The All-India Shia Personal Law Board Seeks Anti-Lynching Laws, Higher Representation
New Age Islam News Bureau
29 December 2025
AISPLB national president Maulana Saim Mehdi addressing the gathering. (HT)
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· The All-India Shia Personal Law Board seeks anti-lynching laws, higher representation
· Daesh group militants clash with police during raid in Turkiye, wounding 7 officers
· Saudi Hajj Ministry suspends Umrah firm, overseas agent over contract violations
· 'A Muslim is someone who strives for peace': How this young imam is challenging Islamophobia on- and offline
· 'Unimaginable a year ago': Indians in US raise concern over online hatred as Vivek Ramaswamy's kids come under attack
· Christian genocide in Nigeria? The state fails its duty to protect
· Lawyers for Liberty urges police to enforce court orders in Indira Gandhi custody case
· Bangladesh student party forms election alliance with Islamists
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India
· For Muslims, registered adoption deed not valid for adoption: Court
· ‘Demolition of houses by using bulldozers in Bengaluru was not the one usually seen in UP and other places’: Muslim League leader Kunhalikuttu
· Serious demographic concern: Himanta Sarma on Bangladeshi Muslims' population in Assam
· How a Buddhist prince opened Kashmir's gates for Islamic rule
· Bajrang Dal disrupts Bareilly birthday party after Muslim friends are invited in UP
· Violent neighbour: Waves of B’desh anarchy as no answer to the Pak question
· From Madurai to Mathura: How courts navigated India’s major religious disputes in 2025
· RSS centenary isn’t a cause for celebration. It’s veered away from Hedgewar’s objectives
· Inadmissible evidence: Relief for riots accused
· In search of Bharatiya 'porichoy': Will the Matua–Namasudras rewrite 'poriborton' in Bengal elections?
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Mideast
· Trump and Netanyahu to discuss next phase of Gaza plan
· Israel’s Somaliland gambit: what’s at risk for the region?
· Hezbollah chief accuses Israel of ignoring ceasefire agreement
· Massive armed tribal rally in Bani Hushaysh condemns insult to Holy Qur’an
· Syria announces new currency framework, 2-zero redenomination
· Iraqis cover soil with clay to curb sandstorms
· Iran launches three satellites into space from Russia
· Freezing rain floods Gaza camps
· Muthanna Al-Samarrai enters race for Iraqi Speaker
· Coordination Framework moves toward backing Sunni Nominee for Parliament Speaker
· Sana’a university holds cultural event for Rajab Friday to celebrate Yemenis’ Islamic heritage
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Arab World
· Prince Faisal chairs first meeting of Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute board
· Aloula partners with Saudi Music Hub to amplify young voices
· Craft Corner at Jazan Festival celebrates local artistry
· WAMY launches medical project in Bangladesh
· Minister inaugurates Saudi-Tunisian Joint Committee in Riyadh
· Rainfed agriculture booms 1,100% under Saudi rural development initiative
· Saudi Arabia marks International Cinema Day
· Black nightshade thrives in Northern Borders as seasonal vegetation emerges
· Al-Huwayett program launched in Diriyah
· Taif to host Writers & Readers Festival in January
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Europe
· Terror-linked Islamic school network accused of stealing millions in Swedish taxpayer funds
· Brigitte Bardot on Muslims, men and 'horrible' humanity
· Western eyes ‘wide shut’ on Ukraine’s corruption – Lavrov
· Kiev should start talking to Moscow – Ukrainian spy chief
· Poland must be ready to defend border with Germany – president
· Russia will support Beijing over Taiwan – Lavrov
· Hospitals warned end-of-life care crisis threatening treatment
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North America
· US defends sanctions on Western Europeans accused of digital censorship
· 'Which is why...': Zohran Mamdani fires back at Elon Musk over appointment of gay FDNY chief
· Muslim convention in Chino brings community together
· 'Mid-air helicopter crash kills at least one in New Jersey
· Trump says progress made in Ukraine talks but 'thorny issues' remain
· MAGA aides stopped Donald Trump from posting marijuana reclassification on Truth Social: Report
· Empty daycare, misspelled sign and $4m in funding put Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in spotlight — Here's what we know about fraud
· 'Start getting active': Donald Trump's message to UN; boasts role in Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire
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Africa
· Terror War: ‘This Is Not a Happy Moment’ – Sowunmi Reacts to US Strikes in Nigeria
· Trump’s Military Airstrikes Were in Coordination with Nigerian Govt – US Congressman
· If Trump’s Airstrike Didn’t Kill Any Terrorists, Why Are You Crying? – Adeyanju Blasts Gumi
· Kenya: CS Duale Closes 8th Ansaaru Sunnah Islamic Conference in Eastleigh
· Drop Your Evil Plan to Destroy Accord Party, Let’s Take the Fight to The Voters – Adeleke Dares APC
· Central African Republic votes amid mostly peaceful election day
· Somalia leads international backlash against Israel over recognition of Somaliland
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Southeast Asia
· Dignified farewell by the sea: Singapore’s Hindu community gets dedicated rites facility at Changi
· Perlis ruler calls for end to speculation, allegations following new MB appointment
· All 900 slots for Singaporeans for 2026 haj pilgrimage filled; more places for elderly
· PAS youth wing urges party to sever ties with Bersatu at all levels over alleged betrayal
· Singapore sets Budget date for Feb 12 with PM Wong promising balance amid rising costs
· Actor Vijay praises Malaysia’s role in preserving Tamil language and culture
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South Asia
· Bangladesh July uprising leader Mahfuz Alam distances himself from NCP over Jamaat alliance
· Iran Executes 85 Citizens of Afghanistan in 2025, Human Rights Group Says
· UNICEF Warns Funding Cuts Could Push Six Million Children Out of School by 2026
· Islamabad Police Arrest 41, Including Four from Afghanistan, in Major Weapons and Drugs Raid
· Traders attacked during anti-extortion human chain at Karwan Bazar
· 170 NCP leaders back possible alliance with Jamaat
· Nationwide protests demand justice for Sharif Osman Hadi
· Kabul, Tehran Discuss Economic and Mining Cooperation
· Afghanistan-U.S. Interaction Entering New Phase After Foreign Forces Withdrawal, Muttaqi Says
· Two MoUs Worth $515,000 Signed to Support Migrants, Returnees
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/all-india-shia-anti-lynching-laws/d/138225
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The All-India Shia Personal Law Board seeks anti-lynching laws, higher representation
Dec 29, 2025
AISPLB national president Maulana Saim Mehdi addressing the gathering. (HT)
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Lucknow: The All-India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) on Sunday came up with a wide range of demands including political representation, preservation of religious heritage, stronger anti-mob lynching laws, and review of proposed Uniform Civil Code.
Speaking at the annual convention of the Board at Bada Imambara in Lucknow, Maulana Agha Syed Abbas Rizvi from Jammu & Kashmir said that despite a population of 7-8 crore, Shia Muslims in India community remain without adequate representation in both central and state govts.
"Shia Muslims are facing the same kind of treatment here as they do in Pakistan. Political representation of our community in Parliament and state assemblies is the need of the hour," Rizvi said.
The resolution passed by the board also emphasized reserved constituencies on the lines of those allotted for Dalits and women.
AISPLB also pressed for the inclusion of Imam Hussain's name in school curricula, citing his historic stance for justice and humanity. It urged the UP govt to grant independent waqf status to Husainabad Waqf and to accelerate restoration of heritage structures under the Husainabad Trust.
It also demanded reservation for Shias on educational and economic grounds, withdrawal of Waqf Amendment Act 2024, and the constitution of a national Waqf protection commission. The board further sought greater representation in Central Haj Committee and restoration of earlier Haj subsidy.
The convention condemned terrorism, called for stronger anti-mob lynching laws, opposed the Uniform Civil Code, and urged reconsideration of NRC provisions.
It appealed to the community to reject dowry practices, asked for police protection for Muharram processions, and objected to film shoots inside religious premises under the Husainabad Waqf.
Source: indiatimes.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/aisplb-seeks-anti-lynching-laws-higher-representation/articleshow/126219919.cms
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Daesh group militants clash with police during raid in Turkiye, wounding 7 officers
December 29, 2025
ANKARA: Militants of the Daesh group opened fire on police and wounded seven officers during a raid on the group in northwest Turkiye on Monday, the country’s state-run media reported.
The clash broke out in Yalova province, south of Istanbul, as police stormed a house where the militants were hiding, Anadolu Agency said.
Special forces from neighboring Bursa province were dispatched to reinforce the operation.
Anadolu said none of the wounded officers were in serious condition.
Last week, police launched scores of simultaneous raids, detaining 115 militants of the extremist group who were allegedly planning attacks targeting Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. Officials said the group had called for action, particularly against non-Muslims, during the celebrations.
Daesh has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Turkiye in recent years, including a shooting at an Istanbul nightclub during New Year celebrations on Jan. 1, 2017, which killed 39 people.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2627724/middle-east
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Saudi Hajj Ministry suspends Umrah firm, overseas agent over contract violations
December 29, 2025
More than 1.7 million Muslims from all over the world arrived in the Kingdom to perform Umrah during Jumada Al Akhira alone. (SPA)
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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Sunday announced the suspension of an Umrah company and its overseas agent for failing to provide accommodation services for pilgrims in line with approved contractual programs.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry said the company’s failure constitutes a clear violation of regulations governing services for Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the Two Holy Mosques.
It noted that a number of pilgrims arrived in the Kingdom without secured accommodation, despite these services being documented in the contractual programs.
This prompted immediate regulatory action against the company and its overseas agent under the established legal frameworks, the ministry said.
"The measures are intended to safeguard the rights of affected pilgrims, prevent a recurrence of such violations, and ensure the continued enhancement of service quality," it added.
Last June, the ministry suspended seven Umrah companies due to deficiencies in providing transport services to pilgrims.
In an earlier report quoting the Hajj Ministry and the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, SPA said more than 1.7 million Muslims from all over the world arrived in the Kingdom to perform Umrah during Jumada Al Akhira alone.
Also referred to as Jumada Al Thani, Jumada Al Akhira is the sixth month of the Islamic calendar. For Hijri year 1447, this sixth month ended on December 20, 2025 in the Gregorian calendar.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2627716/saudi-arabia
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A Muslim is someone who strives for peace': How this young imam is challenging Islamophobia on- and offline
29 Dec 2025
Sabah Ahmedi is one of the UK's youngest Imams. Credit: Sabah Ahmedi
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The words appeared in black spray paint on a low brick wall near where Sabah Ahmedi lives: No Islam. A second message appeared nearby, more insinuating than explicit: Save our kids. No Islam.
Ahmedi photographed the graffiti and posted it online in September. He thanked local residents and the council for reporting it, but warned that the damage went beyond vandalism. The slogans, he wrote, were part of “a wider trend of divisive graffiti appearing across the country”, fuelled by misinformation and fear.
It is against this backdrop that Big Issue meets Ahmedi, one of the UK’s youngest Muslim leaders, who has built a large following online as The Young Imam, using social media to demystify everyday Muslim life in Britain.
“The saddest thing is,” he tells Big Issue during a visit to Britain’s biggest mosque, “I’m numb to it now.”
We meet in the grounds of the Baitul Futuh mosque in Morden, South London. It’s a grand building, and you can see its domes and minarets rise into view as you exit the nearby train stations. Out front, palm trees are wrapped up and tied against the winter cold.
For Ahmedi, the graffiti near his home is not an isolated incident. It is part of a pattern he has watched harden over time, from online abuse to street-level hostility. It’s a pattern he believes Britain has yet to truly confront as it heads into 2026.
From playground insults to public slogans
Ahmedi grew up in Manchester and remembers being called a “terrorist” at school after 9/11. In the playground in year eight, he recalls bottles and stones being thrown at brown and Black boys; one child’s eye was injured, and he had to be taken home. At the time, he didn’t have a word for it.
“I didn’t even know Islamophobia was a term then,” he says. “You just went to school and got on with it.”
Years later, in his first job, he was told he could not work on the shop floor with a beard and was instructed to shave. He complied without complaint. “At the time, I didn’t think anything of it,” he says. “Now, if someone said that, you’d ask: what is actually going on?”
What has changed, he believes, is not only the intensity of anti-Muslim sentiment but the way it is expressed. Abuse today is rarely framed as hatred outright. Instead, it appears as concern, particularly for children.
Ahmedi scrolls through Instagram to show a video. It’s from earlier in 2025 and shows protesters chanting “save our kids” at some kind of rally. He pauses before turning.
“Save our kids from what?” he asks.
The phrase, he says, appears repeatedly beneath posts about Muslims, immigration and asylum. It implies a threat without specifically naming one, allowing fear to circulate without accountability.
“It’s vague on purpose,” he explains. “Everyone understands what it’s meant to suggest, but no one ever explains it.”
Coded language and borrowed causes
The language is not new. In recent months, the Big Issue has reported on how slogans invoking the safety of women and children, “protect our women”, “save our girls”, have been used at anti-asylum protests across the UK. More than 100 women’s rights organisations have warned that serious conversations about violence against women and girls are being “hijacked by an anti-migrant agenda” that fuels division while obscuring the reality that most abuse is perpetrated by someone known to the victim.
For Ahmedi, the same rhetorical strategy has been applied to Muslims more broadly; not through direct accusation, but through insinuation.
“When people say ‘save our kids’, I want to know what they think Muslims are doing,” he says.
He points instead to the role Muslim organisations play in public life, from fundraising for children’s charities to work in schools and food banks, arguing that Muslims are already embedded in the same communities they are portrayed as threatening.
The graffiti near his home (“Save our kids. No Islam”) made the implication explicit. But Ahmedi believes the damage is done long before slogans reach brick walls.
“This stuff circulates online first,” he says. “Then it moves into real life.”
What are British values?
Debates about Islam and belonging in Britain are often framed around the language of “British values”. Recent polling suggests that framing is hardening into something more exclusionary.
A July YouGov survey, commissioned by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, found that 53% of Britons believe Islam is not compatible with British values. The same polling showed that 41% of respondents believe Muslim immigrants have a negative impact on the UK, while just 24% view their impact positively.
“It shows the reality on the ground,” Ahmedi says. “That’s what we’re dealing with.”
Asked what he understands British values to mean, Ahmedi resists cultural shorthand. For him, the term is less about tradition than principle.
“If British values are about equality and justice for everyone to live peacefully and freely,” he says, “then I’m completely aligned with that.”
The polling suggests that scepticism towards Islam extends beyond abstract questions of values. A significant proportion of respondents also associated Islam with social harm, including perceptions that Muslim communities contribute negatively to public life; views that persist despite evidence that Muslim organisations play a substantial role in charity, community work and civic participation across the UK.
For Ahmedi, this gap between perception and reality is central to how Islamophobia operates. Muslims, he says, are often asked to demonstrate compatibility in ways others are not and required to justify their presence rather than being assumed to belong.
The role of the media
Much of Ahmedi’s frustration is directed not at individuals but at systems, particularly how Islam is discussed in the media.
“‘Muslim terrorist’ is a phrase people accept without questioning,” Ahmedi points out when referencing headlines that focus on religion. “You never hear ‘Christian terrorist’ used in the same way.”
For him, the issue is not only accuracy but consequence. Language shapes perception, and perception shapes policy. When violence is framed as inherently linked to Islam, entire communities become suspect by default.
“A Muslim is someone who strives for peace,” he says. “Terrorism is the opposite. Putting those words together is an oxymoron, but we’ve normalised it.”
He is careful not to position journalists as enemies. Instead, he points to a gap in familiarity.
“I’ve met people in senior media roles who have never had a proper conversation with a Muslim,” he admits. “They report on Islam all the time, but they don’t know who to ask when they have questions.”
In response, Ahmedi has taken an unusual step. Over recent years, he says he has contacted more than 8,000 journalists across the UK, offering to meet for coffee or host them at the mosque.
“People are curious,” he says. “They just haven’t been given the opportunity to ask questions in a normal, human way.”
Opening doors… literally
Ahmedi shows Big Issue around the mosque’s grounds. Inside are libraries, television and radio studios, a community centre, and a large prayer hall. The vast, light-filled space is designed to accommodate thousands of worshippers. The walls are plain, but the space still feels grand.
“There are no pictures,” Ahmedi explains. “It’s meant to keep your focus on God.”
He points out the ablution area, where worshippers wash before prayer, not because they are “dirty”, he says, but to mark a mental shift. He notes the gallery where visitors can observe prayers and ask questions, many of them, he says, first-time visitors.
“People come in with fear,” he says. “They leave with understanding.”
Opening the mosque to outsiders, he believes, disrupts the distance in which Islamophobia thrives.
“The fear is of the unknown,” he says. “Once you’ve seen what actually happens here, it’s harder to maintain those ideas.”
Online hate, offline impact
Ahmedi’s visibility has made him a frequent target online. He scrolls through comments accusing Muslims of grooming, extremism and conspiracy. Some are too graphic to repeat.
“I’m used to it now,” he says. “That doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect you.”
What worries him more is how easily online language migrates into physical space — onto walls, into neighbourhoods, into everyday interactions. The graffiti near his home is one example. Chanting at protests is another.
“This stuff doesn’t stay online,” he explains. “It seeps out.”
Asked whether he believes it is still possible to change minds in a climate that often feels hardened, Ahmedi does not frame the question in terms of persuasion or debate.
“I just want to understand where the fear comes from,” he says. “If you don’t ask me, you’ll ask someone else. Or you won’t ask at all.”
That is why, alongside his work at the mosque, Ahmedi continues to make himself publicly available, answering questions online, inviting people to visit, and offering conversation without preconditions.
As Britain moves toward 2026, Ahmedi expects the questions directed at Muslims to persist, often framed as concern rather than hostility. His response, he says, will remain the same.
“Whatever you want to ask. Ask me.”
Source: bigissue.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/young-imam-islamophobia-british-muslim/
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'Unimaginable a year ago': Indians in US raise concern over online hatred as Vivek Ramaswamy's kids come under attack
Dec 28, 2025
The Indian-American community raised the issue of growing online hatred against India and Indians and sought answers from Elon Musk's X as to why such hate comments are being allowed on the platform. American journalist Matt Forney recently called for violence against Indians and Indian places of worship -- veiled as a prediction-- and deleted the post. Now, social media commentators, apparently from the US, are attacking Vivek Ramaswamy's children because of the GOP leader's Indian origin as a massive movement against Ramaswamy is taking place inside MAGA.
'Vivek's children are feral'
A post with photos of Vivek Ramaswamy's children went viral with the Indian-hating commentator saying that Ramaswamy who bashes American children is miserable in raising his own children who have 'awful facial expressions'. "They are feral," the disrespectful post said.
Matt Forney chimed in with his filthy post, where he said Vivek Ramaswamy probably threatens his children that he would smack them like a "brown parent".
While Ramaswamy is facing strong resistance from inside the MAGA for his upcoming Governor election, many commentators called out the targeting of his children. But haters, provoked by Nick Fuentes, are crossing all limits now.
'No coming back from this'
Indian-origin techie Jitin Pillai reacted to the attack on Ramaswamy's children and said there is no coming back from this level of low. He said the Indian community does not even have as much presence or influence in the US as it is made out to be. But this level of hatred was unthinkable a year ago, he said.
"I know the natural instinct of many Indian Americans is to dismiss this outright, and at times even refuse to acknowledge this rising hatred under the garb of some freedom of expression. I hope this cohort is able to see the slope vs intercept. If there is a time for course correction, it’s now. Democrats will not always be your friends," Pillai said.
Neither Ramaswamy nor his campaign commented on the targeting of his children yet.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/unimaginable-a-year-ago-indians-in-us-raise-concern-over-online-hatred-as-vivek-ramaswamys-kids-come-under-attack/articleshow/126217531.cms
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Christian genocide in Nigeria? The state fails its duty to protect
Olu Fasan
December 29, 2025
Last week, on December 25, 2025, Christians all over the world celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ, the Lord and Saviour. Christianity is the world’s largest religion, with around 2.4 billion Christians, spread across 120 countries and territories, according to the Pew Research Centre. Islam, the second largest religion, has around 2 billion adherents and spans 53 countries and territories worldwide. But as the world marks Christmas this year, allow me to make a plea for Christianity: Spare a thought for Christians, the most persecuted people of faith worldwide!
According to Open Doors, an international NGO, which produces the annual World Watch List of religious persecutions, around 365 million Christians faced “high levels of persecution and discrimination” in 2024; over 4,998 Christians were killed, and 14,766 churches and Christian properties were destroyed. In countries like North Korea, China and many Arab and African countries like Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Iran and Yemen, it is hard to be an openly practising Christian.
But what about Nigeria? Well, it’s the outlier. In March this year, the UK House of Commons discussed the findings of the 2024 Open Doors Survey. One startling finding stood out: Nigeria is “the most dangerous country in the world for Christians”, with “more Christians killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world.” The survey states: out of the 4,998 Christians killed worldwide for their faith in 2024, “90 per cent were in Nigeria.”
That’s puzzling. Isn’t Nigeria, according to the Pew Research Centre, the second most prayerful nation in the world, with about 95 per cent of its population engaging in daily prayer? So, how could that same country also be “the most dangerous country in the world for Christians”?
Well, here’s the missing piece of the puzzle: Nigeria may be the world’s second most prayerful nation, but there are fundamentalist groups that want the prayer said in their own way. In northern Nigeria, Islamist groups routinely unleash brutal violence on Christian communities. Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), radicalised Fulani militias and ransom-extracting bandits and kidnappers have long targeted Christians in the North and sometimes outside the North, such as the killing of 40 Christian worshippers at a Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, in June 2022.
For years, Western groups urged their governments to prevail on the Nigerian government to stop the brutal and murderous anti-Christian persecution. In 2022, the House of Commons passed a resolution urging the UK government to call on the Buhari government to “take effective action against the Jihadist ideology destroying lives in Nigeria.” In America, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has, since 2009, asked the US government to place Nigeria on its watch list. In 2020, during his first term, President Trump bowed to pressure from his base and designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)”. However, in 2021, his successor, President Biden, removed Nigeria from the CPC watch list.
Yet, any hope that the persecution of Christians would subside with the end of the Buhari government and the emergence of the Tinubu administration in 2023 was soon dashed as brutal attacks on Christian communities in the North continued unabated. This was the context in which President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern this year. But unlike in 2020 when he merely cited “alarming persecution of Christians”, this time he alleged “Christian genocide”, and threatened to send US military into Nigeria, “guns-a-blazing”. Indeed, the US struck terrorist targets in Nigeria last week!
