'One Can Wake Up A Hindu, Have Lunch As A Muslim And Go To Sleep As A Christian', This Argument From Rationalists Could Lead To Absurdity: SC
New Age Islam News Bureau
14 May 2026
· 'One can wake up a Hindu, have lunch as a Muslim and go to sleep as a Christian', this argument from rationalists could lead to absurdity: SC
· Lebanon, Israel to hold new talks in US as ceasefire nears end
· Saudi Interior Ministry imposes heavy penalties on 19 Hajj violators for unauthorized transport
· Deadly Russian drone attacks on Ukraine resume after ceasefire expires
· Soros' Open Society Foundations commit $30M to groups fighting antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate
· US Lawmaker Introduces Bill Requiring Nigerian Immigrants to Reject Sharia Law
· Australia showcases multicultural and multi-faith identity in Malaysia
· Over 1,000 Murder Cases Resolved Since Islamic Emirate’s Return, Supreme Court
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India
· Delhi blast case: NIA alleges terror group aimed to ‘overthrow government, impose Sharia’
· Six arrested, prohibitory orders issued after man assaulted over 'Love Jihad' in Bhopal
· Assault on Muslim man found in hotel with woman from another community: Police detain 2 persons
· ‘Ek kaam unke nahi karunga’: Bengal BJP MLA Ritesh Tiwari says he won’t work for Muslims because they didn’t vote for him
· J&K MLA boycotts L-G’s anti-drug march; questions house demolitions under Nasha Mukht drive
· Bengal govt directs schools to make Vande Mataram mandatory in morning assemblies
· RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale’s Pakistan dialogue pitch triggers Opposition attack
· NIA arrests Hizbul terror financier Iqbal Singh Shera after Portugal extradition
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Mideast
· After months of blackout, Iran gives Internet to select few
· Amnesty calls for ‘war crimes’ probe into Israeli destruction of south Syria homes
· UAE denies reports of Netanyahu visit
· UAE committed to political solutions amid Iran war, presidential advisor says
· How Hezbollah used criminal enterprises to turn Europe’s legal gaps into a financial lifeline
· Israel briefly detains and interrogates senior UN official at Tel Aviv airport
· Israel ruling coalition proposes dissolving parliament for early elections: PM party
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Arab World
· GCC vow united response to regional threats after Kuwait infiltration case
· Saudi defence minister discusses joint coordination with British national security advisor
· Saudi ambassador to US encourages students at international science, engineering fair
· New Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon received at Lebanese Embassy in Riyadh
· Saudi Arabia ready to host Hajj with 1.5m pilgrims expected
· Saudi Arabia and Spain sign agreement to establish strategic council
· Saudi crown prince receives delegation honouring king’s support for Qur’an memorization associations
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Europe
· German soldiers attacked by NATO ‘haters’ – media
· GB News at it again as Ofcom opens investigation into Trump “climate change hoax” and “UK Sharia Law” interview claims
· MCB launches major 'British Muslims in Numbers' report
· Shocking video shows arsonists throw 'firebombs' into Blackburn café's Muslim prayer room
· UK Muslim population reaches 4M amid persistent inequality: Report
· Met to send 4,000 officers to police rival protests
· NATO chief wants to triple money flows to corruption-plagued Ukraine – Politico
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North America
· US seeking to convince China to pressure Iran – Rubio
· White House counterterror chief links Tucker Carlson to extremism
· JD Vance says US making progress in Iran talks
· CAIR Md. Applauds Rep. Raskin’s Forceful Defence of Religious Freedom During Heated Congressional ‘Anti-Sharia’ Hearing
· CAIR-NY Raises Concerns Over NYPD Delayed Response to Violent Assault Involving Muslim Man Near ICCNY
· CAIR Submits Statement for Congressional Record Rebutting Anti-Muslim Hate Planned for Second ‘Sharia Hoax’ Hearing
· Pentagon hikes estimate of Iran war cost
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Africa
· Fear In Borno As Boko Haram Executes Captives Who Tried To Escape
· ‘Nigerians Want Good Infrastructure, But Don’t Want To Pay Tax’ – Wike
· ISWAP continues to abduct, convert children into fighters
· DR Congo: HRW accuses M23 and Rwandan forces of killings, rape in Uvira
· France to host conference on financing AU peace efforts, says Macron
· Prosecutors seek seven-year prison term for Sarkozy in Gaddafi case
· Nigeria, Rwanda Discuss Trade, Tourism, Anti-Corruption Cooperation
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Southeast Asia
· Malaysia must build resilient exports, not rely on US tariff relief
· All 900 Singaporean Muslim pilgrims have departed for haj: MUIS
· World Bank projects 4.4% growth for Malaysia in 2026
· Malaysia weighs legal action over cancelled missile deal
· Bersatu’s mass sacking won’t drive Malay voters back to Umno – Analysts
· PM Anwar meets US-ASEAN Business Council delegation
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South Asia
· Exiled Afghan Journalists Highlight Media Crisis at Canada Press Freedom Forum
· Uzbekistan Committed to Providing Humanitarian Assistance for Afghanistan, Usmanov Reaffirms
· Education Ministry Registered, Enrolled Over 32,800 Returning Children in Schools Last Year
· Youth arrested over hurting religious sentiments in Netrokona
· UNAMA Launches Tender Sale of Office and Technical Equipment in Afghanistan
· Islamic Emirate Wants Honourable Return of Afghans to Country
· Hanafi Calls for Providing Job Opportunities for Returnees
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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One can wake up a Hindu, have lunch as a Muslim and go to sleep as a Christian', this argument from rationalists could lead to absurdity: SC
May 13, 2026
NEW DELHI: A rationalist organisation raised eyebrows in the Supreme Court by asserting that Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of conscience and right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion, permits a person to wake up as a Hindu, have lunch as a Muslim and go to sleep as a Christian.
Arguing for rationalists Hamid Dabholkar and Nandini Jadhav, office bearers of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, senior advocate Sanjay Hegde told a nine-judge bench led by CJI Surya Kant that every person as per his conscience can profess and practice any religion at any given time of a day.
Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah termed that such an interpretation of Article 25(1) could lead to an absurdity as a person can say I am a Muslim but would become a Hindu to enter a temple to worship a deity at a given time of the day.
“Can one profess Islam, practice Hinduism and propagate Christianity all at once? It is a dangerous proposition,” Justice Amanullah said. Undeterred, Hegde said if the place of worship is kept out, then a person in exercise of his right to freedom of conscience can do this.
Hegde said God does not discriminate and cited a folklore about how devotion of a Muslim – ‘Bhakta Salabega’ – stalled the march of Lord Jagannath’s chariot after he was denied permission to participate in the annual Rath Yatra. Justice B V Nagarathna said, “The morale of these stories is the unqualified devotion of the person. Can a non-devotee challenge the validity of a religious practice or custom?”
Hegde said, “Tradition cannot trump the Constitution. A rationalist holds that reason is the proper test of belief… He rejects the proposition that what is old must be true, and that what is sacred must be exempt from inquiry. The Constitution protects religious autonomy in matters that are intrinsically religious - doctrine, rite, ceremony - but not in matters that are secular though associated with religion.”
Supporting the SC’s 2018 judgment, which quashed the restriction on entry of women in the 10-50 age bracket into Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, Hegde said a denomination cannot continue with a practice that is per se discriminatory towards women in their prime years.
“Where the equal worship right of an individual under Article 25(1) collides with a denomination's claim of exclusion under Article 26(b), the individual right prevails. Article 25(1) is in terms made ‘equally’ available to ‘all persons’,” he said.
Source: indiatimes.com
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Lebanon, Israel to hold new talks in US as ceasefire nears end
May 14, 2026
A person is seen inside a burning vehicle as men attempt to put out the fire after an Israeli airstrike hit a car in the coastal town of Barja, south of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mustafa Jamalddine)
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WASHINGTON: Lebanon and Israel are to hold new peace talks in Washington starting Thursday, as their latest ceasefire — considered to still be in place despite hundreds of deaths in Israeli strikes — nears its end.
On the eve of the negotiations, Lebanon’s health ministry said that 22 people, including eight children, were killed Wednesday as Israel intensified airstrikes.
The attacks pounded about 40 locations in Lebanon’s south and east, according to the country’s state-run National News Agency (NNA).
The two nations last met on April 23 at the White House, where US President Donald Trump announced a three-week ceasefire extension and voiced optimism for a historic agreement.
Trump at the time made the bold prediction that, within the latest ceasefire period, he would welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to Washington for a historic first summit between the countries.
The summit did not happen, with Aoun saying a security deal needed to be in place and Israeli attacks needed to end before such a landmark meeting.
The ceasefire, which went into effect on April 17, had been extended through Sunday.
Still, Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 people during the truce, according to an AFP tally based on figures from Lebanese authorities.
Israel has vowed to keep pursuing attacks against Hezbollah, the Shia armed group and political movement backed by Iran’s ruling clerics, despite the ceasefire.
Hezbollah began a campaign of firing into Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the start of the US-Israeli war on February 28.
“Anyone who threatens the State of Israel will die because of his actions,” Netanyahu said last week after an Israeli strike in the heart of Beirut killed a senior Hezbollah commander.
A Lebanese official told AFP that the country would seek “the consolidation of the ceasefire” during the talks in Washington.
“The first thing is to put an end to the death and destruction,” the official told AFP on custom of anonymity.
Iran has demanded a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon before any agreement to end the wider war, as it has frustrated Trump by refusing his appeals for an accord on his terms.
The Middle East war has spread throughout the region, roiling the global economy and impacting hundreds of millions worldwide.
- Pressure on Hezbollah -
More than 2,800 people have died in Lebanon since Israel launched the strikes in early March, including at least 200 children, according to Lebanese authorities.
Hezbollah said that toll includes its fighters.
Israel has pounded areas of Lebanon with large Shia populations, including Beirut’s southern suburbs, and has invaded the border region, seizing control in an area it occupied from its 1982 Lebanon war until withdrawing in 2000.
The United States has backed Lebanon’s calls to maintain sovereignty over all its territory but also repeatedly pressed it to take action against Hezbollah.
The United States “recognizes that comprehensive peace is contingent on the full restoration of Lebanese state authority and the complete disarmament of Hezbollah,” a State Department statement said.
“These talks aim to break decisively from the failed approach of the past two decades, which allowed terrorist groups to entrench and enrich themselves, undermine the authority of the Lebanese state, and endanger Israel’s northern border,” it said.
It will be the third round of talks between the two countries, which have no diplomatic relations.
Unlike the last round, which Trump brought to the White House, or the first round, neither Secretary of State Marco Rubio nor Trump will participate as the president is on a state visit to China.
The US mediators for the two-day meeting at the State Department will include the ambassadors to Israel and Lebanon — respectively Mike Huckabee, an evangelical pastor and staunch supporter of Israel’s regional ambitions, and Michel Issa, a Lebanese-born businessman and golf partner of Trump, as well as Mike Needham, a close aide to Rubio.
Lebanon will be represented by special envoy Simon Karam, a veteran lawyer and diplomat who has fiercely defended Lebanon’s sovereignty, as well as its ambassador in Washington.
Israel’s team will include its ambassador in Washington, Yechiel Leiter, a Netanyahu ally who is close with the Israeli settler movement in the occupied West Bank.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi Interior Ministry imposes heavy penalties on 19 Hajj violators for unauthorized transport
May 14, 2026
Pilgrims arrive at Makkah's Haramain Railway station on May 14, 2026, ahead of Hajj. (SPA photo)
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MAKKAH: The Saudi Ministry of Interior has intensified its crackdown on Hajj regulation violators, announcing administrative decisions against 19 individuals—five expatriates and 14 citizens—caught transporting 29 unauthorized persons into the holy sites, the Saudi Press Agency has reported.
These arrests are part of a broader, month-long enforcement campaign that has seen various Saudi security branches, including the Makkah Region Police and the General Administration of Mujahideen, dismantle smuggling and fraud rings.
Since April, authorities have targeted not only transporters but also those involved in forging Hajj wristbands, Nusuk cards, and residency permits, with arrests involving individuals of Sudanese, Egyptian, Yemeni, Afghan, and Pakistani nationalities.
Transport violations include using unpaved roads and valleys to smuggle individuals into Makkah without Hajj permits, and entering/remaining in Makkah without permits. Posting of fake Hajj service advertisements on social media and documenting and sharing Hajj regulation violations on social media were among the violations cited by authorities.
The penalties for the 19 violators apprehended most recently are severe. Seasonal administrative committees have issued fines of up to SAR 100,000 for transporters and accomplices. Furthermore, the offenders face imprisonment, public naming ("shaming"), and the potential judicial confiscation of their vehicles.
For the 29 individuals attempting to perform Hajj without a permit, the ministry imposed fines of up to SAR 20,000 each. Expatriate violators face immediate deportation and a subsequent 10-year ban from re-entering the Kingdom.
The General Directorate of Public Security reiterated that these measures are essential to ensure the safety and security of legitimate pilgrims. Authorities continue to urge the public to report any suspected violations via the unified emergency numbers 911 (Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, and Eastern Province regions) or 999 for other parts of the Kingdom.
Source: arabnews.com
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Deadly Russian drone attacks on Ukraine resume after ceasefire expires
13 May 2026
Jaroslav Lukiv
Ukrainian firefighters tackle a blaze following Russian drone strikes in the central Dnipropetrovsk region
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Six people have been killed and many injured in a slew of Russian drone attacks across Ukraine on Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
He added that Moscow had launched 800 drones throughout the day and warned missile launches could follow.
Russia also struck the far western region of Zakarpattia, on the border with Slovakia. The Slovak government said it was closing the land border crossing indefinitely "for security reasons".
The daytime attacks followed another deadly day in Ukraine on Tuesday, when nine people were killed.
In Russia, officials said Ukrainian drones hit three industrial facilities overnight into Wednesday.
The governor of the border region of Belgorod said one man had died of injuries suffered in a drone strike.
The latest attacks came shortly after a three-day US-brokered ceasefire expired late on Monday.
Both Russia and Ukraine reported multiple violations - mostly along the vast frontline - during the truce, but no major aerial attacks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In a post on Telegram, Dnipropetrovsk regional head Oleksandr Hanzha said there had been more than 30 Russian attacks on three districts throughout Tuesday.
Eight people were killed, 11 wounded, and dozens of houses were damaged, he added.
Local authorities also said one person was killed and four wounded in the Donetsk region.
In the north-eastern Kharkiv region, five people were reported injured and a number of residential houses damaged.
Russian drone strikes were also reported in the southern Odesa, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, as well as in Poltava - Ukraine's central region.
Writing on Telegram on Wednesday morning, Zelensky said 14 Ukrainian regions had been targeted throughout Tuesday, followed by more attacks overnight.
He accused Russia of "purposely" targeting Ukraine's railway infrastructure and other civilian facilities.
Russian attacks continued on Wednesday, with Ukraine's Hur military intelligence warning such strikes could be "protracted".
In a statement, Hur said that in a first wave of attacks Russia was using a "significant number of strike drones to overload Ukraine's air defence system and strike civilian targets". It added that this could be followed by massive missile strikes.
Three people were then killed and four injured when a residential house was hit in the Rivne region, local officials said.
They added that in the Zaporizhzhia region, an elderly man was killed when a Russian guided bomb exploded nearby.
And in Kherson, at least 20 people were wounded as a result of attacks across the region.
The Ukrainian air force said that between 08:00 (05:00 GMT) and 18:30 (15:30 GMT) on Wednesday alone, Russia had launched 753 drones at Ukraine, after an initial 139 drones overnight. While many had been intercepted, 27 struck targets and debris had fallen from another 26, it said.
Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry said 286 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted since Tuesday evening over 14 Russian regions and Crimea - Ukraine's southern peninsula which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.
The governor of the southern Astrakhan region, Igor Babushkin, said falling drone debris overnight had triggered a fire at a gas processing plant in the regional capital.
"There is no threat of air pollution," he added.
Local officials also said two industrial facilities were damaged during Ukrainian overnight attacks in the southern Krasnodar region and in the city of Yaroslavl, north-east of the Russian capital Moscow.
In recent months, Ukraine's military has intensified its strikes on key energy facilities across Russia.
Kyiv says they are legitimate targets, as they allow Russia to continue its war effort.
Source: bbc.com
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Soros' Open Society Foundations commit $30M to groups fighting antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate
14 May, 2026
FILE - Alex Soros, on behalf of his father George Soros, stands in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
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NEW YORK (AP) - Open Society Foundations, the family philanthropy founded by hedge fund billionaire George Soros, is putting $30 million toward groups fighting antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate over the next three years.
The major human rights funder pledged Wednesday to strengthen interfaith partnerships and protect those facing heightened threats in response to the rising levels of hate against both Jewish and Muslim communities, coinciding with the Israel-Hamas war and the current fragile ceasefire.
Last year saw the highest level of deadly violence against Jews worldwide in over three decades, according to an annual study released last month by Tel Aviv University, including the December shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia. Meanwhile, anti-Muslim rhetoric has intensified against the backdrop of the Iran war, with one congressional Republican saying Muslims " don't belong in American society."
"The deep injustices occurring in the Middle East are fueling indiscriminate prejudice, dehumanization, and violence directed against both Muslims and Jews," Open Society Foundations President Binaifer Nowrojee said in a statement. "Entire communities cannot be targeted simply because of their religion. Bigotry and intolerance in any form must be called out and confronted."
The announcement marks the foundations' most visible campaign since last fall's reports that the U.S. Department of Justice was considering possible charges against Open Society Foundations. President Donald Trump specifically named Soros as he ordered the FBI to crack down on what he called "left-wing terrorism" - an accusation that OSF has denied in statements emphasizing their mission to strengthen democracy.
Alex Soros, who took over leadership of his father´s foundations in late 2022, noted that "discrimination and hate" aren´t abstract concepts for him as the son of a Holocaust survivor and husband to a Muslim American. The foundation added that George Soros, who holds significant influence as a liberal megadonor with vast financial investments and philanthropic ties, is frequently targeted by conservative conspiracy theories that twist those powerful connections into antisemitic tropes about behind-the-scenes puppet masters.
"At a moment like this we need to stand together and act," Alex Soros said in a pretaped video posted on social media. "This investment is about keeping people safe and pushing back against hate."
