‘ISIS terrorist’ inmates take hostages in Russian prison

Two law enforcement officers have been freed after being taken hostage by a group of inmates at a prison in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, local officials have said.

The hostage situation began on Sunday when a group of prisoners, some with terrorism convictions, reportedly broke out of their cells and into the facility's duty station, overwhelming two officers.

The Russian Federal Penitentiary Service issued a statement confirming that two of its agents working with the penitentiary inspectorate were being held by undisclosed perpetrators. It noted that talks were underway and that law enforcement agencies were working at the scene.

Several outlets have reported that terrorists were among the hostage-takers. The Baza Telegram channel has claimed that there were six perpetrators, three of whom are serving sentences for belonging to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) and preparing an attack on the Supreme Court in the Karachaevo-Cherkessian Republic in southern Russia.

The two hostages reportedly included the head of the operational department and a junior inspector of the duty service. The perpetrators reportedly demanded a vehicle to leave the prison.

A video shared on social media shows one of the assailants, armed with a knife and wearing a black do-rag with an inscription in Arabic, sitting next to one of the handcuffed hostages, who appeared to be unharmed. The other agent also appeared to be in unhurt, except for blood on his elbow.

The 112 Telegram channel reported that the inmates were blocked inside one of the areas of the detention center, and were unable to reach the gun room. Later, it said law enforcement agencies launched an assault on the detention center, as the talks did not yield any results. At least several shots were fired in the area, according to videos shared on social media. Baza noted that it took the law enforcement agents three minutes to storm the building.

The Federal Penitentiary Service confirmed that there had been “a special operation to free hostages in a detention center” in Rostov Region, adding that “the criminals were eliminated” and the hostages were not injured.

Pilgrims prepare for the final stages of Hajj

MAKKAH - Hajj pilgrims have begun preparing for the final stages of this year’s pilgrimage, arriving in Muzdalifah after spending the entire day performing prayers and supplications in Arafat.

After they arrived in Muzdalifah, pilgrims performed Maghrib and Isha prayers and collected pebbles for the stoning rituals at the Jamarat area in Mina, which begin Sunday morning.

These stones are used once they reach Mina, where pilgrims perform the “first throwing” of Jamarat, before heading to the Grand Mosque in Makkah for tawaf (circumambulation) and “sacrificing the lamb,” a commemoration of the sacrifice Prophet Ibrahim had intended to make of his son Ismail as an act of obedience to Allah.

The symbolic stoning of the devil marks the final days of Hajj pilgrimage and the start of the Eid Al-Adha celebrations for Muslims around the world. (AFP file photo)

Pilgrims spent the night in Muzdalifah, under the open sky, where they took the time to rest and refresh.

The first day in Mina, the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, marks the first day of Eid Al-Adha. On this day, pilgrims sacrifice animals. Male pilgrims have their heads shaved and take off their ihram clothes. Female pilgrims cut only a portion of their hair.

All Muslims are required to make the Hajj once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do so. (Huda Bashatah/AN)

Hisham Thamin, an Indian pilgrim living in Qatar, told Arab News that it had been a seamless Hajj experience.

“It’s a very nice (and) very spiritual feeling. I’m enjoying the vibes here. The people here are very calm. It’s a very peaceful atmosphere.”

All Muslims are required to make the Hajj once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do so. (Huda Bashatah/AN)

All Muslims are required to make the Hajj once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do so. (Huda Bashatah/AN)

Thamin said that he was initially concerned about the arrangements given the heat and high numbers of people, but he was pleasantly surprised by the coordination and organization by the Saudi government.

“I’m glad the Saudi government has made very good arrangements. There’s cold water, cold juices, and breakfast boxes for everyone. They have spread out all the sheets on the sand, to make sure it’s comfortable for everyone. So I’m liking it very much. And it’s not what I expected, it’s much better than what I expected.”

A Muslim pilgrim picks up pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil. (Huda Bashatah/AN)

A Muslim pilgrims pick up pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil. (Huda Bashatah/AN)

Nawaf Alhabib, a Saudi pilgrim, said his experience had been “perfect.”

Alhabib planned to walk to Mina on Sunday morning before Fajr prayer.

A Muslim pilgrim picks up pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil. (Huda Bashatah/AN)

All Muslims are required to make the Hajj once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do so. (Huda Bashatah/AN)

“By 12 in the morning, we will finish from Muzdalifah and make our way towards Mina. We will rest and then perform Jamarat and it will hopefully be a beautiful day tomorrow.”

Saudi pilgrim Tawfeeq Alquraishi said he was proud of the developments and initiatives fulfilled by the Kingdom.

