Cockroach Janta Party Reaffirms Peaceful June 6 Protest In Delhi, Rejects Violence Speculation Ahead Of Jantar Mantar Rally
New Age Islam News Bureau
05 June 2026
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) chief spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka, left, and Saurav Das address a press conference, in New Delhi, Thursday, June 4, 2026.
PTI
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· Cockroach Janta Party reaffirms peaceful June 6 protest in Delhi, rejects violence speculation ahead of Jantar Mantar rally
· Palestinians call on Trump to stop Israeli annexation
· Saudi crown prince denounces ‘brutal’ Iranian attacks targeting Bahrain
· No, the Mayor of Rotherham hasn’t called for Sharia law in Britain
· Canadian Muslim group urges action with new Islamophobia handbook
· The United Nations: ‘Weapons Looted In Libya During Gaddafi-Era Traced To Nigeria’
· Malaysia denounces Israel’s violations in Lebanon, urges protection of UN peacekeepers and civilians
· New scam freezes Afghan investors’ funds in Gold BS
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India
· 15 illegal mosques sealed in Arunachal over unauthorised settlement concerns
· 'Was pressured to resign': Complaint filed against Pune IT firm after woman alleges religious conversion, workplace discrimination
· 'Cong chooses Sharia': BJP reacts to 'Islam-friendly gym' in Kerala
· 'I slowly started believing': Victim details alleged conversion push in TCS case chargesheet
· Samastha cites Islamic ruling amid debate over IUML MLA lighting nilavilakku
· Owaisi accuses Centre of undermining census integrity, flags data gaps in NFHS survey
· Bengal CPM chief Md Salim: ‘Ritabrata Banerjee is a man of all seasons who is always with power… it is BJP script’
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Mideast
· Trump says he does not need deal with Iran to get enriched uranium
· President Mahmoud Abbas ratifies first-ever voting system for Palestinian parliamentary elections
· Oman says operations at Mina Al Fahal proceeding normally after blast
· 2 children among 9 killed in Gaza City
· What Israel’s capture of a medieval castle says about the challenge of breaking Lebanon’s cycle of conflict
· Aid group urges meaningful action during Lebanon ceasefire
· Syrians dispatch aid to Deir Ezzor as 54 water stations remain out of service
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Arab World
· King Faisal hospital adds major award to growing list of global honors
· Saudi Arabia promotes human-centered AI at global labor forum
· On World Environment Day, Saudi institutions highlight their work
· Saudi vice minister of foreign affairs receives Norway’s special envoy to Sudan
· Cooling of Prophet’s Mosque enhanced
· Makkah museum exhibits rare Qur’an
· Adaa Health Center receives global recognition from Sterling International
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Europe
· British interiors and the enduring influence of Islamic arts
· Viral image of Beaver Scouts at mosque with bearded man in white in the background has been edited
· Gosport tattoo studio Off Yer Tatts objects to plans for Islamic place of worship over space fears
· New Islamic finance report unveiled at Istanbul summit
· How Russian media and experts reacted to Germany’s UN humiliation
· German man fined for calling Merz ‘lying Fritz’
· ‘Military secret’ about Oreshnik and ‘death’ of Russian economy: Key takeaways from Putin’s Q&A
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North America
· CAIR-NY to Join Interfaith Coalition in Demanding Accountability for Islamophobia Promoted by City Council Member
· CAIR Condemns Anti-Muslim Rhetoric at Hearing for Proposed New Mexico Mosque
· Armed man arrested after hours-long standoff at Tacoma, WA mosque
· Son of detained Islamic Society of Milwaukee president says father's health is being neglected in ICE custody
· CAIR Files Federal Lawsuit Against Fairfax County Public Schools for Suspending Muslim and Arab Students Over Participation in Viral Video Trend
· Trump hits back at 'unpatriotic' vote after House rebukes him over Iran
· Activists push for return of US monuments removed during BLM ‘statue wars’ – WSJ
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Africa
· Panic As Suspected Bandits Kill Guard, Abduct Pastor, Others In Abuja Community
· Presidency Confirms Police Arrest Of Man Who Spread Fake Audio About Tinubu
· Insecurity: ‘Tinubu Is Boko Haram’ – Sowore Alleged During Protest
· Security Operatives Block Protesters From National Assembly
· Protesters take to streets of Nigerian capital over school abductions
· Ebola: Controversial U.S.-backed quarantine center in Kenya starts
· Hundreds in Libya protest against migrants, refugees
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Southeast Asia
· Police: No criminal wrongdoing in alleged sexual assault at Melaka mosque mortuary
· Eid al-Adha qurban reaches 2.03 million animals across Indonesia
· Perikatan’s ‘pluses and minuses’ not my concern, Anwar says amid PAS push to broaden ties
· Anwar to launch Johor Pakatan election machinery tomorrow ahead of state polls
· Speculation grows over renewed PAS–Umno ties after Hadi Awang confirms leaders met
· Sultan Ibrahim graces Trooping of the Colours ceremony at Dataran Pahlawan Negara, inspects parade
· Malaysia gains strategic importance for Italy, says ambassador
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South Asia
· Afghan, Uzbek Officials Discuss Expanding Trade, Economic Cooperation
· Bangladesh, Turkey signal ‘new era’ of strategic partnership
· Higher US tariffs unlikely to improve labour rights: CPD
· Afghanistan-Born Shia Cleric Mohammad Ishaq Fayyaz Dies, Iraq Declares Mourning
· Afghan Embassy in Kuwait Handed Over to Islamic Emirate
· US Democrats press Rubio on stranded Afghan allies in Qatar
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Cockroach Janta Party reaffirms peaceful June 6 protest in Delhi, rejects violence speculation ahead of Jantar Mantar rally
04.06.26
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) chief spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka, left, and Saurav Das address a press conference, in New Delhi, Thursday, June 4, 2026.
PTI
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The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Thursday escalated its campaign ahead of its proposed June 6 protest in Delhi, sharply attacking the government over the reported exposure of JEE (Advanced) 2026 candidate data due to a cloud storage configuration issue, and demanding accountability from the education ministry.
The leaders of the campaign, which began on social media and went on to take a life of its own, also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately sack Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saying he had failed to ensure accountability in the education sector.
Addressing a press conference here, CJP spokespersons said the incident had raised fresh concerns about the security of student data and the government's handling of examination systems.
CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and the London School of Economics who was appointed the campaign's spokesperson on Wednesday, said the exposure of candidate information reflected the poor state of cybersecurity safeguards.
"Names, phone numbers and images of nearly two lakh students got exposed. In a country that has produced techies leading top technology companies across the world, the education minister and the government are so incompetent that they are unable to run basic systems securely," Ranka said.
"The education minister is totally incompetent. He has run the education system into the ground. We appeal to the Prime Minister to sack Dharmendra Pradhan immediately. This is about the future of our students and a lot is at stake," he added.
He also said public institutions required individuals with scientific temper and technical competence.
Questioning the response of IIT Roorkee, which conducted the exam this year as its nodal body, Ranka said the institute's assertion that the exposed data was in a "read-only" format did not diminish the seriousness of the issue.
"IIT Roorkee said the data was read-only. Is this a joke? You are saying it could be read but not edited. One basic IIT portal cannot be run securely. Sixteen, 17 and 18-year-olds are discovering vulnerabilities and alerting CERT. This shows the level of competence of the people running the system," he said.
On Tuesday, IIT Roorkee acknowledged a cloud storage configuration issue linked to the JEE (Advanced) 2026 results portal after a teenage cybersecurity researcher reported that candidate records and admit-card documents were accessible without authentication.
The institute said corrective action was being taken on priority and maintained that the exposed data was in read-only mode, ruling out any possibility of alteration of records.
Ranka demanded that the government disclose details of all data exposure incidents and cybersecurity lapses under its watch.
"We want to know where this country's data has landed and who all have access to it. Details of all such breaches, especially those that could impact national security, should be made public," he said.
Reiterating the party’s position ahead of the June 6 mobilisation, Ranka also moved to counter speculation about unrest.
"Rumours are being spread about violence. The Cockroach Janata Party calls for peaceful and democratic protests in line with law and order. We urge people to shun violence," he said.
The press conference came a day after the outfit held its first media interaction at the Constitution Club of India, where it said it was open to dialogue with both the government and the Opposition over its demands while continuing to seek Pradhan's resignation.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who is pursuing higher education in the United States, is expected to arrive in Delhi on June 6 and seek permission for a protest at Jantar Mantar. The party has said climate activist Sonam Wangchuk will also join the proposed demonstration.
The CJP traces its origins to a controversy sparked by remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant last month, when he referred to certain individuals as "cockroaches" and "parasites" during a court hearing.
The remarks triggered a backlash on social media, with CJP founder Dipke and his supporters appropriating the term "cockroach" as a political symbol and launching what began as an online youth movement before evolving into an organised campaign.
The party said its protest would be carried out through lawful means and stressed the importance of maintaining public order while exercising democratic rights.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/cockroach-janta-party-calls-for-peaceful-democratic-protests-ahead-of-june-6-jantar-mantar-demonstration/cid/2163955
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Palestinians call on Trump to stop Israeli annexation
June 04, 2026
GENEVA: The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, surrounded by his counterparts from Arab and Muslim countries, called on the United States on Thursday to stop Israel’s annexation of its territories.
“I know that President (Donald) Trump is capable, and he has the tools to stop Netanyahu in his tracks, in order not to keep the whole region in turmoil...and to move in the direction of peace and justice, that is why the majority of us are working with them,” Riyad Mansour told press.
“We know that he told (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu, including recently, stop the nonsense in Lebanon, stop the craziness. You know you are not allowed to annex the land.”
The UN’s geopolitical bloc Arab Group joined the ambassador to express “deep alarm” and regional solidarity against “rapidly escalating” Israeli settler aggression and military violence against Palestinians.
“Israel continues to implement policies that amount to accelerated annexation and a systematic dismantling of Palestinian rights,” Saudi ambassador Abdulaziz Alwasil said on behalf of the bloc.
“The Group stresses that Israel’s recent measures are not isolated incidents but part of a coordinated strategy to entrench permanent control over Palestinian land, alter the demographic and geographic reality on the ground, and eliminate the possibility of the independence of the State of Palestine, as a sovereign, viable and contiguous State, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions.”
Others from the intergovernmental Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have echoed the demand to end Israel’s annexation of Palestinian territories in the West Bank, where settlement expansion continues, and in Gaza, where the Israeli army has taken control of at least half the territory.
Speaking on behalf of OIC, Turkish deputy ambassador Fikriye Asli Guven called on the Security Council “to take urgent and effective measures to halt all annexation activities, settlement expansion, forcible displacement, and other unlawful practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and to ensure accountability in accordance with international law.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2646060/middle-east
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Saudi crown prince denounces ‘brutal’ Iranian attacks targeting Bahrain
June 04, 2026
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Bahrain’s King Hamad. (File/SPA/BNA)
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RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman denounced and condemned “brutal” Iranian attacks on Bahrain during a phone call with King Hamad on Thursday.
Bahrain’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that its military intercepted and destroyed three missiles and a number of drones fired by Iran.
The crown prince also affirmed the Kingdom’s full support and solidarity with Bahrain and its backing for all measures taken to defend its security and stability.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2646008/saudi-arabia
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No, the Mayor of Rotherham hasn’t called for Sharia law in Britain
4 JUNE 2026
False claims that the Mayor of Rotherham said that Britain “can only become great again by implementing Sharia law” have been circulating again on social media.
Many posts on Facebook attributing the comments to the politician, or making similarly worded claims, include an image of Councillor Rukhsana Ismail, who served as the Mayor of Rotherham for the 2025/26 municipal year. The posts have gained thousands of reactions and comments between them.
But we could find no evidence that Councillor Ismail ever said this.
We debunked the same bogus claims earlier this year, when they were shared alongside a video of Councillor Ismail speaking in Arabic.
This clip was taken from a longer message, in which she also spoke in English, with a message for Ramadan. But this video made no reference to Sharia law or calling for any such legal system to be implemented in the UK, and we couldn’t find any evidence that she’s made any such comments elsewhere.
Additionally, Councillor Ismail is no longer Rotherham’s mayor. Councillor Haroon Rashid has taken up the chains of office as Mayor of Rotherham for 2026/27. We could find no evidence he’d made such comments either.
We have contacted Councillor Ismail and Councillor Rashid about the claims, and will update this article if they respond.
Before sharing claims like this which you see on social media, it’s important to consider whether it comes from a trustworthy and verifiable source before sharing. Our Full Fact misinformation toolkit and guides can help you do this.
Source: fullfact.org
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https://fullfact.org/politics/mayor-rotherham-sharia-law-false-claim/
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Canadian Muslim group urges action with new Islamophobia handbook
05/06/2026
File photo
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The Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council released a comprehensive policy handbook Thursday demanding stronger federal protections for Muslim communities, urging Ottawa to move beyond symbolic recognition and implement concrete safeguards as anti-Muslim hate crimes have surged 94% since the deadly 2021 attack on the Afzaal family in London, Ontario.
The Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council released a comprehensive policy handbook Thursday in Ottawa to mark the fourth anniversary of the deadly hate-motivated vehicle attack that killed four members of the Afzaal family in London, Ontario. CMPAC Executive Director Khaled Alqazzaz said the June 6, 2021 attack was "not an isolated tragedy" but exposed systemic realities Muslim communities have long warned about, noting that Islamophobia remains embedded in institutional systems beyond individual incidents.
Alqazzaz stated the handbook draws on parliamentary reports and academic research to demand stronger federal protections for mosques and Islamic schools, dedicated funding streams and improved accountability within public institutions. He criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney's decision to dissolve the special representative on Islamophobia in favor of an advisory council, saying expectations remain high for the new body to address anti-Muslim hate "in a real and direct way."
Global ideology fueling anti-Muslim violence
Justice For All Canada Executive Director Taha Ghayyur told the news conference that anti-Muslim violence is driven by a transnational ideology connecting attacks across borders, citing the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting and attacks in New Zealand and the United States alongside the Afzaal murders. "Different countries, different perpetrators, different circumstances, but a common thread is the dehumanization of Muslims," he said, pointing to Statistics Canada data showing hate crimes targeting Muslims rose 94% in 2023 while overall hate incidents have more than doubled since 2019.
Ghayyur identified white supremacy, transnational hate and foreign interference as contributing factors, naming India and China when questioned about governments linked to persecution of Muslim minorities. New Democratic Party House Leader Heather McPherson said Muslim Canadians continue to face discrimination, intimidation and vandalism including attacks on mosques, adding that Ottawa must combat all forms of hate including Islamophobia, antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism and anti-Indigenous racism.
London attack perpetrator convicted of terrorism
Three generations of the Pakistani-origin Afzaal family died when Nathaniel Veltman drove a pickup truck into them as they walked along a road in London. The victims were physiotherapist Salman Afzaal, 46; his wife Madiha, 44, a doctoral candidate at Western University; their daughter Yumna, 15, an honor-roll student; and Salman's mother Talat, 74, the family matriarch — the couple's nine-year-old son was the sole survivor. Veltman was convicted in 2023 of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, with prosecutors establishing the attack as terrorism motivated by white nationalist ideology.
Source: yenisafak.com
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https://en.yenisafak.com/world/canadian-muslims-demand-action-with-new-islamophobia-handbook-3719124
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The United Nations: ‘Weapons Looted In Libya During Gaddafi-Era Traced To Nigeria’
By Richard Ogunsile
June 5, 2026
The United Nations (UN) has said that weapons looted during the 2011 conflict in Libya later found their way into the hands of extremist groups operating in Nigeria and other parts of the Sahel.
Naija News reports that the UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, disclosed this while addressing delegates at the UN Headquarters in New York during discussions on the global spread of illicit firearms and their impact on peace and security.
Nakamitsu warned that weapons stolen, diverted, or looted during armed conflicts often continue to fuel violence long after the original conflict has ended.
According to her, such weapons have contributed to instability, terrorism, organised crime, and insecurity across national borders.
The UN official said arms looted during the uprising that ended the rule of former Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, later resurfaced in countries across the wider Sahel region, including Nigeria, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
She said the development showed how weapons from one conflict could worsen insecurity in neighbouring countries years after the fighting had stopped.
“Libya, where weapons looted or diverted during and after the 2011 conflict, which ended the rule of Muammar Gaddafi, later surfaced across the wider Sahel region, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria,” Nakamitsu said.
She added that some of the weapons were later recovered from extremist organisations operating in the region.
“Some were subsequently found in the hands of extremist groups, illustrating how arms from one conflict can destabilise neighbouring countries years later,” she stated.
Nakamitsu warned that the end of a war does not automatically end the circulation of weapons used during such conflict.
“The end of the conflict does not mean the end of the circulation of those weapons; it stays, and it continues to harm people,” she said.
Illicit Arms Threaten Peacebuilding Efforts
The UN disarmament chief said the continued circulation of illegal firearms remains a major threat to peacebuilding, especially in fragile and conflict-affected societies.
She explained that weapons retained by armed groups, militias, and even local communities for self-defence often contribute to fresh cycles of violence.
According to her, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons should not be seen only as a security problem, but also as a development and human rights challenge.
She noted that illegal weapons have been linked to terrorism, organised crime, human rights abuses, and gender-based violence.
“It is not just a security issue. It is also about peacebuilding. It is about human rights. It is also about development,” Nakamitsu said.
‘Wars End, But Weapons Keep Moving’
Nakamitsu further stated that weapons used in armed conflicts often remain outside government control after wars end.
She said many of the weapons are hidden, trafficked across borders, or passed into the hands of criminal and extremist networks.
