Jindalee Lithium (JLL:AU) has announced Ian Rodger Appointed Managing Director
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Mali’s military-led government has completed its takeover of the Yatela and Morila gold mines.
Reuters reported on Monday (June 30) that according to the Malian government, control of the Yatela mine in Western Kayes and the Morila mine in Southern Sikasso has officially been transferred to the Society for Research and Exploitation of Mineral Resources of Mali (SEMOS), a newly formed entity in the country.
The Yatela mine was abandoned in 2016 by Sadiola Exploration Company — a joint venture between South Africa’s AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU,JSE:ANG) and Canada’s IAMGOLD (TSX:IMG,NYSE:IAG) — after the operators deemed continued production uneconomic despite leftover reserves.
Morila, once one of Mali’s flagship gold sites, was abandoned in 2022 by Australia’s Firefinch, which had taken over the site from Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) and AngloGold. Mali’s government says Morila was left with “significant environmental and financial liabilities,” raising concerns about whether SEMOS can turn operations around profitably.
These moves are part of a broader push by Mali’s military government, which came to power after coups in 2020 and 2021, to restructure the gold sector and capture more revenue from high commodities prices.
Mali produces around 65 metric tons of gold annually, making it Africa’s second largest producer, yet it lacks an internationally certified refinery and is heavily dependent on foreign operators for both technology and market access.
Earlier this year, Business Insider Africa reported that the country had started construction on a Russia-backed gold refinery, another step meant to increase control over its natural resources.
Since taking power, Mali’s authorities have steadily pressured miners via higher taxes, tougher licensing conditions and new contract terms aligned with its 2023 mining code, which grants the state a bigger stake in operations.
Yet critics caution that simply taking over mines without clear management plans or technical expertise risks undercutting investor confidence and missing out on today’s high gold price.
Gold is up 28.5 percent year-to-date, hitting an all-time high of US$3,500 per ounce in April, driven by geopolitical fears and US President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policy.
Mali’s ongoing dispute with Barrick Mining
Mali’s relationship with Barrick has soured amid the country’s move to exert resource sector control.
Earlier this month, a commercial court in Bamako ordered the temporary transfer of control of Barrick’s flagship Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex to a state-appointed administrator for six months.
Judge Issa Aguibou Diallo appointed Soumana Makadji, a former health minister and certified accountant, to oversee the complex, participate in negotiations and report to the court quarterly, but not to the government directly.
Barrick called the move “unjustified” and “unprecedented,” maintaining that it remains committed to previous mining conventions and that the Malian government’s push to apply the 2023 mining code retroactively is legally invalid.
Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto complex, among the most productive gold mines in Africa, has been inactive since January after Malian authorities seized roughly 3 metric tons of gold over disputed taxes.
Since November 2024, the government has also blocked gold exports from the site, escalating tensions as the gold rally has boosted Mali’s hopes for greater revenue.
The government insists that Barrick must comply with its revised mining framework. Barrick, on the other hand, has started international arbitration to protect its long-term agreements.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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Uranium market watchers know that Canada’s Athabasca Basin is among the world’s richest uranium jurisdictions and hosts several of the highest-grade uranium deposits on the planet.
Spanning close to 100,000 square kilometers of the Canadian Shield of Northern Saskatchewan and Alberta, the Athabasca Basin is a major contributor to Canada’s status as the second largest uranium producer and the third largest country by uranium reserves.
Unsurprisingly, the region is home to the world’s largest uranium mine, Cigar Lake. The mine reports average grades of 14.69 percent U3O8 and accounts for 14 percent of global uranium production.
First commissioned in 2014, Cigar Lake is operated by uranium major Cameco (TSX:CCO,NYSE:CCJ), which holds a 54.547 percent stake in the mine, as part of a joint venture with Orano Canada at 40.453 percent and TEPCO Resources at 5 percent. Ore from the underground mine property is processed at Orano’s McClean Lake mill, located 70 kilometers from the mine.
Uranium was first discovered in the Athabasca Basin in 1934, and today the region remains a major hot spot for uranium exploration. In recent years, a number of Athabasca Basin uranium companies have made exciting new discoveries, sparking a staking rush by others looking to get in on the action.
