World
An Iraqi man who carried out Quran burnings in Sweden is killed in a shooting
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An Iraqi man who carried out several Quran burnings in Sweden has been killed in a shooting near Stockholm, authorities said Thursday.
Salwan Momika, 38, staged several burnings and desecrations of Islam’s holy book in Sweden in 2023. Videos of the Quran burnings got worldwide publicity and raised anger and criticism in several Muslim nations, leading to riots and unrest in many places.
THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS RALLY ACROSS IRAQ FOR A 2ND DAY TO CONDEMN THE BURNING OF A QURAN IN SWEDEN
The Stockholm District Court said a verdict scheduled Thursday in a trial in which Momika was a defendant was postponed because one of the defendants had died. A judge at the court, Göran Lundahl, confirmed that the deceased was Momika. He said he didn’t have any information on when or how Momika died.
Salwan Momika speaks in Malmö, Sweden, Sept. 30, 2023. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
Police said they were alerted to a shooting Wednesday night at an apartment building in Sodertalje, near Stockholm, and found a man with gunshot wounds who later died.
Broadcaster SVT reported that the victim was Momika.
Prosecutors said five people were arrested overnight on suspicion of murder. They said all were adults but gave no further details.
Prosecutor Rasmus Öman said the investigation is still in its early stages and that the suspects and others still have to be questioned.
Momika came to Sweden from Iraq in 2018 and was granted a three-year residence permit in 2021, according to SVT.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Sweden’s security service was involved because “there is obviously a risk that there is a connection to a foreign power,” Swedish news agency TT reported.
Momika argued that his protests targeted the religion of Islam, not Muslim people. He said he wanted to protect Sweden’s population from the messages of the Quran. Swedish police allowed his demonstrations, citing freedom of speech, while filing charges against him.
Last March, he was arrested in neighboring Norway after stating that he would seek asylum there, and was sent back to Sweden, TT reported.
Momika and a co-defendant were charged in August with incitement to hatred because of statements they made in connection with the Quran burnings. A verdict was supposed to be handed down on Thursday morning.
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TVLine Items: Stranger Things Vet Joins Rings of Power, Next Level Chef Double Renewal and More
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World
Mexico extradites dozens of cartel leaders and members to US, including drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero
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Mexico has begun the process of extraditing dozens of high-level cartel leaders and members to the U.S., including Rafael Caro Quintero, a former leader of the Guadalajara cartel involved in the kidnapping and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985.
The founders of Los Zetas, Miguel and Omar Morales, also known as Z-40 and Z-42, will be extradited to the U.S. as well.
The extraditions were done at the request of the U.S. government as President Donald Trump’s tariff deadline looms. One of the president’s demands is for Mexico to crack down on dangerous cartels and fentanyl production and distribution.
SINALOA CARTEL TAKES ROOT IN AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOODS: WHERE ARE THEY?
“This morning, 29 people who were deprived of their liberty in different penitentiary centers in the country were transferred to the United States of America, which were required due to their links with criminal organizations for drug trafficking, among other crimes,” Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office and Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection wrote.
“The custody, transfer and formal delivery of said people is carried out under institutional protocols with due respect for their fundamental rights, in accordance with our Constitution and the National Security Law and at the request of the United States Department of Justice.
“This action is part of the tasks of coordination, cooperation and bilateral reciprocity, within the framework of respect for the sovereignty of both nations.”
President Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico, and now officials like Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum are working with the U.S. to take on drug cartels and fentanyl. (Reuters)
The Associated Press reported that the removal of the Mexican drug lords coincided with a visit to Washington, D.C., by Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and other top economic and military officials, who met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The meeting was the latest in ongoing negotiations with the U.S. over trade and security relations, which have radically shifted since Trump returned to the Oval Office Jan. 20.
Negotiations resulted in the handover of one of the FBI’s ten most wanted fugitives, Caro Quintero, who walked free in 2013 after serving 28 years in prison. Caro Quintero was released when a court overturned his 40-year sentence for the 1985 kidnapping and killing of DEA agent Camarena.
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This image released by the FBI shows the wanted poster for Rafael Caro Quintero. (FBI via AP, File)
Caro Quintero was arrested again by Mexican forces in July 2022 after he allegedly returned to drug trafficking. He was the former leader of the Guadalajara cartel, and the DEA alleges he had returned to drug trafficking and ordered bloody attacks in the northern Mexico border state of Sonora.
Caro Quintero blamed Camarena for a raid on a marijuana plantation in 1984, allegedly ordering his kidnapping the following year. Camarena’s body was found a month later with evidence of torture and abuse.