“Wars end, but unfortunately, the weapons that are used in that particular conflict would not be under full control.
“They continue to circulate. They are sometimes hidden. They are brought across borders,” she said.
Her remarks come amid persistent concerns over the movement of small arms and light weapons across the Sahel, where terrorist groups, bandits, and other armed groups have continued to exploit weak border controls and conflict zones.
The UN official also raised concern over new threats linked to technological advancement in illegal arms production and trafficking.
She identified ghost guns, 3D-printed firearms, and sophisticated smuggling networks as emerging challenges for governments and security agencies.
According to Nakamitsu, these developments are making it harder for authorities to trace and intercept illegal weapons.
“Those weapons or weapon parts, if they are disassembled and then trafficked, are more difficult to trace,” she said.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/06/05/weapons-looted-in-libya-gaddafi-nigeria/
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Malaysia denounces Israel’s violations in Lebanon, urges protection of UN peacekeepers and civilians
05 Jun 2026
PUTRAJAYA, June 5 — Malaysia has condemned the continuing attacks on United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon and extended its condolences to Serbia following the death of a Serbian peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).
In a statement on Friday, the Foreign Ministry said Malaysia stood in solidarity with Unifil and condemned in the strongest terms the continuing attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers.
“These attacks on peacekeepers and the civilian population continue amidst escalating hostilities, as a direct result of Israel’s violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and are unjustifiable,” it said.
The Malaysian government extended its deepest condolences to the family and Government of Serbia following the death of a Serbian peacekeeper on Thursday, as a result of injuries sustained in an incident near Marjayoun, southern Lebanon, on June 3.
Malaysia also wished two peacekeepers from El Salvador and Spain a speedy recovery after they were injured in the incident, the ministry said.
“Malaysia calls for an end to these hostilities and for all parties to fully uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of UN peacekeepers and the civilian population in Lebanon,” the ministry said.
Malaysia is among the countries contributing personnel to Unifil, which operates in southern Lebanon under a United Nations mandate. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/06/05/malaysia-denounces-israels-violations-in-lebanon-urges-protection-of-un-peacekeepers-and-civilians/222634
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New scam freezes Afghan investors’ funds in Gold BS
By Fidel Rahmati
June 4, 2026
Hundreds, and potentially thousands, of Afghans have lost access to their savings after the apparent collapse of the investment platform “Gold BS,” also known as “Thomas,” in what victims describe as one of the country’s largest recent financial scams.
The platform, which began operating in October 2024, attracted investors with promises of unusually high returns through a structure that participants and analysts have described as resembling a pyramid scheme. Early payouts to some users encouraged wider participation, prompting many people to invest larger sums and recruit friends and relatives.
Victims say investments ranging from $500 to more than $20,000 are now frozen. Users report being unable to withdraw their funds, while platform operators have allegedly demanded additional payments equal to 20% of account balances through another exchange service as a condition for reactivating accounts.
Financial regulators and investor-protection organizations had previously warned about the company’s activities. Canadian regulatory bodies and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) issued alerts about suspected risks linked to the platform before its operations came under scrutiny.
The case has renewed concerns about financial fraud in Afghanistan, where weak consumer protections, limited financial literacy, and economic hardship have made many citizens vulnerable to high-risk investment schemes promising quick profits.
The collapse also comes at a time when many Afghan households are facing severe economic pressures. Years of economic instability, banking restrictions, unemployment, and reductions in international assistance have pushed families to seek alternative sources of income and investment opportunities, often with limited information about the risks involved.
Analysts say the incident mirrors previous fraudulent schemes that targeted Afghan investors, including the notorious GoldQuest network, which attracted participants with promises of rapid returns before collapsing and leaving many people with significant financial losses.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/new-scam-freezes-afghan-investors-funds-in-gold-bs/
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India
15 illegal mosques sealed in Arunachal over unauthorised settlement concerns
June 5, 2026
The Arunachal Pradesh government has sealed 15 mosque sites in the Itanagar Capital Region after an administrative exercise found them to be operating without the required approvals, bringing the contentious issue of alleged illegal settlements and demographic concerns back into sharp focus in the northeastern state.
The development has once again brought attention to concerns frequently raised by indigenous groups regarding migration, settlement patterns, and demographic shifts in Arunachal Pradesh.
Several organisations have argued that unchecked settlements and unauthorised constructions could affect the state’s tribal character and place pressure on limited land resources.
Crackdown follows indigenous groups’ campaign
The latest action comes after sustained protests and mobilisation by the Arunachal Pradesh Indigenous Youth Organisation (APIYO), which has been raising concerns over unauthorised structures and settlement patterns in parts of the state.
The organisation had previously announced agitation programmes, including a shutdown call in the capital region, while demanding government intervention on what it described as a growing challenge to indigenous interests.
Government cites verification exercise
State government spokesperson and Education Minister P.D. Sona said the matter was formally taken up with the government earlier this year during discussions between APIYO representatives and Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
Following those representations, district authorities were directed to examine the status of religious structures allegedly operating without mandatory permissions.
A verification exercise conducted by officials subsequently identified 15 mosque sites within the Capital Complex area that were found to be unauthorised.
Legal process completed before action
According to the government, authorities followed due process before proceeding with enforcement measures.
Officials completed legal scrutiny and administrative proceedings in most cases before carrying out sealing and eviction-related actions. The remaining cases were reviewed separately before similar action was initiated.
P.D. Sona said the administration had addressed the concerns raised by indigenous organisations through legal and administrative channels and expressed hope that further agitation could be avoided.
Indigenous protection remains key issue
The developments come against the backdrop of recent consultations led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu involving tribal bodies, student organisations, civil society groups, legal experts and political representatives.
Those discussions focused on issues linked to indigenous rights, demographic concerns and implementation of regulatory mechanisms such as the Inner Line Permit system.
During those deliberations, the state government reiterated its commitment to protecting the interests of indigenous communities while addressing concerns related to illegal immigration, settlement patterns and demographic changes through legal and constitutional mechanisms.
Source: thestatesman.com
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https://www.thestatesman.com/india/15-illegal-mosques-sealed-in-arunachal-pradesh-northeast-india-1503602134.html
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'Was pressured to resign': Complaint filed against Pune IT firm after woman alleges religious conversion, workplace discrimination
Jun 4, 2026
PUNE: A former employee of a technology firm has alleged religious harassment, workplace discrimination and forced resignation, following which a complaint has been lodged with Hinjawadi Police in Pune and a legal notice served on the company.
According to news agency ANI, the allegations were made at a press conference in Pune organised by representatives of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, where the woman detailed incidents she claims occurred during her tenure at the company’s Hinjawadi office.
According to the complainant, a female colleague allegedly pressured her on multiple occasions to convert to Islam and enter into a relationship with a Muslim man.
She alleged that the colleague made repeated remarks about her personal life and encouraged her to leave her Hindu faith, claiming it would lead to a better lifestyle and opportunities abroad.
The former employee said she objected to such comments and later limited her interactions with the colleague to official work-related communication.
“The way these people trap women, Hindu women, and then force them, compel them, to either follow their ways or leave their jobs. Due to this forced situation, I had to hold this press conference. I have endured harassment and torture for 10 months. I had to bring this forward, and I also want to create awareness that if women are Hindu, we should at least take some steps for their protection."
"And this undercover process of religious conversion, the highlights of which we never get to know. We think we are just having a casual talk, while they are trying to trap you and make you accept conversion to Islam. When we talk to the company about these things, the company says these things don't happen in our company, and it's covered up,” the complainant alleged.
She further claimed she had escalated the matter to senior company officials, but no action was taken. Instead, she alleged that a complaint was filed against her before the company’s internal Ombuds Committee.
The complainant also alleged irregularities in the internal inquiry process, saying that despite submitting evidence, her version was not properly considered.
She further claimed that in August 2025, she was called to a Teams meeting with company representatives and was pressured to resign.
She alleged that the resignation was obtained under pressure and without a fair chance to present her case.
Advocate Vivek Bhosale, representing the former employee, said the resignation violated principles of natural justice and labour law.
He added that a legal notice has been issued to the company seeking reinstatement, continuity of service, withdrawal of the resignation and Rs 50 lakh compensation for alleged mental trauma and reputational damage.
Representatives of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, including Sunil Ghanwat, who was present at the press conference, called for a detailed investigation and urged the Maharashtra government to look into the matter. They said the case raised concerns about workplace safety, religious freedom and grievance redressal mechanisms in corporate settings.
Sunil Ghanwat, Coordinator for Hindu Janajagruti Samiti for Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, said: “A significant press conference was held at the Pune Press Club today regarding "Corporate Jihad" currently going on in Pune's IT industry. A victim approached the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and shared how she is being harassed. Her colleague told her to accept Islam and compelled her to have physical relations. She has been harassed several times. Our demand is that... it needs to be investigated. The victim needs justice. She was forced out of her job 8-10 months ago, and her harassment wasn't investigated.”
Police in Hinjawadi have confirmed receipt of a complaint and said an investigation is under way.
Senior Police Inspector Balaji Pandhare said: “She has complained that her former female boss used some objectionable words against her. After receiving the complaint, we have started the investigation into it. The female boss, currently posted in Bangalore, has been asked to record her statement to help in the investigation.”
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/was-pressured-to-resign-complaint-filed-against-pune-it-firm-after-woman-alleges-religious-conversion-workplace-discrimination/articleshowprint/131497520.cms
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'Cong chooses Sharia': BJP reacts to 'Islam-friendly gym' in Kerala
Jun 4, 2026
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday accused Kerala’s ruling Congress of choosing “sharia over Constitution” in response to a youth’s announcement about opening an “Islam-friendly gym.”
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged that the Congress in Kerala is being "pressured" by its ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
"In Kerala, Congress is being remote-controlled by IUML. It is allowing sharia-compliant gyms on IUML's directions. This clearly shows that the Congress has chose sharia over Constitution," Bhandari said in a video on his X account."It is proven clearly that because of Muslim appeasement, the Congress party is now keeping Constitution on back, and believing in sharia over Constitution...Because of Muslim appeasement, the Congress party is becoming a threat to security and safety of Hindus in Kerala," he added.
IUML, with 22 MLAs, is the second-largest constituent of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in the southern state. The UDF holds 102 seats in the 140-member Kerala legislative assembly.
The controversy centres on a fitness facility in Puthunagaram, in Palakkad district. It recently announced plans to transform itself into an "Islam-friendly gym" operating under "Sharia-based guidelines."
The announcement, which was later deleted, was posted on the Instagram account "Nawaz Muthu T." It stated that the fitness centre, in operation for the past 15 years, would introduce a new set of rules for its members.
Under the proposed guidelines, music would be prohibited inside the facility, separate workout timings would be designated for men and women, and members would be required to follow a dress code ensuring that their "awrah" — body parts that Islamic teachings prescribe should be covered — remains concealed while exercising.
The proposed changes also stipulate that men and women would not be allowed to work out together, with separate schedules arranged for each group.
Women members would be required to wear attire, including a hijab, that covers the body in accordance with the stated religious guidelines.
The announcement has sparked debate, drawing mixed reactions from various quarters. Supporters have described the initiative as an effort to provide a fitness environment that accommodates religious preferences, while critics have questioned the implications and broader impact of operating a gym based on faith-specific guidelines.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/cong-chooses-sharia-bjp-reacts-to-islam-friendly-gym-in-kerala/articleshowprint/131505444.cms
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'I slowly started believing': Victim details alleged conversion push in TCS case chargesheet
Jun 4, 2026
NEW DELHI: A victim at the centre of the alleged sexual harassment and forcible conversion case involving Tata Consultancy Services' (TCS) Nashik unit told police she was gradually convinced that accepting Islam would reduce her mental stress, according to a chargesheet filed in the case.
"I was convinced that if I accepted the Islamic religion, my mental stress would decrease. I slowly started believing in those things," the woman said in a statement that forms part of the chargesheet submitted in a Nashik court last week, PTI reported.
According to the chargesheet, the woman alleged that one of the accused repeatedly told her that her anxiety and stress would reduce if she stopped listening to devotional songs associated with her faith, avoided visiting temples and instead followed Islamic religious practices.
She told police she was encouraged to recite Islamic prayers and religious phrases and was told that doing so would help reduce her stress. The accused allegedly assured her that taking Allah's name would lead to forgiveness of sins and improve her mental well-being.
The victim also alleged that she was directed to watch videos and speeches of Pakistani Islamic cleric Tariq Jamil and controversial Indian preacher Zakir Naik to learn more about Islam. She said two other accused would regularly share information about the religion and encourage her to watch religious content online.
According to her statement, she was introduced to various aspects of Islamic theology, including stories associated with Prophet Ibrahim, Bakri Eid, Zamzam water, Qurbani and the concepts of Jannah (heaven) and Jahannum (hell).
The woman further alleged that one of the accused, who was married, sexually exploited her on the promise of marriage. She also claimed that the accused had access to details of her bank accounts, including her UPI PIN and information about her finances.
The chargesheet pertains to a case registered at Deolali Camp police station on the basis of a complaint filed by a 23-year-old employee of the IT company.
According to PTI, the chargesheet contains statements from 106 witnesses, including the complainant, her mother, TCS employees and management officials, members of the company's Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) committee and investigating officers.
The Maharashtra government had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) after multiple women employees at the Nashik unit alleged exploitation, attempts at forcible religious conversion, molestation, mental harassment and offences linked to religious sentiments.
One case has been registered at Deolali Camp police station, while eight FIRs have been filed at Mumbai Naka police station in Nashik.
Some complainants have also alleged that they were pressured to adopt religious practices, including offering prayers, changing dietary habits and using religious symbols.
TCS has said it follows a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion and has suspended employees allegedly involved in the incidents.
Source: indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/i-slowly-started-believing-victim-details-alleged-conversion-push-in-tcs-case-chargesheet/articleshowprint/131510812.cms
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Samastha cites Islamic ruling amid debate over IUML MLA lighting nilavilakku
Jun 05, 2026
Kozhikode, The Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, the premier council of Sunni-Shafi Islamic scholars in Kerala, has said Muslims should refrain from ceremonies and practices performed by followers of other religions as part of their religious observances, amid a controversy over a Muslim League MLA lighting a traditional lamp at a function recently.
Perambra MLA Fatima Tahliya, the first woman legislator of the Indian Union Muslim League in the Kerala Assembly, lit the nilavilakku while inaugurating a new restaurant in her constituency recently, sparking a debate in Kerala's Muslim socio-political circles over whether a Muslim public representative should participate in such ceremonies.
In a statement issued on June 3, the Samastha Central Mushawara said the lighting of a nilavilakku has long been practised by non-Muslims as a distinct religious ceremony and urged Muslims to exercise caution in such matters while preserving communal harmony.
Amid the controversy, Samastha leader Abdul Hameed Faizy Ambalakkadavu on Friday shared a Facebook post highlighting the organisation's position on the issue.
"Islamic laws are precise, clear and explicit. Islam strictly instructs believers to show friendship and tolerance towards followers of other faiths. The companions of the Prophet would instruct their families that when a goat was slaughtered and cooked, the first portion should be given to a Jewish neighbour," he said.
"However, Islam has imposed a strong prohibition on following and practising the rituals of other religions," he added.
Faizy said such issues often become controversial in a pluralistic society and noted that some people justify participating in such practices on the grounds that they do not subscribe to the associated religious beliefs.
"On this issue, the authoritative body of Islamic scholars representing Kerala's Muslims has issued a religious ruling in terms that leave no room for doubt," he said.
Quoting a statement issued by the Central Mushawara meeting of the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama held in Kozhikode on June 3, he said the body had called on Muslims to avoid ceremonies and practices that have no basis in Islam and are performed by followers of other religions as part of their religious observances.
"The decision was taken during discussions regarding the ongoing nilavilakku controversy. In specific contexts, the lighting of the nilavilakku has long been practised by non-Muslims as a distinct religious ceremony. If a Muslim engages in such a practice while accepting and basing it upon the Islam-opposed beliefs associated with it by those who perform the ritual, such an act would amount to leaving the fold of Islam," the statement said.
"On the other hand, if it is done without accepting or basing it upon such beliefs, but merely as an act of resembling non-Muslims, then the act is prohibited and sinful," it added.
The statement, however, clarified that using a nilavilakku purely as a source of light is permissible.
"If a person lights and uses a nilavilakku solely for illumination, just as any other lamp is used as a means of obtaining light, then it is permissible," it said.
The Mushawara also urged people to exercise caution while maintaining communal harmony.
"The Mushawara also advised that while preserving the unity and harmony of our country, everyone should exercise caution and not treat such matters lightly," the statement added.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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Owaisi accuses Centre of undermining census integrity, flags data gaps in NFHS survey
05 Jun 2026
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday accused the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of undermining the integrity of India’s census process, arguing that recent changes in data collection could weaken its usefulness for policymaking and welfare delivery.
In a post on X, Owaisi cited the oft-quoted saying, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics,” and said reliable census data is crucial for delimitation, development planning, and ensuring food security. He alleged that the government was “putting the integrity of the census at risk” to avoid embarrassment.
He also pointed to the latest National Family Health Survey, claiming it has discontinued collecting information on indicators such as open defecation and the use of cooking fuels. Owaisi said these omissions raise concerns about the completeness of national data on key living standards.
His remarks come amid a news report highlighting alleged inconsistencies between field-level survey findings and official records. According to the report, census enumerators have found discrepancies in claims regarding open defecation-free status in villages, as well as the continued use of traditional fuels such as cow dung cakes, kerosene, and crop residue, even in households recorded as having cleaner alternatives like LPG. Officials have reportedly directed enumerators to re-verify such cases.
