Zumba Dance In Kerala Schools Sparks Moral Panic, Muslim Group Calls It ‘Against Moral Values’

New Age Islam News Bureau

28 June 2025

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·         Zumba Dance In Kerala Schools Sparks Moral Panic, Muslim Group Calls It ‘Against Moral Values’

·         'Had No Choice But To Run To Daddy': Iran's Sharp Jibe At Israel; Hits Back At Trump Too

·         US Supreme Court Allows Parents To Opt Out Of Lessons With LGBT Books

·         34 Former Anshor Daulah Members Renounce ISIS, Pledge Loyalty to Indonesia

·         Islamic Emirate Denies Presence of Foreign Groups in Afghanistan

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India

·         Asked To ‘Trim’ His Beard, Kashmiri Doctor Loses Seat At Coimbatore Hospital

·         2 Drown In UP Meat Processing Unit's Blood Collection Tank

·         RSS’s Secular Strike Is ‘Attack On Constitution’, Opposition Warns Of Hindutva Agenda

·         Over 900 people placed under preventive restrictions in Sambhal ahead of Muharram

·         Why Asaduddin Owaisi is losing the trust of young Indian Muslims

·         Bareilly police zero in on imam in case of group targeting girls seen with men of other faith

·         Pakistan pleaded for ceasefire 'just in time' during Operation Sindoor: Navy Chief

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Mideast

·         Massive Rallies In Al-JawfCelebrate Islamic Republic’s Victory Over Zionist Enemy

·         Iraqi Cleric Condemns U.S. and Israeli Strike on Iran, Warns of Regional Risks

·         UN commission says Syria must end violence against Alawites and protect places of worship

·         Intensive Calls to Travel, Pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday

·         Thousands mourn top Iranian military commanders and scientists killed in Israeli strikes

·         Trump hopeful for Gaza ceasefire, possibly 'next week'

·         UN peacekeeping chief ‘very, very worried’ about future of Lebanon-Israel ceasefire deal if UNIFIL withdraws

·         62 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, say Gaza rescuers

·         UN Chief Calls For Political Courage To Secure Gaza Ceasefire As Humanitarian Crisis Reaches ‘Horrific Proportions’

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North America

·         'Let's Stand With Zohran': Bernie Sanders, Muslim Members Of Congress Call Out Racist Attacks Against Mamdani

·         New York, New Comrade. Mayor Mamdani and his India-style socialism

·         CAIR-Texas Demands Removal of Tarrant County GOP Chair Over Antisemitic, Islamophobic Poll

·         Trump suspends possible Iran sanctions relief

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Southeast Asia

·         More Mental Health Initiatives For Malay/Muslim Community In Marsiling-Yew Tee

·         ‘We’re staying’: Five Malaysians in Iran decline evacuation, says foreign minister

·         Fahmi: Final draft of 13th Malaysia Plan not rushed, backed by weeks of ministry input

·         King urges MAF to stay ready, equipped amid global conflicts, warns against political interference in defence procurement

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South Asia

·         Import Of ‘Stolen Grain’: Ukraine Calls For EU Sanctions On Bangladeshi Entities

·         WHO urgently seeks $2 million amid mass deportation of Afghan migrants

·         Norway donates over $4 million to Afghanistan

·         Afghanistan, Russia Strengthen Cooperation on Climate and Disaster Management

·         Bangladesh continues tariff talks with US

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Africa

·         Congo And Rwanda Sign A US-Mediated Peace Deal Aimed At Ending Decades Of Bloody Conflict

·         African Human Rights Court Says It Can Hear Case Brought By DRC Against Rwanda

·         FG Assures Nigerians In Iran Are Safe Amid Regional Tensions

·         Hijrah 1447: Reps member felicitates Muslims, seeks unity

·         13 killed including 3 children in Sudan paramilitary strikes in Darfur

·         Sudan’s leader approves seven-day humanitarian ceasefire in El-Fasher

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Europe

·         Interfaith Walk Takes To Streets Of Oxford City Centre

·         Georgia jails six political figures in one week in crackdown on opposition

·         Plans to help benefits recipients into work 'a mess', say DWP officials

·         Hungary Pride to go ahead, defying Orban threat of 'legal consequences'

·         European NATO states wary of buying US arms – Bloomberg

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Arab World

·         Saudi Arabia Condemns Israeli Settler Violence Against Palestinians In Occupied West Bank

·         KAIN welcomes 60 students as part of Mawhiba Research Enrichment Program

·         ‘We will make our country proud’: Joy as Saudi graduates take first professional steps

·         Roll the dice: Monopoly Riyadh set to hit shelves this September

·         Saudi passports department’s expired visa extension initiative

·         Saudi Shoura Council delegation meets with speaker of Hungarian Parliament

·         Al-Hussam Park: a tourist attraction in the heart of picturesque Al-Baha

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/zumba-dance-kerala-schools-muslim-group/d/136017

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Zumba Dance In Kerala Schools Sparks Moral Panic, Muslim Group Calls It ‘Against Moral Values’

27.06.25

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Zumba dance, a high-energy fitness programme introduced in schools in Kerala by the General Education Department as part of its anti-drug campaign, is facing opposition from certain Muslim groups who argue that it goes against moral values.

The programme was introduced in schools following a directive from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who stated that the dance— which combines dance and aerobic movements performed to lively music—would help reduce stress among schoolchildren and, in turn, counter the menace of drug abuse among young people.

From this academic year, many schools have begun offering Zumba training.

“Zumba dance is against moral values,” claimed AbdussamadPookkottur, state secretary of the Samastha Kerala Sunni YuvajanaSangham (SYS), in a Facebook post on Friday, voicing his protest against the state government's initiative. He also urged parents to think more critically about the programme.

SYS is the youth wing of the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, a prominent Sunni Muslim scholarly body in Kerala.

State Higher Education Minister R Bindhu defended the initiative, saying Zumba benefits both children and the general public by promoting mental and physical well-being.

“We are well into the 21st century—it is 2025. We are not living in the 19th century or the primitive medieval period. Everyone should think in accordance with the times,” Bindhu told reporters when asked about the controversy.

The Muslim Students Federation (MSF), the student wing of the Indian Union Muslim League, criticised the government for introducing the programme without conducting proper studies.

“When such a programme is introduced in schools, thorough and credible studies must be carried out. Has the General Education Department conducted any study or held discussions with students, teachers, and parents before implementing this?” asked MSF state president P K Navas.

T K Ashraf, General Secretary of the Wisdom Islamic Organisation, said that as a teacher, he had chosen to step back from implementing the directive mandating Zumba in schools as part of the anti-drug campaign.

“My son will also not participate in this programme. I am prepared to face whatever action the department may take on this matter,” he said in a Facebook post.

Ashraf said he enrolled his child in a government school to receive quality education—“not to learn a culture where boys and girls, wearing minimal clothing, dance together to the rhythm of music.” “There may be people who see this as progressive. I am not one of them—I admit I am old-fashioned in this regard,” he added, claiming that many teachers, students, and parents also disagree with the programme but choose to remain silent for fear of possible consequences.

“I've noticed attempts to intimidate people by saying they will have to provide explanations to the department or face disciplinary action if they do not comply,” he alleged.

The General Education Department, however, stated that the Zumba sessions are intended to support students' mental health and are part of the state government's anti-drug campaign "With Childhood and Youth", which carries the message "PadanamaanuLahari" (Education is the real addiction).

The department said the goal is to steer children away from drugs by offering positive, healthy alternatives.

Citing studies, officials noted that children struggling with mental health issues are more likely to be targeted by drug networks. In this context, Zumba is being introduced as a fun and energetic way to improve students’ mental and physical well-being.

According to the department, Zumba and similar physical activities help children build confidence, improve posture, stay motivated, and develop social and life skills through group participation.

The government added that trained instructors will conduct the dance sessions in schools.

With the support of teachers and parents, the programme aims not only to promote mental balance and physical fitness but also to help build a drug-free future for the next generation, the department said.

Source: telegraphindia.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/zumba-in-kerala-schools-sparks-moral-panic-muslim-group-calls-it-against-values/cid/2110199

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'Had no choice but to run to daddy': Iran's sharp jibe at Israel; hits back at Trump too

Jun 28, 2025

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday mocked Israel, saying the Jewish State had "no choice but to run to daddy,' a reference to US President Donald Trump, to "avoid being flattened by Iranian missiles."NATO chief Mark Rutte had recently jokingly referred to Trump as "daddy."

"The Great and Powerful Iranian People, who showed the world that the Israeli regime had NO CHOICE but to RUN to 'Daddy' to avoid being flattened by our Missiles, do not take kindly to Threats and Insults. If Illusions lead to worse mistakes, Iran will not hesitate to unveil its Real Capabilities, which will certainly END any Delusion about the Power of Iran," Araghchi wrote on social media.

The top diplomat further demanded that Trump, who brokered a peace truce between the Asian rivals a day after the United States bombed three key Iranian nuclear sites, withdraw his "disrespectful" remarks on Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He also wondered if the US president is "genuine about wanting a deal."

"If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers," Araghchi posted on X.

The "deal" he mentioned relates to the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme, which was at the centre of the recent conflict between US ally Israel and Iran - their common rival. The hostilities began on June 13 with Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear and military sites, ahead of fresh Washington-Tehran talks over the latter's nuclear programme.

The war ended on June 23, a day after America's Operation Midnight Hammer, which Iran retaliated to by launching missiles on a US air base in Qatar.

Source: indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/disrespectful-and-condemnable-iran-condemns-trumps-remarks-on-khamenei-asks-us-president-if-he-is-genuine-about-a-deal/articleshowprint/122122459.cms

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US Supreme Court allows parents to opt out of lessons with LGBT books

June 28, 2025

Laura Blasey

The US Supreme Court has sided with parents in the state of Maryland who wanted to opt their children out of reading books with LGBTQ themes.

The justices voted 6-3 in support of the group of parents who said a curriculum adopted in 2022 by the Montgomery County Public Schools for elementary age children violated their religious rights.

The court's majority said the parents who brought the case are entitled to a preliminary injunction while it proceeds.

The introduction of the books "along with its decision to withhold opt-outs, places an unconstitutional burden on the parents' rights to the free exercise of their religion", Justice Samuel Alito wrote.

The ruling allowed the preliminary relief, arguing the parents showed their case is likely to succeed on its merits, they are likely to suffer irreparable harm in its absence and that an injunction would be in the public interest.

The three liberal justices dissented.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her dissenting opinion that the result of the case will be "chaos for this nation's public schools".

"Given the great diversity of religious beliefs in this country, countless interactions that occur every day in public schools might expose children to messages that conflict with a parents' beliefs," she added.

The parents involved represent several different faiths, but all oppose their children being introduced to LGBTQ themes.

The US Constitution's First Amendment protects the right to freely exercise one's religious beliefs, which the parents argued includes the right to pull their children out of lessons they find offensive.

They also pointed to school rules that allow parents to opt older children out of sex education.

The books include Uncle Bobby's Wedding, which tells the story of a girl being told about her uncle's planned gay wedding, and Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope, about a transgender boy.

The parents argued they have no objection to the books being on the shelf or available in the library.

Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland's largest school system, added the books in an effort to provide greater diversity in the stories children read. In 2023, it removed the opt-out option because it caused classroom disruption and could expose LGBTQ students to social stigma and isolation.

In a statement on Friday, Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said the "ruling not only tells LGBTQ+ students that they don't belong, but that their experiences and existence are less worthy of respect".

Eric Baxter, the attorney representing the group of parents, said the court's ruling was "a win-win situation for parents everywhere".

At a hearing for the case earlier this year, the justices appeared split along ideological lines. The court's conservative majority expressed sympathy for the group's argument.

Source: bbc.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8xgdegv2x5o

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34 Former Anshor Daulah Members Renounce ISIS, Pledge Loyalty to Indonesia

Effendi Rusli

 June 27, 2025

Thirty-four former Anshor Daulah members in Riau renounce ISIS allegiance and pledge loyalty to Indonesia, at the Sarindit Hall, Riau Governor's Office, on Friday, June 27, 2025. (Beritasatu.com/Effendi Rusli)

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Jakarta. Thirty-four members of the Anshor Daulah group in Riau, previously affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS), have renounced their allegiance to the extremist network and pledged loyalty to the Republic of Indonesia during a ceremony in Pekanbaru on Friday.

Anshor Daulah (sometimes spelled Ansar Daulah) is a local extremist group in Indonesia that has pledged allegiance (baiat) to ISIS (Islamic State). The name “Anshor Daulah” roughly translates to “Helpers of the State (Caliphate),” referring to the self-proclaimed ISIS caliphate.

The former Anshor Daulah members, including 32 men and two women, declared their commitment to Indonesia at the Sarindit Hall, Riau Governor’s Office, symbolically kissing the Indonesian flag as a sign of returning to national values.

“They pledged loyalty and kissed the red and white flag as a symbol of returning to being fully Indonesian,” Riau Police Chief HeryHeryawan said.

Some of the 34 individuals had been directly involved with ISIS or exposed to radical ideology, Herysaidd. The deradicalization process, he added, was the result of a long-term assessment and outreach program by Indonesia’s counterterrorism police unit, Densus 88. The former members will continue to be monitored by local task forces and community police to support their reintegration.

Riau Densus 88 Chief, Senior Commissioner Sunadi, said the Anshor Daulah group was once affiliated with ISIS and had committed various acts of violence across Indonesia, including attacks targeting the Riau Police headquarters.

“They did not undergo imprisonment but were identified, approached, and assessed until they developed the awareness to return to the Republic of Indonesia,” Sunadi explained.

During the ceremony, the former Anshor Daulah members read a five-point pledge:

Renouncing allegiance to the leader of ISIS as it contradicts the principles of the Republic of Indonesia.

Acknowledging Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution as the foundation of the state, consistent with Islamic teachings.

Rejecting and avoiding any ideology or actions that could divide the nation.

Committing to protect the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia.

Agreeing to abide by the laws and regulations of Indonesia.

Source: jakartaglobe.id

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https://jakartaglobe.id/news/34-former-anshor-daulah-members-renounce-isis-pledge-loyalty-to-indonesia

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Islamic Emirate Denies Presence of Foreign Groups in Afghanistan

2025-06-27

KABUL(BNA): The spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Mawlavi Zabihullah Mujahid, firmly denied assertions made by the U.S. House of Representatives regarding the presence of foreign groups within the country.

In a recent statement, Mujahid emphasized that Afghanistan is governed by a single, strong system that maintains full control over its territory.

Mujahid reassured that the Islamic Emirate does not permit the use of Afghanistan soil against any countries, countering claims from the US Foreign ties Subcommittee that suggested these alleged foreign groups represent a threat to neighboring countries.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/islamic-emirate-denies-presence-of-foreign-groups-in-afghanistan/\

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India

Asked to ‘trim’ his beard, Kashmiri doctor loses seat at Coimbatore hospital

Nikhila Henry

June 28, 2025

A Kashmiri doctor – Zubair Ahmed — has accused Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital located in Coimbatore of forcing him to “quit his super speciality seat”. The doctor, who was allotted a seat at the nephrology department of the hospital after he cleared the NEET-SS was allegedly told by the hospital administration that he will have to either shave or trim his beard if he were to take admission.

