald Trump urging Iran back to the negotiating table after Israel’s attacks derailed ongoing nuclear talks.
Beijing’s embassy said on Tuesday the conflict was “continuing to escalate.”
“Much civilian infrastructure has been damaged, civilian casualties are on the rise, and the security situation is becoming more serious,” it said.
Source: arabnews.com
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Lebanese leaders indirectly urge Hezbollah to stay out of the Israel-Iran conflict
June 16, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president and prime minister said Monday that their country must stay out of the conflict between Israel and Iran because any engagement would be detrimental to the small nation engulfed in an economic crisis and struggling to recover from the latest Israel-Hezbollah war.
Their remarks amounted to a message to the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group — an ally of both Iran and the Palestinian militant Hamas group in Gaza — to stay out of the fray.
Hezbollah, which launched its own strikes on Israel a day after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, has been hard-hit and suffered significant losses on the battlefield until a US-brokered ceasefire last November ended the 14 months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.
Earlier this year, Hamas fighters inside Lebanon fired rockets from Lebanese soil, drawing Israeli airstrikes and leading to arrests of Hamas members by Lebanese authorities.
The Hezbollah-Israel war left over 4,000 people dead in Lebanon and caused destruction worth $11 billions; Hezbollah was pushed away from areas bordering Israel in south Lebanon. In Israel, 127 people, including 80 soldiers, were killed during the war.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam spoke during a Cabinet meeting Monday that also discussed the Iran-Israel conflict and the spike in regional tensions over the past four days.
Information Minister Paul Morkos later told reporters that Aoun urged all sides in Lebanon to maintain calm and preserve the country’s stability. For his part, Salam said Lebanon should not be involved in “any form in the war,” Morkos added.
Hezbollah, funded and armed by Iran, has long been considered Tehran’s most powerful ally in the region but its latest war with Israel also saw much of Hezbollah’s political and military leadership killed in Israeli airstrikes.
Since Israel on Friday launched strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program and top military leaders, drawing Iran’s retaliatory ballistic missiles at Israel, the back-and-forth has raised concerns that the region, already on edge over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, would be plunged into even greater upheaval.
Source: arabnews.com
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Israeli forces evict Jenin families, convert homes into military outposts
June 16, 2025
LONDON: Israeli forces in Jenin have evicted many Palestinian families and converted their homes into military outposts across several villages.
The Israeli activity took place across the occupied West Bank city over the past week.
Mohammad Issa, head of the Aneen village council in the west of Jenin, told Wafa news agency on Monday that Israeli troops stormed two homes belonging to the Yaseen family last Friday and forcibly evicted five families of about 50 people.
The homes were later utilized as military outposts while Israeli forces continued to raid Aneen village daily, deploying armored vehicles, erecting roadblocks and stopping-and-searching residents, Wafa added.
“The presence of soldiers inside residential homes has created a climate of fear and insecurity,” said Issa. “Commercial activity has slowed dramatically as a result.”
Hassan Sbeihat, head of the Rummana village council, told Wafa that Israeli forces had converted 11 homes in the elevated western part of the village into military positions over the last four days.
“Israeli infantry patrols are roaming the streets, firing live ammunition and tear gas, shutting down businesses and harassing residents,” Sbeihat said.
He added that families were forcibly displaced and sought shelter with relatives, with no clear sign of when they might return to their homes.
Aziz Zaid, head of the Nazlat al-Sheikh village council, said that Israeli forces evicted residents Wajdi Fadl Saeed Zaid and Omar Hassan Al-Bari from their homes, which were converted into outposts.
He added that the Israeli military continues to conduct house-to-house searches and physically assault residents, Wafa reported.
Zaid said that Israeli forces closed the village’s western entrance, blocked the main road and closed a pharmacy as well as grocery store.
Source: arabnews.com
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Arab World
Structural restoration of Abha’s Al-Dagal Fortress completed
June 16, 2025
JEDDAH: A project to restore the structural integrity of Al-Dagal Fortress in Abha, one of the city’s most prominent landmarks, has been completed.
The project, undertaken by the Ministry of Culture’s Heritage Commission, involved rebuilding collapsed sections of the walls and renovating internal areas.
The team used erosion-resistant granite and juniper wood for the roof and applied a layer of gypsum to the external walls to protect against water infiltration and improve its aesthetic appeal.