The commitment is aimed broadly at expanding education on forms of discrimination, supporting cross-community leaders who build trust and safeguarding free speech rights to lawful expression. The foundations have already selected some grantees and are inviting other nonprofits to apply for funding. Recipients include the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the Nexus Project. Shoulder to Shoulder, a multifaith alliance that prepares religious leaders to address anti-Muslim discrimination, is among those leading the work on Islamophobia.
Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, welcomed the strategy to tackle both matters together. The grant will allow JCPA to build upon its solidarity work with Muslim and Arab American communities, Spitalnick said, which have deepened since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. She pointed to a fellowship and a Capitol Hill discussion on Jewish-Muslim solidarity that were both launched with the Muslim Public Affairs Council.
She emphasized that hate is interconnected. The normalization of Islamophobia, racism and broader anti-democratic extremism creates the conditions for antisemitism to flourish, she said.
"We need funders and others to recognize that treating any of these issues in silos doesn´t get at the root cause, doesn´t get at the broader resiliency we need right now," Spitalnick said. "The fact that Jewish safety requires Muslim safety, that Muslim safety requires Jewish safety."
The Soros' announcement did not say how the foundations will define antisemitism - a point of contention on college campuses and in state legislatures where debates have raged over whether criticism of Israel amounts to hatred of Jewish people. The shortlist of Open Society grantees suggests a more nuanced definition than the Anti-Defamation League, which releases an annual audit of antisemitic incidents in the United States. The ADL holds that vilifying Zionism, or the movement to establish and maintain a Jewish state in Israel, is a form of antisemitism.
In contrast, the Nexus Project promotes definitions of antisemitism that do not include opposition to the Israeli state's policies. Similarly, in opposition to a National Education Association resolution prohibiting the use of the ADL's educational resources, Spitalnick emphasized that "one does not need to align with the ADL on every issue."
Andrés Spokoiny, the president and CEO of the Jewish Funders Network, estimated that the philanthropic sector has dedicated hundreds of thousands of dollars to countering antisemitism - regardless of its definition. Other high-profile efforts include the $25 million "Stand Up to Jewish Hate" ad campaign launched by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft in March 2023 through his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.
But the persistence of antisemitism has left some members of Spokoiny's group questioning their approaches.
"There's a lot of perplexity around what actually works," he said. "So many funders are very frustrated."
Source: dailymail.com
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https://www.dailymail.com/wires/ap/article-15814483/Soros-Open-Society-Foundations-commit-30M-groups-fighting-antisemitism-anti-Muslim-hate.html
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US Lawmaker Introduces Bill Requiring Nigerian Immigrants to Reject Sharia Law
Mfonobong Daniel
May 14, 2026
US Congressman Barry Moore has introduced a controversial bill that would require immigrants entering the United States as religious workers to reject Sharia law and swear loyalty to the American Constitution.
The proposed legislation, known as the “CRUSADE Act,” was announced by Barry Moore in a statement posted on X on Wednesday.
The lawmaker argued that certain religious doctrines conflict with the constitutional principles of the United States.
According to Moore, the bill is targeted at individuals seeking entry into America under religious worker immigration programmes. He said such applicants must publicly disavow Sharia law before they can be admitted into the country.
“Sharia law justifies the persecution of religious minorities, restrictions on women, and the elevation of religious law above all. This is why I introduced the CRUSADE Act,” Moore wrote.
“Immigrants entering our nation as religious workers should disavow sharia and uphold the Constitution,” he added.
The proposal has already sparked heated debate across the United States, especially among civil rights advocates, immigration groups and religious organisations. Critics argue that the bill could face constitutional challenges because the US Constitution protects freedom of religion under the First Amendment.
Sharia law, derived from Islamic teachings and principles, is practised in different forms across several Muslim-majority nations and communities around the world. In Nigeria, some northern states operate Sharia legal systems alongside conventional courts.
The development comes amid increasing political pressure in the United States over issues linked to religious extremism, immigration and constitutional rights.
A congressional hearing tied to the growing “Sharia-Free America” movement has also intensified conversations around Islam and American law. Supporters of the movement insist that political Islam and Sharia principles are incompatible with the US Constitution and democratic values.
The debate has further drawn attention to Nigeria following recent concerns raised by some American lawmakers over religious violence and the treatment of Christians in parts of the country.
Earlier this year, the United States reviewed Nigeria’s compliance with International Religious Freedom standards after renewed allegations of attacks against Christian communities.
The initiative was championed by Riley Moore and Chris Smith, who jointly introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026.
The proposed legislation seeks to pressure Nigerian authorities to address rising insecurity and religious persecution in parts of the country.
The lawmakers also proposed stronger security cooperation between both countries, including plans for a US-Nigeria security partnership aimed at protecting vulnerable Christian communities and tackling extremist networks.
Currently, at least 12 northern Nigerian states operate Sharia and anti-blasphemy laws.
American lawmakers backing the recent religious freedom push argued that such laws have allegedly been used against minorities and dissenting voices.
“Blasphemy laws in Nigeria’s northern states are used to silence speech and dissent, target Christians and minorities, and justify so-called ‘convictions’ without due process,” the lawmakers stated.
The latest proposal from Barry Moore is expected to face strong scrutiny in Congress, especially from groups defending religious liberty and immigrant rights in the United States.
Source: politicsnigeria.com
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https://politicsnigeria.com/2026/05/14/us-lawmaker-introduces-bill-requiring-nigerian-immigrants-to-reject-sharia-law/
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Australia showcases multicultural and multi-faith identity in Malaysia
14 May 2026
Australia deepens interfaith ties with Malaysia, highlighting its diverse society and Muslim community through cultural exchange and dialogue.
KUALA LUMPUR: Australia is seeking to strengthen interfaith understanding and project its modern multicultural identity through deeper cultural and religious engagement with Malaysia, Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia Danielle Heinecke said.
Speaking at the launch of an architectural model of the historic Adelaide City Mosque at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia here on Wednesday, Heinecke said Australia wanted to showcase the diversity of its society, including its long-established Muslim community of about one million people.
“We really want to show who Australia is today. I think we don’t want to project Australia of the past; we want to project Australia of who we are today.
“That includes a really vibrant multicultural community, interfaith community, and around about a million Muslims that now live in Australia,” she told reporters here on Wednesday.
Heinecke said the visit by President of the Australian National Imams Council and founder of the Alliance of Australian Muslims, Imam Shadi Alsuleiman, was part of efforts to promote dialogue and exchange ideas on living in multicultural and multi-faith societies.
“We wanted to bring him (Shadi) here to have a dialogue and learn from each other about what it’s like to live in a multicultural and multi-faith community,” she said.
Heinecke said global conflicts were increasingly affecting harmony within communities, making interfaith leadership and engagement more important.
Meanwhile, Shadi stressed the importance of dialogue and engagement in fostering mutual respect in diverse societies.
“We live in a world which is very diverse. People have different faiths, and a lot of people these days don’t even have faith.
“And that comes with dialogue, that comes with engagement, that goes with reaching out to the other,” he said.
He also highlighted cooperation between Muslim and Jewish communities in Australia following the April 14 Bondi attack, stressing that it should not be seen as a religious conflict.
“The last thing that we wanted out of that tragedy is that this is a Jewish-Muslim fight. It’s not a Jewish-Muslim fight in Australia,” he said.
Earlier, the Australian High Commission in Malaysia, in collaboration with the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, launched an architectural model of the historic Adelaide City Mosque, Australia’s oldest surviving mosque established in 1888 by Afghan cameleers.
The model, produced by Malaysian designers Technibuilt following detailed surveys in Adelaide, will become part of the museum’s permanent collection as a symbol of friendship between Malaysia and Australia.
In conjunction with the launch, Shadi delivered a public lecture on his experiences as a Muslim in Australia and the role of modern mosques in building inclusive communities, while also engaging with students from the International Islamic University Malaysia and the Al-Akhlas Hope Society.
The launch follows the 70th anniversary of Australia’s diplomatic presence in Malaysia in 2025, reflecting the longstanding ties between the two countries.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/australia-showcases-multicultural-and-multi-faith-identity-in-malaysia/
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Over 1,000 Murder Cases Resolved Since Islamic Emirate’s Reurn, Supreme Court
May 14, 2026
KABUL: The country’s Supreme Court said in a statement on Wednesday that since the return of the Islamic Emirate to power in Afghanistan, 1,121 murder cases have been resolved through reconciliation efforts involving officials of the Islamic Emirate, religious scholars, and tribal elders.
These cases were reportedly settled through peace agreements and the payment of compensation to victims’ families, the statement said.
The Supreme Court emphasized that it continues to prioritize resolving disputes, conflicts, and other social issues among citizens through dialogue, reconciliation, and peaceful settlement mechanisms whenever possible.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://www.thekabultimes.com/over-1000-murder-cases-resolved-since-islamic-emirates-reurn-supreme-court/
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India
Delhi blast case: NIA alleges terror group aimed to ‘overthrow government, impose Sharia’
May 13, 2026
The terror group involved in the November 10 blast near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed 11 persons aimed to overthrow the Indian government and impose Sharia, or Islamic law, in the country, the National Investigation Agency alleged on Thursday.
The blast near the Red Fort metro station had also left several persons injured. Umar Un Nabi, a doctor, is believed to have been driving the car that exploded. Two days after the explosion, the Union government had described it as a “terrorist incident”.
On Thursday, the agency filed a chargesheet in a Delhi court against 10 persons accused in the case. Besides Nabi, the nine others named in the chargesheet are Aamir Rashid Mir, Jasir Bilal Wani, Muzamil Shakeel, Adeel Ahmed Rather, Shaheen Saeed, Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay, Soyab, Bilal Naseer Malla and Yasir Ahmad Dar.
The identity of Nabi, who was killed in the blast, had been established through DNA fingerprinting.
The NIA alleged that all of them, including Nabi, the alleged main perpetrator, were linked to terror group Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an offshoot of Al Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent. Al Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent and its units were designated terror organisations in India in June 2018.
The persons accused in the blast case have been charged under the 1967 Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the 1908 Explosive Substances Act, 1959 Arms Act and the 1984 Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
The chargesheet is based on investigations carried out in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and the Delhi-National Capital Region, the agency said. The evidence against the persons accused in the matter includes more than 580 verbal testimonies, more than 390 documents and over 200 material that had been seized during searches, it added.
Hours before the blast on November 10, the police said that it had cracked an “inter-state and transnational terror module” in Haryana’s Faridabad and Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
The police had said at the time that they had recovered 2,900 kg of improvised explosive device-making material in raids in several states.
On Thursday, the National Investigation Agency stated that it had “unravelled a major jehadi conspiracy”.
It alleged that the persons accused in the matter had been inspired by the ideology of the terror outfits to carry out the attack. In 2022, the persons had reconstituted the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind as “AGuH Interim” following a failed attempt to migrate to Afghanistan through Turkey.
“Under the umbrella of the newly constituted outfit, they had launched ‘Operation Heavenly Hind’ aimed at overthrowing the democratically established Indian government and imposing Sharia rule,” the agency alleged in a statement.
The National Investigation Agency stated that its probe had revealed that the accused had recruited new members, “actively propagated the violent jehadi ideology of AGuH”, stockpiled weapons and manufactured explosives on a large scale using chemicals that are commercially available.
They had plans to expand their operations in other parts of the country, the agency alleged.
The agency said that its probe had also found that the persons accused in the case had also been allegedly involved in illegally procuring prohibited weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, a Krinkov rifle and country-made pistols with live ammunition.
“They had experimented with rocket and drone-mounted IEDs [improvised explosive devices] with the objective of targeting security establishments in the state of Jammu & Kashmir and other parts of India,” the agency alleged.
The National Investigation Agency added that it was trying to track other persons whose role in alleged terror activities had been found during the probe.
Source: scroll.in
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Six arrested, prohibitory orders issued after man assaulted over 'Love Jihad' in Bhopal
May 13, 2026
Six people, including a minor, were arrested and prohibitory issued in Bhopal after a man was assaulted over 'Love Jihad' allegations.
Those arrested were charged for assaulting the man and outraging religious sentiments after the victim was allegedly found with a woman from another community at a hotel in Gautam Nagar area, police said on Wednesday.
Protests followed in the wake of the incident, with the police registering an FIR later on the basis of videos which went viral on social media.
Large crowds gathered in the walled city, with the administration putting up prohibitions to prevent any escalation. Assistant commissioner of police Anil Vajpayee said, “Prohibitory orders have been imposed in the Old City area. The situation is under control.”
The incident and its aftermath
The incident took place on May 10, wherein a man was beaten up, smeared with cow dung and paraded on the street by members of a right wing organisation, PTI news agency reported. The video, which was circulated on social media, showed a group of men assaulting the man, whose clothes were allegedly torn. The mob is seen parading the man on the streets and shouting provocative slogans.
Police then identified and arrested the accused. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal have denied any links with the accused.
The cops also registered a case under Section 299 (deliberate act to outrage religious feelings) and Section 291 (rioting) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Rohit Singh, Brijendra Prajapati, Jeetu Kushwah, Ranjit Suryavanshi, and Lala Ram Meena on Tuesday night. The accused were sent to judicial custody, while the minor was produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and placed in a juvenile observation home on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a mob protested against the incident and indulged in stone pelting, following which the police intervened and brought the situation under control. Teargas shells were used to disperse the mob, according to PTI.
On Wednesday, thousands of members of a community assembled near Taj-ul-Masajid, Peer Gate, and Imami Gate, continuing demonstrations until 1 PM. The protestors demanded strict action and the invocation of the National Security Act (NSA).
Congress MLAs Arif Masood and Atif Aqueel arrived at the spot and urged the people to maintain peace.
What did the notice issuing prohibitory orders say?
The order was issued by the office of the police commissioner under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. Under the prohibitory measures, the organising of any kind of event, including protests, rallies, public meetings, etc without prior permission may lead to legal action. “Organizers shall also be responsible for any disorder or damages caused during such events,” the notice said.
It added, “Within the limits of Bhopal city, no person belonging to any community shall organize any program against the sentiments of another community, nor deliver provocative speeches against the religious sentiments of another community that may disturb peace.”
The publishing and distribution of any objectionable material which may stoke communal tensions or create hostility between different communities is also prohibited.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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Assault on Muslim man found in hotel with woman from another community: Police detain 2 persons
May 13, 2026
Bhopal, Two persons including a juvenile have been taken into custody in connection with an assault on a Muslim man after he was found with a woman from another community in a hotel in the city, police said on Wednesday.
The incident, which took place on May 10, also led to protests and stone-pelting late on Tuesday night.
A Muslim man was beaten up, smeared with cow dung and paraded on the street by members of a right-wing organisation on Sunday after he was found with a woman from another community in a hotel in Govindpura area.
A case was registered at Govindpura police station and two persons were taken into custody on Wednesday on the basis of video footage and statements of witnesses, said an official.
One of them was a juvenile and he will be presented before the Child Welfare Committee, he said.
Police have also identified other accused, he said.
Meanwhile, a mob protested against the May 10 incident in Old Bhopal area and indulged in stone-pelting on late Tuesday night but the police intervened and brought the situation under control. Teargas shells were also used to disperse the mob.
"While many of them left after police intervened, around 300-400 persons continued to protest and also indulged in stone-pelting. A stone hit a vehicle of Tallaiya police station," said Bhopal police commissioner Sanjay Kumar.
A case was registered for stone-pelting while two or three persons were also taken into custody, Kumar said.
A video showed Bhopal Madhya MLA Arif Masood and Bhopal North MLA Atif Aqueel pacifying an angry mob and appealing to the people not to take law into their own hands.
Members of the Muslim community also staged a protest outside the Bhopal Police Commissioner's office on Tuesday, disrupting the traffic briefly.
They demanded strict action against the accused in the May 10 incident and warned of a bigger protest if the accused were not arrested.
Police Commissioner Kumar met Bhopal's Qazi-e-Shahar Syed Mushtaq Ali Nadvi, and later told reporters that a case had been registered against unidentified individuals who would be traced and arrested soon.
Terming the incident as extremely serious, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen demanded that the police register a case under the stringent National Security Act .
State AIMIM president Mohsin Ali Khan would meet Nadvi and discuss the incident, the party said.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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‘Ek kaam unke nahi karunga’: Bengal BJP MLA Ritesh Tiwari says he won’t work for Muslims because they didn’t vote for him
Ravik Bhattacharya
May 13, 2026
Ritesh Tiwari, the BJP MLA for the Kashipur-Belgachia constituency in Kolkata, said Wednesday that he would not work for Muslims because not a single one of them voted for him in the recent elections.
“‘Ek kaam unke nahi karunga aane walein panch saal mein’ (I will not do any work for them in the upcoming five years),” the BJP MLA was seen saying in a viral video.
“In around 74 years of elections, in your area, I am the first candidate who did not get a single Muslim vote. Those who voted for me have a right over me. As for those who did not vote for me, I did not even visit their homes to seek votes. With Baba Bholenath as my witness, I say I won’t do any work for them in the upcoming five years. I will not issue a single certificate for them…not a single certificate,” he said while addressing a public meeting in his constituency.
Ritesh Tiwari defeated Atin Ghosh, a TMC stalwart and deputy mayor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, polling 68,368 votes to the nearest rival’s 66,717 votes.
“This (meeting) is being aired live. But I do not care who thinks what and who says what. Modiji says Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas (together with all, development for all), I accept that. But in this election, he has added a few more words, Sabka Hisaab (everyone’s account will be settled). So I will settle accounts. But not by doing what TMC did after the 2021 Assembly polls, but through democratic means, without slapping anyone, without taking one paisa from anyone,” Tiwari added.
When contacted by The Indian Express about his comments, Tiwari accepted that he made them and stood by them.
“In Hindu-dominated polling booths, I got some votes, and others got some votes. But in Muslim-dominated booths, only the TMC got votes—no one else. Consolidated Muslim votes or block votes were polled for the TMC. Those who voted for me have a right over me. I have limited resources, which I will share with those who voted for me. Why should I deprive those who voted for me of their rights for someone who did not? You may criticise me. People may talk about it, but this is my point,” he said.
However, BJP state spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said he was unaware of Tiwari’s remarks.
“I am not aware of this. I have not seen the audio or the video. Therefore, I cannot say anything about this. You can ask the MLA,” Sarkar said.
Speaking to The Indian Express, CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said the BJP did not pay any heed to the spirit of the Constitution. “This is being reflected by the MLA’s speech. We have heard such speeches in different states, and this has started to happen in Bengal too. People will resist such moves and mentality,” he said.