The doctor who had grown his beard for religious reasons refused the same, even as he agreed to abide by the hygiene requirements of the hospital including wearing a mask to “hide his beard”.

He decided to forgo the seat at the hospital, because the administration was refusing to budge. “They clearly told him to shave or trim his beard or not take admission at all,” a source at the hospital told the Indian Express.

When contacted the hospital administration clarified, “We have not denied admission to anyone. We were allotted the candidate and we have to take admissions based on their rank given by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences”. The hospital administration asked Dr Ahmed to “merely trim his beard”, the hospital clarified. “He was wearing a beard which reached his chest and we wanted him to trim it because in the nephrology department which he was planning to join he will be dealing with several patients whose immunity is low. Personal hygiene in such cases is absolutely important,” a spokesperson of the hospital told the Indian Express.

According to sources at the hospital, Dr Ahmed had written to NBEMS “accusing the hospital of discrimination”. NBEMS asked him to take admission by June 26. “He had approached for admission on June 19, which was more or less the last day for admissions. His date of joining was extended to June 26, considering the special request he had made. But he did not turn up to take admission,” the hospital’s spokesperson said.

Doctors at the hospital said that the administration follows a strict attire policy and does not allow “doctors with beards”. The spokesperson, however, said, “We have a policy of grooming which is essential in all hospitals for the sake of hygiene. We only request our doctors to abide by these rules of personal hygiene”. The spokesperson clarified that there are senior doctors at the hospital who keep their beards. “We allow groomed beards at the hospital. There are senior doctors who have been keeping trimmed beards for years at the hospital,” the spokesperson clarified.

When contacted, Dr Zubair Ahmed was not available for comment. However, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association has written to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, on Dr Ahmed’s behalf. The letter read, “Dr Zubair was left with no choice but to withdraw from the programme, despite having earned the seat through an all-India merit-based examination”.

Source: indianexpress.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/hyderabad/asked-to-trim-his-beard-kashmiri-doctor-loses-seat-at-coimbatore-hospital-10093204/

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2 Drown In UP Meat Processing Unit's Blood Collection Tank

Jun 28, 2025

AGRA: Two workers at a meat processing factory in Aligarh died after falling into a 12-ft-deep blood collection tank while cleaning it late on Thursday night. No police complaint has been filed so far as family members are busy performing the last rites.

Deceased Imran Ahmed, 25, and Asif Ahmed, 30, were residents of Aligarh. They were preparing to retire for the day when their supervisor called them around 9pm, asking them to go to the factory located in Roravar police station area. While they were cleaning, they accidentally fell into the tank filled with blood and lost consciousness. They were rushed to hospital, where doctors declared them dead on arrival.

On Friday, the victims' families alleged negligence on the part of the labour contractor. Imran's wife Khushboo claimed her husband was forced to report for work at an untimely hour and that the contractor threatened to stop his wages if he failed to go. "My husband left for the factory in the night and we received a call from the factory management on Friday morning, informing us that he was admitted to hospital. When we reached the hospital, we were told that he had died," said Khushboo.

Asif's spouse, Boby, said, "The labour contractor promised to pay Rs 300 if my husband went to the factory at night. I came to know about his death in the morning. We want justice."

Roravar SHO Shishupal Sharma said, "Post-mortem report is awaited. We have launched an investigation and appropriate action will be taken. No police complaint has been filed so far.

Source: indiatimes.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2-drown-in-up-meat-processing-units-blood-collection-tank/articleshow/122120452.cms

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RSS’s secular strike is ‘attack on Constitution’, Opposition warns of Hindutva agenda

28.06.25

The Opposition on Friday accused the ruling dispensation of reviving its agenda of dismantling Ambedkar’s Constitution, citing RSS general secretary DattatreyaHosabale’s oblique push for the deletion of “socialist” and “secular” from the Preamble.

The Congress castigated the “assault on the Constitution”, alleging it was part of “a longstanding conspiracy” to dismantle B.R. Ambedkar’s vision of a “just, inclusive and democratic India”.

A CPM statement said: “This proposal (to drop the terms) exposes the RSS’s longstanding objective of subverting the Constitution and its intent to transform India into a Hindu Rashtra, in pursuit of its Hindutva project.”

Hosabale, second in command in the BJP’s ideological parent, had on Thursday underlined that the words “socialist” and “secular” had been inserted into the Preamble through (the 42nd) constitutional amendment in 1976, during the Emergency.

“They (these words) were not part of the original Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar. No attempt was made to remove them later. So there should be a discussion on whether they should remain,” he said, addressing an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency.

Last year, however, the Supreme Court had dismissed petitions challenging the

constitutional validity of the 42nd amendment, stressing that the labels “secular” and “socialist” for the Indian republic had “achieved widespread acceptance”.

Hosabale’s comments provoked a political row on Friday.

Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh said the RSS had “never” accepted the Constitution. He argued that the people had, during the last general election, rejected the BJP’s alleged plans to change the Constitution by denying the party the overwhelming majority it needed to do so.

“Let us not forget: when the Constitution was adopted, the RSS rejected it. They didn’t just oppose it — they burnt it,” the Congress said in a statement on X.

“In the Lok Sabha elections, BJP leaders did not even hide their intent. They declared openly that they needed over 400 seats to rewrite the Constitution. But the people of India saw through their agenda — and gave them a resounding answer.”

The CPM said the words “socialism” and “secularism” were not arbitrary additions but reflected the core values of the freedom struggle.

Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said: “A senior RSS member surely knows that the Supreme Court declared socialism and secularism to be part of the basic structure of the Constitution. Yet, to take this stand is a clear insult to the Constitution, a rejection of its values, and a direct attack on the Supreme Court of India as well.”

There was no official statement from the BJP on Hosabale’s remarks. However, Jitendra Singh, minister of state (independent charge) for science and technology, justified the push for the deletion of “socialist” and “secular”.

“Any right-thinking citizen will endorse it because everyone knows they were not part of the original Constitution document, which Dr Ambedkar and the rest of the committee wrote,” news agency ANI quoted Singh as saying in response to a question at an event in Jammu.

The issue had rocked the Narendra Modi dispensation in 2015 after a Republic Day advertisement issued by the government showed the Preamble without the words “socialist” and “secular”.

As the Opposition exploded in protest, then Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said there was no harm in having a debate over whether these two words should remain in the Constitution.

Then parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu had, however, promptly clarified that the Modi government was committed to “secularism” and there was no proposal to remove the two words.

The RSS believes that “socialist” and “secular” are western imports unaligned with the Indian ethos, but has largely refrained from voicing its reservations too strongly for fear of a political backlash.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/rsss-secular-strike-is-attack-on-constitution-opposition-warns-of-hindutva-agenda-prnt/cid/2110251

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Over 900 people placed under preventive restrictions in Sambhal ahead of Muharram

27.06.25

Authorities in Sambhal have placed over 900 persons under preventive restrictions ahead of Muharram to maintain peace and prevent any possible disturbances, District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya told reporters on Friday.

Responding to questions from media persons, Pensiya said, "So far, more than 900 people have been bound under preventive action, and the verification of others is still underway. Anyone found attempting to create conflict or disrupt communal harmony will also be placed under similar restrictions. If they go on to cause trouble, their surety bonds will be forfeited."

He added that the amount of surety set varies depending on the person's past record and the potential threat they pose.

"It could be Rs 1 lakh, Rs 2 lakh, Rs 3 lakh, or even Rs 5 lakh, depending on the sub-divisional magistrate's (SDM) assessment of the individual's background and previous involvement in disputes. Some are new names, while others have past records," he said.

The DM also confirmed that Section 163 (power of certain magistrates to issue orders in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the BNSS has been invoked as part of the preventive measures.

Source: telegraphindia.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/over-900-people-placed-under-preventive-restrictions-in-sambhal-ahead-of-muharram/cid/2110201

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Why Asaduddin Owaisi is losing the trust of young Indian Muslims

Ismail Salahuddin & Mohammad Aaquib

28 June, 2025

Fiercely articulate, legally astute and unapologetically Muslim, Asaduddin Owaisi has carved out a space where Indian Muslims can feel represented, not merely as a vote bank but as citizens with constitutional dignity

But he has unleashed a torrent of disappointment with his recent participation in an all-party delegation to the Gulf to explain the government’s position after Operation Sindoor. In news clips, Owaisi can be seen fiercely denouncing Pakistan while insisting that Muslims in India are in a way better shape, has unleashed a torrent of disappointment.

What happens when a voice of dissent begins to echo the narratives of the establishment it once challenged?

Critic echoes the state

It was not Owaisi’s criticism of Pakistan that sparked outrage. Indian Muslims have no illusions about the Pakistani state. Far from offering it support, they do not even have any expectations of it.

Rather, it was Owaisi’s tone and timing, his eagerness to present a sanitised picture of India abroad, at a moment when Muslims at home are being subjected to bulldozer justice, arbitrary arrests and public lynchings by the same establishment he was representing overseas. This made many of those who looked up to him feel abandoned.

Amid this deeply violent landscape, what does it mean for Owaisi to offer the narrative of internal harmony to the world? Participation in such delegations could have been used as an opportunity to highlight the paradox of Indian democracy, its capacity to showcase token diversity while eroding real dissent.

Instead, Owaisi chose to align with the state’s script, insisting that India’s internal tensions are merely political differences. That erasure of Muslim suffering is a wound far deeper than any ideological disagreement.

Thus far, Owaisi’s strength has been his refusal to bend to the Hindutva machinery. He was that rare voice who dared to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata party and its mother organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, while also holding secular parties accountable for their token gestures towards ensuring minority rights.

His insistence on constitutionalism, on asserting rights not through communal appeals but legal frameworks, was refreshing. Today, that insistence is becoming performance.

By chanting “Pakistan Murdabad” or death to Pakistan, not as a critique of that nation’s policies but as a means of proving loyalty, Owaisi has crossed a symbolic threshold.

It is not just that he’s critical of Pakistan – it’s that he appears eager to use anti-Pakistan sentiment as a way to buy legitimacy in the eyes of an establishment and a section of India’s people who already view Muslims with suspicion..

For many Indian Muslims, this feels disorienting. This is not because they sympathise with Pakistan – far from it – but because their everyday lives are shaped by being equated with it.

At a time when India’s Muslim neighbourhoods are branded as “mini-Pakistans” and community youth are jailed merely on the allegation of supporting Pakistan in cricket, what does Owaisi’s vilification of Pakistan globally really accomplish? His actions of presenting a united front on an international level play into the BJP’s narratives that project India through a Hindutva lens and marginalise Muslims.

The irony is bitter. Indian Muslims are denounced as being “anti-national” for everything from their dietary habits to their choice of clothing, yet the man they looked to for defense now seems to be parroting the very lines that reinforce their marginalisation.

Owaisi’s nationalist credentials may earn him mainstream support, media space and diplomatic access, but at what cost?

When the bodies of Muslims lie broken in the streets and their homes reduced to rubble, silence is complicity. Owaisi’s silence, dressed in this hyper-nationalist rhetoric, speaks volumes.

Internal discontent

For the BJP, Owaisi is becoming a prized possession. His striking presence in the Parliament, his traditional attire and his eloquence in Urdu, make him the perfect “other”. With his recent international posturing, he becomes even more valuable.

Owaisi has become both figurehead and foil. The more he speaks about foreign enemies, the less he cares about the enmity manifesting itself back home.

Young Muslims, once inspired by Owaisi’s defiance, now feel betrayed. They watch their brothers lynched and their sisters harassed while the man they saw as their advocate poses for photos with those complicit in their suffering. They see bulldozers where schools once stood. They see headlines criminalising their grief.

It is not enough to say that Owaisi is “doing what he must” to survive politically. Representation without resistance is vacuous. If he cannot call out the violence and the state machinery that facilitates it, his voice is no longer that of the community.

This growing sense of alienation could have tangible electoral consequences too, particularly in states like Bihar and West Bengal, where his All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party has sought to expand its influence. The question now is no longer just about his strategic brilliance, but about trust. Can Indian Muslims still see Owaisi as a bulwark against systemic injustice or is he becoming just another player in a rigged game?

Owaisi once inspired a new variety of Indian Muslim politics, one rooted in legal consciousness, political engagement and unapologetic identity. Today, however, that feels hollow. It speaks at global press conferences, not about the streets. It performs nationalism, not justice, and in doing so, it loses the very people it was meant to protect.

Yes, politics demands compromise. Yes, Muslim leaders walk a tightrope in today’s India. However, there is a difference between walking carefully and walking away. Owaisi’s recent actions suggest he may be doing the latter.

In a nation where Muslim existence is increasingly criminalised, where bulldozers replace courts and where silence is state policy, what Indian Muslims need is not a strategist but a witness: someone who will name the violence – even if it costs him the mic.

Until that happens, Owaisi may not be seen as a political alternative but merely a bearded accessory to an increasingly Hindutva state.

Source: scroll.in

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Bareilly police zero in on imam in case of group targeting girls seen with men of other faith

by Manish Sahu

June 28, 2025

Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly are now searching for a local mosque imam who is believed to have sought donations for the membership of a group which allegedly targeted and harassed women and girls of their own community upon being spotted with men of other faiths, officials said.

The imam’s role came to light during the questioning of some of the arrested group members and examination of their cellphones, they added.

The imam allegedly circulated a QR code on social media seeking donations for the membership of the group, it is learnt.

So far, six persons, including Riyazuddin, 22, who also serves as an imam at a local mosque, have been arrested in the case. The other arrested accused, identified as Sehbaz alias Sufiyan, Sameer Raza, Jaish, Shanu and Nabi Hasan, are also in their 20s.

The group members, it has been alleged, would approach girls and women in public places when seen with men believed to be from other communities and confront them in a way to make them feel uncomfortable and record videos while making remarks about “modesty”.

These videos, often replete with objectionable language, were later posted on social media, it is learnt.

The group came to the police’s notice nearly three weeks ago after a video of their activities surfaced online. During the verification, the investigators found that the videos were shared on Instagram from an account ‘Haidri Dal Bareilly’.

The group, they said, had collected around Rs 1 lakh and efforts were being made to collect details of the donors and ascertain the purpose for which the money was contributed.

Two bank accounts in which these funds were deposited have been frozen, the police said.

Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said things will become clearer only after the arrest of the imam who is under their lens. Raids were being conducted to trace him, the Circle Officer added.

“The absconding imam shared a QR code in a WhatsApp group, urging members to donate Rs 200 or more for the cause. The same group had earlier been used to share details about where to gather upon spotting a girl or a woman with a man from another community,” Ashutosh Shivam said.

The preliminary inquiry suggested that the group is a small and self-motivated entity and no organisational backing has been found so far, the police said.