Located in the northwest of Abha, Asir Province, Al-Dagal Fortress dates back to the early 20th century. Built on a rugged peak more than 2,300 meters above sea level it measures 43.6 meters in length and 16 meters in width, with a semi-circular northern facade.
The natural slopes and rock formations on the northern and western sides were incorporated into its design to enhance its strength.
The fortress has three main areas: a command and control unit, the soldiers’ quarters and a service unit. A long central corridor runs through the structure, dividing it into eastern and western wings.
It also has a large stone oven for baking bread, a granary and a designated area for preparing haneeth — a traditional Asir dish of rice and lamb — which highlights the site’s cultural and social significance.
Renovation works are ongoing at the site but once completed the fortress is expected to be opened to the public.
Source: arabnews.com
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Greening initiative sees 31m trees planted in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province
June 16, 2025
RIYADH: More than 31 million trees have been planted in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province as part of a nationwide afforestation project, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
The trees were planted by the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, working with 51 other entities, under a program launched in November.
The authorities aim to plant 1.5 billion trees in the province by 2100, rehabilitating more than 7.9 million hectares of land.
The scheme is part of the nationwide Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to plant 10 billion trees — 600 million by 2030 — and rehabilitate more than 40 million hectares of land.
As well as planting trees, the center has been engaged in a program of environmental monitoring, combating illegal logging and raising public awareness across the Eastern Province.
It also works to prevent sand encroachment in farming areas that are at risk of soil degradation and uses native plant species to populate its afforestation areas in order to maintain the ecological balance of local habitats.
The center also organizes the National Afforestation Season in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi matchmaking app, Awaser, is helping individuals find partners by bridging tradition and modernity
AFSHAN AZIZ
June 16, 2025
JEDDAH: With digital innovation taking place at a rapid pace, Awaser, a mobile application developed in Saudi Arabia, is at the forefront of a quiet transformation in the Kingdom’s matchmaking traditions.
It offers a modern approach to marriage, but remains firmly rooted in cultural and religious values.
Founded by psychiatrist Dr. Mohammed Alolayan, Awaser is not just a dating platform but a dedicated space for individuals and families with the intention of forming lasting marriages.
With features tailored to Saudi Arabia’s cultural norms and a strong emphasis on privacy, the app introduces a respectful and structured alternative to traditional matchmaking.
Speaking about the inspiration behind creating the first app of its kind, Alolayan said: “As a trained psychiatrist, I’ve spent years exploring human psychology and understanding the deep emotional challenges people face, especially in midlife, around intimacy and the question of ‘Who should I be with?’
“Listening to countless stories from patients and online followers, I realized how difficult it is for many to find a suitable partner within the traditional framework. That’s what inspired me to create Awaser.”
Unlike typical matchmaking apps that rely on algorithms to suggest potential partners, Awaser gives users the tools to search based on preferences unique to Saudi Arabia society, including regional origin, family background, education, sect, and tribal affiliation.
This approach blends technology with cultural traditions, creating a platform that speaks to both the younger generation and their families.
Alolayan said: “Awaser does not offer matchmaking in the conventional sense. Instead, it elevates traditional matchmaking by making it more accessible and efficient.
“It’s a platform that respects Saudi customs while empowering individuals and families to make informed choices.”
One of the app’s most distinctive features is the ability for families to create and manage accounts on behalf of their children, a model that preserves the essence of traditional matchmaking while increasing the chances of finding a suitable match.
This family-first approach has resonated strongly with conservative users seeking to maintain trust throughout the process.
The app operates on a paid subscription model, which Alolayan believes ensures the quality and seriousness of its community. “We implemented a payment wall to ensure serious participation and prevent random or unserious users,” he said.
“Trust is crucial. That’s why users must verify with a Saudi mobile number and OTP (One-Time Password), and all communications are encrypted and automatically deleted after 30 days of inactivity.”
Privacy is a key concern for users in Saudi Arabia, particularly when it comes to online interactions between men and women.
Awaser addresses this by giving users complete control over their profiles and conversations, with no human intervention from the app’s management team. Conversations cannot begin without mutual consent, and all user data remains private and protected.
The platform currently focuses on Saudi nationals and residents, and has already had impressive engagement, especially from well-educated individuals.
“Around 30 to 40 percent of our users hold advanced degrees such as master’s or PhDs. While we expected high participation from major cities, we were pleasantly surprised to see users from nearly every region of the Kingdom,” he said.
Among the many success stories shared by users, one stands out for Alolayan: “A couple who met on Awaser married about a year and a half ago, and they recently welcomed their first child.