Source: indianexpress.com
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J&K MLA boycotts L-G’s anti-drug march; questions house demolitions under Nasha Mukht drive
Fayaz Wani
14 May 2026
After a senior minister raised objections to the demolition of houses during the ongoing anti-drug drive in Jammu and Kashmir, Sheikh Khurshid, MLA from Langate, distanced himself from the 100-day ‘Nasha Mukht J&K Abhiyan’ and boycotted Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s anti-drug foot march in Kupwara on Friday.
The MLA did not attend the padyatra despite his constituency falling within the Kupwara district, where the march was led by the Lieutenant Governor and attended by local legislators and members of civil society.
“We have not welcomed the 100-day Nasha Mukht J&K Abhiyan launched by LG Sinha. Neither I participate in any such programme nor will I participate,” Khurshid said.
LG Sinha had launched the campaign on April 11 to tackle the growing drug menace in Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, law enforcement agencies have arrested over 700 alleged drug peddlers and smugglers, demolished several houses allegedly linked to drug trafficking and attached properties worth crores of rupees.
Authorities have also recommended cancellation of passports of 15 alleged smugglers, besides seeking cancellation of around 300 driving licences and over 400 vehicle registrations linked to suspected drug networks.
Khurshid alleged that innocent people were being targeted in the name of the anti-drug campaign and rendered homeless even before courts had established their guilt. He questioned the legality of demolitions being carried out without court orders.
“A person is innocent till proven guilty in court,” he said, referring to a demolition in his constituency involving a person whose case has reportedly been pending for eight years.
The MLA also alleged that action was being focused on consumers and accused persons, while major drug peddlers continued to evade scrutiny. He demanded transparency in the campaign, including public disclosure of details related to recoveries, prosecutions and convictions.
Questioning the government’s priorities, Khurshid said the administration should first ban liquor sales in Jammu and Kashmir if it was serious about eliminating addiction. He claimed crores of rupees were being spent on anti-drug padyatras and suggested the funds could instead be used to build hospitals and rehabilitation centres for addicts.
During the padyatra in Kupwara, LG Sinha defended the campaign and said the administration was acting firmly against drug smugglers with public support. He said more than 730 smugglers and peddlers had been arrested so far and challenged critics to identify even one innocent person unfairly targeted during the drive.
Khurshid, however, maintained that none of the houses demolished under the campaign belonged to convicted persons and reiterated that bulldozing homes before conviction violated legal principles.
Earlier, Sakina Itoo, Education Minister in Jammu and Kashmir, had also raised concerns over the demolition of houses and attachment of properties during the anti-drug crackdown.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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Bengal govt directs schools to make Vande Mataram mandatory in morning assemblies
14 May 2026
The West Bengal government has instructed all state-run and aided schools to make the singing of Vande Mataram compulsory during morning assemblies with immediate effect, according to an official communication issued by the School Education department.
The directive states that every student must participate in the singing the national song at the start of the school day.
Heads of institutions have been instructed to ensure strict compliance.
"The singing of Vande Mataram during morning assembly prayers prior to the start of classes should be made mandatory so that Vande Mataram should be sung by all students in all schools in the state with immediate effect," the Director of Education specified in a communication to state-run and state-aided school heads on May 13.
The move comes shortly after the Union government initiated steps to strengthen provisions related to respect for national symbols, including a proposed amendment to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, making obstruction to the singing of Vande Mataram a punishable offence.
A school education department official indicated on Thursday that the song is to be performed at the beginning of the assembly session.
School authorities have also been asked to document the proceedings, including video recordings, as proof of implementation, he said.
Earlier, schools in the state traditionally sang only the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, composed by Rabindranath Tagore.
In recent years, the previous TMC government had introduced 'Banglar Mati Banglar Jol', also penned by Tagore in 1905 during protests against the partition of Bengal, as the state song.
The national song Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, now adds to the list, raising questions among sections of teachers about the duration and sequencing of both the national anthem and the national song within the limited assembly time.
Headmaster of Hindu School Subhrojit Dutta told PTI, "Once our students attend classes after summer vacation, they will sing Vande Mataram along with the National anthem Jana Gana Mana during the assembly before classes."
"Our students had already been told about the historical significance of Vande Mataram on the occasion of its 150th year, and they had been asked to recite the lines and memorise it at home before this notice was issued.
So once they join school, they will sing the national song along with the national anthem," he added.
A left-run teacher representative body spokesperson said further clarity is awaited regarding whether all songs are to be sung daily and how they are to be accommodated within the existing schedule.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale’s Pakistan dialogue pitch triggers Opposition attack
14.05.26
RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's call for dialogue with Pakistan, in a departure from the Narendra Modi government's stated line that "terror and talks can't go together", triggered sharp Opposition attacks on Wednesday, with leaders questioning both the timing and the motive behind the remarks.
Opposition leaders argued that any similar suggestion from their ranks would have invited charges of being "anti-national", with the "bhakt brigade" and television channels going all out to slam them. They also hinted at possible external influence, pointing to alleged US pressure.
In an interview with PTI on Tuesday, Hosabale said India must respond firmly to provocations such as Pulwama-like attacks to safeguard national security and self-respect, but cautioned against shutting the door on engagement.
"If Pakistan is like a pinprick trying to create incidents like Pulwama, etc., we have to answer appropriately according to the situation…. But at the same time, we need not close the doors. We should always be ready to engage them (Pakistan) in a dialogue," he said.
The RSS leader also emphasised civil society contact and people-to-people ties. He was responding to questions on how India should deal with Pakistan.
In his address to the nation post Operation Sindoor, Modi had reiterated the government's hardline stance. "Terror and talks cannot go together. Terror and trade cannot go together. Water and blood cannot flow together," he had said.
Against this backdrop, Hosabale's pitch for keeping channels of dialogue open marked a notable divergence. The remark came soon after he visited the US and the UK as part of the organisation's centenary outreach — a factor the Opposition cited to suggest possible external influence.
Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh seized on the comments, suggesting the US trip may have influenced both Hosabale and the RSS. "It appears that the recent US visit… has impacted him," Ramesh said on X, reviving the charge that the government bends before American interests.
Congress MP Manish Tewari questioned the rationale for reopening dialogue, citing the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack in which Pakistan-based militants killed civilians. "What has materially changed… that warrants dialogue?" he asked, pressing whether Pakistan had shown any commitment to abandon terrorism as state policy.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, however, welcomed the RSS leader’s call and said: “It has been the PDP's stand, particularly of (former chief minister) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, that if you want to have a permanent peace in J&K, we should keep the window of dialogue open with Pakistan. There is no other way. Even (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee sahab said change friends but not your neighbours."
Source: telegraphindia.com
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NIA arrests Hizbul terror financier Iqbal Singh Shera after Portugal extradition
Imran Ahmed Siddiqui
14.05.26
The NIA on Wednesday arrested alleged “narco-terrorist” Iqbal Singh alias Shera soon after his extradition to India from Portugal following sustained diplomatic and legal efforts.
The agency alleged that Shera was the mastermind in the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) terror-financing case. He was taken into custody by an NIA team at Delhi airport on his arrival from Portugal, to where he had fled in 2020.
“His successful extradition and arrest come as a major shot in the arm for the NIA’s fight against Pakistan-backed narco and cross-border terrorism,” the agency said.
The NIA probe revealed that Shera, a native of Amritsar in Punjab, had masterminded the conspiracy involving the smuggling of narcotics from Pakistan into the border state. He had coordinated and overseen the trafficking and distribution of the drugs, and channelised the proceeds through hawala networks to Pakistan and Kashmir-based operatives of HM to facilitate terror activities, the agency said.
To carry forward the anti-India narco terror conspiracy, Shera had allegedly formed a terror gang and operated a Punjab-based network of associates engaged in the trafficking of large quantities of heroin, collection of sale proceeds, and transfer of funds to handlers and terror operatives. He had also maintained close links with Pakistan-based HM terror operatives.
The case was originally registered by the Punjab police following the arrest of an HM overground worker, identified as Hilal Ahmed Shergojri.
The police had also recovered ₹29 lakh of alleged drug proceeds from the possession Hilal, a close aide of the deceased terrorist commander Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo.
Further probe had led to the recovery of another ₹32 lakh from Punjab-based members of the terror gang.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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Mideast
After months of blackout, Iran gives Internet to select few
May 14, 2026
PARIS: After months under a near-total Internet blackout during the Middle East war, Iranian tech worker Amir-Hassan was finally able to get back online, but only through a privileged service that has sparked public criticism.
Millions like the 39-year-old have been unable to access the Internet since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, punishing the pockets of online entrepreneurs and workers.
But he did not hesitate when a message offered him the chance to get back online by purchasing the so-called “Pro Internet” system, designed for certain professionals and business owners.
“It was out of necessity. I was forced to get Internet so I could ensure the flow of my income,” he told AFP, adding that he paid around $11 for an initial 50-gigabyte package.
By April 5, Internet monitor NetBlocks estimated that the blackout since the war broke out was “the longest nation-scale Internet shutdown on record in any country.”
It has left most in the dark online except for some limited local websites, banking services and state-approved applications.
The web was already heavily restricted at the height of anti-government protests in January, but when war broke out the Internet became another tool of control for Iran’s hard-line government.
Critics are accusing authorities of creating a tiered system in which broader connectivity is reserved for select groups.
“This model of categorizing and classifying the Internet in Iran is not a good model... it is clearly meant to generate money,” said Amir-Hassan.
Users have to pay more for additional Internet usage at higher-than-normal prices, he added.
The tiered system allowed Amir-Hassan to access WhatsApp and Telegram but not other major platforms that have long been blocked in Iran, such as Instagram, X and YouTube, without a VPN (virtual private network) to circumvent the restrictions.
Others reported varying levels of access, suggesting the service was not the same for all subscribers.
‘Third-class citizen’
The selective access also comes with social burdens, with criticism directed at buyers.
“There is judgment too... people say you went and put money into the pocket of a government that unfairly offers this,” said Amir-Hassan.
Yet the special access has not been given to everyone within the intended groups of professionals.
Behrooz Mahmoodi-Bakhtiari, a linguistics professor at the University of Tehran, said he had not received the same message inviting him to subscribe.
He can only reliably access the Internet while on campus.
“As soon as you step out of the university, you will again become a third-class citizen, and you have no Internet access,” he said, noting that other professors had received the Internet offer.
The reformist Shargh daily newspaper and other outlets have described the system as “tiered Internet,” criticizing what they called “the transformation of the Internet from a public and civic right into an allocable privilege.”
As criticism has mounted, government spokeswoman Fatemeh MoHajjerani said the Internet situation would return to normal “once the shadow of war is gone.”
She blamed “enemies,” referring to Israel and the United States, for creating security conditions that forced the government to impose the blackout.
‘Not worthwhile’
In recent years users in Iran have grown accustomed to relying on VPNs to bypass restrictions on major social media platforms.
But for many Iranians, even those eligible to subscribe to the tiered Internet access, paying for the “Pro Internet” service has become an extra financial burden.
Since the outbreak of war, many households have come under growing financial strain as Iran’s economy — already battered by years of sanctions — deteriorated further.
Inflation has surged above 50 percent in recent weeks, while the rial has lost much of its value against the dollar, sending prices of basic goods sharply higher.
“The amount of data offered, in my view, is not economically worthwhile for users compared to the cost,” said Mehdi, a 34-year-old graphic designer.
He still purchased the service for his work, but acknowledged that “not everyone can afford to buy” the package.
Kaveh, a 38-year-old visual artist, said he had also been offered the option of upgrading to the “Pro Internet” plan but rejected it, saying it was not worth the cost.
He already pays separately for VPN services to bypass restrictions and said he would not pay for “a little amount of freedom to some of us as a favor, at 10 times the normal price.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2643515/middle-east
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Amnesty calls for ‘war crimes’ probe into Israeli destruction of south Syria homes
May 13, 2026
DAMASCUS: Amnesty International said on Thursday that the Israeli army’s destruction of civilian homes in southern Syria since the fall of longtime ruler Bashar Assad should be investigated as “war crimes.”
Israel moved its forces into a UN-patrolled demilitarized zone on the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights after Assad’s December 2024 toppling by Islamist forces whom it considers jihadists.
It has also launched hundreds of strikes on Syria and carries out regular incursions into the country’s south where it demands a demilitarized zone.
“The Israeli military’s deliberate destruction of civilian homes” in southern Syria’s Quneitra province since December 2024 “with no absolute military necessity, should be investigated as war crimes,” Amnesty said in a statement.
“Israel has an obligation to make reparations for these serious violations of international humanitarian law,” the rights group added.
Amnesty said that the day Assad fell, Israeli forces entered three villages and towns in the UN-demilitarized zone in Quneitra province, “conducting home raids and ordering residents to leave.”
“Over the following six months, the Israeli military destroyed or damaged at least 23 civilian structures in three villages,” Amnesty said, adding that witnesses described the buildings as “their and their neighbors’ homes.”
The rights group said it used satellite imagery to verify damage and destruction to 23 structures in the villages.
“Securing Israel’s border cannot be used to justify bulldozing and blowing up people’s homes and villages on the territory of another country,” Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa said in the statement.
Israeli operations in south Syria have continued even as the new Islamist authorities in Damascus have held talks with Israeli officials in recent months as they edge toward a security agreement after decades of hostilities.
Israel has occupied most of Syria’s Golan Heights since 1967, annexing it in 1981 in a move not recognized by most of the international community.
Source: arabnews.com
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UAE denies reports of Netanyahu visit
May 14, 2026
DUBAI: The UAE denied on Wednesday reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the country.
The Israeli PM’s office said earlier on Wednesday that Netanyahu visited the UAE in March, during the war with Iran.
A statement from the UAE’s foreign ministry denied that the visit took place and also said there had been no visits by any Israeli military delegation.
“Any claims regarding unannounced visits or undisclosed arrangements are entirely unfounded unless officially announced by the relevant authorities in the UAE,” the ministry’s statement said.
“The UAE reaffirms that its relations with Israel are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords, and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements,” it added.
Source: arabnews.com
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UAE committed to political solutions amid Iran war, presidential advisor says
May 13, 2026
DUBAI: The UAE is committed to political solutions and diplomacy but has a right to defend its sovereignty, a senior advisor to the Emirates' president said on Wednesday.
Anwar Gargash made the statement hours after President Donald Trump landed in Beijing for talks with Xi Jinping, which are expected to include the Iran war.
The UAE diplomat said the world was watching the visit and how it may impact the Middle East.
The UAE has been the Arab Gulf country most heavily targeted by Iran during the conflict with Israel and the US. Iran fires missiles and drones at the UAE last week for the first time in weeks since a ceasefire was declared.
Gargash said the UAE did not seek the war and had worked to avoid it.
"Arab-Iranian relations in the Gulf cannot be built on confrontations and conflicts, in a region whose peoples are bound by deep-rooted geographical and historical ties," Gargash said in a post on X.
He added that the UAE will protect its sovereignty with "strength, efficiency, and steadfastness," but that its priority remained with political solutions as the path to achieving peace and stability.
Source: arabnews.com
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How Hezbollah used criminal enterprises to turn Europe’s legal gaps into a financial lifeline
JONATHAN GORNALL
May 13, 2026
LONDON: A car dealership in Germany. A Belgian trading company. A restaurant in Austria. An art dealer in London. Charities in several countries.
These are just some of a multitude of front entities — some innocent dupes but many overtly criminal enterprises — that are part of a mind-bogglingly complex financial network that is raising and laundering hundreds of millions of dollars for Hezbollah in Europe.
The full extent of the group’s fundraising operation, which is fueled largely by running drugs into Europe on behalf of Latin American cartels, is laid out in a new report by the Austrian Fund for the Documentation of Religiously Motivated Political Extremism.
With Iran under extreme economic pressure because of its conflict with the US, some commentators have concluded that Iranian proxy Hezbollah has been significantly weakened by the disruption of the flow of cash and other support from Tehran.
In fact, as one of the report’s authors told Arab News, “Hezbollah is not solely dependent on Iran for funding as it generates at least 30 percent of its funding from illicit financial activities worldwide. Weakening Hezbollah comprehensively must address this factor too.”
Lina Khatib is an associate fellow at the Middle East and North Africa program at policy institute Chatham House and a previous director of the SOAS Middle East Institute.
“I decided to work on the report as far back as March 2023 because I realized that there was no major publicly available study on Europe’s role in Hezbollah’s financial operations, when Europe is a key money laundering hub for the group,” she said.
Since the 1980s, in a bid to destroy Hezbollah, Israel has attacked Lebanon multiple times and launched countless thousands of airstrikes against targets in the country. Tens of thousands of Lebanese citizens have been killed in the process.
On Tuesday Israeli airstrikes killed at least 13 people in southern Lebanon, including two paramedics trying to help victims of an earlier attack. More than 2,860 people have been killed since March 2, when Israel and the US attacked Iran and Hezbollah responded with rocket fire. At least 380 people have been killed since the shaky ceasefire came into force on April 16.
Khatib said her report carried a clear message: “Hezbollah is not only an armed group it is a financial system. Disrupting it requires going after the system, not just the commanders.”
The report was co-authored by Anrike Visser, an independent investigator and police adviser specializing in the illicit movement of money.
“They are professional, organized and hard to detect due to fragmentation across Europe.”
The report concludes that Hezbollah is able to exploit Europe so effectively as a hub for money laundering and a wide range of other illicit financial activities in part because of “the fragmented designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization across European jurisdictions, allowing elements of its network to continue operating legally.”
This is compounded by the lack of consistency over the status in Europe of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which works hand in glove with Hezbollah on a range of financial operations.
This “makes it difficult to trace IRGC-related financial activities across European borders and allows entities in Europe masquerading as charities or religious organizations to conduct financial transactions for Hezbollah’s benefit.”
The report highlights the key role of the Business Affairs Component of Hezbollah’s External Security Organization in its international drugs and weapons trafficking and money laundering operations.
The BAC was founded in the early 2000s by Imad Mughniyah, the then head of international operations for Hezbollah, who was killed in 2008 by a car bomb in Damascus. According to a subsequent investigation by the Washington Post, the bomb was made by the CIA and triggered remotely from Tel Aviv by Mossad agents.
But the operation he had set up continued, uninterrupted, emphasizing the point that simply targeting the Hezbollah leadership is not sufficient to fatally disrupt the group.