Athabasca Basin uranium exploration companies
1. ATHA Energy (TSXV:SASK,OTCQB:SASKF)
ATHA Energy has an extensive uranium exploration pipeline across Canada, including in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin. At 3.8 million acres, ATHA’s land package in the Athabasca Basin includes the Gemini project, a basement-hosted near-surface uranium deposit with uranium intercepts of between 6,190 and 96,600 parts per million.
The company also holds a 10 percent carried interest in exploration projects operated by NexGen Energy (TSX:NXE,NYSE:NXE) and IsoEnergy (TSX:ISO).
2. Azincourt Energy (TSXV:AAZ,OTCQB:AZURF)
Azincourt Energy has two uranium projects in Canada, one of which is its East Preston joint venture project near the southern edge of the Western Athabasca Basin. Azincourt has an 86.5 percent interest, with the remainder held by Skyharbour Resources. The 20,647 hectare property is adjacent to Skyharbour’s minority-owned Preston project.
Azincourt says it is targeting basement-hosted unconformity-related uranium deposits in two prospective conductive, low-magnetic-signature corridors. The company is planning for a fall 2025 geophysics exploration program at East Preston in preparation for a potential winter 2026 diamond drill program.
3. Baselode Energy (TSXV:FIND)
Baselode Energy’s strategy is developing assets near the Athabasca Basin with similar geology. Its ACKIO near-surface uranium discovery at its Hook project is located directly adjacent to the Athabascan Basin. First discovered by the company in September 2021, the ACKIO near-surface uranium prospect is more than 375 meters along strike, and more than 150 meters wide.
Baselode has identified at least nine separate uranium pods, or small bodies of mineralization, on the project. Drill results from its summer 2024 exploration program were released in May 2025, demonstrating the potential for further expansion of the known uranium mineralization at ACKIO.
4. CanAlaska Uranium (TSXV:CVV)
CanAlaska Uranium is a project generator with interests in a portfolio of assets in the Athabasca Basin covering 1.24 million acres. The company is advancing its West McArthur joint venture with Cameco, which is situated near the McArthur River mine in the Eastern Athabasca Basin. CanAlaska owns 85 percent of the project.
CanAlaska’s 2025 C$12.5 million drill program at West McArthur is aimed at expanding and delineating the high-grade Pike Zone uranium discovery.
Earlier this year, the company completed the first drilling in over 10 years at its wholly owned Cree East deposit in the south-eastern portion of the Basin. The drill program was fully funded by Nexus Uranium (CSE:NEXU,OTCQB:GIDMF) as part of an option earn-in agreement to earn up to 75 percent interest in the project.
5. Denison Mines (TSX:DML)
Uranium miner Denison Mines’ direct ownership interests in the Athabasca Basin region covers approximately 384,000 hectares. The company has a 22.25 percent stake in the McClean Lake mine and mill joint venture project operated by Orano Canada.
Denison’s flagship project in the region is Wheeler River, considered the largest undeveloped uranium project in the eastern region of the Athabasca Basin. Wheeler River hosts the high-grade Phoenix and Gryphon deposits.
According to a 2023 feasibility study, Phoenix hosts a proven and probable resource of 219,000 metric tons at an average grade of 11.7 percent uranium for 53.3 million pounds. The company plans to develop the deposit as an in-situ recovery operation.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is slated to conduct hearings for the project’s environmental assessment and license on October 8 and December 8 to 12, 2025. If approval is granted, the company is looking to break ground in early 2026 and commence production by the first half of 2028.
As for the Gryphon deposit, Denison has evaluated it as a conventional mine in a pre-feasibility study. The company conducted a field program in the first quarter 2025 that may be used for a future feasibility study.
6. F3 Uranium (TSXV:FUU,OTCQB:FUUFF)
F3 Uranium has three exploration properties in the western region of the Athabasca Basin: the advanced-stage Patterson Lake North project, which hosts the JR discovery, as well as the early-stage Minto and Broach projects.
In February 2025, the company launched a drill campaign at its Patterson Lake North project followed by ground geophysical exploration programs at its Broach and Minto projects. F3 Uranium raised C$7 million in flow-through shares in May 2025, which will go towards further exploration of its uranium projects.
7. Forum Energy Metals (TSXV:FMC,OTCQB:FDCFF)
Forum Energy Metals has numerous wholly owned and joint venture projects hosting new discoveries of high-grade unconformity-related uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin. So far in 2025, the company’s focus has been on the Northwest Athabasca (NWA) project, a joint venture between Forum at 45.4 percent, NexGen Energy at 25.3 percent, Cameco at 18 percent and Orano Canada at 11.3 percent.
