BAGHDAD: Influential Iraqi Shiite cleric and political leader Muqtada Al-Sadr announced Friday that he would suspend the movement he leads for one year, citing “corruption” among some of his followers.
A group within the Sadrists, dubbing itself the “Owners of the Cause,” believes that Al-Sadr is Imam Mahdi, a Shiite religious leader said to have vanished more than 1,000 years ago, who is expected to return leading an army of the faithful to defeat evil in the world.
On Friday, Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council announced that an investigative court had ordered the arrest of 65 alleged members of the “Owners of the Cause,” which it described as a disruptive “gang.”
In a statement posted on his Twitter account, Al-Sadr said, “I want to be a reformer for Iraq, and I cannot reform the Sadrist movement.” He added that he will freeze all activities of the movement — except for religious activities such as Friday prayers.
Al-Sadr resigned from politics last August following a nearly yearlong deadlock in cabinet formation. His party won the largest share of seats in the October 2021 parliamentary elections, but not enough to secure a majority government.
Al-Sadr’s refusal to negotiate with his Iran-backed Shiite rivals and his subsequent exit from the talks catapulted the country into political uncertainty and volatility amid intensifying intra-Shiite wrangling.
After Al-Sadr announced his resignation from politics, hundreds of his angry followers stormed the government palace and clashed with security forces. At least 15 protesters were killed.
Al-Sadr had won a mass base of followers, many of whom hail from Iraq’s poorest sectors of society, with nationalist rhetoric and promised of reform.
Many of his supporters were first followers of his father, a revered figure in Shiite Islam.
Populist Iraqi cleric announces suspension of his movement
https://arab.news/ych89
Populist Iraqi cleric announces suspension of his movement
- Iraq’s investigative court had ordered the arrest of 65 alleged members of the “Owners of the Cause”
Palestinian armed group in Gaza admits to coordination with Israel
Yasser Abu Shabab said his group, known as the Popular Forces, was able to move freely in zones under Israeli military control and communicated their operations beforehand.
“We keep them informed, but we carry out the military actions on our own,” he said in an interview with Makan, Israel’s Arabic-language public radio broadcaster.
Abu Shabab also said his group had received “logistical and financial support from several parties,” without mentioning Israel directly.
“There are things we can’t talk about publicly.”
Last month, the Israeli authorities admitted to providing support to armed Palestinian groups opposed to Hamas in Gaza, without naming them, though local media reports identified the group in question as Abu Shabab’s.
“It is only good, it is saving lives of Israeli soldiers,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the time.
Knesset member and ex-defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, however, accused the government of “giving weapons to a group of criminals and felons.”
The European Council on Foreign Relations think tank describes Abu Shabab as the head of a criminal gang in the Rafah region of southern Gaza that has been suspected of looting aid trucks.
Abu Shabab did not address the accusation in his radio interview, and stressed that the only goal of his militia was to defeat Hamas and to provide an alternative for governance in the Gaza Strip.
“We do not belong to any ideology or political organization,” Abu Shabab said in the interview, adding that he was seeking to eradicate Hamas’s “injustice” and “corruption.”
“We will continue to fight, no matter the bloodshed,” he added. “Right now, Hamas is dying. They know their end is near.”
Abu Shabab has drawn the ire of Hamas, which has ruled over the Gaza Strip since 2007. On Wednesday, a Hamas military court gave him 10 days to turn himself in to be tried for treason, among other charges.
On Sunday, a coalition of Palestinian clans accused the Popular Forces of “shamelessly collaborating with the enemy.”
“They are rejected by all our people,” the coalition said in a statement.
“We will show no mercy to them or to anyone who follows in their footsteps by aiding the occupation. They will be treated as they deserve to be: traitors and collaborators.”
Abu Dhabi crown prince holds talks with Brazilian president on sidelines of BRICS summit
- Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan emphasized that the 50-year bond highlights the UAE and Brazil’s commitment to collaboration
- Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva underscored the strength and depth of the bilateral relations between Abu Dhabi and Brasilia
LONDON: Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, discussed ways to strengthen ties between the UAE and Brazil during a meeting on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit.
Sheikh Khaled emphasized the UAE’s pride in its strategic relationship with Brazil, a pioneering partnership built on decades of cooperation, mutual respect, and shared interests, the Emirates News Agency reported.
He stressed that the 50-year bond highlights both nations’ commitment to collaboration and sustainable development.
BRICS was founded in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa became a member the following year, and in late 2023 Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE accepted invitations to join.
Rio de Janeiro is hosting the 17th edition of the summit on Sunday and Monday.
The Brazilian president underscored the strength and depth of the bilateral relations between his country and the UAE.