To this day “BAC works with Latin American cartels, helps move cocaine into Europe and the United States and then launders the proceeds through trade,” Khatib said.
This is how the system works:
The cash from cocaine sales is used to buy legitimate goods in Europe, such as luxury cars and watches.
Those goods are then shipped to West Africa, sold and the proceeds moved onward to Lebanon or elsewhere, “with Hezbollah taking a fee and in some cases using the money to purchase weapons for itself and affiliates in Syria and Iraq.”
Hezbollah, Khatib said, found it ridiculously easy to pour drugs into Europe.
The BAC buys drugs, mainly cocaine, from South American drug cartels such as La Oficina de Envigado in Colombia.
“Drugs are shipped to Europe using diversified transport methods, embedded in normal trade and travel,” Khatib said.
“It is hard for Europe to turn off (the flow of drugs) because only 2-10 percent of containers at European ports are inspected, because goods and proceeds are mixed with legitimate commerce and because the chain crosses several jurisdictions with different legal and enforcement standards.”
The part of the BAC organization specifically focused on operations in Europe is called The Cedar Network, which works to convert cocaine proceeds into apparently legitimate trade.
But not all of the individuals and entities it draws into its complex web are knowing collaborators.
“Some actors are clearly part of Hezbollah-linked networks, some are professional criminals who work with Hezbollah because it is useful to them and some gatekeepers may be witting or unwitting facilitators,” Khatib said.
“Hezbollah uses a layered ecosystem of front companies, intermediaries, proxies, accountants, lawyers, art dealers and other gatekeepers but some such actors play unwitting roles in facilitating financial crime.”
In particular, the network exploits the regulatory frailties of the markets in art and diamonds to launder money. It is a complex but highly rewarding process.
“Someone can buy or sell an artwork or diamond at an artificial price, hide who really owns it through relatives or front companies and use the transaction to move or disguise illicit money under the cover of normal high-end commerce,” Khatib said.
“Aliases, family members, associates and front companies are used to conceal beneficial ownership while exploiting the fact that art prices are subjective and diamonds can gain legitimacy and value through grading, certification and cross-border handling.”
One individual at the center of Hezbollah’s global network of money laundering and sanctions evasion, named in the report, is Nazem Said Ahmad, designated a global terrorist by the US in 2019 and on whose head the US Rewards for Justice scheme has placed a $10 million bounty.
Ahmad remains at liberty. None of this has stopped him operating, with apparent impunity. The US State Department describes Ahmad, who is based in Lebanon and Belgium, as “a prominent Lebanon-based money launderer and significant Hezbollah financier,” who generates funds “through his longstanding ties to the ‘blood diamond’ trade.”
He “stores some of his personal funds in high-value art in a preemptive attempt to mitigate the effects of US sanctions and he opened an art gallery in Beirut as a front to launder money.”
In Lebanon, Ahmad is famous for his wealth and opulent lifestyle. His extensive art collection, worth tens of millions of dollars, is said to include works by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, “many of which have been on display in his gallery and penthouse in Beirut.”
Matters have been complicated further for Europe’s financial authorities by Hezbollah’s enthusiastic embrace of cryptocurrencies, including the hugely profitable Tether.
According to its website, Tether “works to disrupt the conventional financial system via a more modern approach to money” and “has made headway by giving customers the ability to transact with traditional currencies across a blockchain, without the inherent volatility and complexity typically associated with a digital currency.”
The report said that, unlike with Bitcoin, global law enforcement agencies were less experienced in tracing transactions in Tether and similar cryptocurrencies.
Hezbollah also makes use of more traditional money transfer systems, such as hawala broker networks but there is a clear overlap between practices old and new.
The report highlights the case of Lebanon-based Syrian hawala operator Tawfiq Muhammad Said Al-Law, “who provided Hezbollah with digital wallets for cryptocurrencies in order to receive funds from IRGC commodity sales.”
In March 2024 Al-Law was among individuals sanctioned by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control “for having materially assisted, sponsored or provided financial, material or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of Hezbollah.”
Yet Hezbollah’s European operators and operations and their Lebanon-based enablers have proved largely immune to sanctions regimes.
“The US is at the forefront of tracking and countering Hezbollah’s finances and US sanctions matter especially because of the global role of the US dollar,” Khatib said.
“But many sanctioned actors and companies continue transacting. Sanctions are undermined by inconsistent scope, by the fact that many Hezbollah-linked facilitators remain unsanctioned and by the mismatch between US designations and European legal practice.
“So sanctions bite but they do not by themselves dismantle the network.”
There was, she said, no silver bullet solution to the problem. Cutting off the flow of funding to Hezbollah from its European operations is as complex a proposition as the operations themselves.
But the recommendations of the report can be summed up in one simple phrase: Europe needs to get its act together.
“The problem is not that there is no international collaboration,” Khatib said. “There is some, including US-Europol cooperation and the Law Enforcement Coordination Group.”
The LECG, convened by Europol and the US State and Justice departments, is focused on countering Hezbollah’s terrorist and illicit activities and brings together law enforcement, prosecutors and financial practitioners from across the Middle East, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and North America.
“The problem is that collaboration is still outmatched by legal fragmentation, limited enforcement capacity, weak jurisdictions and the social embeddedness of Hezbollah’s networks.”
Europe must move toward “a single, unified designation of Hezbollah as a whole, because the current split between political and military wings in some countries creates an obvious enforcement gap,” Khatib said.
Financial authorities “should tighten beneficial ownership transparency and scrutinize not just Hezbollah operatives but the family members, nominees and front companies around them.”
They should also apply “much more pressure to gatekeepers — lawyers, accountants, art dealers, company service providers and others — because these are the bridges between illicit money and legitimate markets.”
On the trade side, Europe must use “much more aggressive risk-based container targeting and customs cooperation, because the present inspection rate is plainly too low for this level of threat,” she said.
Finally, European authorities “should treat Lebanon’s governance and financial opacity as part of the European security problem rather than as a separate regional issue … Once money reaches Lebanon, it moves into a system marked by political interference and weak oversight.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Israel briefly detains and interrogates senior UN official at Tel Aviv airport
May 13, 2026
LONDON: The UN under-secretary-general for safety and security, Gilles Michaud, was briefly detained and interrogated by Israeli authorities upon arrival at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday.
He was questioned for nearly 45 minutes about an official visit he made to the Gaza Strip in August 2025, which was coordinated with Israeli authorities, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
Officers from Israel’s internal security agency confiscated Michaud’s passport and moved him to a waiting area, treatment he described as “unusual” for a senior UN official. He canceled planned meetings in Israel, and said he had not encountered such behavior from authorities in other countries while serving with the UN.
UN officials and agencies have criticized the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. Some have accused Israel of committing genocide in the territory, where 72,000 people have been killed since October 2023, the majority of them civilians. They include 391 people who were working for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Source: arabnews.com
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Israel ruling coalition proposes dissolving parliament for early elections: PM party
May 13, 2026
JERUSALEM: Israel’s ruling coalition has submitted a proposal to dissolve the country’s parliament, paving the way for early elections, the party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
“The 25th Knesset shall be dissolved before the end of its term. Elections (to form the next parliament) will be held on a date determined by the Knesset Committee, which may not be set earlier than 90 days after the passage of this law,” the draft legislation released by Likud said.
According to Israeli media reports, the dissolution bill could be put to a vote on May 20.
Source: arabnews.com
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Arab World
GCC vow united response to regional threats after Kuwait infiltration case
May 14, 2026
RIYADH: The GCC’s interior ministers said on Wednesday that the security of the regional bloc is “indivisible,” and called for intensified coordination against regional threats following the arrest in Kuwait of cells allegedly linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to a report by the Saudi Press Agency.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said the ministers stressed the need for closer cooperation among their ministries and relevant security authorities during an extraordinary meeting at the bloc’s secretariat headquarters in Riyadh.
The meeting was chaired by Bahraini Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa amid heightened regional tensions and security concerns linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the US.
Albudaiwi said the ministers discussed the regional security situation and ways to strengthen joint GCC coordination to confront challenges resulting from attacks targeting Gulf states.
“The security of the GCC states is indivisible,” he said, adding that the ministers emphasized the importance of confronting all threats to the region’s stability and combating terrorism in all its forms.
The statement came days after Kuwaiti authorities announced the arrest of four Iranian nationals accused of attempting to infiltrate Bubiyan Island, a strategic location near the Iraqi and Iranian coasts that hosts the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port.
Kuwait’s Interior Ministry said the suspects confessed to belonging to The Guard and were tasked with carrying out hostile acts after entering Kuwaiti waters aboard a rented fishing vessel. Two other alleged operatives escaped during an exchange of fire with Kuwaiti forces in which a Kuwaiti serviceman was wounded.
Iran has denied the allegations, calling them “absolutely baseless,” and said the four officers had entered Kuwaiti waters accidentally due to a navigation malfunction. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later demanded the release of the detainees and said Tehran reserved the “right to respond.”
The infiltration attempt drew swift condemnation from Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, all of which expressed solidarity with Kuwait and described the incident as a violation of Kuwaiti sovereignty.
The UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan said Kuwait’s security was inseparable from that of the wider Gulf region, echoing the language later adopted at the GCC meeting.
Saudi Arabia also condemned what it described as an attempted Iranian infiltration aimed at destabilizing Kuwait, warning that such actions undermined international efforts to restore regional security.
Albudaiwi said GCC ministers also expressed condolences to the families of those killed in recent attacks on Gulf states and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
He praised the “efficiency and vigilance” of GCC security agencies in uncovering and dismantling alleged hostile cells, saying the operations reflected the high level of preparedness among Gulf security services.
The emergency meeting comes as Gulf states remain on heightened alert over escalating regional tensions, including Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting the UAE, threats to maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and concerns over the security of vital energy and shipping routes.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi defense minister discusses joint coordination with British national security advisor
May 13, 2026
RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met with Jonathan Powell, Britain’s national security advisor, in Jeddah.
During the meeting, they discussed Saudi-British relations and bilateral cooperation between the countries, according to a statement by the Ministry of Defense.
They also discussed joint coordination to address regional challenges in light of current developments as well as efforts aimed at deescalating tensions in the region to maintain security and stability.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi ambassador to US encourages students at international science, engineering fair
May 13, 2026
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar has held a virtual meeting with the Saudi science and engineering team participating in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona.
The meeting was part of efforts to support and encourage Saudi students representing the Kingdom at the world’s largest pre-university research and innovation forum, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The fair brings together more than 1,700 students in 22 scientific fields from about 70 countries, along with 1,200 judges evaluating the projects.
Princess Reema said the Saudi students were ambassadors of Saudi Arabia and stressed the importance of representing it with scientific excellence, strong conduct, and national values that reflected the Kingdom’s culture.
The Saudi team, comprising 40 students and two observers from gifted education programs, is participating across multiple scientific disciplines.
The students presented their research projects to sponsors and international media during the fair’s accompanying events. They also showcased their innovative work and discussed their research with specialists, stakeholders, and media representatives.
The Saudi team also took part in a pin, flag, and gift exchange event with students from other countries, reflecting the different cultures and fostering an interactive atmosphere of cultural exchange.
The students expressed pride in representing the Kingdom at the world’s largest pre-university science fair, and added that such events helped build international connections while enriching their scientific and cultural experience.
The King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, has participated in the fair annually since 2007 and earned 185 awards, 124 major and 61 special awards.
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New Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon received at Lebanese Embassy in Riyadh
May 13, 2026
The newly-appointed Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Fahd bin Abdulrahman bin Hathloul Al-Dosari was recently received by Lebanon’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ali Qaranouh at the Lebanese Embassy in Riyadh as part of a protocol visit.
During the meeting, they reviewed relations between the two brotherly countries across various fields, an official statement said.
Qaranouh wished ambassador-designate Al-Dosari success in his new duties in his “second home,” Lebanon, describing him as “a worthy successor to a worthy predecessor.”
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Saudi Arabia ready to host Hajj with 1.5m pilgrims expected
HEBSHI ALSHAMMARI
May 13, 2026
RIYADH: Five Saudi ministries jointly announced on Wednesday the country is ready to host this year’s Hajj, in which 1.5 million pilgrims from around the world are expected to attend and perform the sacred rituals obligatory for all able Muslims.
The Kingdom has completed extensive preparations that include artificial intelligence technologies, full 5G coverage and more than 52,000 health practitioners ready to provide treatment.
Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari confirmed on Wednesday at a government press conference held in Riyadh that the Hajj system is managed with precise plans that rely on analyzing movement and density through modern technologies enhanced with AI.
He also noted that the Kingdom now has 5G network coverage across the entirety of the holy sites.
Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser explained that more than 1.5 million pilgrims from outside the Kingdom are expected to attend in total, with more than 3 million seats provided through six airports connecting Saudi Arabia to more than 300 airports worldwide via more than 104 air carriers.
Al-Dosari explained that the Ministry of Islamic Affairs has prepared more than 20,000 mosques and provided over two million copies of the Qur’an as a gift from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
He highlighted the Makkah Route initiative which is in its eighth year and allows pilgrims to go through visa checks in their airport of departure in 16 countries.
Al-Dosari said that more than 1.2 million pilgrims have benefited from the program since its launch.
He also reported that the Ministry of Commerce has carried out more than 33,000 inspection tours, that temporary lodging licenses have been approved, and that more than 2.3 million beds have been provided in Makkah and Madinah.
Al-Dosari concluded by stating that more than 150 media outlets and 3,000 journalists are covering this year’s Hajj.
Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah confirmed that the Saudi leadership prioritizes serving pilgrims and mobilizes all resources to facilitate their journey, noting that more than 860,000 pilgrims have arrived so far.
In addition, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs is preparing to host more than 2,500 pilgrims, including families of martyrs, scholars and Islamic figures from more than 100 countries.
He explained that direct booking without intermediaries has been made available to more than 30 Saudi companies from 126 countries, with integrated coordination among more than 60 government and operational entities through more than 600 action plans.
Al-Rabiah said that the Nusuk identification card has been delivered to all arriving pilgrims and that the Hajj Without a Baggage initiative has been expanded to include all international pilgrims.
The initiative allows travelers to drop off their baggage at a point at their departure airport, from where it will be transported directly to their accommodation in Makkah.
The Nusuk app now serves more than 51 million users worldwide, he added.
Al-Rabiah revealed that the Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites has implemented more than 25 development projects, a 100 percent increase compared to last year.
He added that more than 60,000 trees have been planted under the Green Holy Sites initiative, and a cooling system with more than 6,000 misting columns has been activated.
Al-Rabiah said that pilgrim movement plans are being executed according to precise scheduling, that a guidance system using 3D maps and multilingual screens has been activated, and that the Arafat sermon has been translated into 50 languages.
He confirmed that the No Hajj Without a Permit campaign has increased compliance levels, and that satisfaction rates reached 91 percent last year as measured by the Ada’a performance center.
Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel confirmed that the Hajj season has become an internationally advanced model for humanitarian care.
He explained that more than 20,000 hospital beds have been allocated, including 3,800 in the holy sites along with 25 urgent care centers.
He pointed out that the ambulance fleet includes more than 3,000 vehicles and 11 air ambulances, supported by 7,700 paramedics and more than 52,000 health practitioners.
Al-Jalajel revealed the Kingdom’s global leadership in crowd medicine, noting the expansion of virtual healthcare through the Seha Virtual Hospital, the use of drones to transport medications and medical samples, and the use of smartwatches to remotely monitor pilgrims’ health conditions.
Minister of Municipalities and Housing Majed Al-Hogail confirmed the implementation of an advanced infrastructure network between the holy sites covering an area of 4.6 million square meters, and the deployment of more than 88,000 sanitation units operating around the clock.
He explained that 2,800 daily inspection tours are conducted on food, water, and facilities in the holy sites, supported by 66 service centers and five laboratories.
The minister added that a digital operational system has been launched, receiving 29,000 reports, with an average response time of one minute and 13 seconds.
Al-Hogail noted that the vacant property fee regulations aim to mitigate the risk of price increases in the residential and commercial sectors within cities.
He stated that the policy will only be activated when needed, based on indicators issued by the Real Estate General Authority, with a one-year implementation period to assess challenges before fully activating regulatory tools.
Al-Jasser added that maintenance plans have been carried out on more than 6,000 kilometers of holy site road networks, that 3,000 buses have been deployed to transport pilgrims from their residences to the Grand Mosque, and that 5,000 buses are operating for shuttle services.
He concluded by stating that the Holy Sites Train operates at a capacity of up to 72,000 passengers per hour.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia and Spain sign agreement to establish strategic council
May 13, 2026
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Spain signed an agreement on Wednesday to establish a strategic partnership council, Spain’s Foreign Ministry said.
The council will drive political, economic, energy, cultural, defense and transport cooperation between both countries.
In a meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares discused key regional and international issues.
Spain reiterated its solidarity with the Kingdom following unjustified Iranian attacks and highlighted Saudi Arabia’s role in advancing toward an end to the conflict in the Middle East, the ministry said.
Both countries also signed a reciprocal visa exemption agreement for holders of diplomatic, special, and service passports.
Spain’s foreign ministry described Saudi-Spanish ties as “increasingly solid and strategic.”
Prince Faisal commended Spain’s position calling for de-escalation in the Middle East, its condemnation of Iranian attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council states and Jordan, and Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
He also praised Spain’s stance on the Palestinian issue and its supportive efforts toward implementing the two-state solution, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said.
Albares, meanwhile, praised the Kingdom’s consistent calls for de-escalation and for prioritizing diplomatic solutions.
Prince Faisal arrived in Madrid earlier on Wednesday on an official visit to Spain.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi crown prince receives delegation honoring king’s support for Qur’an memorization associations
May 13, 2026
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a delegation on Tuesday evening honoring King Salman for his support and patronage of Holy Qur’an memorization associations in the Kingdom spanning over 60 years.
On behalf of the king, the crown prince received gifts including a prestigious shield, a handwritten copy of the Qur’an, and a plaque bearing the names of over 21,000 male and female memorizers of the Qur’an who have benefited from the Maknoon Association for Qur’an Memorization in Riyadh.
The event was an appreciation of the king’s record of caring for the Holy Qur’an and of directing efforts to spread its teachings and interpretation, instill its moral values, and distribute translations of it, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The crown prince thanked all non-profit associations specializing in the memorization of the holy book in the Kingdom for their high-quality initiatives in serving the Holy Qur’an and their effective contributions to developing the nonprofit sector.
