Aga Khan, the leader of Ismaili Muslims, laid to rest in Egypt during private burial ceremony
ASWAN, Egypt — The Aga Khan IV was laid to rest on Sunday at a private ceremony in Aswan, Egypt.
The death of Prince Karim - the 49th hereditary imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims - was announced Tuesday by the Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili religious community. His son, 53-year-old Rahim Al-Hussaini, has been named as the Aga Khan V , the spiritual leader of the world's millions of Ismaili Muslims, in according with his father's will.
On Saturday, a private funeral service took place at the Ismaili community center in Lisbon attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Spain's King Emeritus Juan Carlos and Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa .
The Aga Khan is considered by his followers to be a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and is treated as a head of state.
The governor of Aswan welcomed Prince Karim's family at the southern Egyptian's provinces airport on Saturday.
'When his will was opened, it was found that he had requested to be buried in Aswan near his grandfather, Sultan Muhammad Shah, and his grandmother, Om Habiba,' said Maj. Gen. Ismail Kamal.
Ismaili mourners marched as bells rang during the burial ceremony in the country's southern Aswan province, as Prince Karim's body was taken in a van. They carried his body, draped in a white shroud, and placed it on a yacht on the Nile River.
Prince Karim, 88, was given the title of 'His Highness' by Queen Elizabeth in July 1957, two weeks after his grandfather, the Aga Khan III, unexpectedly made him heir to the family's 1,300-year dynasty as leader of the Ismaili Muslim sect.
The late Aga Khan evolved over decades into a business magnate and a philanthropist, moving between the spiritual and the worldly with ease. He was a defender of Islamic culture and values, but also widely regarded as a builder of bridges between Muslim societies and the West.
The Aga Khan Development Network deals mainly with issues of health care, housing, education and rural economic development. It says it works in over 30 countries and has an annual budget of about $1 billion for nonprofit development activities.
Ismailis lived for many generations in Iran, Syria and South Asia before also settling in east Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East, as well as Europe, North America and Australia more recently. They consider it a duty to donate up to 12.5% of their income to the Aga Khan as steward.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
China carefully assembling a deep-sea mining strategy
In a world hungry for crucial resources, China may not be poised to start deep-sea mining but it is planting seeds for such operations in a meticulously planned economic and geopolitical strategy. The world's oceans, both international waters and those under national jurisdiction, are rich in minerals and metals, like cobalt, nickel and copper. These are important for building electric car batteries, for instance, and other technologies as countries try to transition away from fossil fuels. China "is an energy-thirsty country. It will look for resources everywhere," including the deep sea, said Julia Xue of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. But she said China is not particularly anxious over the issue, although recent developments -- one company is itching to be the first to start mining the sea bed -- may put more pressure on Beijing. A Canadian firm, The Metals Company, has filed an application with the United States to begin undersea mining in international waters. Using its American subsidiary, it acted after President Donald Trump, bypassing international negotiations, signed an executive order in April to speed up the permit-issuing process for such mining in US and international waters. Trump cited an obscure 1980 US law that says American citizens can explore for and recover deep sea minerals in areas beyond the country's jurisdiction. Environmental groups are outraged by Trump's order, arguing that a wild hunt for the potato-sized, metal-containing nodules could harm fragile undersea ecosystems. The Canadian company initially said it would submit its request to the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a body which has jurisdiction over the ocean floor in international waters. The Metals Company says it ignored this authority because of its slow pace in talks on adopting a mining code that establishes rules for exploiting seabed resources. The United States is not an ISA member. A long-time observer of those talks who spoke on condition of anonymity said China is not particularly worried about who starts mining first. "For them it's more about dominance, staying competitive in the game, and giving the impression that you can't mess with us," the observer said. With that goal in mind "they're definitely developing the technology and putting the strategic agreements in place," Alex Gilbert, a researcher at the Payne Institute for Public Policy at Colorado School of Mines, told AFP. For instance, China has reached an agreement with the Cook Islands to explore for minerals in that Pacific country's waters. Another tiny Pacific nation, Kiribati, also says it is exploring a deep-sea mining partnership with China. This approach is "more geopolitical than economic," said Emmanuel Hache of the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, noting Beijing is using undersea mining as a lure to cement greater diplomatic support as it exerts power. China holds five contracts handed out by the ISA to look for resources in the Pacific and Indian Ocean sea beds and these