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☆ Britain warns of possible attacks in Denmark
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Tom Little/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 18 (Reuters) - Britain on Friday asked its citizens to be vigilant when travelling to Denmark due to possible attacks, following Koran burnings by anti-Islam activists in Denmark and Sweden that have outraged Muslims. Britain and the U.S. government have previously warned of possible attacks in neighbouring Sweden, which raised its terrorism alert to the second highest level on Thursday. "Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Denmark. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreigners," the British foreign ministry warned in an updated travel advice. The authorities in Denmark have successfully disrupted a number of planned attacks and made a number of arrests, it added.

Persons: Tom Little, Sweden's, Nerijus Adomaitis, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Danish, Copenhagen, Denmark, Britain, Sweden, Oslo

[1/2] A police officer on a Segway patrols Sweden's parliament Riksdagen as the terror threat level in Sweden is raised to four on a five-point scale, in Stockholm, Sweden, August 17, 2023. There has been widespread condemnation from many parts of the Muslim world, with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urging severe punishment for those responsible and saying Sweden was in battle mode against the Muslim world. "Sweden has gone from being considered a legitimate target for terrorist attacks to being considered a prioritised target," SAPO head Charlotte von Essen told a news conference. MILITARY ALERTThe Swedish armed forces also said they were raising the terrorism threat level for operations. Britain and the United States have warned nationals against going to Sweden due to possible terrorist attacks amid protests there and in neighbouring Denmark over the Koran burnings.

Persons: Riksdagen, Fredrik Sandberg, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Charlotte von Essen, von Essen, Simon Johnson, Johan Ahlander Terje Solsvik, Louise Rasmussen, Niklas Pollard, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: TT, Agency, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Iranian, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Sweden, Stockholm, Rights STOCKHOLM, Denmark, Swedish, Britain, United States, Uzbek

CNN —A crowd vandalized eight churches and several homes following accusations of blasphemy against Islam in Pakistan’s most populated province of Punjab on Wednesday, according to government authorities and residents, stoking tensions between local Muslim and minority Christian communities. Multiple churches including the town’s Catholic Church, the Salvation Army Church and the Pentecostal Church, as well as the local Christian colony, were also vandalized and set on fire, Talib told CNN. Religious minorities in Pakistan are vulnerable to persecution under the country's strict blasphemy laws. Pakistan is among the countries where blasphemy is a crime punishable by the death sentence. Three years earlier, a mother of five from Punjab was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to hang, after she was accused of defiling the name of the Prophet Mohammed.

Persons: “, Prophet Mohammed, ”, Yasir Talib, Talib, Ghazanfar Majidi, ” Pakistan’s, Anwaar, Haq Kakar, Bishop, Church of Pakistan Azad Marshall, ” Marshall, ” Riina Kionka, Asia Bibi Organizations: CNN, National Commission for Human Rights, Centre for Social Justice, Catholic Church, Salvation Army Church, Pentecostal Church, Police, . District Police, AP People, Getty, Church of, European Union Locations: Pakistan’s, Punjab, Jaranwala, Pakistani, Faisalabad, Wednesday, Pakistan, AFP, Church of Pakistan, EU, Lahore’s Badami Bagh

☆ UN envoy urges world court to prosecute Afghan gender discrimination
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A beauty salon with defaced pictures of women is seen in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 6, 2023. On the second anniversary of the Taliban's return to power as U.S.-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war, Brown said he had written to ICC prosecutor Karim Khan to argue his point. Girls over the age of 12 have been mostly excluded from school classes since the Taliban returned to power. "The International Criminal Court should recognize this gender discrimination as a crime against humanity and investigate it with a view to the arraignment and prosecution of those responsible," said Brown, a former British prime minister. Khan is investigating suspected war crimes committed in Afghanistan over the past 20 years.

