SUSPECT IN MOSQUE FIRES, VANDALISING ILHAN OMAR’S OFFICE, ARRESTED
The suspect, who allegedly set two fires at mosques in south Minneapolis in a span of two days last week, has been arrested and now faces a federal arson charge, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota. Jackie Little, 36, was charged by warrant earlier this week in Hennepin County in connection with a fire at Masjid Al Rahma Islamic Centre. A federal complaint accuses Little of starting a fire in the bathroom at the Masjid Omar Islamic Centre April 23, as well as in a hallway at Masjid Al Rahma a day later. A representative of Masjid Al Rahma told investigators the fire caused “tens of thousands of dollars” in damages, the complaint states.
The federal complaint also states Little harassed a U.S. representative from Minnesota via email, and vandalised the representative’s district office earlier this year. Rep. Ilhan Omar confirmed she was the targeted representative. Rep. Omar said, “We are witnessing an epidemic of hate against the Muslim community and other religious minorities in Minnesota and globally right now. This campaign of terror is designed to keep us fearful and divided…. We will continue to stand united against bigotry because love is stronger than hate.”
51 RIGHTS GROUPS ASK EGYPT TO RELEASE DETAINED ACADEMIC
Egypt should release the detained academic Salah Soltan, who is at risk of death, and ensure he has access to life-saving healthcare, 51 human rights organisations said on May 3. Soltan was arrested following the 2013 coup then sentenced to life in prison four years later in a mass trial with no due process. Authorities did not give credible evidence for the charges against him. The Islamic scholar is being held in Badr 1 prison, which was recently labelled a “slaughterhouse” by human rights groups because there have been so many suicide attempts due to the poor conditions people are held in. In a letter Soltan wrote that was leaked in March, he said that he had not been allowed access to appropriate healthcare despite suffering from life-threatening heart and liver diseases. Soltan’s health has been a cause for concern for years. Last year, his family reported that he was carried into a room by the prison guards when they visited because he was too weak to walk himself. At that time, 19 human rights organisations had called on the Egyptian government to urgently administer healthcare to him.
SAUDI ARAMCO OVERTAKES MICROSOFT,IS 2ND LARGEST
Saudi Aramco is now the world’s second largest company in terms of value, overtaking Microsoft and behind Apple. The company has been valued at $2.11 trillion (7.92 trillion Saudi riyals). According to Al-Arabiya.net website, the company’s shares went up to 36 riyals ($9.60) on April 26. The rise followed Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s announcement earlier this month about the transfer of four per cent of Aramco shares to Sanabil Investments, which is wholly owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. In 2022, Aramco achieved its highest-ever profits since being listed, up by 46.5 per cent to 604 billion riyals ($161 billion), compared with 412.4 billion riyals ($109 billion) in 2021. Aramco is the most profitable company in the world. Its profits for the year 2022 exceeded the profits of Apple, Microsoft and ExxonMobil combined, according to the ranking on the Companies Market Cap website. In a recent report, Fitch Ratings upgraded Saudi Aramco’s rating to A+, with a stable outlook.
QATAR ARRESTS 8 INDIANS ACCUSED OF SPYING FOR ISRAEL
Qatar on April 30 arrested a foreign network of eight Indians allegedly for spying for the Israeli state, a report said on May 1. Hebrew media quoted local sources as saying that the defendants were “recent graduates of the Indian navy,” adding that they were working for “Dehara Trading Company.” The report mentioned that the Indians were arrested “on suspicion of leaking sensitive and confidential information to Israel.” Dehara was commissioned to build a submarine for Qatar, but its work agreement is said to have been annulled after the case investigation started. The defendants are also due to stand trial. Citing legal sources, the report told the media that they might face the “death penalty.”
ANDREW TATE SPARKS OUTRAGE WITH TWEET ABOUT QUR’ĀN
Andrew Tate, a former kickboxing champion and controversial social media influencer, recently tweeted, “Try the Quran if you’re so brave :)” in response to a tweet by a user who had criticised Tate’s support for Israel. The tweet quickly sparked backlash and accusations of Islamophobia, with many people criticising Tate for promoting intolerance and disrespect towards the Muslim faith. The controversial figure has since defended his tweet, stating that he was not attacking Muslims but rather questioning the courage of those who criticise Israel while not similarly criticizing other countries with human rights issues. However, many have pointed out that Tate’s tweet perpetuates harmful stereotypes and reinforces anti-Muslim sentiments and beliefs. They argue that it is possible to criticise Israel’s actions over the years without resorting to Islamophobic rhetoric. This is not the first time that the former kickboxer-businessman has faced criticism for his controversial statements on social media. He has previously been accused of promoting misogyny, racism, and homophobia, violence among other things.
ARAB STATES DEPEND ON DESALINATION FOR WATER SUPPLIES
The Gulf Arab states depend heavily on desalination technology for their water supplies as, by 2030, desalination capacity in the Middle Eastern countries is expected to almost double, Trade Arabia reports. According to the report, some 2 billion people around the world still lack access to safe drinking water. The UAE relies on desalinated water for 42 per cent of its supply, Kuwait 90 per cent, Oman 86 per cent and Saudi Arabia 70 per cent. The release of salt-loaded waste into the sea during the desalination process raises salinity in coastal areas and affects marine life. There is also the problem of transmission losses, the report added. The report also says the Gulf States have woken up to the challenge and are gradually switching to, or at least planning to switch to solar energy to power desalination plants.
TÜRKIYE’S INSTALLED SOLAR ENERGY REACHES NEARLY 10,000MW
Türkiye’s solar energy capacity is approaching 10,000 megawatts, generated from power plants in more than 78 cities as of end-March. Türkiye has solar power plants in 35 provinces, according to data compiled by Anadolu from Energy and Natural Resources Ministry. Its installed electricity power reached 104,348 megawatts, whereas installed solar energy power amounted to 9,820 megawatts. The share of solar energy in Türkiye’s installed electric power was at 9.41% as of the end of March.
IRAQ TO RAISE ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION TO 24,000 MW
The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity announced its plans to raise electricity production to 24,000 megawatts in May, an increase of 3,500 megawatts from the current production, local media reports. According to the report, the Ministry said that it started early with the summer plan, which included three phases, indicating that periodic and emergency maintenance work has been completed for the production units of all stations, which will be ready on the first of next May, with the provision of spare parts and financial allocations. The report also added that the country indicated that the stability of the load at 24,000 megawatts, an increase of 3,500 megawatts, will achieve good stability hours in the summer.