蹤獲弝け

Spanish Muslims retrace ancient Hajj route on horseback from Andalusia to Makkah

Pilgrims, including three from Spain, pose with their horses outside the Souq al-Hamidiyah market during their months-long horseback journey from Spain to 蹤獲弝け to perform the Hajj, in Damascus, Syria, April 21, 2025. (AP)
Pilgrims, including three from Spain, pose with their horses outside the Souq al-Hamidiyah market during their months-long horseback journey from Spain to 蹤獲弝け to perform the Hajj, in Damascus, Syria, April 21, 2025. (AP)
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Spanish Muslims retrace ancient Hajj route on horseback from Andalusia to Makkah

Spanish Muslims retrace ancient Hajj route on horseback from Andalusia to Makkah
  • Harkassi said the groups path from Spain took them across about 8,000 kilometers (nearly 5,000 miles) before they reached the Kaaba, the black cube structure in the Grand Mosque in Makkah

CAIRO: Three Spanish pilgrims performing the Hajj in 蹤獲弝け rode on horseback to Makkah, traveling thousands of kilometers in snow and rain and along a path they said had not been trekked for more than 500 years.
Abdelkader Harkassi Aidi, Tarek Rodriguez and Abdallah Rafael Hernandez Mancha set out from southern Spain in October, riding through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkiye, Syria and Jordan to arrive in 蹤獲弝け in May.
It was an emotional moment for the trio when they reached Makkah. No pilgrim had traveled this way since 1491, they said.




Pilgrims, including three from Spain, ride their horses through the Souq al-Hamidiyah market during their months-long horseback journey from Spain to 蹤獲弝け to perform the Hajj, in Damascus, Syria, April 21, 2025. (AP)

Harkassi said the groups path from Spain took them across about 8,000 kilometers (nearly 5,000 miles) before they reached the Kaaba, the black cube structure in the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
We had crossed so many kilometers to be there and Allah had replied to our wish, he told The Associated Press on Thursday from Arafat, southeast of Makkah. We were in front of the Kaaba and had the opportunity to touch it. So, that 8,000 kilometers became nothing.
During their monthslong journey they came across scenic stretches of nature and historical landmarks in Syria, including the Aleppo Citadel and the Umayyad Mosque.
They also found an old railway track built during the time of the Ottoman Empire that connected Istanbul to 蹤獲弝け. They followed it for days to help guide them to the desert kingdom.
But there were challenges, too. They lost their horses in Bosnia, only to find them later in a land mine zone. Nobody could fetch the horses because of the explosives, but the animals eventually made it out of the area unharmed, Harkassi said.
The human element of the trip was the most valuable for the team, he added.
When we didnt have anything, people helped us with our horses, with our food, they gave us money. When our assistance car got broken, they fixed it for us, Harkassi said. People have been incredible. I think its proof that Muslims are united, that the one ummah (nation) that every Muslim longs for is a reality.


Trump signs orders to bolster US drone defenses, boost supersonic flight

Trump signs orders to bolster US drone defenses, boost supersonic flight
Updated 13 min 16 sec ago

Trump signs orders to bolster US drone defenses, boost supersonic flight

Trump signs orders to bolster US drone defenses, boost supersonic flight
  • Trump is establishing a federal task force to ensure US control over American skies