But while the government denied the existence of Christian genocide in Nigeria, Christian leaders disagreed. In an interview on Arise TV, Revd Joseph Hayab, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in the 19 Northern states and the FCT said: “Can I consider what has been happening as genocide against Christians? My straightforward answer is YES – Y.E.S – Yes!” Bishop Wale Oke, President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, said: “There is Christian genocide going on in Nigeria,” adding: “If we call it by any other name, it will bring Nigeria down.” In a barnstorming press conference, laced with graphic details, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo, the founder of Kingsway International Christian Centre, KICC, described “the systematic burning of churches and targeted massacres” of Christians in the North as “systemic genocide”, saying there was no other name for it.
But beyond the disputations, how is “genocide” defined in international law? The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, known as the Genocide Convention of 1948, defines genocide as the deliberate acts of killing of members of an ethnic or religious group, with the intent to eliminate the group. Thus, the two key elements of genocide are: act and intent.
Well, the act is easier to prove. Everyone can see dead bodies of massacred people, and their mass burials. But intent, which lawyers call “mens rea”, is harder. Yet there’s hardly any doubt about the intent of Boko Haram, ISWAP or other Islamist militants, namely, to impose a radical Islamist ideology across the North and implement a form of religious cleansing. The brutal and widespread impunity of their violence show that the issue goes beyond inter-communal or resource conflicts: it’s a radical Jihadist agenda. In truth, moderate Muslims are sometimes attacked, such as the terrorist bombing of a mosque in Maiduguri last week. However, the militants’ main targets are Christians.
But here’s the nub of the matter. The 1948 Genocide Convention obligates states to prevent and punish genocide. Decades later in 2005, the UN General Assembly recognised the “Responsibility to Protect” in genocidal cases. But in all the years that Boko Haram, ISWAP and the radical Fulani militias have wreaked havoc across the Christian communities in the North, the state has failed to protect Christian communities, prevent genocidal attacks and punish their perpetrators. In 2019, General Theophilus Danjuma led a group of Christian leaders to the UK House of Lords, alleging Christian genocide and accusing President Buhari of pursuing an “Islamisation” agenda. Of course, Buhari’s successor, Bola Tinubu, rode to power with an exclusionist Muslim-Muslim ticket. Truth is, there’s a deliberate, self-interested mismanagement of religious diversity in Nigeria.
Take the Sharia and blasphemy laws, which are major drivers of Christian persecution in northern Nigeria. According to Alliance Defending Freedom International, Nigeria has one of the most draconian blasphemy laws in the world. Christians are frequently hauled before Sharia courts or subjected to mob violence on allegations of blasphemy, such as “insulting” Islam. But there’s no blasphemy law for Christianity, which is frequently insulted. For instance, a popular Nollywood actor called her new film “A Very Dirty Christmas”. Imagine a sacred Muslim festival being so described. Yet, Sharia and blasphemy laws are state laws, which makes the state complicit in the persecution of Christians. The Nigerian state must actively promote religious freedom; it must prevent and punish religious persecution. Only then can it change the narrative about Christian genocide in Nigeria!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Source: businessday.ng
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://businessday.ng/columnist/article/christian-genocide-in-nigeria-the-state-fails-its-duty-to-protect/
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Lawyers for Liberty urges police to enforce court orders in Indira Gandhi custody case
By Anis Zalani
29 Dec 2025
PETALING JAYA, Dec 29 — Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) has urged the police and the government to carry out their duties professionally in M. Indira Gandhi’s child custody case, warning against politicising the matter or framing it along racial or religious lines.
Speaking at a press conference today, LFL co-founder Latheefa Koya said it has been nearly a decade since the Federal Court issued a final ruling in Indira’s favour, yet she has still not been reunited with her daughter Prasana Diksa.
“We demand that the police and the government carry out their duties professionally. We do not want this case to be politicised or exploited to stir racial or religious sentiment.
“All we want is for Indira Gandhi to be reunited with her own child,” she told reporters.
Latheefa said Indira has spent years campaigning, holding press conferences, and meeting successive Inspectors-General of Police, but has repeatedly been met with assurances that efforts were ongoing, without tangible results.
Rejecting claims that the authorities were unable to trace Prasana and her father, Latheefa said the case did not involve armed criminals or complex criminal networks.
“This is a father and a child. The police are capable of tracking terrorists and major criminals.
“It is not credible to suggest they are unable to locate a child and her father,” she said.
Latheefa added that it was unclear whether Indira’s ex husband, Pathmanathan Krishnan, now known as Muhammad Riduan Abdullah after converting to Islam, is in Malaysia or abroad.
She said despite clear court orders, Indira has yet to see her daughter, and no authority has ensured that the child is returned to her.
Also speaking at the press conference, Indira emphasised that her sole desire is to be reunited with her child, stressing that the matter is not about religion or race.
“I have always hoped that one day Prasana would return, which is why I have continually urged the public to help find her. I do not care about her religion and want her to make her own choice, and if she wishes to follow Islam, that is her decision.
“As her mother, all I want is to see her again, and I will continue my efforts until that happens,” she added.
In 2009, Muhammad Riduan unilaterally converted his three children to Islam without Indira’s consent and sought custody of them through the Shariah Court.
However, in 2018, the Federal Court declared the unilateral conversions null and void.
In 2010, the civil High Court in Ipoh had already granted Indira full custody of all three children.
In May 2014, the civil High Court in Ipoh issued a committal order for Muhammad Riduan’s arrest for contempt of court due to his failure to return Prasana to Indira, alongside a recovery order directing the police to locate the child.
Later, in September 2014, Indira obtained a mandamus order from the High Court compelling the Inspector-General of Police to enforce these court orders.
Although the Court of Appeal initially dismissed the mandamus order, the Federal Court in April 2016 reinstated it, mandating Muhammad Riduan’s arrest.
Muhammad Riduan has been wanted under an arrest warrant for over 15 years after absconding with Prasana in 2009, when she was only 11 months old.
The High Court in Ipoh has since 2021 been monitoring the police’s efforts to find and arrest Indira’s ex-husband, and on November 21 ordered the police to widen the search for him to the entire country and to liaise with the Immigration Department to block him from leaving Malaysia.
The next case management at the High Court in Ipoh is scheduled on February 27 next year.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/12/29/lawyers-for-liberty-urges-police-to-enforce-court-orders-in-indira-gandhi-custody-case/203617
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Bangladesh student party forms election alliance with Islamists
29 Dec 2025
Bangladesh’s National Citizen Party forms a seat-sharing alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami for the 2025 polls, sparking internal dissent and concerns over ideology
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party has announced a seat-sharing agreement with a political grouping formed by students who spearheaded last year’s uprising.
Jamaat-e-Islami said on Sunday it reached the agreement with the student-led National Citizen Party following marathon talks. The party regards the February 12 vote as its biggest opportunity in decades, following the toppling of prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
Islamist movements crushed under Hasina’s 15-year autocratic rule have regrouped since her fall. Jamaat leader Shafiqur Rahman also announced a separate agreement with the small Liberal Democratic Party.
“We were eight parties in the alliance. Now two new political parties have joined us,” he said at a press conference.
The Jamaat-led alliance is dominated by fringe Islamist political parties, most of which held only a handful of seats in previous parliaments. The resurgence of Islamist forces has sparked concern among religious minorities including Sufi Muslims and Hindus, who account for less than 10% of the population.
Ahead of the tie-up, at least 30 NCP members wrote to party chief Nahid Islam opposing the plan to join hands. In a letter Saturday, they said NCP’s ideology and its commitment to democratic values contradicted those of the Jamaat.
Tasnim Jara, who was looking to run on the NCP ticket, quit on Saturday, followed on Sunday by another aspiring candidate, Tasnuva Jabin. Senior party figure Samantha Sharmin warned in a social media post Sunday that the party would have to pay a “high price” for its alliance with Islamists.
The NCP was formed in March, promising centrist politics that would be “democratic, egalitarian, and people-oriented”. But Islam defended the alliance, saying it was “not an ideological agreement, but an electoral alliance”.
“To ensure a free, fair, and competitive election, and to prevent the return of hegemonic forces, the NCP felt the need for broader unity,” he said at a media briefing.
He also promised to pursue an agenda focused on “reforms, justice, and opposition to hegemony and corruption”. With Hasina’s Awami League barred from the election, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party is widely tipped to win the polls.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/asia/bangladesh-student-party-forms-election-alliance-with-islamists/
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India
For Muslims, registered adoption deed not valid for adoption: Court
Dec 28, 2025
Ahmedabad: A city civil court here rejected a Muslim couple's application seeking permission to adopt a child because the couple followed the process of preparing an adoption deed and getting it registered. The couple urged the court to grant the adoption permission under Section 7 of the Guardians and Wards Act. However, the court stated that Muslims cannot adopt a child in this manner due to legal incompatibility with the existing adoption law applicable to Muslims.
In this case, the couple was married for 18 years but was not blessed with a child. They decided to adopt a relative's son, who was born in 2017. They adopted the child in Oct 2021 by entering into an adoption deed and got it registered with the sub-registrar Ahmedabad-1 (City). On the strength of this registered adoption deed, the adoptive parents and the biological parents approached the court for permission for adoption.
The parents submitted before the court that the adoption deed suggested that the adopted child is protected and his interest is preserved in the family of adoptive parents because the couple has a good financial position. The deed also revealed the willingness of the biological parents.
Despite the mutual agreement and the financial stability of the prospective adoptive parents, the court found the application legally untenable. Additional district judge P I Prajapati pointed out the limitations of adoption under Muslim personal law, which does not recognise adoption in the same manner as other legal frameworks in India.
The court referred to the Supreme Court's decision of 2014 in Shabnam Hasmi v/s UOI, which allows adoption for Muslims through the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 only, rather than through personal law. Until then, Muslims were not legally entitled to adopt a child but could only claim guardianship rights of a child.
The court also cited a notification issued on Sep 23, 2022, by the ministry of women and child development, which framed "the Adoption Regulations 2022". The court further stated, "As per the provision of said regulation read with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, this court has no jurisdiction to entertain and decide the present application because said adoption deed is not valid and does not confer any rights to the applicants. Hence, this court is of the opinion that the present application deserves to be dismissed."
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/for-muslims-registered-adoption-deed-not-valid-for-adoption-court/articleshow/126208373.cms
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‘Demolition of houses by using bulldozers in Bengaluru was not the one usually seen in UP and other places’: Muslim League leader Kunhalikuttu
December 28, 2025
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national General Secretary P K Kunhalikutty on Sunday said the demolition of houses by using bulldozers in Bengaluru was not the one usually seen in Uttar Pradesh and other places.
Speaking to media persons in Kozhikode, Kunhalikutty said that as soon as he and Sadiqali Shihab Thangal heard the news, they had called Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Minority Affairs Minister and Malayali organisations to find out the true picture. They told us that the demolition of houses in Bengaluru was not in any way comparable to what happened in Uttar Pradesh.
“Not just minorities, other sections of people are affected by the demolition. The Karnataka government has assured that it will provide rehabilitation to the deserving people,” Kunhalikutty said.
Kunhalikutty’s reaction came in the backdrop of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement on Friday that the bulldozing of Fakir Colony and Wasim Layout, where Muslims have been living for years, in the capital city of Karnataka, is extremely shocking and painful.
Chief Minister Vijayan said this action of the Congress government in Karnataka is another version of the anti-minority aggressive politics being practiced by the Sangh Parivar in North India.
Responding to Pinarayi Vijayan, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday lashed out at Kerala CM for interfering in evictions in an encroached land in Bengaluru.
Shivakumar said it is unfortunate that senior leaders like Pinarayi Vijayan have commented on this without knowing the facts of the matter. “The land which was cleared of encroachment was a solid waste pit. There are many health-related issues in the area due to this. We also have humanity, and we have given them an opportunity to move to other areas,” he said.
Shivakumar said that they are only protecting government land in the middle of the city and will send a message regarding this to Congress party leaders in Kerala. “We don’t have Bulldozer culture, I appeal to Pinarayi Vijayan not to talk like that,” he said.
Source: thestatesman.com
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https://www.thestatesman.com/india/demolition-of-houses-by-using-bulldozers-in-bengaluru-was-not-the-one-usually-seen-in-up-and-other-places-muslim-league-leader-kunhalikuttu-1503531988.html
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Serious demographic concern: Himanta Sarma on Bangladeshi Muslims' population in Assam
Dec 28, 2025
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday raised serious concerns over what he described as a rapid increase in the Bangladeshi-origin Muslim population in the state, warning that the demographic shift could fundamentally alter Assam’s social, cultural and political landscape in the coming years.
Addressing a two-day BJP executive meeting in Guwahati, Sarma termed the trend a "serious demographic concern" and linked it to long-standing issues of illegal immigration, identity and citizenship.
Referring to the 2011 Census, Sarma said Muslims accounted for around 34 per cent of Assam’s population at the time.
He claimed that if indigenous Assamese Muslims were excluded, those of Bangladeshi origin constituted nearly 31 per cent.
"There was no census in 2021. When the next census data is released, likely in 2027, the Bangladeshi-origin Muslim population could touch 40 per cent," he said, cautioning that such a shift would have dire consequences for the state.
The chief minister alleged that previous governments failed to address the issue and instead promoted what he called "manufactured historical narratives" to appease certain communities.
Referring to Assam’s cultural heritage, Sarma said, "We grew up hearing about Shankar and Madhav, but not Shankar-Azan. Azan Fakir existed, but not alongside Shankardeva. Such narratives were forcefully created to suit political interests".
He also claimed that historical figures were inaccurately linked for political reasons, citing the example of attempts to associate Ahom general Lachit Barphukan with individuals who, according to him, had no documented historical connection. Sarma described this as part of a broader effort to reshape history.
Projecting the upcoming assembly elections as a decisive battle, Sarma said they would be fought to protect "swadesh" and "swajati", as well as Assam’s identity, land and culture.
"The forthcoming elections are not about hopes and aspirations. It is about dedicating oneself to the cause of protecting 'swadesh' (nation) and 'swajati' (own community). The BJP represents the last light of hope to ensure that the state is not pushed into an abyss of darkness," he told party leaders.
He accused the Congress of weakness and polarising politics, alleging that it led to the rise of "another civilisation" with a population of around 1.5 crore.
Sarma further pointed to recent incidents and developments to underline his concerns. "Some may say that all can coexist, but the recent developments in Bangladesh have shown us that they believe in exclusiveness," he said, adding that such events should serve as a warning for Assam’s future.
The chief minister also spoke about social tensions in parts of the state, alleging instances of communal friction, land sales by indigenous people, and migration from rural areas to towns.
He claimed that the population share of indigenous communities had steadily declined, while that of alleged infiltrators had sharply increased over the decades.
Earlier this month, speaking on the Agenda AajTak programme, Sarma had warned of what he termed a "demographic invasion", asserting that other communities would be "finished" if the "Miya Muslim" population crossed 50 per cent in Assam.
"If the Muslim population crosses 50 per cent, others won’t remain. Only they will remain," he had said.
Sarma’s latest remarks came on the same day the Election Commission of India released the draft Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which removed 10.56 lakh names.
The updated draft lists Assam as having 2.51 crore registered voters, excluding over 93,000 'D-Voters', whose citizenship status remains under question and who continue to be listed without voting rights.
Source: indiatoday.in
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https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/himanta-biswa-sarma-bangladeshi-origin-muslim-population-assam-demographic-political-concerns-2842977-2025-12-28
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How a Buddhist prince opened Kashmir's gates for Islamic rule
Dec 29, 2025
In the shadow of a priest's refusal, a Buddhist prince kneeled before a Sufi, unlocking Kashmir's gates to Islam and igniting a saga of queens, sieges, and shattered thrones.
Recent excavations at Zehanpora in Baramulla have unearthed Kushan-era stupas along the ancient Silk Route, confirming Kashmir's role as a Buddhist hub of learning. But, the transition of Kashmir from a Hindu kingdom to Islamic rule is an equally fascinating story, written, ironically, by a Buddhist prince who came to the Valley as a refugee. Here is part one of the saga.
To tell the story of Kashmir from the very beginning is to move from geology into mythology, and finally into the brutal reality of the 14th century. This is the narrative of a sacred valley that was born from water, governed by gods, and eventually transformed by a man who was denied a home within its ancient walls.
THE LAKE OF THE DEMON
Millions of years ago, the Kashmir Valley did not exist as land. It was a vast inland sea known as Satisar (the Lake of Sati).
According to the Nilamata Purana and Kalhaa’s Rajatarangii, a demon named Jalodbhava dwelt within these waters, terrorising the surrounding mountains. The sage Kashyapa (the father of all Nagas) performed a great penance. He summoned the gods, and his son, Ananta Naga, struck the mountains at Baramulla with a trident, carving an outlet. The waters drained away, the demon was slain, and the lush valley emerged.
THE PHILOSOPHER KINGS
For a thousand years, Kashmir was the intellectual powerhouse of the region. It wasn't just a kingdom; it was a fortress of the mind.
The Mauryan Entry (3rd Century BCE): Emperor Ashoka arrived, founded the city of Srinagar, and introduced Buddhism.
The Kushan Peak (1st Century CE): Under King Kanishka, Kashmir hosted the Fourth Buddhist Council. Here, scholars carved the Buddhist scriptures onto copper plates and buried them, marking Kashmir as the heart of Mahayana Buddhism.
The Imperial Zenith (8th Century CE): King Lalitaditya rose. He was the “Alexander of Kashmir.” He built the Martand Sun Temple, a structure so massive it was said to be built by giants. The Rajatarangini attributes vast conquests to Lalitaditya, including Central Asia, parts of Tibet, the Punjab plains, and eastern India.
THE 12TH CENTURY COLLAPSE
By the time Kalhaa wrote his masterpiece, the Rajatarangini (1148 CE), the “River of Kings” was becoming a swamp of blood.
The central authority had crumbled. The Damaras (landed barons) became more powerful than the kings. They looted temples, kidnapped princesses, and turned the valley into a patchwork of warring fiefdoms. The people were exhausted. The great irrigation works of the past were neglected, and famine began to haunt the mountains.
THE THREE REFUGEES
In the early 1300s, during the weak reign of King Suhadeva, three men entered Kashmir. They weren't conquerors; they were fugitives. They were destined to rewrite the story of Kashmir.
Shah Mir: A Muslim from Swat, claiming descent from Arjuna, seeking a career in the Kashmiri court.
Lankar Chak: A chieftain from the Dardic north, fleeing a blood feud.
Rinchan: A Buddhist prince from Ladakh. His father had been murdered by the Baltis. He came to Kashmir not for a throne, but for survival.
THE MONGOL FIRESTORM
In 1320, Dulucha, a Mongol commander, swept through the mountain passes. King Suhadeva, the last legitimate Hindu monarch of the old line, proved to be a coward. He fled to Kishtwar, leaving his people to the Mongol sword.
“The valley was filled with the smoke of burning villages... the Brahmana and the Shudra were treated alike in death.” (Jonaraja, Dvitiya Rajatarangini).
When the Mongols left after eight months of carnage, they took 50,000 slaves, but they were caught in a blizzard and perished. The Kashmir that remained was a graveyard.
RINCHAN'S GAMBIT
In the chaos, Rinchan saw his chance. He was efficient, cold, and brave. He gathered his Tibetan followers and assassinated the Prime Minister, Ramachandra, at Lar. He then declared himself King.
To stabilise his rule, he married the daughter of the man he had just killed, the legendary Kota Rani. She was the personification of old Kashmir: beautiful, brilliant, and fiercely protective of her heritage.
THE REJECTION AND THE TRANSFORMATION
Rinchan knew he was a foreigner. He wanted to become a true Kashmiri King. He approached the chief priest, Devaswami, and asked to be converted to Shaivism.
Devaswami, trapped in the rigidity of late-era caste laws, refused. He told the King that a mleccha, a Tibetan/Buddhist, could not be granted a high-caste status.
Spurned by the Brahmins, Rinchan encountered Bulbul Shah, a Sufi saint. He converted, took the name Sultan Sadr-ud-Din, and became the first Muslim ruler of the valley.
THE LEGACY OF THE FALL
Rinchan’s reign broke the Brahmanical monopoly on state power. He paved a psychological path showing the Kashmiri people that the old gods had failed them during the Mongol invasion, but a new faith offered a different kind of protection.
Rinchan’s reign was a whirlwind lasting only three years (1320–1323). The old nobility never forgave the foreigner. A palace conspiracy left him struck down by a sword to the head during an uprising against his rule. Though he survived the initial attack, the wound eventually turned fatal.
As he lay dying, Rinchan made one final, calculated move. He entrusted his young son and his wife, Kota Rani, to his trusted minister: Shah Mir.
For over a decade, Kota Rani ruled Kashmir through strategic marriages, first as regent and then as sovereign. She stands as the last ruler of the Hindu Lohara line—the final Hindu queen after a Buddhist husband who embraced Islam.
In her all the syncretic strands of Kashmir converged just before the valley tipped irreversibly toward Islamic rule.
Source: indiatoday.in
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https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/how-a-buddhist-prince-opened-kashmirs-gates-for-islamic-rule-2843183-2025-12-29
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Bajrang Dal disrupts Bareilly birthday party after Muslim friends are invited in UP
Piyush Srivastava
29.12.25
Bajrang Dal members allegedly stormed a restaurant in Bareilly on Saturday evening and disrupted the birthday party of a nursing student for inviting her Muslim friends, who were assaulted and forced to leave the venue.
The Hindu student, who has requested anonymity, told reporters that she and her two Muslim friends were assaulted.
“The staff of the restaurant in Rajendra Nagar had called the cops when the Bajrang Dal members were accusing us of ‘love jihad’ and attacking us. The police came and asked us to go home. They didn’t ask the goons to leave,” she told reporters on Sunday.
In her written complaint to the police, she said: “There were 10 people in the party, excluding me. There were six girls and four boys. All of them were invited to the party because they were my classmates. Those who attacked us must be identified and arrested.”
Circle officer Ashutosh Shivam said the police found the “love jihad” claim by “some members of a Hindu organisation” to be “baseless”. “We are investigating the incident and will take action against the guilty.”
Bajrang Thakur, a Bajrang Dal leader who allegedly led the group, said they only warned the students against any wrongdoing and left.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/bareilly-restaurant-attack-bajrang-dal-disrupts-birthday-party-over-love-jihad-claim-prnt/cid/2140032
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Violent neighbour: Waves of B’desh anarchy as no answer to the Pak question
Dec 28, 2025
Kolkata: Torn between the secular, nationalist legacy of the 1971 Liberation War and historical, ideological leanings toward Pakistan and political Islam, Bangladesh suffered from upheavals that pulled the country back, felt intellectuals, politicians, and researchers. The tension remained a core aspect of the country's identity as well as its foreign policy, they felt.
The analysts feel that Bangladesh's existence is anchored in the 1971 Liberation War and on a secular, linguistic, nationalist Bengali identity. Islam and other religions in Bangladesh remained as matters of faith. But a section in Bangladesh remained unreconciled. They were defeated in 1971, but they kept coming back.
