WASHINGTON: Police in the US state of New Mexico said Saturday they are investigating the murders of three Muslim men that they suspect are related to a fourth homicide from last year.
The Albuquerque police department said in a statement they had found the latest victim overnight Friday.
They did not identify him but said he was in his mid-20s, Muslim and “a native from South Asia.”
“Investigators believe Friday’s murder may be connected to three recent murders of Muslim men also from South Asia,” the statement said.
Two of the previous victims were Muslim Pakistani men, a 27-year-old whose body was found on August 1 and a 41-year-old who was found on July 26.
Detectives are now investigating whether these murders are connected to the death of a Muslim man from Afghanistan who was killed on November 7, 2021, outside of the business he ran with his brother in Albuquerque, the statement said.
The police urged anyone with information to call a tip line and said the FBI was assisting with the investigation.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham expressed outrage at the attacks and solidarity with the southwestern state’s Muslim community.
“The targeted killings of Muslim residents of Albuquerque is deeply angering and wholly intolerable,” Lujan Grisham said on Twitter.
She said she was sending additional state police officers to Albuquerque to help with the investigation.
“We will continue to do everything we can to support to the Muslim community of Albuquerque and greater New Mexico,” she said.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest US Muslim civil rights group, said Saturday it would offer a $10,000 reward to whoever provides information leading to the killer’s arrest.
“This tragedy is impacting not only the Muslim community — but all Americans,” CAIR national executive director Nihad Awad said in a statement.
“We must be united against hate and violence regardless of the race, faith or background of the victims or the perpetrators.”
US police say killings of four Muslim men may be linked
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US police say killings of four Muslim men may be linked
- Two of the previous victims were Pakistani men, a 27-year-old whose body was found on August 1 and a 41-year-old who was found on July 26
- New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham expressed outrage at the attacks and solidarity with the southwestern state’s Muslim community
Pilgrims arrive at Mina as annual Hajj rituals begin
- The devotees will remain at Mina until Fajr prayers on Thursday, 9th of Dhul Hijjah
- The Pakistan Hajj Mission urges pilgrims to follow their scheduled departure time
ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, including Pakistanis, have started arriving at Mina, marking the beginning of annual Hajj rituals in the Saudi holy city of Makkah.
Nearly 89,000 Pakistanis have traveled to Saudi Arabia under the government’s Hajj scheme and over 23,620 Pakistanis are performing Hajj through private tour operators.
Pakistan’s Hajj Mission has completed all arrangements for the transportation of pilgrims to the world’s largest tent valley at Mina, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Over 88,000 pilgrims under government Hajj scheme will reach Mina via 932 buses before Zuhr prayer tomorrow,” the broadcaster said on Tuesday.
“Pilgrims will remain at Mina until Fajr next morning (Thursday), the 9th Dhul Hijjah. Then, the Hujjaj will proceed to the valley of Arafat to perform ‘Waqoof-e-Arafa,’ the main ritual of Hajj and offer Zuhr and Asr prayers there.”
The Pakistan Hajj Mission has urged the pilgrims to follow their scheduled departure time to avoid the risk of overcrowding amid hot weather conditions, according to the report.
The mission earlier advised Pakistani pilgrims to follow the directives issued by Saudi Arabia concerning the stoning of the devil or “Rami Al-Jamarat’ and animal sacrifice rituals during the annual Islamic pilgrimage.
Each ‘Maktab’ will have designated timings for the act of stoning the devil on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, Radio Pakistan reported.
“Every ‘Nazim’ [administrator] is bound to ensure that the intending pilgrims perform this ritual as per their allocated time slot,” it said, citing the Pakistani Hajj Mission.
“Therefore, all pilgrims are advised to proceed in groups under the supervision of their ‘Nazim’ as per schedule.”
The state broadcaster also reported that the Saudi authorities have set the time for sacrificing animals for Pakistani pilgrims on the night between the 10th and 11th of Dhul Hijjah at 12:30am.
“Hence, all pilgrims are urged to complete the ‘Rami’ of the first day before midnight,” the Pakistani mission said.
The annual pilgrimage will conclude on Monday, June 9.
Five challenges Ancelotti faces as Brazil reign kicks off
- The 65-year-old Italian led his first training session on Monday in Guayaquil, Ecuador, ahead of what should be his first match, if his move from Real Madrid passes scrutiny by football’s governing body FIFA
- The top six in the 10-team group qualify directly for the World Cup. Brazil are fourth, six points clear of Venezuela in seventh with four matches to go
SAO PAOLO: After a warm welcome to Brazil, Carlo Ancelotti, the Selecao’s first foreign coach in more than 50 years, is on a mission to fix a stuttering team and win back fans which starts on Thursday against Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier.