“Hearing that directly from them was incredibly moving, it validated everything we’ve been working toward.”
In a culture where family involvement remains a cornerstone of the marriage process, launching a technology-driven platform presented unique challenges. But the public response, Alolayan said, has been overwhelmingly positive.
“There’s a clear need, and many people are ready to embrace technology, so long as it honors our values. Awaser allows them to do both.”
Umm Abdullah, a user of the app, said: “As a mother, I’ve seen how difficult it’s become to find suitable matches, and approaching someone as the bride’s parents is not very common in our culture, we usually wait for proposals to come.
“Apps like this give us the chance to actively search instead of just waiting. It feels more efficient, while still respecting our values.”
Interestingly, Awaser also provides a space for non-traditional introductions between individuals, allowing for more autonomy in the relationship-building phase.
This dual approach supporting both traditional and independent searches reflects the evolving preferences of younger Saudis who want to play a more active role in choosing their life partners.
Alolayan said: “The younger generation increasingly wants to take ownership of their marriage journey in terms of to get to know their future partner before traditional steps begin.
“Awaser arrived at just the right time to meet this shift. It offers an alternative that feels modern yet grounded in cultural values.”
Another user, Naser Al-Rahman, said: “It’s really hard these days to find a relationship that leads to something serious. Most platforms don’t feel safe or genuine.
“But with this app, I feel like I can search more conveniently and securely, knowing the people here are serious about marriage.”
Although Awaser does not currently employ artificial intelligence to match users, Alolayan is open to future possibilities. “There is no proven psychological model for perfect matchmaking, which is why we don’t claim to match people ourselves.
“But I do see potential for AI and data analytics to provide smarter tools in the future, based on long-term user behavior.”
As Saudi Arabia continues its Vision 2030 journey toward modernization and empowerment, platforms such as Awaser highlight how digital solutions can coexist with tradition.
Commenting on the legal and cultural implications of matchmaking platforms, family lawyer Hassan Al-Ghawi said: “Apps like these help bridge the gap between tradition and technology.
“As long as user privacy is protected and the legal framework is respected, they can serve as a positive and legitimate extension of traditional matchmaking.
“Today’s younger generation often rushes into relationships, so involving both parents and children in the process allows for deeper understanding and more thoughtful decisions, potentially leading to stronger, longer-lasting marriages and fewer divorces.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Deaf artist breaks barriers with solo debut in Jeddah
SALEH FAREED
June 16, 2025
JEDDAH: “It’s never too late to follow your dream,” says Elham Abu Talib, who has held her first solo exhibition in Jeddah after 38 years.
The Saudi artist is no stranger to the local art scene, having taken part in exhibitions across the Kingdom and overcome the barriers accompanying being severely deaf.
And at the Saudi Arabian Society of Culture and Arts in Jeddah on Sunday, Abu Talib showcased more than 40 paintings to leading artists and lovers of the genre.
Titled “Inspiration,” the exhibition marked a milestone, presenting her work to the public while highlighting her artistic journey amid years of persistence.
Her passion began in childhood, when natural talent blossomed into fine art shaped by a beautiful dream. She lost her hearing as a child and faced speech difficulties, but met her challenges with patience, courage, and ambition.
Determined to express herself, she used a brush and colors as her voice — turning her childhood dreams into vivid reality.
She shared that hearing loss kept her from entering university, but her late father convinced her it did not mean giving up her ambitions.
Inspired by his words, she began participating in exhibitions while raising her children and fulfilling her duties as a mother.
She believes her disability has sharpened her visual perception — a gift she channels into her art.
“I’m so happy that, after 38 years, my dream has come true with this solo exhibition,” she said. “I thank the Saudi Arabian Society of Culture and Arts in Jeddah for giving me this opportunity.”
Abu Talib hopes to represent the Kingdom in international competitions. She also hopes the arts society will continue supporting disabled and female artists by providing platforms for their creativity.
Maha AbdulhalimRadwi, secretary-general of the Radwi Art Prize, said the artist had finally achieved a major milestone, adding: “This event allowed her to showcase her unique perspective and creative talent to a wider audience, proving that art transcends communication barriers.”
Mohammed Al-Subaih, the director general of the SASCA, said Abu Talib had dreamed of a solo exhibition for nearly four decades — and was now finally living that dream.
He added: “She’s participated with us in many workshops and group exhibitions; now it’s time to celebrate her first solo show.