Persons: Ali Khara, Gordon Brown, Brown, Karim Khan, Khan, We've, Michelle Nichols, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, Criminal Court, ICC, Girls, Taliban, Muslim, Thomson Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, British, Kandahar

☆ Israel rules out Jerusalem base for Saudi envoy to Palestinians
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Flags of Saudi Arabia and Israel stand together in a kitchen staging area at the State Department in Washington, October 14, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/PoolJERUSALEM, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Israel ruled out on Sunday a diplomatic base in Jerusalem for the new Saudi envoy to the Palestinians, whose appointment comes as Washington tries to forge formal Israeli relations with Riyadh. Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Nayef Al-Sudairi on Saturday expanded his credentials to include non-resident envoy to the Palestinians. "We will not allow the opening of any kind of diplomatic mission" in Jerusalem, Cohen added. Israel's hard-right government has played down any prospect of it giving significant ground to the Palestinians as part of a normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, Pool, Jordan Nayef Al, Sudairi, Donald Trump, Eli Cohen, Cohen, Bassam Al, Agha, Al, Trump, Nidal al, Dan Williams, Bernadette Baum Organizations: State Department, REUTERS, Saudi, Washington, Palestinian Authority, Tel, U.S, Palestine, Israel, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, Israel, Washington, Jerusalem, Riyadh, Saudi, Amman, East Jerusalem, United States, U.S, Tel Aviv, Palestinian

The large crowd of men congregated at the center of a mosque in the central city of Yazd, clad in black and beating their chests rhythmically in unison. They were commemorating Ashura, Shia Islam’s most sacred ritual, showcased annually with great fanfare in Iran as a testament to the Shiite theocracy’s power and strength. The mourners who gathered in Yazd last month and in many other cities across Iran diverged unexpectedly from the script to target the clerical rulers of Iran, turning religious ballads into protest songs about the suffering of Iranians. Oh rain, oh storm, come. They have set fire to our tent.”In Kermanshah, a Kurdish city in western Iran, a religious vocalist known as a maddah stood on the street, microphone in hand, singing about officials “stealing and devouring” resources away from desolate people.

Persons: Ashura Locations: Yazd, Iran, Kermanshah, Kurdish

☆ Britain warns of possible terrorist attacks in Sweden
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Britain on Sunday warned citizens going to Sweden of possible terrorist attacks following Koran burnings by anti-Islam activists that have outraged Muslims. In updated travel advice, Britain's foreign ministry said Swedish authorities had successfully disrupted some planned attacks and made arrests. "You should be vigilant at this time," it said, adding that "terrorists are very likely to try and carry out attacks in Sweden" with places visited by foreigners potential targets. In a statement acknowledging Britain's changed travel advice, Sweden's National Security Advisor Henrik Landerholm reiterated the increased threats to Sweden since the burnings. The U.S. government has also warned of possible terrorist attacks in Sweden in its travel advice.

Persons: Britain's, Henrik Landerholm, Landerholm, Andrew MacAskill, Anna Ringstrom, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Sunday, National, Thomson Locations: Britain, Sweden, Iraq, Lebanon, Swedish, Turkey, U.S

☆ Palestinians accept first Saudi ambassador
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

At a ceremony in Jordan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's diplomatic adviser Majdi al-Khalidi received a copy of the credentials of Ambassador Nayef Al-Sudairi as a non-resident envoy, official Palestinian news agency Wafa said. Palestinian analyst Talal Okal said the diplomatic appointment was a half-step toward an official Saudi representation office in the occupied West Bank. "It is also a message Saudi Arabia was committed to the rights of the Palestinians in a fully sovereign state," he added. PALESTINIAN CONCERNPalestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said last week that Abbas's Western-backed Palestinian Authority is hoping to engage with Saudi Arabia over their concerns about the potential normalisation with Israel. Saudi Arabia has quietly accepted the so-called Abraham Accords that have normalised ties between Israel and Gulf states United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Persons: Mahmoud Abbas's, Majdi al, Khalidi, Nayef Al, Wafa, al, Talal Okal, Riyad al, Maliki, Abraham, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nidal al, Ali Swafta, Maayan Lubell, Hatem Maher, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: West Bank, Palestinian, Saudi, Abraham Accords, United, NBC, Thomson Locations: RAMALLAH, West, Saudi Arabian, Israel, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Saudi, Jordan, Palestinian, Gulf, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Gaza, Ramallah, Maayan, Jerusalem, Cairo

☆ Opinion | The Wagner Group Is Always Ready for a Coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Colin P. Clarke | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But the nation’s successive elected governments were at least willing to cooperate with Washington, allowing the U.S. military to conduct regional counterterrorism activities. Washington has stopped short of calling the crisis a coup — a move that would require the United States to halt security and economic assistance. Wagner will be ready. Their operations have frequently resulted in the deaths of civilians, with credible accusations of sexual violence, torture and extrajudicial killings. Within days of Wagner’s aborted advance on Moscow, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said that Wagner’s African footprint would remain.