The FBI added Caro Quintero to the Top 10 Most Wanted list in 2018 and offered a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to Quintero’s arrest and/or conviction.
MEXICO NABS FBI MOST WANTED CARTEL BOSS ACCUSED OF ’80S KIDNAPPING, MURDER OF DEA AGENT
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Cartels sell rainbow fentanyl pills, the DEA says. (Drug Enforcement Administration)
In January, a nonprofit group representing the Camarena family urged the Trump administration to renew longstanding U.S. requests for Mexico to extradite Caro Quintero, the AP learned after obtaining a copy of the letter from a person familiar with the family’s outreach.
“His return to the U.S. would give the family much-needed closure and serve the best interests of justice,” the letter said.
Since taking office, Trump has threatened to impose trade tariffs on Mexico, and several Mexican cartels have been designated by the State Department as foreign terrorist organizations.
The U.S. had sought the extradition of Caro Quintero shortly after his arrest in 2022. But the request remained stuck at Mexico’s foreign ministry for unknown reasons as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s predecessor and political mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, curtailed Mexican cooperation with the DEA to protest undercover U.S. law enforcement operations in Mexico targeting senior political and military officials.
The removal of the Treviño Morales brothers also marks the end of a long process that began after the capture in 2013 of Miguel Treviño Morales and his brother, Omar, in 2015. The process went on for so many years that Mexico Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero described the lags as “truly shameful.”
The Treviño Morales family, accused by American authorities of running the violent Northeast Cartel from prison, have charges pending in the U.S. for alleged participation in a criminal organization, drug trafficking, gun offenses and money laundering.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
World
Five key takeaways as Donald Trump hosts UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer
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United States President Donald Trump has hosted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the first time at the White House for talks about Ukraine’s security, trade relations and the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
But Thursday’s meeting hinted at simmering tensions between the US and its allies, as Starmer attempted to tip-toe around points of divergence with the notoriously prickly Trump.
At various points in their public appearances, Starmer offered views that conflicted with Trump’s own – though he was careful never to contradict Trump directly.
The US president seemed to acknowledge the pushback with a joke in his opening remarks at an afternoon news conference.
“You’ve been terrific in our discussions. You’re a very tough negotiator, however. I’m not sure I like that,” Trump quipped.
At times, however, the atmosphere turned brusque. When asked about Trump’s demand that Canada become a US state, Starmer started to press back on the question, only to be abruptly interrupted.
“I think you’re trying to find a divide between us that doesn’t exist,” Starmer began to say. “We’re the closest of nations, and we had very good discussions today, but we didn’t —.”
It was at that point Trump jumped in: “That’s enough. That’s enough. Thank you.”
Here are key takeaways from their get-together at the White House.
An invitation from the king
From the start, there was scrutiny over how Starmer – a former human rights lawyer from the centre-left Labour Party – would interact with the far-right Republican Trump.
But at their initial sit-down inside the Oval Office, Starmer offered an olive branch: a signed invitation from King Charles III to visit the UK.
Trump immediately accepted the offer. Typically, it is rare for US presidents to have two state visits with the British monarch. Trump’s last state visit came in 2019, under the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Starmer also addressed the differences in his and Trump’s backgrounds directly.
“It’s no secret we’re from different political traditions. But there’s a lot that we have in common,” Starmer said, embracing Trump’s populist streak. “ What counts is winning. If you don’t win, you don’t deliver.”
Trump revealed that he and Starmer had discussed trade behind the scenes, with the commerce between their two countries worth an estimated $148bn as of 2024. The Republican leader appeared hopeful that a deal could be struck “shortly”.
“ We’re gonna have a great trade agreement one way or the other. We’re going to end up with a very good trade agreement for both countries, and we’re working on that as we speak,” he said.
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Starmer offers gentle pushback on trade
But Trump’s repeated assertions that US-UK trade relations were unfair earned a gentle rebuke from Starmer.
“Our trading relationship is not just strong. It’s fair, balanced and reciprocal,” the Labour leader said.
Trump, meanwhile, gave space during the meeting for US Vice President JD Vance to revisit his criticism of free speech rights in the UK. Vance had previously irked tensions when – on February 14 at the Munich Security Conference – he blasted the UK and European countries for alleged democratic backsliding.
“I said what I said,” Vance replied on Thursday, as he reflected on his Munich remarks.
“We do have, of course, a special relationship with our friends in the UK and also with some of our European allies. But we also know that there have been infringements on free speech that actually affect not just the British.”
Starmer piped up in response, defending his country’s commitment to democratic ideals.
“We’ve had free speech for a very, very long time in the United Kingdom, and it will last for a very, very long time,” Starmer said. “ In relation to free speech in the UK, I’m very proud of our history there.”
