UP: 5 Muslim Girls Booked Under Anti-Conversion Law For Allegedly Forcing Hindu Friend To Wear Burqa
New Age Islam News Bureau
25 January 2026
• UP: 5 Muslim girls booked under anti-conversion law for allegedly forcing Hindu friend to wear burqa
• Affair, burner phones, fake IDs: UP woman plants ‘beef’ twice to frame husband in cow slaughter case; wanted 'divorce'
• Names of 94 Additional Martyrs Announced, Including 15 Women and 5 Adolescents
• ‘The Friend’s House Is Here’ review: Iranian female artists face cultural challenges in propulsive drama
• Local woman loses RM91,000 to fake investment scam via Telegram in Kuching
• Elderly man pedals 600km in rickshaw van for ailing wife’s treatment
• UAE: Dubai woman loses Dh10,000 in fake recruitment scam; police issue warning
• Women main victims of Sudan conflict abuses: minister to AFP
• Woman, boy drown off Greece after migrant boat sinks
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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UP: 5 Muslim girls booked under anti-conversion law for allegedly forcing Hindu friend to wear burqa
25-01-2026
A case has been registered against five minor Muslim girls under the anti-conversion law in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly forcing their 16-year-old Hindu friend to wear a burqa, The Times of India reported on Saturday.
While the alleged incident took place in Moradabad district’s Bilari town in December, it came to light after the police said they have filed a case in the matter following a complaint by the Hindu girl’s brother, the newspaper reported.
The five minors have been booked under sections 3 and 5(1) of the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, which prohibits religious conversions by misrepresentation, force, fraud, undue influence, coercion and allurement.
Kunwar Akash Singh, the superintendent of police (rural) in Moradabad, told the newspaper that the investigation into the matter is underway.
The Hindu girl’s brother, Daksh Chaudhary, told The Times of India that his sister “was talking to one of the girls whom she had met about two months back and had been going out regularly with”. The five Muslim girls “who took away my sister in burqa may have had some ill intention”, Chaudhary was quoted as having alleged.
Source: scroll.in
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Affair, burner phones, fake IDs: UP woman plants ‘beef’ twice to frame husband in cow slaughter case; wanted 'divorce'
Jan 25, 2026
LUCKNOW: What initially started off as a routine cow slaughter seizure on the city’s outskirts spiralled into a dark psychological thriller—one involving betrayal within marriage, burner phones, fake identities and a meticulously scripted attempt to send a man to jail not once, but twice.
The mastermind was the woman, whose arrest was earlier attempted inside the High Court premises. “The motive was personal. To pressure her husband into divorcing her,” said police while tracing the plot to a Jan 14 event when acting on a tip-off, allegedly made to Bajrang Dal, police in Kakori intercepted an online porter vehicle near Durgaganj and found 12 kg of beef.
While Wasif flatly denied placing any such order, the surveillance checks showed that the OTP used to authenticate the delivery was generated on his mobile number. Then came the twist. CCTV footage from Wasif ’s residence showed that, at the precise moment the OTP was used, he was inside the bathroom, while his phone lay unattended outside.
“That single frame changed the direction of the entire investigation,” a senior officer said. Investigators soon uncovered that the beef consignment was deliberately planted to frame Wasif. The probe revealed that his wife allegedly conspired with her lover, Amaan, a Bhopal resident, to execute the plan.
“Amaan—using the husband’s identity documents- —booked the online porter from Aminabad to Kakori. The beef was transported from Bhopal, concealed inside a cardboard box, and stealthily loaded onto the vehicle. To ensure swift police interception, Amaan allegedly tipped off Bajrang Dal members under a fake identity of Rahul,” said inspector Satish Chandra Rathore of Kakori police station.
On Dec 31, Amaan allegedly travelled to Lucknow, where the duo procured a SIM card registered in the name of a roadside beggar. The SIM was used solely to book the consignment. Police also traced the origins of the relationship. The woman and Amaan connected on Instagram in 2022, and what began as casual chats soon turned into an affair.
In Sept last year, nearly 20 kg of beef was recovered from a black Mahindra Thar parked at a multi-level parking facility in Hazratganj. Wasif, the registered owner, was arrested and sent to jail. It later emerged that the beef was allegedly planted inside the vehicle early in the morning while Wasif was away.