He praised their continued efforts and how they complement the leadership’s efforts to reinforce the Kingdom’s leading position in serving Islam and Muslims around the world.
Source: arabnews.com
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Europe
German soldiers attacked by NATO ‘haters’ – media
13 May, 2026
Two German soldiers have been attacked outside the NATO operational headquarters in Brunssum, Netherlands, according to dpa news agency and Der Spiegel. The assailants, who are yet to be identified, reportedly shouted anti-NATO slogans.
A personal protection officer and a staff officer who were both in plain clothes were attacked in a wooded area just outside the base on Monday evening, Der Spiegel said. Both sustained light injuries but are in good condition, a spokesperson for the German Defense Ministry told journalists, adding that the ministry is treating the incident as “security-related.”
The attackers, who were wearing masks, allegedly attacked the soldiers verbally and physically while shouting slogans such as “we hate NATO” in English. The identities and motives of the assailants are still being investigated, the reports said, adding that the Dutch military police are involved.
According to Der Spiegel, one of the officers testified that a group of ten men stopped him and demanded money. He managed to flee the scene and reach a hotel, where he called the police. When the officers arrived, the same group reportedly had already attacked the second officer but fled the scene. No arrests were made.
NATO raised the security alert level to ‘Bravo’ shortly after the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran, signaling an increased risk of terrorist activities and sabotage against NATO facilities and military personnel. Soldiers were specifically instructed not to appear in uniform outside of the bases, according to Der Spiegel.
Last summer, hundreds of people took part in a protest against NATO’s increased military spending plans ahead of the bloc’s summit in The Hague. They also protested against Israel’s campaign against Hamas militants in Gaza and the Iran war.
Source: rt.com
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GB News at it again as Ofcom opens investigation into Trump “climate change hoax” and “UK Sharia Law” interview claims
May 13, 2026
GB News is under the spotlight again after Ofcom announced it will investigate whether the “news” channel breached broadcasting rules with a second showing of its interview with Donald Trump following complaints on the first airing that the US president’s claims about climate change, Islam and immigration had gone unchallenged.
Complaints were already made after the interview’s first airing, which the presenter Bev Turner conducted last November, however the media regulator decided not open an investigation into the original broadcast of the interview on the rightwing network’s US-based programme Late Show Live.
Ofcom has now announced it will investigate an edition of The Weekend, however, another GB News show that repeated the interview in full the next day.
Trump was not challenged as he made a run of his usual claims that climate change was a hoax, London had no-go areas for police and parts of the UK were governed by Sharia Law.
“This programme featured an interview by GB News presenter, Bev Turner, with US president Donald Trump,” an Ofcom spokesperson said. “We are investigating whether it breached our rules on due impartiality and material misleadingness.”
Ofcom has not said why it has opened an investigation into the interview’s second showing and not the first, but it takes into account the content around an interview – such as panel discussions referring to it – as well as other context.
The Weekend was broadcast during the day in the UK, so its audience would have been higher than for the original showing of the interview, which was shown overnight.
Ofcom’s decision comes as the regulator is between chairs – Michael Grade has departed, but former Channel 4 chair Ian Cheshire has not yet formally taken up the role.
Richard Wilson, the director of the Reliable Media campaign group and a complainant about The Weekend broadcast, told The Guardian that the slow and opaque response to the interview was a case of ‘too little too late,’ and an example of regulatory failure, however: “Ofcom has quietly opened an investigation six months after the programme aired,” he said.
“In that time, GB News’s social media clips of Trump claiming climate change is a ‘hoax’ have clocked up over a hundred thousand engagements online. This is what regulatory failure looks like. Today’s announcement is welcome, but it is a direct result of sustained pressure from the public, from MPs and from civil society. The new Ofcom chair has inherited a dysfunctional regulator, and parliament must ensure he is held to account for fixing it.”
GB News, which has its commercial headquarters in Manchester, said it was “surprised and concerned” by what it described as Ofcom’s “delayed decision” over the Trump interview, pointing to the regulator’s previous decision not to pursue complaints about its original airing.
“Ofcom’s U-turn over the repeat of the interview with the US president, Donald Trump, follows adverse commentary around its original decision by prominent critics of both Ofcom and GB News,” it said in a statement. “The sequence of events inevitably raises questions around the rationale for reopening the matter at this stage. It also raises serious concerns around regulatory certainty, procedural fairness and the consistency of Ofcom’s processes.
The broadcaster added, presumably with a straight face: “GB News stands firmly by its journalism and editorial standards.”
Regular readers will be no strangers to GB News’ frequent regulatory scuffles. At one point in 2023 the right-leaning channel had 13 complaints under investigation by Ofcom underway at the same time, while last year the self-styled “People’s Channel” valiantly set itself a record challenge for the most complaints ever received by Ofcom over a comment linking homosexuality to paedophilia.
Source: prolificnorth.co.uk
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MCB launches major 'British Muslims in Numbers' report
13 MAY 2026
By Shuiab Khan
A new report by Muslim Council of Britain shows how Muslims are challenging widely held perceptions about their community.
‘British Muslims in Numbers’ a two volume 400-page report was launched at Westminster City Hall and draws on the 2021 census of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the 2022 census in Scotland.
The report reveals the proportion of Muslims in the ‘Higher professional occupations’ category has increased over the last 20-years and stands at 6.5% in 2021.
In the 16-24 age band those attaining level 4 degrees increased from 11% in 2001 to 21% in 2021.
Forty-six per cent of Muslims were under the age of 25 compared to 29% of the general population. There was also a rise in the proportion of Muslim women in employment from 20% in 2001 to 31% in 2021 .
The report shows that 51 per cent of Muslims were born in the UK and 99 per cent speak English as their first language.
Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, Dr Wajid Akhter,: “This groundbreaking British Muslims in Numbers report has been launched at a critical time post the local elections results.
"The report’s rigorous analysis on British Muslims plays a key role in contributing to public policy making which affect the community from health, to education, employment and civic engagement, we hope this will increase awareness about who British Muslims are within the civil society and media”.
He adds, “This data is a starting point for wider conversations about the rich diversity, identity, growth and social equality of British Muslims and uncovers a host of issues pertinent for an inclusive way of life for most British Muslims.
"This report paints the most accurate and in-depth insight to our community to date which we hope will reflect the positive contributions British Muslims make and the challenges which remain to be tackled in meeting the needs of 4 million Muslims in the UK especially given the current political landscape.”
In her foreword to the report, Professor Sophie Gilliat-Ray OBE, FBA, FLSW and Head of the Islam UK Centre at Cardiff University writes: “As one of the most well-established, reputable and credible organisations representing British Muslims, the Muslim Council of Britain has consistently championed the interests, needs and growth of Muslims in the UK.
"No serious academic scholarship takes place about Islam and Muslim communities in Britain without reference to the meticulous research undertaken such as this groundbreaking insight in the British Muslims in Numbers report. I urge everyone to read it to gain a real understanding of who they are”.
Findings from the 'British Muslims in Numbers' report include:
There are 4 million Muslims in the United Kingdom, forming 6% of the population with the following breakdown.
In England, 3.8 million; Wales, 67,000; Scotland, 120,000; Northern Ireland, 11,000.
The Muslim population is predominantly urban rather than rural based in key cities: in England – London, 1.3 million; in Wales, Cardiff, 34,000; in Scotland, Glasgow, 49,000; in Northern Ireland, Belfast, 5,500.
Muslims are a kaleidoscope of communities – a microcosm of British society as a whole, with representation in all census ethnic groups, the largest being Asian (2,630,256; 66%) and Black (429,142; 11%). 6% of the Muslim population is of White ethnicity (234,016). There are even small numbers of Gypsy (or Irish Traveller) and Roma Muslims in the Census data. A greater proportion of Muslims are of mixed or dual ethnicity compared with other faiths in the UK.
The average age profile of the Muslim population in the UK is skewed towards the younger age bands. Whilst in the overall population, 29% is under the age of 25 years, in the British Muslim population, it is 46%. The Muslim population’s youthful age profile is a strategic asset in an ageing society. This ‘demographic dividend’ contributes to meeting gaps in the labour market, contributing financially to the State welfare system.
10% of all school age (5-15 year old) children are Muslim and 22% of all Muslims fall in this age band. Only 5% of Muslims are over 65 as compared to 19% in the overall population.
The majority of Muslims are UK born – 51% compared with 84% in the overall UK population. Of the UK’s 10 regions, Yorkshire & The Humber and West Midlands have the greatest proportion of UK Born Muslims, 60% and 57% respectively.
In the UK born Muslim population in England & Wales (aged 3 years and over), English is the main language or spoken well or very well by 99%.
The Government’s deprivation indices indicate that while 20% of England’s overall population resides in the 46 most deprived local authority districts, this applies to 40% of the Muslim population. This proportion has not changed over the last 20 years suggesting a lack of social mobility.
The MCB has analysed the child population in local authorities that have a high Muslim population (20% or more) and are also among the most deprived, to assess the number of children being raised in poor neighbourhoods: there are about 400,000 children in these 14 local authority districts.
Tracking trends in the overall population there has been an upward trend in the proportion of Muslims attaining a degree-level qualification. In the 16-24 age band those attaining level 4 degrees increased from 11% in 2001 to 21% in 2021.
The proportion of Muslim men who are self-employed is higher than the rest of the population. Whilst this may reflect an entrepreneurial spirit, much of this self-employment is likely to be concentrated in the ‘gig economy’.
The rise in the proportion of Muslim women in employment from 20% in 2001 to 31% in 2021 indicates greater entry and contribution in the labour market and the economy as a whole. With Muslim women being generally younger than women in the population overall they are much more likely to have caring responsibilities for young children and elderly relatives. Further increases in Muslim women’s labour force participation could be facilitated by more generous local resource allocation for childcare and adult social care as well as supportive measures from employers.
The proportion of Muslims in the ‘Higher professional occupations’ category has increased over the last 20-years and stands at 6.5% in 2021. This is still however lover than the 9.0% of the population who hold such jobs overall. The lower proportion points to the potential of a glass ceiling felt by many British Muslims.
A greater proportion of the British Muslim population in England and Wales is in ‘Very good or good health’ compared with the overall population: 85% compared with 82%.
Similarly, a lower proportion have disabilities in which day-to-day activities are limited significantly and impact their quality of life. This is largely due to the Muslim population being younger than the overall population. The pattern changes when focusing on older age groups with older Muslims being much more likely to be in poor health than older members of the wider population.
It is estimated that in 2029, there are likely to be 49 parliamentary constituencies where the Muslim voting population aged 16 or over will exceed the incumbent Member of Parliament’s 2024 margin of victory by 10,000 or more votes. The reasons for their voting choices will be varied, with some aligned to the broader population but some that appear more prevalent specifically amongst Muslim voters. Care must be taken to not assume Muslim voters to be a homogeneous block. The MCB conducts voter registration campaigns, most recently its ‘Hungry for Change – Have You Registered to Vote?’ drive prior to the May 2026 local government elections.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), founded in 1997, is a umbrella body of over 500 mosques, charities, professional networks.
Source: asianimage.co.uk
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https://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/26104469.mcb-launches-major-british-muslims-numbers-report/
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Shocking video shows arsonists throw 'firebombs' into Blackburn café's Muslim prayer room
Amy Fenton
13 May 2026
A video shows the shocking moment a gang of arsonists hurl "firebombs" through the window of a Blackburn café's Muslim prayer room.
Significant damage was caused to Café Raha in Roe Lee Park off Whalley New Road in the early hours of Monday (May 11). A group of men, wearing balaclavas, can be seen throwing "firebombs" through the window in a CCTV clip recorded at around 2.30am.
Firefighters were called to the scene to put out the fire while police also attended and have confirmed an investigation has been launched.
A police spokesperson said: “We were called at 2.32am to a café premises on Whalley New Road, Blackburn, to a report of arson.
“It was reported that a fire had been started at the premises. Colleagues from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service attended to extinguish the fire.
“The cause of the fire is being investigated and enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with information, please contact 101 – quoting log 0096 of 11th May.”
Source: lancs.live
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https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/shocking-video-shows-arsonists-throw-33941770
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UK Muslim population reaches 4M amid persistent inequality: Report
13 May 2026
Mehmet Solmaz
A major report released on Wednesday by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) found the UK’s Muslim population has reached 4 million, while highlighting persistent economic inequality, rising educational attainment, and the growing political influence of British Muslims over the past two decades.
The two-volume, 400-page report, titled “British Muslims in Numbers,” was unveiled at Westminster City Hall and draws on the 2021 censuses in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and Scotland’s 2022 census. The study analyzes demographic, social, and economic trends among British Muslims over the last 20 years and compares outcomes across faith and ethnic groups.
According to the report, there are now 4 million Muslims in the UK, representing about 6% of the population. England accounts for the largest share with 3.8 million Muslims, followed by Scotland with 120,000, Wales with 67,000 and Northern Ireland with 11,000.
Wajid Akhter, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, described the report as timely in the aftermath of recent local election results.
“This groundbreaking British Muslims in Numbers report has been launched at a critical time post the local election results.
“The report’s rigorous analysis on British Muslims plays a key role in contributing to public policymaking that affects the community, from health to education, employment and civic engagement. We hope this will increase awareness about who British Muslims are within civil society and media,” Akhter said.
He added that the data is a starting point for wider conversations about the rich diversity, identity, growth, and social equality of British Muslims and uncovers a host of issues pertinent to an inclusive way of life for most British Muslims.
“This report paints the most accurate and in-depth insight into our community to date, which we hope will reflect the positive contributions British Muslims make and the challenges which remain to be tackled in meeting the needs of 4 million Muslims in the UK, especially given the current political landscape.”
Young, diverse and increasingly educated
The report found that Britain’s Muslim population remains concentrated in urban areas, with London home to 1.3 million Muslims. Cardiff has 34,000 Muslims, Glasgow 49,000 and Belfast 5,500.
Researchers said the Muslim population represents a diverse range of ethnicities. About 66% identify as Asian, 11% as Black, and 6% as white. The report also noted small numbers of Gypsies, Irish Travellers, and Roma Muslims were recorded in the census.
The study highlighted the relatively young age profile of British Muslims. Nearly half — 46% — are under the age of 25, compared with 29% of the wider UK population. Ten percent of all school-age children in the UK are Muslim, while only 5% of Muslims are over the age of 65, compared with 19% nationally.
Researchers described the younger demographic as a potential “demographic dividend” that could help offset pressures from an ageing population and labor shortages.
Persistent deprivation and growing political influence
The report also pointed to continuing economic inequality. Forty percent of Muslims in England live in the country’s 46 most deprived local authority districts, despite those areas accounting for only 20% of England’s total population. The proportion has remained unchanged for two decades, which the report said suggests limited social mobility.
The MCB said about 400,000 children live in local authority districts with both high Muslim populations and high levels of deprivation.
Educational attainment among Muslims has risen over the last 20 years, according to the report. Among Muslims aged 16 to 24, the proportion holding degree-level qualifications increased from 11% in 2001 to 21% in 2021.
The report also found that employment among Muslim women rose from 20% in 2001 to 31% in 2021. It said greater participation in the workforce could be supported through increased childcare provision and adult social care resources.
While the proportion of Muslims working in higher professional occupations has increased to 6.5%, the figure remains below the national average of 9%, which the report said may indicate the presence of a “glass ceiling.”
On health outcomes, the report found Muslims overall were more likely than the wider population to report being in “very good or good health,” largely because of their younger age profile. However, older Muslims were found to experience poorer health outcomes than older people in the general population.
In a foreword to the report, Professor Sophie Gilliat-Ray, head of the Islam UK Centre at Cardiff University, praised the study and the MCB’s role in research on Muslim communities.
“As one of the most well-established, reputable and credible organisations representing British Muslims, the Muslim Council of Britain has consistently championed the interests, needs and growth of Muslims in the UK,” she wrote.
“No serious academic scholarship takes place about Islam and Muslim communities in Britain without reference to the meticulous research undertaken, such as this groundbreaking insight in the British Muslims in Numbers report. I urge everyone to read it to gain a real understanding of who they are,” the professor said.
The report also examined political engagement, estimating that by 2029 there could be 49 parliamentary constituencies where the Muslim voting-age population exceeds the winning margin from the 2024 general election by at least 10,000 votes.
The MCB cautioned against treating Muslim voters as a single bloc, saying political priorities among Muslim communities remain varied.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://aa.com.tr/en/world/uk-muslim-population-reaches-4m-amid-persistent-inequality-report/3936348
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Met to send 4,000 officers to police rival protests
13 May 2026
Dominic Casciani
The Metropolitan Police has warned that it is preparing for potential violence and hate speech crimes across two protests in London this Saturday.
More than 4,000 officers will be drafted in to police the rival events - possibly one of the largest protest deployment in decades - amid fears that far-right demonstrators could clash with pro-Palestine marchers if the two groups are not kept apart.
In addition, tens of thousands of football fans are also expected at Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup Final, adding further pressures on the capital's police.
Scotland Yard said the risks meant it had to impose the "highest degree of control".
Measures the Met is planning include the first authorisation of live facial recognition cameras at a demonstration. The force added it was taking the rare step of putting its armoured vehicles on standby.
Drones will also be deployed to scan for suspects, and all officers will be equipped with riot gear.
Tens of thousands are expected to join a "Unite the Kingdom" event organised by anti-Islam activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, as well as at the annual "Nakba Day" Palestinian protest in another part of central London.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said he had "significant cause for concern" but the force could not ask for either protest event to be banned.
Under the law, the police can only request the home secretary to stop a march if they do not have the resources to contain a risk of serious disorder.
In this case, the Met believes they can keep both events separate and contained using their "most assertive" powers.
The £4.5m plan includes strict conditions on the routes of both events, making organisers personally responsible for the conduct of speakers on stages and authorising officers to use enhanced public order powers to stop and search potential troublemakers and disperse them out of central London.
Many of the 4,000 officers called in to police both events are being diverted from normal crime-fighting duties and 660 are arriving from other forces outside of London.
Harman said that the Nakba Day and Unite the Kingdom events were occurring amid heightened fears among both Jewish and Muslim communities but also in the wake of the national terrorism threat level being raised to its second highest rating.
"These factors give us significant cause for concern as we head into the weekend and require a policing plan that provides us with the most assertive grip on the movement of large numbers of people, large groups, and the potential for serious disorder and other criminality that may arise as a result," he said.