contracts cover all types of undersea mineral resources. China's is the largest number of the 22 contracts the organization has granted. - Years behind - "From a research perspective, we have been continuously getting closer. And from a technical perspective, we have been continuously improving," said Chen Xuguang, a researcher at Ocean University of China. In 2024 a Chinese prototype deep-sea mining vehicle called Pioneer II, developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, set a national record by operating at a depth of more than 4,000 meters (13,100 feet). State-owned Beijing Pioneer Hi-Tech Development Corporation told AFP that later this year it plans a seabed nodule collection test. Still, China is not as advanced technologically as The Metals Company, experts say. "I would characterize China as being two to four years behind them in terms of their technology," said Gilbert in Colorado. Hache, the French expert, put the gap at five years. But China has an advantage over firms like the Canadian one in recovering and processing nodules: its companies are supported by the state and China has infrastructure for processing metals. The observer of the international seabed talks said China does not need seabed mining for metal supply, "but maybe geopolitically, in the context of maintaining their control over the commodities market." China wants to keep its options open, this person said. And while it supports an international mining code, China does not need one now and "they're not going to put pressure until they've decided strategically that they're ready," said Gilbert. abd/dw/mlm
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Saskatchewan to resume purchase, distribution of all U.S.-produced alcohol
The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) is set to resume the purchase of U.S.-made alcohol, walking back one of the province's tariff countermeasures announced earlier this spring. In an email leaked to the Leader-Post, SLGA staff were informed on Monday afternoon that the Crown would resume the purchase and distribution of U.S.-produced alcohol, removing one of the province's planks in its response to the trade war with the United States. The trade war started when U.S. President Donald Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods and 10 per cent on Canadian energy, which came into effect on March 4. On March 5, Premier Scott Moe unveiled Saskatchewan's response, which included direction to the SLGA 'to stop purchasing U.S.-produced alcohol.' The government amended that direction on March 24, providing an exemption for some 54 American brands that were at least partially made in Canada. In an emailed response provided to the Leader-Post on Monday, SLGA spokesperson David Morris said the change will allow the Crown to sell off current inventories of U.S.-produced alcohol that were already paid and resume the purchase of new stock. 'This change gives Saskatchewan people the option to choose whether they want to buy these products or consider alternatives,' stated Morris, adding the SLGA encourages people to buy Saskatchewan and Canadian products. 'The Federal Government's 25 per cent tariff on U.S. alcohol remains in place, and this added cost is expected to be a significant factor.' This move comes a few days after Alberta made the same move, reversing a similar policy that was also in place as a response to U.S. tariffs. On June 6, the U.S. further raised tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. 'Just days ago, Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Saskatchewan steel,' Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck said in an emailed statement criticizing the move to resume the purchase of U.S.-produced alcohol. 'Instead of standing up to Trump and protecting our workers, Scott Moe and the Sask. Party sold them out,' she said. 'This is a betrayal of Canadian workers, especially our steelworkers.' Here's what U.S. brands are staying on Saskatchewan liquor store shelves Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announces provincial response to Trump's tariffs alsalloum@ The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
Hamilton Spectator
6 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Mark Carney revives tough talk about America and warns ‘a new imperialism threatens'
OTTAWA—Prime Minister Mark Carney, in unveiling $9 billion in new defence spending, revived tough talk against the United States Monday, describing America as hustling its allies to pay now or risk losing their ability to sell products to American consumers. Speaking in Toronto, Carney did not use words like 'grift' or 'hustle' but he also did not mince words when it came to describing the U.S. as abandoning its role as a powerful leader on the world stage in favour of flexing its market muscle. The sharper rhetoric comes at a time when the prime minister and his officials are scrambling to strike a new 'economic and security' agreement with President Donald Trump before next week's G7 leaders' summit. Canada's stated goal is to get Trump to lift tariffs the U.S. president levied on Canada and other global trading partners, even as Washington also demands NATO allies cough up billions more for military budgets. A Canadian government official told the Star Monday that it is 'difficult to say whether or not we'll get to a deal before the G7' with not much having changed since the most recent meetings in Washington last week. In fact, last week, Trump doubled down on tariffs, hiking surcharges on Canadian and other steel and aluminum imports to 50 per cent. Carney opted not to increase Canada's level of counter-tariffs in response, but on Monday he did amp up his political rhetoric several notches. Carney justified Ottawa's accelerated military spending as he outlined a 'darker, more competitive world' and an 'age of disorder' that he said requires Canada to better defend this country and diversify its security and economic partners. After the Second World War, Carney said, Canada grew more distant from Britain and aligned itself more closely with the U.S., a rapprochement that intensified after the fall of the Soviet Union established the U.S. as the leading world power. 