International News
Koran-Burning Activist Shot Dead In Sweden, Five Suspects Detained
Salwan Momika, the Iraqi-born Christian activist known for repeatedly burning the Koran in 2023, was shot and killed in Södertälje, south of Stockholm, late Wednesday.
His death comes amid an ongoing trial where he faced charges of inciting ethnic hatred.
Prosecutor Rasmus Oman confirmed to AFP on Thursday that an investigation had been opened into the killing of the 38-year-old, with five individuals detained in connection with the crime.
READ ALSO: Deadly Stampede At Hindu Festival In India Leaves 15 Dead
“We’re in the very early stages … there’s a lot of information gathering. Five people have been detained suspected of involvement in the crime,” Oman stated.
Swedish police responded to reports of a shooting in an apartment building where Momika lived. Officers found a man with gunshot wounds, who was transported to a hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.
Several media outlets reported that the attack may have been broadcast live on social media. Aftonbladet suggested the assailant gained entry to the building via the roof, though authorities have not confirmed this detail.
Momika’s killing occurred just a day before a Stockholm court was set to deliver a ruling on his trial for “agitation against an ethnic group.” The court has since postponed its decision until February 3 following his death.
Momika gained international attention in 2023 after publicly desecrating the Koran, including burning copies of Islam’s holy book outside a Stockholm mosque.
He, along with co-protester Salwan Najem, was charged with inciting hatred against an ethnic group on four occasions that summer.
Their actions sparked outrage across the Muslim world and led to diplomatic tensions between Sweden and several Middle Eastern countries.
Recall that in July 2023, angry protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice, setting fires within the compound during the second demonstration.
In response to the escalating backlash, Sweden’s intelligence agency, Säpo, raised the country’s terror threat level to four on a five-point scale, citing the Koran burnings as a factor that made Sweden a “prioritised target.”
Despite the controversy surrounding his protests, Momika insisted that he had no ill intentions toward Sweden.
“I don’t want to harm this country that received me and preserved my dignity,” he told Aftonbladet in April 2023.
Momika had been living in Sweden since 2018, but in October 2023, the Swedish Migration Agency revoked his residency permit, citing false information in his original application.
However, authorities granted him a temporary permit, stating that there was an “impediment to enforcement” of his deportation to Iraq.
The month before, Iraq had formally requested his extradition in response to his Koran-burning demonstrations.
In March 2024, Momika left Sweden for Norway, where he sought asylum, claiming that Sweden’s commitment to free speech and human rights was “a big lie.” However, Norwegian authorities deported him back to Sweden a few weeks later.
Before moving to Sweden, Momika had a controversial political history in Iraq. His social media activity indicated links to a Christian armed faction that fought against the Islamic State, as well as the creation of an obscure Syriac political party.
He also had public rivalries with influential Christian paramilitary groups and was briefly arrested.
In 2019, he joined Iraq’s anti-corruption protests, which were met with a violent crackdown that left over 600 people dead nationwide.
Momika’s case is among the first in Sweden to test the boundaries between free speech and inciting hatred.
While Swedish law generally protects acts of religious criticism, prosecutors argued that the context and rhetoric surrounding Momika’s actions could constitute “agitation against an ethnic group.”
In October 2023, a Swedish court convicted another man of inciting ethnic hatred for a 2020 Koran burning, marking the first legal ruling of its kind in the country.
International News
Mexico Threatens Legal Action Against Google Over Gulf of Mexico Renaming
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Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Monday that her government is prepared to take legal action against Google if the tech giant insists on renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” for Maps users in the United States.
Sheinbaum stated that the Mexican government had sent another letter to Google, arguing that an executive order issued by former President Donald Trump regarding the renaming only applies to the part of the Gulf located within U.S. territorial waters.
According to Sheinbaum, the letter emphasized that “under no circumstances does Mexico accept the renaming of any geographic area that includes part of its national territory and that is under its jurisdiction.”
READ MORE: Mexico To Raise Minimum Wage By 12% In 2025
Sheinbaum added that Mexico is awaiting Google’s response, but if the company refuses to reconsider, legal action will follow.
“If necessary, we will file a civil suit,” Sheinbaum said, referencing the earlier announcement that her government was weighing legal measures against the tech company.
The controversy stems from a 2021 executive order by Trump that called for renaming the Gulf of Mexico for U.S. users of mapping services.