Persons: Jama’at Nusrat al, Barkhane, jihadists, Wagner, —, Al Qaeda, Bazoum, Prigozhin’s, Wagner’s, Sergei Lavrov, Prigozhin, Putin Organizations: U.S, United, Nigerien, Islamic, West, Central African, Kremlin Locations: Sahel, Africa, Islamic State, Greater Sahara, Haram, Islam, Niger, Washington, United States, America, Mali, Libya, Central African Republic, Sudan, Moscow, St . Petersburg

"Our drone base in Niger is extremely important in countering terrorism in the region," one of the U.S. officials said. FOREIGN ASSISTANCEThe Biden administration has not formally labeled the military takeover in Niger a coup, a designation that would limit what security assistance Washington can provide the country. The U.S. drone base has grown in importance due to a lack of Western security partners in the region. The drone base, known as airbase 201, was built near Agadez in central Niger at a cost of more than $100 million. Wagner's chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has welcomed the coup in Niger and said his forces were available to restore order.

Persons: Abdourahmane Tiani, Balima, Mohamed Bazoum, Russia's Wagner, Biden, Antony Blinken, Nusrat al, Cameron Hudson, Hudson, Terence McCulley, WAGNER, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Idrees Ali, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Michelle Nichols, Don Durfee, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Nigerien, Islamic State, Al, West African, Center for Strategic, International Studies, United States Institute of Peace, Wagner Group, ., U.S, Thomson Locations: Niger, Niamey, United States, Sahel, Al Qaeda, France, Africa, insurgencies, Russia, China, Washington, U.S, Mali, Burkina Faso, Agadez, State, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Niger's, Nigerien

☆ Ireland Says Goodbye to Sinéad O’Connor
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Ed O Loughlin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Floral tributes were piled on Tuesday in front of the former home of the Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor in the small coastal town of Bray, as thousands of mourners prepared to pay their last respects on the day of her funeral. Ms. O’Connor, who was found dead in her London apartment last month, had converted to Islam in 2018, and her family planned to give her a private Muslim burial on Tuesday. But, in accordance with an old Irish custom, her coffin will first be carried past her last home in Ireland, on the seaside promenade in Bray, just south of the capital, and the public has been invited to come there for a last farewell. Two days earlier, in the latest of a rolling wave of tributes, a creative agency had temporarily augmented a World War II territorial marker on nearby Bray Head to celebrate the late singer. Where once it said “Eire” — an old name for Ireland — to warn belligerent aircraft that they were approaching neutral Irish territory, the giant sign now says “Eire 🤍 Sinéad.”

Persons: Sinéad O’Connor, O’Connor, ” Organizations: Ireland Locations: Bray, London, Ireland

☆ Opinion: This Women’s World Cup has been unlike any other. That’s a great thing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Opinion Shaista Aziz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Since men were responsible for colonizing, I guess it’s only right that women are showing how to decolonize football at their World Cup. To that point, this World Cup has also showcased the magnificent talents of Haiti and Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz, the latter making it to the competition in part by raising money via a crowdfunder appeal. More than any other time in the history of the women’s game, this World Cup is showcasing why real and meaningful representation matters. Her stature is a huge win for Muslim women and girls who have never seen themselves represented in this way on football’s global stage. Still, the French state is forcing Muslim women to remove the hijab if they want to play the game they love.

Persons: Shaista Aziz, CNN — Shaista Aziz Shaista Aziz, “, Nouhalia Benzina, Tiffany Joseph, Joseph, … Organizations: Churchill, CNN, Brazil, Jamaican Football Federation, France, League’s Aston Villa Women’s, Villa, Joseph, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Nigeria, Republic of South Africa, Morocco, France, England, Africa, Netherlands, Haiti, Caribbean, Colombia, Panama, Philippines, Adelaide, South

☆ Bangladesh grapples with record deadly outbreak of dengue fever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Ruma Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DHAKA, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Bangladesh is grappling with a record deadly outbreak of dengue fever, with hospitals struggling to make space for patients as the disease spreads rapidly in the densely-populated country. Hospitals, especially in capital Dhaka, are struggling to find space for the large number of patients suffering high fever, joint pain and vomiting, health officials said. There is no vaccine or drug that specifically treats dengue, which is common in South Asia during the June-to-September monsoon season, when the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads the deadly virus thrives in stagnant water. This year's deaths already top the previous record of 281 from last year, with the number of people infected just behind the 62,423 cases of 2022. "This is the reason why we saw such a high number of dengue cases in July.

