Suspect arrested in knife attack on New Jersey imam during Fajr prayers 

The mugshot of the suspect released by the New Jersey Prosecutor's Office. (Supplied)
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Updated 11 April 2023
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Suspect arrested in knife attack on New Jersey imam during Fajr prayers 

CHICAGO: The imam of a New Jersey Mosque was seriously injured during a knife attack early on Sunday morning by a suspect who joined some 200 worshippers for Fajr prayers.

Paterson, New Jersey prosecutors said that the victim, Imam Sayed Elnakib, 65, of the Omar mosque, 501 Getty Avenue, was attacked by a suspect who had knelt with other worshippers during the prayers in the mosque. Imam Elnakib was immediately taken to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson for treatment of “non-fatal” injuries.

The prosecutor’s office said that the suspect was immediately restrained at the mosque. He was identified as 32-year-old Serif Zorba. Worshippers said that Zorba had been to the mosque many times but was not a member of it.

Zorba rushed at Imam Elnakib while he was leading the prayers at about 5:37 a.m. After stabbing Imam Elnakib several times, Zorba turned to escape by running through worshippers who police said immediately subdued and held him until police arrived.

“Upon arrival, police officers encountered a 32-year-old suspect inside of the mosque who was subdued by congregants,” said Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes.

“Mr. Zorba is charged with attempted murder, first degree; possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, third degree; and unlawful possession of a weapon, fourth degree.”

Valdes said that if convicted, Zorba could face up to 20 years in prison. “The sentencing exposure for Serif Zorba on first degree attempted murder is 10 to 20 years at a New Jersey state prison with 85 percent of the term to be served before parole eligibility, pursuant to the ‘no early release act’ and five years of parole supervision upon release.”

The charges for unlawful possession of a weapon could add an additional six years to the sentence, the prosecutor’s office said.

Zorba appeared at Central Judicial Processing Court in Paterson on Monday afternoon where the charges were formally filed and “pretrial detention” was granted, denying the suspect bail release.

The hearing was held before the New Jersey superior court judge.

Imam Elnakib is married and the father of three boys. He is expected to make a full recovery, police said.

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, who is Roman Catholic and Arab American, visited Imam Elnakib at the hospital on Monday morning, city officials said.

Sayegh told reporters at a press conference that he would assign additional police to all the mosques in the region to ensure people’s safety in the remaining days of Ramadan.

“You should not be afraid to pray, you should feel safe to pray,” Sayegh said.

Paterson Council member, Al Abdel-aziz, joined worshippers at the mosque on Sunday night to pray for the imam’s health and full recovery.

“I was deeply saddened to hear about the stabbing incident that took place during prayer at Omar’s mosque earlier this morning, and my heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragic event,” councilman Abdel-aziz wrote on his Facebook page.

“While it is unclear what motivated the attacker, there is no justification for violence of any kind, especially in a sacred space.

I am relieved to hear that Imam Sayed Elnakib is in stable condition, and wish him a full and speedy recovery. Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family during this difficult time.”

Councilman Al-Abdel-aziz added: “As a community, it is important that we come together to support one another and denounce all forms of hate and violence. I encourage everyone to reach out to each other for comfort and support, and to work toward creating a safe and welcoming environment for all who enter your mosque.”

Nearly one third of the 158,000 residents of the city of Paterson, New Jersey are Muslim and Arab, officials said.


South Korean prosecutors indict ex-President Yoon for abuse of authority

Updated 10 sec ago
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South Korean prosecutors indict ex-President Yoon for abuse of authority

  • The indictment is in addition to an ongoing trial on insurrection charges
  • The latest indictment is without arrest, Yonhap said, citing the prosecutor’s office
SEOUL: South Korean prosecutors have indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol for abuse of authority, Yonhap said on Thursday.
The indictment is in addition to an ongoing trial on insurrection charges, brought against Yoon over his brief imposition of martial law in December.
The latest indictment is without arrest, Yonhap said, citing the prosecutor’s office. An official at the prosecutor’s office could not be immediately reached for comment.