The first Unite the Kingdom event staged by Yaxley-Lennon last September drew at least 100,000 to London. While many of those attending saw it as an opportunity to peacefully express their interpretation of British identity, there were a series of clashes with the police and anti-Muslim hate speech incidents.
The Home Office has banned at least seven people from coming to the UK to take part in Saturday's event.
Specialist officers, working with prosecutors, will be on standby to take swift decisions to arrest and charge hate speech crimes. That may include arrests for chants referring to "intifada" at the pro-Palestine march.
"If something is hateful and intimidating we will take action whatever the academic or historical interpretation of those words," said Harman.
"We have been clear since the outset, we would not accept routes or rally locations that would increase the risk of intimidation to any particular community, or that would risk the two protests coming together."
Harman said the force would "deploy very significant resources" to keep the opposing groups apart "to keep everybody safe".
He added the armoured vehicles were "very much a contingency" that had not been used in London for a "significant period of time".
"We will not be using it unless we absolutely have to but it's there to support officers in the face of extreme violence," the senior officer added.
Source: bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c172n5e0prko
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NATO chief wants to triple money flows to corruption-plagued Ukraine – Politico
14 May, 2026
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has urged member states to devote 0.25% of their GDP to aid for Ukraine, Politico Europe reported on Tuesday, citing diplomatic sources.
Rutte reportedly raised the issue during a closed door meeting of NATO ambassadors late last month. If adopted, the proposal, first floated by Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky last year, would effectively triple aid to Kiev to around $143 billion annually, according to NATO estimates of the allies’ combined GDP cited by Politico.
The proposal is said to be partly motivated by frustration among some countries that they are contributing more support to Ukraine than others. Several allies, including major NATO members France and Britain, reportedly oppose the initiative.
The discussions on increasing support for cash-strapped Ukraine come as the country has been rocked by another major corruption scandal allegedly involving figures close to Zelensky.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s top anti-corruption court is expected to rule on whether to detain Zelensky’s former chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, who was named a suspect in a money laundering case involving kickbacks in the energy sector and elite real estate developments outside Kiev. According to the Western-backed National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), the suspects, including former Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Chernyshov, laundered around $9 million through investments in the construction of the Dinastia residential complex.
Last year, investigators uncovered a $100 million kickback scheme allegedly orchestrated by Timur Mindich, Zelensky’s longtime former business partner, who has been described in the media as his ‘wallet’. Mindich fled the country to avoid arrest, while several senior officials, including two ministers, resigned.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/639968-nato-more-cash-for-ukraine/\
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North America
US seeking to convince China to pressure Iran – Rubio
14 May, 2026
The US plans to persuade China to pressure Iran into making concessions in the Middle East conflict, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said ahead of a meeting between the two countries’ leaders in Beijing.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to hold talks on Thursday, with discussions expected to include the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the issue of Taiwan.
“It’s in their interest to resolve this,” Rubio told Fox News host Sean Hannity aboard Air Force One en route to China. “We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they’re doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf.”
Rubio argued that helping the US would ultimately benefit China’s export-oriented economy.
“Economies are melting down because of this crisis in the Strait. They’re going to be buying less Chinese product and Chinese exports are going to drop precipitously,” Rubio said.
China has condemned the war against Iran as illegal under international law. It has also dismissed US sanctions targeting Chinese refineries and satellite companies accused of aiding Iran. In response, China ordered domestic businesses to not comply with the sanctions.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/639967-rubio-china-pressure-iran/
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White House counterterror chief links Tucker Carlson to extremism
13 May, 2026
US President Donald Trump’s counterterrorism director has suggested that two of the president’s loudest critics – Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes – are considered potential left-wing threats by the White House.
The White House released its National Strategy for Counterterrorism last week, which labels “Narcoterrorists and Transnational Gangs, Legacy Islamist Terrorists, [and] Violent Left-Wing Extremists, including Anarchists and Anti-Fascists” as the three most pressing terror threats to the US.
The inclusion of “Violent Left-Wing Extremists” is no surprise, given that the strategy was released after three assassination attempts against Trump and the public execution of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, and after Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum NPSM-7 identified “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity” as indicators of potential “violent and terroristic activities.”
The report makes no mention of right-wing terrorism. However, a comment by its author, Sebastian Gorka, which flew under the radar last week, suggests that some of the president’s former allies are now considered national security threats.
Speaking to Breitbart editor Alex Marlow on Friday, Gorka was asked whether he regards “right-wing extremism” as “a threat at all.”
“I’m not sure that Nick Fuentes or Tucker Carlson are conservatives,” Gorka replied. “If you are lauding Sharia law, if you are saying that there are Muslim states that seem to be better qualitatively than America in terms of freedom and prosperity, I’m not sure that means you’re part of the conservative movement. So if you remove those individuals and you understand that they’re not conservatives, what’s left?”
Gorka’s comment implies that, stripped of their “conservative” credentials, Fuentes and Carlson are the kind of left-wing extremists that the Trump administration will target.
Nick Fuentes is a hardline nationalist and opponent of Trump, whose inflammatory comments – “Jews are running society, Women need to shut the f**k up, and Blacks need to be imprisoned for the most part.” – saw him banned from every major social media platform in 2020. He has since been reinstated on X, and his daily livestreams sometimes draw hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Tucker Carlson is a former Fox News host and supporter of Trump, whose relationship with the president has soured in recent months over Trump’s apparent deference to Israel and the war on Iran.
What happened between Tucker Carlson and Trump?
Carlson was a vocal supporter and regular confidant of Trump during the president’s first term in office, and campaigned for his reelection in 2024. Carlson grew more critical of American support for Israel’s war in Gaza over the last two years, and publicly called on Trump not to take military action against Iran in June 2025, when Israel was waging its 12-Day War against the Islamic Republic.
Trump, who dismissed Carlson’s advice and ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites, called Carlson “kooky,” but the two remained in regular contact.
However, the rift between the former Fox News host and the president reached its nadir when the US and Israel began striking Iran in late February, with Carlson calling the war “disgusting and evil,” and accusing Trump of doing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bidding by waging it.
Carlson hammered Trump for issuing a profane message to Iran on Easter Sunday, calling the president’s threat to target Iranian civilian infrastructure “vile on every level.”
“How dare you speak that way on Easter morning to the country?” Carlson said in a monologue on his podcast. “Who do you think you are? You’re tweeting out the f-word on Easter morning.”
Trump responded by declaring Carlson an enemy of the MAGA movement, describing him as a “flailing fool” who should “see a good psychiatrist.”
Who else has Trump fallen out with?
Trump has fallen out with several prominent right-wing media personalities over the war with Iran, including Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones. In a lengthy social media post in April, he called these figures “nut jobs” and “troublemakers” who “think it is wonderful for Iran, the number one state sponsor of terror, to have a nuclear weapon.”
“They have one thing in common, low IQs,” he claimed. “They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too!”
Carlson, Owens, and Nick Fuentes were all included in a top-ten list of “anti-Semite and anti-Zionist” influencers published by Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs in April.
Gorka’s statement is not the first indication that Trump intends to turn the power of the state against some of his former supporters. The former head of the US National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, is currently under FBI investigation for leaking classified information, after he resigned from his position in March and publicly denounced the war on Iran.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/639950-tucker-carlson-trump-extremist/
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JD Vance says US making progress in Iran talks
May 13, 2026
WASHINGTON: US Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday he believes progress is being made in negotiations with Iran to end hostilities, after President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s latest proposal as unacceptable.
“I think that we are making progress. The fundamental question is do we make enough progress that we satisfy the President’s red line?” Vance told reporters at the White House.
“And the red line is very simple. He needs to feel confident that we put a number of protections in place such that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2643528/middle-east
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CAIR Md. Applauds Rep. Raskin’s Forceful Defense of Religious Freedom During Heated Congressional ‘Anti-Sharia’ Hearing
14 May, 2026
Muslim civil rights group debunks anti-Muslim myths about Sharia, notes Islam requires Muslims to obey the law of the land, and in America that law is the U.S. Constitution
(BALTIMORE, Md., 5/13/2026) – The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin’s forceful defense of the Constitution and religious freedom during a heated congressional hearing targeting “Sharia law.”
Rep. Raskin delivered remarks at a May 13 Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government hearing titled “Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam & Sharia Law Are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution II,” which reprised a similar hearing held earlier this year.
During the hearing, Rep. Raskin pushed back against the premise that Muslims pose a unique threat to the Constitution, noting that the First Amendment already prohibits government establishment of any religion while protecting the free exercise of religion for all Americans. He also pointed out the absurdity of suggesting that a tiny number of Muslim members of Congress could somehow impose Islamic law on the country.
In a statement, CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
“Rep. Raskin’s epic clap back against Islamophobic conspiracy theories was a bold and necessary defense of the First Amendment, religious freedom, and the truth that Muslim Americans are not outsiders to the Constitution. We are protected by it, we respect it, and we proudly contribute to the pluralistic democracy it promises. At a time when the Islamophobic anti-sharia caucus in Congress is reviving decades-old anti-Muslim conspiracy theories to score political points, Rep. Raskin reminded the nation of a basic truth: the Constitution already protects America from the establishment of any religion, while also protecting every American’s right to practice their faith freely.
“Anti-Sharia hearings are not about protecting the Constitution. They are about demonizing Islam and portraying Muslim Americans as perpetual outsiders. That is dishonest, dangerous and harmful. Our faith and our citizenship are not in conflict. We thank Rep. Raskin for standing against fearmongering and for defending the religious liberty of all Americans, including Maryland’s Muslim communities.”
Contrary to myths, Sharia is not a foreign legal takeover plot. It broadly refers to religious and ethical guidance that informs personal acts of worship, charity, family life, honesty, dietary practices, modesty, contracts, and moral conduct for Muslims. It does not override the U.S. Constitution
Islamic teachings require Muslims to honor their covenants and abide by the law of the land in which they live. For Muslims in the United States, the law of the land is the U.S. Constitution.
CAIR Maryland emphasized that anti-Sharia campaigns often rely on myths that falsely portray ordinary Muslim religious practice as a threat. The organization offered the following clarifications:
Myth: Sharia means Muslims want to replace the Constitution.
Fact: Muslim Americans live under and respect U.S. law. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and Islamic teachings require Muslims to honor lawful agreements and obey the laws of the societies in which they reside.
Myth: Sharia is only about criminal punishments.
Fact: Sharia primarily refers to personal religious practice and moral guidance, including prayer, fasting, charity, honesty, marriage, inheritance, business ethics, and caring for neighbors.
Myth: Religious arbitration or faith-based guidance is unique to Muslims.
Fact: Many faith communities, including Jews and Christians, seek voluntary religious guidance in personal matters. Similar to Halacha in Judaism and Canon Law in Christianity, Sharia law cannot override constitutional rights, civil law, or court authority.
Myth: Muslims cannot be loyal Americans.
Fact: Muslim Americans serve as teachers, doctors, lawyers, first responders, service members, public officials, business owners, parents, students, and community leaders. These communities’ religious freedom is protected by the same Constitution that protects every other faith community.
Earlier this year, CAIR National commended members of Congress, including Rep. Raskin, Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon and Rep. Tom McClintock, for making clear during a prior “Sharia” hearing that the U.S. Constitution protects religious freedom and prevents any community from imposing its faith on others.
SEE: CAIR Commends Bipartisan Defense of Religious Freedom During Failed ‘Sharia Hoax’ Hearing
CAIR Maryland urged elected officials to reject anti-Muslim political theater and instead focus on real issues facing Americans, including hate crimes, civil rights, public safety, economic insecurity, and threats to democratic freedoms.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-md-applauds-rep-raskins-forceful-defense-of-religious-freedom-during-heated-congressional-anti-sharia-hearing/
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CAIR-NY Raises Concerns Over NYPD Delayed Response to Violent Assault Involving Muslim Man Near ICCNY
May 13, 2026
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today is calling for accountability and transparency following what appears to be a delayed and inadequate NYPD response to a violent assault in Manhattan on April 19, 2026.
According to the victim’s family, a South Asian Muslim man was attacked shortly after arriving at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York (ICCNY) near East 96th Street and Third Avenue. The incident began as a minor vehicle collision but quickly escalated into a severe physical assault. The victim was allegedly placed in a chokehold, slammed to the ground, struck multiple times, and ultimately hit and dragged by the assailant’s vehicle for approximately half a city block.
The victim sustained significant injuries requiring ambulance transport to a local hospital.
Despite the severity of the incident, initial police documentation reportedly indicated that no injuries had occurred. As a result, a detective was not assigned to the case until April 23, raising serious concerns about investigative delays and procedural failures. On that same day, the victim reportedly gathered and provided video evidence of the incident to police. Despite the urging of the victim, the alleged assailant reportedly still has not been questioned or investigated to date.
In a statement, CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher said:
“The reported delay in the investigative response raises urgent questions about how incidents of this severity are classified and handled. Almost a month has passed since this violent incident took place. The victim is rightfully seeking action from the police and has gone above and beyond to secure evidence. It’s frustrating to experience the indifference from police, but it’s not surprising. Many in the Muslim community already are reticent to report incidents because of distrust in law enforcement’s response. Accountability and transparency are essential to ensure justice for the victim and to cultivate public trust.”
CAIR-NY is calling on the NYPD to review its handling of this case, clarify how the initial report was documented, and ensure that proper procedures are followed in all cases involving violent assaults.
The organization also urges the NYPD to examine whether implicit bias or systemic issues may contribute to disparities in response times and investigative prioritization.
CAIR-NY’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-NY es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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Source: cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-ny-raises-concerns-over-nypd-delayed-response-to-violent-assault-involving-muslim-man-near-iccny/
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CAIR Submits Statement for Congressional Record Rebutting Anti-Muslim Hate Planned for Second ‘Sharia Hoax’ Hearing
May 13, 2026
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/13/26) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today publicly released a formal statement and briefing materials that it shared with the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government ahead of an anti-Muslim congressional hearing that platforms “unhinged bigots” who seek to expel American Muslims and ban the practice of Islam in the United States.
The hearing, titled “Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam & Sharia Law are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution: Part IIis scheduled to occur today.
The hearing is being organized by the leadership of the so-called “Sharia-Free America Caucus,” which CAIR previously designated as an anti-Muslim hate group. Its members have called for banning the practice of Islam, expelling American Muslims from the United States, and even “destroying” all mainstream Muslims.
The U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations also submitted a formal statement for the record condemning the hearing as discriminatory hate.
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw said:
“All Americans have the constitutional right to practice their faith and participate in public life without facing threats of discrimination, expulsion or violence, especially from members of Congress. That is why this second anti-Muslim congressional hearing is an attack not only on the American Muslim community, but on the First Amendment itself.
“After their first ‘Sharia hoax’ hearing failed to gain an audience, the leadership of the Muslim Extermination Caucus is desperate to try again by giving a platform to even more radical, unhinged witnesses.
“The reality is that American Muslims, like all Americans, have the constitutional right to practice their faith, support causes of justice, and participate in public life guided by their moral and religious values. Muslim civic engagement is democracy in action.
“This hearing is part of a broader political campaign to use American Muslims as a boogeyman to win Republican primaries, distract conservatives who increasingly recognize that the anti-Palestinian lobby has used Islamophobia as a tool to smear and silence American Muslims critical of unconditional U.S. support for Israel’s crimes, and normalize the false idea that Muslims are somehow less deserving of constitutional protections than other Americans.
“Republican and Democratic leaders should unequivocally reject the anti-Muslim hate and conspiracy theories being promoted through this hearing.”
CAIR notes that this second anti-Muslim “Sharia hoax” hearing comes after the caucus’s first hearing largely failed to gain meaningful traction, public attention, or support on Capitol Hill, with even some Republican lawmakers affirming during the previous hearing that the U.S. Constitution protects religious freedom for all Americans, including Muslims.
During the first hearing, CAIR provided congressional offices with briefing memoranda documenting the history of anti-Muslim rhetoric and extremism associated with several invited witnesses, submitted an official statement for the congressional record rebutting the hearing’s claims, distributed educational materials explaining how Sharia functions within American constitutional law, and closely monitored the proceedings in person on Capitol Hill.
CAIR’s submitted statement for today’s hearing pushes back against the hearing’s attack on Muslim community organizations and defends the constitutional right of American Muslims to participate fully in civic and political life without being subjected to collective suspicion, religious discrimination, or political intimidation.
CAIR is closely monitoring and tracking the hearing and has also reached out to members of the House Judiciary Committee to provide briefing materials documenting the history of anti-Muslim rhetoric, conspiracy theories, and extremist affiliations associated with several Republican-selected witnesses scheduled to testify during the hearing.
Among the scheduled witnesses is an previously anonymous Twitter user, Amy “Mek” Mekelburg of the hate group RAIR Foundation. CAIR’s Islamophobia project has documented RAIR Foundation’s history of promoting anti-Muslim hate, anti-immigrant racism, and associating with white nationalist figures and anti-Muslim extremists, including a Saudi atheist who went on to perpetrate a massacre
Another witness is affiliated with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, which has promoted anti-Sharia narratives and supported Texas policy efforts targeting alleged “Sharia law” influence despite the absence of evidence that Islamic law is replacing constitutional law in the United States.
CAIR notes that anti-Sharia legislation promoted by anti-Muslim activists has repeatedly faced constitutional scrutiny because existing constitutional law already prohibits any religion from superseding the Constitution or civil law.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Do you like reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
Source: cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/breaking-cair-exposes-second-sharia-hoax-hearing-led-by-designated-anti-muslim-congressional-hate-group-featuring-anti-muslim-witnesses/
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Pentagon hikes estimate of Iran war cost
13 May, 2026
The Pentagon has raised its estimate of the cost of the Iran war to $29 billion, though the figure remains well below projections from several think tanks.
In late April, acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst told lawmakers in Congress that the war had cost Washington around $25 billion.
Testifying in a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday, Hurst revised the assessment, attributing most of the costs to US munition stockpiles used against Iran.
However, according to journalist and Security Policy Reform Institute co-founder Stephen Semler, Washington spent an estimated $71.8 billion in just the first 60 days of the war.
Expended munitions made up more than $41 billion of the total, with military operations costs and damage to US regional assets and bases accounting for most of the rest, he wrote in an article for Popular Information last week, citing military procurement data and officials’ statements.
At a conservative estimate, the war forced the US to burn through around half of its stocks of critical interceptors, such as Patriot and THAAD missiles, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). As a high estimate, the US may have used up to 80% of its stockpile of THAAD interceptors, which “are the most critical due to their low inventory and lack of alternatives,” the think tank wrote in April.
