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The ban, originally proposed by far-right Vox party, affects Muslims celebrating religious holidays in sports centres in Jumilla.

A ban imposed by a southeastern Spanish town on religious gatherings in public sports centres, which will mainly affect members of the local Muslim community, has sparked criticism from the left-wing government and a United Nations official.

Spain’s Migration Minister Elma Saiz said on Friday that the ban, approved by the conservative local government of Jumilla last week, was “shameful”, urging local leaders to “take a step back” and apologise to residents.

The ban, approved by the mayor’s centre-right Popular Party, would be enacted in sports centres used by local Muslims in recent years to celebrate religious holidays like Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

It was originally proposed by the far-right Vox party, with amendments passed before approval. Earlier this week, Vox’s branch in the Murcia region celebrated the measure, saying on X that “Spain is and always will be a land of Christian roots!”

The town’s mayor, Seve Gonzalez, told Spain’s El Pais newspaper that the measure did not single out any one group and that her government wanted to “promote cultural campaigns that defend our identity”.

But Mohamed El Ghaidouni, secretary of the Union of Islamic Communities of Spain, said it amounted to “institutionalised Islamophobia”, taking issue with the local government’s assertion that the Muslim festivals celebrated in the centres were “foreign to the town’s identity”.

The ban, he said, “clashes with the institutions of the Spanish state” that protect religious freedom.

Saiz told Spain’s Antena 3 broadcaster that policies like the ban in Jumilla harm “citizens who have been living for decades in our towns, in our cities, in our country, contributing and perfectly integrated without any problems of coexistence”.

Separately, Miguel Moratinos, the UN special envoy to combat Islamophobia, said he was “shocked” by the City Council of Jumilla’s decision and expressed “deep concern about the rise in xenophobic rhetoric and Islamophobic sentiments in some regions in Spain”.

I am shocked by the decision of the City Council of Jumilla to ban religious rituals and/or celebrations in municipal facilities in the municipality of Jumilla, region of Murcia, Spain.

🔗 Full Statement ⬇️https://t.co/WHADpxgITo pic.twitter.com/Rd92XMdpVF

— Miguel Ángel Moratinos (@MiguelMoratinos) August 8, 2025

“The decision undermines the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion” as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he said in a statement on Friday.

“Policies that single out or disproportionately affect one community pose a threat to social cohesion and erode the principle of living together in peace,” he added.

Far-right clashes with locals

For centuries, Spain was ruled by Muslims, whose influence is present both in the Spanish language and in many of the country’s most celebrated landmarks, including Granada’s famed Moorish Alhambra Palace.

Islamic rule ended in 1492 when the last Arab kingdom in Spain fell to the Catholics.

The ban stipulates that municipal sports facilities can only be used for athletic activities or events organised by local authorities. Under no circumstance, it said, can the centre be used for “cultural, social or religious activities foreign to the City Council”.

Its introduction follows clashes between far-right groups and residents and migrants that erupted last month in the southern Murcia region after an elderly resident in the town of Torre-Pacheco was beaten up by assailants believed to be of Moroccan origin.

Right-wing governments elsewhere in Europe have passed measures similar to the ban in Jumilla, striking at the heart of ongoing debates across the continent about nationalism and religious and cultural pluralism.

Last year in Monfalcone, a large industrial port city in northeastern Italy with a significant Bangladeshi immigrant population, far-right mayor Anna Maria Cisint banned prayers in a cultural centre.

The move led to protests involving some 8,000 people, and the city’s Muslim community is appealing it in a regional court.

More than 90 Muslim scholars, imams, community leaders and institutions in the United States have issued a joint statement calling on Muslim-majority countries to take “immediate and concrete action” to end what they described as an escalating genocide in Gaza by Israeli forces.

The signatories called on Muslim nations — particularly Arab states — to leverage their political and economic influence, including through measures such as severing ties with Israel, imposing oil and gas embargoes and opening border crossings for humanitarian aid.

“Business as usual in international affairs is simply not working,” the statement read. “We believe that the governments of the Muslim-majority nations of the world should not wait for the ‘international community’ to grow a conscience.”

Among the signatories to the letter are the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Alliance in North America, the Islamic Society of North America and the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations.

Israel has denied accusations of genocide to characterize its military actions in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that killed nearly 1,200 people. Hamas also took hostage more than 250 Israeli civilians and military personnel during the operation. Since then, Israeli airstrikes and attacks have killed at least 61,000 Palestinians, a third of them children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Muslim leaders ask Muslim nations to take 5 steps

The joint statement suggested five specific actions for Muslim-majority countries to consider, including cutting economic, diplomatic, intelligence and military ties with Israel, including the agreement known as the Abraham Accords brokered during the first Trump Administration.

