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☆ Why Saudi Arabia is hosting one of the world's biggest raves
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The kingdom’s Soundstorm music festival, which began in 2019, is back again for its fourth year and will start on Thursday. “(It) is a particularly powerful example because it seeks to bring together young people and women from across Saudi Arabia and the world,” she said. By contrast, Las Vegas’ Electric Daisy Carnival, considered North America’s biggest dance music festival, had an attendance of over 400,000 this year. Last year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that performers should either “speak up” about Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations or not attend the festival at all. Some however argue that opening up countries to international norms and values can allow for better discussion on human rights shortcomings.

He said Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi was killed while "fighting enemies of God", without elaborating. The spokesman urged Islamic State members in all countries to pledge allegiance to the new leader, adding that "he is one of the loyal sons of the (Islamic) state". The White House welcomed the news that Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi had been killed, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Islamic State announced Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi as its new leader in March after the death of predecessor Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi. Islamic State emerged from the chaos of the civil war in neighbouring Iraq and took over vast swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

☆ The inside story of Trump’s explosive dinner with Ye and Nick Fuentes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +15 min

“We saw everybody in the dining room get up and start applauding, and then the president entered,” Fuentes told NBC News. “He greeted us, and he invited Ye into dinner and Ye said that he wanted to bring us with him to the table. “Trump is really impressed with Nick Fuentes,” Ye said in the video. Giorno said she had been caught in the blast radius of the dinner with Ye and Fuentes but was an unwitting participant. About halfway to Mar-a-Lago, Giorno said in an interview, she realized that Ye, Fuentes and the other man weren’t properly attired.

☆ ISIS 'matchmaker' called 'one of the most influential English-speaking terrorists of our time' on trial in NYC
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

ISIS 'Jamaican cleric' Shaikh Abdullah Faisal is on trial for terror in state court in Manhattan. The defense counters that Faisal's hate speeches and matchmaking for ISIS brides don't equal terror. Instead, he gave impassioned speeches in London and beyond about violent jihad, and played matchmaker for would-be ISIS brides. "Focus on the substance of this case," not all the "noise" about ISIS and terror, defense lawyer Alex Grosshtern told jurors. "The defendant in effect was ISIS before ISIS," which didn't declare a worldwide state, or "caliphate," until 2014, Galperin told jurors.

[1/3] An excavator clears out rocks into a dumper at the gold mine, operated by Endeavour Mining Corporation in Hounde, Burkina Faso February 11, 2020. Acquired by Burkina-based firm Néré Mining from Endeavour Mining (EDV.L) in March, Karma is one of at least four gold mines that halted production this year because of security risks. Gold is Burkina Faso's main export, accounting for 37% of total exports in 2020, and mining is a leading source of jobs. At current rates, Burkina Faso is set to produce 13% less gold this year than in 2021, in part because of mine closures, government statistics show. The Burkina Faso mines ministry did not respond to Reuters' questions.

☆ Israel's Ben-Gvir, in leaked audio, cautious on far-right agenda in government
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But Ben-Gvir, now a lawyer, says his positions have become more moderate. A soldier was suspended on Friday after being videotaped warning pro-Palestinian activists in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron: "Ben-Gvir will sort this place out." "Every bill you propose has very, very broad consequences and impacts," Ben-Gvir says in the recording. Queried by Army Radio, Ben-Gvir verified the recording. Palestinians and Jordan regard Jewish prayer there as a major provocation.

☆ Asian American voters are flexing their political muscle in the Georgia Senate runoff
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Both the Warnock and Walker campaigns have courted this crucial bloc ahead of the Senate runoff. Ballots cast by Asian American voters rose dramatically from 2016 to 2020, from 73,000 votes to 134,000 votes, respectively, according to the Democratic polling data firm TargetSmart. Per CNN exit polling from the November general election, Warnock won Asian American voters by 20 points over Walker (59%-39%). Brian Kemp cultivated relationships with Asian American voters during his successful campaign. "We're the only demographic group that keeps going up," Georgia state Sen.-elect Nabilah Islam told Politico.

