India Saw 1,318 Hate Speech Events in 2025; 98 percent of Them Targeted Muslims: Report
New Age Islam News Bureau
16 January 2025
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty.
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· India Saw 1,318 Hate Speech Events in 2025; 98% of Them Targeted Muslims: Report
· Odisha: Muslim man,Sheikh Makandar Mohammed, lynched by alleged cow vigilantes in Balasore
· Lebanon charges four accused of kidnapping for Israel’s Mossad
· Saudi Arabia announces new financial support to the Yemeni government
· Australia: Muslim and Christian leaders urge PM Albanese to pause sweeping hate speech reforms
· U.S. Issues Its First-Ever Designations of Muslim Brotherhood Branches as Terrorists
· Why Remains Of Terrorists Neutralized By Trump’s Airstrikes Were Not Found – Defence Minister
· Malaysia: HELP University Blast Leaves Student in Coma, Two Others Stable After AC Explosion
· Is IslamiAndolanBangladesh breaking away from Jamaat to form its own alliance?
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India
· Shia clerics rally behind Khamenei, urge India to back crisis-ridden Iran
· India slams Pakistan at UNGA for misusing UN platforms to drive 'divisive agenda'
· I am a Muslim, composing for Ramayana, says AR Rahman: ‘I studied in a Brahmin school, value the good things’
· 2024 Sambhal violence: 23-year-old injured in ‘police firing’, court orders FIR
· Iran protests — why India cannot be a mute spectator
· ‘Khandanichor’: BJP hits out at Rahul Gandhi over ‘vote chori’ remark during Maharashtra polls
· Pakistani drones spotted along LoC, IB in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch and Samba
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Mideast
· Senior Hamas figure among 7 killed in Israeli airstrike
· Israel sees spike in PTSD and suicide among troops as war persists
· Gaza ceasefire enters phase two despite unresolved issues
· President Abbas hopes 2026 brings progress on Palestinian statehood
· ‘Not much is standing’ in Gaza, says UN official
· Can Syria’s recovery outpace the hidden dangers left by years of war?
· US sanctions Larijani and other Iranian officials over protest crackdown
· Yemen’s Prosecutor General forms committee to investigate Aidarous Al-Zubaidi
· Israel bans PA’s Jerusalem affairs minister from entering West Bank
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Arab World
· Saudi leadership sends cables of condolences after passing of former Cyprus president
· Saudi crown prince receives written message from Oman sultan
· Saudi-UK collaboration aims to drive Kingdom’s creative economy
· ‘Masterpieces of the Saudi Orchestra’ to be held in AlUla
· Diriyah in 2025 — A year of exceptional achievement
· Training program for Sierra Leone officers launched
· Over 97m online extremist posts removed
· US consulate supports Saudi musicians for Jazz in Jeddah Festival
· Saudi Arabia’s Islamic Affairs minister inaugurates several mosque maintenance projects
· Riyadh municipality launches digital platform for urban plans
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Europe
· Australia's peak Jewish body considers further legal action against Islamic preacher Wisam Haddad
· A Northern Ireland man charged in connection with cross-border terror plot appears in court
· Reform councillor’s Muslim school comments labelled ‘unacceptable’ by opposition
· Glasgow mosque extension approved despite parking complaints
· New mosque coming to bustling city suburb
· London’s first interfaith art exhibition launches as Ramadan Lights expands
· 'We'd been on high alert' - How Jenrick's dramatic sacking and defection unfolded
· Moscow reaffirms ‘strategic partnership’ with post-Soviet states
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North America
· House Sharia Free America Caucus adds two dozen members in less than one month
· Islamic Society of Tulsa explores legal options following zoning decision
· CAIR, CAIR Action Release Webinar Training for New Local and State Muslim Civic Engagement Toolkit
· CAIR-DFW, Partners Demand Release of Yaa’Kub (Jacob) Ira Vijandre after 100 Days of Illegal Detention
· US to cut tariffs on Taiwanese goods after investment pledge
· Trump threatens to invoke Insurrection Act to quell anti-ICE protests in Minnesota
· Venezuelan Nobel winner gifts her medal to Trump
· US hits Iran with fresh sanctions
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Africa
· Tension As Bandits Kill Islamic Cleric In Kaduna
· Why United States Targeted SokotoFor Military Airstrike – Defence Minister
· Police Arrest Members Of Criminal Gang Linked To Attack On Ngige’s Convoy
· Christmas In Southeast Was Better After We Arrested Simon Ekpa – Minister Of Defence
· Ex-Lawmaker Calls For Reconciliation As Rivers Assembly Tensions Linger
· ‘It Is Not A Criminal Thing To Do’ – NIPR Supports FG $9 Miliion US Lobbying Deal
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Southeast Asia
· Malaysia hits pause on military, police procurement under cloud of corruption
· Malaysia Government Endorses Selangor Sultan’s Decree Against LGBT Activities
· BNPB speeds up temporary housing construction in Aceh before Ramadan
· Azalina: Malay-Muslim identity no longer guarantees voter loyalty, Umno must move beyond identity politics to stay relevant
· ‘Allah had other plans’: Zahid defends Umno’s alliance with ex-rival DAP
· Federal govt has no objections to Selangor’s centralised pig farming in Bukit Tagar if environmentally sound, says Mat Sabu
· ‘Come back’ — Zahid tells ex-members that Umno’s doors are always open
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South Asia
· BB governor outlines deposit return plan amid shariah compliance, bank losses
· Mujahid dispels claims of rifts within the Islamic Emirate
· Khaleda Zia departed with highest honour in the history: Nazrul Islam Khan
· Kabul-Appointed Diplomat Takes Charge of Afghanistan Embassy in Delhi
· Afghanistan passport ranked weakest worldwide again
· Trump plans to shut Afghan evacuee camp in Qatar, U.S. lawmaker says
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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India Saw 1,318 Hate Speech Events in 2025; 98% of Them Targeted Muslims: Report
Sharmita Kar
Jan 15 2026
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty.
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New Delhi: India witnessed at least 1,318 hate speech events targeting religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians, across states and union territories in 2025. On average, four hate speech events occurred per day, according to the new India Hate Lab report.
This marks a 13% increase from 2024, and 97% increase from 2023, when 668 such incidents were recorded.
In a 100-page report, the India Hate Lab detailed how a total of 1,289 speeches, or 98%, targeted Muslims. While in 1,156 cases, it was explicit, in another 133 cases, Muslims were targeted alongside Christians. This is an increase of nearly 12% from the 1,147 instances recorded in 2024.
Meanwhile, in 162 cases, hate speech was targeted at Christians, accounting for 12% of all events, either explicitly in 29 cases or alongside Muslims in 133 cases.
This is a nearly 41% increase from the 115 anti-Christian hate speech incidents documented in 2024, signalling a worrying shift.
Recently, an annual global study publishedby the US Holocaust Museum placed India fourth out of 168 nations assessed for the likelihood of what researchers call intrastate mass killings. More significantly, India topped the list of countries facing such danger that are not already experiencing large-scale violence.
BJP-ruled states recorded more hate
Uttar Pradesh, with 266, recorded the highest number of hate speeches in 2025, followed by Maharashtra, 193; Madhya Pradesh, 172; Uttarakhand, 155; and the national capital region of Delhi recording 76 such events.
In Uttar Pradesh, ahead of Holi, the state’s BJP leader Raghuraj Singh said that Muslim men should “make a hijab of tarpaulin for themselves” to avoid any inconvenience during Holi celebrations.
The India Hate Lab report stated that across the 23 states and union territories analysed, 1,164 hate speech incidents – 88% – occurred in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), either where it held power directly or as part of a coalition, along with BJP-administered union territories.
This is a 25% increase from the 931 incidents recorded in 2024.
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami emerged as the most prolific hate speech actor in 2025, as per the report, with 71 speeches; followed by Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad chief Pravin Togadia (46) and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay (35).
Dhami made headlines for mainstreaming conspiracy theories such as “love jihad,” “land jihad,” and “thook jihad.” Under his administration, Uttarakhand has consistently witnessed punitive demolitions of Muslim-owned properties under the pretext of removing “illegal encroachments,” alongside broader patterns of state violence and discriminatory governance.
Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane also ranked among the top five actors issuing calls to violence. In one instance, he claimed to be the “Gabbar” of Hindus and used derogatory language against Muslims. In another, he referred to Muslims as “jihadis” and “green snakes,” declaring that all religions are not equal in the “Hindu Rashtra” because “Hindus come first.”
In the seven opposition-ruled states, 154 hate speech events were recorded in 2025, with Congress-ruled Karnataka also featuring in the top 10 ranking, recording 40 such cases.
In the communally volatile West Bengal, on the other hand, the opposition BJP has increasingly used hate speech as an opportunity to lure voters ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. In March last year, the state’s leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari said he would "physically throw Muslim MLAs out of the assembly" after the party "forms the next government" in the state.
However, in total, this is a 34% decrease from the 234 such incidents documented in opposition states in 2024.
As many as 656 hate speeches – nearly 50% – of all speeches referenced conspiracy theories, including “love jihad,” “land jihad,” “population jihad,” “thook (spit) jihad,” “education jihad,” “drug jihad,” and “vote jihad,” representing a 13% increase from the previous year.
A total of 308 speeches, 23% contained explicit calls for violence, while 136 speeches included direct calls to arms. While calls for violence increased by 19%, calls for social or economic boycotts rose by 8% from 2024.
A disturbing trend
“Following the unprecedented surge in hate speech observed in 2024, the total volume of hate speech events in 2025 climbed further, indicating the deep entrenchment of sectarian rhetoric as a routine feature of India’s political and social landscape,” the India Hate Lab report notes.
“This increase signals a significant shift in India’s political landscape, in which inflammatory rhetoric has evolved from a campaign-specific tactic into a normalized and continuously deployed mechanism of political governance. Such rhetoric now functions as a round-the-clock instrument for Hindu far-right mobilization on the ground,” it adds.
The report also noted that in 2025, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, two Hindu nationalist groups who have also played a central role in facilitating hate speeches in 2023 and 2024, emerged as the most frequent organisers of hate speech events, directly sponsoring or facilitating 289 gatherings, accounting for 22% of all documented incidents.
“Historically, the RSS and the BJP have relied on organizations such as the VHP, the Bajrang Dal, and other Sangh Parivar affiliates to function as frontline mobilizers of anti-minority hatred and violence. These groups have played a critical role in translating ideological narratives into street-level action,” it states.
According to the report, April recorded the highest monthly spike, with 158 hate speech events coinciding with Ram Navami processions. Over the past few years, there has been a growing trend of communal tensions around Ram Navami, with Hindu processions often taken deliberately through Muslim areas.
In addition to it, in April 2025, hate rallies were organised as a response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
In the 16-day period between April 22 and May 7, following the Pahalgam attack and preceding active hostilities between India and Pakistan, as many as 98 in-person hate speech events were documented, indicating rapid and nationwide anti-Muslim mobilisation, the report noted.
This is aside from heightened communal discourse on social media platforms during that period.
Throughout the year, minorities have been described using terms such as “termites,” “parasites,” “insects,” “pigs,” “mad dogs,” “snakelings,” “green snakes,” and “bloodthirsty zombies” – most of them were used against Muslims.
The Wire has extensively reported on the rise in targeting of Bengali Muslims, particularly of migrant workers, terming them Bangladeshi. The India Hate Lab report recorded 192 speeches that invoked the “Bangladeshi infiltrator” trope. In addition, 69 hate speech events targeted Rohingya refugees. These instances were seen the most in Delhi and Bihar, as well as in Assam and West Bengal.
A total of 120 hate speeches explicitly called for social or economic boycotts of minority communities, primarily Muslims, whereas 276 speeches called for the removal or destruction of places of worship, including mosques, shrines and churches.
The Gyanvapi mosque and the Shahi Idgah mosque in Uttar Pradesh were among the most frequently targeted sites in 2025, as per the report.
Violence further escalated during the Christmas period, with widespread harassment of Christians and disruptions of prayer services showing an increasing anti-Christian sentiment embedded within the same dangerous hate-speech ecosystem that has historically targeted Muslims.
The BJP-led Union government has once again largely evaded the issue of rising communal divide or the surge in hate speeches.
To a question in Lok Sabha, about the surge in hate speech by politicians and the need for new laws, Union minister Kiren Rijiju in July last year even declined to provide any data, strategically deferring all accountability to state governments, citing that 'public order' and 'police' are state subjects.
The Supreme Court, which previously demonstrated judicial activism, exhibited a noticeable restraint in 2025. In November, a top court bench stated it was "not inclined to monitor every incident of hate speech" nationwide, directing petitioners to the high courts and local police.
This is even as another Supreme Court bench, in May, while issuing notices to a group of comedians for allegedly making insensitive jokes, had affirmed that hate speech cannot be misconstrued as a fundamental right.
Sliver of hope
In a welcome change, the Karnataka government enacted the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2025, marking the first comprehensive state-level effort in India to systematically define and penalise hate speech.
The bill was passed amid loud protests from the opposition. The legislation prescribes imprisonment of up to seven years along with a fine of Rs 50,000 for hate crimes, and covers communication made in public view through verbal, print, public, or electronic means.
Such a measure, according to the India Hate Lab report, “stands as a defining legislative moment”. However, it “underscored a growing, if fragmented, state-level recognition of the severity of the issue, even as the rhetoric continued unabated at the national level”.
https://m.thewire.in/article/communalism/india-saw-1318-hate-speech-events-in-2025-98-of-them-targeted-muslims-india-hate-lab-report
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Odisha: Muslim man, Sheikh Makandar Mohammed, lynched by alleged cow vigilantes in Balasore
Scroll Staff
16 January, 2026
A file photo of protests in Ahmedabad against mob lynching in 2018 | Amit Dave/Reuters
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A Muslim man died after being assaulted by alleged cow vigilantes in Odisha’s Balasore district on Wednesday, The Telegraph reported.
Sheikh Makandar Mohammed, a resident of Astia village, worked as a helper for a cattle pickup van.
On Wednesday, a group of alleged cow vigilantes tried to stop the van Mohammed was in. The van overturned on the outskirts of a town.
While the driver escaped, Mohammed was caught by the mob, The Telegraph reported.
A video widely shared on social media, alleged to be that of the incident, shows the group assaulting Mohammed with pipes and forcing him to shout “Jai Shri Ram” and “Gau Mata Ki Jai”. The mob continued to beat him up even as he complied with their demand.
The police took Mohammed to hospital, but on Thursday, he succumbed to injuries he had suffered during the attack.
The police have registered a case under a section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita that pertains to lynching by a group motivated by prejudice based on religion, race or caste. Mohammed’s brother had filed a police complaint and named five persons as suspects.
Three suspects were arrested on Thursday in connection with the killing, The Times of India reported.
Rabi Behera, the head of the Odisha Milk Farmers’ Association, was quoted as saying by The Telegraph that the activities of cow vigilantes had increased since the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Mohan Majhi was elected to power in the state in June 2024.
“The government must ensure stern action in such cases,” Behera said.
Source: scroll.in
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https://scroll.in/latest/1090027/odisha-muslim-man-lynched-by-alleged-cow-vigilantes-in-balasore
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Lebanon charges four accused of kidnapping for Israel’s Mossad
January 15, 2026
Lebanese authorities believe the agency known for espionage operations outside of Israel's borders was behind the disappearance of retired security officer Ahmad Shukr last month. (X/@Assawt_news)
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BEIRUT: Four people accused of a kidnapping in Lebanon for Israel’s Mossad spy agency last month have been charged, a judicial official said on Thursday, after a retired security officer whose brother was linked to an Israeli airman’s disappearance went missing.
Israel has apprehended suspects in Lebanon before and Mossad is accused of regularly attempting to contact Lebanese people to facilitate its operations, while Lebanon has arrested dozens of people on suspicion of collaborating with Israel over the years.
Lebanese authorities believe the agency known for espionage operations outside of Israel’s borders was behind the disappearance of retired security officer Ahmad Shukr last month.
Shukr, whose brother Hassan is suspected of involvement in the 1986 capture of Israeli air force navigator Ron Arad, disappeared in the Bekaa region of eastern Lebanon.
Authorities have arrested and charged one Lebanese man and charged three more who remain at large.
The four were charged with “communicating with and working for Mossad within Lebanon in exchange for money, and carrying out the kidnapping of Ahmad Shukr,” a judicial official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The three are “a Lebanese woman, a Lebanese-French man, and a Syrian-Swedish man,” the official said.
The Israeli airman Ron Arad, whose plane went down in southern Lebanon during the country’s civil war between 1975 and 1990, is now presumed dead and his remains were never returned.
Hassan Shukr was killed in 1988 in a battle between Israeli forces and local fighters, including from the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group, a source close to the family told AFP last month, requesting anonymity.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2629486/middle-east
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Saudi Arabia announces new financial support to the Yemeni government
January 16, 2026
This picture shows a view from the fort on Sirah Island looking towards the old sea port of Aden in southern Yemen. (AFP/File)
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RIYADH: Saudi Ambassador to Yemen and Supervisor of the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen Mohammed Al-Jaber announced that the Kingdom, under the directives of its leadership, has provided new support to the Yemeni government's budget, aimed at paying the salaries of state employees in all sectors.
In a post on X, Al-Jaber stated that this support complements a package of development projects and initiatives, amounting to SR1.9 billion, announced on Wednesday. The package includes provision of necessary petroleum derivatives to operate power plants, which will contribute to improving the living standards of people in Yemen and alleviating daily burdens on them.
Al-Jaber’s post emphasized, in particular, that all salaries of military and security forces linked to the the higher military committee linked to the Saudi led Coalition will be paid as of Sunday.
The post is likely relate to Several Media reports which have suggested that disgraced former Southern Transitional Council (STC) chief Aidaroos Al Zubaidi — who has now fled Yemen — was taking advantage of military personnel and withholding salaries as means of pressure. Al-Zubaidi is wanted by the Yemeni government for acts of high treason and corruption.
The ambassador emphasized that these steps come within the framework of supporting the Yemeni government's efforts to implement the economic reform program, which aims to achieve financial and economic stability and enhance the state's ability to meet its basic obligations.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2629498/saudi-arabia
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Australia: Muslim and Christian leaders urge PM Albanese to pause sweeping hate speech reforms
By Grace Crivellaro
January 16 2026
Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher is among those calling for a rethink on hate speech reforms. Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS
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Influential religious leaders have urged the prime minister to halt sweeping hate speech reforms, warning the laws could have unintended consequences.
In a co-signed statement issued on Friday, Muslim and Christian leaders said attempted crackdowns on anti-Semitic Islamist hate preachers could threaten reasonable religious discourse unless reworked.
"A rushed legislative process of this nature undermines confidence, increases the risk of unintended consequences," the letter addressed to Anthony Albanese and senior ministers said.
Among the 27 leaders who signed the letter are Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher, Anglican Archbishop KanishkaRaffel and Australian National Imams Council president ShadiAlsuleiman.
The group said it stands ready to work with Labor to "improve" the bill by removing an exemption for religious leaders citing a religious text.
"The provisions allow past lawful speech or expression to be deemed as hate crimes, which may expose individuals or institutions to consequences based on past lawful speech or expression," it said.
Labor has made a last ditch bid for bipartisan support for the hate speech and gun reform bill after failing to win backing from the coalition or the Greens.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong used Sussan Ley's own words to hit back at her after the opposition leader dubbed the bill "unsalvageable".
"The prime minister has made clear: we are open to amendments, we would like to see national unity, we would like to see the coalition and the Greens act responsibly," Senator Wong said in Adelaide.
"What is becoming increasingly clear is that it is Ms Ley's leadership which is unsalvageable."
Ms Ley targeted Senator Wong in the days following the Bondi terror attack, claiming the foreign minister hadn't "shed a single tear" after the December 14 massacre that claimed 15 lives at a Hanukkah festival.
The opposition had for weeks demanded Labor recall parliament before Christmas to adopt a report by Australia's envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, which included proposed anti-vilification laws.
The prime minister on Friday challenged the opposition to suggest changes to the hate speech legislation.
"At the moment this is like trying to grab smoke, trying to get an arrangement with the coalition," Mr Albanese said.
Passing the bill next week appears unlikely as the Greens have also ruled out support unless it is expanded to protect other marginalised communities.
"Our strong view is that legislation that's dealing with hate and vilification and anti-discrimination can't single out just one religion and simply protect that," Senator David Shoebridge told Sky News.
The support of either party is required to pass the legislation through the Senate.
A group of independent MPs, including Allegra Spender whose electorate includes Bondi Beach, urged parliament to "negotiate in good faith" across party lines to pass the laws.
Legal experts and Jewish groups have also criticised the bill claiming it is too rushed and broad, although the Executive Council of Australian Jewry has called on the coalition to vote in favour of the legislation.
The bill includes measures such as cracking down on hate preachers, introducing hate speech and racial vilification offences, in addition to creating a national gun buyback scheme.