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Friday signed executive orders to bolster US defenses against threatening drones and to boost electric air taxis and supersonic commercial aircraft, the White House said.
In the three executive orders, Trump sought to enable routine use of drones beyond the visual sight of operators a key step to enabling commercial drone deliveries and take steps to reduce the US reliance on Chinese drone companies and begin testing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Trump is establishing a federal task force to ensure US control over American skies, expand restrictions over sensitive sites, expand federal use of technology to detect drones in real time and provide assistance to state and local law enforcement.
Trump also aims to address the growing threat of criminal terrorists and foreign misuse of drones in US airspace, said Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. We are securing our borders from national security threats, including in the air, with large-scale public events such as the Olympics and the World Cup on the horizon.
Sebastian Gorka, senior director of counterterrorism at the National Security Council, cited the use of drones in Russias war in Ukraine and threats to major US sporting events.
We will be increasing counter-drone capabilities and capacities, Gorka said. We will increase the enforcement of current laws to deter two types of individuals: evildoers and idiots.
The issue of suspicious drones also gained significant attention last year after a flurry of drone sightings in New Jersey. The FAA receives more than 100 drone-sighting reports near airports each month.
Drone sightings have at times disrupted flights and sporting events.
Trump also directed the Federal Aviation Administration to lift a ban imposed in 1973 on supersonic air transport over land.
The reality is that Americans should be able to fly from New York to L.A. in under four hours, Kratsios said. Advances in aerospace engineering, material science and noise reduction now make overland supersonic flight not just possible, but safe, sustainable and commercially viable.
The Trump orders do not ban any Chinese drone company, officials said. Last year, former President Joe Biden signed legislation that could ban China-based DJI and Autel Robotics from selling new drone models in the US DJI, the worlds largest drone manufacturer, sells more than half of all US commercial drones.


Palestinian under psychiatric evaluation after hitting rabbi in France

Palestinian under psychiatric evaluation after hitting rabbi in France
Updated 33 min 41 sec ago

Palestinian under psychiatric evaluation after hitting rabbi in France

Palestinian under psychiatric evaluation after hitting rabbi in France
  • The rabbi, Elie Lemmel, suffered a gash to his head from the chair that hit him as he was speaking with a companion in the cafe in the wealthy western Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine

PARIS: A Palestinian man arrested on Friday for throwing a chair at a rabbi in a Paris suburban cafe has been sent to hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, French authorities said.
The reason for the attack was unknown, but Frances main Jewish association condemned it as an antisemitic assault, and French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou blamed a radicalization of public debate against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Gaza.
The rabbi, Elie Lemmel, suffered a gash to his head from the chair that hit him as he was speaking with a companion in the cafe in the wealthy western Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine.
The local prosecutors office said that it had opened a criminal investigation for assault possibly aggravated by religious motives.
It said the Palestinian, an irregular migrant living with temporary papers in Germany, was thought to be 28 years old and born in the Gaza city of Rafah.
It added that he is undergoing a psychiatric examination requiring his forced hospitalization.
Frances hard-line interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, said on X that the Palestinian had no reason to be in France and should be severely punished and deported.
The French Jewish association CRIF said on X that this attack is yet another illustration of the toxic climate targeting French Jews.
The French Jewish community, one of the largest in the world, has faced a number of attacks and desecrations of memorials since the Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023.
French authorities are alert to antisemitic attacks, reports of which have been on the rise as the war in Gaza grinds on.
That conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023 when the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked parts of Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,218 people.
Israel retaliated with relentless bombardments and an aid blockade of the Gaza Strip. The ongoing military operation has resulted in the deaths of at least 54,677 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.


Surging violence in Sahel rings alarm bells

This undated photograph provided by the French Army shows three Russian mercenaries in northern Mali. (AP)
This undated photograph provided by the French Army shows three Russian mercenaries in northern Mali. (AP)
Updated 06 June 2025

Surging violence in Sahel rings alarm bells

This undated photograph provided by the French Army shows three Russian mercenaries in northern Mali. (AP)
  • Extremist leaders declared in March their intent to intensify attacks against national armies to prevent a genocide against the Fulani community