A senior police officer said it was found during the investigation that more than 50 social media groups operated with the names starting with “Haidri Dal” followed by the name of the district, state, or even the regional transport office (RTO) code of the area. “This suggests that several such groups are active in various parts of the state and even beyond,” the officer added.

On June 8, when a video of an incident of harassment of a girl went viral on social media, the police sprung into action and registered a case against unidentified persons at the Kotwali police station.

The case was filed under Sections 353 (statements conducing to public mischief), 196 (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 126 (wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Then the police got the videos deleted from social media.

Jaish, one of the arrested accused, is a Unani medicine student, while Shanu is pursuing engineering, it is learnt. While Sehbaz, Sameer and Riyazuddin recorded the videos, Jaish and Shanu uploaded them on social media with objectionable language, the police said, adding that Nabi Hasan, who studies at a madrasa in Shahjahanpur, shared the videos.

During an examination of Nabi’scellphone, the police claimed to have found multiple videos showing him sexually harassing a minor boy. He has also been booked under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, in addition to other charges.

Nabi is believed to have created a new Instagram account named “Haidari Dal 25” to continue uploading the content after the police began monitoring ‘Haidri Dal Bareilly’, the officials said.

Source: indianexpress.com

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Pakistan pleaded for ceasefire 'just in time' during Operation Sindoor: Navy Chief

Mayank Singh

27 Jun 2025

NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy’s swift deployment during Operation Sindoor in the Arabian Sea compelled Pakistan to “plead” for a ceasefire “just in time”, Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said on Friday.

Speaking at the Naval Investiture Ceremony 2025, Admiral Tripathi stated, “As you all are well aware, during Operation Sindoor, our ships, submarines, and aircraft were operationally ready and deployed projecting strength and preparedness to deter any potential actions from our western adversary.”

He added, “This rapid and measured response not only showcased our strategic reach and maritime dominance but also sent a clear message of resolve forcing our adversary to plead for ceasefire... I would say, just in time!”

Operation Sindoor was launched in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April, in which 26 tourists were killed. The operation aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Admiral Tripathi highlighted India’s evolved stance in treating acts of terror as acts of war, saying, “It has added a new dimension to our operational outlook. Today, a notice to mariners could well be a notice of conflict, and we must be prepared for this new normal.”

He further underscored the growing importance of the Indian Navy amid a shifting global security environment: “The changing geopolitical and geostrategic landscape, coupled with ongoing global conflicts, has significantly increased the frequency, diversity, and complexity of our operational responsibilities.”

51 Naval Personnel Honoured at Investiture Ceremony

Admiral Tripathi also presented Gallantry and Distinguished Service Awards on behalf of the President of India to 51 naval personnel in recognition of exceptional bravery, leadership, and service.

The honours included:

1 Yudh Seva Medal

13 Nausena Medals (Gallantry)

8 Nausena Medals (Devotion to Duty)

17 Vishisht Seva Medals

Additional honours were conferred as follows:

Jeevan Raksha Padak to Dharambir Singh Negi, Ex-Petty Officer EL(P), for rescuing a drowning person in Hindon Canal on 15 July 2024

Captain Ravi Dhir Memorial Medal for promoting flight safety

Lieutenant VK Jain Memorial Medal for research excellence in electronics, computing, and applied sciences

The CNS Trophy for Best Green Practice was awarded to Material Organisation (Vizag) in the industrial category and INS Shivaji in the non-industrial category.

Unit Citations were awarded to:

Operational Units: INS Shivalik, INS Trishul, INS Karna, and Flight Squadron INAS 316

Shore Establishments: INS Satavahana, INS Rajali, and INS Tunir

The Navy Chief also lauded the Controller of Personnel Services (CPS) and team for organising the inaugural ceremony at the newly constructed Nausena Bhawan, calling it a “well-planned and conducted event”.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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Mideast

 

Massive Rallies In Al-JawfCelebrate Islamic Republic’s Victory Over Zionist Enemy

27 Jun 2025

Al-Jawf province witnessed massive rallies on Friday in its center and districts under the slogan "Blessing Iran’s Victory… Standing Firm with Gaza Until Triumph."

Participants in the marches, led by local, executive, and mobilization leaders as well as social figures, declared their commitment to continued mobilization and readiness to confront the enemies of the nation.

The people of Al-Jawf expressed their joy over the great victory achieved by the brotherly people of Iran against the Zionist entity, the enemy of the nation. They affirmed their steadfastness and continued support for the people of Gaza, no matter the challenges.

They emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s victory over the Zionist enemy represents a triumph for all free people of the nation. They renewed their mandate to the leader of the revolution, Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi, to take whatever measures he deems appropriate in confronting the Zionist entity, which is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.

A statement issued by Al-Jawf rallies renewed their covenant with Allah, His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family), and the leader of the struggle, Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi, to continue on the path of jihad, sacrifice, and loyalty without hesitation or retreat, relying on Allah and trusting in Him until the promised victory is achieved.

The statement congratulated the brothers in the Islamic Republic of Iran—leadership, people, and the mujahideen of the army and the Revolutionary Guards—for their great victory over the unjust American-Zionist aggression, whose criminal goal, set by Trump, was to force Iran into unconditional surrender. However, after receiving devastating blows, he was compelled to announce an unconditional halt to their aggression against Iran, while the enemy entity suffered unprecedented losses in its shameful history.

The statement also praised the steadfastness, patience, and continued jihad of the Palestinian mujahideen despite immense hardships, renewing the pledge of ongoing support, solidarity, and defense of the holy sites alongside them until victory is achieved.

Source: saba.ye

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Iraqi Cleric Condemns U.S. and Israeli Strike on Iran, Warns of Regional Risks

June 27, 2025

Speaking at a public gathering in Baghdad’s Al-Khalani Square to mark the start of Muharram, the Islamic month of mourning, Hakim emphasized Iran’s role as a founding member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its influence across the region. “Iran has played a major role in supporting Iraq’s political system since its formation in 2003,” he said.

Hakim argued that the strike undermined the foundational principles of the United Nations Security Council, which prioritizes global peace and security. “Neglect and hostility in our region expose our countries and people to direct danger, now and in the future,” he warned.

While stressing that Iraq must not become a battleground for external conflicts, Hakim said Baghdad should still defend the rights of Muslim nations and neighbors. “We cannot remain silent on issues affecting Arab and Islamic countries, especially Palestine,” he said, urging the international community to break its “shameful silence” over Israeli actions in Gaza, the West Bank, and beyond.

The cleric also reiterated his opposition to any attack on Iran, comparing it to his condemnation of Israeli military actions in Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria. “We will not retreat from supporting the causes of the Arab and Islamic world,” he said.

Hakim called on regional powers, including Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Gulf Arab states, and Egypt, to collaborate for peace. He also addressed the U.S. directly, asserting Iraq’s sovereignty: “We seek regional stability and reject foreigners to dictate or interfere in Iraq's internal affairs.”

Source: tehrantimes.com

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UN commission says Syria must end violence against Alawites and protect places of worship

June 27, 2025

BEIRUT: The head of a UN investigative commission on Friday called commitments made by the new authorities in Syria to protect the rights of minorities “encouraging” but said attacks have continued on members of the Alawite sect in the months since a major outbreak of sectarian violence on Syria’s coast.

Paulo Pinheiro, the head of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, told a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that the current Syrian government — led by Islamist former insurgents who ousted former Syrian President Bashar Assad — had given his team “unfettered access” to the coast and to witnesses of the violence and victims’ families.

“Disturbingly, reports continue to circulate of ongoing killings and arbitrary arrests of members of the Alawite community, as well as the confiscation of the property of those who fled the March violence,” he said.

Pinheiro’s commission also “documented abductions by unknown individuals of at least six Alawite women this spring in several Syrian governorates,” two of whom remain missing, and has received “credible reports of more abductions,” he said.

Pinheiro also called on authorities to put in place more protections for places of worship after Sunday’s suicide bombing attack on a church outside of Damascus. The attack, which killed at least 25 people and wounded dozens more, was the first of its kind to take place in the Syrian capital in years.

The Syrian government has said that the perpetrators belonged to a cell of the Daesh group and that they thwarted a subsequent attempt to target a Shiite shrine in the Sayyida Zeinab suburb in Damascus.

“Attacks on places of worship are outrageous and unacceptable,” Pinheiro said. “The authorities must ensure the protection of places of worship and threatened communities and ensure that perpetrators and enablers are held accountable.”

Assad was deposed in a lightning rebel offensive in December, bringing an end to a nearly 14-year civil war.

In March, hundreds of civilians, most of them from the Alawite minority to which Assad belongs, were killed in revenge attacks after clashes broke out between pro-Assad armed groups and the new government security forces on the Syrian coast.

Pinheiro said his commission had documented scattered “revenge attacks” that happened before that, including killings in several villages in Hama and Homs provinces in late January in which men who had handed over their weapons under a “settlement” process set up for former soldiers and members of security forces under Assad, believing that they would be granted an amnesty in exchange for disarmament, were then “ill-treated and executed.”

He praised the interim government’s formation of a body tasked with investigating the attacks on the coast and said government officials had told his team that “dozens of alleged perpetrators” were arrested.

Pinheiro said the government needs to carry out a “reform and vetting program” as it integrates a patchwork of former rebel factions into a new army and security services and enact “concrete policies to put an end to Syria’s entrenched cycles of violence and revenge, in a context where heightened tensions and sectarian divisions have been reignited.”

Source: arabnews.com

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Intensive Calls to Travel, Pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday

27 Jun 2025

At dawn on Friday, youth and Jerusalemite activists issued widespread calls to the residents of Jerusalem, the occupied Palestinian territories, and all those able to reach it, to travel to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and perform Friday prayers there.

The calls emphasized the need for a large turnout in the Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards and to perform the first Friday prayer after its reopening to worshippers, according to the "Sanad" News Agency.

Activists called for intensified patrols at Al-Aqsa Mosque, affirming adherence to Palestinian and Islamic rights to the mosque and rejecting all attempts by the enemy to impose new facts on the ground or monopolize the site.

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Thousands mourn top Iranian military commanders and scientists killed in Israeli strikes

June 28, 2025

DUBAI: Thousands of mourners lined the streets of downtown Tehran on Saturday for the funeral of the head of the Revolutionary Guard and other top commanders and nuclear scientists killed during a 12-day war with Israel.

The caskets of Guard’s chief Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard’s ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajjizadeh and others were driven on trucks along the capital’s Azadi Street.

Salami and Hajjizadeh were both killed on the first day of the war, June 13, as Israel launched a war it said meant to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, specifically targeting military commanders, scientists and nuclear facilities.

Over 12 days before a ceasefire was declared on Tuesday, Israel claimed it killed around 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists, while hitting eight nuclear-related facilities and more than 720 military infrastructure sites. More than 1,000 people were killed, including at least 417 civilians, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group.

Iran fired more than 550 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted, but those that got through caused damage in many areas and killed 28 people.

Saturday’s ceremonies were the first public funerals for top commanders since the ceasefire, and Iranian state television reported that they were for 60 people in total, including four women and four children.

Authorities closed government offices to allow public servants to attend the ceremonies.

Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. But Israel views it as an existential threat and said its military campaign was necessary to prevent Iran from building an atomic weapon.

Source: arabnews.com

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Trump hopeful for Gaza ceasefire, possibly 'next week'

June 28, 2025

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump voiced optimism Friday about a new ceasefire in Gaza, as criticism grew over mounting civilian deaths at Israeli-backed food distribution centers in the territory.

Asked by reporters how close a ceasefire was between Israel and Hamas, Trump said: “We think within the next week, we’re going to get a ceasefire.”

The United States brokered a ceasefire in the devastating conflict in the waning days of former president Joe Biden’s administration, with support from Trump’s incoming team.

Israel broke the ceasefire in March, launching new devastating attacks on Hamas, which attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.

Israel also stopped all food and other supplies from entering Gaza for more than two months, drawing warnings of famine.

Israel has since allowed a resumption of food through the controversial US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which involves US security contractors with Israeli troops at the periphery.

United Nations officials on Friday said the GHF system was leading to mass killings of people seeking aid, drawing accusations from Israel that the UN was “aligning itself with Hamas.”

Eyewitnesses and local officials have reported repeated killings of Palestinians at distribution centers over recent weeks in the war-stricken territory, where Israeli forces are battling Hamas militants.

The Israeli military has denied targeting people and GHF has denied any deadly incidents were linked to its sites.

But following weeks of reports, UN officials and other aid providers on Friday denounced what they said was a wave of killings of hungry people seeking aid.

“The new aid distribution system has become a killing field,” with people “shot at while trying to access food for themselves and their families,” said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian affairs (UNWRA).

“This abomination must end through a return to humanitarian deliveries from the UN including @UNRWA,” he wrote on X.

The health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory says that since late May, more than 500 people have been killed near aid centers while seeking scarce supplies.

The country’s civil defense agency has also repeatedly reported people being killed while seeking aid.

“People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“The search for food must never be a death sentence.”

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) branded the GHF relief effort “slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid.”

That drew an angry response from Israel, which said GHF had provided 46 million meals in Gaza.

“The UN is doing everything it can to oppose this effort. In doing so, the UN is aligning itself with Hamas, which is also trying to sabotage the GHF’s humanitarian operations,” the foreign ministry said.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a report in left-leaning daily Haaretz that military commanders had ordered troops to shoot at crowds near aid distribution sites to disperse them even when they posed no threat.

Haaretz said the military advocate general, the army’s top legal authority, had instructed the military to investigate “suspected war crimes” at aid sites.

The Israeli military declined to comment to AFP on the claim.

Netanyahu said in a joint statement with Defense Minister Israel Katz that their country “absolutely rejects the contemptible blood libels” and “malicious falsehoods” in the Haaretz article.

Gaza’s civil defense agency told AFP 80 Palestinians had been killed on Friday by Israeli strikes or fire across the Palestinian territory, including 10 who were waiting for aid.

The Israeli military told AFP it was looking into the incidents, and denied its troops fired in one of the locations in central Gaza where rescuers said one aid seeker was killed.

Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP six people were killed in southern Gaza near one of the distribution sites operated by GHF, and one more in a separate incident in the center of the territory, where the army denied shooting “at all.”

Another three people were killed by a strike while waiting for aid southwest of Gaza City, Bassal said.

Elsewhere, eight people were killed “after an Israeli air strike hit Osama Bin Zaid School, which was housing displaced persons” in northern Gaza.

Meanwhile, Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said they shelled an Israeli vehicle east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza on Friday.

The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas-ally Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said they attacked Israeli soldiers in at least two other locations near Khan Yunis in coordination with the Al-Qassam Brigades.

Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,331 people, also mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The United Nations considers its figures reliable.

Source: arabnews.com

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UN peacekeeping chief ‘very, very worried’ about future of Lebanon-Israel ceasefire deal if UNIFIL withdraws

EPHREM KOSSAIFY

June 27, 2025

NEW YORK CITY: The future of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which governs the ceasefire and peacekeeping framework between Lebanon and Israel, would be at risk without the continuing presence of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, the UN’s top peacekeeper warned on Thursday.

