Jerusalem, May 21: Jerusalemite activists have launched a hashtag on Twitter – #we are not hungry – as a rejection of Ramadan meals provided by the UAE for visitors to Al-Aqsa Mosque. They argue that the Gulf State is consorting with the Israeli occupation of Palestine, having sent a team to cyclists to participate in the international Giro d'Italia cycle race which passed through occupied Jerusalem on the 70th anniversary of the Nakba.
The Palestinian Olympic Committee has condemned the participation of UAE riders in the race. It described such participation as a precedent of such gravity that it is treason against the great struggle of the Palestinian people.
According to Hebrew-language radio in Israel, the normalisation of relations between the occupation state and the UAE is such that Minister of Communications Ayoob Kara has received an official invitation to visit the Emirates. The Israeli minister added that he is also expecting Gulf officials to visit Israel soon.
Associated Press and the Washington Post reported earlier that the ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain, Yousef Al-Otaiba and Abdullah Bin Rashed Al-Khalifa respectively, have already met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a restaurant in Washington.
Bahrain also sent a team to take part in the Giro d’Italia event. Indeed, the government in Manama sent a delegation to Israel and conducted “provocative” tours in Jerusalem a few days after US President Donald Trump acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel last December.
Commenting on Trump’s announcement, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister called it a “side” issue. “It is not useful to engage in a battle with the United States on side issues,” he tweeted. Palestinians called his statement “a model of cultural Judaisation that has infected the minds of the perverts and Zionists.”
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Mangaluru: A 57-year-old man has allegedly been cheated of Rs 10.55 lakh by online fraudsters who lured him into investing in a so-called digital gold trading platform through Instagram, Deccan Herald reported on Tuesday.
According to the complaint, the victim was browsing Instagram at his residence on November 12, 2025, when he received a message from an account named “Suhani Patel.” The accused initiated a friendly conversation and later persuaded him to invest in the “digital gold market,” promising high returns.
The accused subsequently shared a mobile number and sent a link via WhatsApp, asking the complainant to install an application called “Kanak Daam Exchange.” Following the instructions, the victim downloaded the app and registered.
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The accused told the complainant that all transactions would be handled through the app’s customer service. Following their instructions, the complainant contacted the customer service through the app and sent a message requesting US dollars in exchange for Indian rupees. He was then directed to transfer money to specific bank accounts provided by the accused.
Trusting the claims, the complainant transferred Rs 1,50,000, Rs 3,45,000 and Rs 5,60,000 in multiple transactions, amounting to a total of Rs 10,55,000.
Subsequently, the app displayed that his total investment had grown to Rs 60 lakh. However, when he attempted to withdraw the amount due to personal financial needs, the request was denied. On contacting customer service, he was informed that he would have to pay 30 per cent of the total amount as “tax” before any withdrawal could be processed.
Growing suspicious, the complainant reportedly consulted officials at Canara Bank, who advised him that it was a fraud and warned him not to transfer any more money. When he confronted the accused, the amount displayed in the app was allegedly reduced to zero, and he was blocked from further communication.
Despite further attempts to contact “Suhani Patel,” the accused allegedly continued to assure him that the lost money would be returned, before eventually blocking him.
The complainant stated that he was cheated between November 12, 2025 and February 27, 2026, and has urged police to take action against the fraudsters.
A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.