Persons: Zahid Maleque, Kabirul Bashar, Yasir Arafat, Ruma Paul, Tom Hogue Organizations: Reuters, Jahangirnagar University, Thomson Locations: DHAKA, Bangladesh, Dhaka, South Asia, Asia

☆ Denmark to tighten border control after Koran burnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People demonstrate against the desecration of the Koran in Denmark, in Sanaa, Yemen July 24, 2023. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah/File PhotoOSLO, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Danish police are tightening border controls following recent burnings of the Koran that have affected the security situation, the justice ministry said late on Thursday, following a similar decision by Sweden earlier in the week. Tighter border controls will initially be in place until Aug. 10, it said. "The recent Koran burnings have, as the security police have said, affected the current security situation," Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said in the statement. The decision to tighten border controls with more checks of travellers arriving in Denmark follows a similar move by Sweden.

Persons: Khaled Abdullah, Peter Hummelgaard, Terje Solsvik, Tom Hogue, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Denmark, Sanaa, Yemen, OSLO, Sweden

☆ Panji Gumilang: Islamic preacher arrested for blasphemy in world's largest Muslim-majority country
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Unlike other Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia, its prayer sessions do not follow gender segregation, angering some religious groups. Police did not specify what Panji had said or done that constituted blasphemy but said they were acting on public complaints. In June, Indonesia’s Islamic Clerical Council said it was investigating Al-Zaytun for “misguided religious practices,” according to CNN affiliate CNN Indonesia. “He is after all, a public figure with millions of supporters… With all this happening, we don’t know what could happen,” he told CNN Indonesia. There is nothing wrong with him (a Muslim cleric) promoting women’s rights – something is terribly wrong with blasphemy laws,” he added.

Persons: Panji Gumilang, Djuhandhani Rahardjo, ” Djuhandhani, ”, Panji, Al, Hendra Effendy, Andreas Harsono, ” Andreas Organizations: CNN, Indonesian National Police, Criminal Investigation Agency, “, Police, Islamic Clerical, CNN Indonesia, Human Rights Watch, Rights Locations: Indonesia, Indramayu, West Java, Jakarta, Aceh, Islam, Chinese

At least ten copies of the Koran have been burned in Denmark over the past week. WHAT IS AT THE HEART OF THE ISSUE IN SWEDEN AND DENMARK? WHAT ARE SWEDEN AND DENMARK DOING NOW? Nevertheless, both Sweden and Denmark say they are examining ways to legally limit burnings to de-escalate tensions with Muslim nations. WHAT NEXT FOR THE LAW IN DENMARK AND SWEDEN?

Persons: Salwan Momika, Rasmus Paludan, Desecrating, Prophet Mohammad, Angel Gabriel, Tom Little, Susie Jessen, Tayyip Erdogan, Johan Ahlander, Johannes Birkebaek, Ahmed Rasheed, Gwladys Fouche, Andrew Heavens Organizations: WHO, Danish Patriots, NATO, REUTERS, Denmark Democrats, Reuters, Sweden's, Thomson Locations: COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sweden, Iraq, Swedish, SWEDEN, DENMARK, Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen, Tom Little Denmark, Baghdad, East, Stockholm

Iran’s parliament would work on finalizing the text and voting on the bill “in the next two months,” Mehr said. Extreme punitive measuresThe hijab has long been a point of contention in Iran. The draft law would also mandate broader gender segregation in universities – common hotbeds of civilian protests – and other public spaces. If the bill is passed by parliament, it must also be approved by the regime’s Guardian Council, Raeesi told CNN. Any bill passed by the parliament must be reviewed and approved by the council to become law.