After Mujibur Rehman was killed, military generals tried to create their own political identity. "First it was General Ziaur Rahaman and then Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Their main opponent was the Awami League, which represented the sentiments of the Liberation War. By default, these generals opposed the Awami League and fell back on those defeated forces," said Subir Bhowmik, a veteran journalist who covered Bangladesh over a prolonged period.
It was the time when military govts lifted the ban on religion-based politics and Ghulam Azam, head of Jamaat E Islami, returned to Bangladesh. Jamaat had formed a coalition with militant groups like the Razakar, Al-Badr, and Al-Shams during the 1971 war and was charged with atrocities and genocide in Bangladesh. Eventually, pro-Islamic, pro-Pakistani sentiments surfaced in Bangladesh's fractured politics.
"The country started moving towards fundamentalism. While Sheikh Hasina came to power in 1996 for five years, she was dislodged by the BNP-Jamaat alliance. Jamaat played a key role in the govt, Islamisation came to the fore, and militant forces started to surface," said Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the Awami League. It was when militant groups like Jamaat Ul Mujahideen, led by Banglabhai, emerged and started working on the religious divide. On Aug 17, 2004, there were a series of blasts across 63 districts in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which earlier came into an understanding with Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B), had a tacit understanding with Jamaat Ul Mujahideen.
"Our fault was we could not identify the forces that were actively pursuing anti-democratic sentiments. They were the ones behind Bangabandhu's killing in 1975. These forces spread across the country. Jamaat was legitimised following alliances with the BNP and they formed a number of splinter organisations across Bangladesh. The same force resurfaced again in the name of July uprising," said Rokeya Prachi, an actress in Bangladesh.
According to Bhowmik, the spirit of Liberation War got derailed after 1975. "It started in 1971 and was supposed to go further through consolidation of the values which gave birth to the 1971 war. That could not happen," he said.
When Hasina was ousted from Bangladesh and the Muhammad Yunus-led an interim govt came to power, their primary opponent was again the Awami League. "Yunus found himself in the same position as that of General Zia or Ershad and fell back on the same fundamentalist forces," he added. Pakistan also intensified its outreach to Bangladesh and sought new partnerships. Yunus, meanwhile, held more meetings with Pakistani officials, including the country's foreign minister Ishaq Dar, and had less engagement with India. Foreign policy experts feel that this suggests a potential recalibration of regional dynamics, which is shifting away from India.
"During her rule, Hasina failed to identify these forces. Mosques were established and hardliners were given employment there. These forces started spreading campaigns among the unemployed youth in the country. Now people are paying a price for that," said Muhammad Abdul Hai, former head of dept of Bangla at Dhaka University and a founder of Vidyasagar Society.
"Islam in Bangladesh should be based on humanitarian principles. If Bangladesh has to resurface as a democracy, an election based on exclusion cannot provide a platform for that. Bangladesh will have to coexist with India in harmony," Hai said.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/violent-neighbour-waves-of-bdesh-anarchy-as-no-answer-to-the-pak-question/articleshow/126216102.cms
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From Madurai to Mathura: How courts navigated India’s major religious disputes in 2025
by Jagriti Rai
December 28, 2025
Religious Disputes in India in 2025: As courts across the country continued to be drawn into long-running and newly emergent contests over faith, tradition, and property, 2025 kept religious disputes at the centre of judicial attention.
From Madurai’s lighting of the Karthigai Deepam at Thirupparankundram Hill to Ajmer Sharif, religious practice repeatedly intersected with public order and constitutional safeguards.
The Supreme Court as well as other courts across the country, remained seized of high-stakes mosque-temple disputes, including Sambhal’s Shahi Jama Masjid, the Gyanvapi complex in Varanasi, and the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah site in Mathura, with interim stays shaping the outcomes.
Here’s a look at the six significant disputes that originated from faith, practices, and figures this year.
1. Madurai Karthigai Deepam lamp
Temple lamp row: DMK explores moving motion for removal of Madras HC judge A lamp lit at the Thiruparankundram temple as part of ‘Karthigai Deepam’ festival celebrations, in Madurai district. (File Photo)
Following a Madras High Court order on December 1, a century-old property disagreement between a Hindu temple and an adjoining dargah in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai has again exposed the political fault lines.
A dispute over where the traditional Kathigai Deepam lamp should be lit on the Thirupparankundram Hill in Madurai reached the Madras High Court in November, when the petitioner Rama Ravikumar, a devotee seeking permission to light the Karthigai Deepam at the Deepathoon- an ancient stone lamp pillar on Thirupparankundram Hill instead of its usual location, which is near the Uchi Pillaiyar temple.
On December 1, Justice G R Swaminathan allowed the plea and directed the Subramaniya Swamy Temple management to arrange for the Karthigai Deepam lamp to be lit at the ancient Deepathoon pillar on the festive day on December 3.
The Tamil Nadu government and temple authorities, however, opposed the order, citing tradition and public order concerns.
On December 3, devotees and the petitioner attempted to light the lamp at the Deepathoon pillar in compliance with the Court order.
Protests broke out by opposing groups near Thirupparankundram Hill, leading to violence, following which security was tightened and CISF was deployed. The court subsequently intiated contempt proceedings against the Tamil Nadu government and officials for failure to implement its directives.
Due to the ongoing tensions and the high court’s contempt orders, the Tamil Nadu government moved the Supreme Court challenging the high court’s directive on lighting the Deepam, and the matter is pending.
2. Demolitions at Ajmer Sharif Dragah
Ajmer Sharif Dargah property demolition delhi high court Delhi High Court restrained the Centre from demolishing structures in Ajmer Sharif Dargah in December. (File Photo)
In December, the Delhi High Court restrained the Centre from demolishing structures in the Ajmer Sharif Dargah without first providing an opportunity for a hearing to the affected persons. While passing the interim directions, Justice Sachin Datta held that the principles of natural justice should be adhered to before taking any precipitative action.
The order came on a plea filed by Syed Meharaj Miya, a Khadim (custodian) of the dargah, who had challenged the notice issued by the Ministry of Minority Affairs regarding removal of all “unauthorised, unapproved and illegal encroachments” in the dargah premises.
The court, where the matter is pending, also directed the Centre to expedite the formation of the Dargah Committee as contemplated under the Dargah Khawaja Sahib Act, 1955.
3. Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid Claims
Shahi Jama Masjid, Juma Masjid, Sambhal mosque, asi, Archaeological Survey of India, Lucknow news, Uttar pradesh news, Indian express, Current affairs The Supreme Court passed an order in August, directing the status quo in the mosque–temple dispute and issued notice to the Hindu petitioners. (File Photo)
Trailing from 2024, the dispute over the Hindu claims on Uttar Pradesh Sambhal’s Shahi Jama Masjid as a Shri Hari Har Temple dedicated to Lord Kalki reached the courts this year.
The first plea was filed in the Supreme Court concerning the Shahi Jama Masjid dispute in Sambhal by the Committee of Management of Shahi Jama Masjid, challenging a November 19, 2024, order of the Sambhal Senior Division Civil Judge that allowed a survey of the mosque premises.
In January, the Supreme Court heard the arguments on the dispute, particularly on a well near the mosque. The court stayed execution of a municipal notice about the well and ordered a status report.
The court passed an order in August, directing the status quo in the mosque–temple dispute and issued notice to the Hindu petitioners. As of now, the court extended its status quo order in September and directed its registry to enquire into the dual appeals filed by the mosque committee.
4. Banke Bihari Temple row
Banke Bihari temple religious dispute In December, the temple management committee and a Sevayat filed a fresh petition questioning the functioning of the high-powered temple management committee. (File Photo)
The core conflict centres on who controls and manages the historic Banke Bihari Temple, traditionally run by Sevayat/Goswami priests and hereditary families, and the efforts by the Uttar Pradesh government and courts to change the administration and regulate finances for development and crowd safety.
In August, the Supreme Court set up a 14-member high-powered Temple Management Committee under former Allahabad High Court judge Justice Ashok Kumar to “oversee and supervise the day-to-day functioning inside and outside” the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan till the high court decides on the constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Ordinance bringing the shrine management under a trust.
Subsequently, in December, the temple’s management committee and a Sevayat, Rajat Goswami, filed a fresh writ petition questioning the functioning of the high-powered temple management committee, which the court had constituted in August.
The petition does not challenge the creation of the committee; instead, it asks the court to clarify the limits of its authority. The court posted the matter for hearing in the first week of January 2026.
5. Krishna Janmabhoomi and Shahi Idgah
Shahi Idgah Mathura The Supreme Court extended the stay on the Allahabad High Court’s 2023 order allowing an application for the inspection of the Shahi Idgah complex. (Express Photo by Apurva Vishwanath)
The Allahabad High Court in May 2023 transferred all the pending suits to itself. The high court rejected pleas challenging the maintainability of the suits in August 2024. The mosque committee has since approached the top court challenging this order.
In January, the Supreme Court extended the stay on the Allahabad High Court’s 2023 order allowing an application for the inspection of the Shahi Idgah complex in Mathura by a court-appointed commissioner in connection with the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute.
A bench of former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan, which took up appeals filed by the mosque committee challenging the high court order, directed that the stay be continued.
6. Gyanvapi Mosque dispute
Gyanvapi Gyanvapi copmlex dispute in supreme court As of now, there is an Interim stay on substantive actions in all courts by the Supreme Court. (File Photo)
A Varanasi district court ordered an ASI survey and upheld the maintainability of the suit filed by the devotees in 2023. In January 2024, the court directed that appropriate arrangements be made to allow worship in the basement of the Gyanvapi complex.
The maintainability of the 1991 suit was also upheld in 2022. The survey was stayed by the Supreme Court at times to allow procedural appeals.
As of now, there is an interim stay on substantive actions in all courts by the Supreme Court, which includes the Allahabad High Court and the Varanasi court order.
It all started with the 1991 suit filed on behalf of the Deity Adi Vishweshwar, claiming the mosque was built on the site of the Kashi Vishwanath temple. In 2021, five Hindu women filed a suit before a Varanasi Civil Court seeking permission to worship religious idols that were allegedly located inside the Gyanvapi mosque.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/legal-news/from-madurai-to-mathura-how-courts-navigated-indias-major-religious-disputes-in-2025-10440617/
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RSS centenary isn’t a cause for celebration. It’s veered away from Hedgewar’s objectives
SHANKAR SHARAN
29 December, 2025
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has completed a hundred years. Is this an achievement? The answer depends on what happened to the objective for which it was created. Why did Dr KB Hedgewar establish the RSS? What did he say and do before and after founding it? On these questions, there is a general silence in RSS centenary celebrations.
In all centenary discourse, one finds only self-glorification by RSS leaders. A remembrance of the goal for which the RSS was founded is not present at all. This means that there is no comparative assessment with the situation today. There is no mention of any struggle, any victory, or any sacrifice by RSS leaders for any particular objective. Any review will be meaningful only if it includes this.
For example, to assess the achievement of a sports stadium, one must state how many matches and of what class were played there—not how many wedding ceremonies were held in it. Similarly, the true yardstick of an organisation’s success lies only in reference to its original purpose—not just its age or size.
Now, in both its name and ideology, ‘rashtra’, the nation, comes first. If the nation was ‘Bharat Mata’, as the RSS processions display ritually, then which RSS leader went to jail opposing her Partition? It turns out that far from going to jail or protesting, the RSS did not even issue a statement after the decision was made to partition the nation. Then what did the ‘nation’ mean for it?
Dr. Hedgewar himself led the RSS for the first fifteen years. His concept of ‘nation’ recognised only Hindus as part of India. He considered Muslims and Christians to be outsiders. He regarded Muslims as ‘enemies of the country.’ Even calling Muslims ‘traitors’ was unacceptable to him—because betrayal of a country can be committed only by someone who belongs to the country. He considered communities other than Hindus in India to be ‘outsiders’, ‘non-national’, and ‘selfish’—people who merely enjoyed the country’s resources. For this reason, Dr Hedgewar also objected to the term ‘Hindu–Muslim unity’, considering it ‘meaningless talk’.
He strictly kept the RSS away from party politics. This was his permanent stance. He refused to cooperate even with the Congress and the Hindu Mahasabha. He allowed volunteers to participate in their programmes only in an ‘individual capacity’.
The RSS abandoned both the foundational principles of Dr. Hedgewar decades ago. Anyone can see that now its leaders have created a different definition of Hindu. And for decades they have surrendered everything on the altar of party politics.
In fact, RSS even formed a ‘Muslim Manch’, and helped design various schemes for Muslim triptikaran (appeasement), a term coined by its own leaders. All for the sake of that same party politics that Dr Hedgewar abhorred.
It is like permanently converting a sports stadium into a wedding hall. How does it matter then if the stadium turns a hundred years old.
Erasing its founder
This is part of the reason why none of Dr. Hedgewar’s writings are available in the RSS bookstores across the country. All these were once published by the RSS. Now everything has vanished. Why?
The RSS should have proudly published the complete writings of its founder in a fine new edition on its centenary. Instead, all his writings and speeches are erased! What does this curious scenario indicate? Either Dr. Hedgewar’s views were all wrong—or today’s RSS leaders are wrong.
In both cases, the RSS stands exposed as a headless torso. Either it never had any good principles (if Dr. Hedgewar was wrong), or it no longer has any (if current RSS leaders are wrong).
As a result, Hindu society is not only helpless and leaderless, but also confused. It has been misled by both the RSS and its opponents. In reality, the RSS is like a private cooperative where only its members receive certain emotional and material benefits. It was never an organisation of Hindus, for Hindus.
When questioned about Hindu interests, RSS leaders even say in annoyance: “Is Sangh the sole defender of Hindus?” It’s as if they themselves are not Hindus, and are separate from Hindu society! This sad truth is felt by all those Hindus who suffer atrocities from time to time—even in states where the BJP holds power. For the last fifty years, countless incidents and political decisions were effectively against Hindus. But far from opposing or fighting them, RSS leaders have avoided even issuing a statement.
The state of Hindus in Jammu and Bangladesh are recent examples. When the Congress was in power, RSS leaders made grand demands for Hindus of Bangladesh and Jammu. Now, they stay silent. If they speak at all, it is reluctantly, and in a manner suggesting that everyone else may be responsible for a sad situation—but not RSS leaders! If after acquiring so much power and resources they have proved so bogus, it is not accidental.
After all, the Muslim aggression that provoked Dr. Hedgewar to establish the RSS is far worse than before. Two Islamic territories were carved out of India. In the remaining part too, Hindus have been practically made second-class citizens. Today in India, Hindu education and temples are not in Hindu hands but under state control, while Muslim and Christian education, mosques, and churches are under their own social control. This blatantly unfair situation has been established with the complicity of all political parties, including the RSS and BJP. The parliamentary record would testify to it.
In this way, the RSS–BJP have contributed to the political decisions that have made Hindus inferior citizens. Maybe RSS leaders are not even aware that they themselves have become second-class citizens! They remain absorbed in limited, narrow self-interest of their ‘organisation’.
One track mind
Ordinary RSS leaders care only about ‘Sangh interest’. They regard their organisation alone as their faith, their duty, their passion. They remain oblivious to Hindu interests. As a result, their leaders keep making absurd statements and doing absurd things.
After becoming a vast, ruling, wealthy, resource-rich organisation, instead of fighting Islamic aggression, their leaders keep offering it hosannas, helping build more Islamic seminaries, institutions and structures, giving them grants and even ‘pensions’. They remain busy pleasing domestic and foreign Muslim leaders, and frequently scolding Hindus.
They have quietly abandoned almost all the foundational principles of Dr Hedgewar. They say and do things exactly opposite to what he said. That is why they have made the history and documents of the first twenty-five years of the RSS disappear.
For the sake of enjoying state power, its leaders have bargained away Hindu interests. This has been authentically shown by Balraj Madhok, a senior leader of the RSS and Jana Sangh, in his three-part series Zindagi ka Safar.
Thus, it can be said that the RSS family has grown in size, but its body is hollow and diseased. The intellect of its leaders is even more weakened. They are merely paper tigers, wasting most of their time in self-praise, while real social and political situations continue to deteriorate.
Even without occupying the seat of power, the ideas and actions of Islamists, missionaries, Leftists, and even leaders of other political parties outweighs that of RSS-BJP leaders. This is regularly visible.
The political organ of the RSS-—BJP—spends most of its time condemning other Hindu parties and leaders. When in power, this tendency increases tenfold—as if they were given power for this very purpose! Even now, at this moment, when Hindus are being eliminated daily in Bangladesh, the top RSS-trained BJP leaders are spending their energy and national resources abusing the Nehru family, a most comfortable target.
Compare the silence of the RSS and BJP on the condition of Hindus in Bangladesh or here in West Bengal with Dr. Hedgewar’s concerns and statements. It would then become clear that the RSS has remained absorbed only in its own narrow profit–loss calculations.
Hindus of India today are leaderless, helpless, second-class citizens. RSS played a large part in the creation and continuation of this situation. In this sense, the RSS and Hindu society mirror each other.
Source: theprint.in
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https://theprint.in/opinion/rss-centenary-isnt-a-cause-for-celebration-its-veered-away-from-hedgewars-objectives/2814110/
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In search of Bharatiya 'porichoy': Will the Matua–Namasudras rewrite 'poriborton' in Bengal elections?
Dec 28, 2025
When bad weather forced Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cancel a public meeting in West Bengal's Ranaghat on December 20, he chose not to let the moment pass quietly. Instead, he sent out a message addressed specifically to the Matua and Namasudra community, acknowledging their decades-long plight and quest to secure a place in the country they now call home.
It was a small gesture in form but a telling one in substance.
Prime Ministers do not routinely issue targeted messages to caste-based religious communities. That PM Modi did so, even when prevented by the weather, points to a political truth that has been steadily taking shape over the last decade. The Matua–Namasudra community is no longer on the margins of Bengal’s politics. It sits close to the Centre.
The Matua community has long been a focus of Bengal’s politics, with both the Left and the Trinamool Congress courting its support over the years. In the last two assembly elections, however, the saffron party has made a concerted effort to draw the community into its fold as it eyes the Bengal throne.
But can the community deliver what the BJP now seeks in poll-bound Bengal and revive what was once chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s clarion call? Can it set in motion another ‘Poriborton’?
SIR vs Speical Reivision (8)
It was a rare direct appeal, naming the community, invoking the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and framing dignity as a political entitlement rather than a favour. The message raised an obvious question. Why does a missed program with the Matuas merit such emphasis from the Prime Minister of India?
The answer lies not in the weather, but in a long and layered history of caste oppression, religious reform, Partition-era displacement, and a steadily growing electoral clout that has turned the Matua–Namasudra community into one of the most closely watched constituents in Bengal’s politics today.
"It is not as if the BJP suddenly discovered them. However, with the CAA, the history of the Matuas becomes very interesting. They are, of course, present in certain pockets of Bengal, but they are also scattered in large numbers across the state. With the CAA, the BJP felt that they could vote en masse for the idea of persecuted minorities from Bangladesh getting citizenship, " Deep Halder, author of "Bengal 2021: An Election Diary", who extensively covered the last West Bengal assembly polls, told TOI.
Halder further said: "The BJP also studied the history of the Matuas, who were a bulwark against Islamisation of the lower castes in East Bengal. During that time, there were a lot of conversions of lower castes into the Islamic fold, and there was also caste discrimination. So they (Matuas), within the Hindu fold, found their own mythology, which gave shelter to many lower-caste Hindus and, in some way, kept them within the Hindu fold. This history also made the community very interesting to the BJP.”
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Matua–Namasudras: The question of belonging
In the country’s popular discourse, opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) often comes wrapped in the language of constitutional morality, secularism, and “fear of exclusion”. But travel a few kilometres north of Kolkata, into the refugee settlements of North 24 Parganas, and the “popular” framing begins to look very different.
For many among the Namasudras in the region, CAA is not an abstract constitutional question. It is a law that finally acknowledges a history they have lived with for generations.
Why the Matua-Namasudra community views politics the way it does becomes clearer when one looks beyond electoral arithmetic, beyond BJP versus Trinamool Congress (TMC), and even before the creation of Bangladesh.
The Namasudras are not migrants by origin. They are among the indigenous communities of eastern Bengal, once spread across the wetlands and riverbanks of what is now Bangladesh. For centuries, they lived at the bottom of the caste hierarchy, known by the historically stigmatising label “Chandal”.
Denied dignity by the caste-driven society, they occupied the margins economically and socially, surviving as peasants, fishermen, and boatmen in Bengal’s agrarian economy.
In the late nineteenth century, a quiet revolution began among them. Led by Harichand Thakur, a Namasudra by birth, the Matua movement emerged as a radical break from Brahminical Hinduism.
Harichand preached equality, devotion without priestly mediation, and a moral universe in which birth did not determine worth. For the Namasudras, Matua was not just a socio-religious sect, it was an assertion of self-respect.
Crucially, this assertion unfolded at a time when conversion to Islam appeared, for some oppressed castes, as a route out of humiliation. However, Harichand Thakur’s teachings offered an alternative.
"Thakur was able to offer an independent and alternative space to the Namasudras, away from both Islam and Brahminical Hinduism, but closer to “Dharmic syncreticism”, an admixture of pre-Vedic Kaumadharma, Sahajiya Buddhism and Vaishnavism," writes Avik Sarkar, an expert on Bengal’s Dalit history, in his article "Subaltern Resistance to Islam and Prospects of Dalit-Muslim Alliance in West Bengal".
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Harichand’s son, Guruchand Thakur, took this further. He institutionalised education among Namasudras, encouraged political awareness and repeatedly spoke of the community as “Bir Jaati” (Brave race).
“The Guruchand Charit is replete with vivid descriptions of the two incidents of communal violence between the Namasudra-Matuas and the Muslims in Eastern Bengal. Guruchand Thakur, the second Sanghadhipati of the Matuas, often addressed Namasudras as “Bir Jaati” (brave race) and called for resisting any attempt to denigrate their collective honour”, Sarkar writes.
The Matua movement, by the early twentieth century, had become as much a social force as a religious one.
Prolonged plight after Partition
For the Namasudras, 1947 was not a clean rupture but the beginning of prolonged displacement. Many stayed back in East Pakistan, hoping that a Muslim-majority state would offer them the dignity Hindus had denied. What followed was disillusionment!
They found themselves squeezed between religious majoritarianism and economic vulnerability. Communal violence, political instability and the slow erosion of security pushed successive waves of Namasudras across the border.
Their migration unfolded over decades, not overnight. The riots of 1950, unrest in the 1960s, and finally the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 forced large numbers to cross into India.
They arrived in West Bengal not as migrants seeking opportunity but as refugees fleeing uncertainty. The settlement was harsh. Refugee colonies lacked infrastructure, employment was scarce, and the stigma of being “Bangal outsiders” persisted in the Ghoti-dominated society of West Bengal.