The Nationals have indicated their opposition to gun reform on behalf of farmers.
Source: canberratimes.com.au
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https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9153826/religious-leaders-unite-in-call-for-hate-speech-rethink/
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U.S. Issues Its First-Ever Designations of Muslim Brotherhood Branches as Terrorists
January 15, 2026
Mariam Wahba
For more than a decade, Washington avoided a definitive judgment about the Muslim Brotherhood. That changed on January 13 when the U.S. State and Treasury departments designated three Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organization.
The Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood, which operates as al-Jamaa al-Islamiyah (The Islamic Group), was designated both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The Egyptian and Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood branches were designated as SDGTs.
In Washington, previous pushes to designate the Brotherhood or its branches yielded no designations. This move represents the most direct U.S. action against the Muslim Brotherhood to date. If sustained and expanded, this approach could significantly disrupt Islamist networks across the Middle East, Europe, and North America.
The Three Designated Chapters Engaged in Violence or Materially Supported Hamas
During the war that followed the October 7 massacre by Hamas, Lebanon’s Islamic Group activated its armed wing, the al-Fajr Forces, and launched rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel in coordination with Hezbollah and Hamas, according to U.S. government findings and open-source research. Additionally, al-Fajr operatives were caught preparing to carry out terrorist attacks against Israel, and the Lebanese Armed Forces dismantled a covert military training camp involving both al-Fajr and Hamas militants. The Treasury Department also designated the Islamic Group Secretary General Muhammad FawziTaqqosh.
Additionally, the Treasury Department designated the Egyptian and Jordanian Brotherhood branches as SDGTs based on their material support for Hamas, particularly in facilitating recruitment, logistics, and financing.
In Jordan, elements linked to the group have been implicated in terrorism cases since early 2025. In April 2025, Amman reported that individuals connected to the group were planning for a coordinated terror campaign as they were engaged in “manufacturing rockets and drones, possession of explosives and firearms, and recruiting operatives in Jordan and abroad.”
Regional Players Welcome the U.S. Designations, Which Brotherhood Branches Reject
The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood rejected the U.S. designation, vowing to pursue “all legal measures” to halt the implementation of U.S. sanctions, which would deny them access to the U.S. financial system. The Islamic Group similarly dismissed the move as political, claiming it carried “no legal or judicial implications in Lebanon or internationally.”
Regional governments, by contrast, broadly welcomed the decision. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement thanking President Donald Trump for his leadership and reiterated Cairo’s longstanding position that the brotherhood exploits religion for political ends. Jordan’s Minister of Government Communication emphasized that the brotherhood in Jordan “has been dissolved for years,” noting that all of its activities have been banned since April 2025.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both of which have designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization domestically, also welcomed the U.S. action.
Impact of Designations Depends on Enforcement, Targeting of Additional Branches
These designations should mark the beginning, not the culmination, of a renewed U.S. effort to confront the constellation of branches, franchises, and offshoots that comprise the Muslim Brotherhood’s global network. Whether this effort produces a lasting impact will depend on sustained enforcement, further financial investigations, and the willingness of the administration to expand designations to additional branches where the evidentiary threshold is met.
Source: .fdd.org
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https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/01/15/u-s-issues-its-first-ever-designations-of-muslim-brotherhood-branches-as-terrorists/
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Why Remains Of Terrorists Neutralized By Trump’s Airstrikes Were Not Found – Defence Minister
January 16, 2026
By Rachel OkporuFadoju
Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (Rtd), has explained that the nature of the weapons used during the recent United States airstrikes in Nigeria made it impossible to recover physical remains of terrorists neutralised.
Naija News reports that Musa, during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Thursday, said the terrorists were neutralised with advanced weapons, including Tomahawk missiles, which left no visible traces.
He said, “They wouldn’t know, because the way they were neutralised, you wouldn’t see anything. It’s a new kind of weapon that was used, the Tomahawks.”
When asked about reports that some Tomahawk missiles failed to explode, the defence chief said such outcomes were part of military strategy.
He noted, “That is all part of the tactics. In conflict attack, you deceive your enemy. Those are all part of it.”
According to Musa, while the US operation was ongoing, Nigerian security forces were simultaneously carrying out coordinated attacks on other targets.
He added that the operations had yielded results and assured Nigerians that more successes would follow.
He said, “At least Nigerians are seeing the results, and they will see more things coming ahead.
“As we speak, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Navy and the Army were also neutralising a lot of other areas. In fact, from within January, a lot has been achieved.”
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/01/16/why-remains-of-terrorists-neutralized-by-trumps-airstrikes-were-not-found-defence-minister/
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Malaysia: HELP University Blast Leaves Student in Coma, Two Others Stable After AC Explosion
16 Jan 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — Three victims injured in the air-conditioning gas explosion incident at the HELP University campus in Bukit Damansara here on Monday are still receiving treatment in hospitals, while one has been discharged as of today.
Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Datuk FadilMarsus said the first victim, Liew Ying Chen, 54, who suffered burns and had metal fragments embedded in his body following the incident, is currently being treated at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL).
“The victim, who works as a supervisor, sustained burns covering 24 per cent of his body and is conscious and stable after undergoing surgery,” he said in a statement today.
Fadil said another patient receiving treatment at HKL is a HELP University student, Reeya Kaur Thandal, 19, who suffered brain haemorrhaging and a fractured skull.
He said the student has been placed in the High Dependency Ward and is in a coma, under close medical monitoring.
In addition, another student of the university, LyaIzrynIrazeqh, 18, who suffered a fractured waist as a result of the incident, was admitted to HKL last Tuesday before being transferred for further treatment to Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur in Bangsar here.
“The victim has completed dental surgery yesterday and is in stable condition, and is scheduled to undergo waist surgery tomorrow at 2 pm,” he said.
Meanwhile, another victim, a canteen worker at the university, Muhammad Rizki Rudi Hartono, 22, who was treated at Sungai Buloh Hospital, was discharged yesterday after the Indonesian national was reported to have not sustained serious injuries.
“Any further developments will be updated from time to time,” he said.
In the incident at about 11.40 am last Monday, a man died while nine others were injured. The deceased was identified as Soo Yu Juan, 24, a third-year Mechanical Engineering student at UniversitiTunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/01/16/help-university-blast-student-in-still-coma-two-others-stable-after-ac-explosion/205679
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Is IslamiAndolanBangladesh breaking away from Jamaat to form its own alliance?
16 Jan 2026
The IslamiAndolan Bangladesh has signalled that it is preparing to chart an independent political course, distancing itself from expectations that it would rejoin an alliance led by the Jamaat-e-Islami.
Senior party figures have described a return to the Jamaat fold as “negative” and ruled out "any possibility" of aligning with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Instead, IslamiAndolan says it plans to lead a new political bloc bringing together several Islamist organisations, with details of the proposed alliance due to be announced on Friday.
The developments come as Bangladesh prepares for the 13th parliamentary election and a referendum on Feb 12.
The Election Commission is currently resolving appeals following the scrutiny of nomination papers, with the final list of candidates due on Jan 20.
Eight religion-based parties converged in the alliance with the demand for parliamentary polls under the proportional representation (PR) system and a referendum before the general election.
The parties were Jamaat-e-Islami, IslamiAndolan Bangladesh, KhelafatMajlis, Bangladesh KhelafatMajlis, Bangladesh KhelafatAndolon, Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party, JatiyaGanatantrik Party (JAGPA), and Bangladesh Development Party (BDP).
As the parliamentary elections approached, the alliance began taking shape, with the National Citizen Party (NCP), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and AB Party announcing their entry into the coalition around the time of nomination submission.
Media reports have highlighted differences over seat-sharing among the coalition partners ever since. These disputes appeared irreconcilable on Thursday when the alliance announced candidates for 253 seats, pointedly excluding IslamiAndolan.
Speaking on behalf of the alliance, Jamaat’sNayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher outlined the distribution of seats among the coalition partners.
Under the arrangement, Jamaat will contest in 179 seats, the NCP 30 seats, Bangladesh KhelafatMajlis 20 seats, KhelafatMajlis 10 seats, the LDP seven seats, Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) three seats, Bangladesh Nezame Islam Party two seats, and the Bangladesh Development Party two seats.
Seat allocations for the JatiyaGanatantrik Party (JGP) and Bangladesh KhelafatAndolon have not yet been finalised.
The issue of seat-sharing with IslamiAndolan Bangladesh also remains undecided, the alliance said.
IslamiAndolan quickly countered this narrative. During the Jamaat briefing, the party issued a statement announcing its own press conference for Friday afternoon at its PuranaPaltan headquarters.
IslamiAndolan quickly countered this narrative. During the Jamaat briefing, the party issued a statement announcing its own press conference for Friday afternoon at its PuranaPaltan headquarters.
Asked if there was any chance of returning to the Jamaat-led alliance, IslamiAndolan Organising Secretary Shah Iftekhar Tarik said the prospect was "negative".
Over the formation of a new coalition or a potential link with the BNP, he added: "The matter of forming a coalition will be clarified at tomorrow's media briefing. There is no possibility of reaching an understanding with the BNP."
Another senior leader within the organisation suggested a new alignment was imminent, noting: "Several other Islamic parties are looking to join us; something may be formed with them."
Source: bdnews24.com
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India
Shia clerics rally behind Khamenei, urge India to back crisis-ridden Iran
Jan 16, 2026
Lucknow: Lucknow's prominent Islamic scholars and community members have voiced strong concern over the escalating situation in Iran, calling for global powers to prioritize peace and dialogue over conflict. They have demanded the immediate lifting of sanctions imposed by Western nations and urged the Indian govt to back the present regime in Iran. They also appealed to the United Nations to intervene to prevent any possible US-Israel strike amid ongoing protests in the country.
Maulana Kalbe Jawwad, a leading Shia cleric, stressed that sanctions have crippled Iran's economy, creating fertile ground for unrest. "On allegations of uranium enrichment for nuclear weapons, Western powers imposed sanctions on a Shia Muslim country. But in reality, they want Iran's oil and are seeking an opportunity to target a state in turmoil. Remove the sanctions, and Iran will flourish like any other nation, with no protests against the regime," Jawwad said.
He urged the Indian government to stand by Iran during these troubled times instead of maintaining a neutral stance. "Scores of mosques, government buildings, hospitals, and other infrastructure were targeted by anti-state elements. A true Iranian may protest against inflation and unemployment, but will never attack their own country's infrastructure," he added.
MaulanaYasoob Abbas, the general secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, accused the US and Israel of fueling unrest. "All Iranians are with Ayatollah Khamenei and the Islamic Republic. Indian Muslims, especially Shias, stand firmly with him," Abbas asserted. He appealed to the Indian government to support Iran rather than Israel during this crisis. He dismissed reports of mass casualties and that anti-government elements linked to Mossad and Shah's supporters were being targeted. "Life is normal in Iran," he said, adding that religious caravans from India continue to travel to Iran without issues.
Maulana Khalid Rasheed FarangiMahali, the chairman of the Islamic Centre of India and Shahi Imam of Lucknow, emphasized that war is never a solution. "People in India, especially Muslims, are very concerned. The international community, particularly the United Nations, should intervene and resolve this issue peacefully," he said. Highlighting Iran's historical ties with India, he questioned foreign interference: "Iran is a sovereign nation. To what extent is it justified for powers like America to interfere? Clearly, such interference violates international laws."
He also condemned any excessive force against protesters, stressing that the right to protest within legal limits must be respected. "If voices are suppressed, it gives other countries an excuse to interfere," he warned, noting that the internet shutdown has left many in Lucknow unable to contact relatives in Iran.
From Kintoor in Barabanki, the ancestral home of Ayatollah RuhollahMusavi Khomeini's grandfather, Dr RehanKazmi echoed similar sentiments, alleging that Western media is distorting facts. "Things are happening differently from what is being shown in the media. Whether to please the US or Israel, the media is showing things in a distorted way. The reality is that the majority of people are with Ayatollah Khamenei," Kazmi said. He cited conversations with his cousin Amir Kazmi, a student in Iran, who confirmed that large rallies were organized in support of Khamenei in Qom, Mashhad, and Tehran. "If Israel or the US attacks, Iran will respond strongly. They have been prepared for this for the past 20 years," he added.
Another cleric, MaulanaHasnainBaqri, whose younger brother MaulanaFaizBaqri has lived in Iran as a religious scholar for over two decades, said, "Iran is stable. Media has hyped and projected chaos. Only a few people have been arrested and jailed—that is a fact. Crowds of 1,000–2,000 were filmed from angles to make them look like 10,000."
Source: indiatimes.com
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India slams Pakistan at UNGA for misusing UN platforms to drive 'divisive agenda'
16 Jan 2026
UNITED NATIONS: India called out Pakistan for misusing UN platforms to drive its "divisive agenda" after Islamabad's envoy raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in the General Assembly.
Counsellor in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN Eldos Mathew Punnoose on Thursday said that the right to self-determination must not be abused to encourage secession in pluralistic and democratic states.
"At a time when member states have to rise beyond their narrow considerations, Pakistan continues to misuse all platforms and processes in the UN to drive their divisive agenda," Punnoose said.
"This forum is no exception either and Pakistan made an unwarranted reference to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, an integral and inalienable part of India," Punnoose said, while delivering the national statement at the UN General Assembly Plenary on 'Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organisation'.
"The right to self-determination is a fundamental principle enshrined in the UN Charter.
However, this right must not be abused to encourage secession in pluralistic and democratic states.
Though habituated, Pakistan would do well if they do not resort to baseless allegations and falsehoods and portray a picture that is completely detached from reality," he said.
The strong retort by India came after Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN Ambassador AsimIftikhar Ahmad made a reference to Jammu and Kashmir in his remarks in the General Assembly.
Pakistan repeatedly raises the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at the United Nations and its various platforms but fails to get any traction from the wider international community on the matter.
Punnoose, in his remarks, also stressed that the Global South has its unique set of developmental challenges that cut across development financing and climate justice and financing, among other areas.
"India has consistently endeavoured to bring these to the forefront across all UN platforms.
Concerted and focused follow up action is required on this front.
Moving forward, there is a need to translate the sentiments of the Global South to concrete and tangible steps," he said.
As the UN membership takes stock of the past, it is important to reflect upon the current context and the way ahead for the largest multilateral organisation, the United Nations.
"United Nations is going through a crucial phase, as it faces various critical challenges.
World citizenry expects the UN to deliver on each of the three pillars--peace and security, development and human rights," he said.
India emphasised that UN's inability to purposefully intervene on its critical functions leads to questions related to efficacy, legitimacy and credibility.
"This is quite pronounced in case of maintenance of international peace and security.
As conflicts rage across different parts of the globe, the world hopes the UN to deliver, to put an end to human suffering and misery," Punnoose said.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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I am a Muslim, composing for Ramayana, says AR Rahman: ‘I studied in a Brahmin school, value the good things’
January 16, 2026
Composer AR Rahman had quite a busy 2025, and he has already hit the ground running with the album, Gandhi Talks. The sought-after composer will be under the spotlight once Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana releases later this year. The much-awaited film sees Rahman collaborating with the legend Hans Zimmer.
While appearing on BBC Asian’s YouTube channel, Rahman was asked whether his religious beliefs came into play when he was composing the album. He said, “I studied in a Brahmin school, and every year we had Ramayana and Mahabharata, so I know the story. The story is about how virtuous a person is, higher ideals, and all that stuff. People may argue, but I value all those good things — any good things that you can learn from. The prophet has said that knowledge is something invaluable, no matter where you get it from — a king, a beggar, a good act or a bad one. You can’t shy away from things.”
Rahman added, “I think we need to elevate from small-mindedness and selfishness. Because when we elevate and we become radiant — we become a radiant of that, and that’s very important. I am proud of the whole project, because it’s from India to the whole world, with such love. Hanz Zimmer is Jewish, I am Muslim, and the Ramayana is Hindu (text).”
When asked why he took this long to collaborate with Zimmer, despite the legendary composer being open to the idea for a long time, Rahman revealed that he wanted to relax in his career and make a space for himself. He said, “I think in the very initial stages (of my career), I wanted to be kind of aloof and independent. He gave me room in Remote Control, and then he put me in this super-band for the Oscars. At that point in my life, I wanted to be chilled out. I didn’t want to take the pressure. When Namit came around and said that the offer still remained, so both of us met, and he is very embracing.”
In another interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Rahman spoke about collaborating with Zimmer on a project that is so close to the heart for Indians, “It’s terrifying for both of us. We’re scoring something so iconic and so important to the world. So in the promo, I think he had a soundscape, then I took that and added the Sanskrit words at the end and everything. What’s complicated is that we’re taking something so epic, which every Indian knows, and we have to give them something new. We have to give something to the world — from India to the world.”
He also spoke about how he is approaching the music of the film. “We have to unlearn certain things, like how our instincts demand, ‘Oh, this is how Ramayana should be done,’ but also imbibe the timeless quality that exists in the culture. It’s still a process. I’m working with Dr Kumar Vishwas, who is like a pro, almost at a professor level when it comes to Ramayana and the Hindi language. Every atom of his body speaks Ramayana. He comes up with lyrics like that, and he’s a very kind person. So we’re having fun, and it’s new.”
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the cast of Ramayana includes Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Ravi Dubey, Sunny Deol, Kajal Aggarwal, ArunGovil and Indira Krishnan.
Source: indianexpress.com
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2024 Sambhal violence: 23-year-old injured in ‘police firing’, court orders FIR
by Manish Sahu
January 16, 2026
A district court in Uttar Pradesh has directed the registration of a case and a probe into allegations that a 23-year-old man was shot and injured during police firing amid the November 2024 Sambhal violence.
The complainant in the case is Mohammad Yamin. He alleged that his son, Mohammad Alam, sustained three bullet injuries. He said due to fear, he was unable to lodge a complaint earlier. The victim’s father then approached the court seeking directions to register an FIR in the matter.
Violence broke out near Sambhal’sShahiJama Masjid on November 24, 2024, during protests against a court-ordered survey of the 16th-century mosque. A large crowd clashed with the police, leaving four people dead and several others — including police personnel — injured.
In its response, police denied the allegations. It said the bullet allegedly removed from the victim’s body was not one used by the police. The police also claimed that Alam is wanted in one of the violence-related cases and that his name surfaced during the course of the investigation.
After hearing Yamin’s plea, the court allowed the application under Section 173(4) of the BNSS.
“In the present case, medical documents filed in relation to the victim, Alam, record that he sustained a ‘gunshot wound’ and also refer to ‘police firing in a riot’, rendering the matter suspicious and indicating the commission of a cognisable offence arising from the incident. Medical records clearly show Alam suffered two bullet injuries to his back and one bullet injury to his hand. They further indicate a fracture to a bone in his hand, with relevant medical papers and X-ray reports placed on record. The report submitted by the police also raises suspicion. The police have themselves placed Alam’s medical documents on record and recorded statements of treating doctors. However, these statements appear to be inconsistent with the medical reports and the circumstances of the incident, thereby casting doubt on the police version and indicating the commission of a cognisable offence,” the court said.
“… it is essential that the true and correct facts of the case be placed before the court. At the prima facie stage, the material on record discloses the commission of a cognisable offence. Accordingly, in view of the relevant legal provisions and facts and circumstances of the case, it appears necessary and just that an investigation be ordered,” the court said.
“The Station House Officer (SHO) of Sambhal is directed to register a case in relation to the incident described in the application and to ensure the investigation is carried out strictly in accordance with law. The details of the registration of the case shall be placed before the court within seven days,” it added.
When contacted, Superintendent of Police, Sambhal, Krishan Kumar, confirmed that they would be filing an appeal against the court order in the High Court.
The case
According to the court order, the complainant stated that on the morning of November 24, 2024, Alam, a street vendor selling biscuits on a handcart and supplying them to shops, left home for work. At 8.45 am, he was near the Jama Masjid and noticed a large crowd had gathered there.
As Alam moved closer to the spot, the complainant alleged that the then Sambhal Circle Officer, Anuj Chaudhary, the then inspector of Sambhal police station, Anuj Kumar Tomar, along with 15-20 other police personnel, suddenly opened fire on the crowd.
Alam abandoned his cart and attempted to flee but two bullets hit him.
The complainant further claimed that some people at the spot rescued his son.
He said he first took Alam to several doctors and hospitals in Sambhal for treatment, but claimed none agreed to attend to him. Fearing police action, he kept his son at home for three days.
Then, the order notes, Yasmin claimed he took his son to hospitals in Moradabad and Aligarh but was denied admission. He then took his son to a hospital in Meerut and concealed his address to secure his admission.
As per the order, the complainant further stated that he remained preoccupied with his son’s medical treatment and, owing to fear, was unable to submit a complaint earlier. He later filed the present application.
In this regard, he said he submitted written complaints to the Superintendent of Police, Sambhal; District Magistrate, Sambhal; Deputy Inspector General of Police, Moradabad; and Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, but no FIR was lodged.