“Wasif came out of jail quickly that time, but wife wanted him behind bars for a longer period. That was when the second, far more sophisticated conspiracy was put into motion,” inspector Rathore said. Police arrested Amaan, while the role of Wasif ’s wife was firmly established during the investigation. “She will be arrested soon,” the inspector added.
Source: timesofindia.com
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Names of 94 Additional Martyrs Announced, Including 15 Women and 5 Adolescents
24th January 2026
The PMOI has now announced the names of 543 martyrs of the uprising to date.
On Saturday, January 24, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) announced the names of 94 additional martyrs of the nationwide Iran uprising, following their identification and verification. These glorious martyrs include 15 women and five adolescents between 13 and 16 years of age. To date, the PMOI has announced the names of 543 martyrs of the uprising, including 65 women.
Source: www.ncr-iran.org
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‘The Friend’s House Is Here’ review: Iranian female artists face cultural challenges in propulsive drama
By Tim Grierson
25 January 2026
Lovingly chronicling the friendship between two young female Tehran artists, The Friend’s House Is Here exudes a deceptively delicate air that gradually grows more urgent and despondent. Writer-directors Hossein Keshavarz and Maryam Ataei utilise sustained long takes to bring the audience inside these women’s intimate creative world, offhandedly but pointedly capturing the oppression of their society. Actors Mahshad Bahram and Mana Hana lend the characters a propulsive, effortless exuberance, which will be severely challenged by the unexpected hardships that await them.
Premiering in Sundance’s US Dramatic competition, the film takes its name from late Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami’s 1987 drama Where Is The Friend’s House? and, although there are few narrative similarities between the two pictures, they share a subdued, naturalistic style that yields significant emotional rewards. The Friend’s House Is Here has no major names in the cast, but strong reviews should boost visibility — as, sadly, will the ongoing anti-government protests in Iran.
Pari (MahshadBahraminejad) and Hanna (Hana Mana) are best friends and roommates, each of them pursuing their creative aspirations. In a few elegant strokes, The Friend’s House Is Here depicts their strong bond and differing personalities: experimental playwright Pari is conscientious but uptight, while performer Hanna is carefree but self-absorbed. But although their temperaments may occasionally clash, they are united in their hatred of Iran’s censorious, patriarchal regime. (When an older woman walks by Pari and Hanna in public, scolding them for not wearing a hajib, they just laugh in defiance.) For them and their cohorts, artistic expression is both a rebuke to and an escape from a political reality they cannot tolerate.
Early on, The Friend’s House Is Here simply checks in on the two women’s lives, showing snippets of their creative endeavours and personal interactions. Pari studiously works on a challenging underground piece involving major themes, while Hanna specialises in dance and social-media content. Eventually, Hanna lands a boyfriend: Ali (Karen), a video artist charmed by her flirty energy. These initial sequences feel like fleeting fragments — almost like scrapbook images collected and preserved.
Scenes are executed in an unshowy manner incorporating little in the way of camera movement. Yet Keshavarz and Ataei — a married couple who previously collaborated on the 2010 drama Dog Sweat, also about Iran’s restless youth — fill the picture with energy. In its remarkably casual way, The Friend’s House Is Here conjures up the everyday rhythms of early adulthood as the characters navigate their insecurities and chase their dreams.
At the same time, though, there is a fragility woven into these unassuming, joyous scenes, with the writer-directors including just enough evidence of how Pari and Hanna are affected by the broken society around them. (The film takes place in the wake of Iran’s recent June War with Israel, and production was hampered by power outages and hostile authorities.) The Friend’s House Is Here argues that the personal is political: it’s hard enough to find love and pursue a difficult career path — to be a woman in Iran makes those challenges even more daunting.
The two leads delight, showing their characters laughing, goofing around and bickering. One suspects that Pari is after more serious artistic pursuits than her easygoing friend, but there is no value judgment placed on either Pari or Hanna. Still, cracks in their friendship do start to form, first when Hanna gets involved with Ali and, later, when Hanna considers leaving Iran, but these ruptures lack any forced dramatic fireworks and events unspool with relaxed grace.
But such grace cannot last long in an authoritarian society. Eventually, the storytelling’s gentle flow from incident to incident gives way to dire circumstances after one of the characters faces severe consequences for her art, setting in motion a possible prison sentence and a tough choice for her friend. Keshavarz and Ataei adeptly shift the tone without losing their grip. By illuminating the passion and creativity shared by two Iranian friends, The Friend’s House Is Here both celebrates and worries about an emerging generation of women activists yearning to defy a dictatorship. Its rebellious spirit isn’t fiery but, rather, quiet and confident — and all the more inspiring as a result.