Jean Pierre Lacroix, the organization’s head of peacekeeping operations, expressed his deep concern during a press conference following visits to Lebanon and Syria. He told Arab News he would be “very, very worried” about the future of the resolution if UNIFIL was withdrawn.

“UNIFIL is not an end in itself, and UNIFIL is not something standalone,” he said. “It’s a tool for supporting implementation of Resolution 1701, so the two are inextricably linked.

“I would be very, very worried about the future of Resolution 1701 if there is no UNIFIL on the ground to support the implementation of that resolution.”

UNIFIL, established in 2006 to monitor the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel and prevent hostilities in Lebanon’s volatile southern border region, continues to play a crucial role in providing support for the Lebanese army presence in areas south of the Litani River.

The peacekeepers assist in tasks such as mine clearance and rehabilitation efforts, serve as liaisons between Lebanese and Israeli forces, and help with deconfliction efforts.

Despite progress in enforcing the provisions of the resolution, Lacroix said that violations persist and more work is needed to ensure it is fully implemented.

During his trip, Lacroix met senior Lebanese officials, including President Joseph Aoun, the prime minister, the speaker of the parliament, and the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces. All of them, he said, reiterated the critical need for UNIFIL to maintain its presence in the country, and Lebanese authorities have formally asked the Security Council to extend the mission’s mandate.

However, UNIFIL faces severe financial constraints. Lacroix said contingency planning is underway amid liquidity shortfalls and uncertainties about the funding commitments of UN member states, particularly in light of potential US opposition to extension of the mandate.

“To the best of my knowledge, there is no final position expressed by Israel or the United States,” he said in response to reports of possible opposition to the continued deployment of UNIFIL. “But we expect consistency from member states; they give mandates and then are expected to pay on time and in full.”

Lacroix stressed that in the absence of UNIFIL, practical and symbolic support for Resolution 1701 would erode, potentially escalating tensions in a region where stability remains fragile.

“The interlocutors in Lebanon were concerned and expressed the need for UNIFIL’s presence to help mitigate and reduce tensions that remain quite high in the region,” he said.

The Security Council is scheduled to review UNIFIL’s mandate in August. The mission currently comprises about 10,000 troops from more than 40 countries.

Source: arabnews.com

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62 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, say Gaza rescuers

June 27, 2025

GAZA CITY: Gaza’s civil defense agency said that Israeli forces killed at least 62 people on Friday, including 10 who were waiting for aid in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

The reported killing of people seeking aid marks the latest in a string of deadly incidents near aid sites in Gaza, where a US- and Israeli-backed foundation has largely replaced established humanitarian organizations.

Civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said that 62 Palestinians had been killed on Friday by Israeli strikes or fire across the Palestinian territory.

When asked for comment, the Israeli military said it was looking into the incidents, and denied its troops fired in one of the locations in central Gaza where rescuers said one aid seeker was killed.

Bassal said that six people were killed in southern Gaza near one of the distribution sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and one more in a separate incident in the center of the territory, where the army denied shooting “at all.”

Another three people were killed by a strike while waiting for aid southwest of Gaza City, Bassal said.

The Health Ministry in the territory says that since late May, more than 500 people have been killed near aid centers while seeking scarce supplies.

GHF has denied that fatal shootings have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points.

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders, or MSF on Friday slammed the GHF relief effort, calling it “slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid.”

It noted that in the week of June 8, shortly after GHF opened a distribution site in central Gaza’s Netzarim corridor, the MSF field hospital in nearby Deir Al-Balah saw a 190 percent increase in bullet wound cases compared to the previous week.

AitorZabalgogeaskoa, MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza, said in a statement that, under how the distribution centers currently operate: “If people arrive early and approach the checkpoints, they get shot.”

“If they arrive on time, but there is an overflow and they jump over the mounds and the wires, they get shot.”

“If they arrive late, they shouldn’t be there because it is an ‘evacuated zone’, they get shot,” he added.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the US-backed aid operation in Gaza is “inherently unsafe,” giving a blunt assessment: “It is killing people.”

He also said UN-led humanitarian efforts are being “strangled,” aid workers themselves are starving and Israel — as the occupying power — is required to agree to and facilitate aid deliveries into and throughout the Palestinian enclave.

“People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families. The search for food must never be a death sentence,” Guterres said.

Meanwhile, Bassal said that 10 people were killed in five separate Israeli strikes near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, east of which he said “continuous Israeli artillery shelling” was reported on Friday.

Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said they shelled an Israeli vehicle east of Khan Younis on Friday.

The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said they had attacked a group of Israeli soldiers north of Khan Younis in coordination with the Al-Qassam Brigades.

Bassal added that 30 people were killed in six separate strikes in northern Gaza on Friday, including a fisherman who was targeted “by Israeli warships.”

He specified that eight of them were killed “after an Israeli airstrike hit Osama Bin Zaid School, which was housing displaced people” in northern Gaza.

In central Gaza’s Al-Bureij refugee camp, 12 people were killed in two separate Israeli strikes, Bassal said.

The 50th medic from the Palestine Red Crescent has been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, the PRCS said on Friday in a statement.

Haitham Bassam Abu Issa, a nurse at the PRCS clinic in Deir Al-Balah in the center of the Gaza strip, was killed while off duty on Thursday, the PRCS said.

“This brings the total number of PRCS staff and volunteers killed during the conflict to 50 – a deeply shocking figure,” the PRCS said.

Israeli restrictions on media in the Gaza Strip and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and witnesses.

Israel’s military said it was continuing its operations in Gaza on Friday, after army chief EyalZamir announced earlier in the week that the focus would again shift to the territory.

The Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,331 people, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The UN considers its figures reliable.

Source: arabnews.com

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UN chief calls for political courage to secure Gaza ceasefire as humanitarian crisis reaches ‘horrific proportions’

EPHREM KOSSAIFY

June 27, 2025

NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Warning that the humanitarian crisis Israel created in the territory had reached “horrific proportions,” he demanded full, safe and sustained access for deliveries of aid.

Speaking ahead of his departure to attend the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, co-hosted by the UN and Spain in Seville from June 30-July 3, Guterres said the situation in Gaza has now grown more dire than at any previous point in the long-running conflict.

“Bombs are falling — on tents, on families, on those with nowhere left to run,” he added. “People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families. The search for food must never be a death sentence.”

He said the Israeli military operations launched in response to the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, attacks he “unequivocally condemned,” have displaced families repeatedly, confining the population of Gaza to less than one-fifth of its total area. Even these shrinking safe zones remain under threat, he noted.

Guterres acknowledged the recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran as a sign of hope but insisted that political courage is now needed to secure a similar ceasefire in Gaza.

Referencing the limited amount of humanitarian aid that has been allowed to enter the enclave, he said: “What’s needed now is a surge; the trickle must become an ocean.”

A small shipment of medical supplies from the UN crossed the border into Gaza this week. However, it was the first in months and Guterres stressed it was far from sufficient.

“Doctors are forced to choose who gets the last vial of medicine, or the last ventilator,” he said. “Aid workers themselves are starving. This cannot be normalized.”

Israel, as the occupying power, is obligated under the rules of international law to allow and facilitate humanitarian assistance, he added.

Guterres also dismissed alternative delivery plans for aid as “dangerous schemes,” arguing that the UN already has a detailed, functional plan built on neutrality, impartiality and the trust of affected communities and donors.

“It worked during the last ceasefire, it must be allowed to work again,” he said.

In a direct appeal to governments and other international actors, Guterres urged those in positions of power to fulfill their legal responsibilities, and those with influence that could help to use it.

He called on all UN member states to uphold the UN Charter, which was reaffirmed only a day earlier during the organization’s 80th anniversary commemorations.

“The solution to this problem is ultimately political,” he said. “The only sustainable path to re-establishing hope is by paving the way to the two-state solution. Diplomacy and human dignity for all must prevail.”

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2606072/middle-east

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North America

'Let's stand with Zohran': Bernie Sanders, Muslim members of Congress call out racist attacks against Mamdani

Jun 28, 2025

Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and other Muslim American members of Congress extended support for Zohran Mamdani as he came under a vicious attack after emerging as the winner of the Democratic primary of the New York mayor election after Andrew Cuomo conceded the election. Mamdani has been called 'little Muhammad', 'snake oil salesman' as the Republicans called for his deportation.

Apart from the Muslim American members of Congress, Bernie Sanders issued a statement of support for Mamdani.

"The vile, anti-Muslim, and racist smears from our colleagues on both sides of the aisle attacking Zohran Mamdani cannot be met with silence," the statement issued by Tlaib, Omar, Andre Carson and Lateefah Simon read.

"These hateful, Islamophobic, and racist tropes have become so entrenched and normalized in our politics. We know these attacks all too well. At a time of increased violence against elected officials, we cannot allow the attacks on Zohran Mamdani to continue. They directly contribute to the ongoing dehumanization and violence against Muslim Americans. We unequivocally reject the normalization of anti-Muslim hate and fearmongering and call on elected leaders across our country to speak out," the statement read.

Bernie Sanders said the establishment went into panic after Mandani won. "Billionaires are raising money against him; Trump is ranting; Islamophobes are on the loose. They know what we know: Candidates who stand boldly with the working class can win not only in NYC, but anywhere. Let's stand with Zohran," Bernie Sanders said.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights HarmeetDhillon threatened to investigate Zohran Mamdani over his proposal to tax 'whiter neighborhoods' in NYC if he becomes the mayor. “Racial discrimination is illegal in the United States – period. Full stop! The illegal discriminatory scheme described by Mamdani would violate federal constitutional and statutory norms, and might even violate New York law," Dhillon said on the Benny Johnson show.

NYC elites hatch 'Stop Mamdani' plan

New York City business owners met with incumbent mayor Eric Adams to hatch a plot to stop Mamdani's rise. The plan was around Adams becoming an independent mayor candidate and not a Democrat. Several business owners expressed concern about Mamdani's policy platform, especially his tax policies, and how they could impact their businesses going forward. Whitney Tilson, a former hedge fund manager, told the NYT that Mamdani is a "Trojan Horse" who is “totally unqualified to be mayor of one of the world’s largest, most complex cities."

Source: indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/lets-stand-with-zohran-bernie-sanders-muslim-members-of-congress-call-out-racist-attacks-against-mamdani/articleshow/122120010.cms

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New York, New Comrade. Mayor Mamdani and his India-style socialism

SHEKHAR GUPTA

28 June, 2025

Zohran Mamdani is going to be in the ‘talk’ not just in New York City or American politics, but also in India. Or, rather than saying that he will be in the headlines, we can use language more apt for the digital era and his demographic: he’s going to be a most searched name for some time.

There’s enormous oomph to a 33-year-old, super stylish and articulate Muslim of Indian origin who is now a front runner to govern the most powerful, rich, Jewish, and cosmopolitan city in the world. In India, it has played into the Hindu-Muslim binary. In the minds of the Hindu Right, it is the conquest of another great global city by a Muslim from the Subcontinent. Sadiq Khan of London being the other.

Mamdani’s support for Gaza, strong anti-Trumpism (in the US President’s own borough) and endorsement by the Democratic Left make him a personality important enough for Donald Trump to write a long post on.

He’s paid him ‘compliments’ like “a 100 percent Communist lunatic”, one who “looks terrible, his voice is grating” and so on. Of course, Trump also links his rise to his pet hate, the quartet of women politicians on the Democratic Left who he calls “the Squad”, led by New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or AOC.

The President’s choice of words is, of course, Trumpian. In the Trump world, Communist or lunatic might be a common enough description for anybody he dislikes, used as casually as old Captain Haddock of Tintin comics dismissing somebody as a pestilential pachyderm or, simply, a vegetarian. To be abused by President Trump isn’t a liability in New York.

Do I have a problem, or even an opinion on Mamdani’s rise? The answers are: problem, no; and opinion, it’s great to see Indians rise in western democracies. We took pride in Rishi Sunak, on the Indian Right Kash Patel, Jay Bhattacharya and even Hindu American Tulsi Gabbard are celebrated as is the star cast of ‘Indian’ CEOs. Mamdani will be a stellar addition.

I know what I am saying is triggering a lot of our readers. I am triggered too, but not for the reasons as some of you might be.

His faith, his views, support for Gaza, dislike of Narendra Modi or Benjamin Netanyahu are the reasons many in India are unwilling to celebrate it as another ‘Indian’ conquest. For them, it is a conquest by the wrong guy (read the wrong faith). This polarisation has played out among the diaspora in New York as well. I am not so affected by this. If anything, I might have the boasting rights that the new mayor of the world’s greatest city (if he wins) is someone who’s mom I hosted twice on Walk The Talk, a story about which I will tell you in the postscript.

So, what am I triggered by then? To understand this, let me take you through some highlights of his election promises. He will eliminate fares on buses (hello Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana and then keep adding) freeze the rent on two million already subsidised housing units (remember your Rent Control Act?) and to build more than two lakh homes over three years through Social Housing Development Agency (every Indian city has some such, DDA, MHADA, BDA, no?), provide universal child care for kids from six weeks to five years (anganwadis?) and, hold your breath, sarkari grocery stores with low prices. Remember our ‘fair price shops’, kendriyabhandars and cooperative supermarkets?

All of these ideas are so familiar to two generations of Indians as the great failures of the socialist state. If you were also parked in the ration shop line by your mom as I was when just 10, to hold her spot until she finished cooking lunch and came to buy almost anything we needed, you will know what I mean.

From sugar (200 grams per head per week in 1967) to wheat and even cloth by the metre. Everything for the working classes was to be found at state-run shops. Even if you did not have an experience like this, you’ve seen the state-built concrete working-class housing in our cities which are concrete slum clusters by another name. In New Delhi, I call them slums built by the Delhi Destruction (oops, Development) Authority and every city has has its own version. Our free bus services are now collapsing along with the state government finances. All of the ideas that failed so spectacularly in the country of his origin, Mamdani is now promising to replicate in a city millions of Indians have made their new home, mostly as economic refugees.

Mamdani is too young to have picked these ideas from India and unlikely his parents experienced too much of this. However, this love of socialism in a country that gave the modern world its capitalist dream and in the city that represents that breathless success is an interesting point. What’s even more interesting is the appeal this finds among New York’s young.

This is especially so in the big cities, nearly all run by Democrats. And Mamdani, if anything, stands way to the Left of “the Squad”. Socialism, ironically, oozes significant sex appeal in a city that should be the brand ambassador of capitalist success.

Or is it the case that such success ultimately breeds socialism? That you’ve become so rich you can afford socialism? Europe swerved hard Left after the riches piled up, and has been course-correcting lately. Because socialism in rich societies also brings in immigration, racial and religious diversity and, truth be told, tribal internal conflicts from distant lands. Inevitably, it draws a reaction, and the Right returns. Even in Scandinavia, the home of the best socialism.