Approaching court, Yasmin had sought directions to the SHO of KotwaliSambhal to register his complaint.
On consideration of the application, the court called for a report from the Sambhal Police.
As per the report submitted, it was stated that the victim had informed the treating doctor that he sustained the gunshot injury during a scuffle in Asmoli village.
It was further stated that the bullet removed was sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Agra, for examination.
According to the FSL report, police said the recovered bullet was of 7.65 mm (32 bore), a calibre not used by the police. Based on this, police claimed the available evidence does not establish that Alam was injured by a bullet fired by police personnel.
Source: indianexpress.com
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Iran protests — why India cannot be a mute spectator
SESHADRI CHARI
16 January, 2026
Iran has been witnessing a grassroots revolt for quite some time now. The present turmoil is the culmination of a simmering discontent. To dismiss it as an anti-government protest prompted merely by economic distress, or as agitation by power-hungry mobs instigated by foreign agencies, would be a serious error of judgement and an insult to the freedom warriors on the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities. Several mosques that blared the Ayatollah’s teachings and enforced moral policing have been burned down by protesters, who have also made bonfires of the mandatory hijab and other imposed Islamic symbols. There is hardly any news of shops and malls being looted. The protests are clearly against the repressive Islamic regime.
The three-weeks-old protests have turned violent, with the Ayatollah’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cracking down with force. While Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, claims that “the situation has come under total control”, the regime seems to be on its last leg. Though protests are not new in Iran, this time the uprising has spread all over the country. The reprisal too has been disproportionate and severe, with unconfirmed reports of thousands of unarmed protesters killed, and large numbers of security personnel dead or injured. The fact that internet connections have been down for more than a week signals the seriousness of the situation.
The unrest has also drawn strong reactions from outside powers, especially America.
US President Donald Trump has warned Iran of serious consequences and urged protesters to keep fighting, promising that “help is on the way”. But for unarmed protesters fighting a repressive government armed to the teeth for three weeks, it’s no guarantee. Tehran’s warning that protesters will be handed the death penalty is not an empty threat; such punishments have been carried out in the past. The Iranian regime has also warned of attacks on American and Israeli bases in the region, along with other retaliatory measures, if American forces strike Iran.
In this ambiguous situation, the only certainty is the continuation of protests and a massive reprisal by the regime in Tehran, leading to a prolonged period of instability and disruption in the Indian Ocean. Nearly one-fourth of the global oil trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a closely interconnected world and a contiguous Asia, developments in Iran cannot remain confined to its geography, especially when its economy, oil trade, military capabilities, and nuclear ambitions are deeply interlinked with regional powers and emerging economies, including China, Russia, and India. New Delhi, therefore, cannot look the other way. It must act even if its options are limited.
US regime change calculus, India’s opening
As of now, the US seems to be recalibrating its military options, which might, if they materialise at all, be limited to air strikes rather than putting American boots on Iranian soil. After its failure in Afghanistan, the Pentagon is unlikely to risk a direct military operation, thus leaving open two other covert possibilities for intervention.
One is to engineer a regime change, like in Syria. The other is to negotiate for accommodating Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince and son of the deposed Shah of Iran. Neither of these options is easy.
The change of regime in Syria was not through a popular uprising but an orchestrated process in which the Bashar al-Assad regime was brought down and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an offshoot of Al Qaeda, seized power. HTS is now enforcing Sharia law, targeting minorities, and silencing dissent. Assad’s refusal to allow a US-backed Qatar-Turkey pipeline through Syria, while favouring a rival Iran-Russia proposal, was also a factor in the strategic calculus. Unlike Syria, however, Iran has no armed groups that can be easily mobilised as proxies for American forces. Negotiations to accommodate Reza Pahlavi, too, appear a near-impossible proposition.
Regime change in Iran would not be an end in itself. Through it, both the US and Israel would also be looking to weaken Palestinian outfits such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Yemen-based Houthis, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which are part of Iran’s so-called ‘Axis of Resistance’, supported by the Quds Force of the IRGC. Of course, going by the revival of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Al Qaeda-linked groups in Syria, it is doubtful whether such organisations can ever be fully defanged.
However, should a regime change be effected, Washington and Tel Aviv would ask the new establishment to shelve Iran’s nuclear programme. In such a scenario, India should demand a similar shelving of nuclear projects by another rogue state—Pakistan.
Reactions from other powers would vary. While China has invested heavily in Iran, it would likely prefer to wait for the outcome of the protests and resist regime change, especially if a pro-American Reza Pahlavi is air-dropped into Tehran. Russia, too, would not welcome regime change in Iran, especially after setbacks in Afghanistan and Syria. But the possibility of a Moscow-Tehran camaraderie under a Pahlavi-led dispensation cannot be ruled out.
What India should do now
New Delhi should realise that an unstable Iran, or a pro-American regime in Tehran, coupled with Islamabad tilting totally toward the US, is not in India’s interest, especially at a time when bridges are being built with Kabul. The India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC) could be delayed further. Operations at the Chabahar port may be stalled, while the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the proposed Chabahar-Central Asia rail link, which would give landlocked Central Asian countries access to the Indian Ocean, could also face delays or be temporarily shelved.
While American, Chinese, and Russian involvement would pull Iran in different directions, India can intervene and help diffuse the situation as a first step to reconciliation and a return to normalcy.
Iran is a member of the 23-country Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), which became an observer to the UN General Assembly and the African Union in 2015, mainly focusing on trade and maritime cooperation. India, as the present chair, can call an urgent meeting and initiate dialogue between the Iranian regime and the protesters, with both sides urged to refrain from violence.
India can also call for the immediate deployment of a UN peacekeeping force in Iran, as Tehran risks turning into a killing field under a repressive theocratic regime. While this is a complex mechanism in the present geopolitical climate, there cannot be a repeat of the lethargy and political indecision that led to UN inaction during the 1994 Rwanda genocide. In any case, neither the world nor India can keep twiddling thumbs any longer.
Source: theprint.in
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‘Khandanichor’: BJP hits out at Rahul Gandhi over ‘vote chori’ remark during Maharashtra polls
16.01.26
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his comments on alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra civic polls, accusing him of misleading people and attempting to undermine the electoral process while vote counting was underway.
The BJP’s response followed Rahul’s social media post alleging that the Election Commission was “gaslighting citizens” amid a controversy over the alleged use of erasable ink instead of indelible ink during the local body elections.
Sharing a newspaper report on X (formerly Twitter), the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha wrote, “Election commission gaslighting citizens is how trust has collapsed in our democracy. Vote Chori is an anti-national act.”
Reacting sharply, BJP national spokesperson ShehzadPoonawalla accused Rahul of discrediting institutions to pre-empt an electoral setback.
“Bahana (excuse) brigade back! Accepting defeat before counting ends?” he said in a post on X.
Poonawalla further escalated the attack, alleging a pattern in Rahul’s conduct. “Rahul Back to doing what he does best -- discredit, distort and disinform. ‘Khandanichor’ now regurgitating claims of Thackerays,” he charged.
The BJP leader also questioned Rahul on the outcome of his earlier allegations of ‘vote chori’ during the Bihar elections. The party has repeatedly dismissed Rahul’s vote theft claims as “baseless” and an attempt at “hiding his failures”, and has asked why opposition leaders did not approach courts or constitutional authorities if they believed electoral irregularities had occurred.
Rahul’s remarks came amid complaints from voters and opposition parties that marker pens were used instead of standard indelible ink in parts of Maharashtra, with several voters claiming the ink marks could be wiped off after voting.
The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday ordered an inquiry into the matter and warned of action against those it accused of “creating confusion”.
Gaslighting refers to psychological manipulation that causes people to doubt their own perception of reality. The term was first used in a 1995 New York Times column by Maureen Dowd and later gained wider recognition, with Oxford University Press naming it a runner-up among popular new words in 2018.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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Pakistani drones spotted along LoC, IB in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch and Samba
15.01.26
Pakistani drones were spotted hovering along the Indo-Pak border in the twin districts of Poonch and Samba in Jammu and Kashmir, prompting security forces to activate their anti-unmanned aerial system to respond effectively on Thursday night.
The drones were seen hovering along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and the Ramgarh sector of Samba district, according to sources.
A drone was seen near posts along the LoC in Poonch, leading the forces to implement their anti-UAS measures. Similarly, another drone was sighted along the International Border in the Ramgarh sector, sources added.
Meanwhile, troops remain on high alert along the border with Pakistan.
On Tuesday night, Army personnel opened fire to intercept multiple suspected Pakistani drones that had entered Indian territory from across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rajouri district.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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Mideast
Senior Hamas figure among 7 killed in Israeli airstrike
January 15, 2026
CAIRO: A senior figure in the armed wing of Hamas was among seven people killed on Thursday in a pair of Israeli airstrikes in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, a Hamas source said.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the incident. The Hamas source said one of the dead was Mohammed Al-Holy, a local commander in the group’s armed wing in Deir Al-Balah.
Hamas condemned the strikes on the Al-Holy family, in a statement that did not mention Mohammed or his role in the group. It accused Israel of violating the ceasefire deal in place since October, and attempting to reignite the conflict.
Health officials said the six other dead in the incident included a 16-year-old.
Israel and Hamas have traded blame for violations of the ceasefire and remain far apart from each other on key issues, despite the United States announcing the start of the agreement’s second phase on Wednesday.
More than 400 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed since the ceasefire took effect in October.
Israel has razed buildings and ordered residents out of more than half of Gaza where its troops remain. Nearly all of the territory’s more than 2 million people now live in makeshift homes or damaged buildings in a sliver of territory where Israeli troops have withdrawn and Hamas has reasserted control.
The United Nations children’s agency said on Tuesday that over 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire, including victims of drone and quadcopter attacks.
Israel launched its operations in Gaza in the wake of an attack by Hamas-led fighters in October 2023 which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s assault has killed 71,000 people, according to health authorities in the strip, and left much of Gaza in ruins.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2629487/middle-east
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Israel sees spike in PTSD and suicide among troops as war persists
January 16, 2026
JERUSALEM: Israel is grappling with a dramatic increase in post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide among its troops after its two-year assault on Gaza, precipitated by the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel.
Recent reports by the Defense Ministry and by health providers have detailed the military’s mental health crisis, which comes as fighting persists in Gaza and Lebanon and as tensions flare with Iran.
The Gaza war quickly expanded with cross-border fire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and saw hundreds of thousands of soldiers and reservists deployed across both fronts in some of the heaviest fighting in the country’s history.
Israeli forces have killed more than 71,000 Palestinians in Gaza and 4,400 in southern Lebanon, according to Gazan and Lebanese officials, and Israel says more than 1,100 service members have been killed since October 7.
The war has left much of Gaza destroyed and its 2 million people overwhelmingly lack proper shelter, food or access to medical and health services.
Palestinian mental health specialists have said Gazans are suffering “a volcano” of psychological trauma, with large numbers now seeking treatment, and children suffering symptoms such as night terrors and an inability to focus.
PTSD CASES AMONG ISRAELI SOLDIERS UP 40 percent SINCE 2023
Israeli studies show the war has taken its toll on the mental health of soldiers carrying out Israel’s stated war aims of eliminating Hamas in Gaza, retrieving hostages there and disarming Hezbollah.
Some soldiers who came under attack when their military bases were invaded by Hamas on October 7 are also struggling.
Israel’s Defense Ministry says it has recorded a nearly 40 percent increase in PTSD cases among its soldiers since September 2023, and predicts the figure will increase by 180 percent by 2028. Of the 22,300 troops or personnel being treated for war wounds, 60 percent suffer from post-trauma, the ministry says.
It has expanded the health care provided to those dealing with mental health issues, expanded the budget, and said there was an increase of about 50 percent in the use of alternative treatments.
The country’s second-largest health care provider, Maccabi, said in its 2025 annual report that 39 percent of Israeli military personnel under its treatment had sought mental health support while 26 percent had voiced concerns about depression.
Several Israeli organizations like NGO HaGalSheli, which uses surfing as a therapy technique, have taken on hundreds of soldiers and reservists suffering from PTSD. Some former soldiers have therapy dogs.
MORAL INJURY OVER DEATHS OF INNOCENTS
Ronen Sidi, a clinical psychologist who directs combat veteran research at Emek Medical Center in northern Israel, said soldiers were generally grappling with two different sources of trauma.
One source was related to “deep experiences of fear” and “being afraid to die” while deployed in Gaza and Lebanon and even while at home in Israel. Many witnessed the Hamas assault on southern Israel — in which the militants also took around 250 hostages back into Gaza — and its aftermath firsthand.
Sidi said the second source is from moral injury, or the damage done to a person’s conscience or moral compass from something they did.
“A lot of (soldiers’) split-second decisions are good decisions,” which they take under fire, “but some of them are not, and then women and children are injured and killed by accident, and living with the feeling that you have killed innocent people... is a very difficult feeling and you can’t correct what you have done,” he said.
One reservist, Paul, a 28-year-old father of three, said he had to leave his job as a project manager with a global firm because “the whistles of the bullets” above his head lingered with him even after returning home.
Paul, who declined to give his last name over privacy concerns, said he deployed in combat roles in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. Although fighting has abated in recent months, he says he lives in a constant state of alert.
“I live that way every day,” Paul said.
UNTREATED TRAUMA
A soldier seeking state support for their mental health must appear before a defense ministry assessment committee which determines the severity of their case and grants them official recognition. That process can take months and can deter soldiers from seeking help, some trauma professionals say.
Israel’s Defense Ministry says it provides some immediate help to soldiers once they start the evaluation process and has increased this effort since the war began.
An Israeli parliamentary committee found in October that 279 soldiers had attempted suicide in the period from January 2024 to July 2025, a sharp increase from previous years. The report found that combat soldiers comprised 78 percent of all suicide cases in Israel in 2024.
The risk of suicide or self-harm increases if trauma is untreated, said Sidi, the clinical psychologist.
“After October 7 and the war, the mental health institutions in Israel are overwhelmed completely, and a lot of people either can’t get therapy or don’t even understand the distress that they are feeling has to do with what they have experienced.”
For soldiers, the chance of seeing combat remains high. Israel’s military remains deployed in over half of Gaza and fighting has persisted there despite a US-backed truce in October, with more than 440 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers killed.
Its troops still occupy parts of southern Lebanon, as the Lebanese army presses on with disarming Hezbollah under a separate US-brokered deal. In Syria, Israeli troops have occupied an expanded section of the country’s south since the ouster of former leader Bashar Assad.
As tensions flare with Iran and the US threatens to intervene, Israel could also find itself in another violent confrontation with Tehran, after last June’s 12-day war.
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Gaza ceasefire enters phase two despite unresolved issues
January 16, 2026
JERUSALEM: A US-backed plan to end the war in Gaza has entered its second phase despite unresolved disputes between Israel and Hamas over alleged ceasefire violations and issues unaddressed in the first stage.
The most contentious questions remain Hamas’s refusal to publicly commit to full disarmament, a non-negotiable demand from Israel, and Israel’s lack of clarity over whether it will fully withdraw its forces from Gaza.
The creation of a Palestinian technocratic committee, announced on Wednesday, is intended to manage day-to-day governance in post-war Gaza, but it leaves unresolved broader political and security questions.
Below is a breakdown of developments from phase one to the newly launched second stage.
Gains and gaps in phase one
The first phase of the plan, part of a 20-point proposal unveiled by US President Donald Trump, began on October 10 and aimed primarily to stop the fighting in the Gaza Strip, allow in aid and secure the return of all remaining living and deceased hostages held by Hamas and allied Palestinian militant groups.
All hostages have since been returned, except for the remains of one Israeli, Ran Gvili.
Israel has accused Hamas of delaying the handover of Gvili’s body, while Hamas has said widespread destruction in Gaza made locating the remains difficult.
Gvili’s family had urged mediators to delay the transition to phase two.
“Moving on breaks my heart. Have we given up? Ran did not give up on anyone,” his sister, ShiraGvili, said after mediators announced the move.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said efforts to recover Gvili’s remains would continue but has not publicly commented on the launch of phase two.
Hamas has accused Israel of repeated ceasefire violations, including air strikes, firing on civilians and advancing the so-called “Yellow Line,” an informal boundary separating areas under Israeli military control from those under Hamas authority.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said Israeli forces had killed 451 people since the ceasefire took effect.
Israel’s military said it had targeted suspected militants who crossed into restricted zones near the Yellow Line, adding that three Israeli soldiers were also killed by militants during the same period.
Aid agencies say Israel has not allowed the volume of humanitarian assistance envisaged under phase one, a claim Israel rejects.
Gaza, whose borders and access points remain under Israeli control, continues to face severe shortages of food, clean water, medicine and fuel.
Israel and the United Nations have repeatedly disputed figures on the number of aid trucks permitted to enter the Palestinian territory.
Disarmament, governance in phase two
Under the second phase, Gaza is to be administered by a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee operating under the supervision of a so-called “Board of Peace,” to be chaired by Trump.
“The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor and the international community to empower the committee,” BassemNaim, a senior Hamas leader, said in a statement on Thursday.
Trump on Thursday announced the board of peace had been formed and its members would be announced “shortly.”
Mediators Egypt, Turkiye and Qatar said Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, had been appointed to lead the committee.
Later on Thursday, Egyptian state television reported that all members of the committee had “arrived in Egypt and begun their meetings in preparation for entering the territory.”
Al-Qahera News, which is close to Egypt’s state intelligence services, said the members’ arrival followed US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff’s announcement on Wednesday “of the start of the second phase and what was agreed upon at the meeting of Palestinian factions in Cairo yesterday.”
Shaath, in a recent interview, said the committee would rely on “brains rather than weapons” and would not coordinate with armed groups.
On Wednesday, Witkoff said phase two aims for the “full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza,” including the disarmament of all unauthorized armed factions.
Witkoff said Washington expected Hamas to fulfil its remaining obligations, including the return of Gvili’s body, warning that failure to do so would bring “serious consequences.”
The plan also calls for the deployment of an International Stabilization Force to help secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units.
For Palestinians, the central issue remains Israel’s full military withdrawal from Gaza — a step included in the framework but for which no detailed timetable has been announced.
With fundamental disagreements persisting over disarmament, withdrawal and governance, diplomats say the success of phase two will depend on sustained pressure from mediators and whether both sides are willing — or able — to move beyond long-standing red lines.
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President Abbas hopes 2026 brings progress on Palestinian statehood
January 15, 2026
RAMALLAH: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that Palestine is determined to continue its efforts with US President Donald Trump and other relevant partners.
He expressed hope that 2026 will witness progress toward resolving the Palestinian cause, citing positive indications from the US administration.
He was speaking during a ceremony marking his receipt of an honorary doctorate from the Arab American University in Ramallah.
Abbas said the state of Palestine has announced its support for the formation of the Palestinian Administrative Committee in the Gaza Strip during the transitional phase.
He expressed appreciation for the efforts of Trump and mediators Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye, and for moving toward the implementation of the second phase of Trump’s plan.
Abbas reaffirmed the importance of linking the institutions of the PA in the West Bank and Gaza, stressing the need to avoid creating parallel administrative, legal, or security systems that would entrench division.
He outlined his political vision based on the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and return, and the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, living in peace and security with its neighbors.
The president said the Palestinian state would be democratic, based on equal citizenship, political pluralism, freedom of expression, the formation of political parties, the rule of law, good governance, human rights, integrity, and equality.
Abbas stressed that direct legislative and presidential elections are the foundation of democratic governance and the only path to the peaceful transfer of power under the rule of law, transparency, accountability, and the empowerment of women and youth.
He noted that work is underway to draft a temporary constitution and a political parties law in preparation for the upcoming elections.
Abbas affirmed that the Palestinian state remains committed to international law and the agreements and treaties signed with other states and international organizations.
The president reiterated that peaceful popular resistance, alongside political, diplomatic, and legal action, remains the strategic choice to end the occupation.
He said the Palestinian people continue to safeguard their presence, history, identity, and national memory despite immense challenges, adding that despite the catastrophe caused by the war in Gaza, they remain determined to rebuild the enclave and what has been destroyed across the West Bank.
Abbas also voiced confidence in Palestinian universities, saying they will not only transmit knowledge but also advance it through investment in scientific research and partnerships with the private sector and the state, emphasizing that science and technology are key drivers of national progress.
He stressed that it is time for the Palestinian people to write their own complete history, present their authentic narrative, and decisively refute false and distorted accounts that seek to misrepresent the reality and history of the Palestinian people.
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‘Not much is standing’ in Gaza, says UN official
January 15, 2026
JERUSALEM: A top United Nations official on Thursday called for accelerating reconstruction work in Gaza, saying Palestinians there were living in “inhumane” conditions, even as a US-backed truce entered its second phase.
“I wouldn’t have imagined what I saw today, which is total destruction, not much is standing,” Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) told journalists after a visit to the Gaza Strip.
“We can’t wait, we can’t procrastinate,” he said, adding that Gazans across the territory were living in an “inhumane situation.”