“She deserves all the support and encouragement.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia to participate in Beijing book fair
June 16, 2025
RIYADH: The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission will lead Saudi Arabia’s participation in the Beijing International Book Fair from June 18 to 22.
This is part of the Saudi-Chinese Cultural Year 2025, reflecting the depth of the strategic partnership between the two states, and their shared goal to enhance cultural and intellectual exchange.
The initiative supports the commission’s efforts to represent the Kingdom in global cultural forums, promote Saudi literary achievements, and foster cooperation in literature, publishing, and translation.
It also aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform plan, which positions culture as a pillar of development and a bridge for civilizational dialogue.
Saudi participation will include a strong institutional presence, with several government entities. The program features seminars, literary gatherings, and dialogue sessions to promote cultural exchange and build lasting partnerships in the literary field.
The aim is to boost the global reach of Saudi literature and create opportunities for Arabic content in the Chinese market.
The Kingdom was the guest of honor at the 2024 Beijing International Book Fair, where the commission presented a rich cultural program.
The events included seminars, artistic performances, and interactive activities that drew strong interest and strengthened cultural and intellectual ties between the two countries.
Source: arabnews.com
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Envoys share sweet memories as they bid farewell to Saudi Arabia
RASHID HASSAN
June 16, 2025
RIYADH: A farewell ceremony for the outgoing ambassadors of Australia, Cyprus, Hungry and Mexico took place at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter on Monday.
The event was hosted by the dean of the diplomatic corps accredited to Saudi Arabia, Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama, who commended the envoys’ service, commitment and contribution to diplomacy at both bilateral and multilateral level.
“During their tenure they did a good job, serving to expand bilateral relations between their countries and Saudi Arabia to new horizons of success and prosperity. I would like to extend them all the best in their life and future endeavors," said Bamakhrama, who is also the Djibouti ambassador.
He mentioned his involvement with them at occasions such as meeting the Riyadh governor during the holy month of Ramadan, adding: “It was good sharing memories with you, we will miss you.”
Mexican ambassador Anibal Gomez Toledo thanked the dean and the Saudi government for their support during his time in the Kingdom.
“You have been very supportive, and a good friend. It has been an honor for me to be here with you all,” he said, praising the warm Saudi hospitality he had enjoyed.
“I think the Middle East has been a very humanitarian experience for me,” he said, adding the ongoing transformation of Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030 was an inspiration to many other countries.
Australian ambassador Mark Donovan said he had enjoyed his time in Riyadh and the good relationships he had experienced.
“It was always very professional and very polite. I consider myself lucky to be here,” he said.
“So my whole experience was pleasant. I will miss the Saudi hospitality, the warmth of working here with you all. Technology today allows us to keep in touch much easier than it did 30 years ago — I’m on Facebook, anybody can find me. I wish you all the best.”
Cypriot ambassador Alexis Phedonos-Vadet said: “I am very grateful to be with you all (in) such a wonderful place with wonderful people. Me and my wife thank you all for the support, friendship and cooperation. It has been an incredible journey.”
Hungary’s ambassador, BalazsSelmeci, said he appreciated the opportunity to get together with everyone before saying goodbye to the Kingdom.
“It really has been a privilege to be a part of what has happened here, the ongoing transformation. There are going to be some good times.”
He also thanked Saudi Arabia for supporting and helping countries evacuating citizens from Sudan. Both Saudi citizens and the nationals of other friendly countries were evacuated in mid-2023, with Royal Saudi Navy vessels and Royal Saudi Air Force planes playing a key part.
Also attending the farewell ceremony were the heads of various missions, ambassadors and other Saudi officials.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi FM discusses Iran-Israel tensions with Italian and EU counterparts
June 16, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held separate phone calls on Monday with his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani and EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas, amid growing regional concern over the escalation between Israel and Iran.
According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the calls focused on the latest regional developments and their broader international implications.
Both sides reviewed ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at containing the fallout from Israel’s recent strikes on Iranian targets and Tehran's retaliation, which have prompted fears of a wider confrontation in the Middle East.
The minister also spoke with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot.
The two foreign ministers discussed the latest regional developments and their impact on the region’s security and stability.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi minister holds talks with UK, China envoys in Riyadh
June 16, 2025
RIYADH: Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji received UK Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Neil Crompton at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh.
During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations and explored ways to enhance them. Both officials also discussed recent regional and international developments, and related efforts.