Thakurnagar: The Mecca of Matuas
Out of partition-led displacement emerged Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas, which grew from a refugee settlement into the spiritual and organisational centre of the Matua movement after Partition. In the region, religion, memory, and politics are fused. The Matua identity provided continuity to people whose geography had been torn apart.
Over time, this shared history translated into political consciousness. The Namasudra–Matua community in the 21st century is among the largest Scheduled Caste groups in West Bengal.
Thakurnagar
While there is no official caste-wise count, estimates suggest they form roughly 17 to 18 per cent of the state’s population. Politically, their presence stretches across North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Howrah, Cooch Behar, North and South Dinajpur and Malda.
Electoral analysts routinely point out that Matua voters influence outcomes in as many as 60-65 assembly seats and are spread across at least six parliamentary constituencies. In a state where margins are often tight, that kind of concentration confers bargaining power.
For decades, this power rested largely with the Left and later the Trinamool Congress. Welfare programs, refugee rehabilitation, and grassroots networks kept the community electorally aligned, while the BJP remained peripheral in Bengal until the mid-2010s.
Boroma: Matua matriarch & her lineage
The Thakur family of Thakurnagar occupies a symbolic space that cuts across party lines. Binapani Devi, known as Boroma, carried Harichand Thakur’s teachings across India and became the Matua matriarch. After her death in 2019, the state accorded her funeral with full state honour, which reflected the recognition of Matua's influence even among political rivals.
Her grandson, Shantanu Thakur, now BJP MP from Bongaon, represents the intersection of faith and politics in contemporary Bengal. Parties court him not merely for endorsement but for access to a constituency shaped by history rather than ideology alone.
At the same time, Boroma’s daughter-in-law, Mamata Bala Thakur, a former Rajya Sabha member, has been associated with the Trinamool Congress, illustrating that the family’s political affiliations cut across party lines.
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On the “make or break election” potential of the community, Deep Halder says, “The family itself is very divided. There is another side of the family, which is with the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Yes, it is an important voting bloc, but make-or-break, I would not say.”
To reduce the Namasudra–Matua community to a vote bank is to miss the point. Their political choices are anchored in a memory of caste humiliation, of religious assertion, of displacement and of delayed recognition.
Their power lies not just in numbers but in a shared understanding of what the state has owed them and often failed to deliver. As Bengal’s politics grows more polarised, the Matua–Namasudra community remains a reminder that identity here is not manufactured overnight. It is inherited, negotiated, and, increasingly, exercised at the polling booth.
2014: The year of shift
The shift began after 2014. Identity, citizenship, and belonging entered the political mainstream in a way they had not before. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won just two of Bengal’s 42 seats. Five years later, in 2019, it won 18. The jump was not accidental. Constituencies with large Matua populations, including Bongaon and Ranaghat, swung decisively.
The Citizenship Amendment Act played a role in this consolidation. While the law does not name Namasudras or Matuas, it addresses precisely the condition of non-Muslim refugees from Bangladesh who entered India before 2014. For a community whose migration was born of Partition and persecution, the promise of citizenship was not symbolic. It was existential.
That promise, and the delay in its implementation, shaped political expectations. In the 2021 assembly elections, the BJP fell short of forming the government, but it still emerged as the principal opposition with 77 seats, a dramatic rise from its three-seat tally in 2016. Many of these contests were fought tooth and nail in Matua-influenced belts.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections saw the BJP’s numbers in Bengal dip to 12 seats, with the Trinamool Congress winning 29. Yet even then, Matua-heavy constituencies remained competitive, asserting that the community was not locked into permanent allegiance. It votes, increasingly, with a sense of leverage.
SIR and the dilemma of citizenship
More than one lakh voters from the Matua heartland, spread across four assembly constituencies in North 24 Parganas's Bongaon subdivision, are likely to receive notices for hearings following the publication of draft electoral rolls on December 16.
A statement by junior Union minister Shantanu Thakur, hinting at one lakh Matua deletions from voter rolls following SIR, has led to fresh unease in the already anxious Matua belt in Bengal.
Speaking at a public meeting at Bagdah's Garapota, Thakur, also the sabhadhipati of the BJP-backed faction of the All India Matua Mahasangha, said: "If excluding 50 lakh infiltrators means that one lakh people from my community are temporarily deprived of voting, which option is more beneficial?"
BJP's Shantanu Thakur
Hitting back, TMC called Thakur's comment "nothing but a cynical, backstabbing betrayal".
"For years, they (BJP) dangled the mirage of citizenship in front of our Matua brothers and sisters, conning them election after election with honeyed lies, only to stab them in the back the moment the votes were pocketed," the party said on X.
"Now, with the EC reduced to their obedient B-team, BJP has rammed through their Silent Invisible Rigging (SIR) abomination in Bengal, forcing millions of Matuas into a humiliating litmus test of citizenship designed to strip them of their rights and erase their votes," the party posted.
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In this context, PM Modi's assurance that the Matuas “have the right to live in India with dignity thanks to the CAA” could be read as an attempt to reassure the community that the ongoing revision of electoral rolls does not dilute its place or legitimacy in the state.
The message appears aimed at separating administrative action from questions of belonging, even as concerns over voter exclusions continue to fuel unease in the Matua heartland.
The Bengal battle for 2026
On the factors that would probably play on the Matua community’s mind in the 2026 elections, Deep Halder said that “what is happening in Bangladesh explains why they left (East Pakistan) in the first place. Political galvanisation even on this side of the border (West Bengal) would remind them of what is happening on the other side of the border (Bangladesh)”.
“The public lynching and burning of a Bengali Hindu man is a very recent memory for the Matuas. There is also a large chunk of Matuas on that side of the border (Bangladesh). I visited their headquarters there, and they are very aware of the developments in Bangladesh today. This would also play on their minds when they vote for either of the political parties.”
He said the community may not choose one party solely on the issue of identity, but “identity is a big issue even for Gen Z Matuas".
"They are very aware of their identity and history. Hindus of other persuasions may not be aware of many things, but the Matuas I have met are very aware of their history and the reasons why they did not convert to other faiths, mostly Islam,” Halder told TOI.
Matua
For the Matua–Namasudra community, politics has never been a matter of slogans alone. It has been shaped by memory, by displacement, by the struggle to hold on to dignity across generations, and by the slow negotiation of belonging in a land they have helped build but have often had to justify their place in.
Their choices have been pragmatic as much as emotional, guided as much by lived experience as by ideology. That is why their political loyalties have shifted, fractured and reassembled over time, resisting any attempt to be neatly categorised or permanently claimed.
As Bengal moves toward another election cycle, the Matua story offers a reminder that electoral behaviour here is rarely divorced from history. Administrative processes, citizenship debates and developments across the border are not abstract issues for this community; they touch upon inherited anxieties and hard-earned assertions.
Whether the Matua–Namasudra vote consolidates, fragments or recalibrates itself in 2026 will depend less on promises made from platforms and more on whether the state can convince them that recognition, security and dignity are not provisional, but settled facts of citizenship.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/in-search-of-bharaitya-porichoy-will-the-matuanamasudras-rewrite-poriborton-in-bengal-elections/articleshow/126205423.cms
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Mideast
Trump and Netanyahu to discuss next phase of Gaza plan
December 29, 2025
JERUSALEM/PALM BEACH, Florida: US President Donald Trump is expected to push for progress in the stalled ceasefire in Gaza when he meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for talks that will include Israel’s concerns over Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran.
Netanyahu said this month that Trump had invited him for talks, as Washington pushes to establish transitional governance and an international security force for the Palestinian enclave.
Trump has said he could meet with the Israeli leader soon, but the White House has not confirmed details. The White House did not respond to a request for comment about the meeting. Netanyahu, who is expected to visit Trump’s Mar-a-Lago beach club, said on December 22 that discussions were expected to cover the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, as well as Iran and Lebanon.
Washington brokered ceasefires on all three fronts, but Israel is wary of its foes rebuilding their forces after they were considerably weakened in the war.
Next steps in Gaza ceasefire plan
All sides agreed in October to Trump’s ceasefire plan, which calls for Israel to withdraw from Gaza and Hamas to give up its weapons and forgo a governing role in the enclave.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that Washington wants the transitional administration envisioned in Trump’s plan — a Board of Peace and a body made up of Palestinian technocrats -
to be in place soon to govern Gaza, ahead of the deployment of the international security force that was mandated by a November 17 UN Security Council resolution. But Israel and Hamas have accused each other of major breaches of the deal and look no closer to accepting the much more difficult steps envisaged for the next phase. Hamas, which has refused to disarm and has not returned the remains of the last Israeli hostage, has been reasserting its control, as Israeli troops remain entrenched in about half the territory.
Israel has indicated that if Hamas is not disarmed peacefully, it will resume military action to make it do so.
While the fighting has abated, it has not stopped entirely. Although the ceasefire officially began in October, Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 Palestinians — most of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials — and Palestinian militants have killed three Israeli soldiers.
Lebanon ceasefire also tested
In Lebanon, a US-backed ceasefire that was agreed to in November 2024 ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and required the disarmament of the powerful Iran-backed Shiite group, beginning in areas south of the river adjacent to Israel.
While Lebanon has said it is close to completing the mission within the year-end deadline of disarming Hezbollah, the group has resisted calls to lay down its weapons.
Israel says progress is partial and slow and has been carrying out near-daily strikes in Lebanon, which it says are meant to stop Hezbollah from rebuilding. Iran, which fought a 12-day war with Israel in June, said last week that it had conducted missile exercises for the second time this month. Netanyahu said Israel is not seeking a confrontation with Iran, but was aware of the reports, and said he would raise Tehran’s activities with Trump.
Trump in June ordered US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites but has since then broached a potential deal with Tehran.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2627708/middle-east
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Israel’s Somaliland gambit: what’s at risk for the region?
December 28, 2025
RIYADH: It perhaps comes as no surprise to seasoned regional observers that Israel has become the first and only UN member state to formally recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign nation.
On Dec. 26, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar signed a joint declaration of mutual recognition alongside Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi.
For a region that has existed in a state of diplomatic limbo since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, this development is, as Abdullahi described it, “a historic moment.” But beneath the surface lies a calculated and high-stakes geopolitical gamble.
While several nations, including the UK, Ethiopia, Turkiye, and the UAE, have maintained liaison offices in the capital of Hargeisa, none had been willing to cross the Rubicon of formal state recognition.
Israel’s decision to break this decades-long international consensus is a deliberate departure from the status quo.
By taking this step, Israel has positioned itself as the primary benefactor of a state that has long sought a seat at the international table. As Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama, the ambassador of Djibouti to Saudi Arabia, told Arab News, such a move is deeply disruptive.
“A unilateral declaration of separation is neither a purely legal nor an isolated political act. Rather, it carries profound structural consequences, foremost among them the deepening of internal divisions and rivalries among citizens of the same nation, the erosion of the social and political fabric of the state, and the opening of the door to protracted conflicts,” he said.
Critics argue that Israel has long lobbied for the further carving up of the region under various guises.
This recognition of Somaliland is seen by many in the Arab world as a continuation of a strategy aimed at weakening centralized Arab and Muslim states by encouraging peripheral secessionist movements.
In the Somali context, this path is perceived not as a humanitarian gesture, but as a method to undermine the national understandings reached within the framework of a federal Somalia.
According to Ambassador Bamakhrama, the international community has historically resisted such moves to prioritize regional stability over “separatist tendencies whose dangers and high costs history has repeatedly demonstrated.”
By ignoring this precedent, Israel is accused of using recognition as a tool to fragment regional cohesion.
In the past, Israel has often framed its support for non-state actors or separatist groups under the pretext of protecting vulnerable minorities — such as the Druze in the Levant or Maronites in Lebanon.
This “Periphery Doctrine” served a dual purpose: it created regional allies and supported Israel’s own claim of being a Jewish state by validating the idea of ethnic or religious self-determination.
However, in the case of Somaliland, the gloves are off completely. The argument here is not about protecting a religious minority, as Somaliland is a staunchly Muslim-majority territory. Instead, the rationale is nakedly geopolitical.
Israel appears to be seeking strategic depth in a region where it has historically been isolated. Netanyahu explicitly linked the move to “the spirit of the Abraham Accords,” signaling that the primary drivers are security, maritime control, and intelligence gathering rather than the internal demographics of the Horn of Africa.
The first major win for Israel in this maneuver is the expansion of its diplomatic orbit. It could be argued that the refusal of the federal government in Mogadishu to join the Abraham Accords was an artificial barrier.
The evidence for this claim, from the Israeli perspective, is that Somaliland — a territory with a population of nearly six million and its own functioning democratic institutions — was eager to join.
Abdullahi said Somaliland would join the Abraham Accords as a “step toward regional and global peace.” Yet, this peace comes with a clear quid pro quo — formal recognition.
Israel can now argue that the “Somaliland model” proves that many other Arab and Muslim entities are willing to normalize relations if their specific political or territorial interests are met.
This challenges the unified stance of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which maintain that normalization must be tied to the resolution of the Palestinian conflict.
The second major gain for Israel is the potential for a military presence in the Horn of Africa. Somaliland’s strategic position on the Gulf of Aden, near the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, makes it a prime location for monitoring maritime traffic.
This is a ticking time bomb given that just across the narrow sea lies Yemen, where the Houthi movement — whose slogan includes “Death to Israel” — controls significant territory.
Israel may claim that a military or intelligence presence in Somaliland will boost regional security by countering Houthi threats to shipping. However, regional neighbors fear it will likely inflame tensions.
Ambassador Bamakhrama warned that an Israeli military presence would “effectively turn the region into a powder keg.”
“Should Israel proceed with establishing a military base in a geopolitically sensitive location... such a move would be perceived in Tel Aviv as a strategic gain directed against the Arab states bordering the Red Sea — namely Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, and Djibouti,” he said.
The Red Sea is a “vital international maritime corridor,” and any shift in its geopolitical balance would have “repercussions extending far beyond the region,” he added.
The recognition is also a clear violation of international law and the principle of territorial integrity as enshrined in the UN Charter.
While proponents point to exceptions like South Sudan or Kosovo, those cases involved vastly different circumstances, including prolonged genocidal conflicts and extensive UN-led transitions.
In contrast, the African Union has been firm that Somaliland remains an integral part of Somalia.
The backlash has been swift and severe. The Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the OIC have all decried the move. Even US President Donald Trump, despite his role in the original Abraham Accords, has not endorsed Israel’s decision.
When asked whether Washington would follow suit, Trump replied with a blunt “no,” adding, “Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?”
This lack of support from Washington highlights the isolation of Israel’s position. The OIC and the foreign ministers of 21 countries have issued a joint statement warning of “serious repercussions” and rejecting any potential link between this recognition and reported plans to displace Palestinians from Gaza to the African region.
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland appears to be a calculated gamble to trade diplomatic norms for strategic advantage.
While Hargeisa celebrates a long-awaited milestone, the rest of the world sees a dangerous precedent that threatens to destabilize one of the world’s most volatile corridors.
As Ambassador Bamakhrama says, the establishment of such ties “would render (Israel) the first and only state to break with the international consensus” — a move that prioritizes “narrow strategic calculations” over the stability of the international system.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2627700/middle-east
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Hezbollah chief accuses Israel of ignoring ceasefire agreement
December 28, 2025
BEIRUT: Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Sunday said moves to disarm the group in Lebanon are an “Israeli-American plan,” accusing Israel of failing to abide by a ceasefire agreement sealed last year.
Under heavy US pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes, the Lebanese military is expected to complete Hezbollah’s disarmament south of the Litani River — located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the border with Israel — by the end of the year.
It will then tackle disarming the Iran-backed movement in the rest of the country.
“Disarmament is an Israeli-American plan,” Qassem said.
“To demand exclusive arms control while Israel is committing aggression and America is imposing its will on Lebanon, stripping it of its power, means that you are not working in Lebanon’s interest, but rather in the interest of what Israel wants.”
Despite a November 2024 ceasefire that was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon and has maintained troops in five areas it deems strategic.
According to the agreement, Hezbollah was required to pull its forces north of the Litani River and have its military infrastructure in the vacated area dismantled.
Israel has questioned the Lebanese military’s effectiveness and has accused Hezbollah of rearming, while the group itself has rejected calls to surrender its weapons.
“The deployment of the Lebanese army south of the Litani River was required only if Israel had adhered to its commitments... to halting the aggression, withdrawing, releasing prisoners, and having reconstruction commence,” Qassem said in a televised address.
“With the Israeli enemy not implementing any of the steps of the agreement... Lebanon is no longer required to take any action on any level before the Israelis commit to what they are obligated to do.”
Lebanese army chief Rodolphe Haykal told a military meeting on Tuesday “the army is in the process of finishing the first phase of its plan.”
He said the army is carefully planning “for the subsequent phases” of disarmament.
Source: arabnews.com
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Massive armed tribal rally in Bani Hushaysh condemns insult to Holy Qur’an
28 Dec 2025
The Mobilization Committee in the Ayāl Mālik sub-district of Bani Hushaysh District, Sana’a Governorate, organized on Sunday a large armed tribal rally condemning what it described as the American offense against the Holy Qur’an, in defense of the Book of Allah and Islamic sanctities.
Participants in the rally—attended by the sub-district mobilization official Ali Milfi, along with a number of sheikhs, dignitaries, and local notables from the Ayāl Mālik, Al-Maṭīrah, Ayāl Muḥammad, and Ayāl Al-Sheikh areas—affirmed their high level of readiness and full preparedness to make sacrifices, confront the enemies of the Ummah, support the oppressed, stand against injustice and arrogance.
They expressed their anger and strong condemnation of what they called the heinous crime committed by an American candidate against the Holy Qur’an and Islamic sanctities.
The participants described such acts as a provocation to the feelings of Muslims worldwide, renewing their firm stance in defense of Palestine , Islamic holy sites, and affirming their readiness to confront threats targeting the homeland.
A statement issued by the rally held the United States, Britain, and the Zionist enemy fully responsible for repeated offenses that, it said, reflect deep-seated hatred and open hostility toward Islam , Muslims, and align with their record of aggression, occupation, and violations of sanctities. The statement called for a serious and resolute global stance that criminalizes insults to sacred symbols and punishes all those who commit them.
The statement urged the Islamic Ummah to mobilize and act in support of the Book of Allah, to express anger and unequivocal rejection of the crime targeting Islam’s holiest sanctities, and not to remain silent or allow such offenses to pass under misleading pretexts such as “freedom of expression” or other false labels, which it said collapse in the face of any criticism of the Zionist enemy in the United States and Western countries.
The statement reaffirmed the Yemeni people’s continued adherence to the path of faith , steadfastness in their principled , honorable support for the Palestinian people, and their full readiness to engage in the next phase of the confrontation with enemies , to counter plans targeting the homeland and the region.
Source: saba.ye
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Syria announces new currency framework, 2-zero redenomination
December 29, 2025
DAMASCUS: Syria’s Central Bank announced executive instructions on Sunday to introduce a new Syrian currency, launching a monetary reform that includes removing two zeros from the pound and allowing a 90-day period of dual circulation.
The announcement was made during a press conference at the bank’s headquarters in Damascus.
Central Bank Gov. Abdulkader Husrieh said the step was part of a comprehensive institutional strategy to restore confidence and achieve sustainable economic stability.
He said: “The launch of the new currency is not a formal measure, but a pivotal milestone within a comprehensive strategy based on solid institutional foundations.”
Under the plan, every 100 Syrian pounds will be converted into one unit of the new Syrian Arab Republic’s pound. The old and new currencies will circulate together for 90 days, a period which may be extended.
All bank balances will be converted to the new currency at the beginning of next year, while the overall money supply will be maintained without increase or reduction.
Husrieh said the economic strategy was based on five pillars: monetary stability, a stable and transparent foreign-exchange market, effective and accountable financial institutions, secure digital transformation, and balanced international economic relations.
He said the move required updating financial laws and regulations, improving data systems, keeping pace with global digital developments, and ensuring sustainable financing and training for the financial sector.
The currency exchange will be provided free of charge, with no commissions, fees, or taxes.
All public and private entities must apply the official conversion standard to prices, salaries, wages, and financial obligations. Official exchange-rate bulletins will be issued in both currencies to ensure transparency and prevent speculation.
The governor said the central bank was closely monitoring markets to stabilize the exchange rate and would supply Syrian pounds if demand for foreign currency rises, adding that citizens will feel the impact more clearly after the exchange process is completed.
“Our policy is financial discipline, with no room for inflation,” Husrieh added.
He confirmed that the decree regulating the exchange limits the process to Syrian territory, and said the measures fell within the bank’s 2026-2030 strategy to align with international standards.
The new banknotes, he added, were being printed by leading international companies to prevent counterfeiting.
Source: arabnews.com
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Iraqis cover soil with clay to curb sandstorms
December 28, 2025
BAGHDAD: Deep in Iraq’s southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers spread layers of moist clay over sand dunes as part of a broader effort to fight increasingly frequent sandstorms.
Iraq has long suffered from sand and dust storms, but in recent years they have become more frequent and intense as the country falls prey to the effects of climate change.
Sand and dust storms — driven by severe drought, rising temperatures and deforestation — have cloaked cities and villages in an endless ochre haze, grounded flights and filled hospitals with patients suffering from breathing difficulties.
Iraqi authorities have warned that these suffocating storms will intensify further, adding urgency to address the root of the problem.
In a relatively small area between the cities of Nasiriyah and Samawah, not far from ancient Sumerian ruins, laborers are working hard to stabilize the soil by applying a layer of moist clay 20-25 centimeters thick.
The project also includes planting heat-tolerant seedlings like Prosopis and Conocarpus to further stabilize the soil.
“The main goal is to reduce the impact of transboundary dust storms,” said Udai Taha Lafta from UN-Habitat, which is leading the project to combat sandstorms with Iraqi expertise.
“It is a vital area despite its small size, and will hopefully help reduce dust storms next summer,” Lafta said.
A short-term objective is to shield a southern highway where many traffic accidents have occurred due to poor visibility during dust storms.
The Ministry of Environment estimates that Iraq now faces about 243 storms per year, and the frequency is expected to increase to 300 “dust days” by 2050 unless drastic mitigation measures are adopted.
In 2023, Iraqi authorities teamed up with the UN-Habitat and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development in areas that have been identified as major sources of sandstorms.
The project has been implementing several methods in three southern areas, including digging water canals and supplying electricity to pump water from the Euphrates river, preparing barren lands for vegetation.
One of the project’s ultimate goals is to increase green spaces and for farmers to eventually sustain the lands after droughts and chronic water shortages have drastically reduced agricultural areas.
Qahtan Al-Mhana, from the Agriculture Ministry, said that stabilising the soil gives agricultural efforts in sandy areas a chance to endure.