Indian FM says Kashmir attackers ‘must face justice’

Updated 45 min 32 sec ago
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Indian FM says Kashmir attackers ‘must face justice’

NEW DELHI: India’s foreign minister said Thursday that those who planned and carried out an attack in Kashmir last week that left 26 men dead “must be brought to justice.”
New Delhi blames Pakistan for the gun attack on civilians at the tourist site of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22.
Islamabad has rejected the charge and both countries have since exchanged gunfire in Kashmir and issued a raft of tit-for-tat punitive diplomatic measures.
“Its perpetrators, backers and planners must be brought to justice,” India’s top diplomat Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in a statement following a conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday evening in which they discussed the attack.
Rubio also spoke to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and in a US readout of the call, told Sharif of the “need to condemn the terror attack” in Kashmir.
Indian and Pakistani soldiers fired at each other overnight along the Line of Control, the de facto border in contested Kashmir, the Indian army said.
It was a seventh straight night gunfire was reported by India.
“During the night... Pakistan Army posts initiated unprovoked small-arms fire across the Line of Control opposite Kupwara, Uri and Akhnoor,” the army said in a statement.
“These were responded proportionately by the Indian Army.”
There were no reported casualties and there was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan.
Indian police have issued wanted posters for three men accused of carrying out the Kashmir attack — two Pakistanis and an Indian — who they say are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organization.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the military “complete operational freedom” to respond to the attack during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday, a senior government source told AFP.
Pakistan’s government has denied any involvement in the shooting and vowed that “any act of aggression will be met with a decisive response.”
 


Stay as long as you want, Trump says as chief disruptor Elon Musk eyes exit

Updated 01 May 2025
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Stay as long as you want, Trump says as chief disruptor Elon Musk eyes exit

  • At a Cabinet meeting, Trump hinted at Musk giving up his DOGE role “to get back home to his cars”
  • Musk's Tesla car company had been hit by boycott calls over his role in gutting the US bureaucracy

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Tesla boss Elon Musk could stay working for the White House as long as he wanted but understood the tycoon wanted to get back to his businesses.
Musk last month said he will step back from his role as the unofficial head of the administration’s cost-cutting “Department of Government Efficiency” to focus more on his troubled Tesla car company.
“The vast majority of the people in this country really respect and appreciate you,” Trump told Musk during a White House cabinet meeting, which could be his last before giving up his DOGE role.
“And you know you’re invited to stay as long as you want,” Trump said, though added that Musk may want “to get back home to his cars.”
Musk, the world’s richest person, has seen his Tesla car company, which is the major source of his wealth, suffer significant brand damage from his political work.
Tesla showrooms have been hit by vandalism and boycott calls in Europe and the United States in a backlash against public service cuts introduced by Musk in his role as a close adviser to Trump.
“You really have sacrificed a lot. They treated you very unfairly,” Trump said of opponents to Musk.
“They did like to burn my cars, which is not great,” Musk responded.
The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday reported that Tesla’s board had begun procedures several weeks ago to find a successor to Musk as CEO.
The outlet reported — citing people familiar with the matter — that the board had met with Musk and told him that he needed to spend more time with the company, rather than in Washington.
David Sacks, a close Musk ally who is also a member of the Trump administration, last week said that Musk would not be leaving DOGE but reducing his role.
This was the same plan he carried out during his takeover of Twitter in 2022, he said.
“Once he felt like he had a mental model and he had the people in place that he trusted, he can move to more of a maintenance mode,” Sacks told the All-In podcast.
 


After sparking trade war, US now reaching out to China for tariff talks: Beijing state media

Updated 01 May 2025
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After sparking trade war, US now reaching out to China for tariff talks: Beijing state media

  • Punishing US tariffs that have reached 145 percent on many Chinese products, forcing China to retaliate
  • US President Trump has repeatedly claimed that China has reached out for talks on the tariffs , which Beijing denies