Early in the year, Forum announced an option agreement allowing Global Uranium (CSE:GURN,OTCQB:GURFF) to earn up to 75 percent of Forum’s stake in the property by spending C$20 million in exploration expenditures at NWA.
In April, Global Uranium completed a diamond drilling program and ground geophysical surveys on the project, which intersected elevated radioactivity and alteration systems distinct to unconformity-type uranium mineralization.
8. IsoEnergy (TSX:ISO)
IsoEnergy has a portfolio of projects and joint ventures in the Eastern Athabasca Basin, and its main focus is the Hurricane deposit at its wholly owned Larocque East uranium property.
The company discovered Hurricane in 2018 and it now stands as the world’s highest-grade indicated resource of uranium. A 2022 resource estimate reported an indicated high-grade resource of 63,800 metric tons grading 34.5 percent uranium for 48.61 million pounds of contained uranium.
IsoEnergy’s summer exploration program will include drilling to test potential resource expansion at Larocque East as well as exploration at its other Athabasca Basin projects.
9. NexGen Energy (TSX:NXE,NYSE:NXE)
NexGen is another uranium mining company with a large land package in the basin, including its development-stage Rook I project.
Rook I has a measured and indicated resource estimate of 256.7 million pounds contained uranium from ore grading an average of 3.1 percent U3O8. The 2021 feasibility study outlines an 11.5 year initial mine life with up to 29.2 million pounds of U3O8 production per year for the first five years.
The Federal Environmental Impact Statement for Rook I was accepted in January 2025, and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has proposed hearing dates for the project on November 19, 2025, and February 9 to 13, 2026. NexGen plans to immediately begin construction activities following final federal approval.
10.Paladin Energy (TSX:PDN)
Paladin Energy’s Patterson Lake South (PLS) project hosts the large, high-grade and near-surface Triple R deposit, which has the potential to produce both uranium and gold. The company acquired it as part of its acquisition of Fission Uranium in 2024. Paladin also holds six early-stage uranium projects in the basin.
PLS’s mineral reserve estimate includes probable reserves of 93.7 million pounds from 3 million metric tons of ore at an average grade of 1.41 percent U3O8. The 2023 feasibility study demonstrates life of mine production of approximately 9 million pounds U3O8 per year over a 10 year mine life.
The company released positive drill results from its winter drill program on the Saloon East zone in June 2025 showing the potential to further grow the resource base of the property outside of the Triple R deposit. The project is advancing through the environmental permitting process.
11. Purepoint Uranium (TSXV:PTU)
Purepoint Uranium has an extensive uranium portfolio, including six joint ventures and five wholly owned projects all located in the Athabasca Basin.
Purepoint has a significant joint venture relationship with IsoEnergy (TSX:ISO) that includes a 50/50 joint venture agreement to explore 10 uranium projects across 98,000 hectares in the eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin. The partners launched a 2025 drill campaign in May at the Dorado project, which will include approximately 5,400 meters across 18 holes, targeting high-priority electromagnetic conductors for uranium mineralization.
Its joint ventures also include the Hook Lake uranium project in the Patterson region, in which it owns a 21 percent interest alongside Cameco and Orano Canada, which both hold 39.5 percent.
12. Skyharbour Resources (TSXV:SYH,OTCQX:SYHBF)
Skyharbour Resources is another junior mining company with an extensive portfolio of uranium exploration projects in the Athabasca Basin, comprising 36 uranium projects over 614,000 hectares. The company’s core projects include its 57.7 percent owned Russell Lake project — a joint venture with Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) — and its wholly owned Moore project.
Skyharbour’s 49,635 hectare Preston uranium project in the western portion of the Athabasca Basin is the subject of a 7,000 meter 2025 summer drill campaign being conducted by its joint venture partner, Orano Canada. Orano is the majority owner and operator at the project at 53.4 percent, while Skyharbour owns a minority interest of approximately 25.6 percent. The remainder is held by Dixie Gold.
13. Standard Uranium (TSXV:STND,OTCQB:STTDF)
Standard Uranium is an emerging project generator that holds interest in over 94,476 hectares in the Athabasca Basin, including its flagship Davidson River project in the southwest region of the basin.