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Trump commits to NATO mutual defence pact
Trump’s unconventional and sometimes disruptive approach to diplomatic relations, however, has fuelled fears that the Republican leader may withdraw the US from key alliances.
Chief among them is the NATO alliance, which has historically served as a bulwark against aggression from Russia and the Soviet Union before it.
Trump was asked directly if he still supported Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty, which requires all members to come to the aid of one another in case of a military attack.
“ I support it,” Trump replied, before adding: “I don’t think we’re going to have any reason for it.”
Starmer, meanwhile, appealed to history to shore up the US-UK alliance, one of the closest diplomatic bonds either country has. He noted that he and Trump would soon celebrate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, when allied forces brought World War II’s European front to a close.
“ We remain each other’s first partner in defence. Ready to come to the other’s aid, to counter threats wherever and whenever they may arise,” Starmer said. “No two militaries are more intertwined than ours. No two countries have done more together to keep people safe.”
Still, he echoed Trump’s calls for European countries to invest more in NATO. Trump has pushed NATO allies to invest at least 5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) in bolstering their militaries.
The US, however, puts about 3.4 percent of its GDP into military spending, for a total of about $967bn.
“ I think it’s important for European countries, including the United Kingdom, to step up and do more in the defence and security of Europe and our continent,” Starmer said.
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Pushing for peace that does not reward ‘the aggressor’
Key among the security negotiations was the question of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Three years ago, in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the Eastern European country, expanding beyond the territories it had already seized in regions like Crimea and Donetsk.
The international community largely condemned the invasion. But in recent weeks, Trump has surprised political observers by blaming Ukraine for the war and denouncing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “dictator” for not holding wartime elections.
Trump’s administration has also held peace negotiations directly with Russia, leaving European leaders feeling sidelined.
Starmer broached the deal by first lavishing the US president with praise for pushing peace negotiations forward.
“ You’ve created a moment of tremendous opportunity to reach a historic peace deal, a deal that I think would be celebrated in Ukraine and around the world,” Starmer said, before pivoting to a warning.
“That is the prize, but we have to get it right,” he continued. “It can’t be peace that rewards the aggressor or that gives encouragement to regimes like Iran.”
“History must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader. So the stakes, they couldn’t be higher, and we determined to work together to deliver a good deal.”
Trump is set to meet with Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday, where the two leaders are expected to hammer out a deal that would give the US access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals at Trump’s behest.
It is unclear what security guarantees Ukraine would receive in return. But Trump on Thursday repeatedly described a future where Americans would be “dig-dig-digging” on Ukrainian soil to harvest minerals.
He also justified his negotiations with Russia, emphasising it was important to engage “both sides” of the conflict.
“I think we’re going to have a very successful peace, and I think it’s going to be a long-lasting peace, and I think it’s going to happen hopefully quickly,” Trump said. “If it doesn’t happen quickly, it may not happen at all.”
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Starmer reaffirms commitment to two-state solution
Another global conflict was briefly raised as well: Israel’s war in Gaza.
Since January, a delicate ceasefire has taken hold in the Palestinian enclave, which had been battered by 15 months of Israeli bombing, as well as a ground offensive.
More than 48,365 Palestinians have died, though the Gaza Government Media Office puts the estimate as high as 61,709, counting the bodies still buried under the rubble.
A United Nations special committee found that Israel has employed tactics in Gaza that were “consistent with genocide”. Even with the ceasefire, Palestinians continue to die as freezing temperatures ravage the territory, which has few structures left to shelter residents from the cold.
Trump prompted international outcry earlier this month when he announced the US would “take over” Gaza, permanently displacing its residents in favour of building a riviera-style resort.
While Trump posted an AI-generated video this week featuring a rendering of what that resort would look like, he has since backed away from his proposal to “own” Gaza, framing it as a suggestion.
On Thursday, Trump avoided saying anything as incendiary, speaking instead in broad terms.
“We’re working very hard in the Middle East and Gaza and all of the problems. And it’s been going on for years and years and centuries and centuries,” Trump said. “It’s a tough neighbourhood, but it could be a very beautiful neighbourhood, and I think we’re going to come up with some pretty good solutions.”
By contrast, Starmer offered firm support for a two-state solution, one that would acknowledge and guarantee Palestinian sovereignty.
“We have to do everything we can to ensure that the ceasefire continues so that more hostages can be returned, so that aid can be brought in that’s desperately needed. We need to allow Palestinians to return and to rebuild their lives, and we must all support them in doing that,” Starmer said.
“And yes, I believe that the two-state solution is ultimately the only way for a lasting peace in the region.”
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