It also called for nations to block the use of their airspace and military facilities in support of Israeli operations, and to open land crossings such as Rafah to allow aid convoys, medics, journalists and demonstrators to enter Gaza.

The signers also urged governments to lead diplomatic convoys to Gaza crossings and personally demand Israel allow the unrestricted flow of aid.

The growing humanitarian crisis in the worn-torn enclave has brought condemnation by various governments around the world and has raised concerns among Jewish leaders in the U.S.

While the statement from Muslim leaders emphasized that the crisis should concern all people, it noted the situation holds particular significance for the global Muslim community, or ummah, given what it called Israel’s “openly racist, anti-Muslim” policies.

The letter comes as Israel announced Friday plans for its military to expand the war in Gaza and take control of Gaza City, one of the few areas in the enclave not already under Israel’s control.

In response to Israel’s intended expansion of the war, Reform Jewish leaders in the U.S. issued their own statement, calling on Israel to “choose life for our hostages, our soldiers, and innocent civilians in Gaza by ending — not extending — this war.”

“We are deeply distressed that Israel’s security cabinet approved Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan to extend Israeli control over the Gaza Strip,” the president and board chair of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest branch of Judaism in the U.S., said in the statement.

More than 90 Muslim scholars, imams, community leaders and institutions in the United States have issued a joint statement calling on Muslim-majority countries to take “immediate and concrete action” to end what they described as an escalating genocide in Gaza by Israeli forces.

The signatories called on Muslim nations — particularly Arab states — to leverage their political and economic influence, including through measures such as severing ties with Israel, imposing oil and gas embargoes and opening border crossings for humanitarian aid.

“Business as usual in international affairs is simply not working,” the statement read. “We believe that the governments of the Muslim-majority nations of the world should not wait for the ‘international community’ to grow a conscience.”

Among the signatories to the letter are the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Alliance in North America, the Islamic Society of North America and the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations.

Israel has denied accusations of genocide to characterize its military actions in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that killed nearly 1,200 people. Hamas also took hostage more than 250 Israeli civilians and military personnel during the operation. Since then, Israeli airstrikes and attacks have killed at least 61,000 Palestinians, a third of them children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Muslim leaders ask Muslim nations to take 5 steps

The joint statement suggested five specific actions for Muslim-majority countries to consider, including cutting economic, diplomatic, intelligence and military ties with Israel, including the agreement known as the Abraham Accords brokered during the first Trump Administration.

It also called for nations to block the use of their airspace and military facilities in support of Israeli operations, and to open land crossings such as Rafah to allow aid convoys, medics, journalists and demonstrators to enter Gaza.

The signers also urged governments to lead diplomatic convoys to Gaza crossings and personally demand Israel allow the unrestricted flow of aid.

The growing humanitarian crisis in the worn-torn enclave has brought condemnation by various governments around the world and has raised concerns among Jewish leaders in the U.S.

While the statement from Muslim leaders emphasized that the crisis should concern all people, it noted the situation holds particular significance for the global Muslim community, or ummah, given what it called Israel’s “openly racist, anti-Muslim” policies.

The letter comes as Israel announced Friday plans for its military to expand the war in Gaza and take control of Gaza City, one of the few areas in the enclave not already under Israel’s control.

In response to Israel’s intended expansion of the war, Reform Jewish leaders in the U.S. issued their own statement, calling on Israel to “choose life for our hostages, our soldiers, and innocent civilians in Gaza by ending — not extending — this war.”

“We are deeply distressed that Israel’s security cabinet approved Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan to extend Israeli control over the Gaza Strip,” the president and board chair of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest branch of Judaism in the U.S., said in the statement.

More than 90 Muslim scholars, imams, community leaders and institutions in the United States have issued a joint statement calling on Muslim-majority countries to take “immediate and concrete action” to end what they described as an escalating genocide in Gaza by Israeli forces.

The signatories called on Muslim nations — particularly Arab states — to leverage their political and economic influence, including through measures such as severing ties with Israel, imposing oil and gas embargoes and opening border crossings for humanitarian aid.

“Business as usual in international affairs is simply not working,” the statement read. “We believe that the governments of the Muslim-majority nations of the world should not wait for the ‘international community’ to grow a conscience.”

Among the signatories to the letter are the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Alliance in North America, the Islamic Society of North America and the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations.

Israel has denied accusations of genocide to characterize its military actions in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that killed nearly 1,200 people. Hamas also took hostage more than 250 Israeli civilians and military personnel during the operation. Since then, Israeli airstrikes and attacks have killed at least 61,000 Palestinians, a third of them children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Muslim leaders ask Muslim nations to take 5 steps

The joint statement suggested five specific actions for Muslim-majority countries to consider, including cutting economic, diplomatic, intelligence and military ties with Israel, including the agreement known as the Abraham Accords brokered during the first Trump Administration.