The 65-year-old Italian led his first training session on Monday in Guayaquil, Ecuador, ahead of what should be his first match, if his move from Real Madrid passes scrutiny by football’s governing body FIFA.
AFP identifies five issues Ancelotti faces:
“The only goal is to win the 2026 World Cup,” said Ancelotti when he took the job. First he has to get there.
The South American group is a two-year, 18-match marathon. Brazil’s campaign has included a first-ever home World Cup qualifying defeat, 1-0 at the Maracana to old enemy Argentina, part of a run of three straight defeats in 2023 that ended the coaching reign of Fernando Diniz.
Their last match was a 4-1 humiliation in Argentina in March that finished off former coach Dorival Junior. Yet the format is forgiving.
The top six in the 10-team group qualify directly for the World Cup. Brazil are fourth, six points clear of Venezuela in seventh with four matches to go.
Ecuador may be second in the group, but are only two points ahead of Brazil, who then host Paraguay, who are fifth.
Qualifying ends in September with a visit to last-place Chile and a home game against struggling Bolivia.
Brazil is still churning out dazzling attackers but the production line has stalled on No. 9s. In this century, Romario, Ronaldo and Adriano have all led the attack and banged in the goals.
The nearest player to a classic No. 9 in Ancelotti’s first squad is a player he coached at Everton, Richarlison, now of Tottenham.
Yet Ancelotti has won without a central striker before. His 2024 Champions League winning side was led by two Brazilians: Vinicius Jr, who is in Ancelotti’s squad, and Rodrygo, who he did not select. Ancelotti also has Raphinha of Barcelona, who was joint top scorer in this season’s Champions League.
A bigger problem might be supplying the attackers, veteran Brazilian football journalist Juca Kfouri told AFP.
With Brazil’s youth academies focusing on defensive midfielders and quick wingers rather than classic creators, the Selecao faces a shortage of ideas in midfield.
In Brazil’s last two outings Dorival Junior tried Bruno Guimaraes, Gerson, Andre and Joelinton in the role. None convinced.
At Madrid, Ancelotti “had Toni Kroos as a supply line for Vini. Brazil does not have a Toni Kroos,” said sports writer Tim Vickery on his ‘Brazilian Shirt Name’ podcast.
Ancelotti has recalled Kroos’s former Real Madrid midfield partner Casemiro, although the 33-year-old now with Manchester United is primarily a defensive player to add, the coach said, “charisma, personality and talent.”
The supply of swashbuckling fullbacks, such as Carlos Alberto, Cafu and Roberto Carlos — another hallmark of great Brazil teams — has also dried up.
Ancelotti has recalled Carlos Augusto, part of the Inter Milan team crushed in the Champions League final, and picked Flamengo duo Wesley Franca and Alex Sandro after seeing them play last week in a 1-0 victory over Venezuelan team Deportivo Tachira in the Copa Libertadores.
Ancelotti needs to rebuild the bond between the team and the public. Part of the problem is that after Brazil won five World Cups playing — mostly — the “jogo bonito” (the beautiful game), fans have little patience with mediocrity.
But many supporters have been turned off by the way the famous yellow jersey has been hijacked as a symbol by supporters of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro.
“This issue of the extreme right appropriating the jersey has distanced part of the country,” said Kfouri, adding Ancelotti called on the fans when he took the job saying, “I hope to have the support and help of the country.”
US-backed Gaza aid group to halt distribution on Wednesday, UN to vote on ceasefire demand
- An Israeli military spokesperson warned civilians against moving in areas leading to GHF sites on Wednesday, deeming them “combat zones”
CAIRO/JERUSALEM/UNITED NATIONS: The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will not give out any aid on Wednesday as it presses Israel to boost civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its distribution sites, a day after dozens of Palestinians seeking aid were killed.
The GHF said it has asked the Israeli military to “guide foot traffic in a way that minimizes confusion or escalation risks” near military perimeters; develop clearer guidance for civilians; and enhance training to support civilian safety.
“Our top priority remains ensuring the safety and dignity of civilians receiving aid,” said a GHF spokesperson. An Israeli military spokesperson warned civilians against moving in areas leading to GHF sites on Wednesday, deeming them “combat zones.”