While Google announced that its Maps application would show “Gulf of Mexico” in Mexico and other countries, U.S. users would see both “Gulf of Mexico” and “Gulf of America,” in compliance with the order.
In a playful but pointed response, Sheinbaum suggested that the United States could be renamed “Mexican America,” referencing a historical map from before 1848 when large portions of Mexico were ceded to the U.S. in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War.
Apple has also renamed the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” for U.S. users of its mapping service, following the same directive issued by Trump.
International News
Ex-Mauritius PM, Pravind Jugnauth Arrested For Money-Laundering
Former Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth has been arrested in connection with a money-laundering investigation, authorities confirmed on Sunday.
The 63-year-old politician, who led the country from 2017 to 2024, was detained alongside his wife, Kobita Jugnauth, as police conducted searches at multiple locations, uncovering large sums of cash, luxury watches, and incriminating documents.
The arrests followed a directive from the island’s Financial Crimes Commission, which had issued a notice barring the Jugnauths and two other suspects from leaving the country.
READ ALSO: Ex-IMF Chief, Rodrigo Rato Jailed For Money Laundering, Fraud
Police sources told AFP that the couple was questioned for several hours on Saturday before Kobita Jugnauth was released, while Pravind Jugnauth was placed under formal arrest in the early hours of Sunday.
Jugnauth’s lawyer, Raouf Gulbul, maintained his client’s innocence, stating, “He gave his version of events and denied the allegations made against him.” The former prime minister is expected to appear before a judge later on Sunday.
Meanwhile, raids on the homes of other suspects led to significant discoveries.
A local leisure company employee was found in possession of documents bearing the Jugnauths’ names, stacks of various currencies, and high-end timepieces.
Another suspect, a real estate executive, reportedly had suitcases filled with cash.
Jugnauth’s arrest comes just months after his Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) suffered a major defeat in the November elections, ceding power to centre-left rival Navin Ramgoolam, who became prime minister for the third time.
His administration has since reopened negotiations with Britain regarding the Chagos Islands, aiming for greater financial compensation and revised lease terms for the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
The case has sent shockwaves through Mauritius, where political dynasties like Jugnauth’s have long dominated the country’s leadership.
While the island nation boasts strong economic growth, the new government faces mounting pressure to address the rising cost of living.
International News
HIV-Positive Ugandans Protest USAID Closure Amid Trump-Era Purge
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Thousands of Ugandans living with HIV are protesting the abrupt suspension of USAID programs in the country, calling it a “death sentence” for those dependent on the agency’s support.
The move follows a controversial decision by the Trump administration to place USAID’s global staff on leave as part of a broader political purge.
For Mike Elvis Tusubira, a Ugandan taxi driver who has lived with HIV since 2022, the USAID shutdown is devastating.
READ MORE: How Democrats Used USAID To Ferment Crisis, Sponsor Terrorists – Congressman, Perry
“The suspension of all USAID activities has affected me deeply. I don’t know what to do next. What will happen to me?” Tusubira lamented.
“My doctor told me he left the hospital I was going to. What will happen to my child and my partner?”
His wife, who remains HIV-negative thanks to preventative medication, is now at risk due to the disruption in care.
Since the USAID program’s suspension, they have been unable to access critical treatment, condoms, or counseling services—leading to rising anxiety and tension in their relationship.
Uganda receives 70% of its HIV treatment from foreign aid, making the loss of USAID’s support particularly catastrophic.
The country is among the top ten African nations that rely on USAID funding, with $295 million allocated for health programs in 2023.
The agency plays a crucial role in supporting HIV treatment, malaria prevention, tuberculosis care, and maternal and child health programs.
However, with its withdrawal, healthcare services are crumbling.
“The health sector in Uganda is highly dependent on aid,” said a senior official at the Ministry of Health, who requested anonymity. “Without USAID, we are looking at a catastrophic increase in HIV infections and deaths.”
Activists argue that the U.S. decision to suspend USAID’s work will reverse decades of progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda.
Some have taken to the streets, demanding the reinstatement of funding and warning that thousands of lives hang in the balance.
With no clear resolution in sight, people like Tusubira face an uncertain future. “There’s no medicine, no shelters, no condoms—nothing,” he said. “I’m worried. And there’s no future in reality.”