Persons: CNN —, Mahsa Amini, Mehr, ” Mehr, ” Sanam Vakil, ”, General Saeed Montazerolmahdi, Reza Shah’s, shah, Hossein Raeesi, Raeesi, ” Vakil Organizations: CNN, Judicial, of Governors, Chatham, Carleton University, regime’s Guardian Council, Guardian Locations: East, North Africa, London, Iran, Iranian, Ottawa, Canada, Tehran, regime’s

Violence erupted in the northern state of Harayana state on Monday after a right-wing Hindu organization led a religious procession in the Muslim dominated region of Nuh. However, opposition politicians and activists have called the attack a “hate crime” that targeted India’s Muslim minority population. Increase in hate crimesThe latest communal violence come against a broader rise in hate crimes against minority groups. Last month, the BJP chief minister of the state of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, blamed Muslims for the soaring prices of tomatoes. Some cities named after historic Muslim figures have also been renamed to reflect India’s Hindu history.

Persons: Parveen Kumar, Narendra, Modi, Yogi, Asgar Ali, Mohammed, Ali, haven’t, Police haven’t, Asaduddin, ”, Jairam Ramesh, ” Asim Ali, Deepankar Basu, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Barack Obama, “ Hussain Obama ”, Obama, Adityanath, Donald Trump’s, Rana Ayyub Organizations: New Delhi CNN, Extra, Hindustan Times, Haryana Police, CNN, ” Police, Police, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Dal, NDTV Locations: New Delhi, India, Harayana, Nuh, Gurgaon, Gurugram’s, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Haryana, Nuh Chowk, Gurugram, Hindustan, Delhi, Manipur, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, today’s India

☆ Pakistan suicide bombing death toll rises to 45
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Saud Mehsud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan, July 31 (Reuters) - The death toll in a suicide bombing at a political rally held by a religious party rose to 45 on Monday, officials said, an attack compounding fears of unrest ahead of a general election due later in the year. An official at a state-run rescue agency, Bilal Faizi, said the death toll had risen to 45. A general view of damaged property, following an explosion by a suicide bomber in Bajaur, Pakistan July 31, 2023 in this screen grab taken from a social media video. Bilal Yasir/via REUTERSPakistan has seen a resurgence of attacks by Islamist militants since last year when a ceasefire between the Pakistani Taliban, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and the government broke down. A mosque bombing in Peshawar city in the northwest killed more than 100 people in January but attacks on political parties are rare.

Persons: DERA ISMAIL, Fazl, Bilal Faizi, Riaz Anwar, Bilal Yasir, Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Shahzad, Robert Birsel Organizations: Ulema, Islamic, REUTERS, Taliban, Thomson Locations: DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan, Bajaur, Afghanistan, REUTERS Pakistan, Taliban Pakistan, Peshawar city

☆ Darfur refugees in Chad scramble for shelter as rainy season starts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Eltayeb Siddig | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Sudanese people who fled the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region, sit at their makeshift shelter during a rainstorm at a refugee camp in Ourang on the outskirts of Adre, Chad July 30, 2023. REUTERS/Zohra BensemraADRE, Chad, July 31 (Reuters) - Thousands of refugees fleeing Darfur to neighbouring Chad to escape fighting and ethnically targeted attacks in Sudan's western region are struggling to secure basic shelter and supplies as heavy rains and winds batter makeshift camps. The United Nations estimates over 300,000 fled from Darfur to Chad since April 15 when fighting between the army andparamilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out in the capital of Khartoum. A recent attack on the west Darfur town on Sirba killed more than 200 and made thousands more flee, according to the Darfur Bar Association. Those who fled Darfur reported shortages of food, electricity, and water supply amid violence in residential areas.

Persons: ADRE, Chad's Ourang, Mohamed Ibrahim, Eltayeb Siddig, Nafisa Eltahir, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, Rapid Support Forces, Darfur Bar Association, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Darfur, Ourang, Adre, Chad, Sudan's, Khartoum, Islam, Chad's, Cairo

[1/2] Rescue workers and other people transport an injured person to the hospital, after a blast in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan July 30, 2023. Rescue 1122/Handout via REUTERSDERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan, July 30 (Reuters) - At least 40 people were killed and over 130 injured when a suicide bomber set off explosives at a political rally in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, police said. The provincial police chief Akhtar Hayat told Reuters the explosion was caused by a suicide bomb. "The JUI-F organised a workers convention in Khar town of Bajaur in which 40 people lost their lives and more than 130 were injured," Khan said. Pakistan has seen a resurgence of attacks by Islamist militants since last year when a ceasefire between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad broke down.