He added that Iraq has extensive “successful” experience in combating desertification and dust storms by stabilising sand dunes.
Since the 1970s, the country has implemented such projects, but after decades of turmoil, environmental challenges have largely fallen by the wayside.
With the severe recent impact of climate change, “work has resumed,” said Najm Abed Taresh from Dhi Qar University. “We are making slow but steady progress.”
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Iran launches three satellites into space from Russia
December 28, 2025
TEHRAN: Iran launched three domestically built observation satellites into space from Russia on Sunday, state television reported, marking a new step for Tehran’s space program despite Western sanctions.
The country maintains that its aerospace industry is peaceful and complies with UN Security Council resolutions imposed over its nuclear program.
“Three Iranian satellites, Zafar-2, Paya and Kowsar 1.5, were launched into space by a Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia,” Iranian television reported.
The satellites were to be used for “observation” and were designed by “the private sector,” the official IRNA news agency said.
Paya is Iran’s most advanced domestically produced imaging satellite, using artificial intelligence to improve image resolution, IRNA said.
It said the satellite would focus on water resource management, environmental monitoring and mapping.
The Russian Soyuz launcher was chosen because it is one of the most reliable in the world for transporting sensitive satellites, according to the Fars news agency.
Iran has carried out 10 satellite launches in the last two years, including one in July from the same launch site in Russia.
Western countries fear that these satellite launch systems incorporate technologies interchangeable with those used in ballistic missiles, potentially capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
Tehran denies those accusations and refutes that it is trying to acquire nuclear weapons.
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Freezing rain floods Gaza camps
December 28, 2025
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza: Rain lashed the Gaza Strip over the weekend, flooding makeshift encampments with ankle-deep puddles as Palestinians displaced by the two-year war attempted to stay dry in tents frayed by months of use.
Muddy water soaked blankets and mattresses in tents in a camp in Khan Younis and fragile shelters were propped up with old pieces of wood. Children wearing flip-flops and light clothing ill-suited for winter waded through the freezing puddles, which turned dirt roads into rivers. Some people used shovels to try to push the water out of their tents.
Nowhere to escape the rain
“We drowned last night,” said Majdoleen Tarabein, a woman displaced from Rafah in southern Gaza. “Puddles formed, and there was a bad smell. The tent flew away. We don’t know what to do or where to go.”
She showed blankets and the remaining contents of the tent, completely soaked and covered in mud, as she and family members tried to wring them dry by hand.
“When we woke up in the morning, we found that the water had entered the tent,” said Eman Abu Riziq, also displaced in Khan Younis, as she pointed to a puddle just outside. “These are the mattresses — they are all completely soaked. My daughters’ belongings were soaked. The water is entering from here and there,” she said, gesturing toward the ceiling and the corners of the tent. Her family is still reeling from her husband’s recent death, and the constant struggle to stay dry in the winter rains.
At least 12 people, including a 2-week-old infant, have died since Dec. 13 from hypothermia or weather-related collapses of war-damaged homes, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government.
Emergency workers warned people not to stay in damaged buildings because they could collapse at any moment. But so much of the territory reduced to rubble, there are few places to escape the rain. In July, the United Nations Satellite Center estimated that almost 80 percent of the buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged.
Since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Oct. 11, 414 people have been killed and 1,142 wounded in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry. The overall Palestinian death toll from the war has risen to at least 71,266. The ministry, which does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its count, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.
More shelter desperately needed
Aid deliveries into Gaza are falling far short of the amount called for under the US-brokered ceasefire, according to an Associated Press analysis of the Israeli military’s figures. The Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid said in the past week that 4,200 trucks full of humanitarian aid entered Gaza, plus eight garbage trucks to assist with sanitation, as well as tents and winter clothing as part of the winterization efforts. But it refused to elaborate on the number of tents. Humanitarian aid groups have said the need far outstrips the number of tents that have entered.
Since the ceasefire began, approximately 72,000 tents and 403,000 tarps have entered, according to the Shelter Cluster, an international coalition of aid providers led by the Norwegian Refugee Council.
“Harsh winter weather is compounding more than two years of suffering. People in Gaza are surviving in flimsy, waterlogged tents and among ruins. There is nothing inevitable about this. Aid supplies are not being allowed in at the scale required,” Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the top UN group overseeing aid in Gaza, wrote on X.
Netanyahu travels to Washington for talks about second stage of ceasefire
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump in Florida about the second stage of the ceasefire. Netanyahu is expected to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Monday.
Though the ceasefire agreement has mostly held over the past 2 1/2 months, its progress has slowed. Israel has said it refuses to move on to the next stage of the ceasefire while the remains of the final hostage killed in the attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war are still in Gaza. Challenges in the next phase of the ceasefire include the deployment of an international stabilization force, a technocratic governing body for Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and further Israeli troop withdrawals from the territory.
Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of truce violations.
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Muthanna Al-Samarrai enters race for Iraqi Speaker
2025-12-29
Azm Alliance leader Muthanna Al-Samarrai announced on Sunday his candidacy for the post of speaker of the Iraqi parliament, entering a contest with Haibat Al-Halbousi after Sunni political forces failed to agree on a single nominee.
Al-Halbousi’s candidacy emerged during a press conference held by Sovereignty Alliance (Al-Siyada) leader Khamis Al-Khanjar, who confirmed that the bid has the backing of the Sovereignty Alliance, the Taqaddum Party led by Mohammed Al-Halbousi, the National Resolve Alliance (Al-Hasm Al-Watani) headed by Defense Minister Thabet Al-Abbasi, and the National Masses Alliance (Al-Jamaheer Al-Wataniya) led by MP Ahmed Al-Jubouri.
Al-Samarrai told reporters that the Sunni National Political Council (NPC) formation was based on an agreement among the winning forces to take all decisions by consensus, adding that any nomination announced without such agreement “does not represent the will of the council,” in reference to Al-Halbousi’s bid.
He indicated that the nomination he described as natural reflects the position of certain parties within the council, rather than the political council itself.
Earlier today, the NPC agreed to nominate MP Haibet Al-Halbousi following consultations among Sunni political forces.
Iraq’s parliament is scheduled to hold the first session of its sixth legislative term on December 30, during which newly elected lawmakers will take the constitutional oath and elect the speaker and two deputy speakers.
Under political conventions in place since 2003, the post of parliament speaker is allocated to a Sunni lawmaker, the first deputy to a Shiite, and the second deputy to a Kurd.
Who is Muthanna Al-Samarrai?
Born in 1974 in the city of Samarra in Saladin province, Muthanna Abdul Sattar Fadhel Al-Samarrai holds a degree in engineering and spent several years working in the private sector before entering politics.
He rose to prominence during the Sunni political realignment that followed the 2018 parliamentary elections and later assumed leadership of Al-Azm, positioning the alliance as a rival to Mohammed Al-Halbousi’s Taqaddum bloc. In the 2025 parliamentary elections, his party won 15 seats.
Source: shafaq.com
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Coordination Framework moves toward backing Sunni Nominee for Parliament Speaker
2025-12-29
A senior figure in Iraq’s Shiite-led Coordination Framework (CF) said on Sunday that the alliance is inclined to support the candidate selected by Sunni political forces for the post of parliament speaker.
Abdul Rahman al-Jazaeri, a CF leading member, told Shafaq News that the bloc “will move toward endorsing whatever the Sunni house agrees upon,” adding that it may vote in favor of Haibet al-Halbousi if he secures consensus among Sunni alliances.
Regarding nomination for the post of first deputy speaker, he noted that Ahmed al-Asadi, Iraq’s current minister of labor and social affairs, is emerging as the leading contender, while the agreement on the remaining parliamentary leadership positions could be reached in the near term.
Earlier, four alliances within the Sunni National Political Council, Taqaddum, Al-Siyada, Al-Hasm, and Al-Jamaheer Al-Wataniya, announced the nomination of al-Halbousi for the position of parliament speaker following hours-long internal talks. In parallel, the Al-Azm Alliance said it had nominated its leader, Muthanna al-Samarrai, as a rival candidate for the speakership.
The Iraqi Council of Representatives is expected to convene its first session of the sixth parliamentary term on Monday, during which lawmakers will take the constitutional oath and elect the speaker and the first and second deputy speakers.
Source: shafaq.com
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Sana’a university holds cultural event for Rajab Friday to celebrate Yemenis’ Islamic heritage
28 Dec 2025
The Colleges of Commerce and Economics, Education, and Petroleum at Sana’a University, along with the Student Forum, organized a cultural event on Sunday in celebration of Rajab Friday, marking the historic entry of Yemenis into Islam and highlighting the nation’s deep-rooted faith identity.
Dr. Hani Maghles, Dean of the College of Commerce and Economics, emphasized the symbolic significance of the celebration in reinforcing Yemenis’ commitment to their faith, moral values, and ancestral heritage.
He noted that the occasion reflects values of truth, sacrifice, and generosity, citing the Prophet Muhammad’s praise of Yemenis as “of soft hearts and gentle souls,” describing their faith and wisdom as uniquely Yemeni.
Dr. Abdu Sabi‘, Vice Dean of the College of Education for Student Affairs, highlighted Yemenis’ historical pledge to Islam under the Prophet’s envoy to Yemen, Imam Ali, and their voluntary acceptance of the faith on Rajab Friday.
He stressed that the Prophet’s commendation as “Faith is Yemeni, and wisdom is Yemeni” underscores Yemenis’ role as early supporters of Islam and defenders of the Quran, with a legacy extending to contemporary support for Palestine.
The speakers called on Yemenis to preserve their religious and cultural identity against foreign influence and soft war efforts, emphasizing the importance of sustaining the nation’s moral and faith-based heritage in the face of modern ideological challenges.
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Arab World
Prince Faisal chairs first meeting of Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute board
December 28, 2025
RIYADH: Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies, chaired the Institute’s first Board of Directors meeting following its reconstitution, it was reported on Sunday.
At the outset of the meeting, Prince Faisal congratulated dignitaries, members of the board, on the issuance of the Cabinet decision to reconstitute the institute’s board, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The meeting reviewed the institute’s vision and core objectives, along with its strategic programmes and mechanisms for developing its work in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, SPA added.
Discussions also focused on the institute’s role in building national diplomatic capabilities, enhancing human resources, and supporting the Kingdom’s active and influential presence on the international stage.
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Aloula partners with Saudi Music Hub to amplify young voices
NADA HAMEED
December 28, 2025
JEDDAH: A new choral initiative launched by Aloula, in partnership with the Saudi Music Hub, has brought youngsters aged 9-18 into a structured vocal training program that will culminate in a performance of the Saudi national anthem.
The two-month initiative, which was launched in November, is one of the first children’s choral programs led by a nonprofit organization in Saudi Arabia.
In the rehearsal room, 75 children are learning how to sing the Saudi national anthem “Aash Al-Maleek,” and “Watani Al Habib” in a full choral arrangement.
Participants attend vocal training sessions three times a week, from Monday to Wednesday, focusing on technique, listening skills, and ensemble performance.
Speaking to Arab News, Abir Abusulayman, the CEO of Aloula, said the project was designed to include children more directly in the Kingdom’s cultural transformation.
She said: “The Kingdom is living a beautiful cultural moment right now, and we didn’t want our children to watch it from the sidelines; we wanted them to be part of it.
“It felt like the perfect way to bring them together, build their confidence, and let them experience something joyful and memorable.”
Founded in 1962, Aloula works with children and families through early-intervention programs to strengthen academic, creative, and social skills. The initiative reflects the organization’s broader focus on confidence-building and participation through creative experience.
Abusulayman said music offered lessons that extended beyond performance, and added: “Music opens something special inside a child. It teaches them to listen, to express themselves, to work as a team, and to trust their own voice. These creative experiences help children feel seen and give them skills that stay with them far beyond the classroom.”
Abusulayman said the benefits of the venture extended well beyond the final performance.
She said: “Academically, music helps with focus and memory. Socially, it teaches them to work together and support one another. And on a personal level, it gives them a moment in their lives where they feel proud, capable, and celebrated. Many of these children have never been on a stage before; this can be the spark that pushes them to dream bigger.”
Abeer Ibrahim, a vocal and singing instructor at the Saudi Music Hub, is among the educators working closely with the group. A graduate of the Egyptian Conservatory, Ibrahim specializes in vocal training and music theory for young singers.
“This experience gave me very beautiful feelings and emotions while working with children,” Ibrahim told Arab News.
“From the very beginning they showed clear enthusiasm and joy, and I discovered wonderful talents and voices despite their young age. That small voice gave me a very powerful feeling, and I am extremely happy with it. We will present even better work in the future.”
Ibrahim also noted the significance of working with the national anthem, and she said: “Performing the Saudi national anthem instills in children a deep sense of belonging and pride in their country and culture,” adding that it helped young participants understand their role within the larger community.
Among the singers is 14-year-old Nawaf Al-Qahtani, who said the experience had helped him grow as a performer.
He described the experience as transformative, and said: “What I liked most was the interaction with the instructor, and we learned many things that will benefit us in the future.”
He added: “I learned how to control my vocal range, how to sing properly, how to face an audience, and I learned about the vocal ranges of the national anthem.”
Ibrahim described Al-Qahtani as one of the program’s strongest voices, noting that the anthem’s arrangement was adapted to suit his vocal range.
The initiative is part of Aloula’s wider portfolio of educational and creative programs. These include a robotics program, in which children design interactive projects, as well as community exploration activities that introduce participants to major cultural and sporting events in Jeddah.
The Saudi Music Hub, an education and training institution affiliated with the Music Commission under the Ministry of Culture, was established in 2022.
With headquarters in Riyadh and branches in Jeddah and Alkhobar, the hub provides musical instrument instruction, choir training, and performance workshops, with a focus on developing local talent.
For Abusulayman, the partnership reflects the value of collaboration between cultural and social organizations.
“When we combine our strengths, we create opportunities that our children may not otherwise have,” she said. “I truly believe this kind of collaboration can open new doors for the whole nonprofit sector.”
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Craft Corner at Jazan Festival celebrates local artistry
December 28, 2025
JAZAN: In a celebration of the craftsmanship that has long defined Jazan’s cultural landscape, the Craft Corner provides an interactive introduction to traditional handicrafts for visitors to the “This is Jazan” area along the waterfront.
The corner has drawn steady visitor interest, with guests exploring activities such as henna art, drawing, pottery, and craft design, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The hands-on activities and workshops highlight the artistic value of local folk crafts while reviving traditional practices in a contemporary tourism setting.
The experience, part of the larger Jazan Festival 2026, has been particularly appealing to girls and women, who have shown strong engagement with the creative sessions.
Visitors said the Craft Corner presents an effective model for blending culture and entertainment, positioning traditional crafts as a central element of the festival’s cultural offering.
The interactive format encourages participation and helps strengthen visitors’ connection to Jazan’s local identity and heritage.
It is part of the wider “This is Jazan” area, which features 16 themed corners representing the region’s provinces. Together, these spaces display Jazan’s cultural diversity and heritage while supporting quality of life initiatives and reinforcing the region’s ambition to establish itself as a year-round cultural and tourism destination.
The Jazan Festival 2026 kicked off on Dec. 25 with a carnival-style ceremony that included performances, folk shows, and artistic displays from the region’s provinces, highlighting their urban and cultural identities.
The festival continues until Feb. 15, offering a wide range of tourism and entertainment events.
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WAMY launches medical project in Bangladesh
December 28, 2025
RIYADH: The World Assembly of Muslim Youth has inaugurated a new medical clinic in Bagerhat district, Bangladesh, as part of its ongoing humanitarian efforts to improve healthcare in rural and remote areas.
This project aims to address the urgent medical needs of over 2,000 families in the district and surrounding areas.
The clinic has been designed and equipped according to the latest standards to provide high-quality medical services.
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Minister inaugurates Saudi-Tunisian Joint Committee in Riyadh
December 28, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef inaugurated the 12th session of the Saudi-Tunisian Joint Committee in Riyadh.
The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources wrote on X that the minister had said the committee played a pivotal role in strengthening economic and industrial cooperation between the two countries.
Tunisian Minister of Economy and Planning Samir Abdelhafidh also highlighted the committee’s importance in expanding cooperation across several strategic economic sectors.
The meeting saw the signing of a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding to boost trade and investment between Saudi Arabia and Tunisia.
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Rainfed agriculture booms 1,100% under Saudi rural development initiative
December 28, 2025
RIYADH: The Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, known as Saudi Reef, has announced exceptional growth in its rainfed crops sector, one of eight agricultural segments receiving program support, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The sector has registered extraordinary expansion, surpassing 1,100 percent, with participant numbers climbing to over 13,300 beneficiaries nationwide.
Program spokesman Majed Al-Buraikan identified rainfed agriculture as a cornerstone of Saudi Reef’s achievements, highlighting its role in boosting production efficiency, bolstering food security and self-reliance, enabling sustainable farming in water-scarce regions, and raising income levels and quality of life for smallholder farmers — all consistent with Vision 2030 priorities.
Al-Buraikan outlined the program’s principal aims, including broadening the agricultural production foundation, securing food independence across multiple crop categories, enhancing smallholder farmer prosperity and employment prospects to foster social cohesion, and safeguarding environmental and natural resources throughout rural Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Reef extends support and technical assistance across eight distinct sectors: honey production, fruit cultivation, coffee production, rose farming, rainfed crops, livestock raising, artisanal fishing, and value-added agricultural products.
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Saudi Arabia marks International Cinema Day
December 28, 2025
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia marked International Cinema Day on Sunday. Observed annually on Dec. 28, the day is an important cultural occasion that celebrates cinematic heritage, including the preservation and digital restoration of classic films.
It features cultural and training events such as free or discounted screenings, panel discussions, workshops with directors and filmmakers, and showcases of emerging talent.
The Saudi Film Commission is building a competitive national film industry by regulating the sector, empowering talent, developing infrastructure, attracting investment, and promoting local content.
These efforts support the creative economy and enhance the Kingdom’s regional and global presence.
The Kingdom hosts many local and international film festivals annually, including the Red Sea International Film Festival, the largest in Saudi Arabia and one of the most prominent in the Middle East.
It features films from over 70 countries in categories such as feature films, documentaries, and animation. Other events include the Saudi Film Festival, the Saudi Film Confex, and the Film Criticism Forum, highlighting local talent, celebrating cultural identity, and fostering global collaboration in line with Vision 2030.
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Black nightshade thrives in Northern Borders as seasonal vegetation emerges
December 28, 2025
ARAR: The black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) plant has recently been observed in several locations across the Kingdom’s Northern Borders region.
Black nightshade is an annual herbaceous plant in the family Solanaceae, typically growing in fields and along waterways, reaching up to a meter in height. The plant features flat leaves and clusters of small white flowers, each containing four to 10 blossoms.
Black nightshade contains chemical compounds such as solanine, asparagine, lutein, tannins, linoleic acid, and palmitic acid.
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Al-Huwayett program launched in Diriyah
December 28, 2025
DIRIYAH: As part of the Diriyah Season initiatives, Al-Huwayett program was launched on Saturday in the historic Adhwaihrah area, one of Diriyah’s most prominent heritage districts.
Known for its cultural and educational character, the district has played an important role in shaping Diriyah’s urban landscape since its earliest days.
The program, which welcomes visitors daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., is intended to connect the new generation with Diriyah’s values and traditions through cultural and entertainment experiences.
These experiences strengthen the bond between children and their families through activities in an environment that brings all ages together in a spirit of joy and belonging.
Adhwaihrah district is a model of harmony between education and community engagement. Its landmarks and mosques, foremost among them the historic Adhwaihrah Mosque, reflect its deep-rooted history and its role in preserving authentic Najdi heritage.
The program conveys this legacy, drawing inspiration from the spirit of a neighborhood long known as a lively, vibrant environment closely tied to educating young people and developing their abilities.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2627678/saudi-arabia
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Taif to host Writers & Readers Festival in January
December 28, 2025
TAIF: The Saudi Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission has announced that the third edition of the Writers & Readers Festival will be held in Taif from Jan. 9-15, under the theme “Your Presence Matters.”
The selection of the city of Taif comes as an extension of its distinguished cultural standing, as a city listed within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, and as the first Creative City of Literature in the Kingdom.
This status reflects Taif’s deep historical and cultural significance and its well-established presence in Saudi Arabia’s literary memory, granting the festival a distinctive dimension that brings together the authenticity of place and the modernity of experience, while strengthening the connection of generations with culture and knowledge.
The programs will feature a diverse lineup of literary sessions, intellectual discussions, and open literary dialogues. In addition, the festival will include innovative educational and youth-focused activities for children and young adults to foster a love of reading from an early age.
The organization of the third edition of the Writers & Readers Festival comes amid the growing cultural momentum witnessed in the Kingdom and the opening of new horizons for creativity and artistic expression.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2627676/saudi-arabia
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Europe
Terror-linked Islamic school network accused of stealing millions in Swedish taxpayer funds
12/28/2025
Hayden Cunningham
More than one hundred million dollars from Swedish taxpayers has been stolen by Islamist, Muslim Brotherhood-linked imams who ran private schools across Sweden, according to an investigation by the Swedish newspaper Expressen.
The investigation found that the network embezzled more than one billion Swedish kronor through welfare funds and school voucher programs. The money was funneled out of schools that were publicly funded but allegedly operated as part of an organized fraud scheme tied to Islamist extremism.
Police raided an apartment north of Stockholm connected to individuals linked to Islamist extremism while searching for Rabie Karam, who was identified as one of the central figures in the school network accused of spreading radical Islam. Karam was convicted in 2024 and is wanted to serve an eight-month prison sentence.
One of the most prominent cases involved a school in Gothenburg that received approximately 462 million kronor in public funding. The school’s leadership included Abdirizak Waberi, a former member of parliament who served as the school’s principal. Investigators found that Waberi illegally transferred around 12 million kronor to sex clubs in Thailand, as well as luxury hotels and to support his own Islamist political party in Somalia. He did so by sending fake IT invoices.
Another school owner in Gothenburg, who employed former Islamic State terrorists who had returned to Sweden, allegedly stole millions of kronor by transferring School funds to accounts in Malta.
One of the leaders behind the network was identified as Imam Abo Raad. He was taken into custody by the Swedish Security Service in 2019 and was deemed a threat to national security. The government decided he should be deported, but the removal was not carried out due to conditions in his home country of Iraq. He later left Sweden on his own.
Authorities have since shut down the schools linked to the network. In some cases, closures followed direct intervention by security officials, while in others they resulted from financial crime investigations that uncovered large-scale economic fraud tied to the operations.