Separately, Owaisi has criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that nearly 6.5 crore names were removed across 13 states and Union Territories. He warned that the exercise could lead to the long-term exclusion of vulnerable groups, including Muslims, women, the poor, and migrants.
While acknowledging that electoral roll deletions under SIR do not determine citizenship, he said around 27 lakh people remain under adjudication and can reapply using Form 6. He further alleged that those excluded are being denied access to welfare benefits in some instances.
Owaisi questioned the need for a proposed government committee to examine exclusions, arguing that existing demographic indicators, including a stable population and a total fertility rate of around 2.0, already provide sufficient context.
He also criticised what he described as disproportionate scrutiny of citizens through documentation processes such as KYC and electoral revisions, while questioning the government’s own accountability. “Constant paranoia and fear are being directed against Muslims under the guise of administrative exercises,” he said.
The Election Commission is currently conducting Phase III of the SIR across 16 states and three Union Territories, covering more than 36 crore voters. The exercise is being coordinated with ongoing household listing operations for the upcoming Census to streamline fieldwork.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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Bengal CPM chief Md Salim: ‘Ritabrata Banerjee is a man of all seasons who is always with power… it is BJP script’
Vikas Pathak
Jun 5, 2026
With the Trinamool Congress (TMC) unravelling barely a month after losing power to the BJP in Bengal, the state’s politics is at a crossroads. CPI(M) state secretary, former MP and minister Md Salim speaks to The Indian Express about how his party will occupy the Opposition space and the ongoing turmoil in the TMC, among other issues. Excerpts:
Q: How do you see the sudden TMC split, barely just a month after elections?
This was expected. I had said it is going to melt faster than ice during the summer. Any political party without any ideology, programme or political goal cannot survive. Since the beginning, we had been saying it was a platform created to defeat the Left and pave the way for bringing the BJP and the RSS to the state. Once that is done, it has attained its expiry date.
Q: What caused the TMC’s split?
It’s quite natural that it is happening. There is hardly any provision left in penal Acts that has not been violated by (former CM) Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek.
Q: Ritabrata Banerjee, who is leading the rebel TMC MLAs, was once with the CPI(M). What is your impression of him? Can he be a good Leader of the Opposition?
Rita means climate or seasons. So, he is a man of all seasons. If there is no genuine Opposition, how can there be a genuine LoP?
Q: Why did the CPI(M) also collapse suddenly in 2011? Do you think Singur and Nandigram were mistakes?
To remind you, it had not suddenly collapsed. In the 2016 elections, there was a situation where a Left comeback was possible. That’s why there was an unwritten agreement at the behest of the RSS to transfer votes in 100 seats. (BJP leader) Dilip Ghosh said this, as did (former MP CM) Uma Bharti. She did not say 100 seats but said that if Mamata is CM, she should remember it is due to the RSS.
For 15 years, the national media and the great liberal intellectuals of Delhi failed to understand the conduct of Mamata’s government and party – not only corruption but destruction of democratic space. Annihilating the Opposition. Utilising police, money, muscle power and use of franchisee politics. Dwaipayan Bhattacharyya had written in the EPW about it. It means that you paste the poster of the leaders – Abhishek and Mamata – and do what you like. The police will be associated with that and criminals will have full immunity. Corrupt practices – looting of natural resources, attacking the Opposition, and doing communal politics – were there.
The same thing (CM) Suvendu Adhikari has also learnt from the TMC camp. He is a product of that. There will be no regulation, no discipline, no inner democracy in the party and no faith for anything democratic. So, you have a pseudo-Opposition, a pseudo-political party, pseudo-political positioning but a strong organisation like I-PAC, and the media. We saw newspapers editors and anchors being installed overnight since 2011 just as an LoP has been installed from above now. The BJP also does not want space for Opposition.
Mamata played her role. She was a fighter, built the party, struggled hard, she became an administrator, made some populist decisions… that is okay. But everything was for her family and her successors.
The people being shown in the Opposition now were in the hideouts because of the people’s anger… they have been brought to the fore to make them look like Opposition politicians. But none of them has played any role in their lifetime as an Opposition. They have always been with power. They came to the TMC for power. Now the BJP also wants no Opposition, but some roles have been given like in TV serials and dramas. It is all scripted.
Do you see hope for the CPI(M) in the Falta result – you did well and secured more than four times the votes of the Congress – and the TMC split?
Yes, anybody can see that. If you know Bengal’s culture, politics and history, there is Opposition space. There are two types of politics – one of the palace and one of the streets. This coup is to find a hideout with the patronage of the ruling establishment. But street politics belongs to the Left and we are engaged right now in opposing bulldozer politics, standing by minorities, and against fuel price hikes. These people, on the other hand, only want to protect their personal illegal properties. So, they wanted some immunity from the establishment and it has been granted.
The BJP, like the CPI (M), is ideological, while the TMC is not. Do you think so, and will it affect the state?
Not only in Bengal, but throughout the country and the world, the ultimate battle is between the Left and the right wing.
What do you think about the first few decisions of the Adhikari government – be it detention centres for illegal immigrants or moves to curtail cow slaughter on Bakrid?
The neo-converts eat more beef and the neo-Christians go to the Church very frequently. Similarly, the “tatkal BJP” here has the urgency to prove that they are more Hindu than Hindutva.
Secondly, this is a government installed by Delhi, the Election Commission (EC), central forces, part of the judiciary, etc. They can’t make decisions independently. Bengal will never accept that for every decision they will have to go to Delhi in a chartered plane.
I remember that in the last years of Congress rule in UP (1980s), N D Tiwari was CM and his nickname became New Delhi Tiwari because he was frequently travelling from Lucknow to Delhi to take instructions. That did not help Congress and they soon lost hold of the state.
Here too, it is a government which will frequently take lessons and instructions from Nagpur or Delhi. They are already trying to implement the core agenda of the RSS with so much urgency. In Bengal, the opposition is coming not from Muslims but breeders and rearers of cattle because cattle rearing is going to be destroyed. They wanted to impose a Hindu-Muslim binary but the opposition came from people who are in this business and livelihood. So, cultural and economic questions will come together in Bengal – these aren’t separate compartments.
Source: indianexpress.com
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Mideast
Trump says he does not need deal with Iran to get enriched uranium
June 04, 2026
WASHINGTON:US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that Washington did not need a deal with Iran to get enriched uranium from the country.
“We could get it right now. I don’t think they could stop us if we wanted, but there’s no reason to. It’s entombed,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump also said that he did not want to meet with Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
But he added that if Washington and Tehran reached a deal, it was possible that the two would meet and added: “If it happened ... I’d be respectful.”
Source: arabnews.com
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President Mahmoud Abbas ratifies first-ever voting system for Palestinian parliamentary elections
June 05, 2026
LONDON: The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, on Thursday ratified a voting system for the Palestinian National Council election scheduled for November.
It will be the first time that members of the council, which was established in 1964 and is the Palestinian parliament, have been chosen by a direct public vote.
Candidates will contest 200 seats in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. A further 150 seats have been designated for members who will represent Palestinian refugees in other countries, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
The Palestinian National Council has served as the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization since before, and following, the establishment of the Palestinian Authority as part of the 1993 Oslo Accord peace deal with Israel.
The council was established in May 1964, and a few days later it announced the formation of the PLO. No public elections have ever been held; instead, Palestinian factions appointed members of the council based on specific quotas. Still, it is considered comprehensive in its representation of Palestinians as its responsibilities include refugees and the wider diaspora.
The Palestinian Authority has been under pressure to reform its own political systems as it faces challenges arising from aggressive Israeli policies in the West Bank, over which it has partial control, as well as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by the war between Israel and Hamas that began in late 2023.
The last election of any kind in the Palestinian territories was a vote in 2006 for members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, the legislature of the Palestinian Authority, in which Hamas secured a surprise victory over their rival, Fatah. A new election for the Legislative Council has yet to be announced.
In 2021, Abbas postponed previous plans for a parliamentary vote after Israeli authorities refused to allow the election to take place in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinian Authority considers its capital.
The presidency said the new electoral system aims to strengthen the structure of the PLO and restore the legitimacy of its institutions.
Source: arabnews.com
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Oman says operations at Mina Al Fahal proceeding normally after blast
June 05, 2026
SINGAPORE: Oman says operations at Mina Al Fahal are now proceeding normally following an explosion according to state media.
Oman’s Mina al Fahal terminal had suspended oil loading following an explosion near its single-buoy mooring (SBM) berths, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday.
The explosion occurred between SBM 1 and 2 berths due to an alleged drone attack, they said.
It was not immediately clear when the attack was supposed to have taken place.
Several supertankers were seen anchored off the port on Friday, shipping data from LSEG showed.
The terminal could not be immediately reached for comment outside office hours.
Iranian state media on Wednesday reported that Tehran targeted a US military ship hosting a “control and command center” while it was approaching Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, which the US Central Command has denied.
Source: arabnews.com
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2 children among 9 killed in Gaza City
June 04, 2026
Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least nine Palestinians, a hospital said on Thursday, even as much of the world’s attention was focused on the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The nine people were killed in at least four separate strikes in Gaza City, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies. The hospital said the victims included two women and two children.
Footage of one of the strikes showed a massive hole in an upper floor of what appeared to be a residential apartment building.
The blast blew holes through interior walls and scattered blood-stained belongings across the room and into the street.
“They say the war has stopped, but the war has not stopped,” said Walid Shbeir, the uncle of one of the men killed in the strikes, as family members sobbed over the bodies of the victims at the hospital.
“Every night there is killing, and we have martyrs. Every night, in the morning, in the evening, and at night, this killing is continuous for us.”
Last week, Israel killed the top Hamas military leader, two weeks after strikes that killed his predecessor. The fatalities were the latest in the coastal enclave since an October ceasefire deal attempted to halt a more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
While the heaviest fighting has subsided, the shaky ceasefire has seen almost daily Israeli fire.
Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently opened fire on Palestinians near military-held zones, killing more than 936 since the ceasefire took effect, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry is generally seen as reliable by UN agencies and independent experts.
Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to the October 2023 attack that killed some 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.
At least 11 international activists attempting to bring attention to Israel’s blockade of Gaza have been detained in Libya for more than a week while trying to reach the territory by land, according to the Global Sumud Flotilla.
According to the Libyan media, the activists were detained in connection with illegal entry and lack of permits.
The Global Sumud organizers said that all participants had valid visas. The organization also ran a maritime flotilla earlier this spring consisting of dozens of boats, which was intercepted before reaching Gaza. Hundreds of activists were deported via Israel and Greece.
Israel accused the flotilla of being a “PR stunt” carrying very small amounts of aid.
More than 200 health workers and activists have been attempting a separate overland route to reach Gaza, starting in Mauritania on May 15, and have been heading toward Egypt to enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing.
According to the organization, a Tunisian national was arrested on May 19, around 25 km from the Libya-Tunisia border, while returning home.
Another 10 people were detained on May 24 while trying to negotiate safe passage for their convoy at a checkpoint near Sirte, Libya, along the Mediterranean coast, less than halfway between Tunisia and Egypt.
The organization said Libyan authorities first announced the detention of the activists, who hail from Tunisia, Argentina, Portugal, Italy, the US, Uruguay, Poland, and Spain, on May 25, and that the detention was extended another 10 days on Tuesday.
The organization condemned the detentions as “unlawful” and “arbitrary.”
Source: arabnews.com
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What Israel’s capture of a medieval castle says about the challenge of breaking Lebanon’s cycle of conflict
JONATHAN GORNALL
June 04, 2026
LONDON: Even as diplomats search for a way to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah, a medieval fortress in southern Lebanon has become one of the conflict’s most potent symbols.
Recent talks in Washington between Israeli and Lebanese officials produced the outline of another deal, one that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described as “the last chance to enter into a final, comprehensive ceasefire.”
The proposed agreement would require Hezbollah to halt attacks on Israel and withdraw from southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese army would assume control of territory long dominated by the Iran-backed group.
Yet the gap between diplomatic aspirations and military realities remains vast.
Hezbollah’s leader Naim Qassem on Thursday rejected the conditional truce, demanding instead a comprehensive ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal as he threatened northern Israel with new attacks.
“The ceasefire must be comprehensive ... without the Israeli enemy having the freedom to kill,” Qassem said, urging the government to halt “the farce and humiliation called direct talks” with Israel.
He also vowed that “as long as our villages are unsafe — being bombed, destroyed and our people killed — the settlements (north Israel) are unsafe.”
Israeli officials have made clear that military operations will continue while negotiations proceed. Hezbollah has vowed to keep fighting. Iran insists that any settlement must include a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
And across southern Lebanon, airstrikes, drone attacks and ground operations continue despite repeated efforts to halt the fighting.
Few places illustrate that contradiction more clearly than Beaufort Castle, a 900-year-old fortress that has once again found itself at the center of a war that has already claimed thousands of lives and displaced more than a million people.
The recent seizure of the castle by Israeli forces was celebrated in Israel as a symbolic milestone. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared: “We returned to Beaufort stronger than ever.”
“Our brave fighters captured the Beaufort outpost. They proudly raised the flag of the State of Israel and the flag of the Golani Brigade there.”
The imagery was carefully crafted. Footage released by the Israeli military showed troops raising flags over the ancient fortress, while drone footage of the site circulated widely online.
For Israeli leaders, the operation appeared intended to demonstrate both military momentum and a determination to push Hezbollah away from the border. But for many Lebanese, the images conveyed a different message entirely.
The castle, known in Arabic as Qalat Al-Shaqif — the Castle of the High Rock — sits roughly 15 kilometres west of the Israeli border on a rocky ridge overlooking the Litani River valley.
Its occupation is widely viewed in Lebanon as evidence that Israel intends to maintain a deeper presence inside the country than previous ceasefire arrangements contemplated.
That perception matters because the Litani River lies at the heart of current diplomatic efforts.
According to the framework discussed in Washington, areas south of the river would ultimately be placed under the exclusive control of the Lebanese army.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the agreement calls for “the removal of Hezbollah terrorists from the entire area south of the Litani River and the creation of a demilitarized zone” there.
Yet Beaufort itself lies beyond the river.
The castle therefore occupies a geographical and symbolic position at the center of the debate over what southern Lebanon will look like if a ceasefire eventually takes hold.
For supporters of Israel’s campaign, it represents a strategic achievement and a reminder of Hezbollah’s long military presence in the area. For critics, it raises uncomfortable questions about whether Israel risks becoming drawn once again into a prolonged occupation.
Not all Israeli analysts are convinced the military benefits justify the symbolism.
“It is a symbol because of everything that happened there, the significance of capturing the fortress, the years of holding it and ultimately abandoning it,” Orna Mizrahi, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and former deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council, told Ynet.
“The fact that Israel was forced to abandon the fortress because it lies deep inside southern Lebanon beyond the Litani River and is difficult to hold over time raises questions about whether it should be captured again.”
Those questions are rooted in the castle’s modern history.
Long before the current war, Beaufort occupied a unique place in the Israeli and Lebanese imagination.
During the Lebanese civil war it became a stronghold for Palestinian fighters. In 1982 it was one of the first major objectives captured by Israeli troops during the invasion of Lebanon.
For the next 18 years it remained part of Israel’s security zone in southern Lebanon and became synonymous with a grinding conflict that cost the lives of numerous Israeli soldiers and Lebanese fighters.
When Israeli forces withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, the departure was widely interpreted across the region as a major victory for Hezbollah. Before leaving, Israeli troops demolished sections of the castle with explosives.
That history explains why the fortress still carries emotional weight far beyond its military value.
And its military value today is open to debate.
The castle occupies an imposing position atop a ridge approximately 700 metres above sea level. Built in about 1137 by Crusaders seeking to dominate the approaches to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, it commands spectacular views across southern Lebanon.
Among those impressed by the view was a young Thomas Edward Lawrence.
Years before he became famous as Lawrence of Arabia, he visited Beaufort while researching medieval fortifications for an Oxford dissertation. Standing atop the fortress, he noted that he could see all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.
For medieval armies dependent on line-of-sight observation, such a vantage point offered obvious advantages.
For modern militaries equipped with satellites, surveillance aircraft, drones and precision-guided weapons, however, commanding a hilltop no longer confers the same battlefield significance.
That reality makes the recent seizure of Beaufort seem more of a symbolic act reminiscent of “capturing the flag” rather than a decisive military breakthrough.
Nevertheless, symbolism matters in war.
The Israeli military has argued that Hezbollah used the Beaufort Ridge to support military operations and launch attacks against Israel.
Those claims have not been independently verified, but they form part of Israel’s broader argument that military pressure must continue until Hezbollah is removed from southern Lebanon.
The group’s leaders reject that premise entirely.
Hezbollah entered the conflict after the joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran in late February and has repeatedly insisted it will continue fighting.
Although Lebanese authorities are attempting to reassert state control and advance a ceasefire, Hezbollah remains the most powerful armed actor in the country.
Iran has likewise signalled that it views Lebanon as inseparable from the wider regional confrontation.
Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force, has insisted that a complete Israeli withdrawal remains a “minimum demand,” while Tehran has warned that any renewed escalation could unravel ceasefire efforts altogether.
As diplomats and military planners argue over maps and buffer zones, Beaufort also represents something else — the vulnerability of Lebanon’s cultural heritage.
The fortress is one of five medieval castles in the Mount Amel region of southern Lebanon that UNESCO describes as exceptional examples of cultural and architectural exchange in the medieval Near East.
Over the centuries it passed through the hands of Crusaders, Ayyubids, Mamluks and Ottoman-era rulers, each leaving its mark on the structure.
UNESCO regards Beaufort as one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the region. Or at least it did before decades of conflict repeatedly transformed the monument into a battlefield.