Persons: DERA ISMAIL, Fazl, Akhtar Hayat, Nazir Khan, Khan, Zabihullah Mujahid, Shehbaz Sharif, Saud Mehsud, Dera Ismail Khan, Jibran Ahmad, Nilutpal, Gibran Peshimam, Andrew Cawthorne, Christina Fincher Organizations: Sunday, Ulema, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bajaur district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Bajaur, Afghanistan, Peshawar, Khar, Taliban Pakistan, Islamabad, Islamic State

☆ Suspected Pakistan suicide bombing kills at least 55, injures 135 more at political rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Mushtaq Yusufzai | Associated Press | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

At least 16 people were killed and dozens more wounded on July 30 by a bomb blast at a political gathering of a radical Islamic party in northern Pakistan, police said. At least 55 people were killed and 135 were wounded in what one official said was a suicide attack. Jalil Jan, a spokesperson for the political party, told NBC News the death toll had risen to 55 and that some of the 135 injuries were critical. Party officials said Rehman was not in the rally. Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad.

Persons: Farooq NAEEM, FAROOQ NAEEM, Nazir Khan, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Khan, Jan, Azam Khan, Jalil Jan, Mohibullah Khan Yousufzai, Maulana Ziaullah, Abdur Rasheed, Maulana Jamaluddin, Rehman, Zabihullah Mujahid, Mujahid Organizations: Getty, Sunday, Senior, NBC News, Islam, NBC, Government, Islamic State Locations: Bajaur district, Pakistan, AFP, Bajur, Afghanistan, Khar, Peshawar, Islamabad, Islamic Emirate

CNN —At least 39 people died and over 120 were injured after a blast tore through a political convention organized by an Islamist party in northwestern Pakistan, police said. The Inspector General of Police for the region of Bajaur, Akhter Hayat Gandapur, said the injured in Sunday’s suspected suicide blast had been rushed to hospital. The explosion targeted members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party who had gathered in the town of Khar, close to the border with Afghanistan. But the local branch of ISIS has previously targeted JUI-F party leaders as they consider them apostates. The leader of the JUI-F party, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, expressed “deep sorrow and regret” following the blast, in a statement released by his press office.

Persons: Akhter Hayat Gandapur, Sunday’s, Fazl, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, ”, ” Rahim Shah, Dawn.com Organizations: CNN, Police, ISIS Locations: Pakistan, Bajaur, Jamiat, Khar, Afghanistan

☆ Denmark to look for 'legal tool' to prevent Koran burnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

COPENHAGEN, July 30 (Reuters) - The Danish government will seek to "find a legal tool" that would enable authorities to prevent the burning of copies of the Koran in front of other countries' embassies in Denmark, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told the national broadcaster DR on Sunday. "The burnings are deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals. These few individuals do not represent the values the Danish society is built on," Rasmussen said separately in a statement. Both countries have said they deplore the burning of the Koran but cannot prevent it under rules protecting free speech. Reporting by Louise Breusch Rasmussen Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Rasmussen, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Frances Kerry Organizations: DR, Thomson Locations: COPENHAGEN, Danish, Denmark, Sweden

☆ At Least 35 Dead in Blast at Political Rally in Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Christina Goldbaum | More About Christina Goldbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An explosion at a political rally on Sunday in northwest Pakistan killed at least 35 people and injured 200 more, officials said, the latest sign of the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan, where some militant groups have become more active over the past two years since finding a haven in neighboring Afghanistan under the Taliban administration there. The blast occurred about 4 p.m. in Bajaur, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, said Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister. It targeted a political rally organized by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, an Islamist party that is part of the governing coalition in Pakistan. A state of emergency has been imposed in the hospitals in Peshawar, the provincial capital. A local leader of the political party who was onstage when the explosion occurred, Maulana Ziaullah, was among those killed.

Persons: Feroz Jamal, Fazl, Mr, Jamal, Maulana Ziaullah Organizations: Jamiat Ulema, Islamic Locations: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan’s, Peshawar, Islamic State, Jamiat

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