Source: humanevents.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://humanevents.com/2025/12/28/terror-linked-islamic-school-network-accused-of-stealing-millions-in-swedish-taxpayer-funds
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Brigitte Bardot on Muslims, men and 'horrible' humanity
28/12/2025
A passionate defender of animal rights who also supported the far-right, here are some of her most famous (or infamous) utterances:
On fame
- "Fame? You can shove it," she said in 1971, a few years before she announced her retirement from cinema.
- "I tried to make myself as beautiful as possible and even then I found myself ugly. I hated going out. I was afraid of not being what people expected me to be. Today at my age I don't give a damn."
On men
- "I knew my career was based only on my looks, so I decided to leave movies the way I always left men -- before they could leave me."
- "I've always done what I wanted... I know I've got bigger balls than a lot of men. They could learn a lot from me."
- On motherhood -
- "It was like a tumour that fed on me, that I carried in my afflicted flesh waiting for the blessed moment when they finally took it out of me," she wrote of her pregnancy with her son Nicolas.
After the "nightmare" of his birth, "I had to take lifelong responsibility for the cause of my misery."
(Nicolas was raised by his father).
On humanity
- "I don't care about the condition of women. The condition of animals is far more preoccupying."
- "I won't hide my misanthropy! It exists and it is justified. Look at humanity, it is horrible."
On animals
- "To possess a fur coat is to wear a cemetery on one's back," she said in a 1994 swipe at Italian star Sophia Loren for accepting "blood money" to promote fur coats.
- "You stress human misery," she wrote to Pope Francis in 2017, "oddly favouring Muslim migration to the detriment of Christians from the Middle East, but more miserable than the fate of these people is that of animals."
On Muslims
- "I am against the Islamisation of France! Our ancestors, our grandfathers, our fathers have for centuries given their lives to push out successive invaders."
- "I like Marine (Le Pen, the leader of the French far-right) a lot. I won't hide it. She is the only woman ... who has balls."
On #MeToo
"Lots of actresses try to play the tease with producers to get a role. And then, so we will talk about them, they say they were harassed. I found it charming when men told me I was beautiful or I had a nice little backside."
Source: france24.com
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https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20251228-brigitte-bardot-on-muslims-men-and-horrible-humanity
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Western eyes ‘wide shut’ on Ukraine’s corruption – Lavrov
28 Dec, 2025
European nations supporting Ukraine cannot be unaware of the scale of corruption in the country because of all of the scandals that have broken out recently, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. Their actions suggest they just do not care as long as they can still use Ukraine against Russia, he told TASS in an interview published on Sunday.
Ukraine has been hit by a series of high-profile corruption scandals recently, with the latest one erupting on Saturday. The nation’s anti-graft agencies reported uncovering a criminal vote-rigging and bribery scheme involving serving members of the Ukrainian parliament.
Last month, the anti-corruption bodies revealed another scheme involving a close associate of Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, Timur Mindich. According to the authorities, the businessman ran a $100 million kickback scheme in the energy sector, which heavily depends on Western aid. The scandal cost two ministers and Zelensky’s influential chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, their positions but did not change the EU’s approach towards providing funding to Kiev.
Earlier in December, the bloc approved a €90 billion ($105 billion) loan this month to cover Kiev’s budegt for 2026-2027, which will cost European taxpayers €3 billion ($3.5 billion) in borrowing costs annually.
“Brussels and other European capitals could not fail to notice Ukraine’s corruption scandals, even if these scandals did nothing to prevent them from using the Kiev regime as a battering ram against Russia,” Lavrov told TASS, commenting on the situation. “Therefore, in this particular case, the eyes of the West are wide shut, as the saying goes.”
Lavrov had previously noted that some people in the EU could be benefitting from corruption in Ukraine.
The EU’s actions drew criticism from some of the bloc’s members. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated in early December that Brussels did not want to expose Ukrainian corruption because it was “also riddled with a similar corruption network.”
Some EU nations even cut aid to other countries to focus on Ukraine. Sweden announced in December that it would discontinue aid to Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Liberia, and Bolivia to provide more funds to Kiev.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/630109-west-eyes-shut-ukraine-corruption/
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Kiev should start talking to Moscow – Ukrainian spy chief
28 Dec, 2025
Kiev needs to engage in talks with Moscow, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, has said. Negotiations are simply unavoidable for the ongoing conflict between the two nations to end, he added.
He made the remarks in an interview with the broadcaster Suspilne published on Saturday, ahead of a meeting between Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and US President Donald Trump on Sunday. The two are about to discuss a peace framework, according to the Ukrainian leader.
Earlier this week, Zelensky also revealed a 20-point plan he claimed Kiev had discussed with the US. Moscow dismissed it as a non-starter. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday it was “radically different” from the proposals discussed by Russia and the US. He also said that Moscow was “fully ready” to move forward with the peace process while Kiev and its European backers were seeking to “torpedo” it.
”A negotiation process is definitely needed and cannot be avoided anyway,” Budanov said. He also maintained that the talks should be held behind closed doors to be successful. “All negotiations on very difficult issues – and the war between Russia and Ukraine… is one – had failed when silence was not observed,” he noted. His words echoed earlier comments by Moscow, which also stated that the peace talks should be held behind closed doors and criticized what it called the EU and Kiev’s megaphone diplomacy.
Budanov also called on Kiev to rein in its ambitions. “A weaker side has never dictated conditions to anyone and will never do it,” he stated, while rhetorically asking in which field Ukraine could consider itself to be stronger than Russia. He also admitted that it was natural for Moscow to think about its interests first just like any other nation would.
Budanov had initially emerged as a hardliner in the Ukraine conflict. In December 2023, a Moscow court ordered his arrest on terrorism charges after accusing him of masterminding over 100 “terrorist attacks” on Russian soil – something he had openly advocated. Earlier this year, he changed his rhetoric and called for a ceasefire “as soon as possible.”
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/630112-kiev-start-talk-moscow-spy/
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Poland must be ready to defend border with Germany – president
29 Dec, 2025
Poland must remain “ready to defend the western border” with Germany, President Karol Nawrocki has declared. The remarks drew pushback from Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who insisted that as long as Germany is an EU and NATO member, it poses no threat.
Nawrocki delivered his warning on Saturday at an event marking the anniversary of a 1918 uprising against German rule, recalling that Poles had lived under “severe German imperialism” during historical partitions, when “aggressive” efforts were made to “take away our culture and national heritage.”
Poland, he said, is a “national community open to the west, but also a national community ready to defend the western border of the republic.” Nawrocki, who was elected this year with the support of the right-wing opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, stressed that “we must do everything we can to ensure that Poland remains Poland.”
The remarks drew an immediate response from Foreign Minister Sikorski. “As long as Germany is in NATO and the EU, and is governed by Christian or social democrats, there is no threat to our western border,” Sikorski said.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk echoed the criticism, saying that the remarks reflected “the essence of the dispute between the anti-European bloc… and our coalition. A deadly serious dispute… over our values, security, sovereignty. East or West.” Nawrocki fired back by noting that “it’s hard to believe that we graduated from the same department – history.”
PiS, with which Nawrocki is aligned, has long presented Germany as a threat to Polish sovereignty. In 2023, party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski warned that the EU is seeking to introduce a “German plan” that would result in the “annihilation of the Polish state.” He has accused Tusk – whom he compared to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler – of leading a “pacification operation” to destroy Poland’s independence and “turn us into farmhands for people from Western Europe, especially Germany.”
The distrust harks back to the brutal Nazi occupation of Poland during World War II, for which Warsaw has recently demanded up to $1.3 trillion in reparations. Berlin has rejected the claim, saying the legal matter has long been put to rest.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/630173-poland-defend-german-border/
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Russia will support Beijing over Taiwan – Lavrov
29 Dec, 2025
Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and Russia stands firmly against the island’s independence in any form, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
In an interview with TASS published on Sunday, Lavrov stated that Russia believes that “the Taiwan problem is an internal affair” of China and that “Beijing has every right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
According to Lavrov, the standoff over Taiwan is often being discussed “in isolation from reality and by manipulating facts.” He noted that some countries, while declaring commitment to the One-China policy, de-facto favor preserving the status quo, which actually means “their disagreement with the principle of China’s national reunification.”
In addition, Taiwan is currently being used as a tool of “military-strategic deterrence” against Beijing, with some Western countries keen to profit from Taiwanese money and technologies, including by selling expensive US armaments to Taipei, the minister said.
Russia’s support for China over Taiwan is enshrined in the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation signed between Moscow and Beijing in July 2001, Lavrov recalled, stressing that one of its basic principles is “mutual support in defending national unity and territorial integrity.”
Taiwan became a self-ruled territory following the Chinese Civil War in 1949, when Nationalist forces retreated to the island after losing mainland China to Communist forces. While formally adhering to the One-China policy, the US maintains close unofficial ties with Taipei – which include visits by top lawmakers – drawing ire from Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized his preference for peaceful reunification with Taiwan but has not ruled out the use of force while denouncing what he described as Taipei’s separatism.
Lavrov’s statement comes after Russia reaffirmed its support for Venezuela as the country faces a US military blockade in the Caribbean. Washington has accused Venezuelan authorities of having links with drug cartels – a charge Caracas has denied – and has struck boats allegedly transporting narcotics to the US. Washington also seized oil tankers off the Venezuelan coast, a move Caracas has denounced as “piracy.”
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/630171-russia-support-china-taiwan/
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Hospitals warned end-of-life care crisis threatening treatment
29 Dec, 2025
Hugh Pym
A rising number of end-of-life patients in hospitals could affect the level of treatment carried out this winter, a group of regional NHS leaders have been told.
A consultant in palliative care highlighted the impending "crisis" during an online internal meeting of health leaders in Sussex, a recording of which has been heard by the BBC.
The consultant at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust described dilemmas facing hospital managers when some patients are having to be given end-of-life care in A&E corridors.
The bleak assessment is likely to be echoed in other NHS regions as building winter pressures increase the challenge of trying to find hospital beds for sick patients needing care.
University Hospitals Sussex Trust includes Worthing Hospital, Royal Sussex County Hospital, St Richard's Hospital in Chichester and Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.
Doctors and officials from East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which includes Conquest Hospital in Hastings and Eastbourne District General Hospital, also took part in the meeting along with community health representatives.
The consultant made a slide presentation entitled "Palliative and End of Life Care in Sussex" at the meeting, which took place on 4 November.
She told the audience that local hospices were struggling and it was difficult to find places for patients who need end-of-life care, while it was sometimes not clear how much support there might be in the local community when people are sent home.
She said: "I am really worried that patients who have treatable conditions are not going to be able to get into hospital and be treated because there are so many end-of-life patients in hospital beds."
She went on to say "we are no longer putting patients on the waiting list for transfer who are just straightforward dying", focusing only on those with complex needs.
On giving enhanced palliative care in A&E, the consultant said it was a "really difficult choice - do you admit them for corridor care or do you turn them round, put them in the back of the ambulance where they may die on the way home".
She argued there were "lots of patients in hospital who don't need to be there, lots of patients with complex needs who don't have their needs met".
She concluded: "We've all known this crisis is coming - it is getting worse and worse".
'Under significant pressure'
A spokesperson for the NHS in Sussex said it was committed to ensuring that patients have access to the "best possible, high-quality palliative and end-of-life care".
They said: "This includes providing a range of places for compassionate, person-centred care - and importantly, where possible, in settings out of hospital, such as community settings, and our hospices.
"Emergency care services across Sussex remain under significant pressure but staff continue to work incredibly hard to make sure patients can receive the care they need at our hospitals, and across all our health and care services.
"There is robust partnership work in place over the winter period to support individual care plans, and to ensure that people are in the right NHS service for their needs."
But the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said delayed discharges were a huge challenge across the NHS, and a lack of social or community care could mean some patients needing end-of-life care and support could not leave hospitals.
Its president, Dr Ian Higginson, said the college was "worried about the number of patients who need end-of-life care who end up in emergency departments, and then hospitals, because the dedicated services they need are not available".
He said: "Patients who would prefer to be at home may end up in our corridors, which are not the right places for anyone, let alone those who are at the end of their lives."
Meanwhile, community services are also stretched and hospices are warning of a funding crisis.
Toby Porter, chief executive of Hospice UK said: "We know just how hard staff across the NHS and care system are working to give people at the end of life the care they deserve.
"But, while hospital can be the right place for some, a busy ward just isn't the right place for most people who die.
"Hospices across the country want to provide more care in the community but this year we've seen it cut back because of funding pressures. And that is having a knock-on effect in hospitals."
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l93dpl6dyo
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North America
US defends sanctions on Western Europeans accused of digital censorship
29 Dec, 2025
US Undersecretary of State Sarah Rogers has defended Washington’s decision to sanction several Europeans, saying that “extraterritorial censorship of Americans” undermines free speech and innovation.
Last week, the US State Department imposed sanctions on five individuals, including British nationals Imran Ahmed and Clare Melford, German citizens Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon, and former EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said those targeted had “led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose.”
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Rogers said the measures were aimed at protecting free expression and the competitiveness of the US technology sector. “These are people who, in many cases, took government money to destroy American businesses for the purpose of suppressing American speech,” she said.
“These are, ultimately, serious decisions that rest with the Secretary of State and take into account all of our foreign policy priorities. But free speech is one of those priorities, and so is the continued ability of the American tech sector to lead and innovate,” she added.
The sanctions come amid a widening dispute between the US and the EU over online speech regulation, digital platform governance, and the reach of national laws beyond their borders. Elon Musk, whose platform X was fined about €120 million ($140 million) by EU regulators for what they described as violations of transparency rules set out in the bloc’s Digital Services Act, welcomed the move, calling it “so great.”
Earlier, Musk blasted the penalty, calling the EU a “bureaucratic monster” that should be abolished, while accusing Brussels of trying to pressure X into censoring speech.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who appointed Breton himself, accused Washington of “coercion and intimidation.” UK Labour MP Chi Onwurah said banning individuals over speech disputes undermines the free speech the US administration claims to defend.
The rift was reflected in Washington’s latest National Security Strategy, which warned that the EU faces potential “civilizational erasure” due to curbs on free speech, suppression of political opposition, and regulatory pressure on innovation.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/630174-us-defends-sanctions-on-europeans/
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'Which is why...': Zohran Mamdani fires back at Elon Musk over appointment of gay FDNY chief
Dec 28, 2025
New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani clapped back at Elon Musk who said people would die because of Mamdani's appointment of Lilian Bonsignore, an openly gay LGBTQ activist, as the chief of the Fire Department of New York. "People will die because of this. Proven experience matters when lives are at stake." Elon Musk said, reacting to a post of Mamdani's announcement. After Elon Musk's reaction, the issue emerged as a crucial social media topic of discussion as many pointed out that Bonsignore had no experience in firefighting.
"Here we go again," wrote Megyn Kelly criticizing the appointment. “Zohran Mamdani appointed Lillian Bonsignore as new FDNY Commissioner. Only problem is…she’s never been a firefighter. Word of advice, you can’t put out fires with rainbow flags,” said conservative Infowars talk-show host Breanna Morello on X.
"Mamdani is celebrating appointing the first openly gay FDNY commissioner who never served as a firefighter. No fireground experience. No time in the job. But lots of identity points. Apparently running the largest fire department in America does not require actually being a firefighter anymore. Good luck New York. You are going to need it," one wrote.
“This is a freaking train wreck,” Eric Daugherty, chief content officer for RightLine News, wrote. “Glad I don’t live in NYC.”
"Experience does matter, which is why I appointed the person who spent more than 30 years at EMS. You know, the workforce that addresses at least 70% of all calls coming into FDNY?" Mamdani replied.
"I know the job. I know what the firefighters need and I can translate that to this administration who's willing to listen," Bonsignore said.
Bonsignore, a 31-year member of the FDNY as an emergency medical technician who retired in 2022, will be just the second woman to run New York’s Bravest in the department’s history. She is also an LGBTQ trailblazer who will serve as the FDNY’s first openly gay commissioner.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/which-is-why-zohran-mamdani-fires-back-at-elon-musk-over-appointment-of-gay-fdny-chief/articleshow/126215553.cms
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Muslim convention in Chino brings community together
December 28, 2025
Amid the world’s conflict, Muslim community members want to spread peace and service.
That’s the message they shared with others at California’s oldest annual Muslim convention.
The annual event returned to the Inland Empire this weekend, with events focused on serving others and building camaraderie, officials said.
The 38th West Coast Jalsa Salana, a three-day convention open to people of all faiths and backgrounds, was hosted at Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino, by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, the oldest American Muslim organization.
The main session Saturday night, Dec. 27, was themed “The Holy Qur’an’s Teachings on Global Peace and Unity.” It brought together Muslim leaders and elected officials for an open civic dialogue, organizers said.
They included state Sen. Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park; Upland Mayor Bill Velto; Los Angeles’ Director of Civic Participation Joumana Silyan-Saba; and God’s Pantry food bank Executive Director Augusto “Goose” Dolce.
The convention started Friday morning, Dec. 26, with Jalsa Cares, a community service initiative. Volunteers packed meals for families in need, partnering with God’s Pantry in Pomona.
The event will conclude Sunday, Dec. 28.
Source: pressenterprise.com
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https://www.pressenterprise.com/2025/12/28/muslim-convention-in-chino-brings-community-together/
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Mid-air helicopter crash kills at least one in New Jersey
28 Dec, 2025
At least one person has died after two helicopters crashed in New Jersey on Sunday afternoon, according to local news reports, citing US officials.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that Enstrom F-28A and Enstrom 280C helicopters collided in mid-air near the airport in the small town of Hammonton. The pilots were the only people aboard each chopper, it said.
One was killed, while the other was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, Fox29 Philadelphia reported.
On a video circulating on social media purporting to show the incident, one helicopter spins out of control before crashing.
In other footage, a plume of smoke can be seen rising from one of the purported crash sites.
According to the FAA, the US National Transportation Safety Board is taking over the investigation, and will provide further updates.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/630137-new-jersey-helicopter-crash-kills-one/
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Trump says progress made in Ukraine talks but 'thorny issues' remain
29 Dec, 2025
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky said progress had been made to end the Ukraine war during Florida talks but the US leader added "one or two very thorny issues" remained.
While both the US and Ukrainian presidents described the talks as "great", Trump reiterated that a key sticking point was the question of territory. Russia has previously demanded that Ukraine hand over more land.
Addressing reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Zelensky said they had come to an agreement on "90%" of a 20-point peace plan, while Trump said a security guarantee for Ukraine was "close to 95%" done.
Zelensky later said US and Ukrainian teams would meet next week for further talks on issues aimed at ending Russia's nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
"We had a substantive conversation on all issues and highly value the progress that the Ukrainian and American teams have made over the past weeks," Zelensky said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
A proposal to turn the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia largely controls, into a demilitarised zone remains "unresolved", Trump said.
"Some of that land has been taken," he told reporters after the meeting. "Some of that land is maybe up for grabs, but it may be taken over the next period of a number of months."
Moscow currently controls about 75% of the Donetsk region, and some 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk. The regions are collectively known as Donbas.
Russia wants Ukraine to pull back from the small part of the territory it still controls in Donbas, while Kyiv has insisted the area could become a free economic zone policed by Ukrainian forces.
The US president has repeatedly changed his own position on Ukraine's lost territories, and in September stunned observers by suggesting that Ukraine might be able to take it back. He later reversed course.
"[That] is a very tough issue," he said. "One that will get resolved."
Security guarantees for Ukraine are "95% done", Trump said, without formally committing to logistical support or troop deployment to help protect Ukraine from future attacks.
Trump floated the possibility of trilateral talks between the US, Russia, and Ukraine, saying it could happen "at the right time".
While the US president is keen to add the Ukraine-Russia war to the list of conflicts he claims to have ended, he cautioned that stalled or scrapped talks that go "really badly" could mean that the war continues.
Earlier Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. While the US president did not offer many details of the phone call, he said he believed the Russian leader "wants Ukraine to succeed".
At the same time, Trump acknowledged that Moscow had little interest in a ceasefire that would allow Ukraine to hold a referendum.
"I understand that position," he added.
Russian foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said the call was initiated by Trump and that he and Putin discussed the latest EU and Ukraine proposals to end the war.
Ushakov, Russia's former US ambassador, said Trump listened to the Kremlin's assessment of the proposals and the two presidents left the call united in their belief that a temporary ceasefire proposed by the EU and Ukraine would instead prolong the conflict.
Zelensky suggested the Ukrainian officials could meet at the White House in January, potentially alongside European leaders, as the US and Ukrainian delegations finalise plans for further talks.
In a post-meeting call with European allies, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed "good progress" in the Florida talks while reinforcing the need for Ukraine to receive "ironclad security guarantees from day one".
French President Emmanuel Macron also said Kyiv's allies would meet in Paris next month to discuss security guarantees.
"We will bring together the countries of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris in early January to finalise each one's concrete contributions," Macron said on X after speaking with Zelensky and Trump.
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36z615y443o
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MAGA aides stopped Donald Trump from posting marijuana reclassification on Truth Social: Report
Dec 29, 2025
It wasn’t the policy that needed cooling off—it was the post. According to the Wall Street Journal, top MAGA officials stepped in to stop President Donald Trump from immediately broadcasting his marijuana reclassification decision on Truth Social.
The incident occurred towards the end of a two-hour Oval Office meeting with stakeholders two weeks earlier.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair and domestic policy aide Heidi Overton objected, fearing premature disclosure of a sensitive govt decision. Sheriff Gordon Smith of Florida, who lobbied for the reclassification and attended the meeting, recalled that after Trump abruptly sided with the pro-cannabis group he “started preparing a Truth Social post on his decision.”
“They had to stop him from posting,” Smith said. “I was in awe of the whole thing.” One attendee was “in awe of the president’s eagerness to post about a decision he’d made only seconds earlier.”
The effort to downgrade cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III was spearheaded by Trump ally Howard Kessler and Kim Rivers, chief executive of Trulieve. Rivers made sizable donations last year to groups backing Trump’s campaign, hoping to persuade him of the benefits of rescheduling marijuana, particularly for medical research.
Lawyers and staff then pointed out that a 30-day review period was required before any formal announcement. Trump subsequently asked aides to draft an executive order, which he signed on Dec. 18.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/maga-aides-stopped-donald-trump-from-posting-marijuana-reclassification-on-truth-social-report/articleshow/126220013.cms
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Empty daycare, misspelled sign and $4m in funding put Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in spotlight — Here's what we know about fraud
Dec 29, 2025
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz faced growing criticism recently after a viral online video raised questions about taxpayer dollars flowing to a Minneapolis daycare centre that appeared inactive despite receiving about $4 million in state funding.
The footage, released by independent journalist Nick Shirley, shows him visiting the Quality Learning Center in south Minneapolis. Shirley notes that the facility, which is licensed for 99 children and has received roughly $4 million in state funding, displayed a sign that misspelled “learning” as “learing.”