The castle bears visible scars from Israeli bombardment of Palestinian fighters during the 1970s. It was subsequently damaged during battles between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.
More recently, airstrikes near the site prompted Lebanese officials and heritage advocates to appeal for greater international protection.
In December 2025, following a request from Beirut, UNESCO granted enhanced protection status to Beaufort and dozens of other Lebanese heritage sites under the 1999 Second Protocol to The Hague Convention.
The designation was intended to help shield important cultural sites from the effects of armed conflict. In practice, however, such protections depend on the willingness of combatants to respect them.
Today, the castle once again serves a military purpose.
That reality has left heritage advocates confronting an uncomfortable truth familiar across much of the Middle East: cultural monuments often become casualties not only of war, but of the strategic calculations that drive it.
The story of Beaufort therefore mirrors the story of southern Lebanon itself.
For nearly nine centuries the fortress has watched armies come and go. Crusader knights, Muslim armies, Ottoman governors, Palestinian guerrillas, Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah fighters have all occupied its walls at different moments in history.
From the battlements, one can look northeast toward Marjayoun, the town from which Saladin launched the campaign that captured Beaufort from the Crusaders in 1190. Today much of that same area has been emptied by evacuation orders, displacement and bombardment.
The weapons have changed dramatically since Saladin’s day. Horses and swords have given way to drones, guided missiles and satellite surveillance. Yet the landscape remains shaped by many of the same forces: contested borders, competing claims to legitimacy, and the strategic importance of controlling the high ground.
As negotiations continue, Beaufort stands as a reminder that ceasefires are easier to negotiate than to implement.
Diplomats may eventually agree on withdrawal lines, security arrangements and monitoring mechanisms.
Yet the fortress overlooking the Litani valley serves as a monument to the persistence of conflict itself — a place where centuries of warfare have repeatedly collided with hopes for peace, and where the latest chapter is still being written.
Source: arabnews.com
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Aid group urges meaningful action during Lebanon ceasefire
June 04, 2026
LONDON: Humanitarian organization Action For Humanity has welcomed reports of a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon while warning that any truce must translate into tangible improvements for civilians affected by months of conflict.
The UK-based charity said on Thursday the agreement should provide genuine protection for civilians, allow humanitarian agencies unrestricted access to affected communities, and create conditions for displaced families to return home.
The organization said previous ceasefire arrangements had failed to prevent continued violence and civilian suffering, and stressed that the latest agreement would need to be fully implemented to have a meaningful impact on the ground.
According to AFH, more than 1.3 million people, which is about 20 percent of Lebanon’s population, have been displaced during the conflict, while thousands of homes and key pieces of civilian infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed.
The organization said humanitarian needs remained significant across the country, particularly among families living in temporary shelters.
“Displacement is seen everywhere. You can’t walk down a street without seeing families who’ve lost everything,” said Inam Malik, an AFH aid worker who has recently returned from Lebanon.
“Many of the shelters are schools, now packed far beyond capacity. The humanitarian structures just aren’t able to keep up.”
AFH said it continued to provide food assistance and community support programs in Lebanon. The organization said it had assisted more than 12,600 people in Ramadan and distributed more than 12,500 hot meals.
It added that a sustained ceasefire could allow humanitarian organizations to expand operations and support longer-term recovery efforts, but warned that rebuilding communities would require continued international assistance.
The organization also called on governments to support efforts aimed at securing a lasting end to hostilities and ensuring compliance with international law.
Lebanon has faced repeated cycles of conflict and economic hardship in recent years, placing increasing pressure on humanitarian agencies operating in the country.
Source: arabnews.com
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Syrians dispatch aid to Deir Ezzor as 54 water stations remain out of service
June 04, 2026
LONDON: Syrian authorities said that 54 water stations remain out of service due to floods that have affected the Deir Ezzor governorate, located along the Euphrates River in the southeastern part of the country.
Authorities are also dispatching humanitarian aid through charities to help residents, including medical supplies, food baskets and three boats, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.
The General Authority for Water Resources reported that 30 water stations returned to service after surging water levels along the Euphrates River affected about 2,400 families in late May.
Donations from Syrians and charities were sent to Deir Ezzor to provide relief aid and essential materials to affected families, SANA added.
Heavy rainfall led authorities to open some gates at the Euphrates Dam to relieve pressure, resulting in flooding in the region. About 1.25 million people live in the Deir Ezzor governorate, which shares borders with Iraq to the east and Jordan to the south.
Source: arabnews.com
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Arab World
King Faisal hospital adds major award to growing list of global honors
June 05, 2026
RIYADH: The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre has earned Diamond status at the recent World Stroke Organization Awards, the latest in a string of international honors that has reinforced the institution’s standing among the world’s leading academic medical centers.
The latest recognition comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to strengthen its position as a regional hub for advanced healthcare, medical research and innovation under Vision 2030.
According to a release published on KFSH’s website on Thursday, the award recognizes the hospital’s Neuroscience Center of Excellence for meeting advanced international standards in stroke care.
The WSO identified the hospital providing clot-dissolving treatment within 60 minutes to at least 75 percent of eligible stroke patients. The Diamond designation is awarded to medical centers that demonstrate high performance in emergency, safety, and specialized responses.
Assessments are based on independent clinical and operational indicators, including treatment times and the effectiveness of catheter-based interventions.
KFSH said a key factor behind the recognition was the launch of the Middle East’s first Mobile Stroke Unit, equipped with a CT scanner and staffed by a specialized neurology team.
The unit allows diagnosis and treatment to begin at a patient’s location and continue during transport to the hospital, reducing delays that can worsen stroke-related complications.
The hospital said the award also reflects close coordination among emergency, neurology, interventional radiology and stroke-care teams, supported by systems designed to improve response times and patient outcomes.
The recognition is the sixth major international award, ranking or institutional honor announced by KFSH this year, underscoring its growing profile in healthcare, medical research and clinical innovation.
Among the other distinctions announced in 2026:
Ranked first among Saudi healthcare institutions in the Nature Index 2025 for research output and scientific contribution.
Named the most valuable healthcare brand in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East for a fourth consecutive year by Brand Finance, with a brand value exceeding $1.7 billion.
Honored by the American Heart Association for excellence in cardiopulmonary resuscitation education and community awareness programs.
Admitted to the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health, one of the world’s leading genomics and precision medicine networks.
Ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and 12th globally in Brand Finance’s Top 250 Academic Medical Centers 2026.
KFSH has also been listed by Newsweek among the World’s Best Hospitals 2026, the World’s Best Smart Hospitals and the World’s Best Specialized Hospitals.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia promotes human-centered AI at global labor forum
June 05, 2026
GENEVA: Saudi Arabia’s Human Resources and Social Development Minister Ahmed Al-Rajhi called on Thursday for the responsible use of artificial intelligence to build a more inclusive, productive and sustainable future of work, as the sector’s leaders gathered in Geneva for the International Labour Conference.
Addressing the plenary session of the 114th ILC gathering, Al-Rajhi said AI needs to be regulated to protect workers and the market.
“The future of work in the age of artificial intelligence will not be determined by technology alone, but by the ability to invest in people, develop skills, enhance protections, and ensure that technological transformation creates quality and sustainable jobs,” he said in his address carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
Al-Rajhi welcomed a report by the International Labour Organization’s Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo titled “A Moment of Choice: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Decent Work.”
The minister said AI offers major opportunities to boost productivity and labor market efficiency while also presenting challenges that require balanced and responsible policies.
The minister highlighted Saudi Arabia’s designation of 2026 as the Year of Artificial Intelligence, saying it reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to using advanced technologies to support development, improve quality of life and promote a more sustainable future.
He also outlined several Saudi initiatives aimed at preparing workers for technological change. These include the National Skills Platform, which uses AI to support learning pathways and assessments, as well as the Saudi Classification of Skills and Occupations, designed to keep pace with evolving labor-market needs.
Al-Rajhi said Saudi Arabia is also deploying AI and digital technologies to strengthen labor compliance and protect workers’ rights. Predictive analytics and digital monitoring tools help identify risks, improve inspection efficiency and detect labor violations at an early stage.
Among the Kingdom’s recent reforms are the Labor Market Strategy, the Wage Protection Program and the Qiwa platform. The platform uses generative AI and AI agents to provide services to more than 2 million establishments and 12 million private-sector workers across Saudi Arabia.
The minister stressed that international cooperation would be critical as labor markets worldwide face rapid technological change and uneven impacts across countries and sectors.
Saudi Arabia’s delegation to the conference includes representatives from government, employers and workers. The annual gathering, from June 1 to 12, brings together governments, employer organizations and labor representatives to discuss global employment and workplace issues.
The participation reflects the Kingdom’s efforts to contribute to international labor policy discussions and support fair, inclusive and future-ready labor markets, the SPA report said.
Source: arabnews.com
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On World Environment Day, Saudi institutions highlight their work
GHADI JOUDAH & NADA HAMEED
June 04, 2026
RIYADH: As World Environment Day 2026 focuses global attention on climate change, Saudi Arabia’s local story is being shaped by delivery: protected ecosystems, restoration informed by evidence, and solutions that can be measured and scaled.
World Environment Day is observed on June 5, and the 2026 focus on climate change comes as Saudi institutions highlight work aligned with national environmental priorities.
Prof. Ana Margarida Costa, chief sustainability officer at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, told Arab News: “Today, KAUST builds on this foundation by offering strong curricula in environmental sustainability, and a mission-aligned approach to research that develops practical solutions for clean energy, water security, sustainable agriculture, ecosystem restoration and climate resilience.”
Under the Saudi Green Initiative, the Kingdom has set headline targets for 2030, such as cutting emissions by 278 million tonnes per year. This includes planting more than 600 million trees, and protecting 30 percent of the country’s land and sea.
“The World Environment Day reflects the world’s commitment to protecting natural resources and advancing long-term environmental sustainability,” Costa said.
She added that KAUST’s work includes marine and terrestrial projects intended to produce field evidence that can support conservation and restoration planning in Saudi Arabia.
“In the Red Sea, our Coral Restoration Initiative is advancing large-scale coral restoration, reef resilience and marine conservation, helping protect one of Saudi Arabia’s most valuable ecosystems,” she said.
On land, Costa highlighted the Wadi Qudaid Experimental Station and Ecological Observatory developed with the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification.
“Through the SAUDINet initiative, KAUST and NCVC are also strengthening terrestrial ecology research, biodiversity monitoring and data-driven approaches to land restoration and carbon sequestration,” she said.
Costa added that universities can help advance sustainability by collaborating across the higher-education sector, engaging communities and inspiring younger generations through science, in support of the Kingdom’s long-term environmental goals.
Ali Al-Tumayhi, an environmental engineer, told Arab News that the most practical gains in a hot-climate country come from cutting cooling demand alongside adding clean power.
“Solar energy can provide cleaner electricity, while improving building insulation and energy performance can significantly reduce cooling demand and maximize the benefits of clean energy.”
He said that choosing lower-impact refrigerants can deliver an additional climate benefit.
“The Kigali Amendment has demonstrated that sustainable cooling can contribute to both ozone protection and climate mitigation by promoting lower global warming potential refrigerants.”
The Kigali Amendment, adopted in 2016, is an international, legally binding treaty to the Montreal Protocol designed to gradually phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons.
Al-Tumayhi added that pairing solar power with efficient buildings and cleaner cooling could cut emissions and support Saudi Vision 2030.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi vice minister of foreign affairs receives Norway’s special envoy to Sudan
June 04, 2026
RIYADH: Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji received Norway’s special envoy to Sudan, Endre Stiansen, in Riyadh on Thursday.
During the meeting, they reviewed relations between the two countries and discussed the latest developments in Sudan and related efforts.
The Saudi government is focusing on assisting the people of Sudan during the current political crisis.
A prominent Norwegian aid group said on Thursday that Sudan, Congo and Colombia top the list of the world’s most neglected displacement crises.
Sudan, which since 2023 has been ravaged by a bloody conflict, has more than 9 million internally displaced people, the Norwegian Refugee Council said in a statement.
Source: arabnews.com
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Cooling of Prophet’s Mosque enhanced
June 04, 2026
MADINAH: The Saudi General Authority for the Two Holy Mosques has said that 117,000 sq. meters of white Thassos marble have been used to clad the rooftop and outdoor courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
White Thassos marble is one of the most prominent architectural elements of the Prophet’s Mosque and a key component of its environmental cooling system. It provides comfort for worshippers inside the mosque, on its rooftop, and across its outdoor courtyards.
The white marble helps to reduce ambient temperatures, allowing visitors to feel the cooling effect beneath their feet while praying or walking. This reflects the extensive care the Kingdom devotes to the two holy mosques, to serve pilgrims, visitors, and Umrah performers.
The authority said Thassos marble, renowned for its bright white color, was selected for its high quality and ability to reflect sunlight while maintaining a cool surface temperature, making it an ideal choice for prayer areas.
The marble also undergoes continuous polishing, cleaning, and sanitization using safe and environmentally friendly materials that preserve its purity, luster, and thermal properties, ensuring it remains ready for worshippers throughout the year.
Source: arabnews.com
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Makkah museum exhibits rare Qur’an
June 04, 2026
MAKKAH: The Holy Qur’an Museum, set within Makkah’s Hira Cultural District, is putting on display a collection of rare Qur’anic holdings, including a rare Qur’an dating to 1259 A.H. (1843 A.D.).
The manuscript is distinguished by its meticulous hand in black ink, fully vocalized, with pages bordered by a gilded frame and gold rosettes parting one verse from the next, alongside finely wrought floral motifs that speak to how far the art of gilding and adorning Qur’anic copies had advanced by that period.
It also reveals a particular attention to the Qur’an’s textual divisions: its pages bear the markers of the ajza’ (parts) and aḥzab (sections), a reflection of how scribes and scholars sought to make recitation, review, and memorization easier, without surrendering the codex’s aesthetic and artistic refinement.
According to the information displayed alongside it, the Qur’an was later restored and rebound to shield it from the wear of time, a step that has prolonged the life of this rare Qur’anic artifact and kept it standing as a witness to a cultural and civilizational legacy now reaching back more than a century and a half.
It is displayed as part of the museum’s collection of historical exhibits, where visitors and pilgrims can trace the history of the Qur’an’s transcription, copying, and ornamentation across successive Islamic eras through a collection of historical manuscripts and rare printed editions.
The museum has emerged as one of Makkah’s leading cultural and intellectual destinations, illuminating the historical labors Muslims have undertaken in the service of the Qur’an and its preservation, and deepening public awareness of the Islamic heritage bound to the holy book through modern displays and interactive educational experiences that enrich the visit and strengthen the visitor’s connection to the history of the sacred text.
Source: arabnews.com
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Adaa Health Center receives global recognition from Sterling International
June 04, 2026
RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Health’s Adaa Center was awarded a global recognition certificate by Sterling International, the international partner of the Baldrige Alliance, in acknowledgment of the center’s progress in applying institutional excellence methodologies, promoting a culture of continuous improvement, and elevating organizational performance.
This achievement makes the Adaa Health Center the first healthcare organization in the world to receive this recognition under the Sterling Collaborative Management Assessment program. The award was presented at the 34th Sterling Leadership Conference in Florida.
The center plays a pivotal role in advancing the quality, efficiency, and accessibility of healthcare services across the Kingdom by monitoring the performance of healthcare facilities, producing analytical reports, and overseeing operational improvement initiatives.
Sterling International is a leading organization specializing in organizational excellence and performance improvement. Its methodologies are based on the Baldrige Excellence Framework, which is associated with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award — one of the most prestigious global awards for institutional excellence, granted to organizations that achieve advanced levels of performance, innovation, and sustainability.
Source: arabnews.com
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Europe
British interiors and the enduring influence of Islamic arts
By Marco Mansi
5 June 2026
There is a painting in the National Gallery that I keep coming back to. Hans Holbein the Younger’s ‘The Ambassadors’, from 1533, is one of those works that reveals something new each time, but what caught my attention recently was not the famous skull distorted across the bottom of the canvas, nor the two French diplomats standing there in their finery at the court of Henry VIII. It was the carpet.
Draped over the table between the two men is a richly patterned Islamic rug, its red ground threaded with geometric forms, every stitch rendered with Holbein’s characteristic obsessiveness. It is Ottoman, likely from Anatolia, and it is there quite deliberately. In 1533, a carpet like this was one of the most covetable objects in Europe, a luxury so precious it would never have been put on the floor. You draped it over a table, where it could be properly seen – the Ottoman Empire was one of the great powers of the age, and owning such a piece carried both cultural weight and social status in Tudor England.
As Holbein’s painting suggests, Britain’s relationship with Islamic art and decoration is long and layered, running through the centuries in both exuberant and more subtle ways. To understand what underpins this enduring interest, I put it to HG101 Hall of Fame honouree, Alidad, whose understanding of Middle Eastern art and textiles informs a thoughtful approach to his work.
‘The influence of Islamic art in British interiors has always been there,’ he says, ‘but it has been more popular at certain periods, and less so at others.’ Alidad is keen to emphasise how Europe and the Middle East have long shaped one another. ‘Gothic and Islamic architecture are very similar – take the pointed arch, for instance. Europeans have had a complicated relationship with the Islamic world, often shaped by religion and cultural differences, but in reality these two artistic traditions are closely connected.’
Jump forward a few centuries, from the tall vaults of medieval cathedrals to the Victorian era, and it is hard to miss how that interest reached a particular intensity. ‘Islamic art was incredibly popular in the 19th century, when artists and designers were looking to different parts of the world for inspiration,’ says Alidad. Technological developments made travel to Turkey, Egypt, Syria and Persia easier than it had ever been before, and with it came a growing appetite for the art of these distant lands.