The two-year war between Hamas and Israeli forces has left Gaza facing destruction on a scale unseen in previous conflicts, with vast swathes reduced to rubble.
Entire residential neighborhoods, hospitals, schools and basic infrastructure have been heavily damaged or destroyed, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to live in makeshift shelters.
Da Silva said the launch of phase two of the Gaza truce plan marked a “historical” moment that should be seized to kick-start reconstruction efforts.
“This opens the opportunities for reconstruction, knowing that we will need $52 billion, according to the assessment conducted by the World Bank, UN and the European Commission, for the reconstruction of Gaza,” he said.
“But the point is we can’t wait for the big reconstruction, which requires billions, to immediately launch the early recovery that requires millions.”
On Wednesday, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced the start of phase two of the Gaza ceasefire, saying it aimed to pave the way for reconstruction and the demilitarization of all armed factions in the territory.
The war was triggered by the Palestinian Islamist group’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The ensuing Israeli offensive has devastated Gaza, home to about 2.2 million people, a territory that was already suffering severely from previous rounds of fighting and from an Israeli blockade imposed since 2007.
Da Silva said the war had left about 60 million tons of rubble scattered across the strip.
“Gaza is flooded by rubble and debris,” he said.
“The problem is not just the volume of rubble, it’s also the fact that its content is quite a matter of concern, with unexploded ordnance in the rubble, dangerous waste, and unfortunately also human remains.”
The environmental and urban planning specialist said one of the most urgent priorities was ensuring reliable access to fuel — a critical resource in Gaza, where most electricity is generated by fuel-powered generators.
He also cited the need for demining, rebuilding water supply networks, lifting restrictions on the entry of aid, and allowing in spare parts required for repairs — long-standing demands by humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza.
Aid groups have for months complained of difficulties bringing in equipment and supplies, blaming Israeli restrictions.
Israel rejects those accusations, saying it oversees the entry of goods into Gaza to ensure its security.
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Can Syria’s recovery outpace the hidden dangers left by years of war?
ANAN TELLO
January 15, 2026
LONDON: Recent clashes in Syria’s Aleppo Governorate between interim government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have added to the deadly legacy of unexploded ordnance (UXO) left over by 14 years of civil war.
The fighting erupted on Jan. 6, after months of stalled talks over implementing an agreement to merge the SDF, which controls much of northeastern Syria, into the national army.
As hostilities intensified, about 148,000 people were displaced from the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Achrafieh, Sheikh Maqsoud and BaniZeid, according to UN figures.
Although a ceasefire was declared on Jan. 11 — a day after the interim government captured the three neighborhoods — the aftermath of the violence continues to hamper returns.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Jan. 12 that about 106,000 people displaced to Afrin from Sheikh Maqsoud were still unable to go home as they awaited the completion of UXO clearance.
Meanwhile, Achrafieh saw limited returns, OCHA said.
A day later, Mohammed Abdul Ghani, head of internal security in Aleppo, said specialized units were conducting extensive sweep operations in the two neighborhoods and had cleared “a large number of landmines,” according to state media.
But landmines and other explosive remnants continue to pose a grave threat to civilians, especially children, across Syria, humanitarians and demining organizations have warned.
These silent killers that lurk beneath people’s feet remain a major obstacle to the safe return of people displaced since the conflict began in 2011.
The UK-based HALO Trust has been conducting clearance operations in Aleppo for several months.
“We’re working in the Old City with teams working on rubble removals,” spokesperson Paul McCann told Arab News. “We are there to do explosive hazard assessments as they work, in case they come across dangerous items in the rubble.”
While access for humanitarian groups has improved since the removal of President Bashar Assad in December 2024, the scale of the challenge has grown alongside the pace of returns.
“The return of civilians means the workload doesn’t just double — it triples or even quadruples,” David Francis, technical field manager for Syria at France-based Humanity and Inclusion, formally Handicap International, told Arab News in a phone call from eastern Syria.
“It really does feel like we’re fighting fires. We’re racing against time to save lives.”
As families return to reclaim homes and livelihoods, they are often moving back into areas still littered with explosives.
“People move back because they want their homes back,” Francis said. “They want to start rebuilding.
“I’ve seen it firsthand, families living in damaged houses, sometimes even among rubble, repairing walls and roofs while, just outside in the garden, there are still mines, mortars, or other unexploded munitions.”
With displaced people eager to rebuild their lives, aid groups have rapidly expanded operations.
McCann said that since the toppling of Assad, the HALO Trust’s presence had grown from about 40 staff members based in Idlib to roughly 300 working across Idlib, Aleppo, Damascus, Daraa and Deirez-Zor.
But the pace of returns also means higher casualties, even as clearance accelerates.
“While we are clearing explosives — about 6,000 items in the last year — the numbers of accidents involving civilians has remained pretty steady at several every week,” McCann said.
He attributed that in part to the sheer scale of displacement and return, adding: “Several million people have returned to what were former battlefields, so more people are coming into contact with mines and old bombs, shells and other (explosive remnants).”
Indeed, UXO incidents have surged over the past year as farming families return to long-abandoned land now riddled with explosives. The threat continues to undermine rural recovery and restrict access to basic services such as education, healthcare and food supplies.
Poverty and desperation to restore a sense of normalcy have pushed many to ignore safety warnings in search of work. Some even attempt rudimentary demining themselves, often with fatal consequences.
In the first nine months of 2025, Syria saw about 650 UXO incidents that caused more than 570 deaths and 850 injuries, according to data collected by Syria Weekly and analyzed by Syria in Figures. The true toll is thought to be higher owing to underreporting, particularly in rural areas.
In contrast, from 2011-24, an average of 267 people were killed by explosive remnants per year, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights.
“We see the survivors (of explosive ordnance) every day up very close,” Francis said. With more families returning to rebuild homes and farm their land, “this year alone there have been countless incidents — almost daily.”
Children are particularly vulnerable, he said, and added: “Parents may know not to touch certain things, but children often don’t.”
Within a year of Assad’s downfall, about 1.2 million Syrians returned from neighboring countries and another 1.9 million internally displaced people went back to their areas of origin, the UN refugee agency said in December.
Fourteen years of civil war displaced more than 12 million Syrians, including about 5 million hosted in neighboring countries. A year on from the rebel victory, about 7 million people remain displaced, according to OCHA.
Although aid groups run risk-education sessions, locals’ eagerness to farm their lands means explosive ordnance incidents might still happen.
“A child might see their father out in the field, find a UXO, pick it up, and move it so he can continue farming,” Francis said. “The child sees that and thinks, ‘Well, if my father can do it, it must be OK’.”
Francis recalled one incident that has stayed with his team. A young boy, playing with his two brothers, picked up what he thought was a rock.
“In reality, it was a submunition, about the size of a golf ball or tennis ball,” he said. “It exploded. He lost his leg below the knee and one arm at the elbow.”
When Francis learned of the blast, he immediately deployed the teams to the area. “We met the two brothers, who showed us the blood still on the wall from the day before,” he said. “They were about 8 and 9 years old.”
The children pointed out additional unexploded items nearby. Francis accompanied one deminer to inspect the locations while the rest of the team secured the surrounding houses.
“I told them to put on their protective suits and start systematically searching the area, trying to prevent another tragedy,” he said. “That day alone, we recovered another four or five items.”
Francis added: “It often feels like we’re just fighting fires. We do as much as we can, but there’s never enough capacity.”
Nevertheless, progress is visible. “We were there for about five or six weeks, and in those first weeks, people were literally chasing us on motorbikes, trying to get us to come and clear their houses,” Francis said.
“By the end of those six weeks, that started to ease off. And the fact that it eased off told us something important: that we were making an impact. We could see that our work was helping, that conditions were improving.”
In a single area, Francis’ team removed about 600 explosive items. “After we finished, the family came out and walked across the land themselves,” he said. “They couldn’t believe it had all been cleared. They let their children come outside and play again.
“We gave them a football, and they played together. It was incredible to see.
“You start to notice these small roots of hope. That family, in particular, rebuilt a wall, improved their garden — and it’s because they want to come back. They want to live again.”
Alongside demining operations in Raqqa and Deirez-Zor, Humanity and Inclusion is also providing rehabilitation and inclusion services, Abdulkarim Mohammed, the organization’s community liaison manager in northeast Syria, told Arab News.
These efforts include “physiotherapy, prosthetics and orthotics, psychosocial support, and the provision of assistive devices to beneficiaries in need, in addition to broader inclusion activities.”
Rehabilitation centers currently operate in Raqqa and Deirez-Zor, though the Deirez-Zorcenter is “scheduled to close by the end of January 2026 due to funding constraints,” Mohammed said.
So far this year, Humanity and Inclusion teams have conducted four bulk demolitions — two in Raqqa and two in Deirez-Zor — destroying about five tonnes of explosive material.
“Organizing these takes a significant amount of work,” Francis said. “You can imagine the level of coordination involved.
“But if you invest the time and build strong relationships with all the actors involved, it can be done. And we have. Those four bulk demolitions were all highly successful, rendering the items completely safe and permanently beyond use.
“When you see the photos, the explosions can look almost like nuclear blasts, but in reality, it’s just a large volume of material going up at once. And at the end of the day, this is where some frustration sets in for those of us working on the ground.
“You see a lot of NGOs going around, teaching people, saying, ‘Don’t touch this, don’t touch that.’ And that education is important. But at some point, you have to get your hands dirty. You have to go in, recover the items, and destroy them; or remove them safely and then destroy them.
“That’s the only way the risk truly goes away.”
Despite steady progress, the scale of contamination and chronic funding shortages mean it could take decades to make Syria safe again.
One global UXO organization privately told Syria in Figures it would take 25 to 40 years of full-time work at current capacity.
The UK-based Mines Advisory Group has described Syria as “the greatest humanitarian impact of landmines and unexploded ordnance anywhere in the world.”
According to 2025 Syria Weekly data, the hardest-hit areas include the northwest, Daraa, rural Homs, and Deirez-Zor’s Euphrates River corridor.
After months of intensive clearance, Defense Ministry teams estimate that about 350,000 landmines remain around Palmyra, with 25,000 cleared by late August, and another 316,000 in Deirez-Zor, where 32,000 had been removed by early September.
But as violence resurfaces in several areas, each new round of fighting adds to Syria’s lethal legacy of explosive remnants, leaving civilians to pay the price long after the guns fall silent.
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US sanctions Larijani and other Iranian officials over protest crackdown
January 15, 2026
WASHINGTON: The United States imposed sanctions Thursday on Iranian security officials and financial networks, accusing them of orchestrating a violent crackdown on peaceful protests and laundering billions in oil revenues.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the measures in the wake of the biggest anti-government protests in the history of the Islamic republic, although the demonstrations appear to have diminished over the last few days in the face of repression and an almost week-long Internet blackout.
“The United States stands firmly behind the Iranian people in their call for freedom and justice,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement, adding that the action was taken at President Donald Trump’s direction.
Among those sanctioned is Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security, whom Washington accused of coordinating the crackdown and calling for force against protesters.
Four regional commanders of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces and Revolutionary Guard were also sanctioned for their roles in the crackdown in Lorestan and Fars provinces.
Security forces in Fars “have killed countless peaceful demonstrators” with hospitals “so inundated with gunshot wound patients that no other types of patients can be admitted,” the Treasury said.
The Treasury additionally designated 18 individuals and entities accused of operating “shadow banking” networks that launder proceeds from Iranian oil sales through front companies in the UAE, Singapore and Britain.
These networks funnel billions of dollars annually using cover companies and exchange houses, as Iranian citizens face economic hardship, according to the Treasury.
The sanctions freeze any US assets of those designated and prohibit Americans from doing business with them. Foreign financial institutions risk secondary sanctions for transactions with the designated entities.
The action builds on the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran. In 2025, the Treasury sanctioned more than 875 persons, vessels and aircraft as part of this effort, it said.
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Yemen’s Prosecutor General forms committee to investigate Aidarous Al-Zubaidi
January 15, 2026
RIYADH: The Prosecutor General in Yemen issued a decision on Thursday to form a committee to investigate “the alleged acts attributed to Major General Aidarous Al-Zubaidi.”
The committee will investigate Al-Zubaidi for alleged high treason, forming an armed gang, killing military officers and soldiers, exploiting the southern issue, violating the constitution, and damaging military sites.
The committee is authorized to summon and arrest individuals, gather evidence, and take necessary actions according to the law, with a mandate to complete the investigation quickly and provide periodic reports.
Before fleeing Yemen on January 7, Zubaidi used to head the now dissolved Southern Transitional Council (STC), and had a senior position in the Yemeni government at the same time.
Since then, the Yemeni government has stripped him from its membership and referred him to the attorney general, accusing him of high treason.
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Israel bans PA’s Jerusalem affairs minister from entering West Bank
January 15, 2026
LONDON: Israeli authorities issued a six-month ban on Ashraf Al-Awar, the Palestinian Authority’s minister for Jerusalem affairs, preventing him from entering the occupied West Bank.
The ministry said on Thursday that Israeli authorities issued Al-Awar a ban decision after summoning him for interrogation at the Al-Maskubiya detention center in Jerusalem.
He has 72 hours to appeal the decision, which is part of Israeli policy targeting Palestinian leaders from Jerusalem and restricting the work of national institutions in the city, according to the ministry.
In early 2025, Israel banned Al-Awar from entering the West Bank for six months.
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Arab World
Saudi leadership sends cables of condolences after passing of former Cyprus president
January 15, 2026
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent separate cables of condolences to the President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulide after the passing of one of his predecessors.
Former Cyprus President George Vassiliou died on Wednesday aged 94. He led the country between 1988 and 1993.
The king and crown prince also extended their condolences to the family of the deceased and the people of Cyprus, Saudi Press Agency reported.
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Saudi crown prince receives written message from Oman sultan
January 15, 2026
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received on Thursday a written message from Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq concerning relations between their countries.
The message was received on behalf of the crown prince by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khereiji during a meeting in Riyadh with Oman’s ambassador to the Kingdom SayyidNajib bin Hilal bin Saud Al-Busaidi, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Saudi-Omani relations and ways to enhance them in various fields were reviewed during the meeting. Topics of common interest were also discussed.
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Saudi-UK collaboration aims to drive Kingdom’s creative economy
LAMA ALHAMAWI
January 15, 2026
RIYADH: During the inaugural local edition of the UKSA Creative Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday, Lord Ed Vaizey and businessman Abdulaziz Al-Muqyteeb laid the groundwork for enhanced Saudi-UK creative collaboration.
Vaizey, who was formerly the UK’s culture minister, stressed the importance of collaboration between the two countries.
“The British creative economy can learn as much from Saudi, as Saudi can learn from the British,” he told Arab News.
“I think for too long in the West, there’s been this feeling that we should go over to Saudi and tell people what to do, and now, actually, I think it has got to a stage where we want to see many more Saudi people coming to London and telling us about the incredible innovations that they are introducing in the world of culture.”
“It’s a coming together of people, British people who love Saudi and hopefully Saudi people who love Britain, exchanging ideas.”
Al-Muqyteeb, chair of the UKSA Creative Forum and founder and chairman of Mung Investments, told Arab News that “there is a bridge between Saudi Arabia and the UK.”
“Since we started the business 20 years ago, we have actively been a part of the creative economy and hosting those creative and innovative platforms.”
“We are a part of the investment in the UK already through our company in the UK and we saw the bridge between Saudi Arabia and the UK and that is why we are hosting these kinds of events.”
Al-Muqyteeb says he has dedicated 20 years of his career to the creative economy. He focuses on nurturing Saudi talent and building strategic bridges with the UK to advance the Kingdom’s creative sectors under Vision 2030.
Al-Muqyteeb highlighted the Kingdom’s rich culture and passion, which he said creates a powerful combination when coupled with the UK’s deep experience.
“We have also the archive and the pictures and the history, that combination was creating a good future.”
Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia aims to increase the creative sector’s contribution to 3 percent of gross domestic product by 2030.
A vital pillar of this partnership is the cultivation of shared human capital. During the roundtable portion of the event, attendees included CEOs from major Saudi Arabian cultural commissions and creative heads behind some of the Kingdom’s landmark giga-projects.
During the open-floor roundtable session, leading creative executives discussed the various sectors and career paths projected to grow within Saudi Arabia.
Highlighting emerging roles in the museum industry, tourism and curation, they noted a significant increase in diverse career opportunities within the creative sector that did not exist prior to Vision 2030.
Creative economy goals under Vision 2030 target an increase in graduates in cultural disciplines to 255,000 and the creation of over 346,000 jobs.
When asked about the complementary benefits of the Saudi-UK collaboration, Al-Muqyteeb said there was a “good relationship.”
Reflecting on his journey in the creative sector, Al-Muqyteeb recalled how a participant at a workshop he hosted early in his career went on to launch a successful venture in the creative economy.
Saudi Arabia is already having a major shift in active investment in culture.
Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan said in an op-ed published by Asharq Al-Awsat recently: “Saudi Arabia's Cultural Development Fund has empowered 1,517 entrepreneurs (both men and women) in all fields through its development programs,”
“The program also aims to bridge 45 percent of the existing financing gap, inject SR13.8 billion ($3.7 billion) into the sector in financial support in partnership with the private sector, and create 30,000 jobs.”
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‘Masterpieces of the Saudi Orchestra’ to be held in AlUla
January 15, 2026
ALULA: Under the patronage of Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the Saudi Music Commission is organizing the “Masterpieces of the Saudi Orchestra” on Jan. 22-23 in AlUla governorate.
The event comes as a continuation of the journey of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir to showcase the Kingdom’s music heritage in leading local and international theaters. AlUla, an important stop and key destination on the global tourism map, will host the concerts at the world-class architectural landmark Maraya Concert Hall.
Hosting the event in AlUla reflects the creative journey of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir, following a series of successes in several capitals and cities. The orchestra has presented Saudi melodies to the most prestigious global stages, amid widespread acclaim and remarkable audience engagement; it will meet audiences today in one of the Kingdom’s most culturally significant regions.
AlUla is one of the world’s most prominent cultural and tourism destinations, with a history deeply rooted in human civilization and a cultural heritage spanning centuries. This legacy has positioned AlUla as a major destination for international tourists and a cultural hub that reflects the Kingdom’s cultural identity and its advanced standing on the global cultural tourism map.
The selection of Maraya Concert Hall to host the musical experience holds special significance, as the venue stands as a unique example of contemporary architecture and a stage that brings together art and nature, offering musical performances an exceptional visual dimension.
Through the event, the Music Commission aims to promote Saudi music and highlight the Saudi cultural and artistic diversity, while offering local and international audiences in AlUla the opportunity to enjoy a musical experience that embodies the Kingdom’s identity and enriches the national cultural landscape.
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Diriyah in 2025 — A year of exceptional achievement
January 15, 2026
JEDDAH: Under the theme “Vision to Reality,” Diriyah has moved beyond aspiration in 2025, translating long-held plans into a tangible, lived experience, according to Jerry Inzerillo, group chief executive officer of Diriyah Co.
Throughout the year, Diriyah Company, the Saudi Public Investment Fund entity developing the Diriyahgiga-project, advanced from planning and preparation into delivery. Contracts and agreements exceeding SR24 billion ($6.4 billion) marked a pivotal transition from the establishment phase to early operations.
Inzerillo told Arab News: “At Diriyah, progress is measured by what is delivered on the ground against the plans we set. In 2025, the project reached a pivotal stage, transitioning from laying foundations to large-scale delivery, marking a clear shift from vision to execution.
“Together, these achievements reinforce Diriyah’s role as one of the Kingdom’s most important national transformation projects, with growing impact locally and internationally. We remain committed to advancing with responsibility and purpose, transforming ambition into reality and creating a destination that honors history while shaping the future.”
In 2025, Diriyah Co. signed eight major contracts, alongside 16 agreements, reinforcing delivery momentum across multiple development streams. International recognition also continued to grow, with Diriyah earning prestigious global awards and securing positions in influential international rankings, Inzerillo said.
Infrastructure development played a central role in shaping the visitor experience. New road networks were delivered to ensure smooth connectivity between historic districts and contemporary developments.
The company also inaugurated two high-capacity electricity transmission substations, securing the power required to support residents, visitors and a growing portfolio of residential, hospitality, educational and cultural assets.
Collaboration with Majid Al-Futtaim Group introduced a portfolio of global brands, positioning Diriyah Square as a distinctive shopping and entertainment destination, Inzerillo said. At the same time, Diriyah’s partnerships with the Saudi Contractors Authority and the Saudi Tennis Federation embedded sports, events and professional initiatives into the fabric of urban life.
Diriyah’s vision extended into the future of mobility and design, Inzerillo said. Partnerships with The Helicopter Co. and Kakao Mobility advanced smart aerial and ground transportation solutions, designed to make movement across the city faster, more efficient and integrated.