In a separate meeting, Elkhereiji held talks with Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chang Hua in Riyadh. They reviewed bilateral relations as well as recent regional and international developments.
Meanwhile, Saudi Deputy Minister for International Multilateral Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Rassi received Omani Ambassador Sayyid Najib bin Hilal Al-Busaidi. They discussed fraternal relations between the two countries and topics of mutual interest.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi crown prince, Greek PM discuss Iran-Israel tensions in phone call
June 15, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke on the phone on Sunday with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss the escalating situation between Israel and Iran, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The two leaders reviewed the latest developments in the region, with particular focus on the repercussions of Israeli military operations targeting Iran.
They stressed the need for restraint and de-escalation, and underlined the importance of resolving disputes through diplomatic means, SPA added.
The phone call comes amid heightened tensions following a series of tit-for-tat strikes between the two countries.
The latest flare-up has raised fears of a broader regional conflict, with international leaders urging all parties to avoid further escalation.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi foundation displays projects at Dutch ‘GreenTech’ exhibition
June 15, 2025
RIYADH: The Vegetation Cover Development Foundation, known as Morooj, presented its flagship projects as part of the Saudi delegation at Greentech Amsterdam, an international exhibition for horticulture held from June 10-12 in the Dutch capital.
Morooj highlighted its technical and operational capabilities, as well as its innovative environmental solutions based on best practices and global standards.
The foundation also presented examples of its strategic partnerships with various government and private sectors, as well as with international organizations.
The projects displayed included the planting of millions of mangrove trees, greening mosque areas, promoting community participation in environmental sanitation campaigns, and efforts to rehabilitate natural reserves in various regions of the Kingdom, all of which fall under the Saudi Green Initiative.
The foundation’s CEO, Wael Bushah, said that its participation in GreenTech further demonstrates the Kingdom’s efforts to reinforce its leadership in the environmental sector on an international level.
The exhibition, one of the world’s leading events focused on environmental innovations and sustainable agricultural technologies, is also an opportunity to build new partnerships and exchange expertise on the latest innovations in sustainable agriculture, afforestation, and ecosystem restoration.
Ultimately, Murooj aims to become an interactive platform for knowledge transfer and application, creating meaningful environmental and social impact in the Kingdom.
The foundation’s role of strengthening its international presence and exchanging successful experiences with various global environmental entities and organizations has been crucial to achieving the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative, founded under Saudi Vision 2030.
SGI, which celebrated its second anniversary earlier this year, has reinforced the Kingdom’s ambitions to become a key contributor to global efforts to combat climate change and enhance environmental sustainability by promoting renewable energy, protecting terrestrial and marine areas, and reaching net-zero domestically by 2060, among other initiatives.
Source: arabnews.com
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Africa
Masquerades invade mosque, attack Chief Imam’s family in Ondo community
June 16, 2025
by Tosin Tope, Akure
There was chaos in OkeAgbeAkoko, located in Akoko North-West Local Government Area of Ondo State, as masquerades and traditional worshippers reportedly invaded a mosque and the residence of the Chief Imam, assaulting members of his family.
The incident, which occurred last Thursday, saw the traditionalists allegedly force their way into the mosque in the town centre, where they unleashed violence on the Chief Imam’s wives and children.
Eyewitnesses told The Nation that some residents attempted to intervene but were overwhelmed by the masquerades and their followers, prompting widespread panic as people fled for safety.
A local resident, who witnessed the attack and requested anonymity, said no clear reason had been given for the invasion.
However, he hinted that the Islamic cleric was known for speaking out against idol worship in the community.
“We have been living in palpable fear since the attack happened. Everyone is just too scared,” the resident said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, AyanladeOlayinka, said he could not immediately confirm the incident but promised to investigate and provide an update.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) confirmed the incident and condemned the invasion in strong terms, describing it as “barbaric, irrational and evidence of increasing anti-Muslim hostility” in parts of the Southwest.
In a statement issued on Monday, MURIC’s Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the attack.
“To add salt to injury, the king of the town imposed fines on the Muslim victims, after the attack allegedly because the Muslim women ‘screamed and cursed the masquerades while they were being beaten instead of crying and begging’.
”The Imam and his wives were therefore ordered to bring nine goats, seven sheep and 200 pieces of kolanuts as fines not later than Monday 16th June, 2025 (today) or they would all be banished from the city while no one should practice Islam in the area henceforth. Nothing was said about the masquerades who attacked the women,” the statement read.