Washington has also overstated the damage to Iran’s missile capabilities, which US President Donald Trump has claimed were largely destroyed, the New York Times wrote on Tuesday.
Iran has retained around 70% of its mobile launchers and 70% of its prewar stockpile of missiles, as well as regained access to 90% of its underground munitions storage and launch facilities, the newspaper wrote, citing US intelligence estimates.
It has also restored 30 of 33 coastal missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, it added.
The key shipping corridor has become the focal point of a tense standoff between the US and Iran, as Washington maintains its blockade of Iranian ports, with neither side giving ground in negotiations.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/639955-pentagon-revises-iran-war-cost/
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Africa
Fear In Borno As Boko Haram Executes Captives Who Tried To Escape
May 14, 2026
A faction of Boko Haram terrorists identified as Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad has reportedly executed more than seven captives who attempted to flee from their hideout in Borno State.
The incident, which reportedly occurred on Tuesday evening, has heightened concerns over the worsening humanitarian situation in parts of Nigeria’s North-East.
Sources disclosed to Sahara Reporters that dozens of abducted civilians, mostly women and children, are still being held under harsh conditions inside the camp.
According to reports, the victims who attempted to escape were captured and executed in front of other abductees.
The bodies were allegedly displayed within the camp to intimidate other captives.
Sources further claimed that about 416 women and children remain in captivity under the control of the terrorist faction.
Some of the children were said to have died from illness, starvation and lack of medical attention.
According to the sources, the terrorists allegedly buried some of the deceased victims within the camp.
The Borno South Youth Alliance (BSYA) raised concern over the situation and called for urgent intervention to rescue the captives.
The group said it had made several efforts through mediation and humanitarian channels to secure the release of at least 50 women and children from the camp.
Speaking on the development, the group said it received disturbing footage on Tuesday showing the execution of some captives who allegedly tried to escape.
“We at Borno South Youth Alliance have tried every possible intervention and humanitarian process available, yet the 416 women, children and a few men in captivity have largely been abandoned to their fate,” the group stated.
The organisation said the footage was intended to draw attention to the plight of the captives and not to promote violence.
“This video is not intended to promote terrorism or any act related to it, but rather to expose the painful reality on the ground,” the group added.
The group further disclosed that several captives were sick and more deaths could occur if urgent intervention was not made.
“Four to five people are already dead. More victims are sick, and some men who attempted to escape have now been killed,” the organisation said.
The youth group appealed to political leaders, Nigerians and international organisations to support efforts aimed at securing the release of the captives.
It urged authorities and humanitarian actors not to abandon the victims, warning that the suffering inside the camp continued to worsen daily.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/05/14/fear-borno-boko-haram-executes-captives-escape/
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‘Nigerians Want Good Infrastructure, But Don’t Want To Pay Tax’ – Wike
May 13, 2026
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has berated Nigerians for their actions regarding tax payments.
Naija News reports that Wike spoke on Wednesday while inspecting road projects in the FCT.
According to the former Governor of Rivers State, Nigerians do not like paying taxes but want to enjoy good infrastructure.
He said, “I’m not trying to defend AMAC when it comes to the issue of tax, Nigerians don’t like to pay tax but they can call you all sorts of names when it has to do with taxes.
“However, nobody has given us such a report, if we have such a report we will call AMAC to order because there must be a civilized way to collect taxes.
“But knowing what we experienced too about payment of taxes, it would be difficult for me to say that they are right.
“Nigerians want good infrastructure but don’t want to pay tax. They want everything free in this country.”
Meanwhile, Wike has reacted to comments surrounding his recent visit to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, saying he does not believe in treating political opponents like enemies.
He explained that his meeting with the APC chairman was a personal visit and not a political gathering, as some people had suggested.
The minister said there was no reason for him to publicly explain every private interaction or friendship he has with people, especially when such relationships existed before his current political position.
According to him, politics should not stop people from maintaining cordial relationships. He questioned the idea that members of different political parties must avoid each other because of political differences.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/05/13/nigerians-dont-want-to-pay-tax-wike/
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ISWAP continues to abduct, convert children into fighters
13 May 2026
Yusuf was 5 years old on the night that Islamic State group terrorists on motorcycles raided his village and took him to raise as one of their own. By the time he was 10, he had fought against the Nigerian Army and the rival terrorist group known as Boko Haram.
After five years of combat with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the 15-year-old had been hardened to the sight of death and destruction. He explained how young children are indoctrinated into combat:
“You want to wear the uniform,” he told British newspaper The Times for a March 13 article. The paper gave him a pseudonym for his protection. “You want to belong. You want to be seen as a hero.”
But the life of a child combatant is extremely harsh, and in many cases, short. ISWAP leaders are rigid and unyielding, Yusuf said, adding that he was aware that a person could be beheaded for disobedience.
With an estimated 10,000 fighters, ISWAP is by far the largest IS faction. Recruitment relies heavily on mass abductions and forced conscription of men, women and children.
Referred to as “Cubs of the Caliphate,” child combatants are seen as an easy source of manpower and frequently are used in IS propaganda videos. Experts say ISWAP has hundreds of training camps for children on Lake Chad’s countless islands, which sit along the borders of northeastern Nigeria, southeastern Niger, southwestern Chad and the Far North region of Cameroon.
The United Nations recorded thousands of cases worldwide of children used in combat from December 2024 to December 2025.
“The recruitment and use of children persisted at very high levels, with 7,402 children recruited and used by State and non-State actors,” according to the most recent report on Children and Armed Conflict, which the U.N. published in December 2025. “The violation was often compounded by other grave violations, such as killing and maiming, abduction and sexual violence.
“Abduction was the fourth-highest verified violation in 2024, affecting 4,573 children. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Somalia had the highest numbers of both abducted and recruited and used children.”
Yusuf said he underwent combat training as soon as he could carry an AK-47 assault rifle. ISWAP fighters instructed children on the use of a number of weapons, including vehicle-mounted heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Men from the Middle East and North Africa taught his instructors how to use improvised explosive devices and drones, Yusuf said.
He recently had a change of heart, yearning to rejoin society. He spoke with a former ISWAP fighter who had left the group and who encouraged him to do the same. Yusuf left the group in February with the help of the Nigerian military.
The man he spoke with was Ali Ajaban, a former senior ISWAP commander who left in 2021 and now works with the Nigerian government against the insurgency. He had been an instructor for child recruits during some of his five years as an ISWAP member.
“We use children to fight because if you begin training them at a young age they are fearless,” Ajaban told The Times.
Written by Africa Defense Forum and republished with permission. The original article can be found here.
Source: defenceweb.co.za
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https://defenceweb.co.za/security/human-security/iswap-continues-to-abduct-convert-children-into-fighters/
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DR Congo: HRW accuses M23 and Rwandan forces of killings, rape in Uvira
14 May 2026
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday that M23 rebels and Rwandan forces carried out a brutal month-long occupation of Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, marked by summary executions, rape and enforced disappearances.
In a report released Thursday, the rights group says the city was occupied from December 10, 2025, to January 17, 2026.
HRW said it documented more than 50 summary executions, at least eight rapes and 12 enforced disappearances, along with gunfire targeting civilians as they tried to flee.
The report is based on more than 120 interviews carried out in March and April this year.
The group further said M23 fighters and Rwandan forces went door to door, targeting men and boys accused of links to the Wazalendo militias.
One witness quoted in the report said four members of his family were shot as they tried to escape. He described the scene as chaos.
Human Rights Watch also says survivors of sexual violence had almost no access to medical care during the occupation, including treatment to prevent HIV infection.
The organization says it contacted the Rwandan government and M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa, but received no response.
On March 2, the United States imposed sanctions on the Rwandan army and some of its commanders over their alleged role in Uvira’s capture.
Human Rights Watch is now calling for independent investigations, prosecutions and stronger international support for UN-led accountability efforts.
Philippe Bolopion, the group’s executive director, said the occupation of Uvira exposed what he called the abusive methods used by M23 and Rwandan forces.
“The occupation of Uvira shows the abusive methods used by the M23 and Rwandan forces,” Bolopion said. “Victims and their families in Uvira seek justice and an end to the impunity that drives these crimes. Congo’s supporters need to step up to support these efforts.”
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2026/05/14/dr-congo-hrw-accuses-m23-and-rwandan-forces-of-killings-rape-in-uvira/
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France to host conference on financing AU peace efforts, says Macron
14 May 2026
A conference on financing the African Union's peace efforts will be held in Paris by the end of this year, French President Emmanuel Macron said while on a visit to Ethiopia.
Macron has been in Africa on a five-day visit this week, including for a two-day economic summit in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
On Wednesday, he held informal talks with AU chairman Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
"An international conference to raise additional funds and mobilise new public and private partners" for the African Union Peace Fund will be organised "in the last quarter of this year in Paris", he added.
The fund, set up in 1993 by the AU's predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity, is reliant on contributions from AU member states, the private sector and individuals.
It was blocked for two decades until 2018 and some $400 million was raised in 2024.
Macron also called for the effective implementation of UN Resolution 2719, which was adopted in 2023 and provides for mandatory contributions from United Nations member states to finance AU peace operations.
During his Africa tour, the French head of state said he wanted the AU to have "more capacity" for peacekeeping operations and to "build its own mediation efforts".
Macron, who reaffirmed his support for permanent seats for Africa on the UN Security Council, said he planned to raise mediation efforts in the conflict-hit eastern Democratic Republic of Congo with the UN and AU.
Kenya's President William Ruto has been invited to represent Africa at next month's G7 meeting in France, he said, adding that Paris would also assist Africa in the fallout from the US-Israeli war against Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
"The entire global economy is obviously affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but the African continent particularly so," Macron said, without elaborating on the initiative.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2026/05/14/france-to-host-conference-on-financing-au-peace-efforts-says-macron/
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Prosecutors seek seven-year prison term for Sarkozy in Gaddafi case
14 May 2026
French prosecutors have requested a seven‑year prison sentence for former president Nicolas Sarkozy in his appeal trial over allegations that his 2007 presidential campaign received illegal funding from Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya — a case that has become one of the most explosive political‑financial scandals of France’s Fifth Republic.
After three days of what the prosecution described as a “fierce” closing argument, the Paris general prosecutor’s office asked the appeals court to impose the same seven‑year sentence it sought during the first trial.
Sarkozy was previously convicted and handed a five‑year prison term, serving 20 days behind bars before being released pending appeal.
Prosecutors portrayed Sarkozy as “the principal, the sole beneficiary” and “the instigator” of an alleged pact with the Libyan regime to secure covert funding for his 2007 campaign.
A battle for political survival
The appeal trial, now nearing its conclusion, is critical for Sarkozy, who insists that “not one cent” of Libyan money entered his campaign or personal finances. A ruling is expected on 30 November.
If convicted again, his remaining legal recourse would be an appeal to France’s Court of Cassation.
Sarkozy’s lawyer Christophe Ingrain said the defense would demonstrate the former president’s “perfect innocence,” arguing that no evidence supports the accusation of Libyan financing.
Accusations of a secret pact with Ghaddafi
The prosecution’s case centers on allegations that Sarkozy, then interior minister under Jacques Chirac, struck an agreement with Gaddafi to receive illicit funds in exchange for political favors — including examining the judicial situation of Abdallah Senoussi, Gaddafi’s powerful intelligence chief and brother‑in‑law.
According to investigators, two secret meetings in Libya in late 2005 involving Sarkozy’s close aides Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux laid the groundwork for the arrangement.
In 2006, around €6 million allegedly moved from Libyan accounts to intermediary Ziad Takieddine, who has since died.
Prosecutors argue these maneuvers “tainted the financing of the supreme election of the Fifth Republic.”
Co‑defendants also face heavy sentences
The prosecution also requested: six years in prison for Claude Guéant, four years, including two suspended, for Brice Hortefeux, with the firm portion to be served under electronic monitoring
Both men were previously convicted in the first trial for their roles in the alleged scheme.
Victims’ groups welcome the prosecution’s stance
Guillaume Denoix de Saint Marc, founder of a French victims’ association linked to the 1989 UTA DC‑10 bombing — an attack attributed to Senoussi — welcomed the prosecution’s demands, saying he hoped Sarkozy would “return to prison, at least long enough to write a second book.”
Verdict expected at the end of the month
After two months of hearings and testimony from ten defendants, the trial is set to conclude in two weeks with final defense arguments.
The appeals court will deliver its decision on 30 November, a ruling that could once again send a former French president to prison.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2026/05/13/prosecutors-seek-seven-year-prison-term-for-sarkozy-in-gaddafi-case/
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Nigeria, Rwanda Discuss Trade, Tourism, Anti-Corruption Cooperation
May 14, 2026
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and President Paul Kagame have resolved to activate mechanisms to deepen bilateral relations between Nigeria and Rwanda.
Naija News reports that this was disclosed in a statement on Thursday morning by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Upon arrival in Kigali, Rwanda, for the Africa CEO Forum, President Bola Tinubu met with Kagame at the Urugwiro Presidential Villa.
Both leaders emphasised the importance of reviving the Joint Permanent Ministerial Commission (JPMC), originally signed by both countries in 2021, as a vital platform for advancing their shared objectives. They further agreed that Nigeria should host the next meeting of the Commission.
In reviewing consular matters, President Tinubu stated that Nigeria will seriously consider reciprocating Rwanda’s 30-day visa-free status for Nigerians in the spirit of Pan-Africanism.
The two presidents also discussed the activation of pending Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) in areas of tourism, Illicit Drugs, and anti-corruption—underscoring President Tinubu’s commitment to inter-African integration, mutual respect, and shared prosperity.
Presidents Tinubu and Kagame exchanged ideas towards operationalising the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) between the two countries. The two leaders have remained steadfast in their support for this agreement.
Nigeria, which last year established an air cargo corridor with Uganda Airways, is now in discussions with RwandAir to facilitate greater export opportunities for Nigerian businesses across the continent.
This online news platform reports that the Africa CEO meeting begins today.
Source: naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2026/05/14/nigeria-rwanda-trade-tourism-anti-corruption-cooperation/
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Southeast Asia
Malaysia must build resilient exports, not rely on US tariff relief
May 14, 2026
Economic minister says Malaysia must strengthen export capabilities instead of depending on temporary US tariff relief under Section 122 expiring in July.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must build more resilient export capabilities rather than relying on the United States’ (US) temporary tariff relief, said Economic Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.
US President Donald Trump has announced a 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the US Trade Act of 1974 after the US Supreme Court nullified his previous trade policies.
Section 122 authorises the US president to impose temporary import surcharges of up to 15% or quotas for no more than 150 days.
“We are aware that those decisions have benefited Malaysia from the perspective of a lower trade-weighted tariff since nearly half of Malaysia’s exports, particularly electronics and machinery, are exempted from the levy.
“While this has improved Malaysia’s relative competitive position compared to regional peers, it is a temporary breather as the future is still uncertain after July 24 when Section 122 expires,” he said after launching the 32nd Malaysia Economic Monitor (MEM): Raising the Ceiling, Raising the Floor: The Jobs Agenda as a Productivity Agenda.
He emphasised that to mitigate the risks associated with the impending expiration of Section 122, Malaysia needs to move into higher-value, harder-to-substitute segments of the electrical and electronics sector where competitiveness is driven by technological capability instead of tariff differentials.
“To achieve this, Malaysia needs to significantly increase investment in research and development, foster indigenous innovation, and address broader gaps in its legal and business environments,” he said.
Akmal Nasrullah said that Malaysia will intensify efforts to expand global trade networks and strengthen economic integration to enhance the competitiveness of “Made by Malaysia” products and services.
“By broadening the market access, Malaysia reduces over-reliance on traditional trading partners whilst building a more balanced and diversified trade portfolio.
“Ultimately, this ensures that Malaysia not only withstand external shocks but emerge stronger, more competitive, and better positioned to deliver sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality growth for the rakyat,” he added.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/malaysia-must-build-resilient-exports-not-rely-on-us-tariff-relief/
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All 900 Singaporean Muslim pilgrims have departed for haj: MUIS
May 14, 2026
SINGAPORE – All 900 Muslim pilgrims from Singapore have left for the annual haj.
The final group consisting of 300 people departed for Madinah, Saudi Arabia, early on May 14, said the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS).
“They will join more than 600 pilgrims who have already arrived safely in Saudi Arabia,” said Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim, who saw the final group off at Changi Airport Terminal 3.
“I am glad that those who departed earlier are settling in well,” he added.
Associate Professor Faishal will be joining the pilgrims to lead his first haj delegation since taking on the Muslim Affairs portfolio in May 2025.
Haj is the fifth pillar of Islam and takes place annually during the Islamic month of Zulhijjah. It culminates with the celebration of Hari Raya Haji, which is expected to fall on May 27, 2026, in Singapore.
Muslims who are financially and physically able to do so are obligated to perform haj at least once.
Prof Faishal said MUIS worked closely with airline Saudia to organise three direct flights to Madinah for the pilgrims from Singapore.
He thanked the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Singapore, the Saudi Embassy, and the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for their support in facilitating the arrangements.
Prof Faishal also thanked Singaporeans for their good wishes and support.
“It is heartening to see the wider community rally behind our pilgrims as they embark on this sacred journey,” he said.
Two earlier groups of pilgrims departed on May 9 and 12, and are now in Madinah and Makkah.
MUIS said they are reported to be in good health and are preparing well for the pilgrimage, which will begin in late May.
A team from the Singapore Pilgrims’ Affairs Office is on the ground to provide support and assistance to all Singapore pilgrims throughout their pilgrimage, added MUIS.
Prof Faishal said he looks forward to joining the pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
“May all our pilgrims be granted safety, good health and a meaningful haj,” he said.
He will be joined by other officials, including MUIS deputy chief executive Mohammad Azree Rahim, who will be overseeing on-ground operations and support for the pilgrims.
Source: straitstimes.com
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/all-900-singaporean-muslim-pilgrims-have-departed-for-haj-muis
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World Bank projects 4.4% growth for Malaysia in 2026
May 14, 2026
The World Bank projects Malaysia’s economy to record solid growth of 4.4% in 2026, with domestic demand continuing to anchor activity amid global risks.
KUALA LUMPUR: The World Bank projects Malaysia’s economy to record solid growth of 4.4% this year, with domestic demand continuing to anchor activity.