Diriyah Company, in collaboration with Pantone, unveiled “Diriyah Tan,” a custom color inspired by the city’s historic mud architecture. More than a visual signature, the color captures Diriyah’s identity, bridging its origins with its contemporary expression.
Diriyah’s excellence was also recognized at the highest international level, Inzerillo said. In 2025, TIME magazine named Diriyah Company among the World’s 100 Most Influential Companies, acknowledging the project’s cultural, economic and urban impact.
Source: arabnews.com
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Training program for Sierra Leone officers launched
January 15, 2026
FREETOWN: Maj. Gen. Mohammed Al-Moghedi, secretary-general of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, has launched a military training program on counter-terrorism operations and live mine and explosive ordnance disposal in Sierra Leone, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Sierra Leonean Armed Forces Chief of General Staff, Maj. Gen. Sahr David Thomas Ngaujah.
The program targets 30 officers and non-commissioned officers from the country’s armed forces and security agencies.
It is a key component of the coalition’s broader mission to strengthen the capabilities of national cadres within member states and elevate their operational readiness across all counter-terrorism domains.
The initiative will run until Feb. 3, targeting the training and capacity-building of security personnel through an intensive 15-day program.
The initiative will boost the skills and capabilities of the personnel through the transfer of advanced professional knowledge and expertise, enabling them to address complex terrorist threats through high-level scientific and professional methods.
Source: arabnews.com
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Over 97m online extremist posts removed
January 15, 2026
The Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology, a Riyadh-based organization also known as Etidal, together with social messaging platform Telegram, announced the removal of 97.6 million items of extremist content and the closure of 4,294 channels during 2025, highlighting the continued success of their collaboration to combat digital extremism.
In the first quarter of 2025, 16 million items of extremist content were removed and 1,408 channels were closed.
In the second quarter, 30.8 million such items were deleted from 1,254 channels.
As for the third quarter, a total of 28.4 million items were removed and 1,150 extremist channels were closed.
In the fourth quarter, a total of 22.2 million items were removed and 482 channels were closed after being used by extremist organizations for propaganda purposes.
Since 2022, the partnership has led to the removal of 258.3 million items of extremist content and the closure of 19,087 channels.
Source: arabnews.com
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US consulate supports Saudi musicians for Jazz in Jeddah Festival
AFSHAN AZIZ
January 15, 2026
JEDDAH: The US Consulate in Jeddah marked a milestone in cultural exchange with the completion of its first English Language Specialist program, “Creative Writing for Musicians and Songwriters,” on Jan. 14.
The program, which combined advanced English-language instruction with professional music training, culminated in a showcase where participants presented versions of their original jazz compositions.
The initiative was funded by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, through its English-language programs, and administered by Georgetown University.
The US partnered with the Call of Culture organization, and the Jazz in Jeddah festival, to support emerging Saudi talent. The program aimed to merge American expertise in storytelling, songwriting, and jazz with the voices of Saudi musicians, and prepare them for international stages.
Stephen Ibelli, head of the Public Diplomacy Section at the consulate, said the initiative “demonstrates how American expertise in education, storytelling, and the creative industries can contribute to Saudi Arabia’s growing cultural sector.
“By partnering with leading Saudi cultural organizations, we are investing in people, creativity, and long-term cultural exchange that strengthen the US–Saudi relationship.”
David Malatesta, an English-language specialist and professional jazz musician who led the program, reflected on his experience with the students.
“I was a bassist and an educator, and what drew me to Saudi Arabia was the chance to make music with Saudi musicians, share ideas, improvise together, and explore jazz as a global language.
“I led the lyrics section of the program, and the students wrote original jazz songs in English. I helped them improvise lyrics and develop creative ideas, combining their creativity with mine.
“We went through the whole process together, using a variety of activities to spark inspiration. I also brought my experience as a linguist and my work with the State Department to the sessions, blending language and musical training.”
He added: “The students were fearless and inventive. They took risks, experimented, and blended Saudi traditions with modern beats. We also explored blues, which is indigenous to the US, and drew parallels with the students’ experiences here.
“The program opened my ears and made me rethink how jazz could integrate with local rhythms and storytelling. It was a two-way process, I learned how to incorporate Saudi scales, rhythms, and traditions into jazz, which is an improvisational language.”
Malatesta highlighted that what stood out most was the students’ sense of rhythm and melody, bringing a fresh, bold voice to jazz. They were open to learning about jazz history while creating their own musical vocabularies.
Non-Western scales, different rhythmic patterns, and storytelling approaches were woven into jazz grooves, creating a dialogue between Western jazz and Saudi tradition, producing music that could only exist in that moment with these artists.
“Looking ahead to the Jazz in Jeddah Festival in April, I hoped audiences would feel the musicians’ curiosity and playfulness, experience jazz as a conversation across cultures, and enjoy the improvisation and connection we created during the program, which will stay with me and the students long after it ended.”
The participants echoed Malatesta’s views on the transformative impact of the program.
DoniaAhed, a university student and singer-songwriter, said: “I joined because my professor recommended it, and I’ve always loved writing songs. The online sessions were really nice, and David was very passionate and patient.
“In the in-person sessions, we learned jazz, blues, and pop, and got guidance on how to structure songs. I created my own song, ‘My Way,’ and also performed a song by another participant. It was amazing working with my teammates, sharing ideas, and being creative together.
“This program helped me improve my writing and musical skills and even sparked a deeper interest in jazz. I can’t wait to perform at the festival in April. I’m excited but a bit nervous, of course.”
AbrarNiyazi, who wrote “Bend Not Break,” described her journey: “Singing has been my passion since I was a kid, but I never thought of writing lyrics. This program gave me the tools to express myself.
“It simplified the process and allowed me to turn my feelings, stories, or imagery into lyrics. It was challenging to put my emotions on paper and focus on them, but with David’s support, I was able to write a heartfelt song.
“It was empowering and taught me that I can improve my skills, write more, and eventually record my own songs. I’m really excited to perform for the first time at the Jazz in Jeddah Festival and to hear audience feedback.”
LoulwaAlshareef, an established singer and songwriter, said “magic” was a way to describe the program. “I’ve been performing since 2014, mostly covers, and writing my own songs was always a struggle.
“David made it easy by helping me connect with my feelings and write simply but meaningfully. I wrote a song about women, and it was an incredible process.
“I now feel inspired to create more original songs and share them at the Jazz in Jeddah festival with other Saudi artists. Opportunities like this, getting mentorship and guidance, help artists step out of their comfort zones and grow.
“I would advise young artists to be themselves, put their ideas out there, and embrace creativity without waiting for perfection.”
Eng. Mohammed Bakhrieba, the founder of Call of Culture, emphasized the program’s historical significance during his opening remarks at the closing ceremony.
“Jazz in Jeddah has roots going back to the late 1950s and 1960s with American artists. This initiative continues that legacy and allows local artists to build on it, creating a bridge between generations and cultures while fostering cross-cultural collaboration,” he said.
The program highlights the growing collaboration between Saudi Arabia and the US in the creative industries, providing young musicians with professional guidance, international exposure, and a platform to contribute to a global musical dialogue.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia’s Islamic Affairs minister inaugurates several mosque maintenance projects
January 15, 2026
During his visit to the Madinah region, Sheikh Dr. Abdul Latif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh, the Kingdom’s Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance minister, inaugurated several mosque maintenance projects, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
These projects cover 800 mosques and prayer halls, costing SR61 million ($16 million), which will raise the coverage in the region to 91 percent.
There are five main maintenance and cleaning operations, encompassing several prominent landmarks, including the Sayyid Al-Shuhada, Qiblatain, and Al-Khandaq mosques, and others in AlUla, Al-Ais and Yanbu.
Source: arabnews.com
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Riyadh municipality launches digital platform for urban plans
January 15, 2026
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh municipality has launched a unified digital platform to streamline the approval of all urban plans, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The platform enables applicants in the real estate industry to submit and track requests through review and final authorization. It also provides guidelines for the design and development of plans.
The platform records the review and approval process across relevant committees and authorities, improving the user experience and enhancing the quality of planning, the SPA reported.
Source: arabnews.com
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Europe
Australia's peak Jewish body considers further legal action against Islamic preacher Wisam Haddad
By Emily Baker
By Rebecca Trigger
January 16 2026
Australia's peak Jewish body is exploring fresh legal action against a radical Islamic preacher over a video posted online in which he attacks Jewish groups and the government over the response to the Bondi terrorist attack.
Wisam Haddad has previously been found to have breached the Racial Discrimination Act over antisemitic sermons, while counterterrorism sources have told the ABC Bondi shooter Naveed Akram was a follower of Mr Haddad.
Mr Haddad has disputed any association with Naveed Akram, while "vehemently" denying any knowledge of or link to the shootings.
In a six-minute video posted on Thursday, Mr Haddad claimed the so-called "Jewish lobby" was influencing the political response to the Bondi terrorist attack.
He singled out NSW Premier Chris Minns for particular criticism over his crackdown on what the government is calling "factories of hate" — by handing power to local councils to cut off utilities to illegal prayer halls which promote "hatred, intimidation or division in the community".
Advice sought over possible contempt of court
An Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) spokesperson told the ABC the new video had been referred to the peak body's lawyers to seek advice about possible contempt proceedings.
Mr Haddad, a Sydney carpet layer, was last year prohibited by the Federal Court from making offensive statements about Jews after he was found in breach of race discrimination laws for a series of lectures titled "The Jews of Al Madina", that were shared online by accounts linked to Mr Haddad and the Al MadinaDawah Centre in Western Sydney.
The court found Mr Haddad was "in charge" of the Al Madinah Dawah Centre though it has since sought to distance itself from him.
The ECAJ brought the case against the preacher, who was found to have made statements that were "fundamentally racist and antisemitic and devastatingly offensive and insulting".
In its finding, the Federal Court also made clear that Mr Haddad's criticism of Israel was not why he was found to be in breach of the act.
"The conclusion that it is not antisemitic to criticise Israel is the corollary of the conclusion that to blame Jews for the actions of Israel is antisemitic; the one flows from the other," Federal Court justice Angus Stewart wrote.
The Federal Court ordered the Al MadinaDawah Centre to "remove the offending speeches and not to repeat or continue such unlawful behaviour".
Mr Haddad has been under increasing scrutiny after senior officials told the ABC Akram attended his Al MadinaDawah Centre in his teens.
Akram, 24, appeared in videos with a related Street Dawah group when he was 17.
Mr Haddad has disputed that Akram was among his followers, claiming the term was "undefined and misleading".
The ABC has previously reported Mr Haddad is the spiritual leader of Australia's pro-Islamic State network, which the 45-year-old has also denied.
Illegal prayer hall crackdown
The Al MadinaDawah Centre, which has repeatedly said it was no longer run by Mr Haddad, has faced mounting state and federal government pressure since December, and announced on Wednesday it would "permanently close".
The Bankstown centre did not provide reasons for the closure.
It came after the Canterbury-Bankstown Council issued the group a cease use-notice in December because it did not have approval to operate as a prayer hall.
On Friday, the council said Al MadinaDawah Centre had continued to operate and "blatantly ignored" its shutdown order.
The centre has since been issued a $3,000 penalty infringement notice, while Canterbury-Bankstown Council said it "may seek further legal action to ensure they cease" unauthorised use.
Al MadinaDawah Centre's announcement also came one day after the National Socialist Network announced it would disband to escape prosecution under proposed hate speech laws.
Under the new laws, the federal government could more easily proscribe hate groups and slap hefty penalties on people and organisations in breach of the law.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke took credit for the centre's closure.
"The mere knowledge of the legislation has already seen the neo-Nazis, and now Wisam Haddad's group announce closure," he said on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the Federal Attorney-General, Michelle Rowland, said the federal government's hate speech legislation specifically targets those who "seek to spread hatred and disrupt social cohesion in our community".
"The new laws set a principles-based test for conduct and speech that incites hatred towards another person or group," the spokesperson said.
The fate of these laws remains unclear after the Greens and Liberals signalled they would not support them in their current form.
Mr Minns declined to comment.
Social media platform Meta was also contacted for comment.
Source: abc.net.au
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-16/jewish-body-considers-legal-action-wisam-haddad/106236396
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A Northern Ireland man charged in connection with cross-border terror plot appears in court
Claudia Savage
15 Jan 2026
A Northern Ireland man charged with terror offences linked to a cross-border police investigation into a planned attack on a Galway mosque has appeared again in court.
Connor Pollock, from Croob Park in Ballynahinch, Co Down, appeared via videolink from HMP Maghaberry at Downpatrick Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The 38-year-old, who is charged with three offences under the UK Terrorism Act, was told he will appear before the court again on January 29.
The charges relate to an alleged plot by a group styling itself as the Irish Defence Army (IDA) to attack the mosque and also target accommodation facilities used to house migrants.
The court was previously told there was a “15-point” plan for the proposed attack on the mosque, which also contained code names and specific roles for five members of an “active service unit” of the IDA.
Pollock is charged with having information that would be of assistance in preventing an act of terrorism, possessing information likely to be useful to a person committing or planning an act of terrorism and possessing a phone that was connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism.
Two men, including Pollock’s brother Garrett, have appeared before courts in the Republic of Ireland charged in connection with the alleged planned attack.
Source: belfastlive.co.uk
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Reform councillor’s Muslim school comments labelled ‘unacceptable’ by opposition
CHRIS HARPER
15 JANUARY 2026
AReform UK councillor has been criticised for “unacceptable” comments made during a counter-terrorism training session. The meeting was held by Leicestershire County Council on 5 January and involved Leicestershire councillors and officers.
During the meeting, councillor Carl Abbott, Reform cabinet member for adult social care, said he was “worried” about “seeing children in primary schools being taught to pray the Muslim way.”
In a recorded video seen by the local democracy reporting service (LDRS), he added: “When I went to school, we went into assembly, we sang hymns and were taught the Christian way.
“It bothers me if the government is allowing this to be taught in school; does it not start the radicalisation of these children? Will we see a further increase in crimes, etc, as these children grow up?”
During the meeting, he said he “personally did not agree with it” and that he was “expressing the concerns of his constituents”.
Charnwood Borough Council Labour leader, Jewel Miah, who was also at the meeting, issued a rebuttal saying that Abbott was “letting his prejudices show”.
He added: “I’m 51 years old and remember praying in high school, and here I am. A lot of my friends did as well. And I don’t think there’s anything that’s ever happened.
“I think yes, if people are going to go bad, they go bad, but you can’t tar a whole religion based on your prejudices.”
Abbott hit back and said he was “not being prejudiced” or “tarring anyone” and was stating a concern “from his residents”. The two councillors responded to each other before Miah labelled the comments “shocking”.
Speaking to the LDRS, Miah said he believed that the comments made at the meeting were “unacceptable”. He said: “What he is saying isn’t right and not the type of things we should be talking about. What we should be talking about is how we should be making the lives of our constituents better, not peddling comments made from higher up of the Reform party.
“I just don’t think it’s acceptable. Leicester and Leicestershire are a widely diverse community, and that isn’t an issue. These issues he talks about are simply not true. There is no evidence, and we should be talking about the biggest thing that affects them. That’s the cost of living and how we can improve that.”
Conservative opposition leader Deborah Taylor said: “It is inappropriate to suggest that teaching children to pray in accordance with Muslim practice fosters extremism.
“Muslims are an integral and respected part of our communities. For a Leicestershire County councillor – particularly the cabinet member for adults and communities – to assert that Muslim prayer is linked to extremism is divisive, deeply concerning, and entirely incompatible with the standards expected of public office.”
Naomi Bottomley, Green party councillor, also told the LDRS: “Linking Muslim prayer or the teaching of Islam to crime or extremism is deeply Islamophobic and dangerous.
“It is frankly absurd to suggest that children learning about different religions is something to fear; education builds understanding, not extremism. Coming from a councillor responsible for adult social care, these remarks raise serious concerns about whether Muslim residents can expect fair and respectful treatment.
“There is no place in public life for rhetoric that stigmatises entire communities or treats diversity as a threat.”
A Reform spokesperson defended Abbott’s comments and said: “Councillor Abbott is absolutely correct: Britain is and remains a Christian country.
“He speaks on behalf of millions who are rightly alarmed by the rapid, unchecked transformation of our culture and values driven by successive Tory and Labour governments’ obsessions with mass immigration.”
The chief executive of Leicestershire County Council, Jane Moore, confirmed to the LDRS today that the council is looking into how the video was released and that it takes the leak “extremely seriously” because it was “private”.
In a statement, she said: “Sharing footage from a private meeting is something we take extremely seriously, and we would always investigate if this happens.”
Abbott has been contacted by the LDRS for comment.
This article was updated after publication to include a quote from the chief executive of Leicestershire County Council, who has today (15 January 2026) opened an investigation into how the video was released.
Source: leicester.news
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https://www.leicester.news/reform-councillors-muslim-school-comments-labelled-unacceptable-by-opposition/
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Glasgow mosque extension approved despite parking complaints
Drew Sandelands
15 Jan 2026
A southside mosque’s plan to build an extension has been given the go ahead despite complaints over parking.
Glasgow’s planning committee has approved an application from the Al-Farooq education and community centre on Dixon Avenue in Crosshill.
Plans claimed the building doesn’t always suit the needs of its users and a single-storey extension will provide space for ablution — a cleansing ritual which is “a key part of entry into the prayer hall”.
However, there were 20 objections as people living nearby said the area is “already under pressure” and “additional demand” would worsen congestion. Around 350 people from the mosque signed a petition supporting the project.
The applicants said the extension isn’t expected to increase footfall and is “vital” to the mosque’s long-term sustainability. Planners at the council said the “respectful addition” could be approved, and councillors backed their recommendation.
At Tuesday’s meeting, one planner said: “Because we are just looking at an extension in this case, the use and the impact of that use is outwith our control.
“One of the changes they did make is that they introduced some potential cycle parking to try and encourage the worshippers to come by bike or to walk.”
Cllr Mhairi Hunter, SNP, whose Southside Central ward includes the mosque, said: “Parking is a very significant issue. In the papers, it highlights that this application doesn’t change the status quo.
“The problems related to obstructive parking relate primarily to events at the mosque itself, so Friday prayers and so on. It is not directly connected to this. Whatever decision we make today won’t make any difference.”
She added Crosshill is “in scope for parking controls”, and the council will be consulting on these.
Cllr Imran Alam, Labour, added: “I think the reason for the extension is to bring the ablution area and the toilets outwith the mosque space itself. According to Islamic law, these facilities, where you wash before you go for prayers, should always be not connected as such.”
He added the number of worshippers “will probably be the same” and parking controls would “hopefully discourage people from parking illegally and inappropriately”.
The mosque, on the corner of Dixon Avenue and Langside Road, was previously a church and an art gallery. Plans stated the extension would “create a more accessible and visible point of entry and would position ablution at the beginning of any journey through the building”.
Bailie Elaine Gallagher, Greens, who also represents Southside Central, was among the objectors, as she believes the “proposed work is incompatible with the architectural heritage” of the building and the Crosshill conservation area.
She added: “While it is laudable that the building’s current use is so successful… usage of the building has led to regular problems of double parking and blockage of traffic, as well as noise and anti-social behaviour.”
The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland said a modern extension “of such scale and style” across the principal façade would be “insensitive”.
But the petition in favour of the plan stated: “We the community residing in the area and those that attend here at Al-Farooq education and community centre support the new extension to the front of the building, which would facilitate a new accessible entrance and provide additional facilities necessary for the use of the building.
“The new development will be of the highest design and material quality which also respects and integrates with the existing historic environment.”
In a council report, planners stated the proposed extension is “of high quality and respects the historic character of the church by retaining visibility of key architectural features and with limited attachment to the main building, ensuring reversibility”.
Cllr Ken Andrew, SNP, who chairs the planning committee, said: “It is an interesting design in what is a very fine building.
“We have to accept that in some of these Victorian or Edwardian buildings, we do occasionally need to do some work to them to bring them up to standard for the purposes they are being used for.”
Originally established as Hutchesontown Free Church, the building became Crosshill Victoria Free Church before it was converted to an art gallery and exhibition centre, known as Maxwell Studios, in 1971. It was purchased for its current use in 1998.
Source: glasgowlive.co.uk
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https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/glasgow-mosque-extension-approved-despite-33239951
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New mosque coming to bustling city suburb
Lewis Smith
15 Jan 2026
Plans to develop a new mosque on the outskirts of Cardiff have taken a step closer after final approval was given by the city’s council. The approval was granted for the development of the Madina Masjid Mosque on Lucas Street in Cathays by council planning officers as part of their delegated decision made in January 2026.
This will see the new building, which is earmarked for a site between Lucas Street and Robert Street that’s already home to temporary buildings, used as a mosque and community centre. The land is located just off Crwys Road in Cathays which is a busy residential area known for a number of shops, bars and restaurants.