“The services provided to ensure a smooth Hajj experience for pilgrims is something I am so proud of as a Saudi national. This is a successful and comfortable Hajj.”

Waleed Mohammed, a pilgrim from Egypt, was grateful for being able to perform Hajj.

“This is a feeling I cannot explain. Thank God for everything,” he said. “This is an experience that everyone dreams of … everyone is happy and the organization is beyond our expectations.”

Palestinians cling to Eid despite Israeli destruction and restrictions

A boy pets a sheep sitting in a cattle pen in Deir Al Balah in the central Gaza Strip. Livestock prices have soared and people are unable to buy animals to sacrifice ahead of Eid Al Adha. AFP

Palestinians in Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem marked Eid ak-Adha, defying the violence and destruction they have been subjected to.

Palestinians in Gaza are prepared for a melancholy Eid Al Adha this year in the enclave, with hundreds of thousands displaced and many in mourning. Rituals such as visiting family, buying new clothes and making Eid treats are out of reach for most. One tradition, the animal sacrifice that is customary for the Muslim festival, is made impossible with prices soaring.

The Israeli terrorists military has aggressively attacked western areas of Rafah city, including the Saudi neighbourhood and Tal as-Sultan, where hundreds of families are trapped.

The attacks have destroyed many homes and public facilities, pushing people into a state of panic.

In the central area of Gaza, mainly eastern Deir el-Balah City, artillery shelling … targeted areas where the Israeli military claimed Palestinian fighting groups had “used infrastructure”, without providing further information.

Those attacks have pushed people into further internal displacement; in the northern part of the Strip, people are not only struggling to deal with unpredictable falling bombs and attacks on their homes… but also the spread of dehydration and hunger.

This is happening on the first day of Eid, where we’re looking at hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian families, many of them in mourning.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warns that 50,000 children in Gaza require immediate treatment for acute malnutrition.

At least 37,296 people have been killed and 85,197 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from Hamas’s attacks stands at 1,139, with dozens of people still held captive in Gaza

Photos: Palestinians hold Eid al-Adha prayers amid rubble of southern Gaza

Palestinians hold Eid al-Adha prayers by the ruins of the al-Rahma mosque, destroyed by Israeli air attack in Khan Younis, southern Gaza on June 16 [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

[Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

[Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

[Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

[Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

A Usually Joyous Eid al-Adha Holiday Reminds Families in Gaza of War's Punishing Toll

Last summer, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip celebrated the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha the way it's supposed to be: with large family feasts, meat shared with those less fortunate, and new clothes and gifts for children.

Palestinian children play in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, June 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

But this year, after eight months of devastating war between Israel and Hamas, many families will eat canned food in stifling tents. There's hardly any meat or livestock at local markets, and no money for holiday treats or presents -- only war, hunger and misery, with no end in sight.

“There is no Eid this year," said Nadia Hamouda, whose daughter was killed in the war and who fled from her home in northern Gaza months ago and is staying in a tent in the central town of Deir al-Balah. “When we hear the call to prayer, we cry over those we lost and the things we lost, and what has happened to us, and how we used to live before.”

Muslims around the world will celebrate the four-day Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, early in the week. It commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as recounted in the Quran. In the Jewish and Christian traditions, Abraham is called to sacrifice his other son, Isaac.

Gaza was impoverished and isolated even before the war, but people still managed to celebrate by hanging up colorful decorations, surprising children with treats and gifts, and purchasing meat or slaughtering livestock to share with those less fortunate.

“It was a real Eid," Hamouda said. “Everyone was happy, including the children.”

Now much of Gaza is in ruins and most of the population of 2.3 million Palestinians have fled their homes. After Hamas' surprise attack into Israel on Oct. 7, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage, Israel launched a massive air and ground assault.

The war has killed over 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. It has destroyed most of Gaza's agriculture and food production, leaving people reliant on humanitarian aid that has been held up by Israeli restrictions and the ongoing fighting.

United Nations agencies have warned that over a million people -- nearly half the population -- could experience the highest level of starvation in the coming weeks.

In early May, Egypt shut down its crossing into the southern Gazan city of Rafah after Israel captured the Palestinian side of it, sealing the only route for people to enter or leave the territory. That means virtually no Palestinians from Gaza will be able to make the annual Hajj pilgrimage that precedes the Eid.

Ashraf Sahwiel, who was among hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled from Gaza City earlier in the war and is also living in a tent, has no idea when or if he'll be able to return.

“We don’t even know what happened to our houses or whether we’ll be able to live in them again, or if it’s even possible to rebuild,” he said.