World Bank division director for the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei Zafer Mustafaoglu said, however, the near-term outlook is subject to considerable uncertainty as risks are tilted to the downside.
“Geopolitical conflict and trade tensions, weaker global growth, financial market volatility, and policy uncertainty in major economies could all weigh on trade and confidence,” he said in his welcoming address at the launch of the April 2026 Malaysia Economic Monitor here, today.
He said that as a highly open economy, Malaysia remains exposed especially through trade and financial channels.
Malaysia’s growth outperformed expectations in the second half of 2025 even in a profoundly uncertain global environment, he noted.
“That lifted full-year growth to a robust 5.2%, driven by strong domestic demand and export performance. This remarkable outcome reflects the economy’s underlying strength and resilience,” he added.
At the same time, Mustafaoglu highlighted that Malaysia is facing an important challenge: while employment remains strong, productivity growth is modest.
“The result is underemployment, with many graduates in roles that do not fully utilise their skills. This is not only a labour market issue but the underutilisation of human capital is a business dynamism issue.
“When the business environment is hampered by insufficient market contestability, uncompetitive regulations and cumbersome approval processes, uneven access to finance, and slow insolvency processes, business innovation is limited, weakening productivity and wage growth,” he added.
He also said that Malaysia’s jobs challenge is fundamentally a productivity challenge and if productivity growth does not increase, wages cannot rise sustainably.
“Addressing this challenge requires shifting from job quantity to job quality. The report highlights three priorities, namely unlocking a more dynamic business environment, to ignite innovation and channel finance to productivity, and to equip workers with the right skills and build future-ready human capital,” he said.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/world-bank-projects-4-4-growth-for-malaysia-in-2026/
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Malaysia weighs legal action over cancelled missile deal
May 14, 2026
Malaysia’s defence ministry forms a special committee to seek compensation after cancelling a missile contract worth over RM500 million.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Defence Ministry has established a special committee to assess legal action and the amount of compensation to be claimed following the cancellation of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) procurement contract.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the move was necessary as the government had already paid nearly 95% of the contract value, amounting to more than RM500 million.
“A special committee at the ministry level has been set up to detail the claims, which involve not only the refund of the original payment but also compensation arising from the breach of contract,” he said.
Mohamed Khaled was speaking to reporters after launching the PROWIRA Ready-to-Work (RTW) Graduates Programme and the Armed Forces Fund Board Foundation (Yayasan LTAT) Education Initiative 2026 here today.
At the same time, Mohamed Khaled said the ministry was also evaluating several alternatives to replace the NSM system.
He said another committee has also been formed to study suitable replacement systems that can be supplied within a short timeframe.
However, he said the process was not straightforward as the missile system must be compatible with the ships’ existing communication, electrical and operational systems.
He said the integration process for the new system was expected to take several months.
Mohamed Khaled said the cancellation of the NSM supply would not affect the delivery schedule of the first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), KD Maharajalela, to the Royal Malaysian Navy in December this year.
“The LCS programme will continue as planned, except that the vessel will not initially be equipped with a surface-to-surface missile system,” he said.
According to the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace website, the NSM procurement contract was signed between the Royal Malaysian Navy and the company in April 2018, valued at 124 million euros (RM571.9 million), to equip six new LCS vessels.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/malaysia-weighs-legal-action-over-cancelled-missile-deal/
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Bersatu’s mass sacking won’t drive Malay voters back to Umno – Analysts
May 14, 2026
Hamzah remained influential despite his expulsion, claiming many MPs and division chiefs were still aligned with the former Bersatu deputy president.
PETALING JAYA: Bersatu’s purge of 22 members this year, including figures aligned with Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, may leave Pas with the upper hand in Perikatan Nasional (PN) rather than drive Malay voters back to Umno, analysts said.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities director Assoc Prof Dr Mazlan Ali said the expulsions appeared to be part of an internal “cleansing” exercise as Bersatu struggled with factional discord.
He said Hamzah remained influential despite his expulsion, claiming many MPs and division chiefs were still aligned with the former Bersatu deputy president.
“These expulsions and removals can weaken Bersatu because Hamzah himself is capable of driving a movement called ‘Reset’, which is actively gathering support.
“There is a possibility that ‘Reset’ could be accepted as one of the component parties in PN. If that happens, Bersatu will lose its position as the main party in PN,” he told theSun.
Mazlan said Pas appeared more comfortable with Hamzah’s group than with current Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s camp, adding that the rift could give the Islamist party greater leverage in PN’s future seat negotiations.
He said this could already be seen in Malacca, where state PAS commissioner Zulkifli Ismail reportedly said on April 28 that the party was eyeing 16 of the 28 seats in the next state election, double the eight it contested under PN in 2021.
“Hamzah Zainudin does not have many options. His group will have to support Pas’ decisions because his political survival also depends on Pas.
“He is facing Muhyiddin, so to gain enough support to overcome Muhyiddin Yassin, Hamzah needs strong support from Pas.”
International Islamic University Malaysia political analyst Dr Syaza Shukri said Bersatu’s electoral strength has been closely tied to the PN platform, where much of its support came from voters already inclined towards Pas.
“I do not think these voters will shift to Umno. Bersatu won on the PN ticket and we know many of of them are Pas voters.
“With Bersatu becoming increasingly chaotic, Pas may have the upper hand to demand additional seats. But I do not see Pas being very aggressive. Still, without a doubt, PN is becoming more Pas-centred.”
Syaza said Umno may gain from the return of some former Bersatu figures, but that would not necessarily translate into a wider voter swing.
Universiti Malaya Department of Political Science senior lecturer Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub said Pas appeared better positioned than Umno to benefit from Bersatu’s instability due to its stronger organisation and Malay-Muslim grassroots machinery.
He said while Umno was reopening its doors to former members and political figures through the Gagasan Rumah Bangsa initiative, Pas remained the more stable component within PN.
“Umno may only gain limited and short-term benefit through the return of several former Bersatu leaders or members.
“The real challenge for Umno remains restoring the confidence of Malay voters who shifted to PN after the 15th GE.”
Bersatu’s expulsion of 22 members included 17 in February, three on May 8 and two on Monday.
The latest two expelled were Kok Lanas assemblyman Datuk Mohamed Farid Mohamed Zawawi and Parit Armada chief Wan Meor Safwat Naqiuddin Shamsuddin.
Those sacked on May 8 were Suka Menanti assemblyman Dzowahir Ab Ghani, Sungai Tiang assemblyman Abdul Razak Khamis and Hulu Langat division chief Muhammad Faiz Rahmad.
Hamzah was among the 17 expelled in February amid wider rift with Muhyiddin, who stepped down as PN chairman in January but remains Bersatu president.
The party cited breaches of its constitution and ethics code for the sacking, although some affected leaders have linked the latest actions to Hamzah’s Reset gathering.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/bersatus-mass-sacking-wont-drive-malay-voters-back-to-umno-analysts/
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PM Anwar meets US-ASEAN Business Council delegation
14 May 2026
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim meets US-ASEAN Business Council delegation to discuss investment and strategic cooperation across key sectors.
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today received a courtesy visit from the president and chief executive officer of the United States-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC), Ambassador (retired) Brian McFeeters and a delegation in conjunction with the 2026 Malaysia Business Mission.
Anwar said through a posting on X that the meeting opened up space for discussions on the potential for strengthening investment and strategic cooperation across various sectors between the United States and ASEAN, especially Malaysia.
“I emphasise that Malaysia continues to enhance the country’s competitiveness through a clear economic framework such as the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030, the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) and the New Incentive Framework (NIF) which are more targeted and results-based,” he said.
He added that this effort reflects the MADANI Government’s commitment to strengthening sustainability, economic resilience and upgrading the country’s industries, while ensuring that quality investments continue to provide long-term benefits to the people and the country.
Yesterday, Bernama reported that 22 firms from the United States were participating in an investment mission in Malaysia to explore investment opportunities across various sectors and as part of efforts to strengthen business ties with ASEAN, which has the potential to become the world’s fourth largest economy by the end of this decade.
McFeeters reportedly said his delegation consists of firms from artificial intelligence (AI), energy, financial services and insurance.
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/pm-anwar-meets-us-asean-business-council-delegation/
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South Asia
Exiled Afghan Journalists Highlight Media Crisis at Canada Press Freedom Forum
By Fidel Rahmati
May 13, 2026
The third annual conference of thr Free Speech Center was held in Toronto this week, bringing together around 300 exiled journalists, media activists and academics, with a strong focus on the situation of Afghan reporters forced to flee their country.
The organization said journalists from more than 40 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America attended the event marking World Press Freedom Day.
Najib Asil, founder and president of the center, said many exiled journalists continue to face unemployment, legal uncertainty and financial hardship despite years of professional experience and academic qualifications.
Asil called on the government of Canada to expand resettlement support for Afghan journalists stranded in Pakistan and Turkey after fleeing Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Lyse Doucet, senior international correspondent for BBC and author of “The Finest Hotel in Kabul,” praised Afghan journalists in exile for continuing to document developments inside Afghanistan despite growing risks and displacement.
According to Reporters Without Borders, Afghanistan remains among the world’s worst countries for press freedom following sweeping restrictions imposed on independent media since 2021. RSF has reported widespread censorship, intimidation and arrests of journalists, particularly those critical of the authorities.
Female journalists have been among the hardest hit. Many women reporters have been banned from working, removed from television screens, or forced into exile as restrictions on women’s employment and public participation intensified. Media advocacy groups say only a small fraction of female journalists who worked before 2021 remain active inside Afghanistan.
The United Nations and international rights organizations have repeatedly warned that shrinking media freedom and pressure on independent journalists are contributing to growing isolation and a lack of public access to reliable information in Afghanistan.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/exiled-afghan-journalists-highlight-media-crisis-at-canada-press-freedom-forum/
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Uzbekistan Committed to Providing Humanitarian Assistance for Afghanistan, Usmanov Reaffirms
May 14, 2026
KABUL: Oybek Usmanov, the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Kabul, has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening humanitarian cooperation with Afghanistan and supporting communities affected by natural disasters and emergencies across the country.
The remarks were made during a meeting in Kabul with Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, head of Afghanistan’s National Disaster Preparedness Authority, where both sides discussed expanding bilateral cooperation in disaster response and humanitarian assistance, the authority said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Ambassador Usmanov emphasized that Uzbekistan remains prepared to provide humanitarian aid and emergency assistance during periods of natural disasters, including floods, earthquakes, and other crises affecting Afghan communities.
The discussions also focused on improving coordination mechanisms between the two neighboring countries in order to strengthen emergency response efforts and support vulnerable populations impacted by disasters.
The two sides described regional cooperation as essential for addressing humanitarian challenges and enhancing disaster response capabilities in the country.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://www.thekabultimes.com/uzbekistan-committed-to-providing-humanitarian-assistance-for-afghanistan-usmanov-reaffirms/
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Education Ministry Registered, Enrolled Over 32,800 Returning Children in Schools Last Year
May 14, 2026
KABUL: The Ministry of Education of the Islamic Emirate said in a statement on Wednesday that it conducted placement-level assessment exams for around 32,800 children of returning migrant families during the past solar year and subsequently enrolled them in schools across the country.
According to the statement, these children, along with their families, returned to the country from various countries and after determining their educational levels through standardized assessments, they were referred to government schools in Kabul and other provinces, where they are now continuing their education.
The ministry emphasized that it remains committed to ensuring the right to education for returning Afghan migrant children and is working to provide them with appropriate and quality educational opportunities.
Officials added that integrating these students into the national education system is an important step toward supporting reintegration and ensuring continuity in learning for children affected by migration.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://www.thekabultimes.com/education-ministry-registered-enrolled-over-32800-returning-children-in-schools-last-year/
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Youth arrested over hurting religious sentiments in Netrokona
14 May 2026
Police have arrested a 28-year-old man over a Facebook post that reportedly hurt religious sentiments of Muslims in Barhatta upazila of Netrokona district.
The arrested youth, Ayan Kanti Roy, is from Panchruhi Sheikhpara village in Barhatta upazila. He is working at a factory in Gazipur.
Ayan Kanti was arrested from the Netrokona municipal area last night and would be produced before the court today, said Barhatta Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Champak Dam.
According to police and local sources, Ayan Kanti allegedly made a Facebook post that hurt Muslim religious sentiments. The post quickly went viral on social media across the country, sparking widespread outrage and demands for his arrest.
Following the incident, Tawhidi Janata and local Islamic scholars brought out protest marches yesterday afternoon. Demonstrators gathered in front of Barhatta Police Station, demanding immediate legal action against the accused.
On the same allegation, Gazi Mohammad Abdur Rahim Ruhi, assistant general secretary of Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan, filed a written complaint against Ayan Kanti with Barhatta Police Station.
As tensions escalated, Ayan Kanti released a video message claiming that he had unknowingly copied and shared another person’s post. He also offered an unconditional apology.
Arman Hossain Bakki, joint general secretary of Barhatta Upazila Hefazat-e-Islam, said, “The derogatory remarks and obscene images attached to the post have deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the people. We do not want any untoward incident. That is why we demanded his swift arrest while remaining respectful to the law.”
OC Champak Dam further said, “We remained on high alert in the area from the moment the matter came to our attention. To prevent any unrest arising from such social media posts, we conducted a rapid operation and successfully arrested the accused.”
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/youth-arrested-over-hurting-religious-sentiments-netrokona-4175456
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UNAMA Launches Tender Sale of Office and Technical Equipment in Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati
May 13, 2026
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said on Wednesday it is selling part of its office and field equipment through a public tender process in Afghanistan.
UNAMA said companies, traders and organizations interested in purchasing the equipment can participate in the bidding process, with applications open until June 7.
According to the announcement, the items include office furniture, kitchen supplies, sports equipment, generators, shipping containers, and information technology and telecommunications equipment used by the mission’s headquarters and regional offices.
The mission also encouraged organizations supporting people with disabilities to take part in the tender process.
UNAMA operates across several Afghanistan provinces and coordinates political, humanitarian and international assistance efforts in the country.
The sale comes as United Nations agencies continue reviewing operational costs and logistical needs in Afghanistan amid declining international funding for humanitarian programs. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that funding shortages are affecting relief operations and support services across the country.
The United Nations has remained one of the largest humanitarian actors in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, providing emergency food aid, healthcare and support for displaced families despite growing economic and humanitarian pressures.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/unama-launches-tender-sale-of-office-and-technical-equipment-in-afghanistan/
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Islamic Emirate Wants Honorable Return of Afghans to Country
May 14, 2026
The European Union’s decision to invite officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to Brussels for technical talks on migrant returns marks a significant, if cautious, step in managing one of the most pressing humanitarian and political challenges. The European Commission’s very act of engagement with the Islamic Emirate, underscores the complexity of migration diplomacy.
At the heart of the talks is the issue of Afghan migrants, particularly those with criminal records, whom European states seek to deport. Germany’s recent deportation of 25 individuals to Kabul illustrates the urgency felt by EU member states. Yet, this policy intersects with a broader reality as since 2023, more than five million Afghans have already returned from Iran and Pakistan, many through forced deportations. Europe’s efforts, therefore, are part of a larger regional pattern of displacement and return.
Migration is not merely a technical matter, as analysts believe, it highlights the necessity of cooperation between states to resolve the challenges faced by migrants abroad, even technical agreements carry political weight. Indeed, the EU’s engagement with Kabul may open the door to deeper, if unintended, political interactions. For the Islamic Emirate, participation in such talks offers a measure of international legitimacy, even if formal recognition remains off the table.
The EU faces a delicate balancing act as it must uphold its legal and security obligations, ensuring that individuals who pose risks are returned.
For Afghans themselves, the stakes are profound. The Islamic Emirate has called for the honorable return of its citizens, but the reality of forced deportations often strips dignity from the process. Asylum applications from Afghans in Europe, nearly one million between 2013 and 2024, testify to the scale of displacement and the desperation driving migration. Any policy that prioritizes deportation over integration risks compounding the hardships of a population already battered by decades of conflict and instability.
These talks highlight the intersection of humanitarian responsibility and political pragmatism. Europe cannot ignore the presence of Afghan migrants within its borders, nor can it disregard the realities of Afghanistan’s current rulers. Yet, the EU must ensure that its policies reflect not only security concerns but also a commitment to human dignity. Technical cooperation may be the language of diplomacy, but massive and unjustifiable deportation demand a broader vision, considering balances enforcement with compassion, and pragmatism with principle.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://www.thekabultimes.com/islamic-emirate-wants-honorable-return-of-afghans-to-country/
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Hanafi Calls for Providing Job Opportunities for Returnees
May 14, 2026
KABUL: Mawlavi Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, has emphasized the importance of expanding employment opportunities for returning migrants, stating that effective use of Afghanistan’s domestic capacities and human resources can play a major role in improving the country’s economic conditions.
Hanafi made the remarks during a meeting with Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme, and John Aylieff, the organization’s representative in Afghanistan, Arg said in a statement the other day.
The statement said that both sides discussed local economic development, humanitarian assistance, and support for vulnerable communities.
Hanafi highlighted the large-scale return of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries and said that more than five million Afghans have returned to the country over the past five years.
He noted that the Islamic Emirate has taken steps to address the needs and challenges faced by returnees, but stressed that sustainable employment opportunities remain essential for long-term economic stability and reintegration.
The deputy PM stated that prioritizing local expertise and utilizing Afghanistan’s internal workforce during recruitment processes could contribute significantly to strengthening the national economy and reducing unemployment.
Hanafi also pointed to the hardships faced by Afghan citizens over decades of conflict, as well as damages caused by floods and earthquakes, and called for greater attention from international organizations toward the humanitarian and economic challenges confronting the country.
Meanwhile, representatives of the World Food Programme reaffirmed their commitment to continuing humanitarian support for Afghanistan.
Carl Skau expressed appreciation for the cooperation of Afghan authorities and stated that the organization will continue assisting families affected by war, natural disasters, and child malnutrition.
He also emphasized that the World Food Programme would continue efforts to secure additional aid for the Afghan people despite existing challenges.
At the same meeting, John Aylieff provided information about the organization’s current activities in Afghanistan and welcomed the country’s national development strategy.
He noted that all returning migrants are currently receiving assistance from the World Food Programme and added that broader programs focused on job creation and economic support are also being implemented.
Source: thekabultimes.com
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https://www.thekabultimes.com/hanafi-calls-for-providing-job-opportunities-for-returnees/
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