Once completed, plans say the proposed two storey mosque would be roughly triangular shaped and would contain both male and female foyers, a male and female prayer hall, toilets and washing facilities. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here
It would also feature a flat roof with rooftop amenity areas and two fibreglass domes, with space for around 32 vehicles including disabled and EV parking spaces.
The submission also shows space for a coffee shop, male and female day rooms, changing areas, classrooms, a library, meeting room and gym.
The plans were originally passed at a Cardiff Council planning committee in June 2024 subject to the signing of a Section 106 agreement and an additional condition regarding submission of a travel plan.
There have also been previous planning permissions put in for a mosque on this site dating back to 1990 with worshippers said to have been housed in temporary buildings for a mosque for a number of years.
An officer’s report said there had been two letters of objection received from occupiers of properties on Robert Street and Spencer Street, with concerns raised over insufficient parking and issues with noise, but it also received 18 letters of support from residents living within the Cardiff Council boundary.
The report said: “The submitted information has been assessed by specialists who raise no objection as a result it is considered that the proposed use and potential design would not cause a conflict with ecological considerations to an extent to refuse the application.”
Source: walesonline.co.uk
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https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/new-mosque-coming-bustling-city-33239178
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London’s first interfaith art exhibition launches as Ramadan Lights expands
January 15, 2026
Launched this week, Shared Light is a free, open-call exhibition forming part of Ramadan Lights London 2026, the annual Coventry Street installation that has become a landmark moment in the capital’s cultural calendar. The exhibition will run from 13 February to 22 March 2026, coinciding with Ramadan, and will be free for the public to visit.
Set within the hotel café at Zedwell Piccadilly Circus, inside the London Trocadero, the exhibition is designed as a contemplative space amid the intensity of the West End. Organisers say it will invite visitors of all backgrounds to pause and reflect on shared values that cut across faiths and cultures.
Artists are being invited to submit 2D artworks, exploring themes associated with Ramadan, including generosity, gratitude, patience, empathy, forgiveness, humility, peace, hope and community. While rooted in the Muslim holy month, the foundation stresses that these values are universal and resonate across religious traditions, including Judaism.
The open call is free to enter, open to artists of all faiths and none, and judged anonymously on artistic merit and the universality of the message. Works will not be sold on site, though visitors will be able to learn more about each piece via QR codes displayed alongside the artworks.
The exhibition will be curated by Raheel Khan, a former Aziz Scholar and recipient of the Goldsmiths Alumni Award 2025, whose work has been shown at institutions including Whitechapel Gallery, South London Gallery and Manchester Art Gallery.
Joe Dobson, Director of The Aziz Foundation, said: “Shared Light is a landmark moment for The Aziz Foundation. As our first art exhibition and the first interfaith exhibition of its kind in central London, it reflects our belief that culture has a vital role in building understanding and social cohesion.
“Ramadan Lights London has always been about visibility and belonging – Shared Light deepens that mission through art. We are especially thrilled that one of our very own Aziz Scholars, Raheel Khan, will be curating the exhibition. His exceptional talent and commitment to giving back to society perfectly embody the values of our scholar community and the spirit of this project.”
Rahima Aziz BEM, a trustee of the foundation, said the exhibition reflected the wider moral aims of Ramadan: “At its heart, Ramadan is about reflection, kindness and responsibility to others. Shared Light brings these values to life in a way that welcomes everyone, regardless of faith or background. The exhibition will reaffirm our commitment to a society that honours dignity and mutual respect.”
Khan said the project was rooted in shared humanity rather than religious difference: “Shared Light is about exploring the values that connect us across cultures and faiths. I am thrilled to be curating this exhibition for The Aziz Foundation and to contribute to a project that celebrates shared humanity. By allowing the artworks to speak for themselves, the exhibition will create space for reflection, dialogue and moments of unexpected connection between visitors.”
For Jewish audiences, the exhibition sits within a growing landscape of Jewish-Muslim cultural collaboration in London, using public art to promote dialogue, mutual respect and social cohesion at a time of heightened communal tension.
Submissions for Shared Light opened this week and close at 11.59pm on 25 January 2026, with selected artists due to be notified by the end of the month.
Source: jewishnews.co.uk
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https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/londons-first-interfaith-art-exhibition-launches-as-ramadan-lights-expands/
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'We'd been on high alert' - How Jenrick's dramatic sacking and defection unfolded
January 16 2026
Joe Pike
On Wednesday afternoon in a large wood-panelled room in parliament, Robert Jenrick was sitting alongside Kemi Badenoch and the rest of the Conservative shadow cabinet talking about foreign policy.
"He was honestly very positive and chipper", says one who was in the room.
Within twenty-four hours a sensational leak from inside Jenrick's own Commons office would lead to him being thrown out of the party he joined as a teenager. And him deciding to back Reform, its biggest rival.
For months Jenrick had been on defection watch, and behind the scenes Badenoch's team were picking up worrying signals.
"We'd been in a high state of alert", says a senior conservative. "For quite a long time we've been hearing from multiple people that he was on manoeuvres. We knew about at least one evening meeting he'd had with Farage in December".
Secret discussions
In fact Jenrick had been having many more secret discussions with Reform figures for four months including with the party's leader.
"There were multiple conversations, many one-to-one meetings with Nigel," says a Farage ally.
Was Jenrick offered a top cabinet job in a possible future Reform government? "Nothing was offered", insists the senior Reform source. "Honestly, genuinely nothing."
The leak
But as Badenoch wrapped up her shadow cabinet meeting at 17:00 GMT on Wednesday, she was taken aside and shown what her advisers immediately recognised was a bombshell leak.
A source with access to Jenrick's office had handed the Tory leadership a draft of Jenrick's secret defection speech, which included excoriating attacks on shadow cabinet ministers.
Jenrick's allies won't comment on the identity of the alleged leaker but do not dispute the document came from one of his inner circle.
They deny, however, that the MP was ever careless with the draft: "The speech never left Rob's office. The idea that it was left lying around somewhere is untrue."
Badenoch immediately assembled her closest advisers including Conservative chief whip Rebecca Harris and a few other shadow cabinet ministers.
"My immediate reaction was it's treachery, it's disloyalty" says one of those Badenoch consulted in her parliamentary office.
"The temptation in these situations is to do nothing and hope it goes away, or wait a day or two. But that would have been a cop out. And Kemi is not someone who cops out."
The Conservative leader decided her only option was to move fast.
The sacking
On Thursday, Badenoch woke before dawn and made the final decision to sack Jenrick. She sat down in front of her home computer to record a video announcing that he had been sacked from the shadow cabinet and suspended from the Conservative Party.
She then rushed to catch a flight to Scotland.
Jenrick's allies say he was in his office in Westminster later that morning when he received a call from Tory chief whip Rebecca Harris.
She told him what the party had discovered. He protested his innocence and ended the call abruptly. Within minutes, Badenoch's team had posted her video.
Soon after, Jenrick had a brief call with Nigel Farage. "It was quick", says one Reform source. They said: 'We're on: let's do it today'."
Jenrick's allies argue his defection was the biggest moment of his career, and he feels "liberated" to have got it out the way.
"At very little notice and under immense pressure he delivered a speech and Q&A to the media incredibly well", one says. "There were no slip-ups."
"I think it nullifies a massive Tory attack - that Reform are one man band and not serious. Because Rob is very serious."
Badenoch's supporters argue her improving performance in prime minister's questions and in the opinion polls in recent months meant Jenrick's chances of unseating her as Tory leader were vanishingly small.
"It's not because Kemi is failing that he's done this. It's because she's succeeding", say one in the shadow cabinet.
"It's made it more difficult to get the top job. He has no chance of being leader before 2029. So why stay?"
Defection decision
The fact Jenrick had drafted a full defection speech is surely proof his mind was made up before Badenoch made her surprise move.
"Rob had decided", one close to him says. "It was a question of when."
They say he got increasingly frustrated after being told off by colleagues both for speaking out about grooming gangs, and for criticising the UK granting citizenship to British-Egyptian dissident AlaaAbd El Fattah - a decision made under the Conservatives.
The final straw seems to have been a disagreement at a shadow cabinet away-day last Thursday over whether Britain was broken.
"He was very odd at the away day", said one present. "His body language was withdrawn, his chair was pushed back from the table, he was taking lots of notes."
In Jenrick's telling the shadow cabinet were asked if they thought Britain was broken. He said yes. Some agreed but argued: "We can't say that. Because it implies we broke it."
If that away day was a turning point in the political career of Robert Jenrick and the right of British politics, it seems fitting that the meeting took place at a venue overlooking the Tower of London.
"It's a traditional home of traitors", jokes one who was there. "Which we didn't realise at the time."
Source: bbc.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3ejzz78gxo
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Moscow reaffirms ‘strategic partnership’ with post-Soviet states
16 Jan, 2026
The Russian Foreign Ministry has distanced itself from provocative remarks made by journalist Vladimir Solovyov, reiterating Moscow’s commitment to what it described as “brotherly friendship and cooperation” with post-Soviet states.
The controversy stems from a January 10 broadcast on Solovyov’s private channel, ‘Solovyov Live’, in which he argued Russia should emulate the US by clearly defining its own “zone of influence.”
“The games are over. To hell with international law, international order,” Solovyov said, citing the military operation in Ukraine as an example of Russia protecting its national security interests. “Why, based on the same considerations, can we not launch an operation in another country, in other points of our zone of influence?”
He went on to argue that Russia’s main challenges lie closer to home, describing Armenia and Central Asia as areas demanding far greater attention.
The remarks prompted a diplomatic response from Armenia, whose Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as an “unacceptable encroachment” on the country’s sovereignty . In Kyrgyzstan, MP DastanBekeshev urged the Foreign Ministry to declare Solovyov persona non grata.
At a weekly briefing on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was asked whether Solovyov’s comments reflected official policy.
”Official positions are expressed by authorized official persons,” she said, stressing that the journalist’s remarks amounted to a private “opinion,” framed as a “rhetorical question” and aired on a private platform.
Zakharova accused “armchair analysts” of deliberately presenting Solovyov’s statements as official policy, calling it an “unacceptable manipulation.” She said the episode had been used to fuel “a whole range of conjectures and outright speculation” about alleged Russian “aggressive aspirations” toward post-Soviet states.
“Our country is historically connected with the peoples of the South Caucasus and Central Asia by relations of good neighborliness, strategic partnership, alliance, brotherly friendship and cooperation,” Zakharova said, pointing to ongoing high-level dialogue within the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) frameworks as the foundation of Moscow’s relations with its neighbors.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/631023-moscow-solovyov-controversy-statement/
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North America
House Sharia Free America Caucus adds two dozen members in less than one month
January 15, 2026
The House Sharia Free America Caucus said Thursday that it has expanded to include another two dozen members so far, bringing its total number of members to 26 since its inception last month.
Texas GOP Reps. Chip Roy and Keith Self launched the caucus on Dec. 18, 2025, which was created to “counter the alarming rise of Sharia Law in the United States," claiming that it was not "compatible" with the U.S. Constitution.
The new lawmakers include House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, Florida GOP Reps. Byron Donalds, Randy Fine and Cory Mills, and Arizona GOP Rep. Andy Biggs. The new members hail from a total of 17 states.
“Preserving the American way of life is essential to protecting civil liberties and upholding the United States Constitution," Self said in a statement. "Sharia stands in direct opposition to our country and is totally anathema to the concept of individual freedom and our founding principles. I thank my House colleagues for joining this noble cause to save Western Civilization and fight back against the threat of Sharia.”
Roy said he was "encouraged" to see more of his House Republicans colleagues joining the caucus, claiming the "preservation of America and Western civilization" depends on successfully challenging the rise of Sharia Law.
“Sharia is a direct threat to our Constitution and Western values and seeks to replace our legal system and erode our basic freedoms" Roy said. "Our immigration system must be prepared to confront this challenge and defend our Judeo-Christian values."
Other new members include GOP Reps. Mike Kelly and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Andrew Clyde of Georgia.
Source: justthenews.com
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https://justthenews.com/government/congress/house-sharia-free-america-caucus-adds-two-dozen-members-less-one-month
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Islamic Society of Tulsa explores legal options following zoning decision
Jan 16, 2026
BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — The Islamic Society of Tulsa is pursuing legal action after the City of Broken Arrow denied a zoning request for a proposed mosque.
Members of the Broken Arrow City Council denied the request Monday evening, with a 4-1 vote. The Islamic Society of Tulsa already owns the land, and the Broken Arrow Planning Commission approved the zoning change at its December meeting.
Despite city officials' approval, community members expressed disappointment about the proposed mosque on social media. In a statement, the Islamic Society of Tulsa claims that social media discourse influenced the City Council's vote. You can read IST's full statement below.
"The Islamic Society of Tulsa (IST) is disappointed that the City Council of Broken Arrow voted on January 12, 2026, to deny its application to build a multiuse Islamic Center adjacent to the Creek Turnpike and Olive Avenue. In rejecting the IST application, the Council not only rejected the recommendation of its Planning Commission, but also the determination of City staff that the proposal met all requirements of the Zoning Variance and Special Use Permit. What makes the denial incomprehensible is that the Council ignored the scaled down version of the scope that was presented on the day of the hearing. Both the earlier ‘aspirational’ and the scaled-down versions were developed through substantive meetings with the staff of the City of Broken Arrow.
IST appreciates the professionalism of City Staff, the venue offered by NSU Broken Arrow, and the goodwill shown by clergy members, civic leaders, and residents who spoke in favor of our proposal. We recognize that democratic participation can lead to disagreement; however, we are disappointed that fearmongering and misinformation dominated the discourse and that Islamophobic rhetoric on social media may have influenced the Council's decision to deny our application.
IST intends to pursue all options to challenge and reverse this myopic and discriminatory decision through legal avenues, including a challenge brought under RLUIPA (Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act), which prohibits government entities and municipalities from imposing discriminatory or substantially burdensome land use regulations on religious institutions. We are also considering complaints against the City of Broken Arrow with other relevant state and federal regulatory bodies which govern anti-discrimination in city zoning decisions.
We sincerely hope that through further dialogue and advocacy, the City of Broken Arrow will not only reverse its decision but will take actions to combat the spread of Islamophobia and to welcome diverse residents into the community, ensuring that all residents are welcome in this beautiful city."
The City of Broken Arrow sent this statement in response to the press release issued by Islamic Society of Tulsa:
"The City of Broken Arrow appreciates the Islamic Society of Tulsa (IST) for sharing its perspective on the City Council's January 12, 2026, decision regarding the proposed multiuse Islamic Center. We recognize the disappointment expressed in its statement. The City’s zoning and permitting processes are designed to be fair, transparent, and in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including those protecting religious freedoms. The City Council carefully considered the application, including input from the Planning Commission, City staff, and public comments, before reaching its decision based on the facts presented.
The City of Broken Arrow takes issue with IST’s statement that it had “substantive meetings with the staff of the City of Broken Arrow” about a scaled-down version of its development proposal. On Thursday, January 8, 2026, City staff met with a delegation representing IST for a meeting that lasted approximately one hour. At no time during that meeting was a scaled-down version or revised plan of the proposal discussed or presented to staff. In fact, the first mention of a scaled-down version of the proposal was when it was provided to City staff via email at 3:58 p.m. on Monday, January 12, 2026, only two hours prior to the special meeting.
At one point during the meeting on January 8, 2026, the applicant’s engineer, who joined the delegation for the first time in the development proposal process, brought up the idea of a planned unit development (PUD) for possible consideration to develop the property. City staff advised the delegation that if it wanted to pursue a PUD, it would reset the process and need to go before the Planning Commission for review. The delegation decided against the option to pursue a PUD and advised staff it was proceeding as planned. Other than the discussion about the PUD, the content of the meeting on January 8, 2026, focused on the logistics and safety measures being considered for the upcoming special meeting.
The City of Broken Arrow emphatically rejects IST’s supposition that “Islamophobic frenzy on social media” factored into the City Council’s decision. That is simply not true. It is irresponsible conjecture stated by IST to satisfy its interpretation of the City Council’s decision. In a press release and video published on Friday, January 9, 2026, Mayor Debra Wimpee stated, without ambiguity, what she and the City Council set as the goal for the discussion during the special meeting when she said, “we look forward to seeing many of you there for what we hope is a professional, productive, and resolute conversation focused on the facts of the proposed development.”
The Broken Arrow City Council was abundantly clear in its decision to deny the application request for a rezoning and conditional use permit. The application was not approved due to the infrastructure needs surrounding the property. While we do not comment on the potential of threatened litigation, we remain open to ongoing productive dialogue with IST about the decision."
Source: kjrh.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/islamic-society-of-tulsa-explores-legal-options-following-zoning-decision
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CAIR, CAIR Action Release Webinar Training for New Local and State Muslim Civic Engagement Toolkit
January 15, 2026
Webinar training and report provide guidance on model resolutions, strategic guidance, and tools to advance Muslim inclusion, civil rights protections, and community-led policy victories nationwide
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and CAIR Action today released its new webinar training to supplement its joint “2026 Toolkit on Promoting Muslim Civic Engagement in Local and State Governments,” a first-of-its-kind advocacy guide designed to help Muslim communities and allied advocates win meaningful policy changes across city councils, state legislatures, school boards, and university governing bodies.
The webinar and toolkit were unveiled on Tuesday evening during a national call and is now publicly available for download.
Click Here: Download the webinar and full toolkit now!
The 2026 Muslim Civic Engagement Toolkit offers community leaders, organizers, faith-based advocates, and civic partners a collection of model texts, sample policy language, advocacy strategy frameworks, and examples of successful measures passed across the country. It covers policy areas including but not limited to:
Recognition of Muslim Heritage Month, Ramadan, and Eid
Religious accommodations in schools, workplaces, and public institutions
Halal food access and inclusive institutional practices
Anti-discrimination measures protecting Muslims and other marginalized groups
Free speech protections, including response guidance to IHRA-style speech restrictions
Peace and justice resolutions, including local calls for ceasefire action
In a statement, CAIR Action Executive Director BasimElkarra said:
“Local and state governments are where community voices have real impact. This toolkit is a roadmap for turning community concerns into concrete policy victories. It gives every American Muslim the tools and strategies they need to organize, build broad coalitions, and win meaningful change that reflects the values and needs of their communities.”
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw said:
“This toolkit is about moving Muslim communities into the center of public debate and local and state decision-making. Too often, policies that shape our civil rights, religious freedoms, and civic participation are crafted without meaningful Muslim representation or input. This guide equips communities to engage strategically with government, assert their rights, and shape policy outcomes that reflect dignity, justice, and full inclusion.”
Part of a Broader Muslim Policy Agenda
The launch of the 2026 Toolkit on Promoting Muslim Civic Engagement in Local and State Governments builds on CAIR and CAIR Action’s sustained policy advocacy work, joining a growing catalog of national resource publications, including CAIR and CAIR Action’s join:
Together, these resources form a comprehensive Muslim policy framework that supports civic empowerment, defends civil rights, champions freedom of expression, and advances peace and justice.
CAIR and CAIR Action encourage Muslim community leaders, students, educators, faith leaders, and allies to download the toolkit and begin organizing in their cities and states to transform local civic engagement into political power and policy success.
CAIR is a 501(c)3 organization and America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
CAIR Action is a 501(c)4 organization. Its mission is to engage, educate, and mobilize Muslim voters, train emerging leaders, and champion policy priorities that enhance the well-being and representation of Muslim communities. Through its work, CAIR Action aims to foster a more equitable and inclusive democratic society where the rights and voices of Muslims are acknowledged and respected.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-cair-action-muslim-civic-engagement-toolkit-now-available-for-download/
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CAIR-DFW, Partners Demand Release of Yaa’Kub (Jacob) Ira Vijandre after 100 Days of Illegal Detention
January 15, 2026
The Dallas/Fort Worth office of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-DFW), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization joins CAIR Action, the Muslim Legal Fund of American (MLFA), Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ), the Free Yaa’Kub Campaign, Lee &Godshall-Bennett, LLP, Project TAHA, Immigrant Rights Groups, Civil Liberties organizations, and the DFW community in demanding the release of Yaa’Kub (Jacob) Ira Vijandre who has been unjustly detained by ICE for 100 days. Yaakub is an active upstanding member of the Dallas/Ft. Worth Community and a long-time recipient of legal status through the DACA program.
“In 100 days of detention…100 days of being subjected to humiliation and stripped away from a life that I have built in America for over two decades, away from my loved ones and my community. I continue to remain a captive and thereby should be granted freedom and given recompense from what was taken from me by simply upholding the true American values.”
-Yaa’Kub Ira Vijandre, 100-day Detainee
Folkston ICE Processing Centre
Sameeha Rizvi, Texas Policy and Advocacy for CAIR Action, said: “DHS and ICE have repeatedly shown their blatant disregard for the law and the Constitution, and Yaakub’s case makes that undeniable. He was lawfully exercising protected political speech and has been punished by an immigration system that suppresses dissent and denies due process. Yaakub belongs free alongside his community – his detention is not an anomaly, but the predictable result of a system built to silence and intimidate marginalized people. One hundred days without justice or freedom is cruel, unconstitutional, and must end now.”