This inevitably filtered into the domestic sphere, at times with highly theatrical results, as in the case of the painter Frederic Leighton’s house in Holland Park. Here, the so-called Arab Hall is lined with antique tiles from Iznik, Damascus and Persia, some dating to the 16th and 17th centuries. A golden dome rises above a small central fountain, while carved wooden mashrabiyya screen the windows. The scheme ultimately cost more than the house itself.
An equally striking, if less widely known, example can be found in Suffolk at Elveden Hall. Acquired in the 19th century by the Guinness family, the house presents a familiar European façade. Inside, however, its rooms draw on Mughal and broader Islamic forms, with carved surfaces, domes and richly layered ornament creating an atmosphere far removed from the English countryside.
If the Victorian appetite for Islamic art found its most dramatic expression in rooms like these, its legacy today is far more diffused, and perhaps more interesting for it, particularly when it comes to textiles. As Alidad explains, ‘When I started my career as a decorator in the 1980s, Ottoman fabrics and Turkish designs were not as widely known as they are today. There is something inherently timeless about motifs like stylised tulips or carnations that can be incorporated very easily into decorative schemes.’
Textiles were, in fact, the earliest and most significant point of contact. As Susan Deliss notes, they were ‘easily traded and transported from the Ottoman world, Persia and Mughal India’, quickly finding their way into British interiors. Their influence extended beyond fabric. Iznik tiles and Seljuk motifs, she points out, shaped the work of figures such as William Morris and William de Morgan, and their patterns continue to resonate today. More recently, ‘simple zellige tiles in spectacular colours from Morocco have become a decorating staple in many UK interiors, combining very effectively with both classical and more contemporary styles.’
For Susan, the connection with Islamic art is also personal. ‘My first experience of it was aged eight, when my art historian aunt showed me Persian illuminated manuscripts for the first time,’ she says. That early encounter continues to inform her work. ‘Islamic patterns and colours, often from domestically rather than commercially produced textiles, have hugely influenced my work, as have the traditions of hospitality, warmth and harmony that underpin these interiors.’ Her home, a Modernist building in Notting Hill, reflects this sensibility, with a studio arranged around a courtyard planted with figs, roses and citrus, inspired by the idea of a private garden enclosed within the home.
For Alidad, the appeal of carpets remains just as strong as it was centuries ago, and their use need not be confined to the floor. ‘I think people may not always realise that carpets were often made for use on tables,’ he says. ‘I still use them in that way in my interiors.’ He is also clear about what works best alongside Western furniture. ‘I have always favoured a specific type of carpet from Iran known as Ziegler, produced for the European market in the 19th century. They are bold and relatively coarse, unlike the finely woven, intricate floral carpets typical of Persian production. Those, in my view, do not integrate as well – I prefer something with more strength.’
In the end, what makes the influence of Islamic art in English interiors so enduring is that it offers a visual language to which one can return again and again, each time with different results, as in the case of its distinctive geometric patterns. As Alidad explains, ‘they allow for endless variation, and they never go out of date.’
Source: houseandgarden.co.uk
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Viral image of Beaver Scouts at mosque with bearded man in white in the background has been edited
4 JUNE 2026
Genuine pictures and footage of a Beaver Scout group visiting a mosque in Scotland, showing several children kneeling and one boy standing up, have gone viral in recent days, with some on social media critical of the visit.
But one widely shared image, which is supposedly from the visit and shows a bearded man in white next to the boy who is standing, is not real—it has been edited.
We have chosen not to directly link to either the genuine or altered imagery in this fact check, and we have blurred the faces of the children in the screengrabs above. But both the genuine and altered imagery have had millions of views across X and Facebook in recent days.
A spokesperson for Scouts told Full Fact the bearded man was “100% not in the original video”.
They said the original video was posted online following the visit. It has since been removed from some social media accounts which posted it, though it continues to be available elsewhere online.
The edited version has other discrepancies: it appears to show two children wearing white hats to the right of the standing boy and another person wearing black clothing. In the footage shared online which the Scouts told us was the original, there are three children wearing white hats on that side instead, and all of them are wearing blue tops.
Some of the posts we’ve seen sharing either the genuine or altered imagery include captions such as “an imam taught the children about Islam, demonstrated how to wear burqas on the girls, and instructed the group to kneel for prayer” and “one young boy refused to kneel”.
We’re not able to verify exactly what the footage shows, or what happened on the visit, but when we spoke to the Scouts they also disputed the way the event had been characterised in some posts.
A spokesperson said: “It wasn't actually a prayer that the Beaver Scouts and leaders were taking part in. The Imam was just demonstrating the actions that are undertaken when Muslims pray. The Beaver Scouts were free to join in if they wished. There was no compulsion… the young people were free to do whatever they wanted.”
Before sharing content like this, first consider whether it comes from a verifiable and trustworthy source. Our guide to spotting AI content, and toolkit on how to identify bad information, can help you do this.
Source: fullfact.org
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Gosport tattoo studio Off Yer Tatts objects to plans for Islamic place of worship over space fears
By Maya George
4th Jun 2026
A tattooist has objected to plans for an Islamic place of worship
A tattoo studio on the same road as a proposed Islamic place of worship has said the plans are “dangerous and irresponsible” due to limited space and parking.
Off Yer Tatts, based in Forton Road, Gosport, said the proposal to convert a shop could increase pressure on parking along the road and pose risks to pedestrians, particularly schoolchildren at peak times.
In the objection, the neighbouring business said a place of worship would “require considerable parking availability, which just isn’t viable”.
The tattooists also raised concerns about disruption, warning that noise from the development could affect their working environment.
“We are carrying out careful, permanent amendments to the skin and therefore require a peaceful and calm environment at all times”, the owners said.
They added: “We don’t believe or understand how such a small property could possibly be considered as a place of worship, as presumably, this would need to hold a large amount of people at any one time. We feel that this is both dangerous and irresponsible, putting the building and surrounding areas at risk from a health and safety standpoint.”
The plans were first submitted to Gosport Borough Council at the start of May.
The applicant, Mohammed Salam, on behalf of the Gosport Islamic Society, said the existing shop “has been empty for four years”.
He proposes to transform the two-storey building into a meeting hall for the Gosport Islamic Society.
The planning statement said the site would be open “approximately five hours a day” but there would be a varying timetable.
The document said: “We understand the prayers, as an example, would be held at 4.41am, 1.07pm, 4.45pm, 7.52pm and 9.07pm.”
However, this is another area of concern for residents.
In his objection, Richard Lazarus, who lives in Forton Road, said “there is no noise assessment or management plan” for the proposed night-time and early morning activities.
He said: “The proposal would generate noise and disturbance at unsociable hours and over-intensify a small mid-terrace unit.”
He added that his objection is based on material planning grounds and “without reference to the identity or beliefs of the applicants”.
Gosport Borough Council said a decision should be made by June 30, but the application will need to be considered by the authority’s regulatory board.
Source: portsmouth.co.uk
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New Islamic finance report unveiled at Istanbul summit
Bahar Yakar
04 June 2026
A new report on the Islamic economy was unveiled Thursday at the third edition of the Global Islamic Economy Summit in Istanbul, highlighting major gaps in data on religious institutions and the economies of Muslim-majority countries.
The four-day event, running from June 3-6, is organized by the AlBaraka Islamic Economy Forum under AlBaraka Summits Türkiye. Anadolu is the event’s global communications partner.
A key highlight of the summit was the launch of the AlBaraka Strategic Report, which examines Islamic financial institutions, the global halal industry, Islamic social finance, the economy of religious institutions and worship, and the macroeconomic realities of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Yousef Hassan Khalawi, secretary-general of the AlBaraka Islamic Economy Forum, said the report is part of a broader effort to strengthen research and data collection across the Islamic economy.
“The lack of data in the economy of religious institutions and worship and the macroeconomic realities of OIC member states is astounding,” Khalawi said.
Khalawi, who also chairs the advisory board of AlBaraka Turk Participation Bank, said the forum launched its first initiative five years ago to organize global events annually.
Today, we are trailblazing with three summits and two regional conferences every year, he said.
He added that the second initiative launched Thursday aims to establish a reporting system focused on the five pillars covered in the report.
According to Khalawi, the Islamic economy “generally performs well” in areas such as Islamic financial institutions and the global halal industry.
“There are some high-quality reports available in these areas, but there is still room for improvement,” he said.
The event also saw the signing of several agreements, including between the General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI) and the OIC Arbitration Center; the Saleh Kamel Islamic Economics Award and Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University; the AlBaraka Islamic Economics Forum and the OIC Publishing and Broadcasting Union; and Ibn Haldun University and Malaysia’s Securities Commission.
Oguz Karakas, coordinator of publications and productions at Anadolu, received a plaque following the signing ceremony.
Source: aa.com.tr
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How Russian media and experts reacted to Germany’s UN humiliation
5 Jun, 2026
Losing what had been a quasi-guaranteed seat on the UN Security Council has caused considerable embarrassment across the German diplomatic establishment, which had openly talked of securing a permanent seat in New York.
Berlin had won unopposed or as the favorite in all previous cases, is the second-largest contributor to the UN, and the latest vote was presided over by its former foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock – now the president of the UN General Assembly.
The gaffe-prone, staunchly pro-Israel Baerbock, however, may have proven more of a hindrance than a help, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
“Over the past year, countries had the misfortune of watching a representative of the German political elite, Annalena Baerbock, serve as president of the UN General Assembly. They decided not to take any more chances,” she said on Telegram.
In the wake of the vote, the Russian media ran headlines stating that Germany “failed” to secure a UNSC seat and was “left empty-handed,” while describing statements by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul – who had suggested that Russia was to blame for Berlin’s failed bid – as “startling.”
If Berlin is so determined to find someone to blame for its failure, it might as well look in the mirror, experts and journalists said.
‘Predictable result of overconfidence’
Germany’s “special responsibility” for Israel has long turned into “unconditional support, including the military one” for all of West Jerusalem’s actions, Russian news outlet RG wrote in a lengthy piece on the issue.
Over the past several months alone, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s party has urged Berlin to stop financing the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and called for tougher criteria Palestinians must meet to get aid, it noted.
“During the UN vote in May on assistance to Palestinians, German representatives chose to abstain, whereas Austria – which will now join the UN Security Council – voted in favor of the initiative,” the outlet wrote.
It noted that “Israel’s neighbors, as well as other countries of the Global South, see this ‘subservient’ position of Germany quite clearly.” The debacle at the UN vote was a “predictable outcome” of Berlin’s “overconfidence,” it added.
‘Distorted’ diplomacy
Guided by the West’s “values-based” unipolar world order dream rather than its own national interest, Germany has lost all the qualities that once made it an influential actor on the world stage, Artyom Sokolov, a senior fellow at the MGIMO Institute for International Studies, told the Izvestia news media outlet.
Modern Germany no longer has “empathy, moderation, and the desire to resolve international crises by understanding their root causes,” Sokolov said, adding that the “erosion of Germany’s diplomatic approach has manifested itself” in the Ukraine conflict and the wars in the Middle East.
“Today, these strengths that once made Germany an influential player on the international stage have been significantly distorted, and this is what led to the failure of Germany’s bid.”
Izvestia also wrote that the development would deal a serious blow to Merz and Wadephul’s plans to expand Germany’s global influence and push forward Berlin’s bid for a permanent UNSC seat.
No need to blame Russia
Wadephul makes it sound as if Russia somehow “instigated” other nations to “punish” Germany for its “uncompromising stance on Ukraine and Israel,” analyst Sergey Poletaev, a member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy think tank, told RT, adding that Berlin could just be trying to shift the blame for its own policy mistakes.
“Most countries dislike Germany’s uncompromising stance on Ukraine and Israel, and so they want to see more reasonable European representatives on the Security Council, like Portugal and Austria, which they voted for,” he said, maintaining there was “no need to drag Russia into this.”
“This is what international isolation looks like, Mr. Wadephul.”
Looming isolation?
The UN debacle might be the first sign of Berlin’s continued rejection of true multipolarity backfiring, well-known German author, journalist, and political commentator Alexander Rahr told Russia’s VZ newspaper.
“Germany remains skeptical of the concept of a multipolar world order,” he said, adding that Berlin still prefers to rely on institutions and concepts associated with the “unipolar” one. “In many countries of the Global South, this stance is increasingly viewed with frustration,” he added.
Berlin’s lack of criticism of Israel as well as its attempts to portray its support of Ukraine as some sort of a higher moral calling make its claims of being the defenders of international law and universal values sound “inconsistent” in the eyes of many nations outside Europe, Rahr believes.
“Germany… continues to strongly emphasize its support for Ukraine and Israel and remains committed to its values-based foreign policy. This could further deepen the divide between Germany and much of the international community,” he warned.
“It remains to be seen whether this trend points to Germany’s growing international isolation or merely reflects broader shifts in the global balance of power and the ongoing formation of a new world order.”
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/641021-russian-media-germany-un-humiliation/
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German man fined for calling Merz ‘lying Fritz’
5 Jun, 2026
A German court has ruled that calling Chancellor Friedrich Merz “lying Fritz” should be criminally prosecuted out of “public interest,” slapping the offender with a fine amounting to an average monthly salary, or more than €2,000 ($2,322).
The case is just one of dozens of similar investigations launched by German police over critical comments posted on Facebook last year, the public prosecutor’s office in the southwestern city of Heilbronn told Die Welt.
The prosecution dates back to October 25, when a local police department issued a drone no-fly zone warning ahead of Merz’s visit to the area. What followed was a string of angry comments in which Merz was called a “lying clown,” a “loose talker,” and a “lackey,” according to reports.
The authorities opened 39 initial proceedings under Article 188 of the German Criminal Code, which bans insults against people “engaged in public political life” if they are “likely to significantly impede” their public activities. Fifteen cases were eventually dropped due to lack of evidence, the prosecutor’s office said.
People who called Merz “Pinocchio” and a “lying clown” can rest assured that no law enforcement officials will be knocking on their doors any time soon, according to Tagesspiegel.
However, in the case of “lying Fritz,” the court decided in March that the words are “likely to incite further negative prejudices or aggression among like-minded individuals.”
Asked about the cases at this week’s press conference, a government spokesman said he would not comment on the matter “out of respect for the judiciary,” adding that Merz himself did not file any charges. Pressed further, the official said these were “normal legal procedures” that “must be protected.”
Merz, who has said the welfare state is obsolete and has told Germans to work more instead of taking sick leave, was recently named the world’s most unpopular leader in an opinion poll. Last month, German media reported that his own party was considering dumping him due to his record-low approval ratings.
Further fueling concerns about free speech, German regulators are reportedly planning to force social media platforms to boost government-approved outlets in their algorithms, according to media reports, citing leaked government documents. The EU stated in April that the German government misused hate-speech laws to restrict freedom of expression.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/641023-merz-lying-fritz-fine-thousands/
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‘Military secret’ about Oreshnik and ‘death’ of Russian economy: Key takeaways from Putin’s Q&A
4 Jun, 2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin fielded questions from the heads of international news agencies on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday. The agencies included Chinese, Belarusian, German, French, Spanish, and Iranian state news outlets, as well as representatives of Reuters and AP.
The mammoth Q&A session lasted just over two hours and touched on a variety of subjects, including Russian domestic and foreign policy, the Ukraine conflict, and potential routes to rapprochement with Europe.
Here are the main topics discussed.
The Russian economy
Asked whether Russia can withstand the economic strain caused by the Ukraine conflict and Western sanctions, Putin cited Mark Twain: “Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.”
Despite claims in the West claiming that Russia’s economy has been “torn to shreds,” it has grown more than three times faster than that of the EU over the past three years, he said.
Russia has been forced to make “tough decisions” to battle inflation, such as raising interest rates, but the “measures are yielding results,” Putin stated, adding that industrial production and real incomes have continued to grow.
In terms of purchasing power parity, the measure of how much the same basket of goods costs in different countries, Russia has surpassed all European countries, he said.
The Ukraine conflict
The Russian Army is advancing along the entire line of contact, while Ukraine is facing a critical lack of manpower, Putin said.
“Monthly, they lose around 40,000 people,” the president said, adding that civilians are being “caught on the street like dogs” and drafted into the army. Kiev also loses around 20,000 more people to desertion each month, he added.
“Ukraine has no air defense system, only isolated elements, and lacks the strike systems that Russia possesses. Ukraine, unlike Russia, lacks hypersonic and cruise missiles,” he added.
‘State secret’ about Oreshnik
Russia did not use its Oreshnik dual-capable intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile “in the full sense” in strikes on Ukrainian territory.
“We have not had a single combat use of the Oreshnik in the full sense of the word on Ukrainian territory,” Putin said, noting that Russia has “tested similar systems at training grounds, but not the Oreshnik.”
Russia has confirmed three separate strikes on Ukraine using the missile, which is designed to carry both nuclear and conventional warheads: against a defense industry facility in Dnepr in late 2024, a warplane plant in Lviv in January, and an unspecified target that critics called a “shed” in Belaya Tserkov near Kiev in May.
“Last time, to be completely honest – I’ll reveal to you a big military state secret – we just hit where it was convenient for us to see the results,” Putin said, adding that Russian drones later flew into the “shed” to observe dispersal and impact effects. “It’s important for us to make decisions in the future on the full-scale use of Oreshnik against designated targets, including in urban areas.”
Is peace any closer?
Russia is ready for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, provided that it is based on the compromises agreed on with US President Donald Trump in Anchorage last year, Putin said.
The difficulty lies in forcing Kiev to accept the terms, he stated, adding that control of Donbass and other territories that voted to join Russia and a peace deal “do not contradict each other.”
