40 arrested in violent protests over Quran burning in Sweden

Published

4 years ago

April 19, 2022

More than 40 people have been arrested after violent protests erupted in Sweden against a far right group’s plan to burn the Quran

The outrage was sparked by Danish-Swedish politician, Rasmus Paludan’s organised series of rallies during the month of Ramadan.

Paludan who is also the leader of the anti-immigration and anti-Islam group Hard Line says he has already burnt a copy of the holy book and wants to do it again.

The protests that started in the cities of Linköping and Norrköping turned violent as clashes between the protesters and the police broke out.

Since then, the protests have also spread out to other cities like Orebo, Rinkeby and Malmo.

In Malmo, a school and some vehicles were set on fire by an angry crowd.

Sweden’s national police chief, Anders Thornberg says he has never witnessed such violent clashes happening in Norrkoping, 160 km south-west of Stockholm.

The police says 26 police officers and 14 members of the public were injured in the violence with more than 20 vehicles destroyed.

“Some 200 participants were violent and the police had to respond with arms in legitimate self-defence,” Thornberg says.

Rasmus Paludan burned the holy book publicly in Linkoping despite protesters urging police to stop the politician.

Saudi Arabia has also condemned the events conspiring in Sweden calling it a “deliberate abuse of the holy Quran by some extremists”.

Iraq’s foreign ministry has also summoned Sweden’s charge d’affaires, saying the events could have “repurcussions” on “relations between Sweden and Muslims”.

Rijul Baath contributed to this report

Russia bans WhatsApp and promotes state-backed messaging app

Kremlin blocks WhatsApp, urging citizens to use state-backed MAX; critics warn of surveillance, prompting protests in Moscow.

Published

5 hours ago

February 13, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Kremlin blocks WhatsApp, urging citizens to use state-backed MAX; critics warn of surveillance, prompting protests in Moscow.

The Kremlin has officially blocked WhatsApp, urging Russians to switch to MAX, a state-backed messaging app. This move comes after Meta refused to comply with local regulations, sparking debates over digital freedom in the country.

Critics warn that MAX could be used for government surveillance, though authorities deny these claims. The ban highlights Russia’s growing control over foreign tech platforms and its push for locally regulated alternatives.

Activists in Moscow have staged protests calling for an open and unregulated internet, while the public reacts with a mix of concern and resignation.

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News

U.S. secretly sent 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran after protests

US covertly sent 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran amid protests, aiding internet access despite government shutdowns and crackdown violence.

Published

5 hours ago

February 13, 2026

Harvey Vargas

US covertly sent 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran amid protests, aiding internet access despite government shutdowns and crackdown violence.

U.S. officials report that the Trump administration covertly sent around 6,000 Starlink satellite internet terminals into Iran following widespread protests. The move was designed to bypass strict internet blackouts imposed by authorities in Tehran.

The terminals reportedly enabled activists and dissidents to reconnect with the outside world during periods of severe digital restriction, raising fresh questions about foreign involvement and cyber strategy.

As geopolitical tensions simmer, the revelation underscores how connectivity has become a powerful tool in modern conflict.

#Iran #Starlink #DonaldTrump #MiddleEast #GlobalPolitics #TechNews #InternetFreedom #BreakingNews

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News

Anthropic secures 30 billion in fresh funding as valuation surges

Anthropic raises $30B, doubling valuation to $380B, boosting global AI race with support from GIC, Coatue, Microsoft, and Nvidia.

Published

5 hours ago

February 13, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Anthropic raises $30B, doubling valuation to $380B, boosting global AI race with support from GIC, Coatue, Microsoft, and Nvidia.

Anthropic has secured a staggering $30 billion in fresh funding, catapulting its valuation to $380 billion and cementing its place among the most valuable AI companies in the world. The raise marks the second-largest private technology funding round ever, trailing only OpenAI’s $40 billion deal.

Major backers in this latest round include Singapore’s GIC and Coatue Management, alongside existing heavyweight partners Microsoft and Nvidia. The scale of the investment underscores intensifying global competition in artificial intelligence as capital continues to flood into the sector.

Anthropic’s valuation has more than doubled in just five months, fuelled by rapid enterprise growth. The company now works with eight of the Fortune 10 and boasts more than 500 customers spending over $1 million annually, highlighting surging demand for advanced AI tools across corporate America.

#ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Anthropic #TechNews #VentureCapital #BigTech #Innovation #Startups