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it opened fire on a group of people it viewed as a threat near a GHF food aid distribution site. The International Committee of the Red Cross said at least 27 people were killed and dozens injured. The GHF said the incident was “well beyond” its site.
Palestinians who collected food GHF boxes on Tuesday described scenes of pandemonium, with no-one overseeing the handover of supplies or checking IDs, as crowds jostled for aid.
The UN Security Council is also set to vote on Wednesday on a demand for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas and humanitarian access across Gaza, where aid has trickled amid chaos and bloodshed after Israel lifted an 11-week blockade on the enclave where famine looms.
“It is unacceptable. Civilians are risking – and in several instances losing – their lives just trying to get food,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday, adding that the aid distribution model backed by the US and Israel was “all a recipe for disaster, which is exactly what is going on.”
That model is run by the newly created GHF, which started operations in the enclave a week ago and said on Tuesday that it has given out more than seven million meals from three so-called secure distribution sites. GHF Interim Executive Director John Acree urged humanitarians in Gaza: “Work with us and we will get your aid delivered to those who are depending on it.”
US VETO?
The UN and other aid groups have refused to work with the GHF because they say it is not neutral and the distribution model militarizes aid. GHF uses private US security and logistics companies to get aid to the distribution sites.
It is the latest in a string of efforts to get more aid into the enclave, where experts say the entire population of some 2.1 million people is at risk of famine. Jordan last year spearheaded humanitarian air drops, while the US briefly installed a floating aid pier, but it was beset by challenges.
The UN has long-blamed Israel and lawlessness in the enclave for hindering the delivery of aid into Gaza and its distribution throughout the war zone. Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid, which the group denies.
Israel said on Tuesday that three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in northern Gaza. Gaza health officials said at least 18 more Palestinians were killed in other military strikes in the territory on Tuesday. Reuters could not independently verify the reports in northern and southern Gaza.
The 10 elected members of the UN Security Council have asked for the 15-member body to vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution that demands “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties.”
The draft text, seen by Reuters, also demands the release of all hostages held by Hamas and others, and the immediate lifting of all restrictions on the entry of aid and its safe and unhindered distribution, including by the UN, throughout Gaza.
“The time to act has already passed,” Slovenia’s UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar told Reuters. “It is our historical responsibility not to remain silent.”
As US President Donald Trump’s administration tries to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, it was not immediately clear if Washington would veto the draft text. A spokesperson for the US mission to the UN said: “We cannot preview our actions currently under consideration.”
A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain or France — to pass.
The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, which do not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants.
Whether ratings are good or not, Thunder-Pacers could be a series true basketball fans enjoy
- The ratings, especially at the start of the series, probably aren’t going to be good because the home markets are so small
- The social media tracking site Videocites says NBA content is getting consumed at a 64 percent higher clip than last season — 32 billion views and counting so far in these playoffs
OKLAHOMA CITY: It’s No. 25 Indiana vs. No. 47 Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals.
That’s not their seeding. That’s their media market ranking. To some, that might matter. To others, it probably won’t — and probably shouldn’t — matter whatsoever.
A title matchup that starts Thursday night between the Pacers and Thunder — two young, fun teams that score a ton and are led by marketable stars in reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Oklahoma City and Olympic gold medalist Tyrese Haliburton for Indiana — is the type of series that real basketball fans clamor for. It has everything: star power, good coaching, All-Stars on both sides. And it adds to the NBA’s recent run of parity.
That’s the good news. Here’s the inevitable other side: The ratings, especially at the start of the series, probably aren’t going to be good because the home markets are so small. Those who like the NBA won’t be dissuaded by that. Those who don’t like the NBA will tout it as great failure.
“I think this finals is a great representation with the two teams that are in it,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “You know, they’re teams that play good, exciting styles of basketball. Players that have great individual stories, teams that have a great story collectively. And we’re proud to be a part of that.”
People are watching; they just may not be watching on television. The social media tracking site Videocites says NBA content is getting consumed at a 64 percent higher clip than last season — 32 billion views and counting so far in these playoffs. Gilgeous-Alexander is the most viewed player, Haliburton is No. 3 and playoff clips of those two have about 1.5 billion views between them to this point.
That’s billion, with a B. And speaking of that, there are 76 billion reasons the NBA won’t be bothered by whatever the ratings are over the next couple of weeks.