☆ Fans pause action for Friday prayers during first World Cup in a Muslim country
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Nov 25 (Reuters) - As noon approached, muezzins across Qatar called Muslim soccer players, fans and officials to the first Friday prayers of the first World Cup to take place in a Muslim country. Unusually for soccer, Muslim fans say Qatar's World Cup has accommodated them like never before - with stadium prayer rooms, concessions selling halal food and no beer-swilling supporters to contend with in the stands following a stadium alcohol ban. For now, Muslim fans are just enjoying an event that caters to their needs. Ridwaan Goolam Hoosen, an avid South African soccer fan, is used to having to leave the grounds to find a prayer space, including at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. "It feels as if this World Cup is for me, it works for me, it fits for me...This is the first of its kind like this," Goolam Hoosen said.

☆ Analysis: Gains for Malaysia's hardline Islamist party a challenge for new PM Anwar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( A. Ananthalakshmi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] A pillion waves a Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) flag on the eve of Malaysia's general election at Permatang Pauh, Penang, Malaysia November 18, 2022. Anwar, who is ethnic Malay and Muslim, addressed race and religion in his first news conference as prime minister, promising to uphold Islam as the official religion of the country and the rights of the ethnic Malay majority, while also safeguarding the rights of all. Race and religion are thorny issues in Malaysia, where Muslim ethnic Malays form a majority in a country with significant ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian minorities, most of them Hindu, Buddhist or Christian. As the biggest party in parliament, PAS could push for Islamisation and more affirmative action for Malays - a long-standing policy that Anwar has opposed, analysts said. "They see PAS as a clean party and its political leaders have no integrity problems," said Mohd Izani.

☆ Trump tells Ye that white supremacist Nick Fuentes 'really gets me' during Mar-a-Lago visit: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trump dined with white supremacist Nick Fuentes and Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, at Mar-a-Lago. At one point during their visit, Trump told Ye, "I really like this guy. The 24-year-old activist participated in the 2017 white supremacist "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, during which a neo-Nazi killed a counter-protester and injured 35 others. The Justice Department has characterized Fuentes as a "white supremacist" and the Anti-Defamation League, a civil rights group, has labeled him a "well-known white supremacist pundit and organizer." Reports about the meeting between Trump, Ye, and Fuentes surfaced on Wednesday, when Ye and Fuentes were seen walking through an airport together.

☆ Malaysia PM Anwar: We have seen a change that has awaited the people of Malaysia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Malaysia's new Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his swearing in was a change that Malaysians have waited for and pledged to keep Islam as the official religion of the country. The 75-year-old longtime opposition leader was sworn in on Thursday, capping a three-decade political journey from a protege of veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad to protest leader, a prisoner convicted of sodomy and opposition leader. Reporting by Rozanna Laitff; Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Reaction to Anwar Ibrahim's appointment as Malaysian prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Malaysia's king appointed long-time opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister on Thursday, ending five days of unprecedented post-election crisis after inconclusive polls. Anwar's appointment caps a three-decade long political journey from a protege of veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad to protest leader, to a prisoner convicted of sodomy, to opposition leader and, finally, prime minister. The former finance minister and deputy prime minister will have to address soaring inflation and slowing growth, while calming ethnic tension that has flared since a Saturday election. ADIB ZALKAPLI, DIRECTOR AT POLITICAL RISK CONSULTANCY BOWERGROUPASIA:"With the appointment of Anwar as the 10th prime minister, this is a closure to the longest-running political crisis in Malaysia that began 24 years ago when he was sacked by the prime minister Mahathir Mohamad .... So it's an important closure, Anwar has been the longest-serving potential prime minister candidate.