'Its gravitational pull on Canada, always strong, became virtually irresistible and made the U.S. our closest ally and dominant trading partner,' said Carney. 'But now the United States is beginning to monetize its hegemony: charging for access to its markets and reducing its relative contribution to our collective security.' At the same time, Carney said, global 'trade routes, allegiances, energy systems, and even intelligence itself are being rewired.' 'Rising great powers are now in strategic competition with America. A new imperialism threatens,' he said, adding at other points in the speech that threats from Russia, China, non-state actors and terrorist organizations are on the rise. 'Middle powers compete for interests and attention, knowing that if they are not at the table, they're on the menu.' Carney will host the leaders of the largest western democratic economies, the so-called Group of Seven, next week in Kananaskis, Alta. Trump has said he'll attend. Carney has also invited a range of 'middle powers' too. Leaders of Ukraine, India, Brazil, South Africa, and Australia are coming. Newly-elected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, have confirmed in the last two days they will attend. The Star has learned Carney has also invited Saudi Arabia Crown prince and prime minister, Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the Saudi kingdom once tied to the order to kill a journalist, whom Trump met last month. The Saudi prince has not formally yet responded to the invitation, an official confirmed to the Star. WASHINGTON (AP) — The fist bump seems so long ago. Canada is focusing discussions at the summit on global economic and energy security among other concerns, as it looks ahead to the NATO summit at the end of June. On Monday, Carney said his sharp increase in military spending in one year — which he once said would take five years to achieve — is needed to protect Canada's security needs, not a move to meet Trump's demands. Yet it was clear the U.S. is a big factor in Carney's decision. The prime minister, who campaigned on criticism of Trump as someone who wanted to 'break us to own us' and often used to describe the integrated Canada-U.S. relationship as 'over,' had dropped that talk in the weeks since he won. When Carney met Trump in Washington, he flattered the president as a 'transformational' leader, and appealed to him to see the mutual benefit of renewed ties, saying Canada is the 'largest client' of the U.S. However, the talks to renew a more integrated relationship do not seem to be headed where Carney wants. Trump's ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, told the Toronto Star last week any new 'framework' nevertheless almost certainly still includes tariffs. 'This is discussing the level of tariffs, how broad they apply and these kinds of things,' Hoekstra said, 'not getting to zero' tariffs. Meanwhile, slim hope remains that direct talks between Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney Roy Norton, a former Canadian diplomat who spent years in the U.S. and is now a professor at the University of Waterloo, said in an interview the prime minister's comments Monday reflect that 'Carney understands how all this is evolving. He understands that Trump is not going to change, that we do have to act dramatically, seriously, to strengthen our position globally, that the dependence is unhealthy in the current context, as in, Trump is not going to give us a break.' 'We've heard from the U.S. ambassador that we're just supposed to arrive at a deal, but some measure of tariffs will remain. So they breached the existing deal that he (Trump) signed and instituted tariffs that we consider to be illegal. And we're supposed to make concessions to arrive effectively at a new deal, with no indication that there's any reciprocality in terms of willingness on their part to negotiate any of our concerns and accommodate us. And most importantly,' Norton added, 'no indication that there will be a pledge to not do this again.' On Monday, Hoekstra welcomed Carney's decision to increase its military spending but he disputed Carney's characterization, telling CBC the U.S. is 'not squeezing' its trading partners, adding, 'we'll get past this.' 'We will have an agreement with the Canadians. You know that the timing and the, you know, and the content of when that agreement will be reached, you know, that's between the president and your prime minister,' he told Power and Politics host David Cochrane. Carney had earlier acknowledged that because Canada buys so much military materiel from U.S. defence manufacturers that any increase in spending will benefit them and continue the cross-border relationship. 'First and foremost, we're doing this for us. Relatedly, we're doing it as a strong NATO partner,' said Carney. 'And of course, the United States is a fundamental ally of the country, so I think it's very complementary to the process of developing that new economic and security partnership with the Americans.' However, he also said looking to others, like Europe, is 'just smart. It's better to be diversified. It's better to have options. It's better to have different supply chains and broader partners.'