The Muslim group also described the action of monarch as ‘a miscarriage of justice’, saying his judgement stands in contradistinction to the principles of natural justice.
He added that the country is now in a 21st-century and supposed to be in a democracy for “crying out loud” while also aurging that “it is crude, archaic, parochial and draconian.”
“This fine must not stand. We demand justice for the muslim victims,” it said.
MURIC has called on the Ondo state government to intervene and halt what it described as the “excesses” of the town’s traditional leadership.
“We urge the Ondo State Government to curb the excesses of the king of OkeAgbeAkoko. Nothing must happen to the Imam, his wives and children. That banishment order must be rescinded.
“Besides, a case of assault occasioning harm has been established. We urge the Ondo State Police Command to arrest and prosecute the attackers. They are neither anonymous nor ghosts because their leaders are well known.”
The group, however, commended the local police for enabling Muslims to observe Jumu’ah prayers peacefully the day after the attack but warned against sweeping the matter under the carpet.
”The masquerades of OkeAgbe have just confirmed our fears about the fate of Muslims in the South West. Yorubaland has become another Siberia for Yoruba Muslims. It is persecution galore. The number of cases reported to MURIC on a daily basis is alarming, the statement added.
Source: thenationonlineng.net
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Benue Killings: Alia Blames Attacks On Border Infiltration, Cites Nasarawa, Cameroon Axis
June 16, 2025
By EnioluwaAdeniyi
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has attributed the unrelenting violence in parts of the state to its geographic vulnerability, pointing fingers at infiltrators from neighbouring regions and across international borders.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, the governor said the state’s proximity to Cameroon, Nasarawa, and Taraba has made it a soft target for marauding attackers.
“We share borders with Cameroon, with Taraba and with Nasarawa,” he said, adding that those who frequently attacked the state come in from the borders.
The Benue State Governor further stated, “They were not necessarily Nigerians speaking the Hausa we know or the Fulanis.
“When to come to the axis of Nasarawa. This is where we have a lot of challenges. There are a number of happenings within Nasarawa State and there were routes where these people come in through any time they are shifted out of Benue. What we see now if anyone describes it as a reprisal, we wouldn’t say no to that.”
Alia said he spoke with his Nasarawa counterpart, AbdullahiSule, and he said he got some intelligence that “the terrorists were coming into his state through Benue.
“When I told him that the havoc had already been caused at Yelewata in Benue, then he said probably, they came and made a touchdown in Yelewata in Benue and were going back because he said one person was macheted in Nasarawa State.”
Source: naijanews.com
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Mali court places Canada's Barrick gold mine under provisional administration
June 17, 2025
A court in Mali on Monday placed Barrick Mining’s Loulo-Gounkoto gold mining complex under provisional administration for six months.
The move hands control of Canada’s biggest operation to state-appointed management and is seen as a major escalation in an ongoing dispute between the company and Mali’s military rulers.
Barrick Gold has been in conflict with the administration over alleged unpaid taxes and unfair contracts with past governments.
Monday’s decision comes after Mali closed Barrick’s offices in the capital Bamako and warned it would take control of the mine, which has been shuttered owing to the months-long dispute.
The dispute culminated in an arrest warrant in December 2024 for Barrick CEO Mark Bristow and the company’s offer to pay $370 million to the government.
Barrick submitted a request for arbitration to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes to address disagreement with Mali.
Despite this, the government took a series of escalatory measures, including the arrest of Barrick Gold employees, who remain detained, and the suspension of gold exports.
The Canadian company says it will appeal Monday’s court decision, which risks deterring future mining investment in the country.
Mali is one of Africa’s leading gold producers, but has struggled for years with jihadi violence and high levels of poverty and hunger.
When the military seized power in 2020, it placed foreign mining companies under growing pressure as it seeks to shore up revenue.
Source: africanews.com
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Tanzanian opposition leader to represent himself in treason trial
June 17, 2025
The main opposition leader in Tanzania was granted permission on Monday to represent himself in his treason trial after being denied the right to meet his lawyers in private by prison authorities.
TunduLissu was arrested on April 9 and charged with treason after addressing a public rally calling for electoral reforms ahead of planned general elections in October.
Lissu'sChadema party has been critical of the absence of an independent electoral commission and laws that favour the ruling CCM party, which has been in power since Tanzania’s independence in 1961.
Lissu survived an assassination attempt after being shot 16 times in 2017, three years before the last election.