☆ Fact Check-Morgan Freeman did not announce he was converting to Islam
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Claims that American actor Morgan Freeman has announced that he has converted to Islam are circulating online following his speech at the opening of the soccer World Cup in Qatar. Freeman was joined by 20-year-old YouTuber Ghanim Al Muftah, who was born with caudal regression syndrome, a rare condition impairing the development of the lower spine (here). Freeman does not announce that he is converting to Islam at any point. Fred Specktor, a representative for Freeman, told Reuters via email that “Morgan has not converted to Islam.”VERDICTFalse. American actor Morgan Freeman did not announce that he has converted to Islam in a speech at the opening of the World Cup in Qatar.

☆ World Cup 2022: What fans can't do in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —After years of anticipation – and controversy – since Qatar was awarded the World Cup, the tournament finally got underway on Sunday in Doha. DrinkingThe sale and consumption of alcohol has been a highly contentious issue since Qatar was first announced as the World Cup host 12 years ago. FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends a press conference at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) in Doha on November 19, 2022, ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football tournament. But it’s not the lowest-scoring country taking part in the World Cup; Saudi Arabia scores a 7 and Iran scores a 14. There is no legal guarantee of press freedom or freedom of expression in Qatar, the US Embassy in Qatar notes.

☆ How small-town Maine embraced a family that fled the Taliban
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Elyse Lightman Samuels | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +36 min

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — Last November, at about midnight, Omid was lying in bed in his new home in Cape Elizabeth, Maine — exhausted, but unable to sleep. On this night, and on many nights during Omid's first few months in Maine, Nasir was soon at his door. Omid's family arrived in Maine just before Halloween in 2021 and recently celebrated one year in Maine. Catholic Charities, the local refugee-resettlement organization in Maine, was working with Omid's family to help them resettle. After Omid's family escaped Kabul, members of his extended family came by to collect some of their more precious items, and gave other things away.

☆ Ahead of Malaysia's elections, political rivals battle over corruption and 1MDB scandal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Su-Lin Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowMalaysia's nationalist UMNO party said its rivals are driving a "campaign of fear" against the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in the lead-up to Saturday's elections and this could cost Malaysians. UMNO is part of the Barisan Nasional coalition. "I'm not at all denying that there are issues around integrity in our political system and this applies to all political parties." Corruption allegations against Najib led to the the long-standing ruling coalition Barisan Nasional being ousted from power in the last election in 2018, ending its 60-year political dominance in the Southeast Asian country. "Top leaders in our party are still facing court cases; now could you have said that for the time when Mahathir was prime minister?

Workers at Google and other big tech companies in recent years have clashed and protested over politics and racial and gender equity. "We've always been proud to host external speakers at Google, as they provide great opportunities for learning and connection for our employees," Google spokesman Ryan Lamont told Reuters. Rivals such as Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) also have policies for inviting speakers. At Google, speakers have included then-U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama, celebrity chef Ayesha Curry and former basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. At least one of the critics suggested inviting for balance Rajiv Malhotra, according to an internal message.

Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERSDUBAI, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is working with Lazard (LAZ.N) on funding options and a potential initial public offering of Masar, a $27 billion mega project in the holy city of Mecca, two sources with direct knowledge told Reuters. The PIF, Lazard and Masar did not respond to a Reuters query for comment. Bloomberg first reported Lazard was advising the sovereign wealth fund on NEOM. Masar is a 1.2 million square metre urban development project in the western part of Mecca. Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh;Editing by Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pope, in Bahrain, condemns rearmament pushing world to 'the brink'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

AWALI, Bahrain, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Friday appealed to religious leaders to help bring the world back from "the brink of a delicate precipice" and oppose a new race to rearm that he said was redesigning Cold War-era spheres of influence. The visit continues the pope's policy of improving ties with the Islamic world following a historic visit to Abu Dhabi in 2019, the first by any pope to the Arabian peninsula. Apparently referring to Ukraine, Francis condemned a situation where "a few potentates are caught up in a resolute struggle for partisan interests, reviving obsolete rhetoric, redesigning spheres of influence and opposing blocs". The cathedral was built on land donated by the king and one of the monarch's sons welcomed him to the church. On Saturday, the pope was due to say Mass for an estimated 30,000 people at Bahrain's National Stadium.