In spring 2025, Standard Uranium partnered with Fleet Space Technologies Canada on three ExoSphere Multiphysics survey grids across the Warrior, Bronco and Thunderbird conductors at Davidson River. The surveys will provide important data for upgrading drill targets across the property through imaging of density anomalies in the basement rock.
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Monday (June 30) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.
Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.
Bitcoin and Ethereum price update
Bitcoin (BTC) is priced at US$107,538, up 0.2 percent in the last 24 hours. The day’s range for the cryptocurrency brought a low of US$106,831 and a high of US$107,802 at the opening bell.
Bitcoin price performance, June 27, 2025.
Chart via TradingView.
Ethereum (ETH) closed at US$2,510.38, up by 3.1 percent over the past 24 hours and its highest valuation of the day. Its lowest valuation on Monday was US$2,443.56.
Altcoin price update
- Solana (SOL) was priced at US$156.95, up by 4.1 percent over 24 hours. Its highest valuation as of Monday was US$158.34, and its lowest was US$150.53.
- XRP was trading for US$2.29, up by 5.5 percent in 24 hours and its highest valuation on Monday. The cryptocurrency’s lowest valuation was US$2.17.
- Sui (SUI) is trading at US$2.82, showing an increaseof 0.5 percent over the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation was US$2.75, and its highest valuation was US$2.83.
- Cardano (ADA) is priced at US$0.5829, up by 4.8 percent in the last 24 hours and its highest valuation of the day. Its lowest valuation on Monday was US$0.5589.
Today’s crypto news to know
REX to launch Solana staking ETF this week
The REX-Osprey Solana and Staking ETF is set to launch on Wednesday (July 2), as confirmed by issuer REX Shares on Monday. Analysts had predicted this news was imminent just days before its release.
This fund, the first US-staked cryptocurrency ETF, will enable investors to hold Solana and generate yield through staking, potentially fostering wider institutional adoption of cryptocurrency.
REX’s launch comes after thoughtful consideration by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The commission had previously asserted that the company’s unique C-Corp business structure could be in conflict with Rule 6c-11 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which governs how ETFs operate and are regulated. REX updated its prospectus with positive feedback, securing regulatory approval for the fund.
OSL soars after buying Canadian crypto firm Banxa
OSL Group (HKEX:0863), a Hong Kong-listed digital asset platform, saw its shares spike 10 percent after announcing it had acquired Canadian crypto payments firm Banxa. The acquisition supports OSL’s ambitious global expansion strategy, which includes applying for stablecoin licenses as new regulatory frameworks emerge.
Finance Chief Ivan Wong explained that acquiring Banxa would enhance OSL’s cross-border payments capabilities and boost its role in the growing stablecoin market.
Hong Kong’s stablecoin bill, set to take effect on August 1, is a major catalyst for this expansion, with Chinese giants already showing interest. OSL is already licensed in Australia, with deals in Japan, Europe and Indonesia soon to close. The company aims to be a key stablecoin issuer in Asia and beyond.
Metaplanet strengthens Bitcoin treasury with fresh bond issuance
Tokyo-based Metaplanet (OTCQX:MTPLF,TSE:3350) has added another 1,005 BTC to its corporate treasury, pushing its total holdings to 13,350 BTC. To further build its crypto war chest, the company announced a zero-interest bond issuance worth US$208 million, designed to finance additional Bitcoin purchases.
Metaplanet is well known for its aggressive Bitcoin strategy, which has made it one of the world’s largest corporate holders of the cryptocurrency. Just last week, the hotel and investment firm raised US$515 million through an equity issuance to support its Bitcoin ambitions.
At current market prices around, Metaplanet’s Bitcoin stash is worth well over US$1.4 billion.
The Blockchain Group expands Bitcoin holdings and capital pool
Paris-based the Blockchain Group has further strengthened its Bitcoin treasury with the purchase of 60 BTC for around 5.5 million euros, boosting its holdings to 1,788 BTC.
The firm also raised about 600,000 euros by exercising warrants, allowing it to buy an additional 6 BTC.
Blockstream CEO Adam Back invested in the firm’s share offering, subscribing to over 2.1 million new shares, while French asset manager TOBAM contributed nearly 143,000 euros, supporting the purchase of 13 more BTC.
