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Muslim Tech Fest to award cash investment prize to promising startup

Muslim Tech Fest 2025 is set to provide a major boost to Muslim entrepreneurs, with a £30,000 investment prize up for grabs in its flagship MTF Pitch competition, it was announced on Friday. (Supplied/MTF)
Muslim Tech Fest 2025 is set to provide a major boost to Muslim entrepreneurs, with a £30,000 investment prize up for grabs in its flagship MTF Pitch competition, it was announced on Friday. (Supplied/MTF)
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Updated 21 March 2025
Arab News
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Muslim Tech Fest to award cash investment prize to promising startup

Muslim Tech Fest to award cash investment prize to promising startup
  • MTF takes place on June 21 at Novotel London West hotel
Updated 21 March 2025
Arab News
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LONDON: Muslim Tech Fest 2025 is set to provide a major boost to Muslim entrepreneurs, with a £30,000 investment prize up for grabs in its flagship MTF Pitch competition, it was announced on Friday.

The event, which will take place on June 21 at the Novotel London West hotel, aims to spotlight and support the next wave of Muslim-led tech startups.

The announcement follows the success of sold-out events in London and San Francisco in 2024, which cemented MTF’s reputation as a leading platform for Muslim entrepreneurs.

This year’s edition will feature a high-profile lineup of speakers, including Zubair Junjunia, founder of ZNotes, an education platform with over 6 million users; Ahmed Khalifa, founder of PurpleByte and a specialist in web accessibility; Mai Medhat, an entrepreneur who successfully exited her startup; Mariam Ahmed, co-founder of the YC-backed artificial intelligence startup Menza; and Arda Awais, an award-winning designer and founder of Identity 2.0.

With the launch of MTF Pitch, the festival is looking to support emerging startups that are shaping the future of technology and entrepreneurship.

Arfah Farooq, co-founder of MTF, said: “Muslim entrepreneurs have the talent, vision, and drive to transform industries, and MTF is here to amplify that. With initiatives like MTF Pitch, we are not just talking about change, we are making it happen.”

MTF has brought together some of the most influential Muslim founders, investors, and business leaders over the past few years, creating a space for networking, investment, and the sharing of knowledge.

At last year’s San Francisco event, Haroon Mokhtarzada, CEO of Rocket Money and co-founder of Truebill, spoke about scaling a $1.3 billion personal finance platform and achieving one of the largest exits by a Muslim founder.

Chris Blauvelt, the founder of LaunchGood, discussed the power of community-backed funding, highlighting how the platform had raised over $688 million from 2.1 million donors from 155 countries.

Rama Chakaki and Raed Masri, of Transform VC, a Silicon Valley-based impact-driven investment firm, led a discussion on how Muslim founders were shaping the future of ethical investing.

Attendees at the 2024 London show heard from Ismail Jeilani, co-founder and CEO of LiveLink, who shared his experience securing $3 million in funding from investors including Google and Biz Stone.

There was also a conversation with Ruhul Amin and Husayn Kassai, co-founders of Onfido, who spoke about building their AI-powered identity verification company, which was recently acquired in one of the largest tech exits of the decade in the UK.

Topics: UK entrepreneurship Muslim Tech Fest

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Turkiye says any Ukraine peace deal hard to digest — but better than more death

Turkiye says any Ukraine peace deal hard to digest — but better than more death
Updated 6 sec ago
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Turkiye says any Ukraine peace deal hard to digest — but better than more death

Turkiye says any Ukraine peace deal hard to digest — but better than more death
Updated 6 sec ago
Fidan said Turkiye supported a US initiative to seek an end to the war in Ukraine
The sides remained a “little bit far away” from reaching a deal

BRUSSELS: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Reuters on Friday that any potential peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia would be “difficult to digest” but would still be better than the alternative of more death and destruction.
Turkiye, a NATO member, has maintained cordial ties with both Kyiv and Moscow since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It has voiced support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and provided it with military help, while opposing sanctions on Russia.
In an interview on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Fidan said Turkiye supported a US initiative to seek an end to the war in Ukraine, but that the sides remained a “little bit far away” from reaching a deal.
“It will be extremely difficult to digest any proposal,” Fidan said. “But when we look at the other option, which is more death and destruction, I think whatever the conditions that we have... will be more reasonable” than the alternative.
US President Donald Trump “is finally following an agenda to stop the war,” he added.
Asked about potential security guarantees for Ukraine, Fidan said Europe could not provide them on its own without US support, but added that a deterrence factor was needed for the fighting not to restart.
“There is a huge effort to get the American side again to engage in security support to Ukraine,” he said, referring to recent talks among European states.
He added that “we should expect” that all sides including Russia would honor any ultimate agreement.
The prospect of ending the war has heightened Turkiye’s role in regional security, making it a key potential partner in the restructuring of Europe’s security architecture, as European powers scramble to bolster their own defenses and seek guarantees for Ukraine under any forthcoming peace deal.
Kyiv has said Turkiye, with the second largest army in NATO, would be an important guarantor for security. Ankara has said it would consider joining a peace initiative on the ground, though it has said details of such a mission remain unclear.
Fidan repeated Turkiye’s offer to host Russia and Ukraine for possible peace talks, after having hosted initial talks in 2022.