The new media rights deals — an 11-year, $76 billion pact between the NBA and broadcast partners Disney (ABC/ESPN), Peacock (NBC) and Amazon (Prime Video) that kicks in at the start of next season — show that clearly somebody is watching NBA games or consuming NBA content. The days of straight relying on Nielsen ratings seem to be long gone, with more and more people ditching cable for streaming and more and more young fans just watching everything on their phones and often in condensed versions.
If the ratings tank for Pacers-Thunder, those deals are still worth $76 billion. The ad buys for these playoffs have long been paid for. So, the numbers for this series are largely irrelevant to the NBA’s bottom line.
Haliburton was asked Tuesday what fans who watch will see if they tune in to these finals.
“I think (they’ll see) two high-level teams that play an elite style of basketball, who share the ball really well, a lot of different people that can chip in,” Haliburton said. “I think that’s the exciting part about this. I don’t want to say it’s like a passing of the torch because the old heads are still here. They’re still playing very, very well. But definitely to see two young teams, two young organizations, fighting to win a championship, I think is a very big deal.”
Late in the regular season, as numbers were bouncing back from a slow start to the season, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league’s ratings were down about 2 percent from a year ago.
“But in this environment, where particularly when you’re largely featured in legacy media and particularly cable, and no question cable subscriptions are going down, that seems like a victory,” Silver said.
In short, nobody at the league office is panicking about ratings, especially right now. Whichever team wins will be the seventh different champion in the last seven seasons, and without question the Thunder and Pacers will be featured in more national broadcasts next season than they were this season and their ratings will be higher — as proven by recent finals runs by Milwaukee, Denver and Dallas. Go ahead and expect Indy and OKC in the Christmas Day package next season as well; neither team was among the 10 picked for that this season, which was probably a mild disappointment for the Pacers and was a huge disappointment for the Thunder.
“I’d love to play on Christmas Day,” Gilgeous-Alexander said earlier this season. “And I think we’re that caliber of team. The NBA makes their decisions. Can’t slight them for it. Ball’s in our court to prove to them why we deserve to be in that game.”
It can easily be argued that both teams did it right: didn’t overspend, didn’t go into the luxury tax — it’s the first finals between two non-taxpayer teams in about two decades — and tried to build around young stars.
And the Thunder and Pacers were teams that combined to win 49 games just three seasons ago; their success now has to be a reason for hope for teams like Utah, Washington, Portland, Charlotte and others that have been sputtering. Turnarounds can happen, and they can be rewarded. Some people will watch, some won’t, but true fans probably are expecting a pretty good series.
“I think that’s exciting,” Haliburton said, “for any basketball fan.”
Israel army says shelling Syria after projectiles launched
- Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said bombardments had hit farmland in the province, without reporting casualties
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it was shelling targets in Syria on Tuesday in response to a pair of projectile launches, with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying he held Syria’s leader “directly responsible.”
A military statement said that “two projectiles were identified crossing from Syria into Israeli territory, and fell in open areas,” adding in a subsequent statement that its “artillery struck in southern Syria” following the launches.
Syria’s official news agency SANA reported shelling “targeting the Yarmuk Basin, in the west of Daraa” province.
Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said bombardments had hit farmland in the province, without reporting casualties.
“Violent explosions shook southern Syria, notably the town of Quneitra and the Daraa region, following Israeli aerial strikes” overnight Tuesday to Wednesday, the monitor said in a statement.
Israel said it had targeted weapons belonging to Syrian authorities following the launch of the projectiles.
There were no reports of casualties or damage on the Israeli side due to the projectiles, which the military said triggered air raid sirens in parts of the southern Golan Heights, a territory Israel conquered from Syria in 1967 and annexed in 1981.
Katz, the Israeli defense minister, said in a statement released by his office that “we view the president of Syria as directly responsible for any threat or fire directed at the State of Israel.”
“A full response will follow shortly,” he added.
Syria’s interim president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, led the Islamist group that spearheaded the offensive that toppled longtime ruler Bashar Assad in December.
Israeli media said Tuesday’s projectiles were the first fired from Syria into Israeli territory since Assad’s fall.
Following his overthrow, Israel moved its forces into the UN-patrolled demilitarised zone in the Golan Heights, and has carried out hundreds of strikes against military targets in Syria.
Israel says the strikes aim to stop advanced weapons reaching Syria’s new authorities, whom it considers jihadists.
In a statement on Sunday, Israel’s military said its troops were continuing “defensive operations in southern Syria” to “dismantle terrorist infrastructure and protect the residents of the Golan Heights.”
Syria and Israel have technically been at war since 1948.