☆ Christian monastery possibly pre-dating Islam found in UAE
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

An ancient Christian monastery possibly dating as far back as the years before Islam spread across the Arabian Peninsula has been discovered on an island off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, officials announced Thursday. The monastery on Siniyah Island, part of the sand-dune sheikhdom of Umm al-Quwain, sheds new light on the history of early Christianity along the shores of the Persian Gulf. On one, to the island’s northeast, archaeologists discovered the monastery. Viewed from above, the monastery on Siniyah Island’s floor plan suggests early Christian worshippers prayed within a single-aisle church at the monastery. Power said that development spurred the archaeological work that discovered the monastery.

☆ Prayers, the pledge of allegiance and culture wars: Inside a Doug Mastriano rally in the final days of his long-shot bid for governor of Pennsylvania
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

A Doug Mastriano rally in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, featured praying and wading into culture wars. National and state Republican donors and groups have offered little support to his candidacy. "He's just been there the whole time," a Mastriano voter in Bucks County who only identified himself as Jeremy, told Insider. "You can't get your message out one-on-one to voters," Josh Novotney, a Pennsylvania GOP strategist, told Insider. "It's a different tactic and I pray it works," Joe Vichot, chairman of Lehigh County's GOP, told Insider.

☆ Analysis: Arabs view revived Netanyahu with concern but as balance against Iran
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Lebanon's caretaker prime minister predicted a new maritime border deal would hold, while Palestinians and Jordanian experts forecast new strains. "Netanyahu was part of the Abraham Accords and signed it so there is no change in the course of normalisation," he said. But in Jordan, home to millions of Palestinian refugees and their families, his expected triumph was met with concern. "Today the Israeli right is talking about expelling Palestinians, they are saying there is no (Palestinian) state ..so what is left for Arabs?" Netanyahu "has been terrible for even the semblance of a peace process which Egypt officially upholds," he said.

☆ New York City to Pay $26 Million Over Wrongful Convictions in Malcolm X’s Murder
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Joseph Pisani | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mr. Aziz, pictured, and the estate of Mr. Islam will each receive $13 million, according to the city and lawyers for the men. New York City is paying $26 million to settle lawsuits filed on behalf of two men who were wrongfully convicted of the 1965 murder of Black civil rights leader Malcolm X.Muhammad A. Aziz and the estate of Khalil Islam will each receive $13 million, according to the city and lawyers for the men. A settlement was agreed upon last week, according to court documents.

Halim admitted to shooting Malcolm X, but he insisted his co-defendants were not involved. Prosecutors believed Aziz and Islam had been used as muscle for the Nation of Islam, Black Muslims' predominant organization. Malcolm X, reviled by some white leaders for embracing "any means necessary" in the fight for civil rights, had had had a falling out with the group just before he was assassinated, after a trip to Mecca. Malcolm X started to soften to the concept of racial unity. In early 2020, as Netflix began streaming the documentary series, "Who Killed Malcolm X?"

☆ Men wrongly convicted in Malcolm X slaying reach settlement with New York City, state
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Rich Mckay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 30 (Reuters) - A man exonerated last year in the 1965 slaying of Black activist Malcolm X and the estate of a second man cleared posthumously reached a settlement totaling $36 million with New York City and state, their attorney said on Sunday. The city has agreed to pay $26 million and the state will pay $10 million, attorney David Shanies told Reuters. "Muhammad Aziz, Khalil Islam, and their families deserve this for their suffering," Shanies said. A representative for the state attorney general's office was not immediately available for comment. Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; editing by Donna Bryson and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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