“I get the impression that the ruling circles are not actually interested in a real cessation of hostilities,” he said, stressing that negotiations should not be predicated on a ceasefire that will only allow Ukraine to rearm and regroup.
Is Zelensky legitimate?
Putin declined to directly answer whether Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky could serve as a legitimate representative for signing a peace treaty, calling it “a question for lawyers.”
“We can only sign with people who are, without a doubt, in the full sense of the word, legitimate to sign documents of this kind,” he stressed. Zelensky’s presidential term expired in May 2024, and discussions of new elections in Ukraine have since stalled.
Kiev’s European backers
The EU could potentially play “a positive role” in settling the conflict, Putin said. “But not by supplying weapons. Rather, by trying to convince the Kiev authorities to agree to the compromises we discussed.”
However, European nations have so far shown no willingness to even talk to Russia as equals, Putin said.
“If there is a desire among the European side to work with us, they must abandon their colonial approach and talk to Russia as an equal partner.”
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.rt.com/russia/641022-putin-ukraine-oreshnik-press/
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North America
CAIR-NY to Join Interfaith Coalition in Demanding Accountability for Islamophobia Promoted by City Council Member
June 4, 2026
On Friday, June 5, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) will join Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Sikh, and allied faith leaders on the steps of New York City Hall to call on the New York City Council and City Council Speaker Julie Menin to ensure accountability for Islamophobia instigated by a council member.
The event follows growing concern over a social media post by New York City Council Member Inna Vernikov about Muslim worshippers who were praying outside a Brooklyn mosque and neighboring Yeshiva school for girls. In her post, she wrote “…why do a bunch of GROWN MEN need to do this outside of a school full of little Jewish girls???”
She further implied that the worshippers intentionally gathered outside the Yeshiva and called upon the mayor to respond. The post, which circulated widely online, sparked vile anti-Muslim statements against the mosque and the Muslim community.
WHO: Muslim, Jewish, Christian & Sikh faith and community leaders of the New York Coalition for Safety, Protection, Equity & Accountability
WHAT: Congregational prayer & press conference against hate and honoring the victims of the San Diego mosque attack.
WHEN: Friday, June 5, 1:00 PM
WHERE: City Hall Steps, Broadway & Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007
CONTACT: Maruf Alam at 718-219-0982, Yasser Salem at Yasser@OneNYC.com / 718-6443042, Communications at CAIR-NY, comms@ny.cair.com / 917-669-4006
ABOUT THE COALITION
The New York Coalition for Safety, Protection, Equity & Accountability is a growing interfaith alliance of Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Sikh, and allied faith and community organizations across New York City, including New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), OneNYC, MUNA APJ, Save the People, ICNA Council for Social Justice, Muslims Vote Project, Majlis Ash-Shura Islamic Leadership Council of New York, Desis rising up & Moving (DRUM), Arab American Association of New York (AAANY), Yemeni American Merchants Association (YAMA), Association of African American Imams, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ), Sikh American Merchants Association, Muslim Action Collective, Muslim Community Network (MCN), Mulsim American Association of New York (MAS-NY), Emgage Action, and Bangladeshi American Advocacy Group (BAAG). The coalition is united by a shared commitment to ensuring equal safety, protection, dignity, and accountability for every New Yorker.
CAIR-NY’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-NY es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-ny-to-join-interfaith-coalition-in-demanding-accountability-for-islamophobia-promoted-by-city-council-member/
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CAIR Condemns Anti-Muslim Rhetoric at Hearing for Proposed New Mexico Mosque
June 4, 2026
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned anti-Muslim rhetoric and hostility reportedly directed at supporters of a proposed mosque in New Mexico during a public hearing on the project.
According to local reports, a proposal to build a mosque in Albuquerque’s North Valley drew opposition from some residents, with portions of the public discussion marked by anti-Muslim comments and inflammatory rhetoric targeting the Muslim community.
The Albuquerque Journal reports: “Arguments about noise and traffic gave way to concerns about polluting future generations and Sharia law inhabiting the historic agricultural neighborhoods.
“When the commission deferred the proposal to July 1, requested by the Albuquerque Islamic Center due to safety concerns, chants of ‘USA’ erupted in the chambers.”
In a statement, Washington, D.C, based CAIR said:
“Every faith community has the constitutional right to establish houses of worship free from discrimination, intimidation, or bigotry. Opposition to a mosque based on anti-Muslim prejudice is unacceptable and undermines the fundamental American principle of religious freedom.
“Public officials and community leaders should reject rhetoric that demonizes Muslims and instead foster respectful dialogue rooted in facts, mutual understanding, and equal treatment under the law. Muslims are an integral part of the fabric of this nation and deserve the same rights and respect afforded to followers of every other faith.”
CAIR said the incident comes amid a continuing rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric and threats targeting Muslim communities and houses of worship nationwide and urged local officials to ensure that any review of the proposed mosque is conducted fairly, transparently, and without regard to religious bias.
The civil rights organization noted that its latest civil rights report documented 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025 – the highest number ever recorded by the organization since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.
Last month, national Muslim leaders with the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) held a news conference today at the annual Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) conference taking place in Baltimore, Maryland, to address what political leaders must to do to confront anti-Muslim hate and protect houses of worship in the wake of last week’s deadly terror attack on a mosque in San Diego.
At the news conference, the Muslim leaders expressed solidarity with Islamic Center of San Diego and the families of the three martyrs, said politicians must confront rampant anti-Muslim hate and urged mosques and Islamic schools to take steps to improve security.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-anti-muslim-rhetoric-at-hearing-for-proposed-new-mexico-mosque/
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Armed man arrested after hours-long standoff at Tacoma, WA mosque
June 4, 2026
TACOMA, Wash. - Tacoma police arrested a man after he allegedly pointed a handgun at a worker inside a local mosque, triggering an hours-long standoff.
Officers were called out to the Islamic Center of Tacoma around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday to reports of a disruptive person inside the building. The 911 caller stated the suspect had been asked to leave earlier in the day.
According to arrest reports, the suspect pulled out a handgun and pointed it at a front desk worker. The worker then fled to a nearby convenience store to contact law enforcement.
Police arrived on scene and began evacuating the building, including an attached children's gymnastics facility where dozens of staff and children were still inside.
The armed suspect allegedly moved upstairs and took control of the building's PA system, singing and making incoherent statements over the building's loudspeakers. Additional units responded and surrounded the mosque.
A manager said the suspect flashed a Glock handgun tucked in his waistband earlier in the day, according to court documents. The manager also said the suspect had recently been released from prison and appeared to be experiencing a severe mental health crisis.
After several hours, the suspect emerged from the mosque. Police said he ignored commands, yelled belligerently at officers, and began taking off his clothes. After realizing the doors behind him were locked, he attempted to run away.
After a brief foot pursuit, an officer hit the suspect with a less-lethal foam round, and he was tackled to the ground on the northeast corner of the lot. He was medically cleared and later booked into Pierce County Jail for first-degree assault, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, and obstruction.
Inside the building, officers located the suspect's jacket, phone, and a black backpack containing a Glock 17 handgun and three loaded magazines. The gun was reported stolen out of Auburn.
Source: fox13seattle.com
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https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/armed-man-arrested-standoff-tacoma-mosque
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Son of detained Islamic Society of Milwaukee president says father's health is being neglected in ICE custody
Jun 05, 2026
Ryan Jenkins
MILWAUKEE — Kareem Sarsour says his father, Salah Sarsour, has lost roughly 30 pounds and been denied daily blood sugar checks during more than 60 days in federal detention.
The son of the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee says his father's health is being neglected while he remains in ICE custody at a federal detention facility in Indiana.
Salah Sarsour was detained by ICE in Milwaukee 63 days ago. He is accused of lying on his green card application in 1998. His case is set to go before a judge later this month.
His son, Kareem Sarsour, spoke Thursday about concerns over his father's medical care and possible religious discrimination.
"He suffers every day that he is in that detention center."
Kareem said his father is nearly 54 years old and diabetic, and that facility staff have denied his doctor's request for daily blood sugar checks.
"He needed his blood sugar level checked on a daily basis, as his doctor prescribed and sent to them in a letter, telling them that he does need his sugar levels checked on a daily basis. It was denied. They told him he can only check it once a month."
Kareem said his father has also experienced severe abdominal pain.
"He reached the point where he couldn't stand up and he laid on the floor from how severe the stomach ache was."
Kareem said Salah has lost roughly 30 pounds since being taken into custody.
"That means he's losing almost one pound every two days. So, that's very alarming."
Kareem also described what he called religious discrimination, saying staff made an inappropriate dietary suggestion when the family raised concerns about Salah's health.
"When we asked them about his health condition, and that he needs to be put on a better dietary restriction, they said that he should buy pork rinds to improve his health condition. My dad is a muslim. That is a very bad thing to say to anyone who doesn't eat pork."
Kareem said he hopes sharing his father's story will inform the public about how Salah and other ICE detainees are being treated.
Sarsour's lawyers have filed a habeas corpus petition, arguing his detention was illegal and an attempt to silence his pro-Palestinian advocacy.
Source: tmj4.com
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https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/in-your-community/milwaukee-county/son-of-detained-islamic-society-of-milwaukee-president-says-fathers-health-is-being-neglected-in-ice-custody
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CAIR Files Federal Lawsuit Against Fairfax County Public Schools for Suspending Muslim and Arab Students Over Participation in Viral Video Trend
June 4, 2026
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced the filing of a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of four high school student members of the Muslim Students Association (MSA).
The lawsuit alleges that Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when they discriminatorily suspended the students for their participation in a viral video trend promoting their upcoming event.
“The Constitution is clear, the government must treat like groups alike,” says CAIR LDF attorney Catherine Keck. “The MSA behaved innocently and no differently than other student groups on campus, yet Fairfax County singled them out, robbed them of academic and professional opportunities, and encouraged the community to target and harass them. The school’s actions are abhorrent to any person of conscience, and these students deserve justice.”
“The reason FCPS and TJHSST punished these students and not other students in similar videos is because they believe that Muslims and Arabs pose a threat where others do not,” said Ahmad Kaki, CAIR LDF Staff Attorney. “FCPS and TJHSST capitulated to anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim hysteria without even giving the students a chance to defend themselves, and, by doing so, violated the Constitution and federal law.”
“These four Muslim students and their families worked hard to attend Thomas Jefferson, where they have thrived,” said John M. Fossum, CAIR LDF Staff Attorney. “But when online trolls began harassing them and kicking up racist and Islamophobic hysteria, the school didn’t think twice about ruining these students’ reputations to save themselves some trouble. We call for justice knowing any parent would do the same.”
“We decided to file this lawsuit because, if we did not say something, nothing will change,” said the parents of the students in an anonymous statement. “We are here because the next Muslim child who walks into school proud of their faith and their heritage should not have to be afraid of what that might cost them. Our children deserved better than what they got, and we hope the court sees it the same way.”
The Muslim Students Association at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (MSA) is a student-run organization that has a reputation on campus for its inclusivity, diversity, and community engagement. As part of its mission to foster a sense of community belonging, MSA regularly hosts events open to students of all faiths.
Seeking to increase attendance and community engagement, MSA members discovered a comedic viral video trend used by student groups and businesses across the country to engage with the community and attract new members and clients. In the trend, an organization would create a “street interview” skit. In the skit, a member would ask a participant if they would come to the organization’s event. When the participant says “no,” they are grabbed and taken away by other organization members. The “interviewer” then moves on to other individuals who enthusiastically share that they will attend the event and are not forcibly removed from the scene.
Seeing that this trend had not only gained traction nationally, but within other student groups in Fairfax County Public Schools, MSA decided to recreate the skit and post it to their organization’s social media page. The students filmed the skit at school, in the presence of staff and posted it without incident. Within days, however, racist and Islamophobic media personalities found and posted the video online. These individuals reposted the video, accusing the students of “glorifying Hamas” and “reenacting October 7.” The posts prompted a wave of Islamophobic hate and threats against the students.
Instead of protecting its students, TJHSST administrators immediately placed the students in school suspension, publicly condemned the video skit as “antisemitic,” and launched an “investigation” into the actions of MSA, which ultimately ended in disciplinary action against the students. Despite the students’ attempts to explain the viral and innocent nature of the post, including by sharing several videos of other FCPS and TJHSST student groups posting identical or similar videos, the school concluded its investigation and punished them. FCPS did not investigate or punish any other groups for their actions.
The MSA students who were punished experienced extraordinary harm. In addition to the suspension—which remains on their permanent records—the students were victims of deep-fakes, accusations of terrorism, and threats. The school system repeatedly legitimized those allegations and refused to support or protect its students. Thomas Jefferson Vice Principal Mukai even attempted to persuade police that the deepfakes were real. Additionally, after this incident, one student was rejected from each of the colleges they applied to. Another was disqualified from a prestigious internship program. And another student was prohibited from wearing a sweatshirt displaying a Palestine map, despite having worn it for months without issue.
The school district’s decision to investigate and punish only MSA members and to legitimize and amplify the voices of the hate groups targeting its students violates the students’ rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Public schools may not discriminate against similarly situated students, and they certainly cannot do so based on perceived viewpoint.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/breaking-cair-files-federal-lawsuit-against-fairfax-county-public-schools-for-suspending-muslim-and-arab-students-over-participation-in-viral-video-trend/
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Trump hits back at 'unpatriotic' vote after House rebukes him over Iran
June 5, 2026
US President Donald Trump has hit back at lawmakers who voted to send him a rebuke over the war in Iran, calling them "unpatriotic".
On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed a measure seeking to halt Trump from taking further military action amid growing opposition to the war.
In a post on Truth Social, the president wrote: "Yesterday, in a meaningless vote, the House voted, 4 bad Republicans and all of the Dumocrats, to limit my War Powers, right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Who would do such an unpatriotic thing."
It is unclear how much legal force the House's measure will have. The White House has dismissed its merits.
It has also described the move as an unconstitutional attempt to restrict presidential power.
The vote, which passed 215-208, was to adopt the war powers resolution, which would require Trump to withdraw US forces or seek congressional approval for the conflict.
The road to actual enforcement would involve the legislation clearing several thorny political, procedural, and legal hurdles.
Nonetheless, the vote sent an unusually blunt message from Congress to the White House.
"There's a political impact, because a majority of one House of the Congress have gone on record, in an actual vote, that the US armed forces need to be withdrawn from hostilities in the Persian Gulf," said Michael Glennon, a professor of constitutional and international law at Tufts University.
"Congress is in effect saying: now, we really, really, really, really think this is unlawful, and you need to get out," Glennon said.
The measure considered was a concurrent resolution -- meaning that if an identical version is also passed by the Republican-controlled US Senate, it would not require the president's signature.
And even if that did occur, it could face a legal challenge from Trump.
Meanwhile, if the Senate opts to tweak the language, it becomes what is known as a joint resolution - which would require Trump's signature. The president would likely veto it, and Congress does not have enough votes to override him.
Trump's post on Thursday morning went on to say: "The Democrats are fueled by Trump Derangement Syndrome. They would rather have our Country fail than give me another, of many, victories.
"The four Republicans, that's a whole other story - They're GRANDSTANDERS! They should be ashamed of themselves."
This was the fourth attempt by the House to rein in Trump's war powers. The Senate advanced a similar resolution in May but has yet to hold a full floor vote.
Some of Trump's critics in Congress argue that Trump is already in violation of the War Powers Resolution. That federal law prohibits the president from deploying troops for military action for more than 60 days, without Congressional approval. Trump has passed the 60-day deadline, but his administration has argued that the restriction is unconstitutional.
Despite being seen as largely symbolic, the passage of Wednesday's resolution adds to the pressure on the White House to find an end to the war, as petrol prices have spiked and public opposition to the war has increased.
Sixty-four percent of registered voters believed Trump was wrong to go to war with Iran, compared to 34% who believed he made the right call, a New York Times/Siena poll taken in May suggested.
The poll suggested that support for Trump's decision was divided along partisan lines; 93% of Democrats believed Trump was wrong, while 70% of Republicans believed Trump was correct. However, 73% of independent voters - often a bellwether group in national elections - opposed the war, polling indicated.
The vote also marked the latest sign of division within Trump's Republican Party, coming just days after a revolt by conservatives in Congress led his administration to pull back plans for a $1.8b "anti-weaponization" fund for political allies.
The four Republicans who attracted Trump's ire were Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett, and Warren Davidson, who joined a united front of Democrats. Democrat Jared Golden of Maine, who had previously voted against similar measures, gave his support this time.
"Congress alone declares war, that's something certainly we need to be protective of," Barrett, a Republican from Michigan, said. Asked if he was worried about retribution from Trump for his vote, he said: "I vote my conscience for what I think is right and willing to accept that."
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0pl0wvvz0o
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Activists push for return of US monuments removed during BLM ‘statue wars’ – WSJ
4 Jun, 2026
US traditionalists are suing and lobbying with the support of the Donald Trump administration to resurrect memorials which were removed during the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
Dozens of monuments to European and American historical figures were taken down after the nationwide protests and riots which followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, in what WSJ dubbed the “statue wars.”
Ohio’s capital Columbus, named after the famed Italian explorer, took down a 22-foot-high statue of him from City Hall in 2020. At the time, the city’s Democrat Mayor Andrew Ginther called it a representation of the country’s “ugly past.”
In April, a coalition of Italian-American organizations filed a federal lawsuit to have the monument restored, calling its removal “unlawful and discriminatory.” They argue the statue is a symbol of Italian-American heritage, civic history and a longstanding cultural bond between Columbus, Ohio, and Genoa, Italy, where it was made.
“The silent majority is becoming vocal,” WSJ cited the lawsuit’s organizer Jack Conte as saying. “You reach a point where this stuff is shoved down your throat, and you can only take so much of it.”
