Narendra Modi aims to set India on the path to abolishing poverty and becoming a fully developed nation by 2047, the 100th year of independence from British colonial rule.
Fact: President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran was killed in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border along with his foreign minister and seven others.
Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, was imprisoned by Israel for 23 years before rising to a leadership role in the militant group. He made a speech in December 2022 promising a fierce strike against Israel, which was carried out less than a year later in an assault that killed 1,200 people. Sinwar had a history of punishing collaborators with Israel and has been devoted to the destruction of Israel and killing Jews.
Ayhan Mehmet, the representative of Turkish Cypriots in Limassol, clarified that recent vandalism at the Jedit Mosque was not religiously motivated but rather sports-related slogans. The graffiti also affected a nearby Turkish Cypriot cemetery, and Mehmet emphasized that the issue should not be politicized or exploited to create tensions. He refuted accusations of racism and xenophobia against the Greek Cypriot community, stating that similar slogans were found in other establishments in the area.
The Mufti’s Office of Cyprus expressed concern over increasing attacks on Muslim places of worship in Republic-of-Cyprus-controlled areas, particularly after the recent vandalism of the Albanian Mosque in Limassol. They condemned the attack and called for an end to such provocative acts, urging authorities to identify and punish those responsible. The “ministry of foreign affairs” in the occupied north accused the Greek Cypriot side of allowing attacks on mosques in the south to go unpunished, leading to a repetition of such crimes. They called for the perpetrators to be identified and brought to justice.
The graffiti on a Limassol mosque was not related to racist or religious hate speech but to a football rivalry, according to Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis. He emphasized the Republic of Cyprus’s commitment to religious respect and cultural heritage, with measures in place to facilitate the daily lives of Turkish Cypriots, including access to Muslim monuments. Letymbiotis reassured that no Muslim religious monument has been abandoned or repurposed.
Fact: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during talks in Ankara that there were “no unsolvable problems” between their countries.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will visit Turkey on Monday for talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan aimed at maintaining positive momentum in bilateral ties. During the visit, they will discuss issues ranging from technology, tourism, and economic ties to counter-terrorism and migration.
Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized that Greece will not back down from its red lines in Greek-Turkish relations. He highlighted the country’s strengthened defense and political alliances. Mitsotakis mentioned the importance of communication between Greece and Turkey to avoid conflict, expressed concern over the Chora Monastery transformation, and stated Greece’s commitment to its sovereignty. He also noted Greece’s progress in relations with Turkey but acknowledged ongoing tensions. Mitsotakis discussed Rama’s visit to Athens, elections in North Macedonia, and the government’s goals for increasing incomes and public health.
Israeli tanks captured the main road dividing the eastern and western halves of Rafah, encircling the entire eastern side of the city in the southern Gaza Strip. Residents reported intense fighting between Israeli forces and militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Israel ordered civilians out of the eastern half of Rafah, forcing tens of thousands to seek shelter outside the city. Israel believes there are thousands of Hamas fighters in Rafah and cannot win the war without assaulting the city. The Israeli military located tunnel shafts in eastern Rafah and fought at close quarters with Hamas fighters. Ceasefire talks broke up with no agreement to halt the fighting. Over 34,000 Gazans have been killed in the seven months of war.