The company conducted an “ATM-type” capital increase with TOBAM, raising 4.1 million euros to fund 41 BTC.
Altogether, the Blockchain Group has secured a BTC yield of roughly 1,270 percent so far this year, with gains amounting to about 46.7 million euros.
Backed Finance launches tokenized stock product
Backed Finance, a company focused on bridging traditional financial assets like stocks and ETFs onto blockchain through tokenization, announced the launch of its tokenized stocks product, xStocks, on Monday.
60 stocks are now accessible on Bybit, Kraken and several Solana DeFi protocols, providing users with exposure to traditional stocks through blockchain infrastructure.
‘xStocks represent a monumental leap forward in democratizing access to financial markets,’ said Adam Levi, co-founder of Backed, in a press release. ‘By bringing familiar assets onto the blockchain with unprecedented accessibility, we are not just bridging traditional finance and DeFi; we are building the foundational blocks for a truly open, efficient, and inclusive global financial system where everyone can participate in wealth creation.’
Chainlink rolls out Automated Compliance Engine
Chainlink announced an early access rollout of its Automated Compliance Engine on Monday.
Built on the Chainlink Runtime Environment and launched in collaboration with Apex Group, GLEIF and ERC-3643 Association, the system automates the process of checking and enforcing financial rules for both traditional and blockchain-based financial activities, making it easier for established financial institutions to use new blockchain technologies in a compliant and safe way.
Topnotch Crypto launches adaptive yield contracts
Topnotch Crypto has launched its new adaptive yield contracts, which the company says are aimed at helping crypto investors maintain returns despite ongoing market volatility.
The contracts use proprietary predictive yield-switching artificial intelligence to automatically rotate customer funds between cloud mining and staking, depending on which is more profitable in real time.
The company’s strategy analyzes a range of on-chain data, from network congestion to staking rates, to continuously optimize yields. Unlike many passive strategies, the adaptive yield approach gives investors exposure to multiple cryptocurrencies to spread out risk. Another highlight is Topnotch’s use of geothermal and solar energy, which helps keep costs down while supporting sustainability goals.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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More than 40 people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit a cafe near the port in Gaza City, according to the head of the territory’s largest hospital.
Dr. Mohammad Abu Silmiya, the director of Al-Shifa hospital, said in an update on Monday night that at least 41 people had been killed and 75 injured in the strike.
The Al-Baqa cafe was a well-known spot for students, journalists and remote workers, as it offered internet and a place to work by the Mediterranean coast.
He also said the hospital was short of ICU beds and anesthetics to treat the casualties. The death toll increased Monday night after some people died from their injuries.
“We are treating the injured on the hospital floor as no rooms and hospital beds are available,” the hospital director added.
Among those killed was a freelance journalist, Ismail Abu Hatab, according to other journalists at the scene.
The Hamas-controlled Government Media Office said his death brought to 228 the number of journalists killed by Israeli military action in Gaza since October 2023.
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The British Royal Household released its financial statement on Monday, revealing that the annual lump sum from the government remained at £86.3 million ($118.50 million).
The sum, called the Sovereign Grant, pays for the upkeep of royal palaces and the royals’ official duties and is funded by British taxpayer money. In return, the monarch hands over all profits from the Crown Estate — which includes vast swathes of central London property, the Ascot Racecourse and the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland — to the government, in an arrangement dating back to 1760.
The Sovereign Grant functions like an expense account for the monarch and their representatives, covering the costs of their public duties, including travel, staff, and upkeep of historic properties. Notably, it excludes funding for security, which also incurs a high cost given the royals’ numerous public engagements and events.
Royal family members undertook more than “1,900 public engagements in the UK and overseas, while more than 93,000 guests attended 828 events at Official Royal Palaces,” the annual Sovereign Grant Report said.
The total grant of £86.3 million ($118.50 million), which by law remains the same as the three previous financial years, is comprised of a £51.8 million ($71.1 million), core grant and £34.5 million ($47.4 million) to fund the refurbishment of Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace, a top tourist attraction in central London, is undergoing a major modernization project that will see upgrades to electric cabling, pipework, elevators and accessible bathrooms.
The royal family will decommission the royal train “following a thorough review into its use and value for money,” according to the accounts report. The monarchy has been using its own rail travel since Queen Victoria first boarded a specially built carriage from Slough, England, to London Paddington Station in 1842.