India’s problem is, the bad ideas never left us. Only good people, the best minds left. Millions of our brightest, most ambitious, entrepreneurial made America their home. What were they fleeing if not our fake socialism? Every Indian who risks their lives on a ‘dunki’ today is fleeing socialism which survives in the Modi era. Check out how much Modi government spends on distributive welfare and how BJP, supposedly a Right-wing party, has embraced the freebie culture of Indian socialists.

In January 1990, while covering the unravelling of the Soviet Bloc I learnt some taxi driver’s wisdom in Prague. Except that this taxi driver had a master’s in engineering and was waiting for Václav Havel to fully liberate the economy. You Indians fought back for your political freedoms in the Emergency, he said, but how come you never fought for your economic freedoms?

He had the answer: because you had never experienced economic freedom. You didn’t even know what you were denied. This was a conversation at Prague’s Wenceslas Square where a sparkling streamer hung from a building saying “welcome back home Mr Bata”. He was driven out by Communism, the driver said, built a fortune in Canada, and now all you Indians wear his shoes.

PostScript: Mira Nair and I set up our first WalkTheTalk interview one chilly January morning in 2005 in Delhi’s Jama Masjid. We had just about started when the Shahi Imam arrived, furious. “Ek dumrukiyeaap” (stop at once), he said. He recognised me and softened. ‘Aap keliyeizzathai, aap jab marzi record keejiye. Inkeliyenahin’ (We respect you. You can record whenever you like. But not her). Why, I asked and explained to him what a brilliant and globally respected woman she was. He wasn’t impressed and used adjectives that I’d rather not repeat. I wouldn’t even commit the sin of imagining if maulana sahib had seen Nair’s Kama Sutra or heard of it.

Source: theprint.in

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https://theprint.in/national-interest/zohran-mamdani-new-york-mayor-indian-socialism/2673153/

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CAIR-Texas Demands Removal of Tarrant County GOP Chair Over Antisemitic, Islamophobic Poll

June 27, 2025

The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Texas) today called for the removal of Tarrant County Republican Party Chair Bo French, who reportedly posted a “deeply offensive and inflammatory” poll online that asked respondents to identify whether “Muslims” or “Jews” pose a greater threat to the United States.

CAIR-Texas also called on French to immediately remove the poll and issue a formal apology for promoting dangerous rhetoric that stigmatizes entire communities based on their faith and promotes hatred and religious intolerance.

“A poll asking Americans to choose whether Jews or Muslims are the ‘bigger threat’ is not only offensive—it’s dangerous. It fuels suspicion and division during a time when both Jewish and Muslim communities are facing heightened threats across the country. We categorically reject this hate and fearmongering and call on elected leaders to cease normalizing bigotry. Islamophobia and antisemitism will always be interconnected forms of hatred. They spring from the same well of ignorance, scapegoating and fear,” said CAIR-Texas Board Member John Floyd.

“This shameful and irresponsible poll is a blatant act of antisemitic and Islamophobic bigotry. We expect elected officials and politicians to foster unity and lead with wisdom, not to promote suspicion and division. By framing Jews and Muslims as potential threats to our country, this poll promotes both antisemitism and Islamophobia and adds to the unfortunately rising level of bigotry we see nationwide,” said ShaimaaZayan, the Operations Manager of CAIR-Austin, Texas.

She noted that earlier this week, CAIR and its Dallas/Fort Worth chapter (CAIR-DFW) welcomed an announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that it has dropped an investigation of a proposed Muslim community development project in that state. CAIR previously called on the DOJ to reject a request for that investigation.

Earlier this year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report “Unconstitutional Crackdowns,” which reveals that Islamophobia continues to be at an all-time high across the country. CAIR said viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.

The shared mission of CAIR and CAIR-Texas is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR esproteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia y empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.

Source: cair.com

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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-texas-demands-removal-of-tarrant-county-gop-chair-over-antisemitic-islamophobic-poll/

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Trump suspends possible Iran sanctions relief

27 Jun, 2025

US President Donald Trump has announced having halted plans to potentially ease sanctions on Iran, criticizing the Islamic Republic’s leadership for claiming victory in its recent standoff with Israel.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday declared that Iran had triumphed over Israel and the US following 12 days of direct military hostilities. The confrontation began when Israel killed senior Iranian commanders and targeted its nuclear sites. The exchange of long-range strikes culminated in the US intervening with the use of bunker-busting bombs on Iran’s fortified Fordow facility and two other locations.

In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump – who had backed Israel’s campaign – accused Khamenei of “blatantly and foolishly” declaring victory, calling the statement “a lie” and insisting it was “not so.”

He said he had been working in recent days on the possible removal of “biting” US sanctions but reversed course after hearing Khamenei’s remarks.

“Instead, I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more,” he wrote.

Trump, who had earlier claimed that Khamenei would be “an easy target,” insisted he knew the supreme leader’s exact location during the war but refused to authorize a strike.

“I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, “THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!” he wrote.

He added that he had personally intervened to block a major Israeli airstrike that would have killed “many Iranians,” describing it as “the biggest attack of the War, by far.”

Khamenei had earlier claimed that Iran’s retaliatory strikes left Israel “practically knocked out and crushed,” forcing the US to step in to defend its ally.

Israel launched a series of airstrikes on June 13 targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites, as well as senior commanders and nuclear scientists, in what it described as a mission to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Iran denies pursuing nuclear weapons, maintaining its nuclear activities are peaceful. It has repeatedly criticized the US sanctions as illegal and unjustified.

The Trump administration moved to restrict Iran’s oil trade as part of its “maximum pressure” campaign reimposed after Washington’s withdrawal in 2018 from the 2015 nuclear deal. Last month, Trump warned that countries buying Iranian oil or petrochemicals would face secondary sanctions.

Moscow denounced the US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran as “illegitimate” and a violation of international law. Commenting on the ceasefire announced by Trump on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that it “can and should be welcomed.” Moscow hopes it “proves to be sustainable,” he added.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/news/620681-trump-iran-sanctions-relief/

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Southeast Asia

 

More mental health initiatives for Malay/Muslim community in Marsiling-Yew Tee

JUN 28, 2025

SINGAPORE - Residents in Marsiling-Yew Tee, in particular those from the Malay/Muslim community, can look forward to more mental health support in the coming months.

The M³@Marsiling-Yew Tee team has been engaging residents on the issue since the start of 2025 with mental health sharing sessions and information about dementia awareness, Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad said on June 28.

More than 80 people have been engaged so far through a partnership with An-Nur Mosque.

Speaking to The Straits Times on the sidelines at the annual Hijrah Walk and Health Fiesta event, Mr Zaqy said the initiative is in its early days, but has plans to expand.

He said he has received feedback from residents, especially those in the Malay/Muslim community in Marsiling-Yew Tee, that they cannot find enough support for caregivers of those with mental illnesses or dementia.

The June 28 event, held in conjunction with the Islamic New Year at Choa Chu Kang Stadium, was attended by the MPs for the GRC – Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Mr Zaqy, Ms Hany Soh and Mr Alex Yam.

It was organised by the M³@Marsiling-Yew Tee team. M³ is a collaborative effort between three key Malay/Muslim institutions – the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, Mendaki and Mesra.

More than 700 residents from Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC came together to show their support for mental wellness in a mass walk.

Residents visited interactive booths and activity stations by community partners like the Singapore Cancer Society, Caregivers Alliance, and Health Promotion Board which featured information on mental health support services, wellness resources, and active lifestyle initiatives.

Said Mr Zaqy: “It’s important from a community perspective to talk about mental wellness. I think there’s always been mental illness around us, but it can be seen as a taboo issue and therefore not much of it has been spoken about.

“But I think that sharing experiences, resources, and support is one way in which we bring the community together and help bring down the barriers to discussing mental illness.”

He added that connecting those in need with help is always challenging.

“For many of them, the reason why they are not well-connected is because they are busy firefighting at home. Taking care of those struggling with any issue is not easy, so we need to go reach out to them through neighbourhood networks.”

He said the M³@Marsiling-Yew Tee team plans to also work with youth for the rest of the year.

Among younger people, he said, mental health is less of a taboo topic, thanks to their greater exposure in schools and on social media.

“We have to translate that and see how they can be ambassadors to do outreach to the rest of the community, and refer friends and family members who may have issues,” he added.

“I think they are more ready to speak about this, and I hope they can help bring family members who might be older onboard.”

Retiree Madam Zulaiha, 63, attended the mass walk on June 28 with her grandson.

“It is not only good exercise and fun to walk with everyone else, but it is for a good cause,” the former canteen cook said.

Source: straitstimes.com

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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/over-700-marsiling-yew-tee-residents-walk-for-mental-health-amid-more-initiatives-for-malaymuslims

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‘We’re staying’: Five Malaysians in Iran decline evacuation, says foreign minister

By Malay Mail

28 Jun 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — Five Malaysians — four students and a trader — remain in Iran and have signed declarations opting out of evacuation efforts, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said today.

According to Utusan Malaysia, the foreign minister said the individuals had expressed their gratitude to the Malaysian government and Wisma Putra, but chose to remain in the conflict-affected country.

“The four students decided not to return. They signed the declaration and thanked the Malaysian government and Wisma Putra,” he said after officiating the annual general meeting of the Penajes Women’s Cooperative in Rembau today.

“They told us they have chosen to stay.”

Mohamad said the evacuation of Malaysians from Iran was completed at midnight on June 21, involving 24 citizens and one Singaporean.

“There are not many Malaysians in Iran. In contrast, Qatar has over 5,000 Malaysians.

“Thankfully, since the US base in Qatar was bombed, there have been no further attacks. The airspace has reopened and Malaysians in Qatar are safe,” he added.

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/06/28/were-staying-five-malaysians-in-iran-decline-evacuation-says-foreign-minister/182039

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Fahmi: Final draft of 13th Malaysia Plan not rushed, backed by weeks of ministry input

By Malay Mail

28 Jun 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — The final draft of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) was not hastily prepared but has undergone weeks of inter-ministerial consultation and review, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said today.

According to Utusan Malaysia, the official spokesman for the unity government said the process of revising and coordinating the draft of the 13th Malaysia Plan began two weeks ago, following an instruction from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He added ministries were directed to study the preliminary draft submitted by the Ministry of Economy.

“The prime minister instructed all ministries to review the 13MP draft presented by the secretary-general of the Economy Ministry about two weeks ago, on a Wednesday.

“Subsequently, by the following Friday, all ministries were asked to submit written feedback to the Economy Ministry,” Fahmi reportedly said today.

He was speaking to reporters after launching the NadiAspirasiNasionalBersamaAnakMuda (Nanba) programme organised by the Community Communications Department (J-KOM) at IWK Eco Park @ PantaiDalam today.

Fahmi, who also serves as minister of communications, said a special Cabinet session was convened early last week to consider the input from various ministries before the plan was finalised at Wednesday’s full Cabinet meeting.

He said the discussions yielded a range of proposals and adjustments that had to be incorporated into the final document.

“These included requests and adjustments from several ministries that required further consideration by the Economy Ministry.

“As such, the Cabinet agreed for Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah to take over the responsibilities and functions of the economy minister in finalising the 13MP draft before it is printed and tabled in Parliament,” Fahmi added.

Rafizi, who resigned earlier this month, criticised the last-minute revisions yesterday, warning that rushing the process could undermine the credibility of national policy.

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/06/28/fahmi-final-draft-of-13th-malaysia-plan-not-rushed-backed-by-weeks-of-ministry-input/182029

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King urges MAF to stay ready, equipped amid global conflicts, warns against political interference in defence procurement

28 Jun 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — The increasingly challenging and uncertain global political landscape requires that the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) remain ever ready and equipped with the latest defence technology to face any eventuality.

His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, said the Iran-Israel war and prolonged conflict in Gaza clearly show that international laws are no longer sufficient to safeguard global peace.

“It is crucial for the MAF to always be prepared and equipped with the latest technology to deal with any possibility, as we don’t know who is a friend and who is an enemy,” His Majesty said.

The King said this when officiating the commissioning parade and presentation of appointment letters to MAF cadet officers at KemPerdana, Sungai Besi here today.

At the same time, Sultan Ibrahim reminded the government to ensure that there is no political interference or influence from suppliers in all defence procurement processes.

MAF top leadership, too, must always act with integrity and steer clear of corrupt practices. As the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, I will not tolerate anyone who abuses their position for personal gain,” said His Majesty.

Sultan Ibrahim also expressed concern over the culture of social media use among military personnel and reminded them not to share everything online, particularly information related to troop deployments, unit locations and other sensitive details.

He said the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel showed how both sides have easily exploited information obtained through technology companies, smart applications and social media to launch attacks.

“I want this to stop immediately. Use sound judgment and refrain from disclosing unnecessary information to the public. It is better to be cautious now than to regret later,” His Majesty said.

Meanwhile, Sultan Ibrahim congratulated the 509 cadet officers who completed their training today and reminded them that a career in the military demands great sacrifices, personal strength, honesty and unwavering loyalty to the king and country.

His Majesty also called on them to be leaders who uphold discipline, train their personnel effectively, and prioritise their welfare, while also expressing appreciation to the parents who entrusted their beloved children to serve in the MAF.

The ceremony was also attended by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Khaled Nordin, Chief of Defence Forces Gen Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar, Army Chief Gen Tan Sri Muhammad HafizuddeainJantan, Navy Chief Admiral Tan Sri Dr ZulhelmyIthnain and Air Force Chief Gen Datuk Muhamad NorazlanAris.

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/06/28/king-urges-maf-to-stay-ready-equipped-amid-global-conflicts-warns-against-political-interference-in-defence-procurement/182011

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South Asia

 

Import of ‘stolen grain’: Ukraine calls for EU sanctions on Bangladeshi entities

Jun 28, 2025

Ukraine plans to ask the European Union (EU) to sanction Bangladeshi entities it says are importing wheat taken from Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, after its warnings to Dhaka failed to stop the trade, a top Ukrainian diplomat in South Asia said.

Russian forces have occupied large parts of Ukraine's southern agricultural regions since 2014 and Kyiv has accused Russia of stealing its grain even before the 2022 invasion. Russian officials say there is no theft of grain involved as the territories previously considered part of Ukraine are now part of Russia and will remain so forever.

According to documents provided to Reuters by people familiar with the matter, the Ukraine Embassy in New Delhi sent several letters to Bangladesh's foreign affairs ministry this year, asking them to reject more than 150,000 tonnes of grain allegedly stolen and shipped from Russian port of Kavkaz.

A Bangladeshi food ministry official said Dhaka bars imports from Russia if the origin of the grain is from occupied Ukrainian territory, adding that the country imports no stolen wheat.

Asked about the confidential diplomatic communication, Ukraine's ambassador to India, OleksandrPolishchuk, said Dhaka had not responded to the communication and Kyiv will now escalate the matter as its intelligence showed entities in Russia mix grain procured from occupied Ukrainian territories with Russian wheat before shipping.

"It's a crime," Polishchuk said in an interview at Ukraine's embassy in New Delhi. "We will share our investigation with our European Union colleagues, and we will kindly ask them to take the appropriate measures."