The meeting was attended by several Emirati officials, including Reem Al-Hashimy, minister of state for international cooperation; Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, minister of foreign trade; and UAE Ambassador to Brazil Saleh Ahmad Salem Alsuwaidi.
Influential far-right minister lashes out at Netanyahu over Gaza war policy
- Bezalel Smotrich’s comments come a day before Israeli leader is due to hold talks in Washington with President Donald Trump
JERUSALEM: Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sharply criticized on Sunday a cabinet decision to allow some aid into Gaza as a “grave mistake” that he said would benefit the militant Palestinian group Hamas.
Smotrich also accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to ensure that Israel’s military is following government directives in prosecuting the war against Hamas in Gaza. He said he was considering his “next steps” but stopped short of explicitly threatening to quit the coalition.
Smotrich’s comments come a day before Netanyahu is due to hold talks in Washington with President Donald Trump on a US-backed proposal for a 60-day Gaza ceasefire.
.”.. the cabinet and the Prime Minister made a grave mistake yesterday in approving the entry of aid through a route that also benefits Hamas,” Smotrich said on X, arguing that the aid would ultimately reach the Islamist group and serve as “logistical support for the enemy during wartime.”
The Israeli government has not announced any changes to its aid policy in Gaza. Israeli media reported that the government had voted to allow additional aid to enter northern Gaza.
The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The military declined to comment.
Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid for its own fighters or to sell to finance its operations, an accusation Hamas denies. Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe, with conditions threatening to push nearly a half a million people into famine within months, according to UN estimates.
Israel in May partially lifted a nearly three-month blockade on aid. Two Israeli officials said on June 27 the government had temporarily stopped aid from entering north Gaza.
Pressure
Public pressure in Israel is mounting on Netanyahu to secure a permanent ceasefire, a move opposed by some hardline members of his right-wing coalition. An Israeli team left for Qatar on Sunday for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.
Smotrich, who in January threatened to withdraw his Religious Zionism party from the government if Israel agreed to a complete end to the war before having achieved its objectives, did not mention the ceasefire in his criticism of Netanyahu.
The right-wing coalition holds a slim parliamentary majority, although some opposition lawmakers have offered to support the government from collapsing if a ceasefire is agreed.
The war erupted when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory war in Gaza has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave’s health ministry.
Most of Gaza’s population has been displaced by the war, a humanitarian crisis has unfolded, and much of the territory lies in ruins.
Gunmen on skiffs attack ship in Red Sea off Yemen: monitors
- The incident occurred 51 nautical miles (94 kilometers) southwest of the Yemeni port of Hodeida, said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations
DUBAI: Gunmen on small boats fired rocket-propelled grenades and small arms at a commercial vessel in the Red Sea off Yemen on Sunday, monitors said, in the latest attack on the vital shipping lane.
The incident occurred 51 nautical miles (94 kilometers) southwest of the Yemeni port of Hodeida, said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
“The vessel has been engaged by multiple small vessels who have opened fire with small arms and self-propelled grenades. (The) armed security team have returned fire and situation is ongoing,” said UKMTO, which is run by the Britain’s Royal Navy.
UK-based security firm Ambrey reported the merchant vessel “was approached and attacked by eight skiffs while transiting northbound in the Red Sea” before being attacked with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades.
Hodeida is controlled by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, though no one has claimed responsibility for the assault.
The Houthis, who have controlled large swathes of Yemen for more than a decade, began firing at Israel-linked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in November 2023, weeks after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
They broadened their campaign to target ships linked to the United States and Britain after military strikes by the two countries began in January 2024.
In May, the group struck a ceasefire with the United States but vowed to continue targeting Israeli ships in the Red Sea, despite agreeing to the truce that ended weeks of intense American strikes targeting the group.
The Houthis have attacked dozens of commercial vessels since launching their anti-shipping campaign and have prompted some freight companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of global trade, according to the International Chamber of Shipping.
GCC countries’ Expo 2025 participation reflects heritage, secretary-general says
OSAKA: Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, said during his visit to Expo 2025 Osaka that the GCC countries’ pavilions showcase their cultural heritage and national visions.
Albudaiwi, who also visited the Japan Pavilion alongside the GCC pavilions on Saturday, added that they showcase the countries’ influence in global events and enhance international cooperation, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The secretary-general also shared that the GCC’s participation highlights its members’ strategic planning, stressing the importance of creating strong relations with nations worldwide.
The GCC members’ pavilions offer experiences that combine heritage with technology, reflecting their commitment to their identity while embracing innovation.
Various countries from the GCC are participating in Expo 2025 Osaka, such as Saudi Arabia, which has the second-largest pavilion after Japan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar.
Expo 2025 Osaka began in April and will conclude in October.