The report also said the Royal Household will increase its use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and continue the electrification of its fleet of vehicles.
Last year, the Royal Household announced it aimed to transition to an “almost fully electric” fleet of vehicles, without providing a target date. Britain’s PA Media reported that the King’s two Bentleys would be modified to run on biofuel.
The royal family’s three main sources of income are the Sovereign Grant, the Duchy of Lancaster and Duchy of Cornwall estates and their personal property and investments.
The level of funding for the British royal family has long fueled criticism, with one anti-monarchy group calling for the Sovereign Grant to be abolished and for the British public to keep all the profits of the Crown Estate.
“The grant system is mad. Funding goes up not because of any need for extra money, but because the grant is linked to government profits from land managed by the Crown Estate,” Graham Smith, a campaigner for the group Republic, said in a statement earlier this year. “The palace has recycled the excuse of needing the money for refurbishment of Buckingham Palace, an excuse used to double the grant ten years ago.”
“It’s time that half a billion pounds was put to good use, that there was proper accounting for the cost of the monarchy and for that cost to be slashed to just a few million pounds,” Smith added.
The Keeper of the Privy Purse, James Chalmers, said in a statement on Monday as the report was released: “Soft power is hard to measure but its value is, I believe, now firmly understood at home and abroad, as the core themes of the new reign have come into even sharper focus, and the Royal Family have continued in their service to the nation, Realms and Commonwealth.”
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Prosecutors in northern Mexico’s Sinaloa state are investigating the discovery of 20 male bodies with gunshot wounds – including five that were decapitated – on a bridge over a federal highway.
Sinaloa Secretary General Feliciano Castro Meléndez called the case a “regrettable situation” and said it was “part of the violence and insecurity that Sinaloa is experiencing.”
Since 2024, Culiacán has been the epicenter of armed clashes between rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel.
Two of the most prominent factions are La Mayiza, which is loyal to the cartel’s alleged co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, and Los Chapitos, which is loyal to the sons of former drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
‘Los Chapitos’
The violence in Sinaloa escalated after Zambada and one of El Chapo’s sons, Joaquín Guzmán López, were arrested last year by US authorities in El Paso, Texas.
Former Mexican Secretary of Security Rosa Icela Rodriguez said Guzmán López had reached an agreement with one of his brothers, Ovidio Guzmán López, who is in US custody, “So that they would go to the United States to surrender.”
Ovidio had been extradited to the US in September 2023 to face drug trafficking charges over his alleged role in the Sinaloa cartel. Days after his extradition, he pleaded not guilty to the charges in a US court.
Later that month, several members of his family entered the US as part of an apparent “negotiation or plea deal opportunity provided by the (US) Department of Justice itself,” Mexico’s Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said.
Two other sons of El Chapo, Ivan Archivaldo and Jesus Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, are still at large. The US has accused them of leading large-scale drug trafficking operations for the cartel and has issued $10 million bounties for information leading to each of their arrests.
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Turkish police arrested at least four cartoonists on Monday accused of drawing and distributing a cartoon that authorities and protesters say is a depiction of the Prophet Mohammed and Moses.
The cartoon, published in a political satire magazine, shows what appears to be a Muslim and a Jewish man, both with wings and halos, shaking hands and greeting each other as bombs fall below.
The cartoon went viral on social media four days after it was published. Hundreds of people took to Istanbul’s main tourist street, chanting “Allah is Great” and calling for sharia law in protest. Turkish authorities quickly condemned the magazine.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya called the cartoon a provocation and said those “who dare to do this will be held accountable before the law.” Yerlikaya said the cartoon was not protected by freedom of expression or freedom of speech.
Fahrettin Altun, the head communications for the Turkish Presidency, called it a “vile attack on our beliefs and values.”
The country’s Justice Ministry announced an investigation had been launched into the incident under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code for the crime of “publicly insulting religious values.”
LeMan, the weekly political satire magazine known for irreverent comics similar to French Charlie Hebdo, released a statement saying their cartoon was not depicting the Islamic prophet.
“This cartoon is not a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). In the work, the name Mohammed is fictionalized as belonging to a Muslim person killed in Israel’s bombardments. There are more than 200 million people named Mohammed in the Islamic world. The work does not refer to the Prophet Mohammed in any way,” the magazine said.