BEIJING: US officials have reached out to their Chinese counterparts for talks on vast tariffs that have hammered markets and global supply chains, a Beijing-backed outlet said on Thursday citing sources.
Punishing US tariffs that have reached 145 percent on many Chinese products came into force in April, while Beijing has responded with fresh 125 percent duties on imports from the United States.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that China has reached out for talks on the tariffs — claims Beijing has vehemently denied.
On Thursday Yuyuan Tantian, a Chinese outlet linked to state broadcaster CCTV, said citing sources that Washington was “proactively” reaching out to China via “multiple channels” for talks on the tariffs.
“From a negotiation standpoint the US is currently the more anxious party,” the outlet, which blends analysis with news reporting, said on the X-like platform Weibo.
“The Trump administration is facing multiple pressures,” it added.
AFP has reached out to China’s foreign ministry for comment.
Beijing has repeatedly urged the United States to engage in dialogue in a “fair, respectful and reciprocal” manner.
But it has also said it will fight a trade war to the bitter end if needed, with a video posted on social media this week by its foreign ministry vowing to “never kneel down!”
 


US Senate votes down resolution to block Trump’s global tariffs amid economic turmoil

Updated 01 May 2025
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US Senate votes down resolution to block Trump’s global tariffs amid economic turmoil

  • Absence of two opponents of Trump's global tariffs denied the Democrats the votes for passage of the resolution
  • The 49-49 vote came weeks after the Senate approved a resolution opposing Trump’s ability to impose tariffs on Canada

WASHINGTON: Senate Republicans narrowly voted down a Democratic resolution Wednesday that would have blocked global tariffs announced by Donald Trump earlier this month, giving the president a modest win as lawmakers in both parties have remained skeptical of his trade agenda.
Trump announced the far-reaching tariffs on nearly all US trading partners April 2 and then reversed himself a few days later after a market meltdown, suspending the import taxes for 90 days. Amid the uncertainty for both US consumers and businesses, the Commerce Department said Wednesday that the US economy shrank 0.3 percent from January through March, the first drop in three years.
The 49-49 vote came weeks after the Senate approved a resolution that would have have thwarted Trump’s ability to impose tariffs on Canada. That measure passed 51-48 with the votes of four Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky. But McConnell — who has been sharply critical of the tariffs but had not said how he would vote — and Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse were absent Wednesday, denying Democrats the votes for passage.
Democrats said their primary aim was to put Republicans on the record either way and to try to reassert congressional powers.
“The Senate cannot be an idle spectator in the tariff madness,” said Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, a lead sponsor of the resolution.

 

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the dismal economic numbers should be a “wakeup call” to Republicans.
Wary of a rebuke to Trump, GOP leaders encouraged their conference not to vote for the resolution, even as many of them remain unconvinced about the tariffs. Vice President JD Vance attended a Senate GOP luncheon Tuesday with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who assured senators that the administration is making progress toward trade deals with individual countries.
Collins said ahead of the vote that she believes the Democratic resolution is too broad, but she was supporting it because it sends a message that “we really need to be far more discriminatory in imposing these tariffs and not treat allies like Canada the way we treat adversaries like China.”
But some Republicans argued that the vote was a political stunt. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he backs separate legislation by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley that would give Congress increased power over determining tariffs but would vote no on the resolution, which he said is only about “making a point.”
Democrats say the Republicans’ failure to stand up to Trump could have dire consequences. “The only thing Donald Trump’s tariffs have succeeded in is raising the odds of recession and sending markets into a tailspin,” said Schumer, D-N.Y. “Today, they have to choose – stick with Trump or stand with your states.”
The Democratic resolution forced a vote under a statute that allows them to try to terminate the national economic emergency Trump used to levy the tariffs.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren called it a “fake” emergency that Trump is using to impose his “on again, off again, red light, green light tariffs.”
The tariffs “are pushing our economy off a cliff,” Warren said.
The Republican president has tried to reassure voters that his tariffs will not provoke a recession as his administration has focused on China, raising tariffs on Chinese goods to 145 percent even as he paused the others. He told his Cabinet Wednesday morning that his tariffs meant China was “having tremendous difficulty because their factories are not doing business.”
Trump said the US does not really need imports from the world’s dominant manufacturer. “Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls,” he said. “So maybe the two dolls will cost a couple bucks more than they would normally.”