Rising storm of anti-Muslim hate sweeps Europe amid escalating tensions

A substantial wave of Israeli settlers is migrating to Cyprus, fueling concern over what analysts are calling a “silent occupation” as Israeli buyers snap up properties across the island. Following Israel’s recent military offensives in Gaza and Lebanon, thousands of Israelis have reportedly relocated, seeking real estate and creating enclaves of secretive luxury resorts that cater exclusively to affluent settlers. This shift represents the third major wave of Israeli migration to Cyprus, driven by a mix of war fallout, economic pressures, and Israel's internal political unrest.

Dimitri Lascaris, an investigative journalist and activist, reports on the rapid real estate acquisition in Cyprus, revealing that Israelis have been “buying anything in sight” amid the recent regional crises. He warns of an underlying agenda, stating that Cyprus has historically been viewed by Zionist ideologues as a potential site for a Jewish settlement due to its proximity to Israel and suitability for European-style development. Lascaris draws a link to early Zionist ambitions for Cyprus, recalling the Third Zionist Congress of 1899 when David Trietsch and Theodor Herzl both championed Cyprus as a base for Jewish settlement—a precursor to claiming Israel itself by force.

This migration, which has swelled Cyprus’s Israeli community from 6,500 in 2018 to over 12,000 by April 2024, has sparked an influx of 250-300 Israelis monthly. This quiet but steady stream has led to a larger presence of Israelis in Cyprus, with many pursuing strategic real estate purchases despite legal restrictions. Under Cypriot law, foreign entities can only acquire 500 square meters of land. However, by registering as Northern Cyprus firms and securing at least 51% Turkish Cypriot ownership, Israeli companies can circumvent this rule, enabling them to buy extensive tracts of land.

Cyprus’s geopolitical position—close to Israel, with NATO membership and new gas reserves—amplifies the strategic importance of this quiet expansion. Additionally, the island hosts a significant UK military base at Akrotiri, which has served as a launch point for aircraft bound for Palestinian territories, further heightening the controversy around Israeli-Cypriot connections.

Economically, the high cost of living in Israel and divisive internal issues, such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious judicial reforms, have also driven migration from the occupied lands. According to a Hebrew-language report by Maariv, the first seven months of 2024 saw an exodus of 40,000 Israeli settlers—nearly triple previous years’ numbers—primarily to Cyprus and other nearby regions.

A Bengaluru-bound Akasa Air flight and Delhi-bound IndiGo flight received bomb threats on Wednesday, taking the number of such threats to 12 in three days.

An Akasa Air spokesperson said the flight QP 1335 had 177 persons, including 3 infants, and seven crew members on board. The flight returned to Delhi.

Meanwhile, IndiGo's 6E 651 Mumbai-Delhi flight was redirected to Ahmedabad. The aircraft was isolated, and all passengers were safely disembarked, an IndiGo Spokesperson said.

Apart from an Air India Delhi-Chicago flight, the Dammam-Lucknow IndiGo flight, Ayodhya-Bengaluru Air India Express, a SpiceJet flight from Darbhanga to Mumbai (SG116), an Akasa Air flight from Bagdogra to Bengaluru (QP 1373) an Alliance Air Amritsar-Dehradun-Delhi flight (9I 650) and an Air India Express flight (IX 684) from Madurai to Singapore received bomb threats on Tuesday.

On Monday, two IndiGo and one Air India flight received hoax threats. These included an Air India flight AI119 from Mumbai to New York's JFK Airport, and IndiGo flight 6E1275 bound for Muscat, and flight 6E56 heading to Jeddah.

A Parliamentary Standing Committee met at 11 am over the issue. This was preceded by a meeting called by Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu with Civil Aviation Ministry and DGCA officials.

According to sources some culprits have been identified and the dark web is also being monitored.

Mangaluru: In a shocking case of cyber fraud, an engineer from Mangaluru lost ₹30 lakh after being deceived by a scammer posing as a Mumbai police head constable.

On October 10, the engineer received a phone call, during which the scammer falsely claimed that 25 fraudulent bank accounts had been opened in his name. The caller alleged these accounts were being used for illegal transactions and urged the victim to act immediately to avoid legal trouble.

The scammer manipulated the engineer into believing that all funds in his personal bank account needed to be transferred for "verification" by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). In a state of panic, the victim complied, transferring ₹30 lakh to multiple accounts provided by the fraudster.

Adding to the deception, the victim was told to send WhatsApp updates every 20 minutes to track the "progress." Realizing the fraud only after the transfers were completed, the victim filed a complaint, and a case has been registered at the Bajpe police station.

This incident serves as a stark reminder for the public to stay cautious and verify information before acting on unsolicited calls, especially those involving sensitive financial details.