US SANCTIONS
Asked about Trump’s dramatic shift in US transatlantic security policies, including closer ties with Russia, Fidan said this could be an opportunity for Europe to be more independent after its “huge dependency” on the United States since the Cold War.
“If we see that the main actors are not hostile anymore (and are) having some kind of cooperation, I think the mentality that we have inherited from the Cold War, which was based on the hostility between mainly the United States and Russia will create a huge change,” he said.
Fidan, who met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the NATO summit after having visited him in Washington last month, also said he was hopeful that Trump would find a solution to end years-long US sanctions on Turkiye’s defense industry.
The so-called CAATSA sanctions were applied after Turkiye acquired Russian S-400 defense systems in 2019, also resulting in the country’s removal from an F-35 fighter jet development and procurement system.
The sanctions “should be corrected,” Fidan said. “I think Mr. Trump, with his problem-solving techniques and his team, will be able to come up with some sort of solution.”

China imposes a 34 percent tariff on imports of all US products starting April 10

China imposes a 34 percent tariff on imports of all US products starting April 10
Updated 57 min 55 sec ago
AP
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China imposes a 34 percent tariff on imports of all US products starting April 10

China imposes a 34 percent tariff on imports of all US products starting April 10
  • The new tariff matches the rate of the US “reciprocal” tariff of 34 percent on Chinese exports that Trump ordered this week
  • China’s customs administration said it had suspended imports of chicken from some US suppliers after detected furazolidone
Updated 57 min 55 sec ago
AP

BANGKOK: China announced Friday that it will impose a 34 percent tariff on imports of all US products beginning April 10, part of a flurry of retaliatory measures following US President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” slate of double-digit tariffs.
The new tariff matches the rate of the US “reciprocal” tariff of 34 percent on Chinese exports that Trump ordered this week.
The Commerce Ministry in Beijing also said in a notice that it will impose more export controls on rare earths, which are materials used in high-tech products such as computer chips and electric vehicle batteries.
Included in the list of minerals subject to controls was samarium and its compounds, which are used in aerospace manufacturing and the defense sector. Another element called gadolinium is used in MRI scans.
China’s customs administration said it had suspended imports of chicken from some US suppliers after detected furazolidone, a drug banned in China, in shipments from those companies.
Separately, it said had found high levels of mold in the sorghum and salmonella in poultry meat from some of the companies. The announcements affect one company exporting sorghum, C&D Inc., and four poultry companies.
Additionally, the Chinese government said it had added 27 firms to lists of companies subject to trade sanctions or export controls.
Among them, 16 are subject to a ban on the export of “dual-use” goods. High Point Aerotechnologies, a defense tech company, and Universal Logistics Holding, a publicly traded transportation and logistics company, were among those listed.
Beijing also announced it filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization over the tariffs issue.
“The United States’ imposition of so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ seriously violates WTO rules, seriously damages the legitimate rights and interests of WTO members, and seriously undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system and international economic and trade order,” the Commerce Ministry said.
“It is a typical unilateral bullying practice that endangers the stability of the global economic and trade order. China firmly opposes this,” it said.
Other actions include the launch of an anti-monopoly investigation into DuPont China Group Co., a subsidiary of the multinational chemical giant, and an anti-dumping probe into X-ray tube and CT tubes for CT scanners imported from the US and India.
In February, China announced a 15 percent tariff on imports of coal and liquefied natural gas products from the US It separately added a 10 percent tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery and large-engine cars.
Dozens of US companies are subject to controls on trade and investment, while many more Chinese companies face similar limits on dealings with US firms.
The latest tariffs apply to all products made in the US, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance’s State Council Tariff Commission.
While friction on the trade front has been heating up, overall relations are somewhat less fractious.
US and Chinese military officials met this week for the first time Trump took office in January to shared concerns about military safety on the seas. The talks held Wednesday and Thursday in Shanghai were aimed at minimizing the risk of trouble, both sides said.