The opposition leader told the court on Monday that he was being forced to speak to his lawyers through a phone in a small room and was worried that anyone could be listening or recording the conversations.
“I have more than 30 lawyers whom I trust very much. Today is the 68th day since I was arraigned and charged with treason, but my lawyers have been repeatedly denied the right to see me in private,” Lissu said.
The chief magistrate at the Kisutu court in Dar es Salaam, Franco Kiswaga, said Lissu would be allowed to engage directly with the prosecution unless he later decides otherwise. He urged the prosecution to speed up investigations and set a hearing date for July 1.
Lissu also protested what he called a denial of basic rights, including the right to worship. He said he was being held in a section of the prison designated for inmates sentenced to death, even though he had not been convicted.
Human rights activists have accused Tanzania's government, led by President SamiaSuluhu Hassan, of heavy-handed tactics against the opposition. The government denies the claims.
Source: africanews.com
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Uganda president signs law bringing back military trials for civilians
June 17, 2025
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed into law an amendment allowing military tribunals to try civilians under certain circumstances, the country’s parliament said on Monday.
The Supreme Court had called such trials unconstitutional in a ruling earlier this year. Judges had argued that military courts were neither impartial nor competent to exercise judicial functions.
The Ugandan parliament passed an amendment last month to address some of these issues, despite boycott from opposition lawmakers, who said the new bill violated the Supreme Court decision.
Human rights activists have long accused the Ugandan government of using military courts to persecute opponents of the president.
Yoweri Museveni has spent close to 40 years in power. His aides have denied rights groups' accusations and said only civilians who use guns for political violence were prosecuted in such tribunals.
"The law will deal decisively with armed violent criminals, deter the formation of militant political groups that seek to subvert democratic processes, and ensure national security is bound on a firm foundational base", army spokesperson Chris Magezi wrote on X after the bill was passed in May.
In a recent high-profile case, the military trial of opposition leader KizzaBesigye was transferred to a civilian court after the January Supreme Court ruling.
Ugandan courts could still intervene against the new law if they receive a citizens' petition.
Source: africanews.com
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Sultan of Sokoto expresses concern over renewed attacks in Benue
SaxoneAkhaine, Kaduna
16 Jun 2025
The apex Islamic body in the North, Jama’atuNasril Islam (JNI), under the leadership of its President-General, Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has expressed concern over the renewed spate of attacks and killings in Benue State.
In a statement by the JNI Secretary General, Professor Khalid AbubakarAliyu, on Monday, the Sultan queried, “For how long would such senseless killings continue to occur on the Nigerian soil? Why has it remained so difficult for security agencies to prevent such catastrophic occurrences on our national lives?”
He said, “Nonetheless, JNI unequivocally condemns the dastardly and barbaric act in its totality,” pointing out that “It is inhumane, ungodly, and a complete betrayal of our common values as human beings.”
“The sanctity of human life is sacrosanct and must not be toyed with. Allah, the Most High says whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land, it is as if he had slain mankind entirely,” he added.
Quoting from the verses of the holy book, Qur’an 5:32, the JNI President General explained that the attack and killings “is therefore unacceptable in a supposedly democratic and civilised
He lamented that “human lives are exterminated with such impunity, without any deterrence and/or timely justice against the devilish actors.”
He said, “While the JNI appreciates the efforts of security agencies, we are, however, constrained to express our displeasure at their often reactive posture. It has become a recurring pattern for security operatives to arrive only after the damage has been done. Such act emboldens the perpetrators and dampens the morale of innocent citizens. Security must be intelligence-driven, proactive, and prompt if we are to avert future recurrences, which is invariably becoming normalised.”
The Sultan added: “We call on all relevant stakeholders, government at all levels, religious bodies, civil society organisations, and community leaders, to come together in synergy and sincerity to end this repeated avoidable carnage. Enough is enough. Our collective silence or indifference may only serve to embolden the enemies of peace and national unity in Nigeria.
“JNI prays to Almighty Allah to console the victims’ families, and restore lasting peace and tranquility in Benue State and the entire country. We also pray for global peace, justice, and security; for without peace, development is but a mirage. As we mourn with Benue State, let this serve as a moment of national reflection. Let us shun divisive narratives and rise as one humanity to say no more to senseless killings, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or political inclination,” he said.
“Human life remains sacred and must be treated as such, as we have repeatedly stated. We also commiserate with the government and the good people of Benue State over the monumental tragedy. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the quick recovery of the injured. This painful loss is not only Benue’s; it is Nigeria’s. Indeed, no sane society should normalise such carnage,” he said.