It also called for nations to block the use of their airspace and military facilities in support of Israeli operations, and to open land crossings such as Rafah to allow aid convoys, medics, journalists and demonstrators to enter Gaza.

The signers also urged governments to lead diplomatic convoys to Gaza crossings and personally demand Israel allow the unrestricted flow of aid.

The growing humanitarian crisis in the worn-torn enclave has brought condemnation by various governments around the world and has raised concerns among Jewish leaders in the U.S.

While the statement from Muslim leaders emphasized that the crisis should concern all people, it noted the situation holds particular significance for the global Muslim community, or ummah, given what it called Israel’s “openly racist, anti-Muslim” policies.

The letter comes as Israel announced Friday plans for its military to expand the war in Gaza and take control of Gaza City, one of the few areas in the enclave not already under Israel’s control.

In response to Israel’s intended expansion of the war, Reform Jewish leaders in the U.S. issued their own statement, calling on Israel to “choose life for our hostages, our soldiers, and innocent civilians in Gaza by ending — not extending — this war.”

“We are deeply distressed that Israel’s security cabinet approved Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan to extend Israeli control over the Gaza Strip,” the president and board chair of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest branch of Judaism in the U.S., said in the statement.

More than 90 Muslim scholars, imams, community leaders and institutions in the United States have issued a joint statement calling on Muslim-majority countries to take “immediate and concrete action” to end what they described as an escalating genocide in Gaza by Israeli forces.

The signatories called on Muslim nations — particularly Arab states — to leverage their political and economic influence, including through measures such as severing ties with Israel, imposing oil and gas embargoes and opening border crossings for humanitarian aid.

“Business as usual in international affairs is simply not working,” the statement read. “We believe that the governments of the Muslim-majority nations of the world should not wait for the ‘international community’ to grow a conscience.”

Among the signatories to the letter are the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Alliance in North America, the Islamic Society of North America and the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations.

Israel has denied accusations of genocide to characterize its military actions in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that killed nearly 1,200 people. Hamas also took hostage more than 250 Israeli civilians and military personnel during the operation. Since then, Israeli airstrikes and attacks have killed at least 61,000 Palestinians, a third of them children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Muslim leaders ask Muslim nations to take 5 steps

The joint statement suggested five specific actions for Muslim-majority countries to consider, including cutting economic, diplomatic, intelligence and military ties with Israel, including the agreement known as the Abraham Accords brokered during the first Trump Administration.

It also called for nations to block the use of their airspace and military facilities in support of Israeli operations, and to open land crossings such as Rafah to allow aid convoys, medics, journalists and demonstrators to enter Gaza.

The signers also urged governments to lead diplomatic convoys to Gaza crossings and personally demand Israel allow the unrestricted flow of aid.

The growing humanitarian crisis in the worn-torn enclave has brought condemnation by various governments around the world and has raised concerns among Jewish leaders in the U.S.

While the statement from Muslim leaders emphasized that the crisis should concern all people, it noted the situation holds particular significance for the global Muslim community, or ummah, given what it called Israel’s “openly racist, anti-Muslim” policies.

The letter comes as Israel announced Friday plans for its military to expand the war in Gaza and take control of Gaza City, one of the few areas in the enclave not already under Israel’s control.

In response to Israel’s intended expansion of the war, Reform Jewish leaders in the U.S. issued their own statement, calling on Israel to “choose life for our hostages, our soldiers, and innocent civilians in Gaza by ending — not extending — this war.”

“We are deeply distressed that Israel’s security cabinet approved Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan to extend Israeli control over the Gaza Strip,” the president and board chair of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest branch of Judaism in the U.S., said in the statement.

More than 90 Muslim scholars, imams, community leaders and institutions in the United States have issued a joint statement calling on Muslim-majority countries to take “immediate and concrete action” to end what they described as an escalating genocide in Gaza by Israeli forces.

The signatories called on Muslim nations — particularly Arab states — to leverage their political and economic influence, including through measures such as severing ties with Israel, imposing oil and gas embargoes and opening border crossings for humanitarian aid.

“Business as usual in international affairs is simply not working,” the statement read. “We believe that the governments of the Muslim-majority nations of the world should not wait for the ‘international community’ to grow a conscience.”

Among the signatories to the letter are the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Alliance in North America, the Islamic Society of North America and the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations.

Israel has denied accusations of genocide to characterize its military actions in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that killed nearly 1,200 people. Hamas also took hostage more than 250 Israeli civilians and military personnel during the operation. Since then, Israeli airstrikes and attacks have killed at least 61,000 Palestinians, a third of them children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Muslim leaders ask Muslim nations to take 5 steps

The joint statement suggested five specific actions for Muslim-majority countries to consider, including cutting economic, diplomatic, intelligence and military ties with Israel, including the agreement known as the Abraham Accords brokered during the first Trump Administration.