Source: www.screendaily.com
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Local woman loses RM91,000 to fake investment scam via Telegram in Kuching
25 Jan 2026
KUCHING, Jan 25 — A 35-year-old local woman suffered losses amounting to RM91,000 after falling victim to a non-existent investment scam.
Kuching police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu said that based on a report lodged on Jan 11, the victim was offered an investment scheme via the Telegram application by an unknown individual who promised lucrative returns.
Interested in the offer, the victim was instructed to transfer funds to designated accounts and subsequently made five transactions to five different bank accounts, totalling RM91,000, he said in a statement here today.
Alexson said the victim realised she had been deceived after failing to withdraw both the invested funds and the promised profits.
Source: www.malaymail.com
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Elderly man pedals 600km in rickshaw van for ailing wife’s treatment
Jan 25, 2026
Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: Failing to raise enough money to hire an ambulance to take his wife to a hospital, a 70-year-old man in Odisha pedalled 300 km in a rickshaw van from Sambalpur to Cuttack for her treatment and is now on their way back in the same fashion, defying old age and bone-chilling cold.
"I have two loves in my life. One is my wife whom I am taking back home, and the other is my rickshaw van. I cannot leave either of them," a proud Babu Lohar said, as he pedalled across the highway, refusing help from the police or locals.
Lohar's journey highlights the harsh realities faced by the poor and elderly in accessing basic healthcare and transport facilities, even as it stood as a powerful testament to unwavering marital devotion. Govt authorities are yet to react on the story that has become a talking point on the internet.
In Nov last year, Lohar's wife, Jyoti suffered a paralytic stroke and local health centre officials in Sambalpur's Modipada, where the couple reside, referred them to the state-run SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.
"I did not have money to hire any vehicle, so I took out my rickshaw van. I put some old cushions on the rickshaw and let my wife lie on them. I pedalled chanting God's name," said Lohar, a rickshaw puller by profession.
After nine days, covering 30 km by the day and halting near roadside shops by the night, he reached the Cuttack hospital. After two months of prolonged treatment, Lohar resumed his journey back home to Modipada on Jan 19, this year.
The local hospital provided the food and allowed them to stay overnight to avoid the cold, and they resumed the journey to Sambalpur on the morning of January 20.
On the highway, Tangi police station officer in-charge Bikash Sethi spotted the elderly man pulling the rickshaw with his wife lying on it. The officer tried to persuade Lohar to allow the cops to arrange a vehicle for safe transport, but he refused to take any help.
"I offered to arrange a vehicle for them considering the woman's health and the man's age, but he politely refused," said Sethi. "His determination and emotional attachment are deeply moving. I haven't seen anything like this ever," Sethi said on Saturday.
"Lohar said he does not have any family members except his wife and the rickshaw. After our repeated requests, he accepted some cash from us to eat food on the way to Sambalpur," he added.
Source: timesofindia.com
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UAE: Dubai woman loses Dh10,000 in fake recruitment scam; police issue warning
Jan 25, 2026
Dubai Police have issued a fresh warning after a woman in the emirate lost Dh10,000 to a fake domestic worker recruitment office promoted on social media, highlighting how quickly online scams can escalate once initial contact is made. Authorities said such fraud cases often begin with attractive offers and professional-looking advertisements, only to end with the sudden disappearance of the perpetrators.
The incident was reported as part of Dubai Police’s ongoing #BewareOfFraud campaign, which aims to raise public awareness about evolving online scam tactics. According to police, the woman was searching for a domestic worker to help with household duties when she came across an advertisement on social media offering appealing terms. After contacting the number listed, she was assured that a suitable worker was immediately available and matched her requirements.
Captain Abdullah Khalfan Al Mansouri from the Criminal Prevention Department at the General Department of Criminal Investigation explained that the individual asked the woman to pay a small deposit to begin the procedures and arrange delivery. Acting in good faith, she transferred the amount. Minutes later, she received another message requesting a delivery fee to confirm the order, which she also paid. A third message followed, stating that the worker was ready for delivery and that only the final payment remained. Keen to complete the process quickly, the woman transferred the remaining amount, bringing the total to Dh10,000.
Shortly afterwards, all communication stopped, and the advertiser disappeared completely. Captain Al Mansouri said this method is one of the most common forms of online fraud, where scammers divide payments into stages to build trust before taking the full amount and vanishing.