ABIDJAN: Terrorists have intensified their offensives in the Sahel region in recent weeks, carrying out bloody raids in Mali, incursions into major cities in Burkina Faso and inflicting heavy army losses in Niger.
The three Sahel states military juntas, who had pledged during the coups that brought them to power to make security a priority, are struggling to contain the advance of extremists, who are threatening more than ever neighboring countries on the west African coast.
The last few weeks have been particularly deadly in the Sahel.
Several hundred soldiers have been killed in various attacks.
The global vision of regional terrorism is changing. There is an ideological aspect, but also an ethnic one, said Lassina Diarra of the International Counter-Terrorism Academy in Jacqueville, Ivory Coast.
Extremist leaders declared in March their intent to intensify attacks against national armies to prevent a genocide against the Fulani community.
Military violence targeting civilians particularly the Fulani, often singled out in the Sahel region and accused of feeding the extremists ranks has exacerbated grievances and played into extremists narratives, said the Soufan Center think tank in a brief.
It also highlighted a broader strategy to degrade public confidence in state forces, boost recruitment.
There is also a question of competition for territory, Diarra added.
The capitals of Mali and Burkina Faso are surrounded, said Diarra.
For Gilles Yabi, founder of the West African think tank Wathi, it is important to remain cautious of catastrophic predictions.
The extremists main advantage is their mobility and ability to move and blend with populations, he said.
In Burkina Faso, we cannot rule out a Somalia-like scenario, with a capital that resists while the rest of the country is out of control, said a Western military source.
The juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger came to power through coups between 2020 and 2023 and are now united in a confederation, the Alliance of Sahel States.

 


Nepal ex-PM faces graft charge over land deal with Indian yoga gurus firm

Nepal ex-PM faces graft charge over land deal with Indian yoga gurus firm
Updated 06 June 2025

Nepal ex-PM faces graft charge over land deal with Indian yoga gurus firm

Nepal ex-PM faces graft charge over land deal with Indian yoga gurus firm
  • A spokesperson for Patanjali in India denied any wrongdoing, saying it bought the land privately through due legal process

KATMANDU: Authorities in Nepal have charged former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal with corruption and demanded a million-dollar fine over the purchase of land by a firm owned by Indian yoga guru Baba Ramdev, a court official said on Friday.
Nepal, prime minister between 2009 and 2011, faces charges of allowing Patanjali Yogpeeth Nepals company to purchase more land than it was legally allowed to own for herb production, processing and a hospital in the Himalayan nation 15 years ago.
Both Nepal and Patanjali Yogpeeth deny any wrongdoing.
The 72-year-old Nepal heads a small opposition group in parliament and his United Socialist Party says the prosecution is an act of political vendetta against him.

FASTFACT

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), a corruption watchdog, alleged that some of the land, in Kavre district, was later allowed to be swapped with other land, or sold at a higher price, causing a loss to the state.

I have not done anything illegal nor indulged in any corruption concerning Patanjali land deal causing any loss to the state, Nepal told the Kantipur daily newspaper.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority a corruption watchdog, alleged that some of the land, in Kavre district, was later allowed to be swapped with other land, or sold at a higher price, causing a loss to the state.
The allegations were set out in a charge sheet filed by the commission on Thursday at the Special Court in Katmandu.
The commission demanded Nepal be ordered to pay a fine of 185.85 million Nepali rupees ($1.35 million). If found guilty he could also be sentenced to up to 17 years in jail.
A spokesperson for Patanjali in India denied any wrongdoing, saying it bought the land privately through due legal process.
Patanjali has not acquired any government land. It is unfair to drag our name in local political vendetta actions and proceedings, S K Tijarawala, Patanjalis spokesperson, told Reuters in a text message.
The commission also charged 92 others, including some former ministers and officials, some of whom are already dead.
Yaga Raj Regmi, information officer of the court, said Nepal would receive a formal court notice giving him 15 days in which to present himself at court and the hearing would start after that.

 


70-year-old Irish woman detained in Israel as son urges authorities to send her home

70-year-old Irish woman detained in Israel as son urges authorities to send her home
Updated 06 June 2025

70-year-old Irish woman detained in Israel as son urges authorities to send her home

70-year-old Irish woman detained in Israel as son urges authorities to send her home
  • Deirdre Murphy, an Irish activist originally from Cork and now based in Swansea, was arrested last week in the West Bank village of Khalet Al-Dabaa

LONDON: The son of a 70-year-old Irish woman detained by Israeli authorities has issued a plea for her release, citing urgent concerns over her health and wellbeing, .