It also called for nations to block the use of their airspace and military facilities in support of Israeli operations, and to open land crossings such as Rafah to allow aid convoys, medics, journalists and demonstrators to enter Gaza.

The signers also urged governments to lead diplomatic convoys to Gaza crossings and personally demand Israel allow the unrestricted flow of aid.

The growing humanitarian crisis in the worn-torn enclave has brought condemnation by various governments around the world and has raised concerns among Jewish leaders in the U.S.

While the statement from Muslim leaders emphasized that the crisis should concern all people, it noted the situation holds particular significance for the global Muslim community, or ummah, given what it called Israel’s “openly racist, anti-Muslim” policies.

The letter comes as Israel announced Friday plans for its military to expand the war in Gaza and take control of Gaza City, one of the few areas in the enclave not already under Israel’s control.

In response to Israel’s intended expansion of the war, Reform Jewish leaders in the U.S. issued their own statement, calling on Israel to “choose life for our hostages, our soldiers, and innocent civilians in Gaza by ending — not extending — this war.”

“We are deeply distressed that Israel’s security cabinet approved Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan to extend Israeli control over the Gaza Strip,” the president and board chair of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest branch of Judaism in the U.S., said in the statement.

Washington — Russian President Vladimir Putin gave President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff an award to pass along to a senior CIA official whose son was killed in Ukraine while fighting alongside Russian forces, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The award, the Order of Lenin, was meant to be handed off to Juliane Gallina, whose 21-year-old son, Michael Gloss, was killed in 2024.

Gallina is currently serving at the CIA as deputy director for digital innovation. It could not be immediately determined what was done with the award.

Multiple sources told CBS News that Putin gave Witkoff the award during his trip to Russia this week, which a Russian official said the U.S. initiated, to discuss ending the Ukraine war.

The gesture by Putin, known for mind games and attempts to expose adversaries’ points of weakness, was likely meant to raise unhelpful questions and highlight that a CIA official’s son fought for Russia in the war.

In a statement in April, CIA officials said the death of Gallina’s son, who struggled with mental health challenges, was not a national security issue. Two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News there was no indication that Gloss had been recruited by the Russian government, and that the Kremlin did not appear to be aware of Gloss’s family background when it repatriated his remains. 

Spokespeople for the White House, the CIA and Witkoff didn’t respond with comment for this article. A Russian embassy spokesman contacted by CBS News said there was no official comment, and no acknowledgement of the award has been publicly disclosed by the Kremlin or Russian Foreign Ministry.

Putin’s move comes at a sensitive time, as Mr. Trump has expressed increasing frustration with the Kremlin and has vowed secondary tariffs starting on Friday, even as negotiations are underway for a possible summit.

The Order of Lenin is a Soviet-era award meant to highlight outstanding civilian service. It has been given to high-level spies, including the U.K.’s Kim Philby, a double agent for the Soviet Union. Gallina’s son was never an employee of the CIA, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Putin, a former KGB operative, has met five times with Witkoff, who left real estate development to become Mr. Trump’s envoy for sensitive peace missions. Witkoff’s reliance in the past on Russian government translators during high-stakes diplomacy has drawn scrutiny.

A source familiar with the talks told CBS News that Witkoff had a U.S. government translator with him for the encounter on Wednesday, two days before Mr. Trump’s deadline for Putin to end the war or face severe financial penalties via sanctions. That same day, the Trump administration put an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods to punish New Delhi for continuing to purchase Russian oil. 

Mr. Trump described the Wednesday meeting in Moscow as “highly productive.” The White House said the Russians were eager to continue engaging with the United States and said that secondary sanctions were due to be implemented on Friday. However, as of Friday afternoon, no such sanctions had been issued.

On social media, Gloss published posts of himself in Moscow and voiced his support for Russian troops. Russian media first published news of Gloss’ death in April. The CIA’s statement at the time said Gallina and her family had suffered “an unimaginable personal tragedy.”

An obituary for Gloss said he was “tragically killed in Eastern Europe” on April 4, 2024.

Gloss’s father, Larry Gloss, an Iraq War veteran, told the Washington Post in an interview that he and Gallina did not know their son was in Ukraine or that he had enlisted in the Russian army.

“Our biggest fear while we were waiting for him to be repatriated was that someone over there [in Moscow] would put two and two together and figure out who his mother was, and use him as a prop,” Larry Gloss said.

Much of the attention on the world’s plunging birth rate is on east Asian countries like Japan and South Korea. But Latin American countries, like Chile, are also seeing a decline in fertility. We go to Chile’s capital to understand the personal decisions behind the countries plummeting birth rate trend.