Foreign
Iranian Australians celebrate death of supreme leader and dream with ‘quiet anticipation’ of regime change
After Israel and US launch strikes against Iran, people in Australia fear for their loved ones, noting ‘missiles don’t understand who the enemy is’
The memories of all those murdered by the Iranian regime were at the forefront of Sahar Gholizadeh’s mind when she heard that the country’s supreme leader had been killed.
“I started shaking, and I started crying, remembering all of those beautiful lives that we lost, and all of those people that would be so happy to see this day,” she says on Sunday from Melbourne.
The Iranian Australian, who fled Iran’s theocratic regime almost 15 years ago, describes the news as a bittersweet but “big moment” for the country and its diaspora. “We’ve been waiting for this,” the 50-year-old says.
Those sentiments are echoed across Australia’s Iranian community following the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after Israel and the US launched strikes on the country.
Iranian Australian Sahar Gholizadeh described the news of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death as a bittersweet but ‘big moment’. Photograph: Sahar Gholizadeh
In Sydney and Melbourne, planned anti-regime rallies on Sunday became celebrations of the leader’s death, with thousands attending.
In Canberra, a few hundred people celebrated outside the now-closed Iranian embassy to cheer the death of the Ayatollah and praise Israeli and US leaders.
Iran state media confirms killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after US-Israeli missile strikes
Champagne was sprayed over the dancing crowd, as people prayed for a liberated Iran and the safety of their families there.
In Melbourne, members of Australia’s Iranian diaspora gathered in Federation Square and on the steps of parliament to celebrate after years of violence, most recently culminating in the regime’s brutal crackdown on protests, with up to 30,000 people estimated to have been killed.
Suren Edgar, the vice president of the Australia Iranian Community Alliance (AICA), says hearing of Khamenei’s death was the “best morning of my life”. “He destroyed our country, our culture, killed our people and pushed the ideology of terror to other countries,” he says.
Edgar, who migrated to Australia in 2014, says the community is hopeful after Israel and the US launched another attack on Iran after last year’s 12-day war.
“It’s not easy to watch your country under that attack,” he says.
“Missiles don’t understand who the enemy is and who are … ordinary people. So that’s why we are worried about our people. But on the other hand, we see them, they are happy, extremely happy.”
The US-based organisation Human Rights Activists News Agency on Sunday reported at least 133 civilians had been killed, with 200 injured, in the first hours of the Israeli-US attack.
Edgar says internet disruptions mean people in Australia are awaiting news from loved ones in Iran.
“I’m still waiting to hear from some … the psychological impact of silence can be as distressing as the crisis itself,” he says. “Being unable to connect with loved ones online creates a unique kind of stress and helplessness.”
Edgar says the diaspora community is celebrating Khamenei’s death, but remains unsure if there will be desired regime change.
“As long as the Islamic Republic is in power, it’s not done,” he says on Sunday.
Courtesy: Breaking News Australia
By Isa Abdul, Abuja
In Saudi Arabia, a kiss in the mosque would earn you death, as two Bangladeshi nationals, identified as Nazrul Islam Abdul Basir and Siri Akhtar, have reportedly been executed in Saudi Arabia following their conviction over the alleged immoral act inside a Mecca mosque.
Reports circulating on social media indicate that the couple had travelled to Mecca for their honeymoon. But what was to be memorable event is their lives became a suicide mission.
The gesture was wrong in a wrong place, not an expression of gratitude to Allah for their marriage, as far as the Saudis are concerned.
Reports claim the couple’s bodies had been returned to Bangladesh in two coffins for burial.
Some online reports claim the couple were newlyweds executed over a kiss (such as a forehead kiss or a kiss inside the mosque).
However, the Saudi government’s official statement did not detail the exact nature of the act, and conflicting reports—including statements from family members and media checks—disputed whether they were newlyweds or what specific physical contact occurred.
But reports indicate the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah stated they received no advance notice or prior notification from Saudi authorities regarding the executions and have formally requested clarification and acknowledgement.
By Son Tertsea, Abuja
A Catholic priest was crushed to death by a wooden crucifix that pressed him against the pulpit as it fell from the wall while celebrating Mass in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil on Saturday.
According to reports, shouts of “Father, Father! Call an ambulance!” people at Our Lady of Perpetual Help church could be heard shouting just before a livestreamed broadcast cuts out.
The graphic footage of the accident went viral Sunday on social media and was widely carried by news outlets.
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil mourned the death of the priest, Patricio Sanchez, in a statement and expressed its “solidarity, affection and love” for his family and friends.
Colombian police say the arrested Israeli suspect is wanted by authorities in the United Arab Emirates for fraud, money laundering, forgery, and the use of falsified private documents
Mikhael Mezrahi, the Israeli national, has been detained following an Interpol Red Notice issued against him. The 61-year-old Israeli national known by the nickname “El Banquero” (The Banker) was arrested at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia, in a joint operation by Colombian police and Interpol, authorities said.
Following his arrest, he was transferred to Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office as extradition proceedings advanced. Investigators allege that Mezrahi was connected to an international network responsible for defrauding a bank identified as Khartoum in Dubai of approximately $16.7 million using fraudulent financial documents
The suspect reportedly carried four passports while traveling to Venezuela.
Colombian media reported that the suspect, identified in some reports by his full name, Mikhael Jaime Shamis Mezrahi, arrived in Bogotá on a flight from Madrid and was preparing to board a connecting flight to Venezuela.
According to the reports, he was carrying four passports issued by different countries. In addition to Israeli and Mexican citizenship, he reportedly also holds Canadian and Lebanese citizenship.
Alleged fraud network linked to international businesses and money transfers.
According to the reports, Mezrahi’s extensive business activities include securities companies in the United Kingdom and real estate and tourism projects in Canada and Mexico.
He was also reportedly the subject of previous investigations in Canada related to drug trafficking. Investigators allege that proceeds from the fraud were transferred, in part, to a company he owned called WYB AG General Trading.
Colombian police hail arrest as international law enforcement success
Col. Alver Vicente Alfonso Sanabria, director of the Interpol investigation unit within Colombia’s National Police, described the arrest as a significant achievement in international law enforcement cooperation.
“Mezrahi’s arrest is a significant result of the international police cooperation mechanisms led by Interpol’s National Central Bureau in Colombia,” Sanabria said.
“It demonstrates the country’s commitment to combating transnational organized crime,” he added.
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