Ukraine's diplomatic tussle with Bangladeshi authorities has not been previously reported. The Bangladesh and Russian foreign ministries did not respond to requests for comment.

A Ukraine official told Reuters Ukrainian law prohibits any voluntary trade between Ukrainian producers, including grain farmers in the occupied territories, and Russian entities.

The Ukraine Embassy has sent four letters to Bangladesh's government, reviewed by Reuters, in which it shared vessel names and their registration numbers involved in the alleged trade of moving the grain from the Crimean ports of Sevastopol and Kerch, occupied by Russia since 2014, and Berdiansk, which is under Moscow's control since 2022, to Kavkaz in Russia.

The letters stated the departure and tentative arrival dates of the ships that left from Kavkaz for Bangladesh between November 2024 and June 2025.

The June 11 letter said Bangladesh can face "serious consequences" of sanctions for taking deliveries of "stolen grain", and that such purchases fuel "humanitarian suffering."

The sanctions "may extend beyond importing companies and could also target government officials and the leadership of ministries and agencies who knowingly facilitate or tolerate such violations," the letter added.

In a statement to Reuters, Anitta Hipper, EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said the vessels in question were not currently subject to any restrictive measures.

The sanctions regime was designed to act against activities that undermine the food security of Ukraine including transportation of "stolen Ukrainian grain" and "any proven involvement of vessels in shipping stolen Ukrainian grain could provide the basis for future restrictive measures," she added.

Amid the war with Russia, the agricultural sector remains one of the main sources of export earnings for Ukraine, supplying grain, vegetable oil and oilseeds to foreign markets.

In April, Ukraine detained a foreign vessel in its territorial waters, alleging it was involved in the illegal trade of stolen grain, and last year seized a foreign cargo ship and detained its captain on similar suspicions.

The EU has so far sanctioned 342 ships that are part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet, which the bloc says enable Moscow to circumvent Western restrictions to move oil, arms and grain. Russia says Western sanctions are illegal.

Contacted, a foreign ministry official in Dhaka said he was not sure whether any letter from Ukraine had been received.

 "I will have to check. I can update you on Sunday," he told The Daily Star yesterday.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/import-stolen-grain-ukraine-calls-eu-sanctions-bangladeshi-entities-3927241

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WHO urgently seeks $2 million amid mass deportation of Afghan migrants

By Fidel Rahmati

June 28, 2025

The WHO urgently requests $2 million to support Afghan migrants returning from Iran and Pakistan, as border health systems face mounting pressure.

Following the mass deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan, Dr. HananBalkhy, the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, has urgently requested $2 million in emergency funding. The funds are intended to support critical health services for returning Afghan nationals.

Dr. Balkhy stated on Friday, June 27, via her official X account, that 17,600 Afghan migrants returned to the country in just the first two weeks of June, putting enormous strain on Afghanistan’s fragile border health systems. She warned that the situation is escalating and requires immediate international attention.

According to WHO, health infrastructure at border points is under severe pressure, with limited capacity to handle large-scale returns. The organization has been providing essential services including vaccinations, mental health support, and emergency care to returnees at key crossing points.

WHO has stressed that these services are vital to prevent public health emergencies, especially as many returnees arrive in poor physical condition and in need of urgent medical attention. The agency also emphasized the importance of international cooperation to avoid a larger humanitarian crisis.

Iran has intensified its expulsion of Afghan nationals in recent days, citing national security concerns. Reports indicate that Iranian authorities have even searched migrants’ mobile phones for alleged links to espionage activities, particularly claims of spying for Israel.

The sudden surge in returnees is stretching Afghanistan’s already fragile public services, particularly in border provinces. Without additional funding and coordination, health agencies warn the situation may spiral into a public health and humanitarian disaster.

International aid organizations, including the UN and WHO, have urged donor countries to step in quickly. Swift action is needed to stabilize the crisis, protect vulnerable populations, and prevent further deterioration of conditions for returning Afghan migrants.

Source: khaama.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.khaama.com/who-urgently-seeks-2-million-amid-mass-deportation-of-afghan-migrants/

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Norway donates over $4 million to Afghanistan

By Fidel Rahmati

June 27, 2025

Norway has donated over $4 million to Afghanistan through a UN fund, aiming to support vital humanitarian services for millions facing crisis and hardship.

Norway has contributed $4.25 million to support humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan, according to the United Nations’ Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan. The announcement was made on Friday, June 27, underscoring the importance of continued international support.

The UN trust fund emphasized that such financial contributions are essential to expand both emergency and long-term life-saving services across the country. The fund continues to call on other international donors to sustain their commitments.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 22 million people in Afghanistan will require humanitarian assistance in 2025. This staggering figure highlights the worsening crisis and the urgency for global response.

The UN had previously launched an appeal for aid to address critical needs in Afghanistan, particularly in sectors such as food security, healthcare, and education. The appeal comes amid growing concerns about the sharp rise in poverty and vulnerability under the current conditions.

OCHA reports that humanitarian aid has dropped by 40% since U.S. funding cuts began, severely affecting aid delivery to millions of Afghans. This reduction has directly impacted food distribution, healthcare access, and livelihood programs.

Recent assessments by the World Food Programme (WFP) indicate that one in five Afghan natioanls faces crisis-level food insecurity. Families are often forced to reduce meal portions or skip meals entirely due to rising prices and aid shortfalls.

Meanwhile, the UN has warned that living conditions for women, children, and displaced families are deteriorating rapidly, especially in rural and hard-to-reach regions. Many communities lack access to clean water, basic healthcare, and shelter. Therefore, urgent funding is needed to scale up relief operations.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/norway-donates-over-4-million-to-afghanistan/

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Afghanistan, Russia Strengthen Cooperation on Climate and Disaster Management

2025-06-28

KABUL (BNA): Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, the head of Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) met with the Russian Consul General in Kabul to discuss cooperation on climate change, risk management, and humanitarian assistance.

During the meeting, Mullah Nooruddin Turabi highlighted the urgent need for cooperation in addressing both natural and human-made disasters. He emphasized the importance of establishing robust political, economic, and religious ties with other nations as a key achievement for Afghanistan.

The discussion covered essential topics such as food and non-food assistance, emergency response strategies, and capacity-building initiatives. Mullah Turabi assured that any concerns raised by foreign representatives would be addressed according to established principles.

RuslanUsmanov, the Russian Consul General, reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and noted the existence of a specialized agency in Russia dedicated to emergency situations. He expressed optimism about fostering cooperation between this agency and Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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Bangladesh continues tariff talks with US

Jun 28, 2025

Bangladesh has continued its consultations with the United States on finalising the Agreement on Reciprocal Tariff.

The latest round of discussions took place today, with the Bangladesh side led by National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman and the US side by US Assistant Trade Representative Brendan Lynch, according to CA Press Wing.

"We made very good progress during our consultations with the US team. Both sides are making serious efforts to finalise the agreement expeditiously," said Khalilur Rahman, a former trade policy chief of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/bangladesh-continues-tariff-talks-us-3927506

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Africa

 

Congo and Rwanda sign a US-mediated peace deal aimed at ending decades of bloody conflict

June 28, 2025

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on Friday signed a peace deal facilitated by the U.S. to help end the decades-long deadly fighting in eastern Congo while helping the U.S. government and American companies gain access to critical minerals in the region.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it “an important moment after 30 years of war.” Earlier Friday, President Donald Trump said at a news conference that he was able to broker a deal for “one of the worst wars anyone’s ever seen.”

“I was able to get them together and sell it,” Trump said. “And not only that, we’re getting for the United States a lot of the mineral rights from Congo.”

The deal has been touted as an important step toward peace in the Central African nation of Congo, where conflict with more than 100 armed groups, the most potent backed by Rwanda, has killed millions since the 1990s.

It’s also at the heart of Trump’s push to gain access to critical minerals needed for much of the world’s technology at a time when the United States and China are actively competing for influence in Africa.

Analysts see the deal as a major turning point but don’t believe it will quickly end the fighting.

Congo and Rwanda send top diplomats to sign

Congo’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner invoked the millions of victims of the conflict in signing the agreement with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe. Both expressed optimism but stressed significant work still to do to end the fighting.

“Some wounds will heal, but they will never fully disappear,” Wagner said. “Those who have suffered the most are watching. They are expecting this agreement to be respected, and we cannot fail them.”

Nduhungirehe noted the “great deal of uncertainty” because previous agreements were not put in place.

“There is no doubt that the road ahead will not be easy,” he said. “But with the continued support of the United States and other partners, we believe that a turning point has been reached.”

They, along with Rubio, lauded the support of the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar in facilitating the agreement, which Doha has been working on for months at the request of the U.S. and others.

The agreement has provisions on territorial integrity, prohibition of hostilities and the disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration of non-state armed groups.

The peace deal is not likely to quickly end the conflict

The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group is the most prominent armed group in the conflict, and its major advance early this year left bodies on the streets. With 7 million people displaced in Congo, the United Nations has called it “one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.”

Congo hopes the U.S. will provide it with the security support needed to fight the rebels and possibly get them to withdraw from the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, and from the entire region where Rwanda is estimated to have up to 4,000 troops. Rwanda has said that it's defending its territorial interests and not supporting M23.

M23 rebels have suggested that the agreement won’t be binding for them. The rebel group hasn't been directly involved in the planned peace deal, although it has been part of other ongoing peace talks.

Corneille Nangaa, leader of Congo River Alliance — known by its French acronym AFC — which includes M23, told The Associated Press in March that direct peace talks with Congo can only be held if the country acknowledges their grievances and that “anything regarding us which are done without us, it’s against us.”

An M23 spokesperson, Oscar Balinda, echoed those comments to the AP this week.

Rwanda also has been accused of exploiting eastern Congo's minerals, which are used in smartphones, advanced fighter jets and much more. Rwanda has denied any involvement, while analysts say it's a trend that might make it difficult for Rwanda not to be involved in the region.

The deal is at the heart of the U.S. government’s push to counter China in Africa. For many years, Chinese companies have been a key player in Congo’s minerals sector. Chinese cobalt refineries, which account for a majority of the global supply, rely heavily on Congo.

What the US role looks like in ending the conflict

Analysts say the U.S. government’s commitment might depend on how much access it has to the minerals being discussed under separate negotiations between the American and Congolese governments.

The mostly untapped minerals are estimated to be worth as much as $24 trillion by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Christian Moleka, a political scientist at the Congolese think tank Dypol, called the deal a “major turning point” but could “in no way eliminate all the issues of the conflict.”

“The current draft agreement ignores war crimes and justice for victims by imposing a partnership between the victim and the aggressor,” he said. “This seems like a trigger-happy proposition and cannot establish lasting peace without justice and reparation.”

In Congo's North Kivu province, the hardest hit by the fighting, some believe that the peace deal will help resolve the violence but warn justice must still be served for an enduring peace.

“I don't think the Americans should be trusted 100%,” said Hope Muhinuka, an activist from the province. “It is up to us to capitalize on all we have now as an opportunity.”

The conflict can be traced to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, where Hutu militias killed between 500,000 and 1 million ethnic Tutsi, as well as moderate Hutus and Twa, Indigenous people. When Tutsi-led forces fought back, nearly 2 million Hutus crossed into Congo, fearing reprisals.

Rwandan authorities have accused the Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide and alleged that elements of the Congolese army protected them. They have argued that the militias formed by a small fraction of the Hutus are a threat to Rwanda’s Tutsi population.

Source: africanews.com

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https://www.africanews.com/2025/06/27/congo-and-rwanda-sign-a-us-mediated-peace-deal-aimed-at-ending-decades-of-bloody-conflict/

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African Human Rights court says it can hear case brought by DRC against Rwanda

June 28, 2025

The Tanzania-based African Court of Human Rights says it is competent to hear a case brought by the Democratic Republic of the Congo against Rwanda. 

The ruling opens the door to a full hearing into Kinsha’s claims of human rights abuses linked to the long-running conflict in eastern Congo. 

Kigali claimed that national and regional processes hadn’t been fully exhausted, making the referral to the court of human rights premature. But the court’s eleven judges unanimously rejected the argument and instead invited Rwanda to submit its responses on the merits within 90 days. 

The ruling comes as the DRC and Rwanda prepare to sign a US-brokered peace treaty in Washington on Friday. The agreement involves provisions on respect for territorial integrity and the disarmament of non-state armed groups.

The deal would also help the US government and American companies gain access to critical minerals in the region. Lauded by President Trump last week as “a Great Day for Africa and...for the World,” the crucial deal comes as part of other ongoing peace talks to end the conflict, including ones mediated by the African Union and Qatar.

Humanitarian crisis

Congo has been ripped apart by conflict with more than 100 armed groups. Decades of fighting escalated in January, when the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advanced and seized the strategic city of Goma in North Kivu province, followed by Bukavu in February.

M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda.

With more than 7 million people displaced in Congo, the United Nations has called it “one of the most serious humanitarian crises on Earth.” 

Source: africanews.com

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https://www.africanews.com/2025/06/27/african-human-rights-court-says-it-can-hear-case-brought-by-drc-against-rwanda/

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FG Assures Nigerians In Iran Are Safe Amid Regional Tensions

June 27, 2025

By EnioluwaAdeniyi

The Federal Government, through the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and the Nigerian Embassy in Tehran, has assured the public that all Nigerians residing in Iran are safe and accounted for following recent security concerns in the region.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM, Hon. AbikeDabiri-Erewa, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerians abroad, noting that no deaths or injuries involving Nigerian citizens have been reported in the country.

“We remain committed to the safety and well-being of all Nigerians in the diaspora. The situation in Iran underscores the need for proactive engagement and a strong support system,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

In response to emerging tensions, the Nigerian Embassy in Tehran temporarily relocated its operations to Armenia to ensure uninterrupted consular services.

Meanwhile, Nigerian nationals in Iran were advised to move to northern areas such as Shomal, Qom, and Gazvin, which were designated as muster points in the event of an evacuation.

A representative of the Embassy confirmed the measures were strictly precautionary, “Normalcy has returned to these areas, and we are pleased to report that Nigerians in Iran remain safe. There are no confirmed casualties or injuries.”

NiDCOM and the Nigerian Embassy also addressed a viral video circulating on social media, featuring a Nigerian man making unverified claims regarding the safety of Nigerians in Iran.

The man in the video, according to officials, had previously served time in Iran for human trafficking and was accused of using fellow Nigerians as collateral in drug-related activities. Though under a deportation order for over six months, the individual declined to leave until the recent developments.

“Our responsibility is to all Nigerians, regardless of their situation. While we do not condone unlawful acts, we intervened in the spirit of national duty,” the Embassy explained.

Dabiri-Erewa urged all Nigerians abroad to register with Nigerian missions in their respective countries to facilitate effective communication and support, especially in times of crisis.

“This further emphasizes why every Nigerian abroad must register with the nearest Nigerian mission. It enables us to assist effectively, especially during emergencies,” she said.

NiDCOM and the Nigerian Embassy in Tehran have reaffirmed their commitment to closely monitor developments and continue supporting Nigerians abroad with the appropriate diplomatic response and humanitarian coordination.