The Trump administration has supported the effort. Just over two months after taking office in 2025, the US president signed an executive order to reinstate monuments removed since 2020, if they were taken down as part of what he called an effort to “perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history.”
In March, the administration erected a Columbus statue near the White House, a replica of one that protesters sank in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor during the nationwide protests.
Ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary on July 4, the Interior Department returned a statue of Delaware Founding Father Caesar Rodney to Washington’s Freedom Plaza. The monument was removed in 2020 amid criticism that Rodney, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was also a slaveholder.
A total of 261 US historical monuments were removed, vandalized or toppled during the BLM protests, according to World Heritage USA data. More than half were related to Confederate figures.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.rt.com/news/640985-activists-us-monuments-blm/
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Africa
Panic As Suspected Bandits Kill Guard, Abduct Pastor, Others In Abuja Community
June 5, 2026
By Richard Ogunsile
Gunmen, suspected to be bandits in the early hours of Thursday, reportedly attacked the Paze community around the Byazhin area of Kubwa in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, killing a local vigilante and abducting four residents, including a pastor and an 11-year-old boy.
The attackers, said to be about eight in number, reportedly stormed the neighbourhood popularly known as “Back of Catholic Church” shortly after midnight.
Naija News learnt that the assailants shot dead a security guard identified as Shuaibu Yerima, who was engaged to protect the area.
The gunmen also abducted Pastor Francis Oriade of the All Christian Fellowship Mission, Maitama, Abuja; Jewel Obeh; Friday Isaac; and an 11-year-old boy, Delight Okeke.
The incident occurred less than a week after bandits invaded the nearby Kungabokun community and abducted a resident on Sunday, heightening fears among residents of the area.
Speaking to Daily Trust about the attack, Emmanuel Isaac, younger brother of one of the abducted victims, said he first noticed the arrival of the gunmen after hearing a gunshot, which was believed to have killed the local security guard.
He said the attackers later entered their compound, with some of them carrying guns, while another member of the gang appeared to be the leader.
“We then saw them coming into our premises, with about four of them bearing guns. Another member of the gang that seemed to be leading them was wearing a mask on his face. We attempted to escape through a back door, only to be rounded up and asked to move back inside the house,” he said.
Isaac said the gunmen tied his hands and that of his elder brother before deciding who to take away.
“They tied my hands and that of my elder brother before directing me to go with them. But my brother pleaded with them to rather go with him, which they agreed to,” he added.
He said police officers arrived in the area shortly after the kidnappers left.
“About 10 minutes after they left, policemen arrived in the neighbourhood with an armoured van and a Sienna car.
“We pleaded with the police to trail the kidnappers, pointing toward the direction they went but they said no, that they preferred to go through a different direction,” Isaac said.
Pastor Dragged From Room, Sister Says
Also speaking, Elizabeth Oriade, younger sister of the abducted pastor, said the gunmen forced their way into the house through a window after failing to break the door.
She said the family became aware of the attack after hearing gunshots around midnight, adding that the gunmen entered their home about 20 minutes later.
“We noticed their presence following some gun shooting around 12am, and they invaded our homes about 20 minutes later,” she said.
According to her, the attackers traced them to the toilet and later dragged the pastor from his room.
“They traced us to the toilet, dragged the pastor from his room, while slapping him in the process as, according to them, he made them suffer much for not opening his room’s door immediately.
“They tore one of our wrappers and tied our hands with it, seized our mobile phones, and also took some cash before taking him away,” she narrated.
Mrs Joy Alex, whose husband, Jewel Obeh, was among those abducted, said the gunmen broke into their home shortly after the family returned from their shop.
She said she had spent more than an hour searching for the house key before eventually returning home with her husband and daughter.
“I stayed till about 11pm at the family shop located by the roadside in our neighbourhood, on that fateful night, searching for the house key for more than an hour. I then advised my husband to go and lodge in a hotel before my daughter eventually found the key,” she said.
She added that the attackers arrived about an hour after they returned home.
“Just about an hour after returning back home, we noticed the arrival of the gunmen. They pulled out a window attached to the house using tools like a digger.
“Two of them jumped in and directed us to open our door. Initially they wanted to take away my daughter, before they decided to leave with my husband alone,” she lamented.
11-year-old Taken After Mother Pleads
The mother of the abducted 11-year-old boy, Erenta Okeke, said the gunmen entered her home through a window and demanded money while pointing a gun at her head.
She said her husband was not at home when the attackers invaded the house.
“My husband was not around at the time, so they decided to abduct my little son after pleading with them to spare his younger sister, who was shivering throughout the period of the operation,” she recounted.
The attack has left residents of the community in fear, with many calling for urgent security intervention to prevent further attacks in the area.
Residents said the slain vigilante was first shot in the leg but later bled to death due to a delay in getting medical attention.
He was buried on Thursday after funeral prayers were held at the palace of the chief of Ijayapi, also located within the Byazhin community.
According to the media platform, the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, when contacted promised to investigate the incident and revert, but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
At the Byazhin Police Division, officers were seen holding a meeting with some members of the affected community when a reporter visited the area.
A senior police officer at the Byazhin Divisional Headquarters, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident, saying operatives were already on the trail of the kidnappers.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/06/05/bandits-kill-guard-abduct-pastor-in-abuja/
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Presidency Confirms Police Arrest Of Man Who Spread Fake Audio About Tinubu
June 4, 2026
The presidency has confirmed that operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested a man identified as Ifechukwu Dennis for originating a fake voice that he passed on to members of the public as the voice of President Bola Tinubu.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who confirmed the development to Naija News in a statement on Thursday, said Dennis was arrested by the crack team of the Inspector General of Police.
Onanuga also disclosed that the suspect was arrested in Benin.
According to him, the Police will soon issue an official statement on the development.
“The IGP crack team has arrested Ifechukwu Dennis who originated the fake voice that he passed on to his gullible targets as President Tinubu’s voice. Dennis was arrested in Benin. The police will issue an official statement.” Onanuga wrote on his 𝕏 Account.
The presidential spokesperson added that another man who made a fake and reckless post about the security situation in Abuja has also been arrested by the Police.
Onanuga submitted that the arrests are clear signals that reckless users of social media will face the consequences of their actions.
“The police have also arrested this Nigerian who made an alarming post about Abuja’s security, spreading fear among citizens. By arresting him, the police have sent the clear message that reckless users of the social media won’t go scot-free,” he wrote.
Naija News recalls that the Presidency had last week accused social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), of circulating an alleged fake audio purportedly involving President Tinubu.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the call in a post on 𝕏 and called for the prosecution of the social media activist.
Onanuga accused VDM of spreading false content on social media. The presidential aide described the circulation of the audio as an abuse of social media.
However, it was subsequently discovered that the fake audio did not originate from VDM.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/06/04/police-fake-audio-tinubu/
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Insecurity: ‘Tinubu Is Boko Haram’ – Sowore Alleged During Protest
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
June 4, 2026
Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, on Thursday led a mass protest in Abuja demanding the immediate rescue of schoolchildren abducted across Nigeria.
The protest, which drew hundreds of demonstrators, was organised amid rising concerns over insecurity and mass abductions in different parts of the country.
Sowore described the demonstration as a “rehearsal” for what he called a possible revolutionary push against poor governance and insecurity.
Addressing the protesters, Sowore accused President Bola Tinubu of failing in his duty to protect Nigerians.
He demanded urgent action from the Federal Government to secure the release of abducted schoolchildren.
“We are asking that Tinubu, with immediate effect, go and rescue the children who were kidnapped from their schools across the country and get them released immediately,” he said.
According to him, the President had failed in his constitutional responsibility to secure citizens.
“Because that is what he imposed on Nigerians to do as the president that he stole in 2023, and from which we shall never allow him to come back again in this country,” he added.
During the protest, Sowore led chants against the President, asking demonstrators whether they wanted Tinubu to return to power.
“Do you want Tinubu to come back again?” he asked.
The crowd responded, “No, no, no, no!”
Sowore also launched a strong criticism of the President over insecurity in the country.
He said, “Tinubu is Boko Haram. We are here because of the situation of our country. We are here because the situation in Nigeria is the worst of all the countries surrounding us today.
“Let us Nigerian people, we are here as a rehearsal for what might become the final push for a revolution in this country.”
The activist said the Abuja protest was part of a nationwide mobilisation.
“So, this march is to herald the release of those children. And it’s going on all over the country. This is the Abuja version,” he said.
He added that protesters had planned to march to the Presidential Villa but were blocked by heavy security deployment.
“We were planning, or we actually had gone to the villa. But they put soldiers in large numbers,” he said.
Sowore said the protesters avoided confrontation with security operatives because the march was peaceful.
“It’s not as if we cannot put the soldiers aside. But we decided that because it’s a peaceful process, we will not have any confrontation with the soldiers or police,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to remain defiant and use mass action to demand accountability.
“When people take over streets. When the masses take over streets, all oppressors, they shall run away,” he said.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/06/04/insecurity-tinubu-boko-haram-sowore-protest/
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Security Operatives Block Protesters From National Assembly
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
June 4, 2026
Heavy security presence on Thursday prevented protesters from gaining access to the National Assembly (NASS) Complex in Abuja.
Military personnel, police officers, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) barricaded major roads leading to the Three Arms Zone.
Naija News reports that the security lockdown also affected routes around the Supreme Court and the Presidential Villa.
Access roads from NEXIM Bank through the Federal Secretariat axis, Bullet House and areas leading from the Police Headquarters were restricted.
The operation began as early as 7am, causing heavy traffic congestion.
Many workers heading to the Federal Secretariat and the National Assembly were forced to trek long distances to their offices.
Only limited vehicular movement was allowed into the National Assembly Complex as security operatives maintained strict control at entry points.
The deployment followed planned protests by the Take-It-Back Movement, a civil society organisation led by activist and 2027 African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore.
The group had planned to protest against rising insecurity in the country. It also called for the rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
The protesters were prevented from reaching the National Assembly Complex as security operatives maintained a tight perimeter around the Three Arms Zone.
As of the time of filing this report, they were unable to access the area due to the heavy security blockade.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/06/04/security-operatives-block-protesters-national-assembly/
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Protesters take to streets of Nigerian capital over school abductions
June 5, 2026
Nigerian activists and civil society campaigners protested in the capital, Abuja, on Thursday demanding the rescue of pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oyo State.
They want urgent government action to secure the release of those kidnapped from three schools in the state and the killing of a teacher during an attack last month.
The protest came as police said gunmen had abducted at least seven students from a polytechnic in the north-western Zamfara State.
There is growing outrage over recurring abductions targeting educational institutions across the country.
“Enough is enough. Enough of kidnapping, enough of killing. They are killing our children like chicken. We are not animals,” said activist Arije Christy Alao.
“They've made us refugees in our own country. And we are not going to allow it again, “ she said, “We have tolerated a lot, and we are tired. We are tired. It has started choking us.”
Despite state efforts, more than 1,500 students and staff have been abducted over the past decade by armed groups, often seeking ransom payments.
Activists say the government is not doing enough.
Former presidential candidate and activist Omoyele Sowore, whose Take It Back Movement helped organise the protest, said they are “seriously concerned” about children who are in captivity.
“We are here against all odds, … brushing against soldiers who are armed to the teeth. Soldiers who should be in the bush looking for the children,” he said.
“We are serious about it, and we are telling you this might as well be the beginning of the revolution we have been talking about.”
Sowore has repeatedly criticised the government’s handling of insecurity and called for greater accountability from security agencies.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2026/06/05/protesters-take-to-streets-of-nigerian-capital-over-school-abductions/
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Ebola: Controversial U.S.-backed quarantine center in Kenya starts
June 5, 2026
Kenya's health minister said on Wednesday that the US-funded quarantine centre would proceed, days after deadly protests erupted over the project.
The US-built facility at Kenya's Laikipia Air Base was due to open last week, according to US officials, to quarantine Americans arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is battling a major Ebola outbreak.
But it has been temporarily blocked by a court order, and triggered protests on Monday that killed two people, according to a rights group.
Speaking in parliament, health minister Aden Duale said the centre would serve both Kenyans and US nationals, dismissing fears it would be "exclusive".
"Quarantine is not only for Americans. Even Kenyans will be isolated at the facility," Duale said.
"Laikipia airbase is one of the 23 quarantine isolation centres we are building. And we will not stop it," he added.
Kenyans are angry their territory is being used by a foreign power in a way that has colonial undertones, and over the risk of Ebola spreading.
Kenya has recorded no cases of Ebola despite widespread testing of arrivals but neighbouring Uganda has registered 15 cases including one death.
The centre -- about 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the capital Nairobi -- was set to have 50 isolation beds and be managed by US medical staff.
In his address, Duale said the government "will not consult citizens" on the establishment of the Ebola facilities.
"This epidemic does not require any consultation... We are dealing with a very abnormal situation," he said.
The minister said the centre comes under a 2015 agreement with the US, part of its Biological Threat Reduction Program.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2026/06/04/ebola-controversial-us-backed-quarantine-center-in-kenya-starts/
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Hundreds in Libya protest against migrants, refugees
June 04, 2026
TRIPOLI: Hundreds of Libyans gathered outside the UN refugee agency headquarters in Tripoli on Thursday to protest against irregular migrants and refugees they say should leave Libya.
Demonstrators chanted “Libya belongs to Libyans” among other chants and called for the closure of the UNHCR headquarters in the capital.
They accused the UN agency of seeking to settle irregular migrants in the North African country.
Protesters were seen holding signs reading: “Our love for our country is not racism” and “Libya is not the world’s garbage bin.”
Libya is a key departure point for irregular migrants seeking to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean.
As of mid-2024, the International Organization for Migration estimated that around 900,000 migrants and refugees were living in Libya.
Many of them are Sudanese refugees who have fled war in their home country.
The UN mission in Libya on Monday warned against a “renewed spread of misinformation, disinformation, and inflammatory rhetoric” which it said was “targeting individuals or specific groups.”
The mission called on authorities to “address acts of incitement and the dissemination of harmful false information that may threaten public order, social cohesion, or the rights and dignity of individuals.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2646017/middle-east
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Southeast Asia
Police: No criminal wrongdoing in alleged sexual assault at Melaka mosque mortuary
05 Jun 2026
MELAKA, June 5 — Police investigations into the case of alleged molestation and rape in a mosque mortuary in Melaka found no elements of criminal wrongdoing.
Melaka police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said the case has now been referred to the Melaka Islamic Religious Department for further action under the Melaka Syariah Offences Enactment 1991.
He said police received a report on the allegations at 9.12 am yesterday from a woman in her 50s, who claimed she had been repeatedly molested and raped by a 48-year-old man.
He said a thorough investigation, however, found that the alleged criminal acts did not take place.
“The statements obtained indicate that there was no element of coercion, thus failing to establish any criminal offence,” he said in a statement here today.
Dzulkhairi said the allegations had also gone viral and become a topic of discussion among the local community. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/06/05/police-no-criminal-wrongdoing-in-alleged-sexual-assault-at-melaka-mosque-mortuary/222611
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Eid al-Adha qurban reaches 2.03 million animals across Indonesia
June 5, 2026
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Religious Affairs reported that the number of sacrificial animals or qurban for Eid al-Adha 1447 Hijri reached 2,032,753, consisting of 676,866 cattle and 1,355,887 goats.
"The implementation of qurban this year reflects the strong participation of Muslims. More than two million sacrificial animals were distributed across mosques throughout Indonesia," the ministry's Director of Islamic Religious Affairs and Sharia Development Arsad Hidayat said on Friday.
According to him, the qurban is not only a form of devotion in worship but also a real manifestation of compassion and the spirit of sharing with others. Hidayat said the figures indicate high public participation in qurban worship while reinforcing the social values at the heart of Eid al-Adha.
He noted that qurban has a significant social impact because it reaches communities with limited access to animal protein. Therefore, Eid al-Adha should not only be understood as a ritual act of worship but also as momentum to strengthen social solidarity and ensure a more equitable distribution of benefits.
Based on estimated qurban prices used by the National Alms Agency (Baznas), around Rp21 million per head of cattle and Rp3 million per goat, the economic value of this year's sacrificial animals is estimated at Rp18.28 trillion, comprising Rp14.21 trillion from cattle and Rp4.07 trillion from goats.
The figures indicate that qurban also helps drive the economy, benefiting livestock farmers, animal traders, and meat distribution networks.
Hidayat also conveyed a message from Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar, who emphasized that Eid al-Adha is a season of sharing.
Based on the data received, East Java recorded the highest number of sacrificial animals at 455,007, followed by Central Java with 405,065 and West Java with 374,482.
Source: antaranews.com
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https://en.antaranews.com/news/418091/eid-al-adha-qurban-reaches-203-million-animals-across-indonesia
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Perikatan’s ‘pluses and minuses’ not my concern, Anwar says amid PAS push to broaden ties
By Muhammad Yusry
05 Jun 2026
PUCHONG, June 5 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today dismissed talk of Perikatan Nasional (PN) expanding into a broader political pact, saying he had no interest in tracking the Opposition’s political arithmetic.
Anwar said his focus remained on running the government, not on speculation over PN’s attempts to court other Malay-based parties.
“As for the pluses and minuses of PN, I do not concern myself with PN.
“I have many other matters to attend to,” he told reporters after Friday prayers at Masjid Meranti here.
Anwar was asked to comment on PN’s reported proposal to form “PN Plus” by bringing in other Malay-based parties.
His remarks follows renewed speculation over possible PAS-Umno cooperation after PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang confirmed earlier today that leaders from both parties had met recently.
The speculation has intensified following Hadi’s remarks that PAS was reviewing its relationship with PN ally Bersatu ahead of the 16th general election.