Dubai Police stressed that anyone seeking domestic help should deal only with licensed and accredited recruitment offices operating in the UAE. The Anti-Fraud Centre has repeatedly warned that scammers are posing as recruitment agencies to illegally collect money from victims. Authorities urged the public to verify service providers before sharing personal data or making payments and to report any suspected fraud through the Dubai Police Smart App, the eCrime platform, the Police Eye service, or by calling 901 for non-emergency cases.
Source: timesofindia.com
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Women main victims of Sudan conflict abuses: minister to AFP
24 Jan 2026
PORT SUDAN: Women are the main victims of abuse in Sudan’s war, facing “the world’s worst” sexual violence and other crimes committed with impunity, a rights activist turned social affairs minister for the army-backed government told AFP.
The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been locked in a brutal conflict since April 2023 that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced around 11 million and been marked by widespread sexual violence.
Sulaima Ishaq Al-Khalifa said abuses against women routinely accompanied looting and attacks, with reports of rape often perpetrated as “the family witnessed” the crime.
“There is no age limit. A woman of 85 could be raped, a child of one year could be raped,” the trained psychologist told AFP at her home in Port Sudan.
The longtime women’s rights activist, recently appointed to the government, said that women were also being subjected to sexual slavery and trafficked to neighboring countries, alongside forced marriages arranged to avoid shame.
Khalifa said sexual violence has been reported on both sides, but she insisted it is “systematic” among the RSF, who she says use it “as a weapon of war” and for the purposes of “ethnic cleansing.”
Her ministry has documented more than 1,800 rapes between April 2023 and October 2025 — a figure that does not include atrocities documented in western Darfur and the neighboring Kordofan region from late October onwards.
“It’s about… humiliating people, forcing them to leave their houses and places and cities. And also breaking… the social fabrics,” Khalifa said.
“When you are using sexual violence as a weapon of war, that means you want to extend… the war forever,” because it feeds a “sense of revenge,” she added.
A report by the SIHA Network, an activist group that documents abuses against women in the Horn of Africa, found that more than three-quarters of recorded cases involved rape, with 87 percent attributed to the RSF.
The United Nations has repeatedly raised alarm over what it describes as targeted attacks on non?Arab communities in Darfur, while the International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened a formal investigation into “war crimes” by both sides.
Briefing the UN Security Council in mid-January, ICC deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said investigators had uncovered evidence of an “organized, calculated campaign” in El-Fasher — the army’s last stronghold in Darfur captured by the RSF in late October.
The campaign, Khan added, involved mass rapes and executions “on a massive scale,” sometimes “filmed and celebrated” by the perpetrators and “fueled by a sense of complete impunity.”
Darfur endured a brutal wave of atrocities in the early 2000s, and a former Janjaweed commander — from the militia structure that later evolved into the RSF — was recently found guilty by the International Criminal Court of multiple war crimes, including rape.
In Darfur, several survivors said RSF fighters “have been accusing them of being lesser people, like calling them ‘slaves’, and saying that when I’m attacking you, assaulting you sexually, I’m actually ‘honoring’ you, because I am more educated than you, or (of) more pure blood than you.”
These were “mercenaries from West Africa, speaking French, including from Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Chad, as well as Colombia and Libya” — allegedly fighting alongside the RSF, Khalifa added.
Some victims were abducted and held as sexual slaves, while others were sold through trafficking networks operating across Sudan’s porous borders, said Khalifa.
Families often force victims into marriage to “cover up what happened,” particularly when pregnancies result from rape, according to the minister.
“We call it a torture operation,” she said, describing “frightening” cases in which children and adolescent girls under 18 are forced into marriage.
Source: www.arabnews.jp
https://www.arabnews.jp/en/middle-east/article_162929/
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Woman, boy drown off Greece after migrant boat sinks
January 25, 2026
ATHENS: A boat carrying over 50 migrants sank off the Greek coast, killing a woman and a boy and leaving three others missing, the coast guard said Sunday.
“Fifty migrants have been rescued and are being cared for by the authorities,” after the accident off the island of Ikria in the northern Aegean Sea, a spokeswoman said.
The perilous crossings are often fatal. In early December, 17 people were found dead after their boat sank off Crete and 15 others were reported missing. Only two people survived.
According to the UN refugee agency 107 people died or went missing in 2025 off the Greek coast. The International Organization for Migration says about 33,000 migrants have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014.
Source: www.arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2630556/world
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