Source: naijanews.com

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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/06/27/fg-assures-nigerians-in-iran-are-safe-amid-regional-tensions/

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Hijrah 1447: Reps member felicitates Muslims, seeks unity

27th June 2025

AdemolaAdegbite

A member of the National Assembly, representing Oyo South Senatorial District under the All Progressives Congress, SharafadeenAlli, on Thursday, “Congratulated Muslims nationwide, especially in Oyo State, on the commencement of the Islamic New Year, Hijrah 1447 AH.”

Alli, in a statement released by his Media Office in Ibadan, the state capital, on Friday, described the occasion as “A time for deep reflection, spiritual renewal and renewed commitment to the values of peace, justice, and communal progress.

“I want to also urge you to remain steadfast in faith and hopeful for a brighter future.”

He urged them to draw lessons from the historic migration (Hijrah) of the Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Madinah.

The lawmaker further said Hijrah symbolises courage, sacrifice, perseverance and unwavering faith in Allah.

Alli called on them to use the occasion to rededicate themselves to nation-building by promoting love, tolerance and peaceful coexistence in their communities.

He noted that Nigeria was going through critical challenges, calling for prayers and collective efforts toward unity, peace, and sustainable development.

The lawmaker reaffirmed his commitment to policies and initiatives that would improve the living conditions his Senatorial District, the state and Nigeria.

Alli pledged to continue advocating for better education, healthcare, infrastructure and economic opportunities for all, especially the vulnerable.

He prayed that Allah would grant Nigeria a year filled with peace, progress and prosperity.

Source: punchng.com

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https://punchng.com/hijrah-1447-reps-member-felicitates-muslims-seeks-unity/

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13 killed including 3 children in Sudan paramilitary strikes in Darfur

June 27, 2025

KHARTOUM: Paramilitary shelling of the besieged Darfur city of El-Fasher in western Sudan killed 13 people including 3 children on Friday, a medical source told AFP as the United Nations announced it was seeking to secure a humanitarian pause in the city.

“Another 21 people were injured due to the artillery shelling from the Rapid Support militia,” the source said, referring to the Rapid Support Forces, at war with the regular army since April 2023.

The RSF has besieged the North Darfur state capital since May of last year and has launched repeated attacks in an attempt to seize the city of an estimated million people.

The strike came hours after Sudan’s ruling Transitional Sovereignty Council said army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan’s office had agreed in a phone call with UN chief Antonio Guterres to a “week-long humanitarian truce in El-Fasher to support UN efforts and facilitate aid access to thousands of besieged civilians.”

Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday said “we are making contacts with both sides with that objective.”

The UN has repeatedly warned of the plight of trapped civilians in the city, where hunger has pushed families to survive on eating leaves and peanut shells as nearly no aid is allowed in.

Civilians report soaring prices and a near-total absence of health facilities, nearly all of which have been forced shut by the fighting.

A World Food Programme facility inside El-Fasher was damaged from repeated RSF shelling last month, and in early June five aid workers were killed in an attack on a UN convoy seeking to supply the city.

The paramilitary has repeatedly attacked the city and its surrounding famine-hit displacement camps, killing hundreds of civilians and pushing hundreds of thousands of already displaced people to flee.

UNICEF has described the situation as “hell on earth” for at least 825,000 children trapped in and around El-Fasher.

The RSF conquered nearly all of the vast western region of Darfur in the early months of the war, but has been unable to seize North Darfur state capital El-Fasher despite besieging the city for over a year.

An RSF source told AFP Friday the paramilitary had not received a ceasefire proposal.

Aid sources say an official famine declaration is impossible given the lack of access to data, but mass starvation has already taken hold of the city.

Over a million people are on the brink of famine in North Darfur, according to the latest available UN figures.

Of the 10 million people currently internally displaced in Sudan — the world’s largest displacement crisis — nearly 20 percent are in North Darfur.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2606075/middle-east

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Sudan’s leader approves seven-day humanitarian ceasefire in El-Fasher

June 28, 2025

Sudan’s Sovereign Council President, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has approved a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, amid intensifying clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The announcement follows a phone call between Burhan and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, during which Guterres called for a temporary truce to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians caught in the fighting.

In a statement released Friday, the Sovereign Council confirmed Burhan’s agreement to the ceasefire and emphasized the need to uphold relevant UN Security Council resolutions. However, the statement did not specify when the truce would begin. The RSF has not yet commented on the proposal.

Since May 10, 2024, El-Fasher has seen escalating violence between the army and RSF, despite repeated international warnings. The city is considered a strategic gateway for humanitarian operations across Darfur's five states, and continued fighting threatens to deepen the humanitarian crisis.

Sudan plunged into civil war when rival generals heading the country’s armed forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces started fighting each other in mid-April 2023. Since then, at least 24,000 people have died, about 13 million Sudanese have fled their homes, famine is setting in and cholera is sweeping across the country. Both sides have been accused of war crimes.

Source: africanews.com

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https://www.africanews.com/2025/06/27/sudans-leader-approves-seven-day-humanitarian-ceasefire-in-el-fasher/

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Europe

 

Interfaith walk takes to streets of Oxford city centre

June 27, 2025

By Matt Simpson

An interfaith group walked the streets of Oxford on Thursday night in a show of solidarity among religions.

The Oxford Council of Faiths group started at the Synagogue in Richmond Road at 6pm before heading to St Giles Church, to Radcliffe Square for reflections before ending in Bath Street Mosque in St Clements.

Members from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities all joined the dozens of people on the walk.

Moznu Miah, chairman of Oxford Mosque Society, Bath Street Mosque, said he welcomed everybody to the “sacred space” on behalf of Muslims.

He said: “In these challenging times, marked by division, hate, and injustice, our collective presence here today is a powerful testament to our shared commitment to love, peace, respect and harmony.

“I am proud to stand alongside you, united in our quest for a more compassionate and inclusive world. 

“This unique event, organized by the Oxford Council of Faiths, demonstrates that our diversity is a strength, and that together, we can build bridges of understanding and friendship.

“My heartfelt congratulations to the Oxford Council of Faiths, and all the volunteers, for their tireless efforts in organizing this wonderful event.”

He added: "Let us reaffirm our resolve to work together, to promote peace, respect, friendship and love.

"May our collective efforts be a beacon of hope for our communities, our city, and the world at large."

Source: thisisoxfordshire.co.uk

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https://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/25272582.interfaith-walk-takes-streets-oxford/

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Georgia jails six political figures in one week in crackdown on opposition

June 27, 2025

Georgian opposition leader NikaMelia has become the latest opposition figure to be sent to jail this week in a crackdown described by observers as an unprecedented attack on the country's democracy.

The South Caucausus state has seen months of political turmoil since the government halted its path to join the EU in the wake of disputed elections.

Six prominent politicians have been given jail terms, and another two are in pre-trial detention, so that most of the leaders of the pro-Western opposition are now behind bars.

On Friday, NikaMelia, one of the leaders of Coalition for Change, was jailed for eight months by a court in Tbilisi and former opposition MP GiviTargamadze was given seven months.

The scale and speed of the crackdown has come as a shock, and NikaMelia accused the government of trying to break the courage of Georgians.

All of the jailed politicians have been convicted of refusing to testify before a parliamentary commission and barred from holding public office for two years.

In what it called "the most severe democratic collapse in Georgia's post-Soviet history", anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International said the governing Georgian Dream party, led by billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, had launched "a full-scale authoritarian offensive".

In a matter of days, jail terms have also been handed down to four other opposition leaders: Giorgi Vashadze and ZurabJaparidze, as well as BadriJaparidze and MamukaKhazaradze, two former bank executives. Another prominent opposition leader, NikaGvaramia, is in pre-trial detention as well as a former defence minister.

"The Soviet Union has returned to our present and wants our minds to cling to the past," NikaMelia wrote on Facebook. Georgia regained its independence when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Norway said this week that the arrest of opposition leaders was an "unprecedented attack on Georgia's democracy" and it called for an end to "repressive actions".

After last October's elections, the opposition accused Ivanishvili's party of stealing the vote.

Opposition parties then boycotted parliament and, when the European Parliament denounced the election as neither free nor fair, the ruling party halted Georgia's bid to join the European Union.

Georgians have since protested in central Tbilisi every night for more than 200 nights, demanding new elections and the release of all prisoners arrested during pro-EU rallies.

The government then set up an investigative parliamentary commission into the "alleged crimes" of the previous government before Georgian Dream came to power in 2012, specifically the period covering Georgia's war with Russia in 2008.

Failing to comply with a "lawful request" by a parliamentary commission is a criminal offence under Georgia's criminal code. Opposition politicians have refused to testify, partly because of their boycott of parliament, but also because they reject it as a politically motivated attack on government critics.

Prime Minister IrakliKobakhidze told parliament on Friday that the commission was doing very important work exposing a previous government that was "entirely built on crime".

"Everyone must understand once and for all that there is no place for criminals in Georgian politics."

Human rights groups say 500 people have been arrested during the recent street protests and that 300 of them were subjected to torture. As many as 60 people are being held as political prisoners, they say.

Respected journalist MziaAmaglobeli remains imprisoned, and independent TV stations face censorship and financial ruin.

Earlier this week 40 civil society groups said that Bidzina Ivanishvili had "chosen to maintain power through dictatorship, and fundamental human rights are violated every day".

Ivanishvili, who is under US sanctions, accumulated his wealth in Russia during the 1990s. He formally retired from politics but is widely believed to have control over all branches of government.

Last month, a former confidant of Ivanishvili who went on the run said he was "kidnapped from abroad" and flown back to Georgia by force as a political prisoner.

Giorgi Bachiashvili had been on trial in Georgia accused of misappropriating millions of dollars in a case he said was politically motivated.

Georgian authorities say Bachiashvili, 39, was convicted of a crime while in absentia and will serve his jail sentence.

His lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, told the BBC he was deeply concerned for his safety: "Too many people see him as a highly competent political figure."

Source: bbc.com

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg5x53z7djo

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Plans to help benefits recipients into work 'a mess', say DWP officials

June 27, 2025

Michael Buchanan

Government plans to speed up employment support for people affected by the changes to welfare benefits will be "undeliverable", the BBC has been told.

As part of the U-turn on welfare reforms, ministers are expected to fast-track a £1bn support plan to get people into work, which was originally scheduled for 2029.

But officials at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said the system was "a mess" and that there were "only a handful of people" working on the programme.

The DWP did not address the claims made by the officials but said it had taken "decisive action" and was "committed to driving up employment and opportunity across the country".

A key aim of the government is to get more people into work in part to reduce the welfare bill and to achieve its aim of growing the economy in order to boost living standards.

Ministers have argued that intensive job support will help those unemployed and has set aside £1bn to help those in need.

But a senior benefits official told the BBC the government did not have a "properly considered or deliverable programme".

"There hasn't been enough pace or passion to get the thing set up," they said.

The government initially hoped to save £5bn a year by 2030 through its welfare reforms, while slowing the increase in people claiming benefits. Working-age health-related benefits are estimated to cost an extra £30bn by 2029 without any changes.

But the government faced a growing rebellion from around 120 Labour MPs over the proposed changes, so decided to amend its plans.

The climbdown means existing recipients of both the main disability benefit, personal independence payment (Pip), and the health element of universal credit will continue to receive what they currently get.

Instead, planned cuts will only hit future claimants.

The U-turn means that a £5bn saving is likely to be around £2.5bn to £3bn now, which has added to further speculation of tax rises in the Autumn Budget, given Chancellor Rachel Reeves had factored in these cuts to help meet her self-imposed financial rules.

One DWP official told the BBC "there hasn't been much done" since the government announced its employment support scheme back in March, adding that not enough job coaches were being recruited.

Contracted employment support - where outside companies are hired to help deliver the programme – is also said to be behind schedule, with cheaper, lower-profile employment schemes understood to have much bigger teams working on them.

'Difficult people to get into work'

Estimates within the DWP for the number of people who will get a job are said to be "very low".

"They are notoriously difficult people to get into work because in many cases they've been out of the job market for a while and employers are not willing to take a chance on them," said a senior official.

Rural parts of Cumbria starkly highlight the challenges the government faces. In the Cumberland Council jurisdiction, which covers the north and west parts of the county, 51% of people on universal credit have no requirement to look for work, mainly due to health reasons.

While physical health conditions, such as arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions are prevalent, in recent years large increases in mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression, have driven the increase.

Colin Cox, director of public health at Cumberland Council, pointed out that many of these conditions are very real – the suicide rate is much higher than the average for England, for instance.

But he also argued some "common experiences" had been over-medicalised.

"The solutions you bring forward for that are very different [than just] prescribing an anti-depressant," he added.

A government statement said its "once-in-a-generation package of employment support" would "guarantee that disabled people and those with health conditions on out-of-work benefits will be able to access tailored work, health, and skills support, through new and existing programmes".

But even with tailored support, finding a job in some areas can be challenging. The BBC examined the government's own job search website for work in three coastal towns in Cumbria - Maryport, Whitehaven and Workington.

Dozens of jobs were available but more than half of them were in the care sector, restricting what people can do. Poor public transport is also a limiting factor for people living in rural areas.

Karen Jones, who runs the GoodLives charity in Cleator Moor which helps about 200 people a year, said "confidence is a very big thing" when people were looking for work.

"Getting them into employment can be difficult and once they've got a job, we maintain contact for up to six months.

"If you've never worked before, it's a very vulnerable time when you get your first job and it can be the difference between success and failure."

Kerry Ritson was supported by GoodLives and works eight hours a week in the charity's shop.

She has ADHD and two children with behavioural challenges and spent years frightened to engage with the outside world.

She said if she had not taken the chance of the job, "I wouldn't be feeling confident in myself, I wouldn't have made friends for life".

"I looked as though I was doing ok, but I mask and I just wasn't me. I'm starting to learn how to be me," she added.

Source: bbc.com

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9w1p44vzleo

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Hungary Pride to go ahead, defying Orban threat of 'legal consequences'

June 27, 2025

A Budapest Pride march is expected to go ahead on Saturday, defying Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's legal threats against LGBTQ rights activists.

The march organisers hope for record attendance this year, despite mounting pressure from nationalist conservative politicians and police to stop any display of pro-LGBTQ material.

Police have issued a ban, in line with a new "child protection" law that restricts gatherings considered to be promoting homosexuality.

A day before the Pride, Orban downplayed the possibility of violent clashes between the police and participants - but warned those who go will face possible legal repercussions.

"Of course, the police could break up such events, because they have the authority to do so, but Hungary is a civilised country, a civic society. We don't hurt each other," he told state radio on Friday.

"There will be legal consequences, but it cannot reach the level of physical abuse."

Attendees risk a fine of up to €500 (£427; $586), with police empowered to use facial recognition technology to identify them.

Organisers could face a one-year prison sentence.

EU equalities commissioner HadjaLahbib, a former Belgian foreign minister, is in Budapest and expected to join the march, along with dozens of MEPs.