Source: guardian.ng
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Southeast Asia
PM Anwar: Govt monitoring Iran-Israel conflict, no decision yet on evacuation of Malaysians
17 Jun 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — The Malaysian Government is closely monitoring the escalating conflict in Iran following Israel’s recent military strikes, but has yet to make any decision regarding the evacuation of Malaysians currently in the region.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that, so far, no decision has been made to bring home Malaysians from the affected areas.
“Not yet,” he replied briefly when asked after officiating the SASANA Symposium at SasanaKijang, Bank Negara Malaysia, here today.
Also present were the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Bank Negara Governor Datuk Seri Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour and Treasury director-general Datuk Johan Mahmood @ Johan Mahmood Merican.
Last Friday, Israel launched a series of strikes on Iranian territory, reportedly killing several high-ranking military officials and scientists. In retaliation, Iran fired ballistic missiles at several locations in Israel, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that no Malaysians in Iran have been reported affected by the attacks. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Singer Naim Daniel pleads not guilty to sexual assault charge involving teenager
17 Jun 2025
PUTRAJAYA, June 17 — Singer Naim Daniel pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to a charge of committing sexual assault against a 17-year-old girl at a hotel in May.
Naim Daniel, whose full name is Muhammad Naim Daniel Baharin, 28, entered the plea after the charge was read before Judge Datin M Kunasundary in a closed-door proceeding.
He is accused of committing the offence against the teenager at a hotel in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, at 8.56 am on May 19.
He was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792), which carries a sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment and caning, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Nurul IzzahShaharuddin appeared for the prosecution, while Naim Daniel was represented by counsels MohdIrwanSumadi and Datuk AmirulRidzuan Hanif.
The court subsequently allowed bail at RM12,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to surrender his passport to the court. The case has been fixed for mention on August 18.
On June 4, the media reported that a well-known actor and singer had been arrested by police over allegations of sexually assaulting a teenage girl at a hotel in Selangor. —Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Malaysia must adapt industrial, digital, and green growth policies to become high-income economy, says Anwar
17 Jun 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — Malaysia must be adaptive in its policies, have strong institutions, and maintain a clear vision of its chosen direction to achieve its goal of becoming a high-income economy, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar said the Madani Economic Framework reflects the nation’s high-income economy vision and articulates a dual commitment.
“First, industrial policies should be modernised, focusing on sectoral competitiveness, digital transformation, green growth and value chain upgrading.
“Second, the benefits of economic expansion should be broad-based, particularly for the vulnerable and underserved segments of our society,” he said in his keynote address at the Sasana Symposium 2025 here today.
He added that the Madani reform agenda adopts a whole-of-nation approach as the country prioritises five critical areas, namely fiscal sustainability and governance, subsidy rationalisation, tax reform, human capital upliftment and institutional integrity.
Anwar pointed out that the subsidy rationalisation is targeted, not blanket, to ensure the assistance reaches those truly in need.
Additionally, he said, tax reform is a necessity to expand the revenue base, improve enforcement and address leakages without burdening the poor.
Meanwhile, he stressed that the government and the private sector have to undertake a mission to become a high-income economy.
“We pride ourselves in being able to attract foreign investments, new technology, artificial intelligence from Infineon to Nvidia, Google and AMD, but then we need to, therefore, uplift our income and talent through digital upskilling, including labour market reforms,” he said.
On the regional front, Anwar said Malaysia, as chair of Asean this year, has reaffirmed the need to pursue deeper economic integration, anchored in inclusive, resilient and sustainable growth.
He said there is a need to strengthen intra-Asean trade and investment as well as work with other countries.
“We continue to depend on the United States for investments and trade. We enhance our relations with China and other countries in this region. We are (also) working very closely to ensure that the European Union’s (EU) FTA (free trade agreement) with Malaysia and Asean can succeed,” he said.
Anwar underscored digital transformation as a key pillar of Malaysia’s future readiness, guided by national strategies such as the Digital Economy Blueprint, the Financial Sector Blueprint (FSB) and the Capital Market Master Plan.
“Together, these frameworks lay the foundation for an agile, resilient, and future-ready economy,” he said.
At the symposium, Anwar also officially launched the Digital Asset Innovation Hub, which aims to stimulate financial innovation in a controlled environment for applicants to test new ideas and provide input to fine-tune regulatory and security frameworks. Source: malaymail.com
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