Maria Kari, attorney and Executive Director of Project TAHA said: “For nearly 250 years, American public discourse has been built on the right to protest, report on protest, challenge the government’s narrative, and debate the issues that shape our democracy. And yet, for one hundred days, the government has held photojournalist Yaakub Ira Vijandre captive for doing exactly that. This detention is retaliatory, unjust, and part of a broader campaign to intimidate and silence dissent. Yaakub is the canary in the coal mine — allowing the government to silence a journalist today will endanger free speech nationwide.”
Mustafaa Carroll, Executive Director of CAIR-DFW stated: “The current Administration claims of trying to purge undocumented residents and criminals from U.S. soil has predominantly resulted in the detainment of hardworking, residents with no criminal records, and those lawfully allowed to be in the country as is the case with Yaa’Kub Ira Vijandre. Additionally, the Administration is targeting folks based on their ethnicity and/or those perceived to be against the genocide in Gaza, thereby weakening our first amendment protections.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR esproteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.
Source: cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-dfw-partners-demand-release-of-yaakub-jacob-ira-vijandre-after-100-days-of-illegal-detention/
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US to cut tariffs on Taiwanese goods after investment pledge
Natalie Sherman
January 16, 2026
The US said it had agreed to cut the tariffs it charges on goods from Taiwan to 15%, in exchange for hundreds of billions of dollars in investment aimed at boosting domestic production of semiconductors.
The Commerce Department said the island's semiconductor and technology enterprises had committed to "new, direct investments" worth at least $250bn (£187bn).
The deal also provides carve-outs from tariffs for Taiwanese semiconductor companies investing in the US.
Boosting US production of semiconductor chips, which are found in machines ranging from cars to smart phones, has been a priority for the US since shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic exposed supply chain risks.
In an interview on CNBC, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the agreement would help the US become "self-sufficient".
"We're going to bring it all over," he said.
The US has devoted hundreds of billions of dollars in government subsidies to the semiconductor industry in recent years, helping to secure and expand investments from the likes of TSMC, the Taiwanese manufacturing giant that dominates the industry.
As part of its earnings update on Thursday, the company said it was accelerating its investments in the US, where it opened a plant in 2024.
The factory in Arizona, which now makes chips for Nvidia, Apple, AMD and other major American tech companies, was built with the help of $40bn in US government subsidies passed during the Biden administration.
Lutnick said the latest trade deal could lead the firm to expand and was also meant to further develop the supply chain, convincing smaller businesses to relocate to the US as well.
As well as the direct investments from companies, the Taiwanese government will provide $250bn in financing to support firms, according to the Commerce Department.
Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by China, had been pushing to reach an agreement with the Trump administration over the duties faced by its exports entering the US, set at 20% last year.
But it has been wary of demands to transfer its expertise, seen by some as a safeguard against military action.
The new 15% tariff rate matches the rates the US currently charges on goods from key trade partners such as Japan, South Korea, and the European Union.
Those rates were agreed in deals stemming from tariffs Trump first announced last April, which he said were aimed at addressing imbalances in trade.
The Supreme Court is currently weighing a request from businesses and states in the US to strike down those duties, which they claim were imposed in an overreach of presidential power.
The Trump administration had previously threatened separate, wider tariffs on the semiconductor industry in the name of national security.
It has so far held off on that proposal, which met with widespread alarm by US firms dependent on imports, including from some firms in the sector.
The announcement comes as American chip manufacturer Intel, a TSMC rival, has struggled to gain traction making advanced chips designed for artificial intelligence.
In a surprise move last year, the US government took a 10% stake in Intel but the company is due to cut thousands more American positions in addition to those it has already slashed in recent years.
Overall, the semiconductor manufacturing sector shed more than 17,000 jobs last year, according to the latest data, despite government efforts to boost the industry.
Source: bbc.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3dmpr37yxlo
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Trump threatens to invoke Insurrection Act to quell anti-ICE protests in Minnesota
January 16, 2026
NardineSaad
US President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the rarely used Insurrection Act to quell unrest over federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
He threatened to send in troops following a night of protests and vandalism in the Minnesota city after an agent shot a man in the leg.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said an officer opened fire after he was attacked by three Venezuelan nationals with a shovel and broom handle.
Tensions have been running high in Minneapolis since an immigration agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, 37, last week, sparking nationwide protests.
The Insurrection Act is a 19th Century law that allows active-duty military personnel to be deployed for law enforcement duties inside the US.
Trump has previously said he might invoke the 1807 law elsewhere without ever doing so.
The president posted on Truth Social that he would use the law if Minnesota officials failed to stop the "professional agitators and insurrectionists".
DHS said Wednesday's shooting occurred after a car chase involving a Venezuelan national, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who was previously convicted for driving without a licence.
The agency statement said after the pursuit, Sosa-Celis got out of his vehicle and fought with the federal agent.
Two more illegal immigrants from Venezuela, Alfredo Alejandro Ajorna and Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma, came out of a nearby apartment, according to the agency.
All three attacked the law enforcement officer with a snow shovel and broom handle, DHS said, before the agent opened fire, hitting Sosa-Celis in the leg.
The agent was taken to hospital. Sosa-Celis was also taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. All three Venezuelans were arrested.
"What we saw last night in Minneapolis was an attempted murder of federal law enforcement," said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
She said the officer was "ambushed and attacked" by the men and fired a defensive shot.
On Wednesday night, clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcement in the Hawthorne area of Minneapolis, near the scene of the shooting.
City police chief Brian O'Hara said his officers were hit by fireworks, ice and snowballs.
Several vehicles belonging to the federal government were damaged in the disorder, and property was stolen from inside the vehicles, according to the FBI.
The FBI said on Thursday that it was offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the "recovery of stolen government property and/or the arrest of individuals responsible for the destruction and theft of government property".
Around 3,000 federal officers have been deployed to Minnesota in recent weeks.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who has demanded ICE leave the city, said on X on Wednesday: "No matter what led up to this incident, the situation we are seeing in our city is not sustainable."
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, made a direct appeal to the president on Thursday posting on X: "Let's turn the temperature down."
Walz, who has previously called ICE a "modern-day Gestapo", told Minnesotans: "We cannot fan the flames of chaos."
The Democratic governor, who ran for US vice-president alongside Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, said earlier this month he would end his bid for re-election.
The move came in the wake of a fraud scandal involving the state's welfare programmes.
Trump has said Operation Metro Surge will continue in Minnesota after a federal judge on Wednesday denied Minnesota prosecutors a temporary restraining order against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Tensions over immigration enforcement have been running high in the city since the fatal shooting on 7 January of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent.
The Trump administration says the ICE agent acted in self-defence, while local officials argue the woman posed no danger.
Videos of the incident show ICE agents approaching a car, which is in the middle of the street.
As Good attempts to drive off, one of them at the front of the vehicle points his gun at the driver and fires three shots. The FBI is investigating the incident.
An online fundraiser set up for Good's widow and family has raised more than $1.4m. Another online fundraiser for Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent at the centre of the deadly confrontation, has raised $740,000.
Source: bbc.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy15596p98o
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Venezuelan Nobel winner gifts her medal to Trump
15 Jan, 2026
Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, who openly supported the US military operation against her socialist-run country, has gifted her medal to President Donald Trump.
The US president has long publicly coveted the award, but the Nobel Committee stated unequivocally last week that even if a medal itself changes owners, the title of a Peace Prize laureate “can neither be revoked, shared, nor transferred to others.”
“I presented the president of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize,” Machado told supporters after closed-door talks with Trump at the White House on Thursday.
“Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect,” Trump said in a brief post on Truth Social hours after meeting “a wonderful woman who has been through so much.”
Machado, who previously led anti-government protests and accused Maduro of “stealing” the 2024 elections from her, told cheering supporters, “We can count on President Trump.”
However, the White House played down the encounter’s significance. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called Machado “a remarkable and brave voice” but stressed the meeting did not reflect a change in Trump’s “realistic assessment.”
Trump has consistently dismissed Machado’s ability to replace Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, stating shortly after the US military raid that captured him that she “doesn’t have the support or the respect within the country.”
Instead, the US president has signaled a willingness to work with the interim government of socialist Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president, whom he praised as a “terrific person” after a long phone call this week.
Machado’s visit coincided with continued US efforts to control Venezuelan oil assets, including the seizure of another sanctioned tanker, and occurred as Rodriguez was delivering a State of the Union address in Caracas. The Trump administration noted Rodriguez’s government is “cooperating” with Washington, including by releasing prisoners detained under Maduro.
Machado, who previously led anti-government protests and accused Maduro of “illegally” seizing power during the 2024 elections, fled Venezuela last year. Following the White House visit, she proceeded to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill who are less skeptical of her candidacy.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.rt.com/news/631019-trump-machado-nobel-medal/
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US hits Iran with fresh sanctions
15 Jan, 2026
The US Treasury has sanctioned five Iranian security officials it says were involved in “violence and cruel repression” against citizens. The move comes as US President Donald Trump appears to be climbing down from threats of military action against Iran.
The sanctions target Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, and several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and law enforcement commanders. The Treasury also sanctioned another 18 individuals and entities accused of helping Iran evade oil sanctions, while the US State Department sanctioned Iran’s Fardis Prison.
“Treasury knows that like rats on a sinking ship, you are frantically wiring funds stolen from Iranian families to banks and financial institutions around the world. Rest assured, we will track them and you,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a video statement on Thursday.
Iran has been gripped by riots since late December, triggered by persistent inflation and a sharp dive in the value of the Iranian rial. Tehran insists that what began as a legitimate airing of economic grievances quickly spiraled into a quasi-insurrection, with foreign agents arming violent rioters and instructing them to shoot at security agents in order to provoke a harsh crackdown and trigger American intervention.
Israeli media and Washington insiders, such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have hinted that Mossad agents played a key role in instigating the riots.
Trump has publicly mulled military action against Iran in recent days. The US leader told CBS News on Tuesday that he would take “very strong” action if Tehran executed rioters. However, he said on Wednesday that the “killing in Iran has stopped,” and “they’re not gonna have executions.”
The US’ Arab allies in the region have cautioned Trump against attacking Iran. According to the Wall Street Journal, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar have all told the US president that any instability could rattle oil markets, while the fall of the Iranian government could shift power to the more hardline IRGC.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.rt.com/news/631018-us-sanctions-iran-riots/
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Africa
Tension As Bandits Kill Islamic Cleric In Kaduna
January 15, 2026
By Richard Ogunsile
Gunmen suspected to be bandits reportedly killed an Islamic cleric in LayinDanauta, Kuyello Ward, BirninGwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Wednesday, plunging the community into mourning.
Residents identified the victim as Bello Abubakar, an assistant Imam at the Jama’atulIzalatilBid’ahWaIqamatus Sunnah (IZALA) mosque in the area.
According to PremiumTimes, sources informed the media platform that Abubakar was attacked and killed while fetching firewood in Kuyello Ward, located in the eastern part of BirninGwari.
A resident, who spoke to newsmen on condition of anonymity, described the killing as brutal, adding that the cleric’s remains were later discovered in the area.
According to residents, insecurity has become a daily reality in surrounding communities, with many incidents going unreported due to fear of reprisals.
“Attacks happen almost every day in Kutemeshe Ward, but people hardly speak out because they fear victimisation,” a resident said.
The source added that the security situation in LayinDanauta remains dire, noting that seven residents abducted by criminal elements months ago are still being held in captivity.
Naija News understands that the killing of Abubakar has devastated residents, who described him as a respected cleric known for his commitment to Qur’anic education and regular leadership of daily congregational prayers.
“He was deeply devoted to teaching the Qur’an and always led prayers, especially during the month of Ramadan. His death has left a big vacuum in the community,” another resident said.
Residents said the attack occurred despite a peace truce previously negotiated between the community and local bandit groups, raising fresh concerns about the effectiveness of such arrangements.
BirninGwari and its environs have remained a flashpoint for kidnappings, killings and ransom-seeking activities by armed gangs for several years.
However, the state police command has yet to issue any official statement regarding the latest development as of the time of filing this report.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/01/15/tension-as-bandits-kill-islamic-cleric-in-kaduna/
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Why United States Targeted SokotoFor Military Airstrike – Defence Minister
January 16, 2026
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd), has disclosed that the primary reason for the airstrike in Sokoto by the United States military was to halt the growing threat posed by Lakurawa.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television on Thursday, Musa stated that the authorities are determined to neutralise the group before it escalates into a major insurgency.
The former defence chief noted that while security forces are still battling established threats, it is crucial to confront new ones early to prevent them from becoming more entrenched.
Addressing questions on whether the United States would carry out further airstrikes in Nigeria, Musa said there was no such plan, stressing that Nigeria and the US are instead cooperating on intelligence sharing.
According to him, the collaboration focuses largely on access to advanced satellite surveillance that provides real-time intelligence, enabling Nigerian forces to carry out precision strikes. He added that the US would only provide support where threats are beyond Nigeria’s operational reach.
He said: “Lakurawa is a new threat that’s evolving. While we’re working on the major ones. Let’s check out those new ones before they develop, before they become bigger.
“I want Nigerians to understand that better things are coming away ahead, those big ones, big things are coming that way. Do you.”
When asked if he expects the Americans to attack again and if that is part of the discussion that’s going on between Nigeria and the United States.
He replied, “No, we’re looking at everything holistically. And what we did, mostly from them, is for them to give us, you know, they have this satellite system that will give you real time info as to what’s going on. And then the idea is, whatever it is we see, we will be able to strike. If it is beyond our reach, they will assist us.
“The mistake people make is that people think Lakurawa is a small group. It’s not small. They are as potent as Boko Haram, and their spread is getting fast.
“So the idea was to stop them from spreading, yeah, so that it doesn’t spread the place.”
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/01/15/why-united-states-targeted-sokoto-for-military-airstrike-defence-minister/
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Police Arrest Members Of Criminal Gang Linked To Attack On Ngige’s Convoy
January 16, 2026
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested members of a criminal gang involved in a recent attack on the convoy of the former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige.
In the ensuing gun battle, two suspects were killed, and several others escaped with injuries.
The police described the operation as a significant breakthrough in its ongoing efforts to rid the state of criminal elements and enhance public safety.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP TochukwuIkenga, operatives from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, acted on credible intelligence to ambush the gang at the EnugwuAgidi junction.
Ikenga stated that the suspects, believed to be a mix of armed robbers, cultists, and individuals linked to a banned secessionist group, engaged the police in a fierce gun battle upon sighting the operatives.
“During the exchange, which lasted about two hours, two of the armed suspects sustained fatal gunshot injuries, while three others escaped with varying degrees of injuries,” Ikenga confirmed.
In the aftermath of the gun battle, the operatives recovered several items from the suspects, including:
One T.06 rifle
Two pump-action guns
24 rounds of T.06 ammunition
15 live cartridges
Assorted criminal charms
A cult red beret
A black Toyota Highlander vehicle
Ikenga revealed that one of the suspects, before succumbing to his injuries, confessed that the gang had been involved in the attack on Senator Ngige’s convoy.
The suspect also admitted to being part of the strike squad of the Vikings confraternity, allegedly carrying out a retaliatory mission after the killing of one of their members by a rival cult group.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, IkioyeOrutugu, commended the operatives for their gallantry and urged them to intensify efforts to track down and arrest the remaining fleeing suspects.
“I commend the officers for their brave actions during the operation. We will continue to pursue these criminals and ensure they are brought to justice,” Orutugu said.
He also called on hospitals and medical facilities to treat individuals with gunshot injuries and promptly report such cases to the nearest police station.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/01/15/police-arrest-members-of-criminal-gang-linked-to-attack-on-ngiges-convoy/
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Christmas In Southeast Was Better After We Arrested Simon Ekpa – Minister Of Defence
January 16, 2026
Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd), has said that the South-East region has experienced significant improvement in security following the arrest of separatist agitator Simon Ekpa.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Thursday, the Minister stated that the region experienced a more peaceful Christmas following the arrest of the agitator.
He asserted that this points to the importance of enforcing the law against individuals who incite unrest.
The minister recalled that security concerns linked to Ekpa had been publicly discussed earlier, including calls for his arrest.
He stressed that no individual is above the law, warning that anyone who crosses legal boundaries should expect appropriate action from the authorities.
Musa added that the government remains committed to responding decisively to threats against national security whenever red lines are crossed.
He said, “You know, it was here we spoke about Simon Ekpa and the need to arrest him. And we got him. What happened? Christmas in the southeast was a lot better than ever before. So these are the issues that we need to do as individuals must be careful. Nobody’s above the government. Nobody’s above the law. So once you cross red line, I know those in charge will take appropriate reaction.”
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/01/16/christmas-in-southeast-was-better-after-we-arrested-simon-ekpa-minister-of-defence/
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Ex-Lawmaker Calls For Reconciliation As Rivers Assembly Tensions Linger
January 16, 2026
A former federal lawmaker, OgbonnaNwuke, has recalled the last sitting of the Rivers State House of Assembly before it adjourned plenary until January 15, noting that developments since then suggest the House may reconsider its stance.
Naija News reports that Nwuke, who represented Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and also served as Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, said it appeared the larger House was beginning to bend after hearing interventions from various quarters, including within its own ranks.
Speaking with Punch on the impeachment proceedings initiated against SiminalayiFubara, the former lawmaker noted that several developments followed the Assembly’s last sitting.
Nwuke said, “You and I know that after that sitting when they commenced the impeachment against the governor, many developments began to come up.
“You know that four of their colleagues have pulled out of the impeachment.”
He added that the dissenting lawmakers did not stop at withdrawing their support but also appealed to other members to do the same.
“They didn’t stop there, but also called on fellow House members in the camp to also withdraw. So naturally, I’m certain that quite a number of people and expectations are high,” he said.
Nwuke said lawmakers would likely weigh these developments carefully when they reconvene.
“They (lawmakers) probably will sit and look at all of that. If there are rumours of impeachment, it is entirely a problem of the House,” he added.
The former lawmaker emphasised the need for synergy between the executive and legislative arms of government to promote peace and development in Rivers State.
According to him, reconciliation remains the most viable path forward.
Nwuke said, “I think what great minds in Rivers State want at this time in our history is a clear understanding that there will be no impeachment.
“A clear understanding that there will be a working relationship between the House and the executive arm.”
Nwuke said such expectations reflect the general mood of the people of the state.
“These are the expectations, very likely, and I’m sure quite a number of Rivers people agree to this,” he said.
He expressed hope that when the House reconvenes, its direction would become clearer to the public.
“So we are hoping that when the House reconvenes, people will be able to study the mood of the House and be able to understand what direction the House is following at this time,” he added.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/01/16/ex-lawmaker-calls-for-reconciliation-as-rivers-assembly-tensions-linger/
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‘It Is Not A Criminal Thing To Do’ – NIPR Supports FG $9 Miliion US Lobbying Deal
January 16, 2026
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has defended the Federal Government’s decision to engage lobbying services in the United States, insisting that the move does not constitute a criminal offence but falls squarely within the bounds of legitimate public relations practice.
Naija News reports that the clarification was made on Thursday by the President of the NIPR, Ike Neliaku, during the official presentation of the First Nigeria Reputation Perception Index Report 2025 at the National Assembly Complex.
Neliaku spoke against the backdrop of sustained criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups over the Bola Tinubu administration’s approval of a $9m lobbying contract in the United States.
Critics have argued that the expenditure reflects misplaced priorities, especially at a time when many Nigerians are grappling with rising insecurity, inflation and economic hardship.
Responding to concerns, the NIPR president maintained that lobbying is a globally accepted component of public relations and should not be misconstrued as illegal.
“Many are asking why we should hire lobbyists. Lobbying is a public relations function. So it is not a criminal thing to do,” Neliaku said.
He added that Nigeria stood to gain even more through direct international engagement, noting that participants from 126 countries expected at the World Public Relations Forum 2026 would serve as informal ambassadors for the country.
“But the important thing is that those we are hiring to lobby for us will soon be coming here from 126 countries… and that is the greatest lobby we can do,” he added.
The NIPR boss argued that global perceptions of Nigeria are often shaped by elite narratives amplified by international media, rather than the everyday realities experienced by ordinary Nigerians.
He said, “This is because by the time they are returning, they will be going back with a broad impression of what they have seen. Reputation is governed by the elite, while realities are controlled by ordinary people.
“So while ordinary people are happy with Nigerians, saying your country is wonderful and blessed, the elite that have access to the media will continue to paint a picture of a programmed nation.”
Neliaku said this disconnect partly explains why Nigeria is sometimes classified unfavourably on the global stage, including being labelled a Country of Particular Concern in some international assessments.
According to him, Nigeria’s greatest asset remains its human capital, both at home and in the diaspora.
