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Slamming desecration of Qur'an

Condemnations are pouring in over the desecration of the Quran in the Swedish capital on Wednesday when a man burnt the holy book outside a mosque. Iran’s foreign minister says, allowing insults to sanctities and the holy Quran is unacceptable under any justification. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned Sweden's charge d'affaires in Tehran over the blasphemy. It was carried out by an Iraqi citizen living in Sweden during a protest authorized by the police there. The Iraqi government has also condemned the desecration, calling on Stockholm to extradite the man. Iraq’s top Shia cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has sent a letter to the UN chief, slamming the desecration. The cleric said, freedom of speech cannot be an excuse for such shameful acts. He called on the UN to help stop such measures. Turkey has condemned the desecration of the Qur’an as well. Staying with the story; Iraqi protesters gathered outside the Swedish embassy in the capital Baghdad to protest the desecration of the holy Qur’an. The protest took place on Thursday. The protesters briefly breached the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, remaining inside for about 15 minutes. They left peacefully after security forces were deployed. People in other countries have protested as well. Iranians taking part in Eid al-Adha prayers have also condemned the desecration of the holy Quran in Sweden.

France protests

French ministers have held a crisis meeting following violent protests over the fatal shooting of a teenager by a police officer near Paris. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne says the meeting aims to discuss what she called unbearable and inexcusable rioting. An emergency meeting is also set to take place later on Friday. President Emmanuel Macron has rushed back from an EU summit in Brussels to attend that meeting. The prime minister says talks with Macron will examine all options to restore order. Different French cities have witnessed violent protests since Tuesday when 17-year-old Nahel was killed in a police shooting. The government has already tightened security nationwide to deal with the protests. In the meantime, the UN rights office has expressed concern over the fatal shooting, saying it is a chance to address racism in law enforcement.

British minister resigns

British environment minister Zac Goldsmith has stepped down, blaming the Prime Minister for his apathy on climate change issues. The resignation signals further division among members of the ruling party in the UK.

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