Topics: China US tariffs US President Donald Trump

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Indian patriotic movie ‘icon’ Manoj Kumar dies aged 87

Indian patriotic movie ‘icon’ Manoj Kumar dies aged 87
Updated 04 April 2025
AFP
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Indian patriotic movie ‘icon’ Manoj Kumar dies aged 87

Indian patriotic movie ‘icon’ Manoj Kumar dies aged 87
  • Kumar, also a member of PM Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist party, died in Mumbai due to heart-related complications
  • He was the recipient of several national awards, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest honor for cinema
Updated 04 April 2025
AFP

MUMBAI: Indian actor Manoj Kumar, known for his roles in Hindi-language films with patriotic themes, died on Friday aged 87.
The death of the man dubbed “Bharat” Kumar — a reference to the ancient Sanskrit word for India steeped in Hindu religious symbolism — sparked tributes from across the country.
Kumar, who was also a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), died in Mumbai due to heart-related complications.
Modi led the condolences, calling Kumar an “icon” of Indian cinema, saying that his works “ignited a spirit of national pride and will continue to inspire generations.”
Throughout his career, Kumar was known for acting — and at times directing — films that had a focus on unity and national pride.
Born Harikrishan Goswami, he renamed himself in Bollywood tradition — taking on the name Manoj Kumar.
He was the recipient of several national awards, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest honor for cinema.
Kumar made his debut in Indian cinema in the late 1950s.
He went on to star in several films, many with patriotic themes, including “Upkar” (1967), “Purab Aur Pachhim” (1970) and “Kranti” (1981).

Topics: Manoj Kumar Bollywood

Myanmar military limiting aid in earthquake areas, UN says

Myanmar military limiting aid in earthquake areas, UN says
Updated 04 April 2025
Reuters
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Myanmar military limiting aid in earthquake areas, UN says

Myanmar military limiting aid in earthquake areas, UN says
  • The humanitarian situation in earthquake areas, especially those out of the military’s control, was catastrophic
  • UN human rights office: The need for aid was particularly urgent in Myanmar’s Sagaing region
Updated 04 April 2025
Reuters

GENEVA: Myanmar’s military is limiting critically needed humanitarian aid for earthquake victims in areas where it sees opposition to its rule, the United Nations human rights office said on Friday. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also said it was investigating 53 reported attacks by the junta against its opponents since the earthquake struck on March 28, including air strikes, of which 16 came after a ceasefire on April 2.
On Friday, the office was made aware of a further eight attacks which it was looking into, it said.
A spokesperson for Myanmar’s ruling junta did not respond to calls from Reuters seeking comment.
The humanitarian situation in earthquake areas, especially those out of the military’s control, was catastrophic, UN rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.
The 7.7 magnitude quake, one of the strongest to hit Myanmar in a century, jolted areas home to 28 million people, toppling buildings, flattening communities and leaving many without food, water and shelter. Myanmar’s junta says the death toll has risen to more than 3,100.
“Limitations of aid is part of a strategy to prevent aid getting to the populations it sees as not supporting its seizure of power back in 2021,” said James Rodehaver, head of OHCHR’s Myanmar team, speaking via video link from Bangkok.
The need for aid was particularly urgent in Myanmar’s Sagaing region, and time was working against humanitarian agencies to help those in need, he added.
“Air strikes are alarming, shocking and need to stop straight away – the focus needs to be on humanitarian recovery,” Shamdasani said.
The government on state-run MRTV late on Wednesday announced a 20-day unilateral ceasefire effective immediately to support post-quake rehabilitation, but warned it would “respond accordingly” if rebels launched attacks.
Millions of people have been affected by Myanmar’s widening civil war, triggered by the coup that ousted the government of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
It has decimated the mainly agrarian economy, driven more than 3.5 million people from their homes and crippled essential services such as health care.

Topics: Myanmar

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Woman found guilty in UK abortion free speech case monitored by US

Woman found guilty in UK abortion free speech case monitored by US
Updated 04 April 2025
Reuters
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Woman found guilty in UK abortion free speech case monitored by US

Woman found guilty in UK abortion free speech case monitored by US
  • Livia Tossici-Bolt was prosecuted for breaching a ‘safe zone’ in the immediate area around the abortion clinic in Bournemouth on two days in March 2023
Updated 04 April 2025
Reuters

POOLE, England: An anti-abortion activist, whose case has attracted the attention of the United States over free speech concerns, was found guilty on Friday of breaching an order which banned protest outside a clinic in southern England.
Livia Tossici-Bolt, 64, the leader of a branch of US Christian group ‘40 days for Life’, was prosecuted for breaching a “safe zone” in the immediate area around the abortion clinic in Bournemouth on two days in March 2023. She was holding a sign that read “Here to talk, if you want.”
Following a trial last month, Tossici-Bolt was on Friday convicted of breaching the order at Poole Magistrates’ Court, on the grounds the impact on those using the clinic outweighed her right to free speech under human rights laws.
The case comes amid growing accusations in the US of infringements on free speech in Britain. US Vice President JD Vance confronted Prime Minister Keir Starmer face to face at the White House on the issue, and said in February he feared free speech in Britain was “in retreat.”
Tossici-Bolt was taken to court after refusing to pay a fixed fine for breaching a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), brought in around the British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinic in 2022 in response to concerns that women who attended were being subjected to harassment and intimidation.
An intervention on Sunday by the Democracy, Human Rights, & Labor (DRL) department of the US State Department propelled the case to the front pages of UK newspapers, with suggestions it could have far-reaching diplomatic implications.
“We are monitoring her case. It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression,” the DRL said on X.

Topics: UK Abortion

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