“So when you are painted as a Country of Particular Concern, understand where it is coming from. The greatest asset of Nigeria is its people. That we have not been able to convert this asset into capital is a different thing entirely,” he said.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/01/16/it-is-not-a-criminal-thing-to-do-nipr-supports-fg-9-miliion-us-lobbying-deal/
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Southeast Asia
Malaysia hits pause on military, police procurement under cloud of corruption
By AnisZalani
16 Jan 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today announced the suspension of all procurement projects by the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and the police that are under investigation for alleged corruption and abuse.
Speaking to reporters after Friday prayers here, Anwar said recent incidents have shown weaknesses in such activities that could be exploited.
“We must re-examine and restructure the system, and for the time being, suspend procurement related decisions by administrative bodies, the police or any agency until we are fully confident that procedures are being strictly complied with,” he said at Usamah bin Zaid Mosque here today.
Anwar stressed that the government is taking a firmer stance against corruption, giving the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and other agencies full autonomy to investigate without political or administrative interference.
"From a policy perspective, the government does not interfere. In fact, we are not happy with developments, where firm and comprehensive action is not taken," he added.
Despite the ongoing probe, Anwar was quick to defend the integrity of the security forces as a whole, stating that corruption typically involves only a small minority of individuals.
“I want members of the security forces, including the military and police, to know that as a whole they are highly capable, professional, and have made significant sacrifices.
“No negative perception should be in-directed at entire ministries or forces,” he said, clarifying that action is only taken against specific individuals.
He said the funds misappropriated — estimated to be between RM10 million and RM20 million in some cases — should have been channelled to support lower-ranking personnel or small-scale public projects.
Anwar also criticised those who downplay the seriousness of corruption or question enforcement actions taken against powerful individuals, noting that such moves are sometimes not fully supported even in Parliament.
Yesterday, MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri AzamBaki exhibited tens of millions of ringgit in cash and luxury goods seized for the investigation into alleged corruption in army procurement contracts.
Former army chief General Tan Sri Muhammad HafizuddeainJantan is currently remanded for seven days as part of the investigation.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/01/16/malaysia-hits-pause-on-military-police-procurement-under-cloud-of-corruption/205665
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Malaysia Government Endorses Selangor Sultan’s Decree Against LGBT Activities
16 Jan 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — The government has expressed its support for the decree issued by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who strongly opposes the organisation of LGBT activities in the state.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan urged that the issue be handled in an orderly manner and in accordance with the law by the relevant authorities.
“We fully support His Royal Highness’ decree, and God willing, we pray that this matter can be addressed properly under the law,” he told reporters after launching the 25th anniversary of IKIMfm and the Madani Ramadan Mahabbah Campaign 1447H at Al-Sultan Abdullah Mosque, Merdeka 118, here today.
On the monitoring of LGBT activities nationwide, Zulkifli left the matter to the authorities.
On Monday, Sultan Sharafuddin ordered state religious authorities to take firm action against any immoral activities involving what he described as deviant practices in Selangor.
The Sultan does not consent to the organisation of any festivals, parades, activities, celebrations or promotions related to the LGBT lifestyle and the establishment of any associations, clubs, organisations or non-governmental organisations linked to LGBT activities in the state. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/01/16/putrajaya-supports-selangor-sultans-decree-on-lgbtrelated-events-says-religious-affairs-minister/205660
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BNPB speeds up temporary housing construction in Aceh before Ramadan
January 16, 2026
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has accelerated the construction of temporary housing for residents affected by floods in North Aceh District, Aceh Province, with the aim of completing the units and making them ready for occupancy before the Ramadan month of 2026.
Acting Head of BNPB’s Operations Control CenterHerySetiono said on Friday that the first phase includes the construction of 711 temporary housing units across five sub-districts, based on validated data compiled by the North Aceh administration.
“The acceleration focuses on meeting the needs of residents whose homes were severely damaged, destroyed, or swept away by the disaster,” Setiono said.
The 711 units are being built in Baktiya, West Baktiya, Dewantara, Sawang, and Seunuddon sub-districts, with construction currently under way to meet the planned schedule.
In Seunuddon District, 84 temporary housing units under the first phase are being constructed in UleeRubekTimur Village on a site covering about 14 thousand square meters.
Each unit is equipped with basic facilities, including a living area, bathroom, proper sanitation, a bore well, and a simple waste management system.
After the completion of the first phase, BNPB will conduct an updated data validation process to determine whether additional temporary housing units are required.
During the transition period to permanent housing, affected residents may choose to stay in the temporary housing units or receive a temporary housing allowance (DTH) of Rp600,000 per month.
BNPB is targeting the first phase to be completed and ready for occupancy by late January, enabling residents to move into safer accommodation ahead of Ramadan.
As of January 15, 2026, BNPB recorded that a total of 4,404 temporary housing units had been processed in North Aceh, with the acceleration supported through cross-sector collaboration involving local governments and communities.
Source: antaranews.com
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https://en.antaranews.com/news/400181/bnpb-speeds-up-temporary-housing-construction-in-aceh-before-ramadan
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Azalina: Malay-Muslim identity no longer guarantees voter loyalty, Umno must move beyond identity politics to stay relevant
By R. Loheswar
16 Jan 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — Voters are no longer automatically loyal to a party simply because it represents Malays or Islam, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said today, acknowledging a political reality Umno must confront if it wants to remain relevant.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Umno General Assembly, the law and institutional reform minister said the party could no longer assume ethnic or religious identity alone was enough to secure support, particularly among a new segment of voters focused on bread-and-butter issues.
“Today’s voters are different. They are not going to be so loyal just because they are Malay, then they are Muslim,” Azalina said, noting that while identity still mattered, many voters were now more concerned about economic mobility and the challenges affecting their daily lives.
She said this shift was reflected in Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad ZahidHamidi’s policy speech, which recognised that Malaysian politics had changed fundamentally since BarisanNasional’s defeat in the 14th general election.
Azalina said Umno now needed to rethink its modus operandi and open itself up to broader engagement, including ideas and participation from outside the party, if it wanted to rebuild its strength.
She pointed to Zahid’s proposal to form a committee to study unity and cooperation, including the possibility of accepting former members, individuals and groups aligned with Umno’s broader objectives.
“The idea is for Umno to be seen not just as an umbrella, but as a home,” she said, adding that the party should be prepared to “open its doors and windows” to those who genuinely wanted to strengthen Malay interests beyond political rhetoric.
Azalina said Umno’s leadership was aware that it could no longer rely on historical narratives alone, stressing that politics today was about current realities and future expectations rather than past achievements.
“We cannot keep talking about history. What matters now is how politics is being shaped today and where it is going,” she said.
She added that any changes would have to respect Umno’s democratic processes, with views from grassroots members taken into account before major decisions were made.
“That is why a committee is needed — to listen to voices from below and to manage this process properly,” Azalina said, adding that Umno remained a large party governed by its constitution, not a top-down organisation.
Azalina also said Umno had to accept that political realities differed from state to state, making a one-size-fits-all approach untenable.
“What works in Johor or Pahang may not work in Selangor or Negeri Sembilan. The party has to recognise that we are starting from very different positions now,” she said.
Ultimately, she said, Umno’s survival depended on its willingness to adapt — not just in terms of alliances and membership, but also in how it communicated and engaged with voters in an increasingly complex political landscape.
Earlier in his speech, Zahid urged disgruntled members and those not fully committed to the cause to forget the past and move forward, noting the “weird” and awkward political landscape in Malaysia where rival parties cooperate in some states while contesting against each other elsewhere.
He called for a comprehensive rebranding of the party and BarisanNasional (BN), warning that nostalgia is no longer enough to win elections.
In his policy speech at the Umno General Assembly, Zahid said Umno must present a “new value proposition” to voters, particularly younger Malaysians, ahead of the 16th general election.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/01/16/azalina-malay-muslim-identity-no-longer-guarantees-voter-loyalty-umno-must-move-beyond-identity-politics-to-stay-relevant/205648
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‘Allah had other plans’: Zahid defends Umno’s alliance with ex-rival DAP
By Malay Mail
16 Jan 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad ZahidHamidi has described the party’s controversial alliance with its former adversary, DAP, as the result of “Allah’s will,” framing the partnership as a pragmatic necessity for political stability.
His comments come amid open criticism from within his own party, particularly from Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, who recently called for Umno to withdraw from the unity government, citing violations of the party's "red lines."
In an interview with FMT held in conjunction with Umno’s general assembly, Zahid dismissed this internal dissent, insisting he had a good relationship with DAP and that the party had been instrumental in Umno's recent by-election victories.
Acknowledging his own vow of “No Anwar, No DAP” prior to the 2022 general election, Zahid said circumstances have changed.
“But Allah had other plans and we were fated to become partners in the current government,” he said.
Zahid also rejected the notion that Malay and Muslim interests had been sidelined with DAP in government, saying that DAP now upholds the Federal Constitution and no longer questions the special rights of Malays and Bumiputera or the status of Islam as the official religion.
The Umno president said this was patent by his party quadrupling its majority in the Mahkota seat in Melaka, when DAP has aided the campaign last year.
He also argued that Malaysia’s political landscape has evolved, demanding that former rivals work together to ensure stability and restore investor confidence after the political uncertainty that followed the 2018 general election.
“The experience endured under three different governments since 2018 left a bitter taste,” he said, referring to the rapid succession of prime ministers.
“I am certain the people do not want a repeat of such an episode.”
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/01/16/allah-had-other-plans-zahid-defends-umnos-alliance-with-ex-rival-dap/205620
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Federal govt has no objections to Selangor’s centralised pig farming in Bukit Tagar if environmentally sound, says Mat Sabu
16 Jan 2026
PUTRAJAYA, Jan 16 — The federal government has no objections to the Selangor state government’s decision to implement centralised and modern pig farming at Bukit Tagar, Hulu Selangor, provided the area is deemed suitable from both an environmental and management perspective.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, said any farming project must meet environmental requirements and be carried out according to a strategic plan.
“If Bukit Tagar is found to be more suitable for the environment, the federal government has no issue with what the state government plans to do,” he told a press conference after delivering his 2026 New Year’s message at the ministry (MAFS) here today
He emphasised that the relocation of livestock farms should take into account environmental sustainability to prevent pollution that could negatively impact the well-being of the local community.
“The 500-acre area is vast, but it must adopt modern practices to avoid pollution. If done with modern farming systems, pollution will not occur,” he added.
He further noted that modern farming practices would not only ensure more efficient livestock management but would also have a positive impact on the environment and the local community.
Earlier it was reported that the Selangor state government has decided to implement the farming project in Bukit Tagar as a long-term strategy to restructure the industry, starting in 2030. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/01/16/federal-govt-has-no-objections-to-selangors-centralised-pig-farming-in-bukit-tagar-if-environmentally-sound-says-mat-sabu/205658
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‘Come back’ — Zahid tells ex-members that Umno’s doors are always open
By Muhammad Yusry
16 Jan 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — Umno will form a special “RumahBangsa” unity committee to facilitate the return of former members, Datuk Seri Ahmad ZahidHamidi said today when declaring that the party’s doors “will always remain wide open.”
The move, aimed at reuniting those who have left or become estranged from the party, received the vocal and unanimous approval of delegates at the Umno General Assembly 2025, who rose to their feet to support the proposal.
In his policy speech, the Umno said the new committee would be tasked with receiving applications for re-entry from any individual or group, whether on a personal basis or en bloc.
“For this reason, the doors of this RumahBangsa (House of the Nation) will always remain wide open. This is where we were born, where we were raised.
“It is here, too, that we forged the meaning of struggle,” Zahid said.
He framed the initiative as a homecoming, positioning Umno as a political home for those who had “lost their way or fallen along the political journey.”
“Umno is a home for all to reunite — at times when some have lost their way, at times when some have fallen.
“Come back, come back,” he said, invoking the proverb that those who stray should return to the beginning.
Most of the country’s Malay-Muslim based political parties can trace their origins back to Umno, including PartiPribumiBersatu Malaysia and PAS.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/01/16/come-back-zahid-tells-ex-members-that-umnos-doors-are-always-open/205644
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South Asia
BB governor outlines deposit return plan amid shariah compliance, bank losses
15 Jan 2026
DHAKA, Jan 15, 2026 (BSS) – Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur today addressed the ongoing concerns regarding the return of five merging banks funds to depositors, clarifying that the central bank is acting to protect the interests of the general public while adhering to Islamic financial principles.
“A key decision regarding deposit returns of the was based on the recommendations of the Shariah Council. According to these principles, profit cannot be distributed during periods when a bank has incurred significant losses, which was the case during the 2024-2025 period. This specific change in policy was necessitated by the massive losses identified in the revised accounts for those years,” he said.
The BB governor said this while speaking at a press conference at its headquarters in the city.
To clarify recent reports that highlighted only the lack of profit for 2024, the Governor emphasized that depositors will still receive their the principal amount.
Additionally, he said, all accrued interest and investment returns up to the year 2023 will be paid in full.
“If someone made a deposit ten years ago, they will receive their full return, including investment profits, up until the end of 2023,” the Governor stated, noting that the central bank is ensuring these payments even though the actual returns during those periods were often unclear due to the banks' precarious conditions.
While the revised accounts for 2024 and 2025 show that banks were facing severe financial strain, the Governor reiterated that the central bank is prioritizing the protection of depositors' original investments.
He acknowledged that although losses had been mounting for some time, the central bank is now focused on a transparent settlement process that respects Islamic principles of loss-sharing while minimizing the impact on the public.
Source: bssnews.net
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https://www.bssnews.net/business/351525
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Mujahid dispels claims of rifts within the Islamic Emirate
January 15, 2026
ZabihullahMujahid, the spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, has rejected a BBC report that alleged the existence of divisions among officials of the Islamic Emirate, stating that such claims are not true.
Mujahid said in a post that there are no disagreements whatsoever within the ranks of the Islamic Emirate.
According to him, statements by officials about the importance of unity and solidarity, or minor issues in which views may differ, never mean the existence of disagreement.
He emphasized that there is strong unity, obedience, and cohesion within the Islamic Emirate, and that there is no concern about any division.
Source: ariananews.af
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https://www.ariananews.af/mujahid-dispels-claims-of-rifts-within-the-islamic-emirate/
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Khaleda Zia departed with highest honor in the history: Nazrul Islam Khan
15 Jan 2026
DHAKA, Jan 15, 2026 (BSS)- BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan today said that many prime ministers have come in the history of Bangladesh, but no one has departed with the honor and dignity like stateswoman Begum Khaleda Zia . This is history, this is an example, he said.
Khan said, "people across the country, regardless of party affiliations, class or profession, have been deeply saddened by the death of Begum Khaleda Zia on December 30. Millions of people wept over her death, and the largest Janaza (funeral prayer) in history was held."
Nazrul Islam Khan made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a prayer congregation organized to seek forgiveness for the soul of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia organized by the Nationalist Expatriate Returnee Workers' Dal at the National Press Club in the city.
Praying for the forgiveness of Begum Khaleda Zia's soul, the Standing Committee Member said, may the Most Merciful Allah grant her JannatulFerdous (the highest paradise).
Nazrul Islam Khan said, "If you love people, people love you back; if you work for the people, people love you; and if you work for the country, the people of the country show respect. Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, and stateswoman Begum Khaleda Zia are the finest examples of it."
He said that Deshnetri Begum Khaleda Zia deeply loved the country and its people. "She worked to ensure lasting welfare for people of all classes, professions, religions, races, and political beliefs. She emphasized permanent welfare measures over temporary solutions."
Nazrul Islam Khan said that one of Khaleda Zia's major contributions to the welfare of expatriate
workers was the establishment of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment. He said, "Through this, a permanent state structure has been built for expatriates, which includes a ministry, manpower, and a budget. Expatriates not only contribute significantly to the country's economy but also act as representatives of Bangladesh in the world."
He said that expatriate workers toil in the extreme heat of deserts, severe cold, or challenging environments and return home with hard-earned money. However, if that money cannot be utilized for their future welfare, they become destitute within a short time.
Convener of the Bangladesh Nationalist Expatriate Returnee Workers' Dal Zakir Hossain Kajal presided over the event while BNP Chairman's Advisor and former MP Nazim Uddin Alam, President of Nationalist Workers' Dal Md. Anwar Hossain, BNP Joint Labour Affairs Secretary Md. HumayunKabir Khan, General Secretary of Workers' Dal Nurul Islam Khan Nasim, Co-President AbulKalam Azad, among others, took part in the event.
Source: bssnews.net
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Kabul-Appointed Diplomat Takes Charge of Afghanistan Embassy in Delhi
By Fidel Rahmati
January 15, 2026
India handed Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi to a newly appointed diplomat by Kabul on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
India has handed control of Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi to a diplomat appointed by Kabul authorities, signaling deeper pragmatic engagement without formal recognition.
India has handed control of Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi to a Taliban-appointed diplomat, according to multiple reports and recent official engagements, marking a quiet shift in bilateral ties.
Noor Ahmad Noor, introduced by the Taliban as its envoy to India, met Afghan business leaders at the embassy on Thursday, days after his arrival in New Delhi to assume duties as acting head of mission.
According to reports, Noor earlier held talks with Anand Prakash, India’s joint secretary for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, discussing visa facilitation and challenges faced by Afghan traders and students in India.
India has not formally recognized the Taliban government since it seized power in Kabul in August 2021, but New Delhi has maintained limited engagement to safeguard humanitarian and strategic interests.
India reopened a “technical mission” in Kabul in 2022 and has gradually expanded working-level contacts, particularly on aid delivery, trade links and regional security concerns.
Neither foreign ministry in Kabul nor India’s external affairs ministry has so far officially confirmed Noor’s appointment or the acceptance of his credentials.
However, reports of his meetings and activities suggest India has transferred operational control of the embassy without a formal announcement, reflecting domestic sensitivities and political resistance to openly engaging the Taliban.
While India continues to stop short of official recognition, the embassy handover signals a changing approach, as New Delhi cautiously deepens functional ties with the Taliban amid evolving regional dynamics.
Source: khaama.com
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Afghanistan passport ranked weakest worldwide again
By Fidel Rahmati
January 15, 2026
The Afghanistan passport has again been ranked the world’s weakest, allowing visa-free travel to only 24 destinations, according to Henley’s latest index.
Afghanistan has once again been ranked as holding the world’s weakest passport, according to the latest assessment by Henley & Partners, extending a decade-long position at the bottom of the index.
The Henley Passport Index shows Afghan citizens can travel visa-free to just 24 destinations, including Cambodia, Mozambique, Kenya, Somalia and Sri Lanka.
The Henley Passport Index ranks passports based on the number of destinations holders can access without a prior visa, using data compiled from global aviation authorities.
Conflict, weak diplomatic ties, sanctions and concerns over migration and security have contributed to limited visa-free access for countries near the bottom of the ranking.
After Afghanistan, the weakest passports belong to Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Palestine, according to the index.
Pakistan ranks 98th, three places above Afghanistan, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 31 destinations.
At the top of the 2026 rankings, Singapore holds first place, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations, followed by Japan and South Korea with 188 destinations.
Several European countries, including Denmark, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, dominate the upper tiers, while the United Arab Emirates ranks fifth after recording the biggest improvement over two decades.
Henley’s analysis shows the gap between the world’s strongest and weakest passports has widened sharply, highlighting growing global inequality in freedom of travel.
The continued low ranking of Afghanistan’s passport reflects broader challenges facing the country, as limited mobility further constrains education, employment and international opportunities for its citizens.
Source: khaama.com
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Trump plans to shut Afghan evacuee camp in Qatar, U.S. lawmaker says
By Fidel Rahmati
January 15, 2026
A U.S. lawmaker said President Donald Trump plans to close a Qatar-based transit camp for Afghan evacuees, raising concerns about stalled resettlement efforts.
U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks said President Donald Trump has informed Congress of plans to close Camp Al Sayliyah in Qatar, a temporary housing facility for evacuated Afghans, by the end of September.
Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Wednesday that the decision would complicate U.S. efforts to relocate and resettle Afghans who worked alongside American forces and institutions.
In a statement, he described the move as the latest “reckless step” by the Trump administration to eliminate remaining pathways for the safe transfer of Afghan allies to the United States.
Camp Al Sayliyah has served as a key transit hub since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, housing evacuees temporarily while they undergo security vetting and immigration processing.
Thousands of Afghans fled the country after the Taliban takeover, many facing serious threats because of their past work with U.S. and allied missions and now waiting in prolonged uncertainty.
Meeks said shutting the camp amounts to a betrayal of Afghan partners and a breach of America’s commitments, warning it would leave vulnerable families with few options.
Advocates for Afghan evacuees argue the United States has a moral responsibility to protect those who supported its mission, while critics maintain the evacuation process carries security concerns.
AfghanEvac, a group assisting evacuees, estimates about 800 Afghans remain at the camp, many stranded after admissions were halted by the Trump administration last year.
The planned closure has intensified calls from lawmakers and aid groups for Washington to reverse course, warning it could undermine U.S. credibility with future partners worldwide.
Source: khaama.com
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