Deirdre Murphy, an Irish activist originally from Cork and now based in Swansea, was arrested last week in the West Bank village of Khalet Al-Dabaa, which was recently demolished by Israeli bulldozers.

She remains in custody at the Givon Prison in Ramla after choosing to challenge a deportation order issued against her, The Independent added.

Her son, Dale Ryan, called on Israeli authorities to ensure that she is treated with dignity and respect and urged them to send her home quickly, adding that he is really proud of his mother.

Israel is meant to be a civilized country, so you think (the detainees) basic rights would have been met. But maybe that trust is a little bit misguided, Ryan told The Independent.

Ryan said that Murphy suffers from bronchiectasis, a long-term condition that causes inflammation of the airways in the lungs.

Stress can make symptoms worse as well, he said. So I am a little bit concerned. I just hope my mothers in good health, but also my mother is quite a resilient person. I know she will gain strength from this.

Murphy was detained alongside Swedish national Susanne Bjork, 48, who told the newspaper that the pair were denied access to a toilet during their initial detention.

Who doesnt allow a 70-year-old woman to go to the toilet? Its certainly not something a democratic country would be doing, Bjork said.

She has since been deported from Israel.

Israeli police did not respond to the allegation when approached by The Independent.

According to the International Solidarity Movement, Murphy has not had legal counsel since Monday. The group also alleges that she was brought to a deportation hearing on Wednesday without legal representation and without her lawyer being notified, despite her request.

The two women had been in Khalet Al-Dabaa filming and monitoring settler activity when they were approached by a settler in military uniform, who demanded to see their passports. Bjork said that they were complying with orders to leave the area when they were apprehended.

Authorities later accused the women of being in a restricted area and of failing to show ID, allegations the Swedish woman rejects.

These are completely false accusations, she said. As soon as they told us we were not allowed in the area, we tried to leave. The soldiers had at first our passports, and then the police took our passports. We complied with all instructions.

Video footage obtained by The Independent shows armed Israeli personnel holding the womens passports. The video ends before they were detained by the settler.

The women were released briefly on Saturday evening and then detained again after refusing to leave the country voluntarily. Murphy opted to fight her deportation, while Bjork agreed to depart.

Bjork added that their treatment in custody stood in stark contrast to the treatment of Palestinians, describing seeing two small boys who were blindfolded and zip-tied brought into the police station.

They looked about 13 or 14, these boys were obviously terrified. I mean, we were getting water and being fed and everything, so were very privileged in one way, because the way we were treated and the way Palestinians are treated is wildly different, she said.

A spokesperson for Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed to The Independent that consular assistance is being provided in Murphys case.

Israeli police told the newspaper that the women had been detained on suspicion of violating a military order and were barred from the West Bank for 15 days.

Over the weekend, police received a report from the security coordinator of the community of Maon regarding the presence of several suspicious individuals near a structure in the area of Khirbet Al-Daba, located within an active military firing zone near the community of Avigayil in the South Hebron Hills, they said.

Officers from the Hebron station, along with IDF forces from the subdistrict, arrived at the scene and identified the individuals as two foreign nationals, who were present within the closed military zone in violation of a standing military order. Information provided by the Judea and Samaria Central Investigations Unit (YAMAR) indicated that one of the suspects are known abroad for involvement in anti-Israel activity.

Following the hearing on Sunday, it was determined that both individuals would be removed from the country, the statement continued.

One of the suspects agreed to the removal order and signed a declaration stating that she would not appeal the decision. The second notified authorities of her intent to file a petition against the decision.

They confirmed Murphy will remain in custody until her departure or the legal resolution of her appeal.