“By highlighting a murdered Muslim, the aim was to highlight the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people, with no intention whatsoever of belittling religious values. We reject the stigma imposed on us, as there is no depiction of our Prophet,” LeMan said.
“To interpret the cartoon in such a way requires extreme malice,” the magazine added, but also offered an apology to any readers who may have been offended.
As protesters took to the streets, the Interior Ministry released videos of cartoonists being detained in their homes, barefoot and handcuffed by police with captions such as “You will not escape from our security forces or from justice.”
Protesters were seen kicking the doors of the magazine offices in central Istanbul. In one video a demonstrator shouts, “For our Prophet, we would give our lives and take lives; no one can insult our Prophet.”
The crowd also performed a nighttime prayer. Within hours, Istanbul’s governor Davut Gul announced that all four people who were wanted for the cartoon were in police custody.
Gul did not say if any demonstrators were detained but said in a statement, “It has been determined that some individuals mingling among the protesters have engaged in provocative actions. It is of great importance that the protesting groups disperse to prevent harm to our citizens and to maintain public order.”
Some groups have called for further protests against the magazine on Tuesday.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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Thailand’s embattled prime minister was suspended from duty Tuesday and could face dismissal pending an ethics probe over a leaked phone call she had with Cambodia’s powerful former leader.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 38, has only held the premiership for 10 months after replacing her predecessor, who was removed from office. Her suspension brings fresh uncertainty to the Southeast Asian kingdom, which has been roiled by years of political turbulence and leadership shake-ups.
Thailand’s Constitutional Court accepted a petition brought by a group of 36 senators who accused Paetongtarn of violating the constitution for breaching ethical standards in the leaked call, which was confirmed as authentic by both sides.
The court voted to suspend Paetongtarn from her prime ministerial duties until it reaches a verdict in the ethics case. Paetongtarn will remain in the Cabinet as culture minister following a reshuffle.
Paetongtarn has faced increasing calls to resign, with anti-government protesters taking to the streets of the capital Bangkok on Saturday, after the leaked call with Cambodia’s Hun Sen over an escalating border dispute sparked widespread anger in the country.
The scandal prompted the Bhumjaithai party, a major partner of the prime minister’s government, to withdraw from the coalition last week, dealing a major blow to her Pheu Thai party’s ability to hold power. Paetongtarn is also contending with plummeting approvals ratings and faces a no-confidence vote in parliament.
In the leaked call, which took place on June 15, Paetongtarn could be heard calling former Cambodian strongman Hun Sen “uncle” and appeared to criticize her own army’s actions after border clashes led to the death of a Cambodian soldier last month.
The Thai prime minister could be heard telling Hun Sen that she was under domestic pressure and urged him not to listen to the “opposite side,” in which she referred to an outspoken Thai army commander in Thailand’s northeast.
She also added that if Hun Sen “wants anything, he can just tell me, and I will take care of it.”
Her comments in the leaked audio struck a nerve in Thailand, and opponents accused her of compromising the country’s national interests.
Following the ruling, Paetongtarn said she accepts the court’s decision and that her intention “was truly to act for the good of the country.”
“I want to make it clear that my intentions were more than 100% sincere — I acted for the country, to protect our sovereignty, to safeguard the lives of our soldiers, and to preserve peace in our nation,” she said in a press conference Tuesday.
“I also want to apologize to all my fellow Thais who may feel uneasy or upset about this matter,” she added.
Thailand and Cambodia have had a complicated relationship of both cooperation and rivalry in recent decades. The two countries share a 508-mile (817-kilometer) land border – largely mapped by the French while they occupied Cambodia – that has periodically seen military clashes and been the source of political tensions.
In the wake of the scandal, Paetongtarn tried to downplay her remarks to Hun Sen, saying at a press conference she was trying to diffuse tensions between the two neighbors and the “private” call “shouldn’t have been made public.”
The prime minister said she was using a “negotiation tactic” and her comments were “not a statement of allegiance.”
Paetongtarn became prime minister last year after the Constitutional Court ruled that her predecessor Srettha Thavisin had breached ethics rules and voted to dismiss him as prime minister.
The same court also dissolved the country’s popular progressive Move Forward Party, which won the most seats in the 2023 election, and banned its leaders from politics for 10 years.
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