Abdelsattar al-Batsh said he and his family of seven haven’t eaten meat since the war began. A kilogram (2 pounds) of meat costs 200 shekels (around $50). A live sheep, which could be bought for as little as $200 before the war, now costs $1,300 -- if it's even available.

“Today, there is only war. No money. No work. Our houses have been destroyed. I have nothing,” al-Batsh said. Iyad al-Bayouk, who owns a now-shuttered cattle farm in southern Gaza, said severe shortages of both livestock and feed due to Israel’s blockade have driven up prices. Some local farms have been turned into shelters.

Mohammed Abdel Rahim, who has been sheltering in a building in an empty cattle farm in central Gaza for months, said the farm-turned-shelter was particularly bad in the winter, when it smelled like animals and was infested with bugs. As the heat set in, the ground dried out, making it more bearable, he said.

Abdelkarim Motawq, another displaced Palestinian from northern Gaza, used to work in the local meat industry, which did brisk business ahead of the holiday. This year, his family can only afford rice and beans.

“I wish I could work again,” he said. “It was a busy season for me, during which I would bring money home and buy food, clothing, nuts, and meat for my children. But today there’s nothing left.”

Donate for Palestine

BANK	Account Number
BANK BRI:	1791507534
BANK BCA :	0952397051
BANK BNI :	1791507534
BANK Cimb Niaga :	707454936800
BANK RAYA :	001001424796315
BTN :	1501700001999
HANA's BANK :	14755057480
Bank Mandiri :	1330027242122
DIGIBANK : Foreign Currency A.N	2074864818
Confirm :	ahahanafiah5@gmail.com

Colombian President Refuses to Attend Conference on Ukraine in Switzerland

©AP Photo/Fernando Vergara

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that he had changed his mind about participating in a Swiss-hosted summit on Ukraine because it is not a "free forum" for seeking peace between Moscow and Kiev.

"The scenario of the forum in Switzerland is not a scenario of a free forum for discussing ways to find peace between Russia and Ukraine. Its conclusions are already predetermined … I am stopping my trip to the meeting in Switzerland and asking Europe to discuss ways to end the war, not prolong it," Petro said on X on Saturday.

He also stressed that dialogue between Russia and Ukraine is the basis for achieving peace in the region. The Colombian president added that most Latin American countries are against prolonging the conflict.

Russia was not invited to the conference and dismissed it as “meaningless”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the summit is clearly not result-oriented, as it is impossible to have effective talks on Ukraine without Russia's participation.

Mexico's FM Urges Inclusion of Russia in Talks on Ukraine

Russia should be included in peace talks with Ukraine, said Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena at the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland.

©AFP 2023/CLAUDIO CRUZ

"The head of the Mexican Foreign Ministry spoke with Swiss President Viola Amherd about the importance of including Russia in peace talks in accordance with the UN Charter," the Mexican Foreign Ministry said on X.

Switzerland did not invite Russia to the summit. The Kremlin stated that seeking solutions to the Ukrainian conflict without Russia’s involvement was illogical and futile.

Leaders of China, Brazil, and South Africa have also refused to attend the event. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed his country’s participation, but not his own attendance at the summit.

Russia Needed for Talks on Ukraine Peace, Saudi FM Tells Swiss Summit

Any credible peace process aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine requires Russia's participation, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud told the Ukraine conference at the Bürgenstock in Switzerland.

“We believe it is important that the international community encourage any step towards serious negotiations which will require difficult compromise as part of a road map that leads to peace,” Prince Faisal said.

The minister stressed that Saudi Arabia is ready to support efforts to end the conflict.

He urged the international community to take responsibility for "encouraging peace and negotiations, rather than further escalation."

Switzerland is hosting the conference to discuss Volodymyr Zelensky's 10 -point "peace plan" at the exclusive Bürgenstock resort near Lucerne on June 15 and 16.

Delegations from 92 countries eight organizations including the European Union, Council of Europe and UN confirmed their participation, with 55 heads of state attending.

But US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will not attend the conference.

Switzerland did not invite Russia to the summit. The Kremlin stated that seeking solutions to the Ukrainian conflict without Russia’s involvement was illogical and futile.

Ukraine Peace Process May Start Only If All Sides Take Part - Indonesian Foreign Ministry

A peace process on Ukraine is possible only if all parties to the conflict are represented, Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Rolliansyah Soemirat told Sputnik ahead of the Swiss conference coming up this week.

"A peace process can only be initiated when all parties to the conflict are involved," Soemirat said.

Indonesia attaches importance to all efforts toward a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis, including Switzerland's effort, but will be represented at the Swiss-hosted summit on Ukraine only at the level of ambassador, the diplomat continued.

"The Indonesian Government has conveyed that it will task the Indonesian Ambassador in Bern as a special envoy of the Indonesian Foreign Minister," Soemirat said.