When he approached the building on a weekday, no children were visible, the office appeared closed, and a woman at the site loudly protested, incorrectly accusing him of being with immigration enforcement.
The video quickly spread across social media and drew national attention amid a wider scandal involving alleged fraud in Minnesota’s social service programmes, which federal officials say may have cost taxpayers billions of dollars. Critics argue that problems ranging from daycare funding to other public assistance programmes have gone unchecked by state leadership.
Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators have seized on the video to call for accountability from Walz.
Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer shared the footage on social media, questioning how millions in taxpayer funds could go to a centre that appears empty and misspells its own name.
Other critics, including Representative Mike Lawler and political figures such as Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance, have used the controversy to press for investigations and even hearings in Congress.
Musk said, "Why did they still receive funding and keep their license after so many violations and Zoolander-level-obvious fraud? Prosecute @GovTimWalz. He knew"
Vance said, "What's happening in Minnesota is a microcosm of the immigriation fraud in our system. Politicans like it because they get power. Welfare cheats like it because they get rich. But it's a zero sum game, and they're stealing both money and political power from Minnesotans."
Some analysts and officials have also linked the daycare funding concerns to broader debates over immigration and fraud, noting that many of the entities involved are connected to immigrant communities. However, there is no indication that the Quality Learning Center itself has been charged with wrongdoing, KOMO news reported.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/empty-daycare-misspelled-sign-and-4m-in-funding-put-minnesota-governor-tim-walz-in-spotlight-heres-what-we-know-about-fraud/articleshow/126219442.cms
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'Start getting active': Donald Trump's message to UN; boasts role in Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire
Dec 28, 2025
US President Donald Trump on Sunday took a pointed jibe at the United Nations, saying the global organisation “must start getting active and involved in world peace,” implicitly criticizing it for being largely ineffective, including in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Trump made the remarks while highlighting the United States’ role in facilitating a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, claiming that the US has effectively acted as the “REAL United Nations.” In a Truth Social post, he congratulated both nations’ leaders for reaching a “rapid and very fair conclusion,” describing the resolution as “FAST & DECISIVE, as all of these situations should be.”
In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote, "I am pleased to announce that the breakout fighting between Thailand and Cambodia will stop momentarily, and they will go back to living in PEACE, as per our recently agreed to original Treaty. I want to congratulate both great leaders on their brilliance in coming to this rapid and very fair conclusion. It was FAST & DECISIVE, as all of these situations should be! The United States of America, as always, was proud to help! With all of the wars and conflicts I have settled and stopped over the last eleven months, EIGHT, perhaps the United States has become the REAL United Nations, which has been of very little assistance or help in any of them, including the disaster currently going on between Russia and Ukraine. The United Nations must start getting active and involved in WORLD PEACE!"
Trump’s remarks come after top diplomats from Thailand and Cambodia began two days of talks in China on Sunday, following a ceasefire signed on Saturday to halt weeks of fighting along the contested border that killed more than 100 people and displaced nearly one million.
According to the news agency AP, Thai foreign minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and Cambodian foreign minister Prak Sokhonn met in China’s Yunnan province, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi mediating. The talks aim to ensure a sustained ceasefire and promote lasting peace. The agreement freezes front lines and allows displaced civilians to return home. A 72-hour observation period follows, after which Thailand will repatriate 18 Cambodian soldiers it has held since July—a key demand of Cambodia.
An earlier July ceasefire brokered by Malaysia, under pressure from Trump, had temporarily eased tensions, but Thailand and Cambodia continued a bitter propaganda war, with minor cross-border clashes escalating into heavy fighting earlier this month.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/start-getting-active-donald-trumps-message-to-un-boasts-role-in-thailand-cambodia-ceasefire/articleshow/126217131.cms
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Africa
Terror War: ‘This Is Not A Happy Moment’ – Sowunmi Reacts To US Strikes In Nigeria
December 29, 2025
By Richard Ogunsile
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Segun Sowunmi, has criticised what he described as the late intervention of the international community in Nigeria’s prolonged battle against terrorism, following recent United States airstrikes on militant groups operating in the North-West.
Naija News reports that Sowunmi made the remarks on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics while reacting to reports that American forces carried out targeted strikes against terrorist elements in parts of the country.
According to the PDP stalwart, global powers with advanced surveillance and military capabilities had sufficient resources to intervene much earlier but failed to act until the situation deteriorated significantly.
“I felt that the world came in a little bit too late. The security resources available to the world suggest that they have eyes in the skies already, and many countries have the capability,” he said.
He argued that Nigeria had been left largely on its own for years despite the worsening security situation, noting that only the United States appeared willing to act decisively at a critical moment.
“So, you must have to thank the United States that when the chips were really down, Britain, which should ordinarily have a bigger interest, didn’t say anything.
“China, which has also been active here with various projects, said nothing. America said something, and Donald Trump said, ‘This is getting too much; we are going to do something,’” Sowunmi added.
Despite welcoming international collaboration, Sowunmi stressed that the killing of terrorists should not be celebrated, describing the entire situation as deeply painful for Nigerians.
He likened the tragedy to watching misguided children being lost to violence and extremism.
“Thankfully, he (Trump) didn’t just come into the country without our security infrastructure. Otherwise, if he had stayed in the Gulf of Guinea and fired missiles without consulting the Nigerian government and people, what military capabilities do we even have for deterrence?” Sowunmi asked.
“I think Nigerians, both Muslims and Christians, need to understand this is not a happy moment,” he said.
The PDP chieftain further advised the Federal Government to confront terrorism strictly as a criminal enterprise, rather than framing it along ethnic or religious lines, which he warned could deepen national divisions.
According to him, unity across religious and ethnic boundaries is critical to ending the insurgency and restoring peace.
Naija News reports that on Christmas Day, United States President Donald Trump announced that American forces had conducted deadly strikes against Islamic State militants in north-western Nigeria.
Trump vowed to sustain military action if the group continued attacks on Christians, describing the situation as a “genocide” and claiming that the violence had reached unprecedented levels.
The strikes followed the United States’ decision on October 31 to designate Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern”, a move that also came with visa restrictions on Nigerians.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed the operation, stating that it was carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian government as part of structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States, aimed at combating terrorism and violent extremism across the country.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/29/terror-war-this-is-not-a-happy-moment-sowunmi-reacts-to-us-strikes-in-nigeria/
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Trump’s Military Airstrikes Were In Coordination With Nigerian Govt – US Congressman
December 28, 2025
By Justina Otio
A United States congressman, Riley Moore, has stated that the military airstrike in Nigeria by President Donald Trump was done in coordination with the Nigerian government.
Naija News reports that Trump had launched airstrikes on terrorist enclaves in Bauni forest in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Speaking on the situation via a post on 𝕏, Moore stated that Trump is committed to ending the killing of Christians in Nigeria.
According to him, the bombardment of terrorist targets in Nigeria was meant to prevent the killing of Christians.
He said, “We did this in coordination with the Nigerian government, which is very important to point out. This isn’t the United States unilaterally doing this; we are doing this in coordination with the Nigerian government to help secure their country and end the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria.”
The congressman said Christians in Nigeria were attacked by terrorists on Christmas Day in the last two years, adding that Trump gave the terrorists a taste of their own medicine by launching attacks against them.
“So, quite a bit different, the President is totally focused on this. He made that very clear in this attack and, this is a very good first step to addressing this issue,” he added.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/28/trumps-military-airstrikes-were-in-coordination-with-nigerian-govt-us-congressman/
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If Trump’s Airstrike Didn’t Kill Any Terrorists, Why Are You Crying? – Adeyanju Blasts Gumi
December 28, 2025
By Rachel Okporu Fadoju
Nigerian lawyer cum human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has slammed controversial Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, over his criticisms of the United States’ airstrikes against terrorists in Sokoto State.
Naija News recalls that President Donald Trump, on Christmas Day, ordered airstrikes on ISIS terrorists in Sokoto State.
However, some security experts believed that the mission failed because there had been no recorded casualties on the side of the terrorists.
Amid the controversies surrounding the attack, Gumi has continued to rubbish the multiple airstrikes in several commentaries.
In a post via 𝕏 on Sunday, Adeyanju said Gumi should not be ‘crying’ if Trump’s airstrikes failed to kill any ISIS terrorists in Sokoto State.
He said, “If the Donald Trump air strike against Nigerian ISIS didn’t kill any terrorist, why is Gumi crying? Should he not be happy that all his colleagues are still alive?
“Why the tears? We need more collaborative efforts between the US and Nigeria against these barbaric terrorists terrorizing our nation.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has stated that it would have been unreasonable for Nigeria to decline the assistance of the United States to help fight terrorism in the country.
Keyamo stated this on 𝕏 while defending the Federal Government’s decision to partner with the U.S to launch attacks against terrorists in some parts of the country.
The minister said the people should care more about efforts being made to rid the country, especially the North, of terrorists.
“When your house is on fire, it would be stupid to prevent anyone who has fire extinguishers to come into your house and put out the fire,” the Minister said.
He said it would be unwise for anyone to be more interested in their privacy when the fire is raging to consume their family.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/28/if-trumps-airstrike-didnt-kill-any-terrorists-why-are-you-crying-adeyanju-blasts-gumi/
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Kenya: CS Duale Closes 8th Ansaaru Sunnah Islamic Conference in Eastleigh
28 DECEMBER 2025
By Nicholas Opiyo
Nairobi — Cabinet Secretary for Health Aden Duale on Thursday presided over the closing ceremony of the 8th Annual Ansaaru Sunnah Islamic Conference held in Eastleigh, Nairobi, bringing together thousands of Muslims and prominent Islamic scholars from Kenya and abroad.
The four-day symposium, which ran from December 23 to December 26, attracted more than 20,000 Muslim faithful, all seeking spiritual enrichment, guidance and deeper understanding of Islamic teachings.
Renowned scholars who addressed the gathering included Sheikh Abdirashid Ali Sufi of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed Ismail from the United Kingdom, and Yahya Al-Raaby, also from the UK. The scholars delivered lectures focusing on faith, moral conduct, unity within the Ummah and the relevance of Islamic principles in contemporary society.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, CS Duale urged Muslims to uphold Islamic values by living according to the teachings of the Holy Quran, emphasizing integrity, discipline and peaceful coexistence.
He also called on society to respect the dignity of Muslim women, noting that the hijab is a symbol of modesty and faith, and should never be a basis for discrimination or exclusion.
Health issues featured prominently in Duale's address, with the Cabinet Secretary encouraging Muslims to register with the Social Health Authority (SHA) to safeguard themselves against the rising cost of medical care.
"Access to healthcare should not push families into financial hardship. Registering with SHA is essential to ensure protection and dignity when seeking medical services," Duale said.
On matters of civic participation, Duale urged attendees to register as voters ahead of the 2027 General Election, calling on the Muslim community to support President William Ruto, whom he praised for his continued engagement with the Muslim Ummah.
He noted that President Ruto's administration has made efforts to strengthen relations with the Muslim community through religious freedom, economic inclusion and community outreach, while maintaining national security without marginalizing Muslims.
Duale concluded by expressing his desire to see Muslims practice their faith confidently and peacefully, while upholding the rule of law and contributing positively to national development.
The Ansaaru Sunnah Islamic Conference has grown into one of the region's largest religious gatherings, serving as a platform for learning, unity and dialogue within the Muslim community.
Source: allafrica.com
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https://allafrica.com/stories/202512290030.html
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Drop Your Evil Plan To Destroy Accord Party, Let’s Take The Fight To The Voters – Adeleke Dares APC
December 28, 2025
By Justina Otio
The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is obsessed with bringing down the Accord Party (AP).
Adeleke, in a statement signed by his Spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, questioned why the APC was obsessed with either deleting Accord from the electoral registry or preventing him from participating in the gubernatorial contest.
He stated that the attempt by the lawmaker representing the Obokun-Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Wole Oke, to deregister the Accord has made him a laughingstock.
He said, “The Accord is today and tomorrow a potent, popular, winning platform for Governor Ademola Adeleke in the forthcoming 2026 gubernatorial polls, hence the obsession of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with illegal and unconstitutional thinking in their attacks against the party.”
Rasheed mocked Oke for working overtime to satisfy former governor, Gboyega Oyetola.
The Spokesperson lambasted the lawmaker for his degeneration into outright illegal advocacy after realising that Accord had become a party of victory, of triumph, within a short span of its unveiling by Adeleke.
“As the APC is desperately working to financially strangulate Osun state by withholding local government allocations in the evil scheme to punish the voters into submission, it is equally plotting to destroy the ruling party in the state. That is not democracy; that is a recipe for democratic chaos.
“The APC strategy so far is built on undemocratic plots and scheming rather than contend with the electorate who have serious questions for Mr Bola Oyebamiji and the top hierarchy of the APC. If the APC is sure of its electoral potency, the party should drop the evil plot to destroy the Accord and let the fight be taken to the voters.
“Governor Adeleke has delivered in several sectors, as attested to by local and international observers. In this yuletide period, Osun diaspora across the world are seeing first hand and hearing testimonies about the impressive performance of Governor Adeleke in the last three years.
“The governor has delivered across sectors with Osun emerging the best in south west on primary health care; with Osun moving from 33rd position under APC to number 7th position in NECO and WAEC ratings; with sport sector undergoing policy reform under an ongoing five star upgrade and renovation of Osogbo city stadium; with science and innovation receiving policy and implementation attention; with tractors and input support now available to farmers; with over 250 kilometres of roads constructed statewide; with over 100 billion naira pension and half salary debt paid; with close to four billion naira allocated to cooperatives and artisans financing; with ease of doing business attracting investment and booming PPP sector.
“We challenge the APC candidate to run on his party’s records from 2018 to 2022 across the sectors. Governor Adeleke is running on his own records from 2022 to date. And comparing the two eras, the jury is out, Governor Adeleke surpassed 12 years of APC rule under three years.
“The citizens and residents have seen the difference between governance and maladministration. The public have tasted good governance and bad governance. We challenge Mr Oyebamiji to a policy debate. He should be ready to answer questions about his days at Osun Investment agency and as a Commissioner for Finance.
“We task the state APC to demonstrate adherence to democratic culture by stopping the quest for short cut to power, by submitting to the people at a free and fair poll; and by being courageous enough to accept the verdict of the people when by August 8th, 2026 the voters reject the APC and her candidate,” the statement added.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/12/28/drop-your-evil-plan-to-destroy-accord-party-lets-take-the-fight-to-the-voters-adeleke-dares-apc/
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Central African Republic votes amid mostly peaceful election day
December 29, 2025
Voting in the Central African Republic’s national elections appears to have gone smoothly in many places, with local observers reporting no major disturbances at polling stations. “We can say that the vote went very well. There was no major disturbance. The representatives of the parties and also of the candidates behaved very well, not to mention the president of the polling station who was very accommodating,” said election observer Jeanne Aurélie Ngo Belnoun.
The elections on December 28, 2025 see incumbent President Faustin-Archange Touadéra seeking a controversial third term after a constitutional change removed presidential term limits, a move his critics say weakens democratic checks. Touadéra, backed by Russian security support and credited by some voters with improving stability, is widely seen as the favorite in a crowded field of seven presidential contenders.
Roughly 2.3 million voters are casting ballots for president, legislators, and local offices, with provisional results expected by early January. The vote has drawn international attention due to ongoing questions about fairness and opposition obstacles, even as many polling sites reported calm conditions on election day.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2025/12/29/central-african-republic-votes-amid-mostly-peaceful-election-day/
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Somalia leads international backlash against Israel over recognition of Somaliland
December 29, 2025
Somalia is leading a growing international backlash against Israel over its recognition of Somaliland as an independent state.
In a statement on on Friday, the Somali Prime Minister’s office said the region is an integral, inseparable and inalienable part of of Somalia’s sovereign territory and rejected Israel’s recognition as unlawful.
The African Union, the Arab League, Nigeria, Egypt and a number of other countries and international organisations have condemned Israel’s actions, saying they pose a serious threat to international peace and security.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in the 1990s but has never been recognised by the international community.
Following its recent war against Gaza, Israel has been seeking ways to displace Palestinians from the territory. A report in March found that the United States and Israel had contacted Somaliland with proposals to settle displaced Gazans in the area, promising support in terms of finances, diplomacy, and security.
The move was immediately rejected by Palestine and the international community as a violation of international law and tantamount to crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
Mogadishu has demanded that Israel withdraw its recognition.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2025/12/28/somalia-leads-international-backlash-against-israel-over-recognition-of-somaliland/
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Southeast Asia
Dignified farewell by the sea: Singapore’s Hindu community gets dedicated rites facility at Changi
By Malay Mail
29 Dec 2025
SINGAPORE, Dec 29 — A long-standing plea from Singapore’s Hindu community has been answered with the opening of a sheltered seaside facility at Changi Beach, offering families privacy and protection from the elements as they perform final rites for their departed loved ones.
According to The Straits Times, the one-storey Karma Kaariya Nilaiyam, announced five years ago, was officially launched today next to Carpark 2 at Changi Beach.
Funded and managed by the Hindu Endowments Board, the building houses four private halls that can be booked online for post-death Hindu rites, or Karumathi prayers, typically observed on the 13th or 16th day after cremation.
Previously, families would arrive at the beach before dawn, laying mats on the sand to carry out the rituals. The practice left mourners exposed to darkness, rain and strong winds, with little more than torches or empty beach pavilions for shelter.
“This facility provides a calm, dignified and respectful environment. Families are still mourning, so they need privacy to focus on these rituals,” HEB secretary Satish Appoo told the Singapore daily today.
Karumathi prayers mark the formal close of the roughly two-week mourning period in Hindu tradition. They involve prayers and ritual offerings at home and by the sea, including rice balls that are dispersed into the water, symbolising spiritual closure for both the deceased and their family.
Satish said the new site is meant solely for post-death rites and not for the scattering of ashes.
Families can book two-hour slots at the self-service facility for a S$50 (RM160) fee, payable via PayNow, and gain access through an automated gate using a link sent by e-mail and SMS.
Each hall can accommodate up to 12 people, with the option of booking two adjoining halls for larger gatherings.
The project took a year and a half to build at a cost of S$550,000, with the search for suitable land slowed by the challenges of a beachfront location.
Changi Beach Park is managed by the National Parks Board, and HEB also had to coordinate with the National Environment Agency and the Singapore Land Authority.
A three-month trial involving three temples was held earlier this year to fine-tune operations.
Since May, about 100 families have used the facility through Sri Sivan Temple, Sri Thendayuthapani Temple and the Sri Arasakesari Sivan Temple.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/singapore/2025/12/29/dignified-farewell-by-the-sea-singapores-hindu-community-gets-dedicated-rites-facility-at-changi/203631
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Perlis ruler calls for end to speculation, allegations following new MB appointment
28 Dec 2025
Raja of Perlis calls for end to speculation and urges PN assemblymen to unite following the appointment of Abu Bakar Hamzah as the new Menteri Besar.
ARAU: The Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, has called for all speculation, allegations and undesirable matters be put to an end following the appointment of Kuala Perlis assemblyman Abu Bakar Hamzah from Bersatu as the new Menteri Besar of the state today.
His Royal Highness said that the appointment of a Menteri Besar is usually held once every five years, but this time it was slightly different as the incumbent Menteri Besar had resigned due to health reasons, thus necessitating a new appointment.
“Various speculations and allegations, accusations and undesirable matters have occurred and been mentioned… I hope that after this all such matters will be stopped for the good of the state,” Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin said at the swearing-in ceremony of the new Menteri Besar at Bilik Hijau, Istana Arau here.
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin said the decision to appoint Abu Bakar was made after careful consideration, taking into account the views of the elected representatives in Perlis.
In this regard, the Ruler urged all Perlis assemblymen to accept the decision for the benefit of the people and the future development of the state.
“Most of the state’s assemblymen have informed me that they leave it to me to make the choice, and they are willing to accept anyone.
“I also asked them earlier whether there was any rift between the two Perikatan Nasional (PN) parties (PAS and Bersatu) and how it could be rectified and brought closer so that they can work as one… therefore, everyone has accepted the reality that (they) must cooperate for the interests of the state and the people,” His Royal Highness said.
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin also called on all Perikatan Nasional (PN) assemblymen in Perlis to reunite and work together as one for the interests of the state and its people.
The monarch also expressed appreciation to Mohd Shukri Ramli for having served as the Menteri Besar of Perlis for the past three years.
At the ceremony, Abu Bakar was appointed as the ninth Menteri Besar of Perlis and took his oath of office before Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin at 4.04 pm.
The appointment followed the voluntary resignation of Mohd Shukri, who is also Sanglang assemblyman, as the Menteri Besar due to health reasons, as announced on Dec 25.
Earlier, the Speaker of the Perlis State Legislative Assembly, Rus’sele Eizan, had also announced casual vacancies for the Chuping, Bintong and Guar Sanji seats in accordance with Clause (1)(a)(ii) of Article 50A of the Constitution of the State of Perlis.
The vacancies occurred after PAS announced on Dec 24 that the membership of its three assemblymen — Saad Seman (Chuping), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong) and Mohd Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji) — had ceased following their move to withdraw support for Mohd Shukri.
In the 15th General Election (GE15), PN secured 14 of the 15 seats in the Perlis State Legislative Assembly, with nine won by PAS and five by Bersatu, while Pakatan Harapan, through PKR, won one seat.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/politics/perlis-ruler-calls-for-end-to-speculation-allegations-following-new-mb-appointment/
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All 900 slots for Singaporeans for 2026 haj pilgrimage filled; more places for elderly
Dec 29, 2025
SINGAPORE - All 900 haj slots for Muslim pilgrims in Singapore for 2026 have been filled, with more people aged 70 and older among the group set to travel as compared with in 2025.
In a statement on Dec 29, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) said it has successfully allocated all slots granted for Singaporeans, and that confirmed pilgrims have already purchased their haj packages from MUIS-authorised travel agents.
It also said that 12 per cent of the confirmed pilgrims are aged 70 and above, compared with 5 per cent in 2025, when Singapore also had 900 slots.
MUIS said it gave priority consideration to those eligible in the age group to better support senior applicants, and will “continue to review and adjust this approach as needed for future allocation exercises”.
All successful applicants have obtained valid medical health certificates confirming that they are medically fit, free from any disqualifying chronic medical conditions, and are physically capable of performing haj rituals safely, MUIS added.
This is in line with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s new health requirements.
The haj is the major Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca and represents the fifth pillar of Islam. Muslims must undertake the journey at least once if they are physically and financially able to.
It is performed over about a week only once a year, during Zulhijjah – the 12th month of the Islamic calendar – and involves intense rituals such as circumambulating the Kaaba (a shrine located near the centre of the Great Mosque in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam), running between hills, and stoning pillars.
Over the last 20 years – aside from 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic – about two million Muslims from around the world perform the haj each year, with a record 3.16 million making the journey in 2012.
Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs, said the successful allocation of slots reflects the collective commitment to ensure a fair, transparent and compassionate process for Singaporean pilgrims.
“MUIS will continue to work closely with our partners and the Saudi authorities to ensure that our pilgrims are well prepared financially, physically, mentally and spiritually for this sacred journey, as we strive to fulfil our community’s aspirations,” he added.
Applicants who did not receive an offer in this allocation exercise will remain on the waiting list until March 20, which is the closing date for the haj visa processing. Any slots that become available before the closing date will be filled by the next eligible applicant on the waiting list.
Those who do not hear from MUIS via the MyHajSG portal after March 20 can assume that there are no more available slots for haj.
There are about 65,000 people currently in line.
MUIS said it understands the aspirations of applicants waiting to perform the haj, and that it will continue to explore solutions to address this.
On Jan 13, then Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli said 900 slots were granted to Singapore after a meeting with Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Fawzan Al-Rabiah in Jeddah.
He said Singapore had asked for additional slots and that the Saudi authorities had said they will consider this.
Source: straitstimes.com
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/all-900-haj-slots-for-2026-filled-more-places-for-elderly-singaporean-pilgrims
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PAS youth wing urges party to sever ties with Bersatu at all levels over alleged betrayal
By Malay Mail
29 Dec 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — The PAS Tasek Gelugor Youth Wing has called on the party’s central leadership to make a decisive move and sever all ties with Bersatu at every level, Malay daily Berita Harian reported today.
The movement also urged PAS to take appropriate action against all appointments involving Bersatu members in states administered under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
Mohamad Ikhwan Afiq Mohamad Anwar, head of the PAS Tasek Gelugor Youth Wing, reportedly said that the party should contest and reclaim all parliamentary and state assembly seats won by Bersatu under the PN and PAS banners in previous general and state elections.
“This action is justifiable and fair in light of the treacherous and backstabbing moves by Bersatu at the national level and in Perlis, where they allegedly conspired to topple Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli,” he was quoted as saying.
Mohamad Ikhwan Afiq added that it was time for PAS to act decisively against Bersatu for what he described as repeated betrayals.
“This is not the first time such incidents have occurred, yet PAS has always shown magnanimity in defending the larger agenda of ummah unity,” he told Berita Harian.
He alleged that Bersatu had never been sincere in the alliance and merely used PAS as a stepping stone to win elections and gain political advantage.
“Therefore, on behalf of grassroots members at all levels, the PAS Tasek Gelugor Youth Wing urges PAS central leadership to take firm and comprehensive action to sever ties with Bersatu immediately,” he added.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/12/29/pas-youth-wing-urges-party-to-sever-ties-with-bersatu-at-all-levels-over-alleged-betrayal/203579
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Singapore sets Budget date for Feb 12 with PM Wong promising balance amid rising costs
By Malay Mail
29 Dec 2025
SINGAPORE, Dec 29 — Singapore Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong will deliver the republic’s Budget 2026 statement in Parliament on February 12, according to an announcement by Singapore’s Ministry of Finance.
In addition to television and radio coverage, the statement will be streamed ‘live’ via the Singapore Budget website.
Key announcements will also be posted on the ministry’s social media platforms, with the full Budget statement to be made available online after its delivery, the Finance Ministry said today.
The Budget is expected to address bread-and-butter concerns such as job security and the cost of living, issues that have increasingly dominated public debate in Singapore and across the region.
Speaking previously on September 19, Wong said government spending would rise as a share of gross domestic product to meet growing needs, but stressed that fiscal discipline would remain intact.
The government, he said, would maintain a balanced Budget “over the medium term”.
Meanwhile, public consultations led by the Finance Ministry and other agencies, including the Singapore government’s feedback unit Reach and the People’s Association, are continuing and will run until January 12, giving Singaporeans a final window to weigh in ahead of the February 12 statement.
Source: malaymail.com
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Actor Vijay praises Malaysia’s role in preserving Tamil language and culture
29 Dec 2025
Actor-politician Vijay hails Malaysia’s Tamil community for sustaining language and cinema, at record-breaking audio launch for his final film
KUALA LUMPUR: Popular South Indian actor and politician Vijay has highlighted Malaysia’s multicultural landscape as a key factor in keeping the Tamil language and cinema alive globally.
Addressing a massive crowd at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, he said Malaysia stands out among overseas markets for both its audience size and its preservation of Tamil culture within a diverse society.
Vijay noted that after Sri Lanka, Malaysia is home to one of the largest Tamil communities outside India, making it a critical pillar in the global Tamil cultural ecosystem.
“Malaysia is special because Tamil culture here has grown alongside other cultures, languages and faiths,” he said to thundering applause at the event organised by Malik Streams Corporation.
He said this coexistence has allowed Tamil cinema and traditions to remain alive across generations.
Highlighting Malaysia’s multicultural harmony, Vijay said inclusivity reflects the Tamil philosophy of ‘Yaadhum Oorey, Yaavarum Kelir’, meaning every place is home and everyone is kin.
Vijay also said Malaysia’s consistent engagement with Tamil films has made the country a respected reference point within the industry.
“Sometimes, simply hearing the name of a film brings Malaysia to mind,” he said, recalling that two of his films ‘Kuruvi’ and ‘Kaavalan’ were shot in Malaysia.
Reflecting on his 33-year film career, Vijay said his fans had stood by him during his most difficult periods, including early criticism and hardship.
“My fans stood by me during the toughest times of my life,” he stated.
He added that ‘Jana Nayagan’ will be his final film before transitioning fully into politics, as a gesture of gratitude to his supporters.
Vijay recently launched his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and is its official chief minister candidate for the 2026 Tamil Nadu State Assembly election.
The audio launch event was attended by prominent figures from the Tamil film industry, including music director Anirudh Ravichander and actor-director Prabhu Deva.
The event, which ran for nearly 10 hours, has entered the Malaysia Book of Records for the highest number of attendees at an audio launch in the country.
Produced by KVN Productions, ‘Jana Nayagan’ is scheduled for release in cinemas on 9 January 2026
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/people-issues/actor-vijay-praises-malaysias-role-in-preserving-tamil-language-and-culture/
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South Asia
Bangladesh July uprising leader Mahfuz Alam distances himself from NCP over Jamaat alliance
29.12.25
Mahfuz Alam, a key figure behind last year’s violent uprising that led to the fall of the Bangladesh government, on Sunday distanced himself from the National Citizen Party (NCP) amid internal discord over the party’s decision to pursue an electoral alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami.
In a Facebook post, Alam said he would not be a “part of this NCP,” as divisions within the party deepened following the proposed alliance. The rift has resulted in a memorandum signed by 30 senior leaders opposing the move and the resignation of two high-ranking party officials.
The 2024 street agitation, known as the July Uprising, was spearheaded by the Students against Discrimination (SAD) platform. In February this year, a significant faction of the movement evolved into the NCP, reportedly with the backing of interim government chief Muhammad Yunus.
Alam, who previously served as information and broadcast adviser — a role equivalent to a cabinet minister — stepped down shortly before the Election Commission announced the schedule for Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary elections on December 11, amid speculation that he could contest a key seat.
“Under the prevailing circumstances, my respect, affection and friendship for my July comrades will not be erased. But I am not becoming part of this NCP,” Alam wrote.
Rejecting speculation about his electoral ambitions, he said “it is not true that I was given a proposal from the Jamaat-NCP alliance but keeping my long standing position is more important than becoming a Jamaat-NCP alliance (candidate) from any Dhaka constituency”.
Last year, Yunus introduced Alam to former US president Bill Clinton during a visit to the United States, referring to him as the “brain behind the whole revolution” of July 2024 and describing the uprising as a “meticulously-designed” movement.
The violent protests culminated in the ouster of then prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024. Earlier this year, the interim administration disbanded the Awami League through an executive order, barring it from contesting the parliamentary elections scheduled for February 12, 2026.
Despite maintaining no formal position within the NCP, Alam is widely regarded as the party’s ideological “guru,” known for his unconventional political views.
His remarks came just hours after NCP convenor Nahid Islam announced that the party had joined a Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance to build broader political unity ahead of the polls. Islam, however, clarified that the decision did not reflect ideological alignment with Jamaat.
NCP joint member-secretary Mushfiq Us Saleheen, the first signatory to a memorandum titled “Principled objections to a potential alliance in light of the accountability of the July Uprising and party values”, told reporters on Saturday night that the document had been submitted to the party convenor.
The memorandum raised objections to the proposed alliance, stating that it contradicted the NCP’s declared ideology, its stance on the July Uprising, and broader democratic ethics. It highlighted Jamaat’s controversial political legacy, including its opposition to Bangladesh’s independence and alleged involvement in genocide and war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War, calling these incompatible with the country’s democratic values and the NCP’s principles.
The document further alleged that Jamaat’s student wing, Chhatra Shibir, had recently infiltrated and undermined other political parties, while spreading misinformation and propaganda to implicate the NCP in various incidents.
The memorandum became public after NCP senior joint member-secretary Tasnim Jara, a medical doctor, resigned on Saturday evening and announced her decision to contest the upcoming parliamentary election as an independent candidate from a Dhaka constituency.
Hours later, NCP joint convenor Tajnuva Jabeen, also a doctor, announced her resignation in a Facebook post, describing the alliance as “a political strategy carefully engineered and brought to this point”.
The daily “Ittefaq” reported that most female leaders within the NCP opposed any alliance with Jamaat or other religion-based parties.
Meanwhile, Bengali daily “Prothom Alo” earlier reported that discussions were held between the NCP and former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) over a possible seat-sharing arrangement, though no agreement was reached. “Since then, NCP talks with Jamaat have progressed positively,” the report said.
The BNP has since emerged as a frontrunner in the evolving political landscape, with its former ally Jamaat — a partner during the 2001–2006 tenure — now positioned as its principal rival, amid the absence of the disbanded Awami League.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/bangladesh-july-uprising-leader-mahfuz-alam-distances-himself-from-ncp-over-jamaat-alliance/cid/2140057
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Iran Executes 85 Citizens of Afghanistan in 2025, Human Rights Group Says
ByFidel Rahmati
December 29, 2025
Human rights group Hengaw reports that Iran has executed 85 nationals from Afghanistan in 2025, highlighting a sharp rise in executions of foreign prisoners.
Human rights organization Hengaw reported that Iran has executed a total of 85 Afghan nationals since the beginning of 2025. The latest execution involved Bismillah Tajik, who was put to death on Sunday, December 28, at Bandar Abbas Central Prison.
Most of the executed individuals were charged with serious crimes such as murder and drug trafficking, according to Hengaw. These executions mark a continuation of an alarming trend observed in recent years.
Reports from other human rights organizations indicate that the number of Afghan executions in Iran has steadily increased following the establishment of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Advocates warn that these prisoners are often denied fair trials and legal representation.
A UN human rights spokesperson previously emphasized that Iran has repeatedly ignored international appeals to commute death sentences, raising concerns among global human rights bodies about the country’s compliance with international law.
The total number of Afghan executions in 2025 exceeds last year’s figure of at least 80, highlighting a growing pattern of punitive measures targeting Afghan nationals in Iran.
Iran ranks second in the world for the number of executions, only behind China, reflecting the regime’s reliance on capital punishment as a legal and political tool.
Human rights organizations have also pointed out that many of these cases involve allegations that are difficult to verify, raising fears about the impartiality and transparency of Iran’s justice system.
The surge in executions has prompted international condemnation, with multiple calls for Iran to respect the rights of foreign nationals and adhere to global human rights norms.
Advocates stress that immediate diplomatic engagement and monitoring are crucial to prevent further loss of life and protect vulnerable populations within Iran’s prisons.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/iran-executes-85-citizens-of-afghanistan-in-2025-human-rights-group-says/
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UNICEF Warns Funding Cuts Could Push Six Million Children Out of School by 2026
By Fidel Rahmati
December 28, 2025
UNICEF warned that continued cuts to global education funding could deny schooling and essential services to six million children worldwide by 2026.
The UN children’s agency UNICEF has warned that continued cuts to global education funding could force up to six million children out of school by the end of 2026.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, December 28, UNICEF said children in crisis-hit regions, including Somalia and Palestine, face losing access to schooling and essential services provided through schools.
UNICEF stressed that education for every child is “life-saving and life-changing,” urging donors and governments to shield learning systems from the impacts of conflict and humanitarian crises.
According to the agency, schools in fragile settings often serve as more than learning spaces, providing food, psychosocial support, and a sense of safety for vulnerable children.
Prolonged conflicts, displacement, climate shocks, and economic pressures have already disrupted education for millions worldwide, with funding gaps widening as humanitarian needs increase.
UNICEF warned that shrinking budgets threaten not only education but also children’s access to nutrition, mental health care, and protection services linked to schools.
The agency said the loss of these services could deepen long-term inequalities, increasing risks of child labour, early marriage, and exploitation.
Meanwhile, UNICEF called on international donors to urgently reverse funding cuts and prioritize education as a core humanitarian response.
It added that sustained investment in children’s education is critical to preventing a “lost generation” and ensuring stability and recovery in crisis-affected societies.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/unicef-warns-funding-cuts-could-push-six-million-children-out-of-school-by-2026/
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Islamabad Police Arrest 41, Including Four from Afghanistan, in Major Weapons and Drugs Raid
By Fidel Rahmati
December 29, 2025
Islamabad police conducted a major security operation, arresting 41 individuals, including four from Afghanistan, and seizing weapons, ammunition, and drugs to maintain public safety.
Pakistani media reported that Islamabad police on Sunday launched a large-scale search-and-sweep operation across several areas of the capital, including Sangjani, arresting 41 suspects, among them four Afghan nationals.
According to police, as cited by a national daily on Monday, the arrests were made during a security search operation in the Sangjani area aimed at addressing growing security concerns. Weapons and narcotics were recovered from some of the detainees.
An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation was carried out under the supervision of Kazim Naqvi, commander of Islamabad’s Sadar police division, and involved extensive checks of people and properties across multiple locations.
During the operation, police searched 177 individuals, inspected 66 houses, 35 motorcycles and 15 vehicles. Twelve motorcycles and four vehicles lacking valid documentation were impounded for further investigation, officials said.
The suspects were transferred to local police stations for further questioning, while authorities said the seized weapons, ammunition and drugs would be examined as part of ongoing investigations.
The operation comes amid heightened security measures in Pakistan’s major cities following a sharp rise in conflict-related deaths and militant violence, as highlighted in recent security assessment reports.
Security agencies have stepped up intelligence-based raids after data showed notable increases in attacks, arrests and casualties involving militants, security forces and civilians nationwide.
Islamabad police chief Kazim Naqvi said operations against “criminal elements” would continue to maintain peace and order in the federal capital, stressing that public safety remains the top priority.
Pakistani media have not disclosed details about the identities of the Afghan nationals, and Taliban authorities have so far not commented on the arrests.
Source: khaama.com
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Traders attacked during anti-extortion human chain at Karwan Bazar
Dec 29, 2025
A group of people armed with sticks attacked a human chain organised by traders at Karwan Bazar in the capital this morning, as they were protesting alleged extortion in the market area, police said.
According to the traders, the programme began around 11:00am in front of the kitchen market to protest what they said was the resumption of extortion over the past couple of months.
About half an hour into the protest, the attackers swooped on the demonstrators, triggering a chase and counter-chase, witnesses said.
Kya Shi Nyu Marma, officer-in-charge of Tejgaon Police Station, said a group of people attacked the traders while they were holding an anti-extortion human chain.
"Police are at the spot to bring the situation under control," he said.
Several traders alleged that local Jubo Dal leaders and activists were among the attackers. "We were protesting peacefully. They launched an unprovoked attack. We want justice," said one businessman, requesting anonymity.
Another trader said extortion had stopped after the August 5 uprising last year, but had resumed in the recent months, with a group of men identifying themselves as local Jubo Dal leaders allegedly collecting money from shopkeepers.
"Unable to tolerate their harassment, we decided to hold today's human chain," he said.
Following the attack, the traders regrouped and chased the attackers, who later fled the scene, witnesses added.
Additional law enforcement personnel arrived shortly afterwards and brought the situation under control. The traders then brought out a procession, chanting slogans against extortion and vowing to resist such activities.
However, a local Jubo Dal leader denied the extortion allegations. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he claimed the clash stemmed from internal disputes over control of the kitchen market committee.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/traders-attacked-during-anti-extortion-human-chain-karwan-bazar-4068506
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170 NCP leaders back possible alliance with Jamaat
Dec 28, 2025
National Citizen Party (NCP) central committee's 170 leaders have expressed support for a potential alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. More than 122 leaders sent individual letters to party convenor Nahid Islam till this afternoon.
NCP Joint Chief Coordinator Md Arifur Rahman Tuhin confirmed the development to The Daily Star.
"Our central committee general body members are sending letters through our WhatsApp group expressing support for the Jamaat–NCP alliance. So far, 170 have expressed support, including 122 who have sent separate letters. The rest are expected to follow," he said.
Party sources said the campaign in favour of the alliance began after a list of 30 leaders opposing it was exposed publicly. As part of the campaign, party leaders and activists have been sending letters to the convenor declaring their support.
The list of signatories includes Senior Joint Convenor Ariful Islam Adeeb, Sarowar Tushar, Dr Atik Mujahid, Javed Rasin, Sultan Muhammad Zakaria, Ehtesham Haque, Joint Chief Coordinator Arifur Rahman Tuhin, Senior Joint Chief Organiser Saifullah Haider, Ataullah, Mahmuda Mitu, Ali Naser Khan and Mahin Sarkar, among others.
In their letters, the leaders emphasised the importance of timely political decisions to uphold the party's ideals, objectives and strategic positions, and to strengthen democratic institutions and accountable governance ahead of the upcoming national parliamentary elections.
They stated, "With the broader goals of party interests, national interest, and democratic transformation in mind, we fully support and endorse any decision by NCP to form an electoral understanding or alliance with any political party or coalition."
The leaders also expressed confidence in any alliance or electoral arrangement approved by the convenor and member secretary.
They further expressed hope that the convenor's visionary leadership and political acumen would keep the party united and strong, while enhancing public trust.
Source: thedailystar.net
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Nationwide protests demand justice for Sharif Osman Hadi
Dec 28, 2025
Leaders and activists of Inqilab Moncho and allied groups staged simultaneous blockades across major highways and intersections in Chattogram, Rajshahi, Gazipur, Barishal, Cumilla and Khulna today, demanding justice for the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi.
In Chattogram, traffic at the Notun Bridge intersection under Bakalia Police Station came to a standstill from 2:00pm as protesters occupied the road.
The blockade crippled movement through one of the city's most vital transport hubs linking south Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, and Bandarban.
Addressing Osman Hadi as a pro-Bangladeshi politician, Kohinur Akhter, joint member secretary of the Chattogram city unit of UP Bangladesh, said, "He was shot dead in public, yet the government has failed to arrest the killers. We have taken to the streets to press home our demand for justice."
Police said they were negotiating with demonstrators to ease public suffering.
Similar demonstrations unfolded in Rajshahi, where activists blocked the Rajshahi–Dhaka highway at Talaimari intersection from 2:30pm, chanting slogans demanding Hadi's killers be brought to justice.
In Gazipur, students rallied at Chandana intersection on the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway, halting traffic on one lane while maintaining a peaceful protest.
Gazipur Traffic Police Inspector Tariqul Islam, who is on duty at Chandana intersection, told The Daily Star, "The protesters have completely blocked traffic on one side of the road since 3:00pm. Currently, one of the two lanes is completely closed, and vehicles are moving slowly on the other lane."
Barishal saw students under the Inqilab Moncho banner block the Dhaka–Barishal highway near Nathullabad bus terminal around 3:15pm, stranding vehicles on at least 32 routes.
In Cumilla, a coalition including NCP, AB Party and Inqilab Moncho gathered at Pubali Chattar, demanding immediate trial of those responsible.
AB Party candidate for Cumilla-6 constituency, Mia Mohammad Toufiq, said, "Hadi had become a symbol of the July movement. The killers of Hadi must be identified and brought to justice. If Hadi's murder is not tried before the election, we will confront this. The Yunus government has failed. If justice is not delivered, we are ready for another revolution like July."
Speakers warned of further blockades, including on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway, if justice was not delivered.
In Khulna, a peaceful protest began around 4:00pm at Shibbari Mor in the city, where around a hundred protesters laid mats on the road and staged a sit-in, blocking the western side of the intersection.
Source: thedailystar.net
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Kabul, Tehran Discuss Economic and Mining Cooperation
December 29, 2025
KABUL: The Minister of Mines and Petroleum, Mullah Hidayatullah Badri, met with the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Afghanistan, Alireza Bikdeli, to discuss strengthening bilateral economic cooperation.
The meeting took place at the minister’s office, where both sides exchanged views on expanding relations, particularly in investment opportunities in Afghanistan’s mining sector, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
The Iranian ambassador described Afghanistan’s security situation and rich mineral resources as a valuable opportunity for enhancing cooperation, expressing Iranian companies’ interest in investing in iron and oil projects.
Badri welcomed the interest and pledged full cooperation to facilitate such investments.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/kabul-tehran-discuss-economic-and-mining-cooperation/
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Afghanistan-U.S. Interaction Entering New Phase After Foreign Forces Withdrawal, Muttaqi Says
December 29, 2025
KABUL: The country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi, met with former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mr. Zalmay Khalilzad, to discuss bilateral relations, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
The meeting focused on comprehensive discussions regarding ways to enhance Afghanistan–United States bilateral relations, exploring both opportunities and challenges.
Muttaqi stated that more than four years after the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and the end of the conflict, interactions between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the United States have entered a new phase.
He added that there are numerous areas in which bilateral relations could be further developed, and these opportunities can be pursued through sustained dialogue.
Meanwhile, Khalilzad praised the notable progress in security and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.
The former U.S. envoy also emphasized the importance of discussions on issues of mutual interest and underscored the need for continued bilateral meetings.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/afghanistan-u-s-interaction-entering-new-phase-after-foreign-forces-withdrawal-muttaqi-says/
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Two MoUs Worth $515,000 Signed to Support Migrants, Returnees
December 29, 2025
KABUL: Two Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) worth $515,700 were signed on Sunday at the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation with the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance and Afghan Women’s Social Services organizations, to support migrants and returnees.
Under the MoUs, the funds will be used to provide essential services to migrants at the Torkham crossing and to create employment opportunities in the provinces of Nangarhar, Badghis, Herat, and Farah.
The initiatives aim to improve living conditions and strengthen the economic resilience of vulnerable families.
According to the statement, the implementation of these projects will benefit 868,688 people, including internally displaced persons, returnees, and members of host communities, contributing to broader efforts to support sustainable livelihoods and social stability.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/two-mous-worth-515000-signed-to-support-migrants-returnees/
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