Hadi has also raised the possibility of PAS moving forward without Bersatu if consensus within PN could not be reached.
Calls for a broader Malay-Muslim political alignment have also surfaced within PAS, with several party leaders proposing a revived cooperation framework involving Umno and other Malay and Muslim-based parties.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/06/05/perikatans-pluses-and-minuses-not-my-concern-anwar-says-amid-pas-push-to-broaden-ties/222642
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Anwar to launch Johor Pakatan election machinery tomorrow ahead of state polls
05 Jun 2026
JOHOR BAHRU, June 5 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, is scheduled to launch the Johor PH election machinery for the 16th Johor state election tomorrow night.
Johor PKR vice-chairman Jimmy Puah said in a Facebook post today that the launch is scheduled to take place at Dewan Sekolah Tinggi Cina in Batu Pahat at 8 pm.
“Launch of Johor PH’s state election machinery. We are ready,” the post read.
PH deputy chairman and DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu are also expected to attend the event.
Earlier, Johor PH announced that it would contest all 56 seats in the coming election.
In the 2022 Johor state election, Barisan Nasional won 40 seats, PH secured 12, Perikatan Nasional won three, while MUDA captured one.
The Johor State Legislative Assembly was dissolved on June 1, paving the way for the state election to be held within 60 days. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/06/05/anwar-to-launch-johor-pakatan-election-machinery-tomorrow-ahead-of-state-polls/222601
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Speculation grows over renewed PAS–Umno ties after Hadi Awang confirms leaders met
05 Jun 2026
MARANG, June 5 — PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang has confirmed that leaders from PAS and Umno have met, as political activity intensifies following the dissolution of the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state legislative assemblies, paving the way for elections.
The meeting comes amid renewed speculation over a possible revival of Muafakat Nasional (MN 2.0), as parties recalibrate strategies ahead of expected multi-state contests.
“We will announce the list of candidates, God willing, one week before nomination day,” Abdul Hadi was quoted as telling reporters by Utusan Malaysia after attending the monthly gathering of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development here yesterday.
But the Marang MP declined to provide details on the location or agenda of the meeting, describing it only as a routine engagement between party leaders.
He said he was not directly involved in arranging the meeting but had been informed about it.
“Whoever wants to meet, we meet. I am not involved, but (the meeting) has been brought to my attention,” he was quoted after delivering a lecture at Masjid Rusila here today.
The confirmation comes after reports of a photograph circulating on social media showing PAS vice-president Datuk Idris Ahmad arriving at a Kuala Lumpur hotel said to be hosting an Umno political bureau meeting.
The development has fuelled speculation of informal discussions between the two parties on reviving political cooperation under MN 2.0.
Earlier, PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man had suggested that cooperation among Malay-based parties should be revived in the interest of the Malay community and the ummah.
The renewed political chatter comes as both Johor and Negeri Sembilan have dissolved their state assemblies, setting the stage for closely watched state elections in the coming weeks.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/06/05/speculation-grows-over-renewed-pasumno-ties-after-hadi-awang-confirms-leaders-met/222585
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Sultan Ibrahim graces Trooping of the Colours ceremony at Dataran Pahlawan Negara, inspects parade
05 Jun 2026
PUTRAJAYA, June 5 — His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, today graced the Trooping of the Colours ceremony at Dataran Pahlawan Negara here.
Upon His Majesty’s arrival at 8.45am, the national anthem, Negaraku, was played, followed by a 21-gun salute.
Sultan Ibrahim then inspected a parade comprising 25 officers and 510 personnel from the three branches of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), led by the commanding officer of the Fifth Battalion, Royal Malay Regiment, Lt Col Azlan Shah Baharom.
The ceremony, which began at 7.50am, was held amid light rain and temperatures of about 26 degrees Celsius.
It also featured a combined performance by the MAF Central Band under the baton of Lt Col Muhamad Nor Azizan Yahya, with renditions of patriotic songs.
After His Majesty had inspected the guard of honour, the combined MAF Central Band marched onto the parade ground, marking the commencement of the ceremonial trooping of the five Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s Colours, conducted with full military honours.
The five Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s Colours trooped during the ceremony were those of the Royal Malay Regiment, Royal Ranger Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, Royal Malaysian Navy and Royal Malaysian Air Force.
The Colours are a national honour conferred by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong upon regiments and corps of the army, navy and air force.
The ceremony concluded with members of the parade contingent chanting “Daulat Tuanku” three times, followed by a prayer led by Army Headquarters religious director-general Brig Gen Mohd Jihadi Ahmad.
His Majesty departed the ceremony at 9.40am.
Also present at the ceremony were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Chief of Defence Force Gen Tan Sri Malek Razak Sulaiman.
The ceremony is held three times during the five-year reign of each Malay Ruler appointed as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong — in the first, third and final years of the reign.
It also serves as a manifestation of the armed forces’ oath and pledge of undivided loyalty to the King and the nation. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Malaysia gains strategic importance for Italy, says ambassador
4 Jun 2026
Malaysia is becoming a key strategic partner for Italy, with bilateral trade growing 6.3% in 2025 and a major business mission planned, says the Italian envoy
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is a country of growing strategic importance to Italy, and this priority is clearly reflected in the strength of bilateral economic relations, said Ambassador of Italy to Malaysia Raffaele Langella.
He said Italian companies are looking at Malaysia with increasing confidence, not only as a market but as a strategic partner and a regional hub.
“A few weeks from now, a business mission led by Confindustria with more than 50 Italian companies will come to Malaysia to explore new opportunities and deepen partnerships,” he said, in his speech during Italy’s 80th National Day reception here on Thursday.
Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Datuk Chang Lih Kang represented the Malaysian government at the reception.
According to Langella, in 2025, bilateral trade between Italy and Malaysia grew by 6.3 per cent compared to the previous year, confirming the steady expansion of the economic partnership.
“Italian exports to Malaysia remained at a consistently high level, while imports from Malaysia increased by 13.7 per cent, highlighting the growing dynamism and complementarity of our respective economies,” he said.
According to the ambassador, the friendship between Italy and Malaysia is built on trust, respect, and a shared belief in openness.
It is a friendship between two countries that are geographically distant but increasingly close in ambition, values, and vision, he added.
Langella is also optimistic that the bond between Italy and Malaysia will continue to grow, not only as a partnership of interests but as a friendship of peoples, ideas, and futures.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/malaysia-gains-strategic-importance-for-italy-says-ambassador/
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South Asia
Afghan, Uzbek Officials Discuss Expanding Trade, Economic Cooperation
June 4, 2026
KABUL: Sayed Karim Hashemi, Chairman of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), met with the Chairman of the Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss ways to enhance bilateral trade and economic relations between the two neighboring countries.
The ACCI said in a statement on Wednesday that the two sides reviewed opportunities for expanding commercial cooperation, improving transit and customs procedures, and addressing challenges faced by traders and investors.
Discussions focused on facilitating the movement of goods, reducing barriers to trade, and creating a more favorable environment for business activities.
Both parties underscored the importance of maintaining close coordination and strengthening joint efforts aimed at increasing trade volumes and deepening economic engagement.
They also highlighted the significant role of the private sector in promoting regional connectivity and supporting sustainable economic growth.
The two sides expressed optimism that enhanced collaboration between the two chambers would contribute to stronger commercial ties and greater economic opportunities for businesses on both sides of the border.
The meeting reflects the growing economic partnership between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, as both countries continue to explore new avenues for trade, investment, and regional cooperation.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://www.thekabultimes.com/afghan-uzbek-officials-discuss-expanding-trade-economic-cooperation/
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Bangladesh, Turkey signal ‘new era’ of strategic partnership
5 Jun 2026
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has reaffirmed Ankara’s commitment to working closely with Bangladesh to strengthen peace and stability across South Asia, describing Dhaka as a key partner in regional diplomacy.
Calling Bangladesh an exceptional country and a strong voice of the Global South, Fidan said it holds strategic importance for the security architecture of the wider region.
“We will continue to take steps that will embody our common will to strengthen our relations with new projects and to reinforce stability, peace, and prosperity in South Asia,” he said during a joint press briefing with his Bangladeshi counter part this morning.
Earlier in the morning, Fidan held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka, marking what both sides described as the beginning of a “new era” in bilateral relations aimed at elevating ties to a strategic partnership beyond traditional cooperation.
The visit comes at a pivotal moment following Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections in February 2026 and Khalilur’s earlier visit to Turkey in March this year.
Fidan expressed Turkey’s strong support for the government, while describing Khalilur’s victory in the UNGA presidential election as a “significant recognition” of Bangladesh’s global influence. Khalilur, in turn, expressed deep gratitude for Turkey’s support during the election process.
The two sides discussed expanding economic and defence cooperation and reviewed steps to raise bilateral trade from the current $1.3 billion to a target of $2 billion.
Khalilur proposed exploring a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) or an interim Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and invited Turkish investors to utilise Special Economic Zones, highlighting textiles, pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding and renewable energy as priority sectors.
Fidan said that both countries are exploring comprehensive defence cooperation, while Khalilur Rahman specifically pointed to “defence item manufacturing” as a key area for Turkish investment.
The partnership agenda also extends to infrastructure and social development, with Bangladesh proposing that Turkey establish an international-standard hospital and nursing institute in Dhaka.
During the visit, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the protection of cultural property, which Fidan described as a joint commitment to safeguarding the “common heritage of humanity”.
Both foreign ministers were scheduled to visit Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar in the afternoon to inspect the activities of Turkish humanitarian organisations including TIKA, AFAD and the Red Crescent.
Khalilur reiterated that the safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar remains Bangladesh’s top priority. Turkey, meanwhile, pledged to keep the crisis on the international agenda and continue supporting a fair and lasting solution.
Fidan also voiced concern over rising instability in the Middle East, particularly the ongoing “genocide” in Gaza and attempts to obstruct a two-state solution in Palestine. He called for an end to Israeli aggression and occupation in Lebanon to restore regional stability.
Touching on broader geopolitical tensions, he noted the Iran-related conflict and its adverse impact on the global economy and energy security.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/bangladesh-turkey-signal-new-era-strategic-partnership-4191271
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Higher US tariffs unlikely to improve labour rights: CPD
5 JUNE 2026
Punitive trade measures are unlikely to improve labour rights conditions and may instead erode Bangladesh’s competitiveness in its largest export market, said the Centre for Policy Dialogue yesterday.
“Higher tariffs alone will not solve the problem. In fact, they could worsen labour market vulnerabilities,” said Mustafizur Rahman, distinguished fellow at CPD, at a briefing titled ‘State of the Bangladesh Economy in FY2025-26: Multidimensional Challenges during the Transition Period’.
Support programmes aimed at reducing child labour and improving working conditions would be more constructive than punitive trade measures.
The US has proposed a new tariff of 10 to 12.5 percent on 60 countries, including Bangladesh, because they have failed to prove they do not import industrial raw materials from places where forced labour is used.
The proposal was announced on Tuesday by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) following Section 301 investigations launched earlier this year into forced labour enforcement among major US trading partners.
“We examined the issue from the American perspective to understand how they view Bangladesh’s labour practices.”
Their assessments have repeatedly highlighted specific concerns over the years, including forced labour in brick kilns, the lack of adequate support and shelter for victims, and weaknesses in labour rights protection, he said.
While geopolitical and political considerations may influence trade decisions, Bangladesh also needs to acknowledge and address genuine labour rights concerns that continue to appear in US government assessments.
“If we had demonstrated stronger progress on these issues, it would have been easier to argue that the matter was driven solely by political considerations.”
He urged the government to focus on areas within its control, including implementing recommendations on labour rights reforms and fulfilling commitments outlined in its policy agenda.
Although no final decision has been made, visible progress on labour rights would strengthen Bangladesh’s position in negotiations.
He called for further discussions with the US to identify practical solutions and explore areas where Washington could support improvements in labour rights.
On the proposed new pay scale for government employees, Mustafizur said there were valid arguments for a revision given that the last pay scale was introduced in 2015 and inflation had eroded public servants’ purchasing power.
At the same time, higher salaries should be accompanied by stronger accountability, improved service delivery and greater institutional efficiency, he said.
Responding to a question on investment, Rahman said political uncertainty had eased following the formation of an elected government, but investors have yet to regain full confidence.
“Businesses appear to be waiting for clearer signals, particularly from the upcoming budget and the government’s reform agenda.”
Indicators such as sluggish credit growth and weak imports of capital machinery suggest that private investment remains subdued, he said.
“The government has taken some positive steps, including refinancing initiatives, but private-sector confidence remains weak. Restoring that confidence is crucial for growth, jobs and easing inflation.”
Investors would be closely watching the upcoming budget for policy direction and reform commitments before making major investment decisions.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/higher-us-tariffs-unlikely-improve-labour-rights-cpd-4191031
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Afghanistan-Born Shia Cleric Mohammad Ishaq Fayyaz Dies, Iraq Declares Mourning
By Fidel Rahmati
June 4, 2026
Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Ishaq Fayyaz, a prominent Shia scholar and religious authority, has passed away in Najaf, Iraq, at the age of 96.
His office in Kabul confirmed that the Afghanistan-born scholar passed away on Thursday. Three days of public mourning have been announced in Iraq.
Born in 1930 in the village of Soba, Jaghori District, Ghazni Province, in east-central Afghanistan, Fayyaz moved to Iran for religious studies before settling in Iraq.
After years of study in the Shia seminary of Najaf, he rose to become a leading Shia religious authority, followed by believers in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and beyond.
His views on Islamic government, particularly on the authority of the jurist, are laid out in his magnum opus, Al-Hukuma Al-Islamiya.
Iran’s president offers condolences
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed condolences to Ayatollah Fayyaz’s family, the Shia world, religious seminaries, scholars, and the people of Iraq.
Praising the late ayatollah’s decades of service in promoting the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt, Pezeshkian described him as “a great jurist and great Shia authority.”
“The name and memory of that prominent jurist will remain immortal in the history of Shia jurisprudence and authority,” Pezeshkian said.
Sheikh Qais al-Khazali, secretary general of Iraq’s Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq group, also issued a message of condolences.
The United Nations similarly expressed condolences on the passing of the grand ayatollah. Grand Ayatollah Fayyaz is survived by six children; three sons and three daughters.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-born-shia-cleric-mohammad-ishaq-fayyaz-dies-iraq-declares-mourning/
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Afghan Embassy in Kuwait Handed Over to Islamic Emirate
June 4, 2026
Sources have confirmed to TOLOnews that Afghanistan’s embassy in Kuwait has been handed over to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
According to the sources, Shafiq Khatib has been appointed as the acting head of the embassy.
Khatib previously served as Director of Consular Affairs and Director of Border Affairs at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Sovereign states have the right to operate embassies and consulates, and governments derive their legitimacy from the people,” said political analyst Idris Mohammadi Zazi. “Afghans living in Kuwait need access to consular and diplomatic services. For the government, this step also contributes to the issue of international recognition.”
In addition to Kuwait, several countries, including Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Oman, and Qatar have formally accepted diplomats appointed by the Islamic Emirate.
According to the Islamic Emirate, more than 40 of its diplomatic missions are currently operating abroad.
“Establishing and expanding diplomatic relations with other countries, particularly Islamic nations such as Kuwait, benefits both sides and can help Afghanistan emerge from international isolation,” said former diplomat Aziz Maarij. “Kuwait is also interested in investing in Afghanistan.”
Although the Islamic Emirate has developed political and economic relations with most countries in the region over the past four years, no country other than Russia has formally recognized the current government.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-199499
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US Democrats press Rubio on stranded Afghan allies in Qatar
By Fidel Rahmati
June 4, 2026
Democratic lawmakers sharply criticized the Trump administration’s refugee policy during a congressional hearing, urging the United States to honor commitments made to Afghan allies who assisted American forces during the two-decade war in Afghanistan.
Representative Grace Meng questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the administration’s decision to admit white South African refugees while more than 1,100 Afghans who worked alongside US troops remain stranded in Qatar awaiting resettlement.
Meng argued that many of the Afghans include former military interpreters, support staff, and relatives of active-duty US service members who face serious risks if returned to Afghanistan. She said the United States had a moral obligation to protect those who supported American operations.
Rubio defended the administration’s approach, saying the South African refugee program was designed for applicants considered likely to integrate quickly into American society. He described it as a limited resettlement initiative aligned with US national interests.
The secretary of state confirmed that Afghan refugees currently housed in Qatar would not be admitted to the United States under existing policies. Instead, Washington is negotiating with several countries to accept them. Rubio said at least five countries had expressed willingness to receive some of the refugees but did not identify them.
Senator Chris Coons also raised concerns about the situation, noting that hundreds of children and family members of US military personnel remain in limbo in Qatar. He urged the administration to work with Congress to secure their transfer to the United States.
Rubio responded that current executive restrictions prevent the admission of Afghan refugees and said he could not commit to bringing the group into the country.
The debate comes as refugee advocates warn that prolonged uncertainty is worsening conditions for Afghan families awaiting resettlement in Qatar. Human rights groups have urged Washington and its allies to accelerate relocation efforts and prevent any forced return of vulnerable Afghans to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
The issue has gained renewed attention as Pakistan and Iran continue large-scale deportations of undocumented Afghans. Hundreds of thousands of returnees have crossed back into Afghanistan in recent months, placing additional pressure on humanitarian services and increasing concerns about protection risks for former government employees, journalists, women activists, and others considered vulnerable.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s rights, education, and employment, while the United Nations has repeatedly warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis. International agencies estimate that millions of Afghans remain dependent on aid amid funding shortages, economic hardship, and continued displacement.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/us-democrats-press-rubio-on-stranded-afghan-allies-in-qatar/
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