On Friday, she posted a picture showing her standing with the liberal Budapest mayor GergelyKaracsony in front of a rainbow flag symbolising gay rights.

The Pride march "will be a powerful symbol of the strength of the civil society," she wrote on X.

Karacsony, a member of Hungary's opposition, has insisted no-one attending the march can face any reprisals as it has been co-organised by city hall, and as such is a municipal event that does not require police approval.

Ahead of the Pride, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asked the Orban government not to block the march.

Orban was unfazed, asking her "to refrain from interfering in the law enforcement affairs" of EU member countries.

Source: bbc.com

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c23g02dl1z8o

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European NATO states wary of buying US arms – Bloomberg

27 Jun, 2025

European NATO members have expressed growing unease about increasing their reliance on US weapons amid a sweeping rearmament push, Bloomberg has reported on Friday.

During a summit in The Hague this week, NATO states committed to raising military spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 to counter what they described as a “long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security” – a claim that Moscow has repeatedly denied.

Concerns have reportedly emerged about deepening dependence on the American defense industry, particularly under the leadership of President Donald Trump. According to Bloomberg, leaders fear they could be exposed to greater risks, especially in light of Trump’s efforts to improve ties with Russia and past threats to annex allied territory. Boosting reliance on US arms has become “an increasingly hard sell at home,” the outlet noted.

French President Emmanuel Macron has long championed the idea of securing greater defense autonomy for European NATO states, urging the development of a self-sufficient military industrial base.

Canada, a key NATO ally, is reportedly reconsidering its involvement in the US-led F-35 fighter jet program and may switch to Swedish alternatives. “We should no longer send three-quarters of our defense capital spending to America,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated earlier this month.

Copenhagen has also displayed some resistance, telling Washington that American arms deals have become “politically difficult” given Trump’s suggestion that the US annex Greenland, which is currently controlled by Denmark, Bloomberg reported.

Unease in the alliance has also been stoked by Trump’s move to cut intelligence sharing with Ukraine earlier this year. According to unnamed officials cited by Bloomberg, this decision “alarmed allies,” as it raised concerns over how much control the US might wield over weapons exports in the event of a crisis.

Nevertheless, a lack of viable domestic alternatives continues to bind European nations to US suppliers, according to the outlet. Decades of underinvestment have left Europe’s defense manufacturing capacity underdeveloped. As a result, countries will likely keep buying American equipment to meet rearmament targets, particularly as stockpiles have been depleted by shipments of military aid to Ukraine.

Moscow has condemned the EU’s militarization trend and arms transfers to Kiev, characterizing the conflict as a NATO proxy war. President Vladimir Putin has dismissed NATO’s concerns of Russian aggression as “nonsense,” instead blaming the alliance’s expansion and “aggressive behavior” for escalating tensions.

Source: rt.com

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Arab World

 

Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in occupied West Bank

June 27, 2025

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Friday condemned violent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in villages in the occupied West Bank.

Dozens of settlers attacked the village of Kafr Malik near Ramallah on Wednesday. Three Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces and seven wounded in the violence, Palestinian health officials said.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said the Kingdom condemned and denunciated “the continued violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers, under the protection of the occupation forces, against Palestinian civilians, including the attacks in the village of Kafr Malik.”

Since the war started in Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 55,000 people there, violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has also increased.

At least 900 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the territory in the same period and attacks by Israeli settlers have ramped up.

The ministry statement reiterated Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of Israeli violence against unarmed civilians in Gaza, “including the targeting of civilian sites housing displaced persons.”

The Kingdom called for Palestinian civilians to be protected and for the international community to put an end to “Israeli violations of international laws and norms.”

Source: arabnews.com

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KAIN welcomes 60 students as part of Mawhiba Research Enrichment Program

June 27, 2025

RIYADH: The King Abdullah Institute for Nanotechnology, established by King Saud University, will welcome 60 “gifted students” on Sunday as part of the Mawhiba Research Enrichment Program, a four-week initiative aimed at developing scientific skills and research experience among Saudi youth, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Run in collaboration with the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), the program “harnesses the potential of gifted students, offering them hands-on experience in laboratories and production facilities, while introducing them to the fundamentals and ethics of scientific research under the supervision of specialized researchers,” the SPA wrote.

Hamad Abdulaziz Albrithen, general supervisor of KAIN, explained that the institute’s overarching goal is “to serve the community by transferring knowledge to younger generations through the use of advanced laboratory equipment and the expertise of distinguished researchers from diverse scientific disciplines.”

Ahmed bin Abdulkarim Al-Saleh, head of the Mawhiba program at KSU for 2025, highlighted the importance of such programs in providing exceptional students with the opportunity to conduct scientific research at KSU’s top-tier research chairs and centers.

Al-Saleh also noted that the program offers “a wide range of skill-building activities, including Python programming, AI and its scientific applications, as well as enrichment trips to research centers beyond the university campus.”

Source: arabnews.com

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‘We will make our country proud’: Joy as Saudi graduates take first professional steps

SALEH FAREED

June 27, 2025

JEDDAH: Hundreds of Saudi students on Thursday graduated from a specialized program targeting job creation in the Kingdom’s fast-growing tourism sector.

The Red Sea Global Vocational Training Program, held in partnership with King Abdulaziz University and the Human Resources Development Fund, celebrated the graduation of 466 Saudis, the scheme’s third cohort of students, across specializations including wellness tourism and hospitality.

The ceremony was attended by Jeddah Gov. Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi and John Pagano, CEO of the Red Sea Development Company.

The two officials delivered a speech highlighting the importance of achieving Saudi Vision 2030 by empowering the nation’s youth, building a thriving Saudi industry, and showcasing the Kingdom’s natural beauty and hospitality to the world.

Pagano said: “We are proud to see our skill development initiative empower youth and transform lives. By providing access to high quality and job-oriented training programs, we empower the students with the tools they need to confidently enter the workforce and contribute meaningfully to the tourism industry of Saudi Arabia.”

RSG is committed to offering employment opportunities for outstanding graduates within its workforce or with partners, he added.

The graduation, held at King Faisal Auditorium, saw the signing of an agreement between the Human Resources Development Fund and Red Sea Global to train and employ 1,000 young Saudi men and women in specialized fields, including wellness tourism, hospitality, tourism security and technical services.

Turki bin Abdullah Al-Jawini, HRDF director general, said that the fund helped more than 153,000 Saudi men and women find employment in the private sector during the first half of 2024.

Al-Jawini showcased the fund’s most prominent campaigns, and said that the HRDF develops its programs in partnership with various sectors, with the aim of improving job opportunities and developing human capital.

The event also included a keynote address by Raed Al-Basseet, group chief environment and sustainability officer at RSG. He praised the graduates for their resilience, hard work and dedication.

“From the first day you entered the Red Sea Vocational Training Program, you’ve proven to us that ambition has no limits, and that those with determination and passion can go further than they imagined. Your hard work has become an accomplishment. Your efforts are the beginning of a great professional journey, filled with opportunities and successes that exceed our expectations,” Al-Basseet said.

“Don’t stop at this achievement; let it be the beginning of a great and prosperous future. We are always behind you, and we are proud of you.”

Later, graduates Naif Najmi, Mishari Al-Jehani, Ghala Al-Buhairi and Ghada Al-Jehani gave thank-you speeches on behalf of their cohort. They highlighted the importance of the support they received, reflected on their journeys and described their hopes for the future.

The ceremony was full of emotion and joy among students and their parents.

Amer Al-Marawani, a graduate student of tourism security, told Arab News: “I’m feeling really happy and excited for the beginning of my new journey. In the future, I hope I can contribute to the tourism sector of my country.”

HalaNadri, a graduate specializing in hospitality, said: “After graduation, it is an outstanding honor for us to serve the country, we are really looking forward to join the workforce anywhere in our touristic sites.”

Meanwhile, JoodMajed, a graduate of tourism safety, praised the program’s technical depth and encouraged other Saudi women to apply: “The training programs have been a resounding success and we learned a lot from it. Now, it is our time to pay back our leadership who supported us all these years by working hard, and eventually, we will make our country proud.”

Yousef Al-Amri, a graduate in information technology, said: “I consider myself very lucky to be equipped with these invaluable skills and I am forever grateful to RSG and KAU.”

Source: arabnews.com

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Roll the dice: Monopoly Riyadh set to hit shelves this September

NADA ALTURKI

June 27, 2025

RIYADH: The launch of a Riyadh edition of the iconic Monopoly board game was announced on Thursday at a preview event that even feature an appearance by the game’s mascot, Mr. Monopoly.

The new version of the game, which will be on sale in September, was created, according to a statement, to celebrate “the rich heritage and modern transformation” of the Kingdom’s capital and features locations including the King Abdullah Financial District, Saudia Airlines, Souk Al-Zal, the Saudi Cup, the Diplomatic Quarter, Tamimi Markets, Jazeancoffeeshop, Bujairi Terrace in Diriyah, Olaya Street, and King Fahd Road.

“We strive to include both the traditional and the modern in terms of landmarks and to create a story. So as you’re going through the Monopoly board, you are learning about, and getting insight into, the city of Riyadh, and you’re passing roads that most real residents would pass by on a day-to-day or weekly basis,” Hamad Alowaishiq, founder and chairman of official partner the Saudi Youth Society (SYS), which acted as a cultural advisor for the game’s makers, told Arab News.

“It’s a responsibility and a pleasure to be representing Riyadh on such a platform. And with that responsibility, we have been dedicated to delivering the identity and culture of Riyadh,” he added.

According to Guinness World Records, Monopoly is the best-selling board game in history, with more than 275 million units sold worldwide over the past 90 years.

“There’s something really interesting about seeing our city culturally represented within an international brand,” Princess Nourah Al-Faisal, vice-chairman of SYS, told Arab News. “It says a lot about how far we’ve come and how important our market and our community has become on the international scale that Monopoly would come and do this—and quite right too.”

“I remember playing this game when I was young with my grandfather and family,” Liam Johnson, the racecourse director of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Cup, told Arab News, adding that he believed the Saudi Cup’s profile would be raised globally by being featured in an edition of a game that “cuts through the different audiences.”

Diriyah has three places on the board: Wadi Hanifah, Zallal, and Al-Bujairi Terrace — all of which have become staples in Riyadh’s events and hospitality sectors.

“As the birthplace of the Kingdom and its significance to the country, to be able to bring that legacy and that heritage onto the board is a true honor,” Nicola Cope, executive director of brand marketing at Diriyah, told Arab News.

The Ritz-Carlton’s MazenAllam said: “Over the years, we’ve been privileged to host moments that actually matter, from royal visits, world summits, weddings, quiet weekends, all woven under the fabric of this city. Now, with Monopoly, we get to join families and communities across generations. And the fact that we can create joyful memories that extend beyond our walls is something very special.”

KAFD, home to 95 interconnected buildings, where more than 20,000 people work — not including the thousands of daily visitors and residents, is a pivotal inclusion on the board. Mazroua Al-Mazroua, KAFD’s chief marketing and experience officer, told Arab News: “We all grew up playing Monopoly. We understand the game — it’s strategic, competitive, and centered around real estate. Today, KAFD reflects those same qualities. It’s not just an iconic business district; it’s Saudi Arabia’s first vertical urban city and a dynamic lifestyle destination.

“It only makes sense for KAFD to be featured in the Monopoly Riyadh Edition — a perfect match between a game of strategy and a district that lives and breathes it every day.”

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi passports department’s expired visa extension initiative

June 27, 2025

RIYADH: The Saudi General Directorate of Passports has launched an initiative to extend expired visit visas for a final exit.

The initiative provides a 30-day window for extension, contingent upon the payment of prescribed fees and penalties in accordance with regulations.

The directorate said that applicants may submit requests through the Tawasul Service on the Ministry of Interior’s Absher portal during the specified period.

It urged all eligible individuals to benefit from the initiative before the deadline.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi Shoura Council delegation meets with speaker of Hungarian Parliament

June 27, 2025

BUDAPEST: A delegation from the Saudi Shoura Council, comprising members of the Saudi-Hungarian Parliamentary Friendship Committee and led by council member and head of the committee Ibrahim Al-Qannas, met with Laszlo Kover, speaker of the Hungarian Parliament, in Budapest recently as part of the Shoura Council delegation’s official visit to Hungary.

Kover welcomed the delegation, noting the importance of such meetings and exchange of visits to enhance parliamentary cooperation. He praised the Kingdom’s achievements under Vision 2030.

The meeting included discussions of bilateral relations and ways to enhance them, as well as exploring the prospects of parliamentary cooperation between the Shoura Council and the Hungarian Parliament. It also addressed several topics of common interest. Source: arabnews.com

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Al-Hussam Park: a tourist attraction in the heart of picturesque Al-Baha

RASHID HASSAN

June 27, 2025

RIYADH: The artificial lake, green landscapes, and waterfalls and fountains of Al-Hussam Park in the heart of picturesque Al-Baha attract a large number of nature lovers, holiday-makers and picnickers every summer season.

The city, which sits high on a mountain plateau, is set for a vibrant summer season this year under the slogan “Color Your Summer,” featuring raffles and daily prize giveaways.

Mohammed Faisal, a botany professor at King Saud University, who has visited the city on several official trips, told Arab News; “Prince Hussam Park is a beautiful destination, I enjoy the exquisite beauty of this summer tourism spot in a refreshing environment with intermittent rains and cold breeze from the nearby foggy mountaintops of Al-Baha.

It stands as one of the key tourist attractions in its region and serves as a recreational destination for residents and visitors alike.”

The park, named after Al-Baha Emir Prince Hussam Bin Saud, overlooks the city on one side and the Tihami sector on the other.

Nadeem Ahmad, an engineer working in the city, told Arab News: “Set on the mountain top and close to the Sarawat Mountains in the Al-Baha city, (the park) is one of the region’s most prominent ecotourism destinations.

Its scenic beauty complements nearby Raghadan Park and adds to the array of parks and gardens scattered across this picturesque region. It’s a must-visit tourist spot if you are in the Kingdom.”

The region’s mayor, Dr. Ali bin Mohammed Al-Sawat, told the Saudi Press Agency that the total area of the park is 160,000 square meters, with green spaces covering 132,264 square meters.

The park includes 36 seating areas, 21 shaded structures, 1,400 trees, 4,000 shrubs, a 1,200-square-meter artificial lake, 500 parking spaces, four children’s play areas, 35 restrooms, a 1,000-square-meter “interactive fountain,” two 10-meter-high waterfalls, a 700-meter walking path, prayer areas for men and women, and a plaza that includes an open-air theater covering some 5,000 square meters with seating for up to 1,000 people.

“Al-Hussam Park hosts a variety of cultural and artistic events every summer, including traditional performances that reflect the region’s heritage, a children’s theater offering educational and entertainment activities, and diverse cultural shows representing various communities,” Al-Sawat noted.

The park has also implemented several new projects to accommodate elderly visitors and people with special needs, the SPA reported.

Source: arabnews.com

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