He added that Indonesia has been consistent in advocating respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations.

Switzerland will host a high-level conference on Ukraine at the Buergenstock resort outside of Lucerne from June 15-16. Around 90 countries and organizations have confirmed their participation, according to Swiss hosts. Russia has not received an invitation, but even if it had, it would not attend the conference, Vladimir Khokhlov, spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in Bern, told Sputnik in April.

New York Times Claims to Reveal 2022 Russia-Ukraine Peace Drafts - Key Details and Missed Opportunities

©Sputnik/POOL/Go to the mediabank

The New York Times has published what it claims is the full text of then 2022 draft peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine "Ukraine-Russia Peace Is as Elusive as Ever. But in 2022 They Were Talking".

Russia and Ukraine were close to concluding a peace treaty in April 2022, but the Kiev regime tore the deal up at the last minutes after then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pressured Volodymyr Zelensky not to sign. The New York Times has published what it claims is the full text of then 2022 draft peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine.

The never-signed documents — treaty drafts dated March 17 and April 15, 2022 — were purportedly leaked to the newspaper by Ukrainian, Russian and European sources.

Representatives from the warring nations held peace talks in the early weeks of the Russian invasion. They fizzled. Documents from those talks show why any new ones will face major obstacles.

A draft Ukraine-Russia treaty from April 2022, published here in full for the first time.

Kiev ultimately pulled out of the deal, brokered by Turkey over several weeks of talks in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams from February to April of 2022, after then-British prime minister Boris Johnson promised huge arms supplies from NATO countries.

With Russia and Ukraine locked in their third year of all-out war, there is no clear path to military victory for either side. Nor are there immediate prospects for a ceasefire and an eventual peace plan, with both sides sticking to irreconcilable positions.

Yet the issues that would need to be tackled in any future peace settlement are evident, and in fact were at the center of negotiations two years ago that explored peace terms in remarkable detail.

Documents reviewed by The New York Times shed light on the points of disagreement that would have to be overcome.

The documents emerged from negotiating sessions that took place in the weeks after the start of the war, from February to April of 2022. It was the only time that Ukrainian and Russian officials are known to have engaged in direct peace talks.

According to the key points from the document:

• Ukraine had to maintain permanent neutrality and not engage in wars on the side of a guarantor state or any third country



• The guarantors of Ukraine's security and neutrality would be Great Britain, China, Russia, the US and France, with Belarus and Turkiye also mentioned Ukraine would not be allowed to conduct military exercises involving foreign armed forces without the consent of the guarantors



• The guarantors pledged not to form military alliances with Ukraine, not to interfere in its internal affairs and not to deploy troops on its territory



• All mutual sanctions and bans between Russia and Ukraine were to be lifted, but certain provisions of the agreement did not apply to Crimea, Sevastopol and territories marked on a map in the appendices — which the NYT did not provide



• Pages 11 and 12 specified personnel, weaponry and equipment limits for the Ukrainian Armed Forces during peacetime: no more than 342 tanks, 1,029 armoured vehicles and 96 multiple rocket launchers, based on Russia's demands



• The maximum firing range for multiple rocket launchers and missiles was set at under 280 km. Ukraine also pledged not to produce or domestically purchase weaponry of greater range

After Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russian and Ukrainian delegations engaged in several rounds of peace talks. Talks in Turkiye took place in March 2022 but ended without signing any documents. In November 2023, Ukraine’s former chief negotiator with Russia, David Arakhamia, said then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson talked Kiev out of signing an agreement with Moscow to end the conflict. In October 2022, Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree stating that Kiev could not hold peace talks as long as President Vladimir Putin is in power in Russia.

German newspaper Welt Am Sonntag claimed in April it had obtained the 17-page draft peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine. It stated that while the sides had come close to sealing a peace treaty, The Zelensky regime objected to terms restoring Russian as an official language and Kiev’s repudiation of Nazism.

Efforts to strike a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine were thwarted by Johnson at the behest of the US, Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin said in February.

"He blocked the peace efforts with Washington's blessing, obviously, because he could not do it on his own accord," Kelin told Turkish broadcaster TRT World.

After Johnson arrived in Kiev, "the document, which had already been initialled by the head of the Ukrainian delegation, [David] Arakhamia, was thrown into the wastebasket, and Ukraine started fighting," he added. "These are the consequences of what the prime minister of the United Kingdom did."

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in his February interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson that talks with Ukraine in 2022 were close to agreement, but Ukraine broke the deal after Russian pulled its troops back from Kiev as a good-will gesture requested by western European leaders.